Menjoyment Monday: BBC

I felt the need to share this. My sister found it and let me preface this video and this Monday's Men with a few things:

1. If you haven't already seen Series 2 of the BBC's Sherlock, don't watch this unless you don't care about spoilers.
2. We (meaning my sister and our friends and I) are completely obsessed with this series because it is SO VERY WELL DONE.
3. This video is also incredibly well done and makes me both laugh and cry.

Hope you enjoy.

DPF: It's baaaaaack

Trying my hardest to keep up with old traditions....

So let's start this back off with a BANG!

ORANGE MOCHA FRAPPUCHINOS!

I recently found out that Meekus was played by Alexander Skarsgård. Who knew?

It's happening

Dear Julibean,

When we open our bakery we will be making and selling these:


We could do it to support No Shave November or find some legit reason, but it's happening.

That is all.

Manjoyment Monday: A pained man and a guitar

You know I find loads of different men sexy for different reasons. But one of my biggest turn ons is a man that can sing. Throw in a guitar and I'm infatuated, it really doesn't matter at that point what he looks like.

There is something about a pained voice and a guitar that cuts right into the heart of me.

Last week when I was quarantined Julibean tried to send me things to watch and listen to and ponder throughout the day to keep me from going crazy. At one point she asked for "2 minutes of judgement free time" so she could show me this, or rather have me listen to this recording of Rob Pattinson sing.

I know what you're thinking, pretty boy, pretty voice. No, not at all.

Listen to the whole thing. Please. It is heartbreaking, truly. And it gives me the chills and it makes me love Rob Pattinson in a whole different way.

I never found him very attractive, but this really does it for me.

MM: No, it's Hairspray

I felt very very conflicted about this one.

As we all know, I have a lot of guilty pleasures. Trashy romance novels, shoes, ugly things, etc. but there's one guilty pleasure I've been holding back for a long time now and it wasn't until Ashley said the following words to me that I felt okay coming out and saying it.

Ash: I watched 17 Again today at work on youtube. Zac Efron is really really attractive.

Here's my thing. I don't really find Zac Efron really attractive on his own. However, as Link in Hairspray, ummm, break me off a piece of that please?

And apparently I wasn't the only one who enjoyed him as this character, nor was I the only one who felt old and even slightly pervy for thinking so...

Ash: Hairspray is when Mel and i decided that he WAS cute, and we left that movie feeling bad about ourselves.

Mel: I felt so conflicted. I was like "dance around in that skinny blue suit some more, Zefron!"

I think the only reason I allow myself to enjoy him in this role is to me, he doesn't look like himself and therefore I don't associate him with High School Musical or the other Disney movies he was in when he was young and therefore I don't feel old and dirty.

It's totally the 50s style that gets me. What can I say, I was born in the wrong decade.

In ALL Her Glory!

A few photos from our weekend of betrothed bliss...

I really wanted Mexican and our favorite new place Plaza Alteca wasn't lit up. I got really really sad that they might be closed and just as Jason said, "Maybe they forgot to turn the lights on." The lights turned on. I think he has ESPN or something.

Me enjoying my delicious margarita. Hey, we're not getting our Bomber's Birthday Margaritas this year, so I've got to celebrate somehow!

And, as promised. Here are some photos of Kayla.

This is how she looks on my hand. She is delicate and classy.

Straight on. She is quite the looker.

From the side. It took me ages to find a ring
with three stones clustered like that.
AGES I TELL YOU!

The other side.
I was so happy there wasn't some ridiculous added diamond
or an ugly tower like complex for Nanny's diamond to perch in.
Kayla's all streamlined on the sides.

The photos aren't the most amazing quality, and granted, they don't do the ring justice. But you get the idea.

Kayla is going to cause traffic accidents. I can just tell. She is wildly distracting when the sun hits her while I'm driving.

This just in: Apparently Nanny's diamond is even more special than I originally thought. After the war my grandfather used his entire GI Bill ($400) to buy Nanny's ring. THAT WAS A LOT OF MONEY back in those days. Seriously, my ring is perfect!

Manjoyment Monday: Light of my Life

Twelve years ago I fell for someone.

I'm not quite sure what it was, but there was just that X-factor. Was it his huge smile? His quiet concentration? The damn soul patch on his chin? I'm not sure I'll ever know the answer.



