Wednesday Nights - From Wild to Not So Much

Back when I was a frosh in college, Wednesday night was known as “Wild Wednesdays” at Who’s On First, a delightful little dive-of-a-bar by Fenway Park.  It was 18 to party….21 to drink.  Which obviously meant, if you were a girl with a pulse you could drink. 

And in a 'holy crap' moment...it appears
this place is still there!

I know the pulse test to be true, because when I first got to BU not only was I not-quite-18, but I also didn’t have Driver’s License to prove I was only 17.  It was a college ID and a smile.  And BAM!  Wild.  Wednesdays.  (And always, ALWAYS, terrible, miserable Thursday mornings in my COM101 class.) 

But fast-forward a few lot of years and, oh! how the mighty have fallen.  There’s not going to be any question of “who’s on first?” tonight.  More like “who’s on the couch?”.   What can I say? Older and wiser, perhaps.  But really it’s suburban visit + snowy storm + I’m far more selective with my nights out no desire right now to rage.

In the years after college, when I knew deep down I wanted to write, but was too afraid to openly pursue it, I used to devour all sorts of writing advice and books.  My dad actually turned my onto this column in The New York Times, called “Writers on Writing”.  (In case the title wasn’t clear enough, it was writers…well…talking about writing.) And that’s kind of where I’m stealing my new Wednesday theme from….Writing on Wednesday.

I devoured the NYT column.  Because I was eager. And obsessed. And convinced that if I read enough great articles about writing by the writers I admired (and even those I didn’t necessarily count amongst my favorites but from who I gleaned some wonderful writing-life lessons) that I too could become a greater writer in my own right.  (God, that was a little bit of a painful sentence…write….right…right?). 

Now I realize some people might think I’m puffing my little ego by calling myself a writer, but someone once said, “If you write, you’re a writer”.  So there you go.

Anyway…while I by no means have the authority to talk about the craft of writing per say (partially because I though “persay” was one big word until spellcheck just spellchecked my ass in this writing moment.). But for me, Wednesdays are my days to write about writing…..writers I love, books I’m reading or want to be reading, quotes or inspirations about writing, ideas I’m tossing around and all that great stuff.

Now, I’ve oddly managed to have a smidge of self-control in Barnes & Noble these days and have even managed to part with some books that were collecting dust and taking up some very valuable real estate on my bookshelf….books that I will never read once (never mind again) or books that I ditched part way through.  Out with the old and in with the new.

So here’s what’s on the nightstand….or on deck for nightstand status….these days…..

Something Old:

I am the girl who will watch a movie three times over.  And a TV episode twice that.  And who will reread books over and over, even though I know how the story ends.  I’m also the girl who doesn’t understand people who don’t follow this same behavior, but that’s a head case for another day.

So, while clocking some quality time at the parents this holiday season, I made a promise to them (and myself) to go through some final boxes of stuff that are living out their years in the basement. There are lots of letters and pictures from my college and high school days (and I would probably die if my parents read any of them, so thank God they have major respect for privacy).

But my main selfish goal was to find a book I knew I had, that I didn’t bring to NYC with me all those years ago – The Robber Bride. When I was first introduced to Margaret Atwood in college, but way of The Handmaid’s Tale, I can best describe the reading of that book as a total game changer.  In love with her writing style. Her storytelling. Her everything.  I became an instant fan.  And it was one of those ‘a-ha’ moments that solidified my desire to become a writer….to think “I want to write something that impacts some nineteen-year-old girl someday”.

When I read The Robber Bride there was no room for doubt.  Margaret Atwood has been on my admired-author list ever since.  I will admit I’ve lost touch with her books over the years, but saw a quote from The Robber Bride recently and, as usual, I became obsessed with getting it back.

I’m now so So SO excited to have my dog-eared, underlined copy back in my hands.  And even more excited to read it again at a whole different point in my life for a whole different perspective.  By far one of my most favorite things to do is reread and rediscover books that hit home with me….and to see what I get from them after years of life and new perspective….

Something New…

I just picked up Carole Radziwell’s What Remains.  I will full on confess my girl crush started early on in the latest RHONY’s season and when my friend M. told me about Carole’s Bravo blog, the crush got bigger.

