A big disappointment

I am sad. This is usually the time when I post all my fun paparazzi pictures from Sundance and name-drop as much as I can....but alas, Sundance was super disappointing this year.

Now, don't get me wrong. It started off very promising. I was given free tickets to a movie by my boss at work, and there were some major A-listers scheduled to appear. But the night I went up with my friends to star gaze, it was a horrific snowstorm in Park City. Honestly, in the 2 hours that we were wondering main street I got about 5 inches of snow on my car. It was insane and predictably, the blizzard scared all the celebs into the warm havens of their hotel rooms and the VIP lounges. The only real bright spot was when this mariachi band starting playing on the sidewalk that we got to dance to.

The absolute worst part though was the movie we saw. It is called Blue Valentine. It stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams and was honestly the most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed. First of all, when we got to the theater it was so over-booked that Brody and I couldn't even sit by each other - as in, he was on the front row and I was up on the balcony. Second, there were seriously so many over-the-top sex scenes and horrible language I literally felt sick to my stomach. But when they showed the abortion scene (yes they actually show her getting an abortion and they do not sugar coat anything) I couldn't take anymore. I finally just got up and walked out. I have only walked out of two movies in my life. Needless to say my streak is over and this year has kind of ruined Sundance for me a little...

A few more items

I told you there would be more to come (and I had to steal a few from my comment-leavers)...

1. Float in the Dead Sea

2. See the Northern Lights

3. Scuba in the Great Barrier Reef

4. Great Wall

5. Tulips in Holland

6. Play tennis on that crazy hotel in Dubai

7. Visit Angkor Wat in Thailand

8. Easter Island

9. Shop Harrod's in London

10. Visit the Charm City Cakes bakery in Baltimore

11. See a finals at Wimbledon & the US Open

12. Go to a Yankee Game

13. Stay at a B&B in Vermont in the fall

14. See Carmen at the Sydney Opera House

15. Be on a show on HGTV (preferably Divine Design)

16. See a taping of Oprah (I need to hurry on this one)

17. Meet a US President

18. Cliff jump in Mexico

19. Ride the Maid of the Mist at Niagra

20. See Chichen Itza

21. Visit China's Forbidden City

22. Relax in Bora Bora

23. See the temples of Bagan

24. Soak in the Iceland hot springs

Why not

Brody and I do not own our own house...yet. We have three years of law school tuition to think about before we can make any kind of down payments. That being said, it's never too early to start thinking about decor right?

When I think about my style I would hope for timeless, casual elegance. Casual like the beach, but elegant like a beach in the hamptons. One of my favorite inspirations is Diane Keaton's charcters' home in Somethings Gotta Give. The movie isn't that great but everytime it's on I find myself watching it for the house. It's GORGEOUS. From the thick planks of cherry hardwoods, the myriads of french doors, the crown moldings, the charming cedar shingles and white trim....sigh. So timeless. And wouldn't you know it? It was a showhouse at one point, which a lot of my pictures below have been stolen from...

Another one of my favorite real estate inspirations just happens to be one of my favorite new sitcoms. Modern Family. It's fantastic. The characters, the dialogue, the subtle humor. Watch it. Seriously. Wednesday on ABC, 9/8 Central. But the cherry on top is the three incredible homes the families live in. They are all stunning and decorated impeccably.

So like any crazy person who is desperate to decorate their own dream home, I've been saving screen-shots and photos of my ideal home/style. Classic, eternal good taste...








Don't feel relaxed already?

To-Do List

It's interesting what you do to fill the time at work on certain days...

My To-Do List:

1. See Petra

2. Climb Machu Picchu

3. Concert at the Disney Concert Hall

4. Sky Dive

5. Hot Springs on Deception Island / Cruise to Antarctica

6. See all the Cirque Du Soleil shows in Vegas

7. See the pyramids, Giza

8. Explore Jerusalem

9. Go inside a Parkside penthouse in New York

10. Watch a taping of SNL

11. Hike the alps, see the Matterhorn

12. Ride a donkey in Santorini

13. Explore Athens

14. See everything in the Louvre!

15. Notre Dame

16. Cross an ocean on a boat

17. Sunbath in Nice

18. Ride a gondola in Venice

19. See the David

20. Sistine Chapel

21. Parthenon

22. Eat Deep Dish in Chicago

23. Bungee Jump in New Zealand

24. Attend some kind of entertainment awards show

25. Be on National Television

26. Hang Glide

27. See St. Basil's cathedral in Russia

28. Visit Hong Kong, Tiananmen Square

29. See the Cristo Rendentor in Rio

30. Tango in Buenos Aires

31. Visit Stratford upon Avon / Sherwood Forest

32. Ride the eye of London, meet a royal

33. See Journey in Concert (only if Steve Perry is the lead)

34. Go on an African Safari

35. Audition for a reality TV show

36. Go to a rain forest

37. Drive a sports car on the autobahn

38. Stay in a high-rollers' sweet in Vegas

39. New Years in Times Square

40. Write a book

41. Have my book made into a movie ;)

42. Whale watch

43. Learn a second language

44. Ice skate in Central Park

45. Attend an Olympic event

46. See the Taj Mahal

47. Run a half marathon

48. Stay at a house in East Hampton

49. Participate in La Tomatina festival of Bunyol, Spain

50. Holi color festival

51. See an LDS temple in China

And more to follow I"m sure. What are some of yours?

Tea Time

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of joining my Culture Club ladies for the Afternoon Tea at the Grand America. It was so fun to see these lovely ladies, but the ambiance and incredible hats and gloves (thanks again Beth) just made the whole affair that much more authentic and memorable. Any occasion to wear bright red lipstick is fine by me.

Bethany started it off by presenting each of us with an adorable little packet with our own lipstick and white gloves, chocolate or mints, a white doile, and a CD. Then we got to choose one of her Grandmother's vintage hats to wear, which were all incredible. She had some great style!

All the credit must be given to this lovely lady on the left, who was also the organizer and photographer. She is so incredibly talented and creative she could easily take over Martha Stewart's job without skipping a beat. I wish I could say I took these pictures, but alas, it was all Bethany. You can see all of Bethany's photography on her website and blog.

As for the menu, we got to choose from such tasty delights as spiced plum, creamed chi, and raspberry tea. Personally, I went for the coconut almond hot chocolate, on Kate's recommendation, which was divine. Then we sampled finger sandwiches like smoked salmon, cucumber, turkey cranberry, and more and had fresh scones with devonshire cream, lemon curd & rasberry jam. We topped the afternoon off with a choice between three french pastries or a slice of either chocolate mocha cheesecake or coconut cake with strawberries and cream. I opted for the pastries and sample a fruit torte, strawberry crumble and a lemon canoli. It was delicious and so much fun!

Thank you ladies for such a fun afternoon! I loved people-watching and chatting with you all about the upcoming year.

In LOVE

I am head over heels in love with this dining room. Everything from the cast stone fireplace, the gorgeous pedestal table, the elegant upholstered chairs, and the pièce de résistance...the AMAZING chandelier (which is actually electric despite how realistic and wonderfully rustic those "candles" are).

It's perfection.

Salt in the Open Wound...

Now, no judgment to those who do watch R rated movies, because I definitely have seen my fair share. But I've been on a role. An almost 4-year role to be precise.

So...



you can imagine how badly this trailer stings. Not only because of the opening shots of the Chrysler building (my favorite building in New York) or the use of Empire State of Mind, or even the fact that the girls go to Morocco in this one, Yes. I am proud to say that I have actually been to Morocco.

No. It's the fact that it's rated R. And I'm sorry but I just can't break my streak! Which means I will have to wait not only until it hits theaters, but until it's released on DVD! Which will probably be around Christmas next year if I'm being completely honest with myself.

However, there is a small light at the end of that tunnel. I can buy it from a little gem I discovered last year on the Internet. Its called Good Movies Online and I stumbled upon it about a year or so ago when I was desperate to watch Love Actually again.

It's a lovely little operation that will sell you an edited version on an R rated film, and they give you the option of how much you want edited (i.e. PG-13 level, PG level, etc.) And it's perfectly legal. And in my mind, it's the perfect win-win situation for my little moral dilemma, and I thought it might be useful to anyone else facing the same. Now all I really need is for them to start making blu-ray copies and I'm set!