Ten on Tuesday Fun

(Questions from Roots & Rings)

1. What is the weather like in your city today?
Warm and fairly sunny. They're calling for thunderstorms later, though.

2. Do you like the zoo?
Sometimes. It depends on the zoo. I'm certainly not any kind of animal rights activist or anything, but sometimes it makes me sad to see the animals in captivity. :(

3. Do you eat coconut?
Not often. I don't hate it, but I don't particularly care for it.

4. Have you ever hammered a nail? Are you good at it?
Yes. Not so much.

5. Does your family have a vacation destination that you visit often?
Yes! We don't get to go every summer like we used to, mostly because everyone is so busy. But for a long time (starting when I was around two months old), we went to New Smyrna Beach, FL every summer. Some of my very best vacation memories are from that place. Also, if you're wondering, that would be the beach known as shark-attack capital of the world. Aside from the beach, we usually spend our 4th of Julys in Banner Elk, NC. I do love the beach...but summer in the mountains of NC is a close second.

6. How many pillows do you sleep with?
Just one.

7. What's the first thing you do when you wake up?
Check emails on my Droid. That's sad, isn't it?

8. Will you send your kids to summer camp?
Probably, but in a so-they-can-have-fun sense, rather than a daycare sense (not that you can't have both of those at the same time). Growing up, I participated in local summer programs like art camp, and also spent the latter half of many of my summers doing a kids musical program. Always loved it!

9. What do you put in your baked potatoes?
Typically just butter and sour cream.

10. Did you take swimming lessons as a kid?
I did when I was three years old. It's actually one of the few things I remember at that early of an age. I can even remember that I had two teachers - a guy and a girl, and I'm pretty sure the girl's name was Rose. I also remember that my "default swim" was always the backstroke - I don't think I knew how to swim any other way, so I just went with it. Funny what you remember sometimes.

thrifty thursday and trends...on Sunday

I had intentions of posting this on Thursday...but that didn't happen.

Recently, I have come to love spending time scouring the internet to find affordable items that compare to designer items I see in magazines, etc. I usually see a celebrity carrying a bag, or wearing sunglasses or shoes I love, then I have to find out who makes the original (if it isn't already obvious), then I find out that it usually costs more than I am worth as a human being, then I move on to trying to find a cheaper alternative. It's kind of a fun game.

Well, recently, I'm kind of embarrassed to say I've spent every night this past week some free time watching all the specials Lifetime and BBCA currently have running on the upcoming Royal Wedding. I mean, it's kind of fun to watch...right? Well, at some point, Kate Middleton was shown out shopping (I can show you a picture):

The show I was watching showed her walking around with the brown leather handbag you see in the picture. (Obviously I saw it from different angles than this, I wouldn't say I liked a purse based on that picture.)

After way too much time spent surfing the internet trying to identify the handbag....Found it! Price tag: $1295.00 ...USED.

I'm determined to find a fun, brown handbag to carry around that costs a little less than that. And I think I've found a few (well, three) that might fit the bill. I was going to take votes on which one I should buy...but I already chose. I will take guesses, or thoughts, though! I know the suspense will be killing you all. Options 1, 2 and 3:




(Option 1: Frenchi Convertible Tote, $38, nordstrom.com, Option 2: Tan Leather Maxi Holdall Bag, $160.00, topshop.com, Option 3: prepped for travel canvas purse in navy, $52.99, shopruche.com)

I realize Option 3 is not solid brown, but it's still really cute, and comparable in size.

And to expand on that last bag...I love the navy blue+brown leather look! I would not have come up with that combination in my own head, but it's really cute! See below:

(BDainty from Steve Madden)

I've accepted the fact that I'm not really going to get super close to the appearance of Kate's bag...I mean, the original is selling for $1295 in used condition. But I can come semi-close!

"Iona, you're gonna O.D. on nostalgia."

This title applies to me in a serious way right now. I recently discovered the joy of XM radio (I know, I'm a bit late on that), and am pretty much obsessed with Lithium (90's grunge/alt rock) and 90's on 9. Really, it's rare that I listen to any other station. This is also evident if you've ever been over to my tumblr. The 90's song of the week is about the only thing I blog, and every week I spend more time than I should watching youtube videos, listening repeatedly to my favorite 90's songs on iTunes, and looking for ones I loved at some point but forgot about.

