Summer Dresses

My first glance at crinkled, stored away summer dresses this morning. I can't wait to wear this gingham/vintage houndstooth one again. Just a few more months. Oh Summer- please get here. And soon. I am always amazed when I make it through another Winter, as I HATE winter and being cold. Absolutely HATE.
.... And my pink dress. You can't tell here, but it is baby pink and ties with a ribbon. It looks admittedly bad on the hanger, but is a really great combo of hot and sexy, (it makes your boobs look really beautiful and full) mixed with cute. Hey, maybe a birthday dress to wear? With a tiara perhaps? lol

Brooks Baynes

This is Brooks. He is a pretty outspoken conservative, guitar riffing, politically saavy guy whom I met on Twitter. Obviously, knowing me, you can see by his rocking out days above that I had to get to know him. He's cool, his blog is intense, even if they are in opposition to my beliefs.
http://brooksbayne.com/

He is pretty damn sarcastic and funny. At least, from the little I do know about him. Anyway, I just had to post this picture of him here on my blog. Just had to. I love it.
And, look below for our two closing lines from a little, mean, IM session the other night:

1:30 AM me: you would have been good on a debate team

Brooks: u would've been good on my tour bus in the 80's

1:31 AM [gives her the benefit of the doubt]

See what I mean? ....and little does he know just how right he is about that last comment. That girl has faded away, but she existed there for quite awhile. Oh, I would have been just fine on that bus, thank you.

SOTD Simple Minds - Promised You a Miracle

As important of a song as "Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds was, not only to pop culture and top 40, but to my very own teenage exsistence (I was 14 when the Breakfast Club came out), nothing else in their catalogue will rival this Scottish band's very first American single, the above,
'Promised You A Miracle.'

I try to be cool with my 80's flashback songs- but this one is so good. And one of my high school favorites

Meet Christian. The future artist/photographer

My friend Maritza, whom I work with a couple of days out of the week, is Spanish. Her sister Pilar recently moved to Peru and is visiting for a couple of weeks. She stopped in today with her adorable son Christian. He kept coming over to my desk and speaking Spanish to me and sitting on my lap and playing with my hair. And then, he said "I want to draw for you a beautiful picture of you." (above) I was in love.
The artist at work.
...and then as I am putting on my coat and hat on, he asks if he can put lipstick on me and take a picture! I just wanted to eat him up. He says "ok Trenny, put one hand on your head, and the other hand on your knee. Now cross your legs and look out the window." ...I mean he is 5 years old!
I ever have a little baby boy, I hope he is just like little Christian.

Bio-Oil

Get some of this as your as your new, permanent, face moisturizer. Period. Around $15.00 at your local drugstore. This is one of the best things ever, and I have been around the face products block, so to speak. From the high end expensive (many times 'waste of money') department store stuff, to the funky drugstore stuff, down to the yummy healthfood store 'Kiss My Face', organic stuff.

A few drops of Bio-Oil in your hand, to pat all over your face, in the morning and at night, will do the trick. Trust me on this one all you wrinkle worriers, young and old.
*And it will last you at least 6 months, if not more.

DO IT!

SOTD-Plain White T's - Music Video - 1, 2, 3, 4

Thank goodness for the sweet ,Plain White T's. They have a 'Beatle-esque' quality to them and I just love their simple, paired down sound. It's rare these days.

This wonderful song AND video is my new favorite. Those of you who don't really listen to, or watch, these SOTD's- just listen and watch this one. It's so beautiful and sweet.

The Stolen Sunglasses

I'm a criminal. I was shopping tonite at an off price store with a friend, with the intention of looking for bedding. Of course, we got distracted, and started looking at purses and shoes, etc..I thought these sunglasses were cool and was kind of carrying them around as I shopped to 'think about' buying them. When I picked up a pair of high heels, I hung them on the outside strap of my bag to free up my hands, and forgot about them. Once we found what we needed, we paid and left. It wasn't until we got to our dinner destination that I noticed the sunglasses hanging, UNPAID, off of my purse strap.

Karma- man. Oops. Well- at least they were the ones I liked out of the 5 pairs I tried on. ----They weren't that expensive. But I have NEVER stole ANYTHING from a store in my life! I have to do something karmically good in the next week to fix it. I do feel very guilty.
**But their cool, huh?

Stupid

"We’re meant to lose the people we love. How else are we supposed to know how important they are to us?"

I pulled the above quote from the Non Society site. It's from the movie The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. I can only believe that it is quoted there because the author found it touching and it was meant to move those of us who read it. This has nothing to do with any feeling I have for the site this came from (just acknowledging where I got it.)
*Below is the answer the question to the above.

A: Uh,the way you're 'supposed to know' is to not be an ungrateful ass and to start, right now, to be grateful and outwardly loving and appreciative while these people are actually here---- in front of you! Why don't people get that this is one of the secrets to a happy, healthy life. IT'S SO EASY. Same old story of 'guy loses girl' and pleads to win her back. "You don't know what you got until it's gone" kind of a thing. What a stupid waste of time. Come on people. You don't really buy this crap, do you?
*Don't wait for death, tragedies or situations and money to make you wake up to your your life and be happy and appreciative for every little thing. Trust me on this one.

SOTD Someone's Sister (well, Sheryl Crow) - The Difficult Kind

Whoa- Just whoa. I was looking for the original Sheryl Crow version of this song this morning, as I am just feeling this song and it's lyrics today and found this. I love that I give myself a little time and patience to listen to covers. Some can really, really suck, but some just blow me away. Like this one. I just love when singers are unpretentious and stripped down, and it's just them, their strong voice, and a mic-- belting it out. And, here, another great example of two voice harmonies working so well.