I had every intention of getting this book sooner, but you know how that story goes.  And then a few weeks ago I was reading an interview with Chris Colfer and he listed Carole’s book on his “to read” list and it was like fate reminding me to get it.

I expect full tears, as it’s the true story of how her best friend, Caroline Bessette, and then her husband, both die within three weeks of each other.  It’s about pushing through and picking yourself up and how to go on when you feel like you can’t.  It sounds weird to say I’m excited to read this one, so will go with curious and very interested.

I’m also the girl who cries while watching those previously repeated movies…and TV shows….and books and hopefully will come out the other side with a new perspective and appreciation for things.

And something that is filled with clues….

I mentioned Alafair Burke not so long ago, when I was reading Never Tell a modern day mystery set in NYC that opens with a popular prep school girl being found in her bathtub, dead from a suicide.  Or was it murder?  I was hooked. 

In a major reading faux pas, I knew going in that this book was part of a series about Detective Ellie Hatcher…and was in fact the newest book in the series…yet went ahead and read it anyway, totally out of order.  Burn me at the stake. 

But the silver lining - in discovering a series in progress, I don’t have to wait impatiently for the next book to come out.  Still not playing by the rules, I bought the second and third books in the series and am about 100 pages into Angel’s Tip. The back jacket of the book - three girls come to NYC on a Spring Break trip of a lifetime.  One girl is found dead the next morning and Ellie and her partner work to find out the who, what, when, where and why.  So far, so great!

I have to say Alafair Burke’s books are fast-paced, somewhat twisty reads and am so happy to have a new author in the fold.

Three up.  One partway down. 

So what are you reading these days?  Any recommendations? I’m always on the lookout for the next best thing so please….tell me what’s on your reading list.

 Or your writing list if that's more your thing....

Ole! The Sunday rituals that happen all week long…

Best laid plans.  

Pick a topic for each day of the week and then it’ll make it easier to write.  And then as always seems to be the case, I went off the rails and had two weeks that went a little something like this:

• Fourteen hour work days.
• One work-related holiday dinner that I went to.
• And one that I skipped because I couldn’t swing it.
• A weekend out of town.
• A scramble to buy Christmas gifts.
• An epic push and some overnight fees to get my Christmas card done.
• One hair appointment.
• Karaoke.  And I actually sang.  (Apologies again to the crowd for picking Wannabe.)
• A birthday dinner that involved two great friends, too much wine and my taking home two maracas.
• Lots of blown of/delayed responses to texts, emails and most anything and everything that could be considered related to my personal life. 
• A haphazard gym routine.
• And many handfuls of Advil, Imitrex and Advil PM (though not all at the same time!)!

All in all not my best stretch of the year.  And a mess of cray cray that I have every intention of leaving in 2012.  Thanks for the memories.

But through it all, no matter how tired, tipsy or totally out of my mind I was, every night I topped it all off with a simple 60 seconds with Clarisonic.  I talk about it the way most people talk about a new relationship.  It’s my new true love.  And I have to say so far it’s going really well.  I’m going to start to go for twice a day whenever possible.  I convinced my mom to get one.  And I took the plunge – I bought the deep cleansing brush yesterday.  The display at Sephora was screaming my name and I consider myself lucky that was all I walked out with.  Well, all I walked out with from the Clarisonic line. 

I worship at the church of Sephora and here’s a little more of what goes into the illustrious self-indulgent beauty routine:

Ole:

I’m apt to scream “Ole!” just out of general excitement. And because pinkisthenewblog made it part of my vocab in what started out with a snide of snark and now I just find amusing.  But that has nothing to do with anything because today’s Ole is allabout Ole Henriksen.  Now for one, this came as a Sephora sample serum and moisturizer set, which normally I might have given away.  I am very Very VERY hesitant to put new products on my face because I walk by a place that does microdermabrasion and my face will go all sorts of haywire.

But this one-two punch had Vitamin C, which reminded me of the Bliss Oxygen foaming 5-minute facial, which I absolutely love, so I threw caution to the wind and gave Ole a go.  And it was so worth it. Love it!  Smells amazing.  Feels amazing going on.  And in the grand scheme of beauty products is in the very reasonable $45 range. 

