Posts from — March 2011

When my older sister asked me to be her maid of honor, one of the first things that crossed my mind was oh shit: I have to write a maid of honor speech.  Being the maid of honor at my older sister’s wedding would be a dream come true, quite frankly I never imagined it happening any other way.  In fact, I would have been quite royally pissed had she asked somebody else.  But anyways, back to the ‘oh shit’ reaction.  I knew being the maid of honor came with some hefty responsibilities: bridal shower, bachelorette party, handling wedding planning induced emotional breakdowns, dealing with bridezilla style temper tantrums, finding on the spot quick fixes to wedding day catastrophes, and not but certainly not least: the maid of honor speech, or in my case the sister of the bride speech.  Thinking about the maid of honor speech was fun.  Memories, stories and sisterhood secrets flooded my mind.  Actually sitting down to write the speech was a bit different.  I struggled to find the balance between humor and honest sentiment. As someone with zero to no comedic skills, this struggle was harder than you might imagine.

The speech came and I nailed it.  Nerves had got the best of me for sure, I hadn’t eaten in days, and my hands were to shaky to hold my notes.  Well, fortunately for me I didn’t need my notes because the moment I stood in front of the crowd, my nerves disappeared, my anxiety was calmed, and I felt blissfully happy, proud, and excited to share my thoughts with the guests.  So here you have it, a 3 month later rendition of my maid of honor speech (or sister of the bride speech).  One day soon I hope to ask the videographer for the real deal, but until that day, you get to relive my maid of honor speech with me from the comforts of my own bedroom!  YouTube style.  Enjoy.

My previous mention of the new OPI nail polish collection Touring America, inspired me to start a new blog post series.  For now, because I can’t think of a more creative name, I shall call it: On My Nails. I know, so creative.

See, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was a nail polish fanatic.  I love painting my nails and considering I can paint my own nails quite well, manicures are just too expensive.  I occasional splurge for ‘just because I want to manicures,’ but typically – I paint ‘em myself.  It’s fun, it’s me time, and it gives me a good excuse to buy new colors… all the time.

I have just one problem as a nail polish fanatic: I peel my nail polish off.  Normally within 48 hours of painting my nails.  An obnoxious, annoying and probably (from the point of view of an onlooker) disgusting habit.  But it’s this awfully addicting habit!  It’s like once you start – once you see one tiny bubble, or one corner peel up a little bit – you can’t stop. So in turn I end up painting my nails 2-3 times a week. I go through nail polish faster than the average gal, which makes me question if my DIY choice is in fact cheaper in the long run. (After thinking about this for 5 seconds, the answer is yes, it is.)

But anyways, back to the blog series. I may just start sharing a photo of my ugly, short, stubby fingers and square nails each time I change polishes. Will I forget to shoot and share most of the times? Yes. Will you undoubtedly grow uninterested after I share more than 3 pictures? Yes. Oh well. This may be fun, for me at least. I’ll start with some oldies.

On nails: OPI Lincoln Park After Dark
Occasion: Sister’s bachelorette weekend in NYC

On nails: OPI Tickle My France-y
Occasion: Sister’s bridal shower

On nails: OPI Pink Flamenco
Occasion: Night out on the town, summer 2010

On nails: Pink & white acrylic
Occasion: Sister’s wedding
Author’s note: If you value the health of your nails at all, you will never get acrylics, ever.

Okay, so there you have it.  A little sneak peak of what’s to come in the future.

Cheers.

For those of you who may not know already, I admit to being a nail polish fanatic with little to no shame.  A fanatic, and also a snob.  I love OPI, I wear (mostly) only OPI, I live and breath for OPI.  I hate Essie polishes (too watery), and while I try time and time again to fall for a brand like Orly, L’Oreal or Sally Hansen in the name of saving money, time and time again I find myself hating the outcome and returning to the always awesome OPI.  Occasionally I’ve had success with Maybelline Express finish, but really, it’s OPI or die, bitches.

Okay, so why the rave?

Late last week Stylelist.com shared that OPI is bringing us nail polish fanatics a brand new line of amazing colors inspired by our country’s very own greatest places.