For a while, it was 80's. And it still kind of is, but I've switched over to more of an 80's-movies-obsession rather than music. I wouldn't be lying if I said I've watched Pretty In Pink four times over the course of the past three weeks (see image). But I get hooked on things like that. When I find music I like, I wear it out, same with movies. I couldn't tell you what I like about Pretty In Pink...well, actually I could. A huge part of what I love in that movie is John Cryer and the role he plays. He is absolutely great.

But back to the 90's. My current obsession-within-an-obsession would be Oasis. I found this video the other day, and haven't stopped listening to them since. I mean, I've always had the Oasis staples in my collection (Wonderwall, Don't Go Away, etc)...but these kicks come out of nowhere. It's just kind of like, you've heard "Champagne Supernova" more times than you can count, but then you see or hear a different version or whatever and it's like a lightbulb goes off and you're just like "damn, that's a GOOD song." That happened with me too the other day for Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car." I hated that song when it was popular because it was played so much on the radio, but I watched a live version on youtube the other day and got goosebumps. Maybe I'm just weird. But I do love the 90's.

In other news, ROBYN was on The Ellen Show today...awesome. This would be the same Robyn you know from the 90's ("Show Me Love" was one of her more popular singles). But she is way better now. Also, I may have exaggerated a tiny bit earlier, I do listen to a couple other stations from time to time on xm, and I'm kind of hooked on a song called "Young Blood" by Naked and Famous. I have no idea who they are, but I love the song.

wedding schmedding

So, the big day is right around the corner...eek! There is much to be planned, and conveniently, "planner" might be the antithesis to my name. For real. But it is forcing me to be a planner, which is kind of good. I might grow from this.

Caution: the following is what could be considered as a rant.

The dress. Quite possibly the most exciting part of the whole wedding (you know, besides the whole spending-the-rest-of-your-life-with-someone thing). I envisioned laughter, tears (mom's), and good times all around with my sister and mother. One bridal store (I won't name any names, but you could possibly rhyme it with Cavid's Fridal), however, had other plans. If you could envision the worst possible nightmare experience EVER at a bridal store, that's basically what happened to me. Keep in mind this was also my very first time trying on any dresses. The store was, on a whole, a mess in terms of organization, checking people in for appointments, etc. My "consultant" was probably 65 years old, wearing a hideous sweater dress, smelled a little like cigarette smoke, and was so unfriendly and unhelpful it was unreal. My choice of words in assessing the situation to my mom, I believe, were: "this is a f$%#ing disaster." I really can't think of a time or place where I had customer service worse than what I experienced there. And today, up pops an email from none other than said bridal store! Among other things, they were asking me to take a survey. HAHA! I wrote a scathing email to their customer service when this first happened, but it's like really, what can they do? Because I'm for sure not going back. Unless maybe they offered me $1,000.00 but that is unlikely.

Moral of the story? I don't recommend them. I'm not much for google reviews, but if google reviews say the particular store in your area is bad, then for the love of God, trust them. Or just trust me.

But all is well that ends well, and I found the perfect dress at a fantastic store that I stopped at on a whim. So far, all other details seem to be working themselves out. My only other complaint would be that it is unnecessarily difficult to get prices/quotes from vendors via email. It's 2011, people! Get with it!

I apologize that this post was more of (ok, almost completely) a rant, but sometimes bad experiences at stores are worthy of a blog post. If only everything were as easy as shopping at Zappos.com.

comfortable...a valentine's day story

So, I've heard that things kind of go down hill after marriage. Haha. Not in a bad way, though. Actually, let me rephrase that -- marriage may be the ultimate level of comfort. I'm thinking we are well on our way, and engagement is certainly a step in that direction. Hence, this conversation:

Ross: What do you want to do for Valentine's Day?

Me: Eh, let's just do lunch on Sunday or something. (in an effort to avoid any large crowds)

...after said meal...

Ross: So, want to do anything else?
Me: Nah, I'm kind of tired. (note: it was 5:30pm at that point)

Ross: Yeah, me too.