I'm almost positive it has something to do with the fact he is an Olympian seeing as although I was excited he got to spend some time in the limelight away from speed skating when he was on Dancing with the Stars I just couldn't get into that as much as my face is glued to the television when he's skating. There's something ethereal about the way he moves. (Yeah I went there.)

He tied Bonnie Blair for the most Olympic Speed Skating Medals. He's secured his name in the record books and deep in the cockles of my heart.

Many have joined the bandwagon in loving this man but I among the silly Rock posters, clippings of that blue alien dude from the Walkman has landed ads, and photos torn out of Sports Illustrated of Mike Piazza, I had one sole photo on my wall of Apolo ages ago.

Ours is a long enduring love.

(I know, I'm a sick sad person.)

uuuuuuuuuFursplosion!

Okay, okay. I'm ready to be mercilessly mocked. It's more than fine with me, do your worst.

But last night I FINALLY saw New Moon. Yes dear readers, the moment Ashley and I had been planning for since July...the movie date to end all movie dates...the movie date that got pushed back countless times because of work, because of holidays, because of work again...it FINALLY HAPPENED!

I took a train into the city and met Ashley at the Starbucks right next door to the Regal on 42nd Street. We grabbed some sammiches and something to drink and caught up since although we talk to each other almost every day online trading war stories I don't believe I've seen her since graduation in May of 2007...weird.

Then we bought our tickets and giggled incessantly "We're actually doing it!" "YAY!" "I'm SO excited!"

A million previews later (reminder to self, read Dear John and the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series because they look like movies I'd enjoy and I prefer to read the books first) it finally started.

Allow me to just point out that there were about a dozen people tops in the theater and most of them were 20 and 30-somethings...ALL OF US COULDN'T STOP GIGGLING. Either it was because we were ashamed we were there, or we were just so excited we couldn't contain ourselves...

I just can't even convey to you how incredible this movie was. Dare I say it was the most fantastic movie I have EVER seen!?! Because truly, I am prepared to go as far as saying that!

I must have cried through half of the movie, I just couldn't stop laughing. And there were so many knee jerk reactions I almost fell out of my chair dying.

Quite possibly the best part of the movie was the audience. Honestly. There was one woman who every so often had a perfectly timed wonderfully ghettofied, "Oh shit." (Which when I imagine her saying it now, she's making three snaps in a Z.)

Choice moments:

1. During the scene where they come up on each other and they're running through the woods like this:
   I couldn't help but think of the opening scene of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason when the music rises into a rendition of The Hills are Alive! With the Sound of Music....
   
2. Bella (to Alice): You're not leaving are you? Alice: I'll be back, once you put the dog out. Audience Member: Oh shit!
3. Everyone clapped when Jacob Fursploded!
4. The sketchy guy on the motorcycle reminded me of a pierced version of my brother Dan.
5. And the piece de la resistance...Bella (to Jacob): Hello biceps!
   

We couldn't stop giggling as we left the theater. It was pathetic.

This movie was WELL worth the wait! Well worth the $12.50 we paid to see it even! I might go see it again with Casey since she couldn't make it into the city last night to join us. IT WAS AMAZING!


So if you will indulge me:
Manjoyment Factor: *****
Holy Balls they all spent the entire movie topless! I don't care if Taylor Lautner is 17, I'm still in my early 20s, I can enjoy the eye candy without it being too wrong.
Cinematic Style: *****
It was definitely filmed better than Twilight. Our favorite part was when the camera when spinning at crazy angles to portray Bella spiraling out of control when Edward left.
Ridiculousness: *****
Ummm, hello? It's part of the Twilight Saga, of course it's ridiculous!
Consistency with Book: *****
I could appreciate the way they spun a few things to make the movie flow better. The only thing that threw me was when Bella hops on the random guy's motorcycle. However I TRULY appreciate the scene at the movies where both Mike Newton and Jacob have their hands palm up on the armrests, waiting for Bella to hold one of their hands. I loved that part in the book.

Thanks to LOLvamp(ire)s for the images.

Manjoyment Monday: This Isn't Where I Parked My Car...

Okay maybe I'm still thinking about all those beautiful people in all their glory on my Dad's new BluRay through our Bravia but I have always harbored a certain love for this man:

Wouldn't mind getting into a cramped back seat with him!
(photo via imdb.com)

Karl Urban, need I say more?

Maybe I do. Even when he had long ridiculous hair in LOTR he was still drop dead sexy. And especially hot as the crazed Russian assassin hunting down Matt Damon in Bourne Supremacy?