The Truth Serum is step one an it’s supposed to help reduce fine lines and smooth the skin and even things out and help make a girl look amazing.  Since I’m at a certain age, where retaining a youthful glow is becoming more and more important I am totally in for this product. I put this on at night, post Clarisonic, and let it work it’s magic.  A little while later I’ll follow with the moisturizer, which also smells delish and goes on great and I am convinced is slowly making miracles happen while I sleep.  

They have a huge product list and everything from face wash to make-up wipes. And while I do still have massive Bliss loyalties, I am officially making the switch from their Oxygen eye cream/face cream line to Ole.  And I strongly, supremely recommend it to anyone looking for a change.  Or who is just looking. Or who can’t resist coming in with the new even before you are out with the old.  Ole!!!

More Manicures:

One of my friends at work got some free nail polish when she signed up with the manicurist who comes to our office every Friday. (Yes.  That happens.)  And one color which she affectionately referred to as “something only you could wear” is instantly amongst my faves.   I give you OPI "Every Month is Oktoberfest."

Not sure how I missed this gem (or the entire German collection for that matter) when it was released and I’m always a little sketch when polish is dark in the bottle but them comes out all streaky or not-as-dark-as-advertised.  Well, this one exceeds all expectations. It’s even darker in real life, with a hint of a deep purple under the red and I lust it!

Freebies:

I also have to say I’ve been hoarding my Sephora points because for the past I-can’t-remember-how-long all of the point-redemption gifts have pretty much epically sucked.  It’s always a moisturizer (my face is too particular), or hair oil (my hair is too particular), or mascara (I have yet to find one better than the purple Cover Girl Lash Blast I’ve been using for years) or something with glitter.   But to my total delight this week’s 500-point gift is a generous sample size of bumble and bumble’s Straight line(shampoo, conditioner and hair lotion).  Wheeeeeeeeeee!  Been very curious to try and now I can.  Woo-freaking-hoo!  Thank you, Sephora.  (And if you're really interested in trying or restocking some b&b, they have free shipping and free samples direct from the bumble and bumble site!  Happy Holidays, readers!)

Now if only you could resume giving away free samples that are not shitty perfumes.  Just saying.  It’s how I found Ole!  And Buxon lipgloss (which I’ve pretty much been addicted to since 2008).  We were so close to a truly ohh-amazing experience.  Bring back the best of beauty…because no matter how many times you give me the crappy perfume with a celeb name tied to it, it will not convince me to buy it. 

And tie it all together in a way that makes sense in my head, a little something from Beauty and the Beat, because I also worship at the feet of the The Go-Go’s.

To say I wanted to be Belinda Carlisle is the understatement of the century.  She defined cool to me.  As did this record:

Twofer Tuesday – It’s A Scandal….It’s A Outrage

It’s no secret I have a thing for TV.  And movies. And teen drama.  And reality shows.  And at times, random quotes and song lyrics pop into my head, and are a catalyst for a story or idea or a way to bridge the gap between what’s in my head and what I love and helps me get it on paper….or on the internet as it happens to be here.  (Please tell me someone got the Oklahoma! OK! from the title!)

I know the excessive TV is a terrible habit and I could find better things to do with my time and blah blah blah.  But I’ll be honest. Half the time it’s on I’m not even watching it. Sometimes there’s music playing too.  GASP!  Yup. I’m a horrible person.  Wasting electricity. Letting mindless TV creep into my mind.  I should be taken outside and hit over the head with a set of bunny ear antennas. 

Before you get all judgy wudgy about my bunny ears and archaic TV set….as!  if!….I have a flat screen, thankyouverymuch.  And it swivels.  So take that!  Just don’t take my flat screen or my DVD player or my cable box or my Apple TV away.  It’s my sunshine.  So please.  Hands off.  Because if you did, then I couldn’t delight you with what I watching these days.

Real Housewives of BH:

There’s a part of me that loves that just when I think it can’t get any worse….of course it does.  The further into the seasons these franchises go, the more ridiculous the women get. The hair. The clothes. The make-up.  The “Look at me!  Look at me!  Looks at me fight with her and her and her!”  And how many f*bombs can these ladies drop? I mean I have a total potty mouth and am a fan of the 4-letter word but sometimes even I’m amazed at the rants they go on.  They just can’t contain themselves.  And I of course cannot look away.