This is my favorite Sheryl Crow song. I recorded this with my guitar teacher Mike and his niece, who is also a singer. I think he has a copy and am going to email him this morning to see if he can send me the MP3. But, man, we sure didn't sound as strong as this. I might be a little intimidate to post!
I am also posting the Sheryl Crow version, because, unfortunately, the girls above, completely skipped the bridge. This being one of the best parts of the song.

http://www.last.fm/music/Sheryl+Crow/_/The+Difficult+Kind

**Do you think I am wrong in guessing that they might be on the 'same team', if you know what I mean. ;) --sorry that's bad. Couldn't help it. I know you're thinking it too!!

Diner Deliciousness

Y'all know that I am a tofu crunchin', soy milk drinkin', yogurt eatin', water drinkin' kind of a gal. But once every couple of months, you gotta have a delish diner breakfast. And when I do it, I go down to cheesy, fried town. I mean, an omlette, with waffle fries? That's so bad. But oh so good. .....And don't forget the crucial element of ketchup and tabasco! yummy

*Although, my ex-boyfriend Jim used to take me to a diner in Summit, NJ that had these pancakes that could rival the dish above. I still think about those damn pancakes. They were so delicious.

Because I have a blog- I gotta do SOMETHING on the Oscars, right?

The post of praise I did earlier in my blog, during the Golden Globes which was dedicated to Kate Winslet, was again, reconfimed last night with her direct, humble and cool speech. I'll say it again, humility, humility, humility. And, hey, any girl that can wrangle a shrill Scottish whistle to find her father amongst the crowd and give him a 'whoop'- is my kinda girl.
**Kate's beautiful dress is by the ever evocative Yves St. Laurent. With his fashion house, at the Oscars, you can NEVER go wrong.
Sweetie Pie Marissa. Next to Diane Lane and Angelina Jolie, my other secret Hollywood female crush. And, uh, hey did y'all see her sexy 12 years younger boyfriend sitting to her left? Go girl!
I was so happy that Sean Penn won. Milk was a wonderful movie and he really did a wonderful job in the role of Harvey Milk. However, everyone else I know feels that Mickey Rourke got screwed. Yes- I can admit- in this instance, it's too bad that you couldn't have had 2 awards to share. At least Sean stayed his cool, eloquent self, and acknowledged Mickey.
I will admit that, for 16, Miley Cyrus always seems to dress way too old for her age. Even for me, who feels that you should dress however you feel. But- and I know this dress, as usual, the one I really liked, will be ripped apart by critics- I loved this dress. It is by the wonderful designer Zuhair Murad. **Most of you might recognize him simply by 'Murad' as his last name is all he uses in his ads for Vogue, Elle, etc....
Oh- yeah- here's my boyfriend James Franco. oops- I guess he already has a girlfriend. The Pineapple Express parody that he did with Seth Rogen, had a big chance of flopping. But I think the boys laughing hysterically during clips of the film's roughest, most serious scenes was pretty darn funny. I think he is so handsome. He has some sort of brooding, sexy guy, old school charm thing going on. I don't know, but he makes me get the butterflies.
I want me and my man to be like this. Sexy and cool and in love. Diane Lane is one of my big female Hollywood crushes and looked just so pretty last night. And Josh Brolin, he is just one cool, sexy guy.
Alicia Keys in Naeem Khan, I think was one of the most beautiful women of the night. ( she was there for soundtrack work)
* Phillip, the hat? Really? And me, the hat girl, just found this so inappropriate.

And just some verbal observations

*First thing I want to say is that the new producer of the show certainly changed things up and, I feel, did a wonderful job at making it feel 'new'. Here's the few, memorable things I liked:

*That Swavorski Crystal curtain draping either side of the stage. It was flawless.

*The way that they used little stage props to depict each award (SJP standing in the midst of makeup mirrors and such during 'best makeup', etc..) I thought that was clever.

*The sets, in general, were really gorgeous. I especially loved the backdrop of red velvet laced with these gigantic, hanging silver pearl like things. That was lovely

* The way Hugh Jackman performed as host. He was clever and funny, but did not oversaturate you with his presence. You know like an annoying tap dancing Billy Crystal or non stop joke telling Whoopi Goldberg? It should be a night that has an element that is more serious than comedic. Lighthearted, ok, but too much 'that's entertainment' hositng, gets annoying after a while, no?

*ADORED, ADORED, ADORED the fact that they did that whole former Oscars standing there talking to the current nominees thing. To me, one of THE BEST elements of the night. Not only did you get to re-appreciate the former winners and recollect their fabulous work (Deniro, Walken (uh- he needed a haircut) and Meryl Streep in Kramer vs Kramer. Now THAT was one hell of a performance right there)
The few moments each actor took to address the nominees and say something special was really unique and heartfelt. The nominees deserved that moment. Talk about a memory to last a lifetime. Uh- did you see Anne Hathaway's chest heaving and eyes watering as Meryl Streep addressed her? I mean, now THAT is an oscar -and life- moment to never, ever forget.

*And, speaking of Meryl. How uncomfortable would it have been to have been in the seats of Meryl, her daughter and Amy Adams last night? Talk about 'too close for comfort'.

*On a final note-and people will hate me for saying this- gulp- I don't think that Slumdog Millionaire should have won. Just my own personal feeling. I think the win was based more on hype than quality.

*And just a funny sidenote. I love how critics are saying that Angelina Jolie was one of the most beautiful of the night, raving about her 'green earrings'. Her dress and all wasn't anything to write home about--but listen. People just need to cop to the fact that this woman was born physically, especially, beautiful. So, she could wear a potato sack and look gorgeous. Maybe we can just say we will, from now on, assume Angelina will always be one of the 'best dressed' cuz she is a pretty girl. Then, we can move on to other things.

