Have a Relaxing Weekend!

What are you doing this weekend? "Practicing" for Thanksgiving by making test pies? Going to see "Harry Potter"? (I am! I am!) Burrowing inside and reading a book? If you care for a cup of tea with your read, check out my friend Becca's tea blog for good recommendations!

Cute things from around the web:
 
*Ryan Reynolds recites the Green Lantern oath for the most awe-struck, adorable little boy in the room at Comic-Con.

*Prince William and Kate Middleton, obviously.

(photo credit to James Marvin Phelps)

Bookshelves

The walls of Karl Lagerfield's studio are covered in books. We're talking two stories of books! I am impressed. Do you suppose he ever feels just the slightest bit overwhelmed by all of this literature? Here's another cool bookshelf:

If you can believe it, there is an entire photoblog dedicated to bookshelves in all of their glory. Ladies and gentleman, I introduce to you...Bookshelf Porn.

Seattle

What's your favorite city? I visited Seattle last January and fell in love. The city is young and vibrant and because it rains so often, the air always feels fresh. If you ever visit, here are some must sees:

First and foremost, grab a cup of coffee at the very first Stabucks!

Then take a peek at the very first Nordstrom.

Try the homemade honey sticks at Pike Place Market.

Check out the Seattle skyline from the top of the Space Needle. They sell a day/night pass that gives you the opportunity to come back at night which is very cool!

Visit the Experience Music Project. Hands down, one of the coolest museums I've ever seen. It was designed by Frank Gehry and it's just as unique on the inside as it appears on the outside.

And that's the Seattle I enjoyed! I hope to go back to visit soon. Let me know if you have any other great places to visit in Seattle, or anywhere else around the country! I love to travel to different cities and escape the Orange County bubble every so often.

(Photo credit to Andrew E. Larsen)

Land line

I would get a land line just so I could ask for one of these phones from Sweet Bella for Christmas. The telephones are original, made in the 1950s for the British General Post Office. So fun!

By the way, I've been wondering lately who of my friends actually still has a land line in the cellular phone age. My AT&T/iPhone service is so terrible that I've definitely considered getting a home phone on several occasions. Also, it doesn't help that my cable & internet provider spams my mailbox daily asking if I want to add a land line for free. Until they decide to charge me $100,000,000,000 per month six months later. (Clearly, I'm suffering from a bout of my-promotion-ended-this-month-and-my-cable-charges-were-raised-by-$40 syndrome.)

(via Oh Happy Day!)

Sunday Night Football

I was watching Sunday Night Football with Matt last night (I was way more into hanging out with Ernie and eating my potstickers, but whatever) and when the Sunday Night Football theme song came on, I couldn't help thinking of this Saturday Night Live sketch. Jane Lynch makes a charming Faith Hill, does she not?



And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, here is an example of what exactly goes down at the start of the game:

Have a happy weekend!

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend. Last night, we went a production of "Peter Pan" at the performing arts center. It was as magical as you would imagine. The little girl behind us kept saying the funniest things like "Peter Pan is naked, Mom" and emphatically shouted "I believe in fairies!" in order to bring Tinkerbell back to life. 

We're about to take Ernie to his final puppy class. If he passes, he gets to pose for a picture in a cap & gown. I'm already swelling with pride. In other news, we made vegetable soup and I made a cranberry smoothie. Tonight is homework, 48 Hour Mystery, and SNL night. Tomorrow my dear friend Karly is coming down from L.A. to hang out for the day. I will be back Monday with new posts. Meanwhile, other stuff to read:

*Damn you, Autocorrect!

*Vegetarian Thanksgiving by the New York Times

*Ladies, if your boyfriend has a cold, read this hilarious essay on The Frisky before you bust out your nurturing side

Au revoir!

(photos by paraphrase)

Happy Veterans Day!

Happy Veterans Day to all past, present, and future members of our military!

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!" - Maya Angelou

(via Tonic)

Bridezillas

Bridezillas is one of my favorite reality TV indulgences. This woman takes the cake (pun intended). Also, I think they could really use a few more tiny pieces of paper on their refrigerator.  Just a thought. We will discuss the idea of playing Clue at a wedding some other time.

Aya Brackett

These photographs by Aya Brackett are absolutely stunning. Don't you agree?