This season is no exception.  Everyone is who they were last season.  On crack.  Except for Kim who went to rehab and is much more mellow and philosophical and just wants to have peace and be with her kids and find some happiness. I’m total Team Kim so far.  And Camille has her new man and can’t stop making references how much her ex, was, uhhhh, lacking.  Not that he doesn’t deserve a little flogging.

But I digress…..

And while we all know Brandi is still on as the evil foil….kind of BH’s version of Kelly Bensimone…brought on just to drive people cray-cray…I kind of liked her for a moment during the first night of dinner on the girl’s trip when she talked about how hard it was to get over her ex.  And she drank too much and made mistakes with lots of men and took Lexipro and stayed home and cried and was super lonely. It was the most human I think she’s even been. And then right back to the f*bombs.

Though I have to say the ladies getting totally hammered in Ojai and doing handstands and laughing and just acting like they were in high school was pretty fun.  Reminded me of many girls trips I’ve been on.  Nothing trumps great girlfriends. 

What can I say? I’m going to keep watching. It’s horrible and I really want to know what on earth Brandi said about Adrienne because Bravo keeps beeping it out, which really makes me wonder….which is exactly why I’ll tune in next week.  A girl needs some vices.

And I balance it out with…..

Scandal:

I can’t even believe it’s taken me this long to write about Scandal. It’s bad enough I didn’t pick up this fabulousness in the spring when it premiered, though pretty sure I was having a career crisis which meant I spent more time at the bar than on my couch.  You can judge me for that if you want.  I don’t mind.  Or maybe you’re judging me now because I’m not as out and about.  LOL.  Doesn’t bother me.

But if you’re not watching Scandal, then stop whatever you’re doing and start.  The great thing about starting now is you can stream Season 1 on Netflix…mid-season replacement, so it’s only like 8 episodes (aka…this Sunday afternoon on the couch.  Done.).  The greater thing is you don’t have to wait to see what happens next, because BAM! here comes the next episode.

You must!  And “why” you ask?  Without any spoilers…..I SWEAR…..what I will tell you is it’s done by the creator of Grey’s (and it’s amazingly addictive like Grey’s was at the start).  It’s a political thriller.  D.C.  Murder.  Madams.  Mystery.  Cops.  Ex-cons doing right for the world.  And some doing some epically screwed up stuff. Journalists.  The White House.  The President (well, the fictional Fitzgerald Grant).  Fast paced.  Intrigue.  Sex.  Fashion. Some humorous moments in the darkest way.  And at the center of it all is Olivia Pope.  Crisis management executive.  Fixer of problems.  Secret keeping.  And spin controller when the scandal hits.  With another mystery on top. AND, Judy Smith, the real life crisis manager that Olivia Pope is based on, is a BU College of Communication grad.  Hello, fellow alum.  You just got even cooler to me.

So, reader, here’s my one must:

You have to watch this one from the beginning or it won’t make as much sense.  Season 2 started in the fall and if you’re not dropping money on iTunes to get caught up or using the hell out of your On Demand feature by this point, then I don’t even know what to tell you.

It’s ahhh-may-zing.  Seriously.  And I'm totally obsessed with Olivia's clothes.  And Kerry Washington.  So fierce in this.  Just finish reading this post and start watching Scandal.  Now.   

You can listen to this while your queuing up your Neflix account:

True Confessions of a Product Whore

Sunday?  Not-always-so-fun-day.

Sunday nights?  They’re just awful, right?  The weekend is over. The workweek starts all over again.  All the chores you didn’t get done still linger.  You’re maybe, possibly, still paying for all the fun you had.  The prospect of hearing an alarm clock in the morning makes you cringe.  No?  Lucky for you…I’m more than cringing at the thought of a wake-up call that comes long before the sun is up.  Blah!!!!

And if you’re like me, you’re already counting the days, the hours even, until the freedom bell rings next Friday night.  It’s a viscous cycle really.  And one I’ve tried to figure out how to make less craptastic.

So Part I to the good Sunday night is something great to get lost in on TV. If I’m really lucky the Hallmark Movie Channel (stop judging me immediately) is playing a mystery marathon.  Or maybe there will be a good Law & Order: SVU marathon on USA.  I love when they have themes like “the guest start did it” or “terrible teens”. Oh God! how I love an episode that revolves around teenage drama.  Even if I’ve seen it ten times I’ll watch it again.  A mystery marathon is my equivalent of comfort food.

