On My Wishlist: iPhone Cases

As summer is [all too quickly] escaping us, I have [quite unhappily] begun the search for a seasonally appropriate iPhone case. Which is fine, really, because I have absolutely nothing else to do with school starting back up again in five days. It's all about finding happiness in the little things.

This site converts iconic magazine covers and advertisements into iPhone covers. My favorite

Professionally fitting. And another.

LOVE this one

Since this is basically all I do with the my phone anyway...

English Speakers

Back in college, I spent some time teaching in an american school in Rome, Italy. While there, I became obsessed with language, and very jealous of the many people I met who were bi-, tri-, and quad-lingual. Learning to speak another language fluently was promptly added to my bucket list.  Each year I tell myself that the money I receive from my tax return will be spent on ordering all five levels of Rosetta Stone: Italian and every year something a bit more pressing comes up. [This year was saving for the down payment on a home. Catch ya next year, Rosetta.]

I found this video on YouTube [technically, that's a lie. I first found it on this blog, then forgot about it, and re-discovered it again on YouTube] and I'm fascinated by it. It's what the English language sounds like to non-speakers. I love that, as an obviously fluent English speaker, I can immediately tell the language being spoken is American English yet I can't understand a single thing that is being said. Every so often I pick up on an English word, and they've clearly got the American English inflections down perfectly. I'm still utterly flummoxed by how this video was created and yet I love it all the same.

Worst Haircut Ever

As I reluctantly begin what I define as the worst week of the year [the week before the start of school when you remember oh hey, I'm responsible for 50+ teenagers in seven days and I don't have a single thing prepared to tell them nor have I even looked at my classroom in over 60 days...] I was desperately looking for a pick-me-up.

Well, mission accomplished.

A father interviews his five- and three-year-old daughters after the older one gives her younger sister "the worse haircut ever". The girls are hysterical - the best is at the end when they try to rationalize the whole event with "well it was really terrible, but everyone gets to do that kinda stuff like once...or twice. Three times. Three times in every life."

Happy Monday, all.

Weekend Book Review: Kabul Beauty School

These weekend book reviews have really made me feel quite good about myself, for the record. I'm an avid reader but put me in a room with other adults who define themselves as avid readers and suddenly I become this kid. I've never read books like Anna Karenina - I claim it's too long for someone like me, with the attention span of a goldfish. If you wanted to retort back how ironic that you didn't have that problem with the seven Harry Potter books you'd have a point. But the reality is reading relaxes me, it decompresses me after a long day, and it's rare that I want something that interactive [I'd basically need to sit next to the dictionary] and serious. However as I continue to add to my [ever-growing] list of books to review I've realized that every blue moon or so I do read a book of historic and otherwise worldly topics. The Secrets of Mary Browser is the most recent such book and a review is coming soon but one of my favorites this summer has been Kabul Beauty School.

It came recommended to me by my grandmother, who read it in her book club over the winter. Her book club tore it apart [although her book club is actually reading Anna Karenina this month...so what does that tell you?] and Deborah Rodriguez has been involved in a number of controversy rumors since the books publication in 2007. Regardless, the beauty school is real, the women portrayed in the book are real [although their names are not] and the obstacles and heart-wrenching situations they face every day are real. And if the rumors are true, and Rodriguez has not delivered on her promises to give a portion of the royalties back to the beauty school, then it is all the more reason to read the book, hear the message, and help these women in our own way*.


*Kate Spade's hand in hand collection was created in a partnership with Women for Women International to support women in war-torn countries. Please support these women in countries like Afghanistan as they learn the skills necessary to provide for their families and maintain independence.

...and many more

It's become somewhat of a tradition in my family to exchange funny, borderline inappropriate cards for birthday's, father's day, and the like. It started years ago between my dad and I and as the rest of my siblings got older they joined in as well. Below is my favorite birthday card received this past weekend as I celebrated the big 2-6. What makes it so funny is that it's from my nine year old sister. [Sorry Brother, your card is hysterical too but it got thrown away in the massive purging of wrapping paper before I could snap a pic]

        

 


Below are some more of my favorite pictures from a fantastic weekend with fantastic people [and no, the color scheme in the third picture was not planned at all. Great minds...]

         

College Season

Last week marked the first of three "college goodbye's" that I will need to make this college season. My cousin headed off to Georgia Southern last week, my sister is off to Towson University on Friday, and yet another cousin is off to Rutgers University next week. I've said goodbye as my brother went off to college years ago but somehow, that didn't affect me as much as sending my sister off is now. Perhaps it's because I always viewed my brother and I as so close in age and my sister as so much younger. Either way, it feels very strange - and is making me feel very old. A few weeks ago my sister and her same-age cousin's reenacted a picture taken of the three of them as babies and I've become obsessed with the idea behind that picture. Here is a group of guys who have done the same thing - taken a picture of themselves in the same spot, same pose, every five years for the past thirty years. I've already told Fiance that we need to quickly follow suit. What a unique way to mark the passage of time.