It's too early in the morning for such Irony :)

Look at the mug I am drinking my coffee out of this morning. Considering the state of affairs of my current love life (I'm pretty single and frustrated)----this would be what one might call FULL ON IRONY. And I am just waking up.

*My friend once left it out for me with the black sharpie marker written word "Imaginary" which they placed right between 'my' and 'boyfriend'. This is why the universe gave me the friends it did, because they are certainly not as sensitive as me! ;) They sure do teach me to have a laugh at myself. -----Over and over again!

SOTD U2 - The Refugee

Sometimes I am so grateful for moments in time, music wise. Like, I love that I was a little girl in the 70's and thus, have a healthy love for all the groovy 70's rock bands and soft rock. One of the things I am always grateful for is that I was coming of age as a teenager- and REALLY into music- when U2 was emerging. They were all in their early 20's and angry ,and passionate and boy, noone was writing and saying the things Bono was saying (Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day). He touched an important nerve in those of us who were young and paying attention to more that just the 'music'.

U2 is, by far, one of the most important bands to ever grace the music industry. Bono, despite sometimes being a little too overbearing, is a great example of what to do with celebrity from being a musician. He has caused great change in the world through his music.

As far as I am concerned, their first 3 albums were the best- October, Boy and War. War being their best and most pivitol. And this song, Refugee, my favorite on the record. I saw them in 1984 on The War tour in a small standing room only venue (how lucky am I?) and when this song played and Larry Mullen pounded out the drums, you could feel the ground shake underneath you. What a moving concert experience- and what a band.We were all singing and shouting along to every song. "E-oh e-oh oh"! Just awesome. Hats off to the fabulous U2.

Mamacita?

hahaha- so cute. When we stopped for coffee earlier, this little Spanish boy was in the coffee shop with his dad. As I was paying, he tugged on my pants and said 'Mama'. Oops- sorry little man- not your momma. But- look how adorable he is- he kept flirting with me and my girlfriend. And- boy did he love the camera. ***His name was Federico.***

Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus

Tell me if you find this as funny and true as I do.

I was up last night due to insomnia, tossing and turning. And, in the midst of all this thinking, I was listening to music and began to notice an emerging pattern. All the woman were singing about men hurting them and the men were singing songs about being sorry for messing up and wishing the woman would take them back.
The pattern was that the guys were always messing up and singing things like "Baby I want you Back" or "I promise you" and the girls were singing "Why do you hurt me" and "This time I'm really gonna leave" I mean, it was so prevalent that I was actually giggling out loud as I really began to pay close attention to the lyrics.

Next time you listen to the radio, especially top 40 for some reason, notice how true this is. And I had to laugh and contemplate this. If we could both (men and women) just chill out and meet in the middle somewhere, we could break these damn men/women patterns. Then I thought, "but where would all the drama and angst that is necessary for some really good art, poetry and music, then emerge from?" Ah- one of the many ironies of life. Like the old 70's song says:

....."You have to pay your dues, if you wanna sing the blues, and ya know it don't come easy."

I think the biggest lesson to be learned for each party is this:
*Women- Don't put up with bullshit and a bad man. Just don't do it. But STOP being so sensitive
*Men-Try to be a little more sensitive and not such an ass. Then you won't be whining and having to 'win her back'.

__Easier said than done. I sure know that.

SOTD The Smiths - There is a light that never goes out

It's very late Saturday night and I am so exhausted from the week and my evening last night, that I am just lazing around in my cozy little jams and watching a movie. (Of all things Grease 2- it was just on when I flipped and yes- 20 years later -I still remember the songs.) Anyhow, they played a commercial ( I HATE commercials, love DVR) . One commercial in particular was using the song "Don't You Want Me" by The Human League. Ah- what a great song. And I thought, "hey I want to post that as song of the day."
I typed it in, and, along with that song, a lot of other 80's bands came up and the above song appeared.

Everyone reading this- you either 'know' the band The Smiths or 'you don't'. There's NO in between. Like Woody Allen. You either love him or hate him. You either love The Smiths or you hate them. There is no in between. But, if you love and GET The Smiths, you are a blood dedicated fan of them and of Morrisey's (the lead singer) lyrics. I saw this song title and was just taken a back. I have not listened to this song in, like, 15 years. I used to- and STILL do- play this band so loud in my headphones. I remember being especially comforted by their music when feeling a lot of teenage angst. Morrisey's lonely, isolated, sad and poetic lyrics are good for that.

I must have about 20 favorite Smith songs, literally. But, this is definately in the top three. I always loved the sentiment of it. Dig it for a minute: "There's A Light That Never Goes Out. "
That no matter how tragic, horrible, difficult, fucked up and detoured your life gets, your little life inside - your light - will never die. I always listened to this in my headphones while laying on the floor of my bedroom in high school. I would think "yes someday I will get out of the Midwest, and do the things I dream about-- because I have a light that never goes out." Who I believe I am and what I am meant to do. I know that sounds corny as hell- but it's true. The Smiths really helped me out back in the day. I ADORE Morrissey and I've always thought that he was just so brave and courageous to take all these feelings and just pour his heart out andput it all out there. Insecurities and all. I know many punk rock kids he saved because they felt like they could 'relate"
**If you don't know The Smiths, try to get to know their music. They will go down in music history. If you want to REALLY say you are a true music fan, you have got to know The Smith's body of work. You have to.

I hope that if you have never heard this lovely song, that you really like it. As depressing as it may seem.

