Feeling campy
First of all, before my husband gives me anymore grief ("You're just going to disappoint your LOYAL READERS?"), let me just say that I am going to start a Dear Sarah advice column, probably focusing mostly on booze (hey, it's what the people want!) I will first answer Mermanda's question, but if you have any you'd like to ask, please do so! I am a self-proclaimed expert in black eyeliner and champagne, in case you have any pressing inquiries about those fascinating topics.
Today's post, though, is to recap our camping trip from this past weekend. In case you couldn't tell or didn't already know, I'm not one for camping. I like the outdoors fine, I just prefer a bed and a shower (and room service and valet) if I'm going on vacation. Well, as luck would have it, I married quite the lover of camping. Chris has been trying to get me to go for years, insisting that he camps the "right" way and that I would have a good time if I went.
Well, I trust the guy a little bit and once in awhile I like to make sure he's happy, so "Fine," I said. "I'll go camping!"
And. It really wasn't bad. Actually, it was kind of fun...
I drank champagne.
I read fashion magazines.
I took a nap.
We played cards...
We roasted marshmallows for s'mores.
Burnt the first batch.
And then, in the drunken dark, stepped on all of them, getting melted 'mallow all over our Uggs/jeans/leggings.
Oops.
We admired the scenery...
And then the next day, I took Chris on an 8 mile hike...
(Feather Falls - 6th tallest waterfall in the U.S.!)
Three point five days later, and we're still sore...
I may never go on a week-long camping trip, but for an overnighter, it was definitely a good time! (That statement brought to you by Barefoot Bubbly.)
Dear Sarah
I'm thinking of starting a new advice column feature here at Home Sweet Sarah, but I wanted to run it by y'all first. The last thing I want to do is be all, "Hey, I have an advice column, ask me questions and I'll answer them!" only to have no one ask any questions. Crickets ain't cool, yo.
So! Would you, my fine and fab readers, be interested in a Dear Sarah advice column? In my head, I like to think I am a wealth of knowledge about dating, friendships, marriage, work, fashion, and myriad other topics. In reality, I have no clue what I'm talking about - unless what I'm talking about is booze. Either way, I'm basically just searching for a way to give solicited advice, so let's make that happen!
So! (Again!) Advice column or no advice column? Or, or! Booze column? We can definitely do that instead.
Oh the places you’ll go!
Sometimes I like to pretend - or perhaps I actually believe - that my life is really boring...
...Wake up. Go to work. Come home. Eat dinner. Go to sleep...
...Repeat. Repeat. Repeat...
...Until all of a sudden it's 2010 and I'm left wondering, What in the hell happened to the last few months/year?
I think every once in awhile it's a good idea to take a virtual inventory and remember all the cool things I've done, all the one-of-a-kind experiences I've had...
...If only to serve as a reminder that my life is NOT boring and that there are many more exciting things to come in the future...
...Because, god, if I top out at 27, then my life really IS boring.
So! In no particular chronological or significant order, here are some of the places I've stood:
- At the top of the Space Needle in Seattle
- On the ground of Sistine Chapel in Rome, neck craned upwards
- In the Rockefeller house in Washington, D.C. with El Presidente
- Afloat in the Dead Sea in Israel (basically everywhere and anywhere in Israel, actually)
- In front of my all time favorite piece of art - Picasso's Guernica - in Madrid (that second link has nothing to do with Guernica, but rather, is a story about cheese and barf. You've been forewarned.)
- 273 steps up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
Where are some cool places you've stood?
Props to my homegirl Sensibly Sassy for posting the places she's stood, which compelled me to do the same.
The dishes are DONE, man!
I've been summoned by my lovely aunt, the always-tres-cool Rachel in the OC, to answer a few questions! I love answering questions and talking about myself in general, so here goes!
1) What movie will you not turn off whenever it comes on?
This could be a loooooong list, but I'll try to break it down to the essentials: "Clueless," "The Family Man," "French Kiss," "The American President," "Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead," and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
2) How old were you when you got (or gave) your first kiss?
I believe I gave (hey-oh!), and I was 14; the magic happened immediately following our junior-high graduation dance.
(Now let's fast-forward 12 years...We're in Washington, D.C....In the office of a member of Congress...I see the dude...Who works for the congressman...Aaaaand I ignore him. Oooh! Burn!)