Below is the picture taken of my sister and cousins - first at age six months and then again at age eighteen.

Weekend Book Review: Night Road

I skipped a couple weeks of book reviews and that's not for lack of reading on my part. So many of the books I've been reading lately have been so-so at best and I'm hesitant to review something I wouldn't actually recommend. Luckily, I finished Night Road over this past weekend and though I have since started and finished another book [The Secrets of Mary Browser, also fantastic, expect a review soon] I can't seem to get these characters out of my mind.

Somewhere in the course of the book I lost touch with reality and, now that it's ended, I find myself wondering how each of the characters is doing today. This is the second time this has happened to me while reading one of Kristin Hannah's books and I view it as a true sign of excellent writing. It is a story line that is, unfortunately, near and dear to all too many. No one wants to imagine themselves in the shoes of any one of the characters, yet the reader finds themselves judging each one in spite of themselves and thinking about the all-too-harrowing thought of well, what would I do?

This is the third book I've read by Hannah and while I would recommend each one [Firefly Lane and Home Front] Night Road has stayed with me the longest after I've finished. If you can only read one, let this be it.

Secrets of the Ancients [Summer Edition]

This past weekend we had family down visiting from up north. [I should disclaim that up north means nothing more than the northern part of this state - a drive that takes no more than ninety minutes door to door. Someone visiting from out of state once said they didn't understand how a state as small as NJ could have three distinct regions: north, central, and south. We do. I am born and raised in central, my parents beach house is in south and I define north as the part of the state that doesn't have beaches - north of Sandy Hook] Anyway, family was visiting, we grilled for lunch and ate outside. In the midst of the five-or-so minutes of hustle and confusion during which everyone finds their seat, passes the mustard, switches seats so Grandma can be out of the sun, gets the salt, switches seats yet again so left-handed Bobby isn't hitting elbows with right-handed Susie, I went inside and filled two Ziploc bags with water, sealed them and placed them on the table.

Nbd, right? Wrong.

Apparently my immediate family and I have been harboring the secrets of the Ancients in regards to picnic/barbeque etiquette since all of my non-immediate family members looked at me like I was crazy while my immediate family members looked at them with confusion. That scene this weekend is what inspired this post - hopefully the first of a few installments. My apologies if you've heard any of these before. You, too, must have been in cahoots with the Ancients in a former life.

Ziploc Bags of Water Fill a few sandwich-sized Ziploc bags with tap water, seal, and place sporadically around food at an outdoor picnic or barbeque to keep flies away from the food. Something to do with the way a fly sees [kaleidoscope-like] and the sun's reflection off the water - although this works when the food is in shade too, so who knows? Don't bite the hand that feeds you, I always say. Try it, it works.

Dryer Sheets Citronella, Schmitronella. I've never once been in a setting where having a citronella candle within ten feet of my body has helped ward off mosquito's. What does help is keeping a dryer sheet in your pocket. [Also, dabbing vanilla extract on your wrists and neck like perfume. Steph over at Recipe Renovations does this; I personally have never tried it.]

Mix Icing When baking a cake or cupcakes with store-bought icing, whip it in your mixer for a few minutes. It almost doubles in amount meaning you can get more bang for your buck, less fat/calories from your cupcake, and not feel guilty when you swoop in for piece number two. It's Win-Win[-Win]

Jersey Stereotype Solidified

A while back we had some family friends visiting from out of state and so, of course, they wanted to see the Jersey shore. As in the actual shore line. At the beach. On a Saturday. I don't believe in going to the beach on Saturday [namely because everyone else in the free world does] but in the name of good hostesses everywhere, I smiled and away we went.  If someone had asked me about the ride there I would have probably responded with "It was good."  Good as in exactly like every other time I've driven to the beach.  Good as in completely unmemorable. Once settled on the beach, however, these out-of-towners looked at me in my beach chair, brainstorming out loud for the perfect Pandora station, and said "That's it?! Now you just relax? Like nothing?" I looked at them, confused, and they started to laugh. Something about running three yellow lights, getting the finger after I cut someone off on the bridge, and stealing a parking spot from a woman with two kids in the backseat. [Like I said, exactly like every other time I've driven to the beach. Totally unmemorable.] Seeing my confusion they just kept laughing.

 "We get it now," they said "You and your family are so nice, we never got the Jersey stereotype. Now, we do."

Cheerio!

Even though the Olympics ended two days ago, I'm still feeling the Olympic spirit. I find myself flipping to NBC during prime time, humming the theme song [for lack of a better word...what do you call that little diddy they play?], and checking the Olympics app on my cellphone. I found this fun little website that matches your body type to that of a famous Olympic athlete. I, evidently, am most like Sarah Barrow, a diver for Great Britain.  How about you?