And we proceed to hang out/watch an episode of The Office then call it a night.

Funny how things get real when you've been dating two and a half years and are engaged. Not to say that we still don't go out from time to time and do fun stuff, but it's a lot easier now to just be chill and not really care. I think that's good, as long as you can keep a good balance. And really, the larger part of this is that I'm slowly realizing how precious weekends are where you don't have anything to do. They are few and far between, it seems. And when I don't have much on the agenda for Saturday or Sunday, I like to maintain a high level of nothingness if at all possible. For the record, I had mentioned to Ross that on the way home from Sunday's early dinner that we may need to "stop by the Coach store" on the way home for a potential Valentine's Day gift/purchase, and he was willing. I was tired and had no intention of actually doing that, so it was more of a test. He passed.

In other news...didn't watch the Grammys. I did catch Gaga's performance, though (which was actually pretty lackluster compared to some other ones). I think, after the past couple years, nothing she does is really shocking anymore. We've seen the kermit outfit, the bubble one, the meat one, yada yada yada. So she shows up in an egg? *yawn* I also caught the last part of The Avett Brothers performance...LOVE them. (So I lied. I watched a tiny bit.)

I'm getting bored, and I need some new music. Tomorrow = new PJ Harvey. Can't wait!

PJ Harvey...and why I love her.

I am very much a newbie when it comes to PJ Harvey. As in, White Chalk (2007) is the chapter I started in. Probably the earliest song I have is "You Said Something" which was released in 2000, and she's been around since the early 90's. Based on that, I probably don't have strong grounds to say a whole lot...but I'm going to anyway.

It's safe to say that "You Said Something" and any songs off the White Chalk album are like night and day. The former at least has a little bit of mainstream potential, but I can assure you White Chalk does not. Whatever the difference is, I can appreciate it. The material isn't better, it hasn't gotten worse, but it's changed. There's something to be said for artists who can maintain quality while still exploring completely different sounds and going places they've never gone before. For me, three words sum up her sound: unpredictable, bizarre, and genius. I love it.

White Chalk is quite possibly one of the most haunting records I've ever heard (not sure I can even think of any others that would fit in the "haunting" category), and the overall tone of the album is dark and melancholy (my fave!). Timing was good considering it was released in the month of October...it was probably my favorite album for fall of '07. A lot of piano involved, too, which we all know I love, and there's kind of an old timey simplicity to it all. Seriously, if had to give a visual, it's of some 1800's era woman in a haunted cabin in the backwoods of some crazy mountain town (Boone, perhaps?) writing freaky ass songs on her piano. Some of that visual might stem from the album cover. A sidenote: Harvey taught herself how to play the piano, specifically for creativity purposes related to this album. From Wikipedia: "In an interview in The Wire she explained "the great thing about learning a new instrument from scratch is that it [...] liberates your imagination.""

So that was an interesting, but good, starting point for me. Now I'm looking forward to her upcoming album, Let England Shake. I've only heard "Written On The Forehead" so far, but it sure sounds like this album will be yet another venture into new sound for Harvey, and I can't wait. Bring on the weirdness! Saw a comparison somewhere between the sound for this new song and The Cocteau Twins who I LOVE. Either way, I'm anticipating greatness.

an early taste of spring

Ahh! First experience with polyvore.com. I feel lame for not knowing about this site earlier. Anyway, I'm thinking this spring/summer will be the seasons of coral and navy blue for me. I've placed a temporary ban on myself from buying cardigans. I have too many, and it is starting to get nerdy. For the record, I bought all this on a complete whim. It was a last-minute shopping trip limited to a couple hours to find the perfect outfit for engagement pictures. I found two pairs of jeans in addition to everything shown below. MAJOR SCORE.

early taste of spring by aubsmiles featuring a knit cardigan

Long Bow Striped Cardigan, $30
Contrast Trim Sweater Cardigan, $20
Ruffled Seafarer Tunic, $13
Jersey Mummy Wrap Flats, $20
Rugby Stripe Sequin Tote, $17
Striped Canvas Tote With Polka Dot Bows, $17

the covers list

...because I haven't made one yet! Discovered a really great cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" (you can listen here) on tumblr today. Well, "really great" coming from someone who is already a huge Ani DiFranco fan. But I am generally a fan of covers all around as long as they don't suck and ruin the original. I love it when talented artists make their own interpretations of what is already good. So here is my list, in no particular order, of some of my favorite covers.