3) What movie star is your dream date?
I'm honestly not sure I'd like to date a movie star, but I'd totally - pardon my French - bone Denis Leary.
4) What food will you absolutely not eat under any circumstances (and why)?
Mayo. It's grody.
"How can you eat a sandwich with no mayo?" you might ask (they always ask.) "Isn't it so dry?"
No! I use mustard! Or oil and/or vinegar! Or both/all three!
"What about potato salad? How can you have potato salad without mayo?"
I use sour cream!
Trust me, I have no use for mayo.
5) How many hours of TV do you watch each week?
Not enough. Seriously, I think TV is where it's at and I only wish I had the time to watch more!
6) Do you get your five servings of fruits and vegetables every day?
Does wine count as fruit? What about champagne? Grapes, right? Grapes!
7) What is the first rule of Fight Club?
We Don't Take No SHIT From Anyone!
We Don't Take No Prisoners!
We Don't Take No For An Answer!
We Don't Talk About Fight Club.
8 ) Did you really like the Dennis Hopper (RIP, dude) movie "Blue Velvet?"
A) Dennis Hopper died? and B) What's "Blue Velvet"?
9) Do you read the last page of a book to see how it ends?
No! I'm not like Harry Burns from "When Harry Met Sally"!
*Adding "When Harry Met Sally" to the list of movies I'd never turn off*
10) What is Joey from "Friends" signature phrase? Bonus: What is the name of their coffee shop?
Sistah, puhleeze!
"How you doin'?" and Central Perk.
iPhone snaps
I'll be honest, if it weren't for this lovely lady's most recent blog post, I'd have nothing to share with you today. Although it's been painfully boring around here, I do feel as though it's time for an update and what better way to update you on my life than through pictures! And even better, than through poorly-taken iPhone pictures!
Here are some flowers I bought from Trader Joe's. Although I do think the St. Patrick's Day-themed carnations are pretty wickedly classy, I really only bought the bouquet for those cute green flowers. Those cute green flowers have been my most favorite flowers recently. In case you care, they are called [some variation of] Button Chrysanthemum Mums. Thanks to Twitter for answering my What Is This Flower? query.
Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, here's a cute picture of me and my mom. She was in town for business, so we met her downtown for an Irish Car Bomb and a couple gin and tonics (or vodka cranberries, in Mom's case.)
And here's Chris and his brother Drew on St. Patrick's Day!
While on my way to a job interview the following day, I looked down and noticed that my nail-polish was missing off my ring finger. Even worse, it was also missing off the same finger on my right hand. The duration of my car ride was spent peeling off nail polish, as I didn't think chipped nail-polish would look all that profesh. (P.S. I got the job!)
During our quarterly trip to Costco, Chris and I discovered caskets! Yes, bury-you-in-the-ground full-on caskets. Oh, and pink ones, no less! I obviously had to pose for a picture. OBVIOUSLY.
This is me after a $30 haircut and color. For the first time since I was probably 10 years old, I went to a Great Clips to get my hair did. It was just totally and completely out of control nasty; I had to do SOMETHING. In keeping with the cheap theme, I decided to DIY my hair-color, as well. I didn't get too crazy; I really just wanted my roots to match the rest of my locks, so I chose an espresso color. After kinda-sorta destroying my bathroom, here was the result (too bad you can't really see anything in this shot, as I wisely chose a brown t-shirt for my hair to blend into. And a brown couch. Aces.)
This past weekend, I headed to Colorado to help my grandparents babysit this little cutie. I THINK that's Pike's Peak in the background. Maybe? Or not. Not too sure.
I had a layover in Denver on the way home from Colorado, so I did what any red-blooded American does during a layover: I bellied up to the bar. This shows the remnants of my first mimosa, as well as the spice flight that accompanied my Bloody Mary. Yes, a spice flight. I mostly just took this picture to show Chris what a spice flight looked like. He was jealous, obvs.
So that's all that's been going on with me! Exciting stuff, let me tell you what!
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I keep forgetting to post my Style Lush articles on this blog, so here are a few you might have missed: I ask SL readers help me with my hair (yes, it's always about my hair, apparently), I give you an awesome pasta salad recipe, I share a delicious way to use up St. Patrick's Day corned beef leftovers, and I help a reader outfit her guest bathrooms.