Below are some pictures of the family as we celebrated the end of the Olympic Games this past weekend.

 

 

USA! USA!

I'm a fast person, by nature. I walk fast. I talk fast. Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals are a god send because who can wait longer than that once one decides one is hungry? And I like my sports fast. I'm a huge football fan [Giants], I enjoy hockey [Rangers - but if I'm being honest, I only watch when its the playoffs] and while I have teams that I root for in baseball and soccer, I could never really get into the actual sport. Too much lay time, not enough action.

This all changed during the 2011 Women's World Cup. One year later, I find myself still deep in the throes of an intense love affair with the entire US Olympic Team. The gold medal match is in two hours [EST] and my excitement level is equivalent to that of the kid on Christmas who's not allowed to go downstairs yet. I'm grinning ear to ear and if you look closely, my left leg is jiggling every time I sit still. [That description might be better fitted had I compared my excitement level to that of a dog waiting for a bone but we're just going to ride this one out together.]

Good luck, ladies. 

On My Wishlist: Back to School Shoes

The words back to school have struck fear and utter disbelief directly into the center of my heart for, well, the last two decades [oh my god!]. Being someone who can speak from both sides - as the student and the teacher - I can say with complete certainty that teachers dislike the words back to school more than any student ever could. Now's the time when my first thought upon waking up is "right now I'd be in the middle of third period...". 

But, alas, a silver lining. At least I have an excuse to buy new shoes [not that I've needed one in the past but it is nice to have one in your back pocket in the event a sarcastic eye roll from, say, your fiance comes your way].

Marni
Despite the unexpected pop of royal blue
these shoes would be the perfect everyday
heel. The large platform in the front ensures
comfort for those of us who don't spend
our days seated.

Marni
A classic mary jane in a modern bright.
The shoe comes in other colors, but clearly
I am having a moment with the blue family. 

Butter
I love a shoe like this for the days when I
just don't have the time to focus on my
outfit. Black pants and a black turtle neck?
Just add these bad boys, and pearls, and
be on your way. 

Butter
An absolute wardrobe staple. I own this shoe
in four colors - red, black, tan and purple. These
two color are next. [although I love you Butter,
Target made a copy that is dead on and my wallet
is singing in celebration]

Butter [again]
Although I will one day be the proud owner
of these, I have happily settled for a far less
expensive version in these pumps. 

 
Please note: this list is purposely and deliberately excluding boots. I've barely come to terms with back to school, coming to terms with the word fall is an entirely different animal.

Raising the Bar

A few weeks back, Fiance sat for the NJ bar exam down in Atlantic City [lawyers are far too fancy-pants to take an exam, they sit for one]. It's a grueling three month long study process that ends with a two-day, sixteen-hour exam. Needless to say, we were both quite excited to put the entire event behind us. I met him down there after the conclusion of day two for a relaxing dinner, a walk on the boardwalk, and a sneak peak at the new hotel and casino, Revel. Often we go to Atlantic City to celebrate a friends birthday, or a bachelor/bachelorette party, so it was nice to not have a schedule or agenda to follow.

A very tired Fiance and I enjoying a relaxing dinner

The new hotel and casino, Revel. This bar/lounge wasn't open yet, but I'll be
counting down the days until I can sit alongside that open firepit!

I almost deleted this picture for its blurriness but then decided that's part of
why I like it. There's a taco truck right in the middle of the casino, and its
completely covered in these vintage bottle caps.

Even the bathroom in Revel is fancy-pants.
What I'd give for 15 minutes with this decorator...

       

The Color Run

In a few weeks I will be running in the color run in Englishtown, New Jersey. I haven't entered a race in a few years and I'm finding myself unexpectedly nervous. It's a distance I've run many times before so I'm not entirely certain where the nerves are coming from. Luckily, I'm not doing it solo; I've joined a team with a group of friends. Last time I attempted to run with a group of people, during Manasquan's Turkey Trot in 2010, the five of us were separated sometime within the first mile- not to meet up again until the after-race party at a bar located on the race route. We've gotten smarter over the years, so hopefully our team t-shirts this time around will keep us from losing one another again.

The color run just came to our area recently; I've only heard about it within the last year or so. Has anyone ever run in one before? The pictures from the website look like great fun!

FaceTime Facelift

Talk about two words I never thought I'd put together. A FaceTime facelift?

'Tis true. This article leaves me with many questions such as, how often must you FaceTime to be truly impacted by the way you look while doing it? Has no one ever taught the general population how to take a good picture? The same philosophy applies to FaceTime. Allow me the honor right now:
  
Step 1: Put the iPhone or iPad level with your face. If possibly, raise the iPhone/Pad slightly above your head. Warning: This may involve strenuous activity such as raising your arm and/or sitting down in a chair.

Step 2: Tilt your head up and slightly over to your good side [mine's my right], keeping your back straight.

Ta-da! $10,000 back in your pocket. Ya'll can thank me later.