*drool*

Okay, now I'm done.

Manjoyment Monday: Once More With Feeling

Weird. You know how once in awhile multiple people you know who have no affiliation with each other start talking to you about the same thing and you wonder if the cosmos are trying to send you a message?

Well one of my friends was telling me how she recently started watching the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series on DVD and how she had never seen it before.

I was aghast.

I literally grew up on that...or rather...I spent my entire high school career watching it. And it was something we watched as a family, believe it or not.

So my sister is studying for finals and while she was compiling her notes and writing her flash cards this past week, she too had been watching the series as background noise.

AND THEN, yesterday I woke up and low and behold, my father is watching Once More With Feeling, the amazingly well done Buffy Musical episode.

What does all this mean to Manjoyment Monday? Simply that James Marsters is pretty damn hot! And obviously the universe wanted me to share that with you...

I have to admit I was a little sad when I found out he's not actually British. That accent was dead sexy. But apparently Anthony Stewart Head taught him everything he knows about it...and probably how to brew the perfect cup of Taster's Choice too.

Grr. Arg.

Manjoyment Monday: Yeah Tiberius

This weekend my sister and I got got home to find my father in the driveway unloading his car. What had he bought himself?

A Bluray player.

What two movies did he come home with on Bluray?

The Mummy Trilogy and the new Star Trek, which I have never seen. So in honor of that, please enjoy some Chris Pine:


From sweetheart prince wannabe to Captain James Tiberius Kirk, he's just so beautiful.

No one believed me that Winona Ryder played Spok's mom but I was vindicated during the credits. And I must say although a creeper as Sylar in Heroes, Zachary Quinto does a fantastic job as Spok, honestly.

Now can someone explain to me how they managed to completely re-write Star Trek from the beginning with one movie? Did anybody get it? How do we get to there from here?!

Purse Slut

I've mentioned before my love of shoes but I don't believe I've ever mentioned my complete and utter love of purses. I've always loved bags, but I never really cared about what I carried with me. In high school I lugged around an ugly tote I found at the bottom of my mother's closet or on occasion a silly purse that was in style at the time.

In college I carried purses rarely. It was mostly just a backpack and if I went out shopping I'd shove some money into a tiny card case with my ID and run out the door. It wasn't until junior year I actually started caring about carrying a purse. Only one other thing coincides with that...

Laura.

My best friend, I love her dearly, but she created a monster.

Since we moved in together her girliness seeped into my life. I cared more and more about what type of clothes I was wearing and the bag I was carrying.

I went through a few months of junior year destroying cute bags I bought for $20 at Target, Walmart, Mandee, etc. and then I realized it really was time to invest in a quality bag that would withstand a beating and stay with me for a long time. I figured if I was killing two or three $20 bags every couple of months, why not just spend $100-200 on a fine quality bag that would really survive?

Laura...again.

She's quite obsessed with bags, and at that moment in time her love was Coach (they go through a love-hate relationship). So we drove out to the Outlets in Lee, MA and I scoured the store and left with a beautiful camel leather bucket tote/swing bag. It was so pretty and I love fine leather so much. At first I wasn't interested in that particular bag but I kept coming back to it on the shelf so I knew it was meant to be.

Since then I've been a wreck. Not only have I bought numerous other Coach purses, but I have quite the collection of bags from other stores like NY&Co., Express, Vera Bradley, and other slightly pricier stores.

It's gotten so bad that I have an entire suitcase full of purses hiding under my bed. I'm a mess.

But I actually use every single one of them...I swear! I rotate through them and each and every one of them from the houndstooth clutch to the giraffe spy bag get face time.

That doesn't mean I don't still want more.

I have a problem.

Jason was concerned. More like, Jason can't possibly comprehend why someone needs so many bags. And I finally realized it one day awhile back when a girl I was working with at BBW was re-telling a conversation she had with a customer. (Back story, my co-worker and the customer were both slightly bigger girls.) Basically they were talking about shoes and bags and the customer say something along the lines of, "Well I can't fit into all the popular trendy clothes, but my shoes and bags are always fabulous."

And that really hit home with Michelle and I. I'm not enormous, but I lug around a little extra poundage so I completely understood the not being able to find super trendy cute clothes in my size and reverting to accessories to keep things classy. Therein lies the root of my problem.

But I digress.

