What I'm Watching

it is a widely accepted fact that i watch too much television. clarification: i watch too many tv shows, but i am always behind because i never have time to sit down and watch them all. if i actually stayed on top of all of my shows, i'd never leave the couch. however, there are some shows i always make time for:

White Collar

this new show on USA is yet another great original series they've come out with (like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, and Royal Pains to name a few) and i am LOVING it! i've followed Matt Bomer on the last few shows he's done, and i just really get a kick out of him. i love the relationship between the two main characters and their banter. the supporting cast is pretty talented, and i'm crossing my fingers that lots of people are watching.
but let's be honest, this face is the real reason i'm loving White Collar.




Glee



While definitely not a show i can watch with everyone in my family, i am getting such a kick out of Glee. of course, i love the singing, especially lea michele and matthew morrison's broadway voices. i'm also secretly in love with resident bad-boy puck. his version of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" was one of the best things i've seen/heard this season/ever. not sure how i'm going to last until April for new episodes, but buying the soundtracks will definitely help.

NBC Comedy
(30 Rock, Parks & Recreation)

i know some people might dislike 30 Rock simply because they win everything, but there's a reason for that: it's ridiculously funny! i don't often laugh out loud during shows but 30 Rock gets me every time. liz lemon at times borders on crazy, but some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth/the mind of tina fey is genius.



now, amy poehler is one of my favorite comedians out there, but i just did not love parks & rec the first time around. thank goodness i gave it another chance this season because it is on fire! i have been busting my gut at poehler's leslie knope and her ridiculous coworkers. example: check out the episode "hunting trip." i was dying by the end of the episode. comedy at it's finest.



also on nbc: community, which is pretty funny too. but mostly because of troy and abed.

Lie to Me/The Mentalist

these shows are just variations of the same concept: male and female working together, hints at a more than friendly relationship, guy who has special talents and uses them to solve crimes, guys with accents doing a not-so-great job at hiding it and intriguing supporting casts. love them both, LOVE the leads on both shows --i pretty much want to be a combination of teresa lisbon (robin tunney) and gillian foster (kelli williams)-- i also think that i can pretty much be a human lie detector because i've learned so much from the show.






so that's what i'm loving this season. what are you watching?

mmm Pumpkin

i made these little gems today after a tip from Sarah. original recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine (which i love!). they turned out so delicious and everyone was just snacking on it all day.

update

so the boots finally came and big surprise, they didn't fit. oh, they were plenty wide enough in the calf, but they are apparently for people with blocks for legs, or whose ankles are as wide as their calves. basically, waaay too big everywhere else. so disappointing. not sure if i should try for a smaller size and hope the calf still fits or just return them and use the money for something else. boo.

on the bright side, i also ordered this j. crew sweater a few weeks ago and after being backordered, it came yesterday and it's perfect! i was looking for a sweater with no buttons that could be easily belted over dresses or shirts. it's so soft and the perfect color!

Saving up for a Rainy Day

i've been struggling this fall with the rain and keeping my toes dry. i've never owned rain boots and wasn't sure i needed to start, but i think my toes have suffered enough. i just ordered these from zappos.com (free shipping both ways!) and am excited to see how they fit. i ordered the "huntress" version because i heard they were more generously cut for those of us blessed with more athletic calves. now i just need to find really tall socks.

Emmy Recap

Ok, let's get down to business:



-Neil Patrick Harris as host was genius. This man can do no wrong! I loved him as Doogie, love him even more as Barney (How I Met Your Mother on CBS) and if he could just host every award show from now on, I would be content.
-The miniseries/movie montage was gripping, exciting, and moving. Clearly, I should have been watching more miniseries this year.
-Grey Gardens won! No award for Drew, but two out of three is still pretty good. And how beautiful was Jessica Lange's speech?
-Kinda bummed that Kristen Wiig didn't win, since she's so talented, but Kristin Chenoweth pretty much broke my heart with her speech so I'm ok with it.
-Don't get me wrong, I love Sarah McLachlan as much as the next person, but "Angel," really? Isn't that song like 10 years old? I'm sure there was a newer song that would have worked just as well.
-I might have teared up a bit when all the HIMYM cast came out together + NPH at his host podium. Sad that I actually picture them as real best friends in some alternate television universe.