(via A Cup of Jo and KrisAtomic)

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

Have you seen it? I was Nexflixing over the weekend and added "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" to my queue. It's originally a collection of 23 short stories by David Foster Wallace published in 1999. The stories are organized as transcripts of interviews with male subjects. John Krasinski of "The Office" adapted the collection to film in 2009. Not to say it's quality, but the cast is quantifiably intriguing: Will Arnett, Ben Shenkman, Ben Gibbard, Dominick Cooper, and Will Forte are featured as some of the hideous men. Looking forward to checking it out. 

Any other off-beat Netflix suggestions for my queue?

Succulent art

A while back, I found an article in Sunset magazine that was all about succulents. Succulents do well in the dry Southern California climate and because they aren't particularly thirsty little plants, they are pretty low maintenance. I think this "art" would pass as a great centerpiece or wall space taker-upper on an apartment patio. Very cool.

Oh, and if you have loads of time, a budget for cacti, and are really crafty, below is a link to a do-it-yourself slide show on how to make your own succulent art.

Sunset's DIY succulent garden project.

(photo credit to Thomas J. Story via Sunset Magazine)

Business Card for a Divorce Attorney

Happy morning!

Maybe I find this particularly hilarious because I work in family law, but you cannot deny that this business card is chuckle worthy. One James A.W. Mahon, a Canadian divorce lawyer, hands these out to his clients. Conveniently, they are perforated down the middle with contact information for husband AND wife. Also, Mr. Mahon is saving trees. Brilliant.

Bernd + Hilla Becher

Bernd and Hilla Becher’s study of concrete cooling towers, 1972.

I took a photography class in the art history department at UCSB one spring and learned about the Bechers. The married couple had a knack for photographing industrial structures and arranging them through an objective point of view in order to compare the similar designs and forms. They worked together from 1959-2007.  For whatever reason, the images have stuck with me. I think the "Cooling Towers" print would look really cool as office art.

I've got a good feeling about this

This girl is GOOD! I love the shock in Pat Sajak's voice when she (a) asks to solve the puzzle and (b) solves the puzzle. On a side note, Vanna White is 53 years old and has been hosting Wheel of Fortune since 1982. I believe she must be a vampire because she doesn't appear to age.

I hope you all had a great weekend and I wish you an easy week!

Have a great weekend!

What are you up to this weekend? Even though it's blazing hot in Southern California, I'm just going to pretend I live this country house with storm clouds rolling in and pick a Hitchcock movie to watch tonight. Ernie is tuckered out from getting his itty bitty toenails clipped at PetSmart today so he'll be happy to join me for a lazy night on the couch...why are boys SO opposed to being well-groomed?! Whether you are enjoying fall rain, winds, snow or sun, I hope you each have a thoroughly enjoyable weekend!

Some good things from around the web:

LeAnn Rimes is the worst person ever.
Dr. Laura says her new skull tattoo is "so [her]". I beg your pardon, Dr. Laura? 
Anthropologie has the cutest holiday ornaments.
The xx will make your life better.


(Photo credit to Tony Hisgett)

Majors

I'm curious...what was your major? And do you currently use the knowledge related to your major on a daily basis? I was an English major. I guess at the most basic level, I should feel like I'm exercising my literature-loving brain every time I read a "STOP" sign or decipher cryptic emails from clients, who type things like, "taylr-thx 4 status will frwd docs this afr-non. i prmise. dnt wrry. jk." Right? Wrong. I really miss reading and writing at the level I did in college. I'm hoping it's like riding a bike and I will never lose my Shakespeare. I suppose it's all part of the post-grad crisis.

It seems like all of my friends had different majors, which is quite fun. That way, everyone contributes something a little different to our conversations or heated debates. Thank you for being you! 

(photo credit to Wonderlane)

Lemon tree

Dearest friends,


It's been far too long! I've been so busy (ahem...and so lazy) and haven't managed to find time or energy to blog. I've had a very productive week and I'm really looking forward to putting together some posts this weekend and catching up! Do you have any fun plans this weekend?  I'm going to Roger's Gardens to pick out a lemon tree for my parents' new house.


Besos,
Taylor


(Photo credit to Graeme Maclean)