New Money

I happened to have an old - and a new - 20 in my wallet today and was taken aback by just how vintage and outdated (at least to me), the old money looks. I realized how much more 'handsome' the new prints are. The older, top 20 dollar bill looks like it came straight off the pages of the Constitution. And talk about PR- Mr. Jackson's avatar certainly improved.
----And the 5 looks more and more like a Euro to me. I suppose we can credit the purple 5- a little more color still, wouldn't hurt. That's what I always love about the Euro bills anyway, much more colorful.

Tootsie Roll

I'm not a big candy eater, but Yum- a cherry flavored Tootsie Roll sure hit the spot today. Someone left a bag of them mysteriously on my desk- with a secret little Valentine. Chewy, chocolately, cherry sweet delight. --Not to mention, I ate about 10 of them. Youch!

He's Just Not That Into You & Girlfriends

You will be hard pressed to find a girl that is more girly than me. I LOVE being a girl. I love boys, lipstick and pink dresses. I am a crier, I am sensitive. I'm a giggler and a "let's get a movie and give each other face masks and pedicures" kind of a girl. That said, I tend to have more male friends than girlfriends and I don't like some other cliche things that you would suppose a girl like me WOULD like. I can be a bit of an admitted contradiction in that way. For example, I have never liked 'chick flicks'. I HATE chick flicks actually. I don't exactly know why. All the martyrdom and whining and insecurity maybe? These things bug me when they are at length in a film. I was never even a big Sex and The City fan either. This, much to the surprise of many people, considering the comparisons to myself and Carrie Bradshaw that I so often get. I've always found that funny and ironic, actually. Maybe I feel like I went through enough of that over analyzing men stuff in reality, in my teens and early 20's, that I don't want to hear about it anymore.

So, no, I haven't seen nor attempted to see the much lauded 'He's Just Not That Into you. But, I was reading an interview with members of the cast last night and I read their recollections of going through things with good girlfriends, and it made me think of my own girlfriends. The few good girlfriends I do have are amazing, smart , successful, funny and kind women. They are the girls that I have shown up on their doorsteps in a puddle of tears over a job loss, a breakup or just general, girly PMS and grumpiness. And was always greeted with opens arms, a hug, a cooked meal, a glass of wine, and a barrel of jokes to make me laugh. They will tell me how great I am and how nasty and mean that big 'ole boy is. I, in turn, have done the same for them. Though there are definitely some of my male friends I can certainly do this with, with your girls, it's just different. Boys don't know what a gynecologist exam is like, nor a mammogram, nor a period. They will never experience pregnancy or a bad bikini wax or share with you what their favorite lipstick or concealer is. No, wait, some of my guy friends will do the latter. lol :)
But, good girlfriends, you gotta have them,
Here's to the girls---Hooray for girlfriends!!!

Twitter 'Fail Whale'

I read this article in the New York Times this weekend, on the discovery of the very recognizable "Fail Whale" image used on the site Twitter. Familiar, at least to those of us who use Twitter regularly.

Did you know that the image was simply a computer generated birthday card by a graphic artist named Yiying Lu from Sydney, Australia? Something personal and private that she added to some of her portfolio online? And, beyond that, because it ended up on a shared image site, iStockPhoto, it was basically free for use by one of the Twitter founders who came across it. There may have been a fee, but it was a super small, AND, it went to iStockPhoto anyway because they owned the rights! That's what we joke that 'Twitterers' would call an 'Epic Fail'. There have since been T-shirts, coffee mugs and posters etc, created with the Fail Whale image. And, the sad thing is, is that up until recently, the artist/creator, Yiying, has gotten none of the proceeds.
So now, they are offering her the rights to create a plush little stuffed blue/orange fail whale to actually sell, as she has finally wizened up and personally copyrighted the image, therefore owning all rights and proceeds.

She was quoted as saying (about creating the stuffed toy) -"I'm thinking about it"
Is she crazy? Hunny, a little advice. TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SOTD Felony - The Fanatic

Hands motherf'in' down. This is my favorite song from Junior High School and never, ever gets old to me. I still rock out just as hard now when I hear it as I did back then ( meaning, I want to dance around like Molly Ringwald from the Breakfast Club, with a tight pinstriped Pat Benatar dress and red lipstick on)

Funny though, when I see MTV videos from the early 80's I always think, just like you are right now, "wow,- this is so bad!"
Production and story lines in music videos sure have come a long way. And, uh, what the hell is up with the lead singer? He's a little 'too cool for school' that he looks on the verge of comatose. He could have, maybe, taken one little acting workshop or body movement class before this shoot, no? Also, that groovy weird John Oates, mustache guitar player guy in the background is also freaking me out a little. Looks more like he should be in a 1970's porn, than a music video. lol

Another fun Randy creation

In sticking with the blog theme today of Randy- another one of our favorite excursions is that groovy craft store 'Michaels'. Boy oh boy, do they have lots of fun stuff to make things with. I eyed this groovy little silver owl medallion a few weeks ago and never got it, but kept thinking about it. When we finally went again, this weekend, I got him. My little owl friend. And Randy, with his handy pliers, helped me turn him into a necklace that I am wearing today. Isn't it kind of 1970's fun?
I think I want to name him.

SOTD-Hair - Aquarius

Only my friend Christian really knows and appreciates just how much I love this musical. He loves it that much too---we like to sing along. You should hear him belt out "Black Boys, White Boys" It's awesome!
Anyway, do yourselves a favor, even if you don't listen to this whole track, just listen to the first 2 and a half minutes and try to fully appreciate the build up of the horn section and the orchestra. Seeing this live is so awesome- the horns, LITERALLY, go right through you. It gave me the chills.