This fall I also have Revenge and The Good Wife to look forward to. But same time/different channels means Revenge always wins.  Plus Sunday football pretty much screws up The Good Wife every week, but that’s a rant for a different day.

Part II is an effort to prep myself for the week ahead.  To get my shit together head in the game.  Depending on my mood and what’s going on the next day, sometimes I’ll be so bold as to try to pick out an outfit.  (Next to never works and I will curse myself Monday morning when I’m scrambling to find an outfit that doesn’t fill me with rage and I’ll vow to do better next week.  Which I don’t.)  If I’m committed I will pull out gym clothes to make the morning that much less painful.  Anything to try to keep the motivation alive.  Then I’ll make lunch. I’ll pull together what I need to bring to work and pile it near the bag I think I’ll use in the morning.  It’s not all that scientific though, believe it or not, sometimes effective.

And Part III of the successful Sunday night is to try to calm the mind and treat myself right, which means nails, face, body – the whole shallow exterior.  And it’s where my product whoring love comes into major play.

I’ve talked about it before. I love products. I am a marketers dream.  I can be seduced by a facemask with a clever name. I’m always on the quest for the perfect moisturizer, lotion, nail polish color, hair styling cream, flat iron, blush color, face wash….I could go on. But I will let my Sephora and Bliss bills speak for themselves.

I love to pamper myself.  All selfish and self-indulgent and that’s me!   And that’s what I try to make Sunday night’s all about.  So for tonight, I’m going to give a little peak behind the curtain with what I’m obsessed with these days.

Clarisonic:

No doubt you’ve heard about this little gem.  I’ve read about it countless times.  Read about what it promises to do.

“Cleans your face 6x better than washing by hand.” 

“Brightens!  Diminishes lines!”

“Softer, smoother, cleaner!”

It’s the facial in a box.  And let me tell you, I am not a fan of facials.  Bottom line?  They scare the hell out of me.  Now before you get all “you don’t know what you’re missing”, I’ve had them before.  A bunch of times. And with a few exceptions, I usually come out looking like I have a massive case of the chicken pox.  Red. Blotchy.  And extracted beyond all recognition.  Never mind that having to lay there with a mask on my face for God knows how long gives me a massive case of claustrophobia and anxiety.  And I’m not even claustrophobic.  I just can’t deal.  Oh, and it makes me incredible heinous. I don’t leave with a glow.  I leave with the shame of a 13 year old in dire need of a dermatologist.

So after several tries and wads of money later, I’ve taken fate into my own hands and walked through life with possibly clogged pores, but fairly decent skin.  And then I saw yet another ad for Clarisonic.  It was during my last trip to Bliss, while I was chilling in the waiting room, basking in the glow of a massage like no other, and trying to resist eating those deliciously evil mini brownies.  (For the record I’ve never had a facial at Bliss, and I’m sure they’re great.  But I’m just a big, fat coward.)  So back to Clarisonic…there was an ad in the magazine I was reading and it sucked me in.  I took it as a sign.  And after reading an epic amount of Internet reviews (mostly all telling me this thing was magical), I clicked a few buttons and less than 24 hours later had it in hand.

So it hasn’t even been a week, but I’ll be honest, using this face brush makes me feel very self-indulgent.  It’s a 60-second cycle (the built in timer is this girl’s best friend) and it leaves my skin looking all-aglow.  I also feel like I’m really getting in there – take that pores that I’ve neglected for years – and it makes me feel like I’m doing something good for my skin. In case you haven’t figured it all out just yet, I’m a bit on the vain side and fear looking like I’m getting older.  (I believe in some circles they call that being ‘human’.)  But the Clarisonic feels like an investment in the future me.  And even the middle of the road version – the Mia 2 – is less that one facial, so it’s already paid for itself in some ways.  (Queen of rationalization.  Party of one.)

One caveat, which does make me bristle, is a few reviews “warned” that since you are waking the dragon that’s living in your nose and chin that a breakout may happen. (I know…TMI…no body wants to hear this part.)  But I’m crossing my fingers it doesn’t get all ugly.  I’m not sure I can call out of work because I look like the elephant woman, but hopefully that’s a bridge I won’t have to cross.