Mary Mary, quite contrary
We've been doing a wee bit of gardening the past couple weekends and let me tell you what: That shit's hard. Seriously, I don't think I've worked so hard in all my life. You see, growing up, we had a gardener, so I never had to do anything like mow or weed or seed or till or...get dirty. Now, as an adult (heh) and homeowner, I am the gardener. (Okay okay, we all know that's a lie; Chris is actually the gardener. I'm just the one standing there with a shovel going, "Okay, now what do I do again?")
Yesterday, as I was scooping handfuls of mud off the blades of a roto-tiller that we'd rented to prepare what will (crossed fingers!) be a flourishing vegetable garden, I commented that if we ever have a daughter, she surely will not have to do this sort of work.
"Oh yes she damn well will!" Chris told me. "Hard works builds character!"
[I think I have plenty character without having done back-breaking yard work as a child, but whatever.]
"And anyway, you're doing gardening work right now, soooo..."
Dammit, good point.
And I guess he's right, about that character-building business. Although I didn't grow up doing yard work, I did do my share of roofing. And installing a satellite dish. And crawling through the attic to install a ceiling fan. "Make sure you don't touch the insulation!" my dad would call out, as I played balance beam on the rafters. So, I suppose in some ways, yes, those experiences made me the person I am, helped build some of this character of mine, and taught me that hard work is valuable.
That being said...
This morning, when Chris asked what else needed to be done, other than mowing and seeding and fixing the gate and...
I called out, "The wine bar! You promised me the wine bar!"
Where everybody knows my name
When Chris and I lived in San Diego, we had a local bar, Lucy's, which was like our own personal Cheers. Chris and I met at Lucy's, we had our Post-Wedding Bloody Mary party Lucy's, all the bartenders knew us by name, they knew our drinks, created new drinks for me (mimosa in a pint glass with peach schnapps, you're welcome), we never got carded, and I once got the bouncer to kick out some asshole who slapped me (on the arm, but still, a slap is a slap.) Seriously, we were like the [self-appointed] prom king and queen of Lucy's. Or maybe prince and princess. Whatevs.
Now that we've moved to the 'burbs, finding our local bar has proven to be difficult. First of all, a bar scene sort of ceases to exist here in our subdivision, IMAGINE THAT. And as for the bars that DO exist, they're not walking distance and since we're generally not down with the DUI thing, we don't go out often (our city apparently has an unlimited police budget, as the pigs are ALWAYS lurking under trees or around corners.) These days, we've made our house our bar, preferring to have a cocktail or two (or three) from the comfort of our couch. And this is fine, honestly; the bathrooms are way cleaner here than in a bar anyway.
The problem with saucing at home, however, is the lack of a few key items. Here, let's disucss them:
1) Other people. Now, obviously, I'm not looking to meet anyone and I don't think my husband is either, but once in awhile, some human interaction is a good thing. (Or so they say; I spend the majority of my days all alone and have only had a nervous breakdown once or twice. Haha, I kid! It's been more like fifteen times.) Anyway, another person or two with whom we could chat or, you know, sit near, would be nice.
2) Billiards. The first night Chris and I went out, I beat him at pool three times in a row. THREE TIMES! IN A ROW! Almost three years later and that is the ONLY time that's ever happened, hence why I'm still holding on after all this time. Even still, once in awhile I do win, or at least make a shot that leaves the cue ball in an unfortunate location and then I get to tell Chris, "You see, it's all about the leave," which is fun. Being annoying is fun!
3) Live music. Oh, live music, how I miss thee. I sorely took advantage of all the live music we got to see in San Diego, because here? Nada, nothing, nil. Until! UNTIL!
Until Saturday afternoon, when Chris and I were kicking it in Oakland, waiting for his brother to get off work so that we could bring him back to our house and force him to hang out with us. While we were listening to the radio (keeping it real old school style) the DJ started listing all of the shows that were going on that night and he mentioned one that was going on IN OUR TOWN. You know I jumped on that with the quickness, called the bar, and asked about the show they were having that night. "Well, there's a band tonight," the grouchy bartender lady told me. Show, band, magician, motivational speaker, I did not care. Live entertainment is live entertainment.
And so, we packed up the crew - that is, the three of us, mobbin' deep - and headed over to the Wild Wrangler Saloon. [NOT JOKING.] The band ended up being a cover band, but they were good enough for me; not to mention we commandeered a pool table so we got a good six or so games in (I lost all but one.)