"Mystic Crystal Revelations!" Right on sister/brother

Beachy Shell Creations

Isn't this pretty? My dear friend Randy made this. Randy is my favorite friend to shop with-home furnishings, clothing, etc.....cuz he has a really good eye. You know how some people 'evolve' into something and some people are just born that way? Randy was born an artist. He makes a lot of things -including his own holiday cards with really great drawings, which everyone always gushes over. If I can twist his arm enough, I will try to make him let me take a photo of his Christmas card this year. It was really really cute - and his best one in my opinion.
Anyway, one of the things he likes to do, is collect shells. And I'm not talking skipping down the beach, whistling Dixie collecting. He 'collects'. He's not foolin' 'round. He has that crazy eye that spots that ONE shell in the sand that is special and gorgeous. It is always fun to look at his bagful of finds when he comes home from a trip to the beach.
Anyway, the above is his most recent creation. Isn't it pretty? And hell........I am a trained account executive, if any of you out there like these groovy pieces, email me and you can actually buy them. --That is, if he can learn how to better work a glue gun! lol. Sorry Rand- couldn't help it.

Gettin' My Air Hockey On

It's fashion week in NYC and a handful of the blogs I read and friends I have, are at glamorous after parties and backstage at tent events.
Me, I went out last night and my evening started out semi-glamorous at a candlelit loungy sexy place, with velvet chairs, Sade in the background and red wine. Flash forward two hours later to above dive bar with Air Hockey- hell yes. And listen, me, myself I so much prefer a groovy bar with a Led Zeppelin jukebox, no pretension, and a fun group of friends over places like the Soho House, Pink Elephant or worse, some pump up the jam techno dance club.
And with air hockey, forget it. My mom and brother were on bowling leagues growing up, so as a little girl I spent a lot of time at the local bowling alley with a pocketful of quarters playing air hockey until I was about to turn blue. I could kick anyone's ass.
But, sadly, I got it served to me by this guy last night. And, as you can see by my look of concentration, I wasn't messin' around.
Man- I HATE losing in air hockey.

Valentines Lovliness

Look what a lucky girl I am. I got this beautiful card on Valentines Day from one of my bestest friends whom I have, for a long time, considered my brother. He has been one of the most powerful, forgiving, loving and consistent forces in my life and I am so very lucky that I know him. I may go so far as to say that I probably would not be here, or have this blog, without his influence, love and support in my life. You will never know the things this man has done for me and I will be forever grateful and full of nothing but love and respect for him forever.

* I truly hope that all of you out there have at least one friend like this. (I'm extra lucky really, because I have a couple!:) )
Oh and ps- the card wasn't all butterflies and flowers- read below what the inside said:

"...Because having you for my sister is a special (ed) part of my life."

Um- he added the 'ed'- get it? special ed? He just can't help himself. Well, at least I have been learning how to have a laugh at my own expense

Sparkly Unicorn

One of my best friends from Junior High, Dana, recently did that '25 random things' thing on Facebook. She has a daughter and this was #4 on her list. Made me bust a gut.

4. My daughter, Norah Kate, tells me I'm "As pretty as a sparkly unicorn with a rainbow dress floating on a cloud" when she wants to butter me up...and it works every time.

A freaking unicorn in a rainbow dress floating on a a freaking cloud. That's some good stuff right there. **BTW- I love what imagery little kids have in their heads to describe beauty. It's almost like drag queen proportions- I absolutely love it! We, as adults, need to describe things like that more.
Hmm...actually I DO describe things like that. And, honestly, as I sit here, I can't decide if that's a good or bad thing. lol

Equality my Booty!

I was at a Barnes and Noble today and went to use the restroom. Take a look at the bathroom signs. Am I the only woman who notices this and is humoured, and maybe a little irritated by it? Above, is the men's room and look below, the women's:
I mean, why do WE always get stuck with the diaper changin' duties? I just always find this funny every time I see it. All the equal rights women fight for, yet still the baby changing station is in OUR public bathroom every time. I find it just funny each time I notice it. I'm sorry, but you know, some things will just never change. And you know what? I'll change a diaper if a man will still *mow the lawn *do the driving *shovel the snow *carry me and *hold the door open for me.
Equal rights. Who needs 'em. hahaha.

SOTD Madonna - Gambler (Live)

Unlike most everyone else, I tend to have the TV on VH1 classic in the morning when I am getting ready for work (that sure ain't the news) and right now, as I crawl into my Sunday morning, I have it on and this video is on. And making me soooooo happy. I haven't seen it in, literally, 15 years.
Madonna was my very first concert . She was on her first tour (Like A Virgin) and I was a huge, 13 year old fan. You can just imagine. And to top it off, they were giving away big pink balloons that said "Dreams really do come true" Yes, yes readers, I was in adolescent, music heaven. I literally stood at that concert, in the audience, staring at her up on stage with a mouth open, jaw drop the whole night. Like those love little cartoon hearts in my eyes. Outside of adoring her, I really wished I were up there doing that just like her. So, so bad!
This was my favorite performance of the night. I promptly went home and got a fringe skirt, cut my bangs and got Raybans and, I am not ashamed to admit, mocked this very performance for my then boyfriend and best friend. Poor guys!

Anyway- who knew that my first Madonna song post would be this. But, I am glad that it is. It helps me remember what a groovy little happy singing girl she was. Before her Kabbalah and crazy work out yoga body and all the shit- she was just a sexy singing chick from the Midwest who wanted to shake it and make it. ****Hey- just like me!**** lol ;)

Thai Food

Yes. Look what I spotted around the corner from me today- a new Thai restaurant! Yum, I love Thai and was just saying the other day that I wish there was a good Thai restaurant nearby. I can't wait to try this! I'll let you know how it is!