Has anyone else tried the Clarisonic?  If you have any great stories to share, please do.  If you are going to tell me I just wasted my money, then I don’t want to hear from you.  I’d like to perpetuate my reality instead.  Use Clarisonic.  Look amazing.

Nail polish:

I’m totally obsessed with nail polish.  I hate the way my nails look without it.  To me it’s such a simple way to pull yourself together and to look like you take care of yourself.  Scraggly, unkempt nails make me cringe.  And while I can’t stand the look of pale polish against my pale skin, if that’s what tickles your fancy go for it.  Or if you’d rather go bare, I’m cool with that too.  I’m not here to make everyone run around in navy blues and deep brows.  But I am on the dark side.  Deal with it.  (I used to know this dude who seemed to have some sort of moral issue against dark nail polish.  If that was his deal breaker, it was a good thing we got that out of the way early, before I actually started to have real lusty feelings for him.)

Now I’ve been doing my nails myself since junior high easily.  My mom was liberal when it came to make-up and she did put a little polish on me when I was younger. I was a major girly-girl.  She even let me paint my dolls nails.  (Love you mom!)  And other than a small stint in the land of acrylic, to which I say, DO NOT do this to your nails. Yes, they look good with the polish on and the manicure lasts, what it does to your nails when you take them off and the time it takes to get them back to healthy….just not worth it in my opinion.  

Living in Cin-namon

And now I’m off my soapbox.

But Sunday is definitely a manicure day.  And while I’ll do fixes as needed during the week, because I’ve yet to find a polish that lasts a week (and see above if you’re going to tell me to try to gel craze), I don’t mind doing them.  It’s a ritual.  And it’s an excuse to buy new colors.  Though truth be told I’ve been wearing the same two colors for a better part of the past few months - Living in Cin-namon and Forbidden Fudge.  For one, I already know what they look like.  For two, I like them.  And I don’t care that I’m wearing brown polish in the summer.  Seasons don’t dictate my polish.  It’s like the “white after Labor Day” thing.  In case you haven’t heard….the rules no longer apply.  I may go back to navy, now that I’ve passed the 6-month mark at work and compared to some of the fashion choices I’ve seen there, navy blue nail polish on my would be the equivalent of me carrying  a Chanel bag every day.  Classically chic.

So obsession #2 – nail polish out the wazoo. I have a drawer of it. I just thinned it out and tossed some of them because they do get goopy.  And at least once a month I saw a moment of silence that OPI no longer makes Massachusetts Mulberry, which was the best red I’ve ever seen EVER.  Have yet to find anything that comes close to this.  So if anyone knows how to get a hold of a secret stash of MM, let me know. Consider my indebted to you for life or longer.

24-Heaven:

I’ve written about Bliss a whole mess of times because I truly believe that place has changed my life as I know it.  Their most recent product addition which I snatched up like a fat kid in a candy shop snatches up gummy sharks, is 24 Heaven.  It smells heavenly…subtle but still a little something there.  And while it’s marketed for the severely parched skin, which I don’t have, winter takes a beating on the skin and I love LOVE a long, hot shower, so my skin could use a taste of heaven.

Now what I do have it crappy elbows.  Elbows are fundamentally ugly anyway. I don’t care what anyone says.  And when they are dry….like people in tank tops in the summer wish ashy elbows….UGH!  Pet peeve. Shallow and stupid, sure.  But dry elbows annoy the crap out of me.  A close second to the unkempt nails. 

So I thought that for sure this stuff would make my icky little elbows as soft and pretty as humanly possible and what do you know?  It worked. I use 24 Heaven on my arms every night after the shower and it works grrrrrrrr-reat! (I’m getting all Tony the Tiger now.)

I highly recommend this product to anyone who’s looking to try something new.  Who suffers from old lady elbow.  Or who is trying to add something new to their product closet.  This is a goodie!

So there you have it. This week’s Sunday rundown of the products I’m currently lusting.  Time to go pamper myself and pretend the time on the clock isn’t accurate and that I’ll wake up in the morning to discover it’s Saturday morning all over again.

Or Sunday morning.