In April I went on a ban. I bought an oversized tote to use for our trip to Florida in May because my old bag had deteriorated and I needed something to carry onto the plane with me. But after that I promised Jason (and myself) that I would spend no more money on purses for the rest of the year.

I have done AMAZING.

My mother bought me a purse at the Coach Outlet in Tannersville, PA this summer but a gifted purse is not a break on the ban.

Yesterday I was at Woodbury Commons and I was forced to go into Coach. And when I say forced I mean I literally had two things in hand that were not mine and I had to return/exchange for my mother/aunt since we don't live near any outlets.

It.was.difficult.

What is this power purses hold over me? I don't know, but going to the outlet and walking out empty handed (well with my aunt's exchanged purse) was sad. I know I don't need a new swing pack for easy hands free shopping but I want a new one because I dislike the one I currently own. I might wind up making a purse exchange with Laura because she was interested in getting a swing pack so next time I see her we might swap my swing pack for something of hers she intends to sell on eBay but honestly?! What is my deal?

In a 'round a 'bouts way of saying it, I've only really come to this realization because the wonderful Winona over at DaddyLikey (who's coming out with a book!!!) is having a delightful purse giveaway. Do I want a free purse? HELL YES! After spending the weekend watching everyone around me buy purses I totally am feeling the squeeze of the ban but definitely don't want to give in and purchase one myself.

Basically Ms. DaddyLikey herself is giving away two free bags from HandBagHeaven and I totally want one! Do you? All you have to do is visit DaddyLikey and tell whether you're a purse slut or you're more of a "settle down with a nice purse" type. Obviously I am both, but lean more towards the purse slut side of things...

If I win the giveaway, it will be a hard decision between the glorious blue skinny tote/satchel up top or this lovely faux snake skin clutch/swing pack right here. Both are pretty enough to pet.

Lamb Cake

I've been the worst blogger ever. I really have no excuse except that I've pretty much lacked motivation to do anything the past few weeks.

So let's travel back to Easter. Just for shigiggles! Since my wonderful company gives us a vacation day on Good Friday, I took the opportunity to leave early on Thursday and drive up to New Hampshire to spend the long weekend with my boyfriend and his family. My mother thought it would be a fabulous idea if my sister Julianne came to meet me since she didn't want her to be alone for the holiday. The more the merrier in the Shire, eh?

We decided ahead of time that we would make Jason's family dessert so I went out shopping with Jason's sister Amanda and got all the ingredients for my Julibean's carrot cake and cream cheese frosting. None of them had every had carrot cake so it was all the more exciting!

A little back story. Easter used to be a huge holiday in my family. When we were younger my Mom would decorate almost as much as she does for Christmas and we would go out to New Jersey to spend the day in pretty dresses at my uncle's house. One of the big draws was the lamb cake. No, not a cake made out of lamb, but one shaped like a lamb. When we decided to bake for Jason's family I immediately asked my grandmother for the lamb tin (which has not made a public appearance since I was 10) and we revived the tradition.

(Please excuse the tiny poor quality photo, it's from my phone)

Voila! My first attempt ever at decorating a cake. Look at him, ain't he cute? Sitting in his little bed of grass. Best of all, he was delicious!

We had a wonderful Easter dinner on Saturday night, and then devoured the lamb soon after that. The next morning, after church we dug right into a delightfully unhealthy breakfast of delectable cinnamon rolls and then it came time for the Easter baskets.

Jason's mother is hardcore about her Easter baskets. I mean, the thing was HUGE and had full bags of candy in it. In our house Easter baskets had a chocolate bunny, a few Cadbury eggs, a handful of jelly beans and a dash of robin's eggs. Plus, you'd have the glorious task of digging through the plastic grass to find them all before my Dad came by and yoinked your eggs! So low and behold, a plethora of chocolate, and all for me!

It was intense. And not only was there a cornucopia of candies, but quite useful things like a pair of knee-highs, healthier options like a box of raisins and fruit snacks, and best of all...a trashy romance novel. Yes ladies and gentlemen, my boyfriend's mother gave me (and my sister) trashy romance novels. This woman is awesome.

Now I have never read a trashy romance novel before...ever. I laughed at them, sure, but I never legitimately read one. But low and behold, No Place for a Lady was hilariously awful. In fact, I might just review it for you.

All in all, Easter was fantastic. Spending time with Jason's family is always entertaining and having my sister there was even more wonderful.