Happy happy, joy joy

Happy Thanksgiving all! To my family and friends...I love and miss you all dearly!! Enjoy!

New Fave Phrase

Last night, during the Real Housewives of Atlanta Reunion Nene called Kim a "trash box." Hahahahaha! I'm going to try to use "trash box" on the daily. The reunion did not disappoint. I must say I find Sheree about as pleasant as nails down a chalkboard. You couldn't pay me to be her friend...or wear her horrendous clothes. Til next season...

Fun facts to share at Thanksgiving!

My girlfriend and I love to tell each other "fun facts" and then laugh really hard because, well, they are hiilllarrrious sometimes. Here are some to share if there is a lull in conversation tomorrow at the dinner table. (or just tell everyone anyway)



This day in History: 1789 -- Today marks the first National Thanksgiving Day. It's also the day the first college fraternity was founded in 1825(Kappa Alpha at Union College, NY); and the first recording session by the Liverpool music group The Beatles under that now famous group name (1962).



Fun Facts:

*North Carolina is the nations top sweet potato producer, Illinois is the the top pumpkin producer, and Wisconsin is #1 with cranberries.

*The average chocolate bar has 8 insect legs in it.

*40% of McDonalds profits are from Happy Meals.

*It takes 12 hours for food to digest.

*A can of SPAM is opened every 4 seconds.

*In the latter part of the 18th century, Prussian surgeons treated stutterers by snipping off portions of their tongues.

*All US Presidents have worn glasses. Some just didn't like being seen wearing them in public.

*Armadillos, opossums, and sloth's spend about 80% of their lives sleeping.

*All polar bears are left handed.

Blender names Top Albums of the Year...

I have issue with Lil Wayne. Really, Lil Wayne? He has the number one album of the year with The Carter III, according to Blender magazine. Plus, it seems like he just wakes up in the middle of the night, writes something down that rhymes with panties, and then gravels about it in a "rap." I'm just saying. (Oh, I do like the song Milly though) However, #2 album is Feed The Animals by Girl Talk. My brother introduced me to him...he's a mash-up mix master DJ. Amazing. The pic is Lee and I at his show a few years ago...you jump up on stage and mosh around. We found that out after we were shoved up onto the stage. (that's him in the white tee bent over his computers) There are lots of other good artists/albums on the list...check, check, check it out! And if someone has heard of all of them, impressive.

**correction: The album name is Tha Carter III

I hope she can...

The new cover of Rolling Stone. I can't help it...I still love Britney. I want her to be awesome again...please, oh please be awesome again. Although writhing around bloated and confused in fishnets and a black bra was hot, I want the old Brit back. You know, the crazy behind closed doors...glorious to the public Brit. Great, thanks. (Nice Obama reference RS)

My First Solo Thanksgiving

This Thursday, I'm making my first turkey. Which, contrary to popular belief is supposed to be easy. I have the necessities...turkey, wine, and beer. The turkey I'm a little worried about at the moment. I've consulted Leigh Ann (she's like a super hot Martha Stewart, seriously) who gave me a recipe that'll be glorious. I just have to follow the directions, right? If anyone has any tips, please share. I have a backup plan. I'll just get everyone drunk in case the turkey doesn't come out as planned.

I love dogs

Growing up, we always had a dog. There was Princess, the ginormous Sheltie and Snicker, our Cocker Spaniel/Beagle mix. I loved our dogs. After Snicker, my parents have only had Jack Russell Terriers, which are super smart little human dogs. I want a puppy so bad I can barely stand not having one! Our building has a "no pet" policy so I guess visiting my puppies at Christmas will have to fill the void for now.

OMG

Heidi and Spencer got married in Mexico over the weekend. If you don't know who Heidi and Spencer are...good for you!

Not pictured: Spencer's creepy flesh-colored beard

**The new US Weekly cover has their weddings pictures. Complete with the creepy flesh-colored beard.

I'm just saying...

I have this really annyoing habit. It usually comes out during arguments, or when I want to start one...which, isn't that often...I don't think. The scenario goes down like this (and the following situations are completely hypothetical)..."Lee, how come
you throw wet towels in the hamper? That's so disgusting..." a blank stare usually follows, sometimes a sheepish grin, depending on my demeanor, I'm sure. Here it comes..."I mean, I'M JUST SAYING...that will cause mold and it'll smell...I'm just saying it is all..." Lee: "Well, when you just say stuff...you mean to say it!"
I know. I usually just say stuff a few times a week. I can't help it...it rolls out of my mouth more than I'd like to admit. I'm just saying.