The only downside was when one of the old regulars, complete with cowboy hat, tried to intimidate my brother-in-law while they were both outside getting fresh air/looking at the stars. I was annoyed. I was pissed off. I... Could understand completely. See, that's what happens when you encounter a newby in your local bar. But still, he's lucky I didn't slap him. On the arm, of course.
A little bit of housekeeping (you want me fluff pillow?)
I've been in a bit of a wintertime-it's-gloomy-here-we're-not-in-San-Diego-where-it's-sunny-and-I-just-turned-27-and-have-no-idea-what-I'm-doing-with-my-life slump these days, but I did want to check in to mention a few things.
- My little contest ends this Friday at 10:00 AM PST, so go tell me where you think Chris and I should vacation. Please. (I'm not trying to tell you what to do.) So far, Savannah and Denver are neck-and-neck, but dammit, I'm really leaning towards Boise, I DO NOT KNOW WHY.
- Sometime last week, while watching Kell on Earth, I tweeted that I thought Stephanie Vorhees needed to just quit already, rather than doing what she was doing, which was bemoaning the lack of training she'd had. A few hours later, I received a twitter from Ms. Kelly Cutrone herself, thanking me and agreeing with me. You guys. I WAS SO EXCITED. Almost as excited as when Michael Chiarello started following me on Twitter. ALMOST. (It's the little things, you know.)
- My birthday was a couple weeks ago, hence the turning-27 portion of my slump. To commiserate celebrate, Chris and I shined up our shoes, got all Big City, and rode the BART into San Francisco for the night. We had a lovely time drinking champagne, hoofing it up some massive hills (hills in San Francisco, who knew?), and then drinking more champagne. Birthdays are fun, aren't they? Pictures of the festivities are here.
- I'm continuing to post weekly over at Style Lush. In case you missed it, let's talk eyeshadow, accessories for the little black dress, and organizing the daily junk, shall we?
A major award for both me and you!
My mom and I used to play Yahtzee and whenever I was throwing really shitty dice, she'd tell me I needed to "think sixes" or whatever number or combination I was going for. This stuck with me and now, when Chris and I play Yahtzee (shut up, sometimes we switch it up and play Scrabble) and he's throwing shitty dice, I give him the same advice my mom gave me. "Think fives!," I'll holler. "C'mon fives!" You have to BE the dice, you have to SEE the numbers you want to appear. It sounds hokey, but trust me, it works.
Keeping this in mind, let's hearken back to a couple weeks ago, when the lovely Kristin (NOT Kristen) from Camels & Chocolate posted a Cambria Suites weekend getaway giveaway on her blog. YOU KNOW I jumped on that like flies on leftover picnic food and entered to win. I also Twittered about the giveaway, so that I could get an extra entry into the contest. Now, here's where my mom's advice comes into play: I thought POSITIVE THOUGHTS about winning the giveaway. I SAW myself winning.
And then? AND THEN I WON!
Now here's the hard part: Chris and I need to choose where to go (what, you don't feel bad for me?) Where we go will depend on a few factors: 1) If the hotel is available the weekend we want; 2) If Southwest flies there directly, or at least easily, from SMF; and, this is where where you come in, 3) Your sage recommendations!
Below is a list of all the Cambria Suites locations we have to choose from. I've made a few notes on the places we're definitely interested in, as well as those we're definitely NOT interested in (ahem, Indianapolis, ahem.) However, I did list all the locations, you know, in case you think we would be making a horrible mistake by not going to Green, Ohio or someplace. Also, to help YOU help ME, you should know that we love food, booze, and live music.
Denver, Colorado
I have actually been to Denver, for the DNC Convention almost two years ago. Sadly, my entire time there was spent highly stressed out and working my ass off, so I wasn't able to take advantage of the Mile High City like I would have liked.
Other locations in Colorado: Fort Collins, Pueblo, and Aurora.
Dania Beach, Florida
My husband isn't totally sold on going to Florida. Since I've only ever been to Boca Raton, I can understand his hesitation. But still...Any sort of BEACH sounds lovely right about now.
Savannah, Georgia
This might be fun! Go to Lady & Sons, meet Paula Deen, then DIE OF EXCESSIVE BUTTER INTAKE.