Tequila Hell

I can count on LESS than one hand how many times I have done a 'shot' in my life. First of all- I am not much of a drinker. I like a glass of wine or champagne here and there- but beer/shots, uh no, not my forte. Well, last night, on the way home, my co-worker said- "hey let me buy you guys a Valentines drink." Sounded nice and harmless enough. Then proceeds to order three Patron Tequila shots. yucky.( I like Patron- but in a damn Margarita- not a gasoline shot) Cut to Trenny torturing her poor friend as she leans over toilet bowl barfing her brains out. (when they assessed that it must have been 'something I ate', I went with that as I was too embarrassed to admit what a lightweight I was! To you- who I know will read this- sorry!!!!! Humiliation city)
Anyway- I call this pic 'Tequila Hell'
NO. MORE. SHOTS.EVER.

Fantasy Dinner Guest

You know those kind of annoying '25 question' things on Facebook? Ok- yeah, I did one and posted it here, but I usually find them extremely annoying. But, my friend did one that I read and I found this particular question, and her answer, pretty cool. I think I agree.

**IF YOU COULD SIT DOWN TO DINNER WITH FIVE PEOPLE WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Cleopatra, Beethoven, Darwin, Michelangelo, Shakespeare (Okay, and if someone had to cancel due to prior engagements...I’d have Einstein, Freud, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Gustav Holst, Picasso, Kandinsky, etc. on standby)

Heart Dress

I eyed this adorable dress in a store window on the way to work one morning. How perfect and fun of a Valentines Dress is this? It's all silk and organza cut and bordered red hearts. So precious. With cute silver high heels- Valentines perfection. I want it. I am so sorry girls, but the store was closed when I took this in the morning and closed last night when I left work, so I have NO idea who makes it.
Had to post it anyway!
**What's funny- is that most of the guys I have or will date, prefer me in Levi's, a t-shirt and Converse sneakers, with no makeup, so this dress would probably not make the biggest impact anyway.

*Sidenote- when I first started this blog, I got a few people who told me it might be a little overkill that I not only used pink for my background, but also red for my sidelines. I know, I know, a little 'girlina', overboard. It does feel sometimes silly when I am blogging about more serious issues. (I sometimes wonder if it lessens the credibility of some of the more important things I want to talk about) But, you have got to give it to me---it's pretty darn perfect for this holiday. ;)

SOTD Stricken - No Doubt

My favorite love song -----here to share for all Valentines!

"Love-overcomes all of my senses, lowers all of my defenses.......my world is stricken by love......."

Rememeber EVERYBODY you love

Don't forget everyone you love on Valentines Day. Remember, it is not just a romantic holiday- it's about love. So don't forget your momma, your poppa, brothers, sisters, friends (even your little meow meows and pooches!)
A fun way is through an egreeting. Go here and spread the love.
http://www.123greetings.com/

xoxo

More Valentines Fun

I love this ad. But, I really love these fun silver and gold vintage like necklaces. And, a lot of other girls I know do as well. Just a last minute or future V-Day gift thought.
The necklaces are from a jewelry line called TOUS. www.tous.com
In addition to these fun necklaces, they also have delicate little charm bracelets and posted earrings. The cutest thing, is that you can get little love messages or initials/dates engraved on the hearts or rounded pendants, if you choose so. Or, you can simply leave them plain.
Anyhow boys, check them out. Every girl loves a pretty heart charm at some point in her life. Whether she's the kind that would wear it or just adorn her antique mirror with it, something romantic and engraved is always special.

I told you so

I told y'all. I really DO love Tofu and Brown Rice for lunch. While my co-workers gag, I crunch with a smile.

Men/Relationships

3 things came into my radar today to inspire this post.
* Valentines Day. A girl cannot help but think of a boy at this time of year. Either the boy she loves or the kind of boy she hopes to love.
* My search for cute Valentines decor in the storage closet at work today, and finding these funny cocktail napkins. Yes girls, I hope you get a laugh out of these. But, everyone please know this is tongue and cheek for a girl like me. You will be hard pressed to find a girl who is more boy crazy than me. Or one who loves being a girl more than me. No matter how difficult some men are, I think they are worth it........ Most of them. ;)
*A chat I had with a good friend today. Her philosophy is better than all the Sex and The City and relentless Chick Flick pontificating that all these girls do to figure men out. ( Big boring waste of time)
She said:

"When it comes to relationships, there are only two kinds of men. The ones that are ready for a relationship and the ones who are not. They will either be open to learning about it and participating or they won't. It takes work Trenny. From both people. Even with your soulmate. And you can't escape that. You have got to be ready. Period. "

Readiness. Willingness. Not perfection. She's right. It's easy.
But the good guys- the really interesting ones- why are they always so difficult????

Victoria's Secret Valentines Panty Love

Peeking through the Victoria's Secret Valentines/sales catalogue at work this morning was, admittedly, a little depressing being that I am a single girl this year. So, girls do yourselves, and your man, and me (so I can live vicariously through you:) a favor and get some sexy or cute intimates to show him some extra love. Such a little thing can make for an extra special end to what I hope is a great Valentines night for you. It is on Saturday after all! And look how cute they are-and just $4.99. Hell- even if you are single, get some for yourself and feel pretty just because.
I especially love the modified thong, it kind of has a thong feel with more of a bikini cut look. (ie- the lite pink with dark pink trim ones to the right top) Showing 'some' but not 'all', is always, ultimately, sexier.