“OPI’s new Touring America Collection for Fall 2011 includes twelve new nail shades inspired by American cities and the rich cultural heritage that distinguishes them.”
(Quoted from: http://www.stylelist.com/2011/03/25/opi-touring-america-nail-polish-collection/)

The collection is amazing – and somewhat unlike most OPI collections which tend to stay close to one color palette or at least within the same tone (pastels, sorbets, metallic, shattered).  Touring America boosts brights, neutrals and rich, deep shades.

As a native Mainer, I will most certainly have to try out ‘I Eat Mainely Lobster’ (top photo, far right), but the nail polish fanatic in me cannot wait to try the grays and army greens.  I tend to steer clear of blues and greens, but I’m sure that these green meets olive meets taupe shades will be a fantastic touch to my fall wardrobe that is overflowing with neutral color sweaters!

It’s time I share a little weekend recap, and oh, what a weekend it was!  If my fabulously productive and relaxing Sunday wasn’t telling enough, let me share with you the rest of my doings.

After a number of canceled plans and ideas that failed to pan out, I made the decision to drive home to Portland.  My car needs to spend some time in the shop and my dad (as always) has kindly offered to take care of it for me.  I decided to leave work early (3PM) to beat the Friday northbound rush hour traffic, but failed horribly.  A 2PM meeting ran 45 minutes late, which caused me to get my 2nd of 2 parking tickets (in the same day, yes) and while preoccupied on the phone with my sister I missed my exit.  You’d think this was the first time I ever drove out of the city.  It was not, obviously.

Two hours later, I’m home.  I’m thrilled.

• My parents and I begin to catch up, while tasting a glass of medium-bodied red wine.  My parents are serious wine connoisseurs, but that doesn’t ever stop them from finding and loving an inexpensive bottle of wine.  Tip from my dad: if you ever see Réserve Perrin on the label – buy it.  They typically cost $10.99-12.99 but are DELICIOUS!
• We continue the night by enjoying our 7PM dinner reservation at Miyake, hands down the best sushi restaurant in Portland.  We order an arugala salad, a green bean plate and sweet tofu roll to start.  My dad orders the striped sea bass sashimi, my mum gets the salmon roll, and I go for the always amazing tuna roll.  Mom and dad get hot sake, while I stick with Allagash White (so lame while at a sushi bar, I know… I know).

• After a long night of sushi and drinks and awesome talks with belly laughs, I go to bed in my favorite bed ever (my childhood house!), thankful for my incredible relationship with my even more incredible parents, and relieved to be hitting the pillow before 10PM on a Friday.
• Saturday morning in Portland means only one thing. Breakfast at Bernie’s Place on the Foreside with mom and dad.  I order my usual: iced coffee, sugar and extra cream with the yogurt delight.  Bernie’s makes the best yogurt delight ever.  It’s always a surprise to see what fruits they present.  This Saturday, melon, strawberries, kiwis, grapes, cantaloupe and bananas.  A whole bowl of vanilla yogurt and a small dish of local granola grazed with cinnamon. It’s a hearty, healthy and hands down delicious dish.  I’ve ordered it every single time I’ve been to Bernie’s.
• Following breakfast I said goodbye to the ‘rents and stopped by Hannaford’s.  I purchased a bundle of blood orange colored tulips.  $7.99.  Hello, springtime.  The tulips are for Tiffaney, one of my best friends from high school.

• I visit Tiffaney for 2 hours.  I haven’t seen Tiffaney since her baby shower earlier this year, and this visit… is special.  I meet the beautiful, 2 week old Parker Jean – Tiffaney’s precious new born baby girl.  I cried for days when Tiffaney first gave birth.  Everytime I saw her Facebook page with new mobile uploads, or a new tagged photo, I cried.  Tiff is amazing.  She’s unlike any of my other friends – more humble, more honest, more genuine, more beautiful, more sensitive, more natural – she’s just the best, and I am so excited for her to be a mother.  For 2 hours I hold Parker, tears in my eyes, laughing with Tiff, listening to music, reminiscing about our high school memories, giggling with joy about all of the new memories that she and her fiance are about to make with their new addition to the family.  Life really is, a beautiful cycle.