Boise, (Who's the hoe?) Idaho
I've always wanted to go to Idaho. Chris has been, but only to the Washington-Idaho border towns, because cigarettes were cheaper in Idaho. This was in college, by the way. Not, like, yesterday.
Indianapolis, Indiana
So I don't really have an interest in going here. I blame that one homely-looking Manning brother. Oh wait, that could be either of them.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
I can't think of Baton Rouge without saying "BAT-ON RUUUUUUUGE!" all French-like.
Morrisville, North Carolina and Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina
My knowledge of the Carolinas is limited to John Edwards (asshole!), Tar Heels (whatever those are), and greenery. Seems like a nice place, minus John Edwards.
San Antonio, Texas
I'd love to go to Texas, but my husband isn't so thrilled. That said, I know nothing about San Antonio, so maybe it sucks? Is this where the Alamo is?
Falling right into the I Don't THINK So Group: Noblesville, Indiana; Plainfield, Indiana; Traverse City, Michigan; Bloomington, Minnesota; Maple Grove, Minnesota; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; Akron-Canton, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Green, Ohio; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Appleton, Wisconsin; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Madison, Wisconsin.
What do you think? SHOULD we book flights to Traverse City, Michigan after all or check out BAT-ON RUUUUUUUGE instead? I'd love to get your thoughts/suggestions/recommendations!
And, AND, to make it worth your while (and also to pay it forward...learned that one from Haley Joel Osment), I'm going to host a little giveaway of my very own! Like Oprah, I'm going to send one lucky person a few of my favorite things! Sadly, you're not all getting a car, however, I do promise that my favorite things are cool (ahem, I hope you like makeup and beauty products.)
So, advise away! Also, since it's how I technically won MY major award, if you Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment that you Tweeted, you'll get an extra chance to win. I will pick a winner at 10:00 AM PST on Friday, February 26th.
A few quick notes on this and that
I have a couple things floating around in my head, none of which really deserve a post of their own, hence the bullets:
- I really hate when men wear dress shirts that have buttons holding the collar down. A few years ago, a very well-dressed male co-worker of mine pointed out how much this bugged him and in doing so, transferred the pet peeve on to me. A couple weeks ago, at the Golden Globe Awards, Michael C. Hall (Dexter) wore such a shirt and I was beyond offended. Where was his stylist or his wife or his wife's stylist or the friggin suit-maker/seller/tailor? Geez.
- My birthday is next week, what what! We're spending the evening in San Francisco and as usual, I must ask you all for your Where Should We Eat? recommendations.
- (Sort of) speaking of birthdays, an awesome Valentine's Day gift-guide has been posted over at Style Lush. Although I LOATHE Valentine's Day (it rudely cuts into Birthday Week, how dare it!), I've decided I'd like one of everything on the list, please and thank you. (Especially numbers 5, 6, 11, 12, 22, 23, and 25...Well, maybe two of number 25.)
- Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you for basically being my own personal stylist(s) and weighing in on all my fashion-mergencies recently. Because you all are so hip and rad and helpful, I've gone ahead and added Help Me Be Stylish as a new category here on the ol' blog, so you can expect to help me out with my fashion conundrums whenever they arise (which will probably be, like, every other day. Hah. NOT KIDDING.)
- Related: I have basically become a walking trend, what with my leggings and my skinny jeans and my suede knee-high boots and my old man-ish cardigans. I'd hate myself a little bit for this, if everything listed above weren't so CUTE! and COMFY! and CHEAP! (Dude, leggings are, like, five bucks. Five dollar pants that I can wear out? Sign. Me. Up.)
- Another thing that bugs me: When CEOs "star" in their own company's television ads. I mean, I get it; it's probably cheaper than hiring actors and maybe they think it lends more credibility to the product, but it just bugs me. Like I really want to see Mr. Papa John or Mr. Sargento Cheese or Mr. S.C. Johnson pimping out their products? Uhh, no.
- I'm toying with the idea of doing a FAQ page here, although to be honest, I would probably call it a RAQ page (just keeping it real.) If you all have any questions for me, then BRING IT ON and I'll go ahead and make a FAQ/RAQ page. And hey, if no one asks anything, I'll probably just make a NAQ page, wherein I answer my own, likely obscure, questions.
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