Who loves Twilight?

Twilight made over 70 million bucks this weekend. People are totally batty over this book series. Who has read it? I don't know if I can handle anymore obsessions at the moment. Author Stephanie Meyer is from Utah. She says the story came from a dream she had...how cool is that? I'd like to have a dream that turns into a major motion picture.

SIDE NOTE: I went on Perez Hilton's website this morning...I know, I know. I'm ashamed. However, he went to see Twilight. Mmmm...Stephanie Meyer is Mormon and lives in Utah. So, he just gave money to the LDS Church, right? That's why he's boycotting the Sundance Film Festival, the state of Utah, you know, because everyone here is Mormon. Please. I call hypocrite. That's all for now.

SLC Sunsets

The sunsets here are so beautiful. The purplish haze is probably pollution. Pollution=Gorgeousness for the eyes. This is out our front window. (no lungs were harmed in the taking of this photo)

What's in a name anyway?

I told Lee that I just loved the name Zoey once and the the look on his face was priceless. Somewhere inbetween vomiting and "are you serious?" Not a big fan I guess? Parents are entitled to name their kids whatever they want, right? But, there has to be some kind of responsibility, some form of punishment on the parents if their child is hated on or made fun of because of the name they gave them. They had no choice but to take it, own it, live with it. These are some of my favorite celeb baby names: Penn (the mammoth magician) named his sons Moxie Crimefighter and Zolton...Jermaine Jackson's son is Jermajesty (shortened I guess it's just "Jerm"), Jason Lee's boy goes by Pilot Inspektor (couldn't even spell it properly, poor kid), and U2's The Edge has a daughter named Blue Angel. Zoey isn't looking that bad anymore, is it honey?

YES!

The Hollywood Reporter is saying that there is going to be an ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT MOVIE!! This is good news for America. Ron Howard has signed on to direct the film.

If you haven't seen Arrested Development, rent the seasons and enjoy.

Fun Frills

A very girly cork board. I'd love to put this in my closet, if it was big enough, and use it as an "inspiration" board. I'd put pictures of shoes and bags I can't afford on it...that way, they'd still kind of be in my closet where I could look and stew over what outfit to wear them with. Just a thought. This is from Brocade; a store full of amazing chandeliers, chairs, gray wallpaper...the list goes on...and it's all girly and fantastic. brocadehome.com

I like the name Apple

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz had their babe yesterday. His name is Bronx Mowgli Wentz. Huh? The name Mowgli is from the character who originally appeared in Rudyard Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" and then went on to become the most prominent and memorable character in "The Jungle Book." With the name Bronx, I guess he's destined to be a street fighter. That's exciting.

Madonna and some Guy

Madonna and Guy Ritchie are divorced. It took 4 minutes to end the 8 year marriage and will be finalized 6 weeks from today. No fighting. Boring. Although when news of the divorce broke Guy allegedly told friends that Madonna was like "cuddling a piece of gristle." Maybe he meant muscle? I'm sure that's what he meant. And that she slept in a bag full of lotion, which, sounds hilarious...how did she breathe? Today, in honor of Friday and Madonna let's all listen to "Lucky Star." I love that song.

Glorious Goodie Bag

**I got a bag full of glorious goodies today that reminded me of home, friends, and family. Thanks for making my week. You're the best! **

It's in the stars?

My sign is Virgo. According to Wikipedia I'm totally not who I thought I was...I guess this isn't funny unless you know me, but, check it out. According to the completely accurate Wikipedia a virgo is defined by the following traits: Analytical, critical, insightful, precise, meticulous, orderly, methodical, practical, mental, responsible, perfectionist, shrewd, conservative...the list goes on... giggling...too much at the moment to type. I mean, maybe I'm mental? I gotta go. I think my parents lied to me about my date of birth.

23andMe

If you could discover how your genes influence your health, would you want to know? If you could find out you were prone to Alzheimers, or your child had a 75% chance of inheriting Multiple Sclerosis, would you want to? Well for $399, "The Invention of the Year", 23andMe, is able to provide you with such information. You order the kit, spit in a cup, and send it to a lab in California where your DNA is analyzed. In 4 to 6 weeks you log into your database and start exploring your genome. Personally, I'm unaware of my ancestry so to be able to pinpoint my maternal and paternal lineage is extremely intriguing. Is it better to just not know and live life unaware of something that will more than likely happen to you? Or, should you live life trying to find a way to fix a potential problem? I'm not really sure. I think for myself, with no family medical records, it might be a good thing. I'll let you know if I decide to take the big spit. If you want to check it out for yourself go to www.23andme.com

What's better than a Finale?