*You can thank me later

PS- The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue comes out today! This, to me, has always been better than any fashion magazine, Victoria's Secret or Playboy rolled into one. *Talk about sexy*

Be aggressive...be-e- aggressive

Above is my niece Jordy (on the left), hugging and celebrating with her girlfriend after their 2nd place State Cheerleading victory this past weekend! These girls do it all- rocked out ESPN style- with that crazy ass pumping music and throwing each other in the air. It, quite honestly, makes me a little nervous when they toss the girls 10 feet high - I always think "alright chiquitas, you better catch her when she comes down." Anyway congratulations Jordy. Man- you are so cute, I just want to eat you up!
**I love the shot below the best,(again, with Jordyn on the left) because that is quintessential Jordyn- her face and body language have ALWAYS shown what she feels inside, since she was a little girl- and boy, does she love to giggle- especially when she is happy.
And- hey- is it just me, or have cheerleading skirts gotten a hell of a lot shorter since I was a cheerleader? I think they have reached their limit! haha

SOTD Elliott Smith - Between The Bars

I always think of Jeff Buckley when I think of Elliot Smith. Jeff Buckley, who died so young, just like this talented sweet guy did. I might be bold enough to make the claim that quite a few of you are not familiar with Elliot Smith and his work. Oddly, I think he would have been comfortable with that. He was of the 'underground' set- not 'popular' music (which you know I always say guarantees them as being really good)
He started writing songs at 9 years old and he was just super sensitive and, ultimately, a tragic, wounded poet type. Again, what makes his music so good. He was a drug addict (sad, unfortunate and not surprising) and as talented as he was, he hated the PR machine of the music industry and preferred to write and play small intimate settings for people whom he really felt 'got' what he said. He was somewhat like a tortured Kurt Cobain type of soul. I always find this so sad, because it just seems like the art produced from these artists would never be as good without this kind of suffering- I mean it helps us get through our own suffering, one of the great gifts of music- but, man does the catalyst pay so much for it.
Anyway, sweet Elliot died of self inflicted stab wounds to the chest when he was 34- I think this was around 2003. But, thankfully he has left a legacy. To give you more of an idea of his work, he wrote some sad, thoughtful songs for Good Will Hunting. Elliot is a good friend during a breakup or a loss.
RIP Elliot. xo

Goodnight Moon

Of course, my little Blackberry photo is not doing justice to how beautiful the moon looks tonite. But, it is a lovely full moon over New York this evening, hanging so bright and heavy. It's so beautiful. One of the many things 'they' say about a full moon is that love for the lonely is just around the corner. It sounds good, in theory, to single little ole me.
Goodnite everyone.............Goodnite Moon.

Beautiful and amazing

So sorry about the background music- may I suggest mute.
But, you guys, I am balling,balling balling. This is just beautiful and adorable. I guess I shouldn't ever worry that my kitty Henry will ever forget about me!
Look , look- he's hugging them! I sent this to my sister and I can put my life on the fact that she is crying too.
Note when it says "he even introduced them to his wife"
I mean, how adorable is this?

SOTD Lady Antebellum - Love Don't Live Here- Live

**Disclaimer- there is a 'slick' MTV type of video for this song I could have posted, but when there are good, simple harmonies and nice tight compositions, I so prefer the live, raw version.

As a singer and music lover, I can't tell you how many conversations about music I have had with everyone from musicians I have worked/sang with to plain ole music fanatics to your basic music fan and there is always a part in the conversation where they say "I basically love everything but Rap and Country". But, guys, don't neglect country. It's not all twang, hillbilly hell. It can be fun, sing along, sweet fun harmony stuff. (Also, people don't listen to enough classical and this is so important to the foundation of music as well)
**Anyway- these guys are up for a Grammy tonite for best new country artist of the year. They are really good. Just the three of them. The two singers are lovers and I love how spiritually connected their voices are, it is so great when that works well, sounds so nice doesn't it? And the guy sounds a little like Gregg Allman from The Allman Brothers and I love that.
Anyway- check them out and I hope you like them.
**I hope they win tonite.**;)

Non Society Feelings. I PROMISE my final one.

I am proud to say - and Caroline, Rachel, Elly & Molly can back me up on this - I made the entire theatre laugh at least three times with my ecstatic reactions throughout the movie.

What can I say? I’m just a demonstrative human being. Can’t. Hold. All. The. Love. Inside.- Julia Allison Blog post Feb 8, 2009

"I'm proud to say?" Oh jesus,jesus, Julia. STOP!

*Since my whole rant and frustration with NonSociety, I have a had a track running through my mind. It is my grandmother Marge's voice ( who has, sadly, been gone for quite a long time now) but she was a really smart woman,extremely practical, and she always used to say those lesson type of things to me. One of which was "Trenny, don't judge, lest you be judged or unless you consider it a fault of your own and are willing to look at those things in yourself."" And she was right. I think about that all the time and it continues to help me in my life. I don't always succeed with this, but I do really, really try to see people for their gifts rather than their faults. My intentions are not out of a desire to judge, I feel they are legitimate. So, please, just hear me out here. I want to number it to make it simple.

1. I did not fully give up reading NonSociety- I check into it once or twice a week. It is a combination of a guilty pleasure- I can't stop. I do think pretty girls in fun clothes with clever 'New Yorky' type things to say is fun. I am not a completely uptight ass- this is also mixed with my hope that the site will get more interesting and surprise me.

2. I am not jealous of these girls. And bear with me, I am only saying the following to solidify the point I am trying to make. I am also considered a pretty, fashionable New York Girl (ok, ok, I don't have a trust fund) But, I am confident in how I look, what I have to say and who I am. I do not have 'bashing' intentions out of spite or jealousy -at all. I am genuinely turned off and frustrated at the blatant narcissism. It literally makes my jaw drop.