• The train back to Boston is fine.  I sleep, I listen to music.
• Saturday night is date night with the boyfriend.  We order sushi, drink ginger ale, watch The Tourist and play Scrabble.  We fall asleep more in love than ever.

• Sunday morning, the boyfriend leaves for his guys day.  Flag football, college basketball, fantasy baseball draft.  I do laundry, I shop, I clean, I catch up, I paint my nails. I have an incredibly relaxing and productive day. I’m loving life.

Leading up to this weekend, I was awfully bummed to not be skiing, to not be traveling, or going away.  But hindsight is 20/20, and it’s clear to me now that I needed, more than anything, a weekend with family, good food and relaxation.

Cheers.

I woke up, started laundry, went to CVS, purchased necessary household items (including bleach), came home, cleaned the apartment (with said bleach), washed the dishes, dried the dishes, put away the dishes, folded my laundry, put away the laundry, brewed coffee, cooked brunch, iced coffee, ate brunch with homemade iced coffee, took out the trash.

What a Sunday, huh? And that was all before noon.  It would be incredible if I could add exercise to that list, but despite the sunshine it is in fact rather chilly.  So instead, I put on a Pandora channel and sat down to catch up with my Google Reader and online errands (pay the bills, transfer money, check work email).

There is something so incredible about a productive Sunday.  It’s even better with sweet tunes and great lyrics.

So here, I have a little project for you:

1. Go to Pandora.com
2. Type in Adele
3. Sit back and listen.

I’ve never loved a playlist so much, and I didn’t even add any artists to this – so the list is actually 100% Pandora’s magic. Below is a little sneak peek at what you might be so lucky to enjoy!

• Adele – He won’t go
• Sara Bareilles – Gravity (acoustic version, amazing)
• Kate Nash – Nicest Thing
• Feist – 1234
• Adele – Turning Tables
• Corinne Bailey Rae – Till It Happens To You
• John Mayer – Dreaming With A Broken Heart
• Regina Spektor – Fidelity
• Sara Bareilles – Undertow
• John Legend – Alright
• Paramore – The Only Exception
• A Fine Frenzy – Almost Lover
• Landon Pigg – Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop
• Missy Higgins – Where I Stood
• Lily Allen – Who’d Have Known
• Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
• John Mayer – Gravity
• Frou Frou – Let Go
• Duffy – Hanging On Too Long

Cheers.

“To add a library to a house is to give that house a soul.”
- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Library photos found here, here and here.

Mark my words folks, my ‘some day house’ will have a library.

In honor of daylight savings, today’s post will hopefully motivate me to transition from winter to spring.  The lovely Krystal shared this list with the Gibs the other day, and it’s my goal to tackle these projects, one by one!  Time to embrace the changing temperatures, and lighten the mood.  Unfortunately I don’t have a bike, and I’m probably not going to have a St. Patrick’s day party – but the rest is fair game!

Things to do for Spring

1. Clean out your winter wardrobe
2. Put air in your bicycle tires
3. Find your camera & photograph spring as it buds around you
4. Make a list of recipes to try in the spring
5. Host a Spring Equinox/”Good Luck to Everyone” St. Patrick’s Day Party
6. Plan a weekend trip
7. Plant a herb garden, buy or plant flower pot plants
8. Clean out the gutters
9. Make a list of birthdays, send birthday cards
10. Buy or pick tulips

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

- Albert Camus

“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”

- Maya Angelou

“I have a history of making decisions very quickly about men. I have always fallen in love fast and without measuring risks. I have a tendency not only to see the best in everyone, but to assume that everyone is emotionally capable of reaching his highest potential. I have fallen in love more times than I care to count with the highest potential of a man, rather than with the man himself, and I have hung on to the relationship for a long time (sometimes far too long) waiting for the man to ascend to his own greatness. Many times in romance I have been a victim of my own optimism.”

- Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)