The reunion show of course!! I just watched the Real Housewives of Atlanta Finale last night...and I must say, I found it totally LAME. No one got arressted, no weaves were pulled, no drinks were thrown. However, the reunion looks AMAZING. During the finale, Bravo ran promos for the reunion show. NeNe and Kim are in each others faces, accusations of dating a married man are being thrown around, and something about someone falsely claiming they had cancer? For sympathy? Now, that's a reunion show. Also, I did some digging around and found out that "smokin" Kim is really 29. Huh? And Lisa, who claims to be business woman extraordinaire filed for bankruptcy in 2007. She says in the show opening "I don't do it, unless it makes me money..." That must've been her New Year's Resolution.

That Bikram aint no sissy!

This is me after a Bikram Yoga class. I'm clinging to life in this moment, dead behind the eyes. (For further reference see Audrina, The Hills) It's so hot. The only thing that keeps me going is 1) Roxanne, the cool hippie chick who teaches the class 2) The hot bodies (literally) that I'm surrounded by. I want to be able to sit down and see my ab muscles. I wonder if people who have 6 packs, (see Joe 6 pack) do they just sit around and stare at their muscles in the mirror? I don't know, it's going to be hard. See my earlier post "Dear Food." I love the concept of yoga. It's all about breathing while stretching and pushing your body to places you never imagined. Ha. See? I'm such a yogi. Hardly...My main focus is not on breathing, it's on making it through the class without passing out, or dying. I died. A few times. I'm going back. Shout out to anyone who does this on the regular.

Thrift Store Junkie

My husband has two passions in life: Goodwill (Deseret Industries in the west) and brick-breaker. (A stupid cell phone game) At least half of his clothes are from Goodwill. I'm not really a Goodwill girl. Lately, though, I've become obsessed with thrift, consignment, and vintage stores! We had very little with us when we moved from Indianapolis to Salt Lake City so this adventure was born out of necessity. And it is so fun. Here are some of my favorite finds from vintage shops in the SLC. They are on every corner here and all three of these items cost the same. 30 bucks. It's like legalized stealing.

If you see this man...

Do not date him, he will probably kill you. According to CNN, Drew Peterson met with a divorce lawyer yesterday. You know, to divorce his wife that "left him for another man" nearly a year ago. Disgusting. I hope he finds his 4th wife in jail.

Dear Food,

I'm not really sure if it was how I was raised, or if it is an innate primal urge deep within my subconscious. This obssession could've been formed over long dinners with my family growing up discussing the "texture," (which, I made my parents promise NOT to do when company was present, very uncool) the "freshness," and the way it "dances on your palate." (I made that last one up) I'm in love with you, food. I wake up in the morning and wonder "what am I going to eat today?" I don't discriminate, I truly enjoy all food. If there was a visible thought bubble above my head, it would probably contain pasta, sushi, red bull, or ice cream most of the time. What is your favorite food? Do I have a problem? I need to write more, but, I just got hungry...

The Pregnant Wooooaaahh-MAN

Wow. A pregnant man gave birth and is sperminated again. Thomas Beatie, a former beauty queen, (she was pretty hot, too) has always known she was meant to be a he. She had her breasts removed, underwent hormone therapy and became a man a few years ago. He is a man, man. His Social Security number says so. I don't know how it feels to be trapped in a body that seems foreign to you, so, I'm glad he did what made him feel complete. That said, he has all female reproductive organs...the really important ones like a uterus and a vagina. I would think the only fun thing about being a guy is the penis part...easy access to pee, short bathroom lines, etc. I barely have breasts...does that mean that when I get pregnant (eww) I'll be dubbed "the pregnant man" too? The only difference is I do, fortunately, have less facial hair. I'm just kidding. Kinda. The Beaties' are sharing their story and their journey. I wonder how the media attention is affecting the family? I think for Thomas, he's taking it like a man.

Still refusing bows, but I'll wear feathers...