3. One of the most beautiful things to see, ESPECIALLY with the men and woman in my life or that I come across that are physically beautiful or financially successful is humility. And I know this is sometimes hard given that we live in a society where people exploit this and think they have carte blanche to be an asshole or insensitive because of these qualities. Even worse if they are insecure or in desperate need of attention OR if others that feel less secure let them get away with it because they put them on an imaginary pedestal. The people that feel 'higher' will so many times exploit this weakness in others. I see it all the time. Don't get me wrong, I too have used my feminine whiles and looks to get what I want sometimes. I don't think it is bad to use what yo' momma gave ya, but don't so blatantly exploit it. That's when it gets ugly. They just seem insecure, not overly confident as I think they want to be viewed. This is what makes these girls so unattractive to so many frustrated readers, their lack of humility and/or gratitude/grace. The constant banner of "look at me', how pretty I am and how smart I am. And if you don't see it simply through my actions or postings, I will write it out for you in black and white, or stand next to someone famous to show just how fabulous I really am! Look!" * P.S.- proximity to people famous in the arts or technology does not make YOU famous. I have spent a lot of time around very famous people and it still takes work on top of exploitation to get to their level. We get it, you don't have to shove it in your reader's face. This is the point, to me, of a really great blog, (or a great song/movie for that matter)-not to have to announce your greatness, let your natural blogging show it and your reader's come to find that on their own. Like falling in love. Don't point it out to us with daily what we 'should' be seeing. It's a major turn off.Also, a little confusing. And lest any of you reading this, or any of the NS girls read this, I must make it clear that I really believe that it is great to be yourself, be and feel beautiful and think you are awesome and be proud, so I don't want to be labeled as someone who is trying to shut that down. Just have some damn grace and intelligence about it.

4. Contradictions. If you claim to offer one thing through your business- adamantly, constantly claiming that and you continually show another- you need to do a business assessment. Girls, your readers are your 'bread and butter' so to speak and their comments really matter. This is what Non Society needs to do- and jesus- if the girls (especially Mary and Julia) would be more open, they would see that their reader's nastiness and frustration is ultimately a gift that would help them if they could be, again, humble, not defensive. To be noted here, they constantly delete comments from reader's that are opinionated or that say things they don't personally like. Cowardly. Just learn some humility. I, myself, continually learn this lesson in my life. It is harder than being defensive, but so much better in the long run. The amount of time they spend 'defending' how cool and right they are,and how wrong their reader's frustrations are (deducing it down to the readers being the MTV phrased "haters" or simply jealous) has gotten old, is relentless, wasted blogspace and boring.

5. And this is final, number 5- I've said this before, but now I really mean it. This is the last energy that I will put into ranting about NonSociety. I will still check into it to see what's going on, I am only a human girl after all. This post really was spurred by my morning viewing of Julia's page-I literally slapped my forehead. I just find it silly. I do have my own life to lead and I know it is not healthy to carry on about someone else. The bottom line is, is that I am genuinely frustrated with all the tools they have available to them (whether I mean money, education, looks, networking) and they are blatantly wasting them. I WANT them to do well, that's what is ironic. And.. when they do what they say the blog is really suppose to do, I will be one of their biggest fans.

Anyway- thank you for letting me rant one last time.
love you all. xo

Groovin' It Up For Breakfast

I have been, for years, of the 'Fit For Life' mindset, (Fit For Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond) whereas your body is still processing all the eating action from the previous day until noon the following day, so it was always suggested that you eat only vegetables/fruits (juices, smoothies) until early lunch. Though I still like doing that, there are many different schools of healthy eating and I don't just subscribe to that one solely anymore. Nice toast, oatmeal, grain cereal, yogurt, etc...is also nice. Though, still, I am not the biggest breakfast eater and tend to gravitate towards the 'same ole' ,as it were, in the a.m.
One of my favorites is organic Stoneyfield Yogurts and yummy Cliff Bars (Cliff Bars are great and chuck full of lots of daily vitamins and fiber.) Anyway, today, I tore up my oatmeal raisin Cliff bar and mixed it in with my yogurt-cuz I was pressed for eating time- and the surprising results, YUM. Next time I will add an apple or banana and what a delish breakfast snack. Try it- it's really good- not to mention really really healthy and full of vitamins and minerals.

Forever 21- Hells Yea

Velvet Leopard Cocktail Skirt $17.80

Basic Turtleneck Dress $17.80
Vintage Handkerchief Dress $22.80
Silk Dress Shirt $17.80
Pencil Skirt $14.80

Eva Longoria loves it, Faith Hill loves it,so does Ivanka Trump- even Meryl Streep and her daughter shop there. And me too! I'm talking about Forever 21. (I only mention these a-listers, because they are very different fashion wise AND have access to lots of money and designer clothes and it makes me trust the quality and design even more knowing they continue to go back for clothing)
www.forever21.com
This fun, trendy, gigantic store/catalogue/website burst onto the scene in 2002 and, to me- the clothes lover- is THE BEST bargain for well made, fashionable clothing to be found. They, admittedly, knock off every designer trend each season, yet have thousands upon thousands of their own designs. What's great is that they are not made cheaply and you can do many different looks. You can build a girl, trendy wardrobe, a professional pant suit type of wardrobe or an A&F casual wardrobe. And the accessories- millions and all fun- forget about it! Above, find some of the examples and prices and maybe you'll want to check them out too. They have really cool men's stuff too!
**Best Location in New York: 50 West 34th Street**
(Just a few blocks from Penn Station in the heart of Columbus Circle)
Two floors of fashion Heaven. Girls on bottom floor, menswear on top floor.
Other than that- most bigger malls around the country have stores as well.