1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" -Nirvana/Tori Amos. I know, I know, all my lists have to include Tori Amos. But seriously, a Nirvana song being performed by a girl on a lone piano? I promise, you'll see the song in a whole new light. Or at least I did.

2. "Oh Father" -Madonna/Sia. Case of the cover being better than the original.

3. "Real Love" -John Lennon/Regina Spektor. I just love Regina Spektor, that is all. Purchased this song off the Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur album.

4. "Bizarre Love Triangle" -New Order/Charlotte Martin. I love a good 80's song, and this cover=amazing.

5. "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" -Pearl Jam/Charlotte Martin. At this point we're seeing a pattern of my love for acoustic piano performances of 90's rock songs. Crazy how it completely changes the mood of the song.

6. "Bitches Ain't Shit" -Dr. Dre/Ben Folds. Ben Folds = genius. I love listening to this song in my car. haha.

7. "Free Fallin" -Tom Petty/John Mayer. Great, simple cover of a great song.

8. "Jolene" -Dolly Parton/The White Stripes. I think Jack White has a thing for old female country singers...?

9. "Where Is My Mind?" -The Pixies/Yoav. First heard of Yoav when he opened for Tori Amos. (Somehow, it all goes back to Tori amos, doesn't it?) This is a very trippy, weird version of Where is My Mind...but, that's kind of fitting.

10. "Come Talk to Me" -Peter Gabriel/Bon Iver. Love Peter Gabriel and this song. Love Bon Iver and love the banjo. A combination of all four, FTW!

Well, that's my strange little compilation...anyone have some favorites you'd like to share with the rest of us?

currently loving

I give you...the bubble scarf:



LOVE this look. I happened to find this exact one for $14 from the lovely Hooks & Hammers shop on Etsy. (and it looks even prettier in person, which tends to be the case with etsy items) If you are interested, I recommend just searching "bubble scarf" and seeing what pops up. so much etsy goodness!

My impulsive and highly ambitious next purchase was the pattern for said bubble scarf. I know enough to sit for long periods of time and make the same crochet stitch repeatedly, but so far I've lost my patience with trying anything else. Maybe someday, though.

I hate healthy...or, we don't seem to get along anyway.

Not really. I would love to be healthy. The idea of eating quality, healthy food really sounds good to me. I'm just not so good at the follow-through part, which I guess is the excuse most people use.

Unfortunately, I don't do well with things like Weight Watchers. It boils down to a black and white issue. Weight Watchers gives me too much freedom. They say, "why yes, you can have potato chips - but just three." Well I can't just eat three. I end up throwing my hands in the air and saying, screw this, I'm eating however many potato chips I want! I think what I *need* is a strict plan. Black or white. Yes or no. None of this "well, you can have HALF a cookie" business.

On top of that, I don't just want to limit my intake of the junk I already to eat. I want to cut it out. Which is why I think I need something drastic. Drastic is probably going to involve more time and money, but health is a worthy cause. Now I have to find a plan.

Although I'm not sure how healthy this is (actually, I'm pretty sure it isn't at all), I like the idea of Gwyneth Paltrow's detox diet. I mean it's pretty black and white. Down-to-the-minute play by play of exactly what you can and cannot have. That's what I'm going for. I need extreme.

It would also help if I was capable of cooking, which is why the word "easy" is a big factor in all of this as well. I think it's coming down to something like Nutrisystem...but really, I don't want to resort to frozen meals. :/ Something I actually have tried? A vegetable soup diet. Worst. Thing. Ever. I thought I was going to pass out at the end of the second day.

As far as working out goes, I'm considering hopping on the local YMCA bandwagon. A Planet Fitness just opened up right down the road from me, but I like the classes that the Y offers. Whether or not I will actually ever attend one is a different story.

This is why I never make New Year's Resolutions.