I've always liked putting things in my hair, just not bows (or gum). There is a website called shopbando.com where these groovy chicks make one of a kind headpieces that are fun, whimsical...you get the idea. So, I forwarded the website to Cynthia. (Cynthia: constant childhood companion, slave to fashion, made her own stunning wedding dress-true story) A week or so later I had an envelope in the mail from Cynthia with a sketch (the coolest part), feather pieces, and a headband. All I had to do was hot glue gun (I know, I had to go buy a hot glue gun) the feather to the headband. Voila. Cool feather headpiece that kicks ass. (personal opinion) So, check out bando for inspiration if you'd like, but making one is about 200 bucks cheaper. Thank you.

Oh Bravo...

Bravo is my favorite network. (Next to CBS of course) I can't even tell you what my favorite show is because I like all of them, it's an addiction, a problem that I don't care to fix. Whatever. That's why God made Tivo (but you should still watch the commercials.) Tonight, is the finale of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. There is a whole series of these "housewives" from the OC to New York, and they are equally ridiculous. The Atlanta housewives (a term that is used loosely, trust me) gets my vote for "most delusional." In the opening montage, one of the ladies says "I knew I was going to be somebody someday..." She's married to an NBA player and the only thing she "be doin" is spending his money. My favorite housewife is the crazy white lady. Her man, whom she can't identify, (probably because he's married) buys her a fully-loaded Escalade in the first episode. She should take the money from the Escalade and buy herself a proper weave. Oh, and did I mention she's trying to be a singer? That episode might be the finest hour of television, ever. Another one of the "wives," wants to be a fashion designer because "she's liked clothes ever since she was a little girl." Really? I can't believe that as a little girl you liked clothes? Tonight, Mychael Knight of Project Runway fame pays her a visit (Bravo made him do it) hopefully to tell her she's won the delusional prize. Out of all the women, I think I'd like to be friends with NeNe. She's rude and hilarious. At least I'd be entertained as she gets drunk and sings songs...even if she doesn't know who her real dad is.

Trashy Art

A few months ago, I was driving home from work, and turned into the alley behind our place. There are a few dumpsters to the left before our garage where homeless people sleep, hoard things, and get first pick of "fresh trash." On this day, my husband jumps out in front of my car yelling that he got to the treasures in the trash before all those homeless people. Oh Lee, we can go to the store if you're hungry...please stop eating trash. Instead, in his hands were these old window panes. I grabbed one and we trekked them over to our place. I hated to admit that I liked them and that I agreed (to myself) that they would look super dope on our wall after a little routine maintenance. We painted them blue, sanded them down, (all Lee's suggestions, btw) then hung them on our wall. What's the saying about one mans treasures? One mans trash is another mans wall art.

Prop 8, Perez, and Me

I love Perez Hilton. I enjoy his ridiculous comments, his constant posts about celebrities, politics, and even good-will efforts. However, I'm so pissed at him and may be forced to boycott his site. Here's what led me to such a drastic measure...Saturday morning, November 15, I stood outside Salt Lake City Hall and held a sign that said "straight, but not narrow." And shouted for equal rights for all citizens in this country. Some of the closest people in the world to me are gay. However, I feel regardless of my friends, I'd still feel this way. Why are people so opposed to gay "marriage?" If you don't like gay marriage, then don't marry a gay person. Why should any gay person pay taxes then? Is it fair for the government to require by law they do so, but, by the way betch, you are not allowed any of the rights afforded to heterosexuals. Ridiculous! I digress, I live in Salt Lake City Utah. I moved here a few months ago for work reasons. It's a beautiful city. There are Mormons here (gasp). Who opposed Prop 8...I get it. The crazy stereotypes about Salt Lake City are not true. As with any religion, there are narrow-minded ignorants, however, I don't associate with them and not all LDS people are crazy. This brings me to Perez. He's boycotting The Sundance Film Festival because it is held in Park City, Utah. What? Oh, because Mormons live here and donated a lot of money to Prop 8. Mormons live all over the country. I hugged a lot of people Saturday morning in front of City Hall and we all wanted the same thing. We were all fighting for "his cause." And, I feel that Perez is enforcing the hate he is preaching against. What do I know? It just seems ridiculous to boycott a festival that celebrates independent film producers, actors, and directors. I'm sure they are all Mormon.

My First Post...

Hello everyone! I'm really excited about my blog. I named it bangs and cupcakes because that seems to be the trendy thing now-a-days. And it makes me laugh. Anyway, this blog isn't for me really...it's for all of us. I have opinions and what better way than self-centered blogging to let me feel like everyone is reading how I feel about the world, and most importantly, how we are going to make it right. So, please enjoy, and leave me comments so I can better myself. I already have an important blog to write...until then...