Now on to the dresses:
Since it was a lazy Sunday afternoon and I was sick, I watched hours (I know, I know) of red carpet footage. A lot of the gowns looked better in person, and don't translate well to pictures so keep that in mind. Yes, I'm aware I said "in person" when I, in fact, was on my couch. deal with it.


LOVE!

January Jones [Mad Men]
blow it up, it's even more gorgeous


Alyson Hannigan [How I Met Your Mother]
girl just had a baby a few months ago!


Toni Collette [United States of Tara]
so fun and flirty and she looked great accepting her award


Chloe Sevigny [Big Love]
love the dotted fabric, even if it's a bit see-through


Kate Walsh [Private Practice]
this is my favorite. grey, gathered, and fitted bodice. doesn't get much better than that.


Drew Barrymore [Grey Gardens]
kudos to Drew for this ladylike -dare I say- confection of a dress.

not so much


Leighton Meester [Gossip Girl]
this could have been great, but it looks too big and her hair is messy.


Tina Fey [30 Rock]
Tina, you're Tina freakin' Fey! don't be so boring!


Blake Lively [Gossip Girl]
Blake, we know you have a great body, and yes, you look amazing in red. but do we have to be so awkward with the boobs and all? your grandma is probably watching.


well, that's all until next year.

something pretty

through several blogs recently, i've discovered a wonderful online shop called Old Soul New Heart and aside from being such a well-designed website (how cute is their shop title?!), the stuff they sell is pretty amazing. i'm totally into headbands and pretty necklaces right now and this store is just the ticket. here's my favorites:

"Calls for Red Lipstick"



"Triple Threat"



"Year of the Necklace"



"Bow Tie Not Optional"


the model is also the co-designer/owner and a fellow BYU-er. neat, huh? i totally want to steal her red lipstick.

What I Watched Today

since getting a DVR, i've discovered how much i love daytime talk shows*, specifically Ellen, The Bonnie Hunt Show, and Regis & Kelly (when Kelly's not having a super high energy day). i love it because i can check the schedule and see if a guest i like will be on, and then i can fast forward through everything but the interview. i also love it because my dream job-- in an alternate reality where i don't need money and have connections-- would be to chat with actors and musicians and pick their brains. since that will never happen, i live through daytime tv and E!online.

today's viewing was Kate Beckinsale on Ellen. seen lots of her movies (Serendipity and Underworld come to mind), but never seen an interview with Kate. LOVED her! great sense of humor (someone give this woman a comedy!), loved her accent and how it sounded just like hayley mills, and dang it if she doesn't have the greatest hair ever. her outfit was pretty enviable, too.

here's the video, but i'm only including it so you can see her hair, i'm not suggesting you watch the whole thing unless you too have no life beyond tivo-ing daytime talk shows.




*i also love one late-night show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, but that deserves its own post.

Grey Gardens

I saw this on HBO several months ago and never got around to posting about it. I knew close to nothing about the original documentary but once I heard Drew Barrymore was involved in the "remake," I was excited to see it. To say it simply, I was blown away. The acting was amazing, and very quickly I forgot I was even watching acting, and not peeking into the lives of two amazing, eccentric women.

I sat down thinking I would channel surf if I didn't like it, but I ended up sitting on the edge of the couch the whole time, pretty much enraptured. Now that it's out on DVD, I fully expect everyone who reads this (all three of you) to run out and get it and fall in love. Then watch the original and see how spot on Drew and her equally talented co-star, Jessica Lange are. Come Emmy time, it's going to get pretty interesting.

Latest Music Obsession

Whenever I get a new album, or even just a new song, I tend to listen to it on repeat until I know every word. I recently bought Demi Lovato's newest album, "Here We Go Again" and it is no exception. Unlike several Disney creations, this girl can really sing, and the stuff she writes is pretty great. My favorites are "Here We Go Again", "Every Time You Lie" (great jazzy style), and "Catch Me." Definitely worth a listen.

Fourth of July

I know this post is super late, but better late than never, right?

Fourth of July is by far my favorite second-tier holiday. I love fireworks, picnics, America and seeing family, but put that all together and it's a pretty magical day. This year, I made dinner and invited the grandparents over. I was excited to try out some new recipes, and I think everything turned out pretty well.



The Menu:
Barbecued Chicken


Roasted Red Potatoes
Roasted Green Beans (thanks Aunt Charlotte!)
Boston Baked Beans


Flag Cake

not really a cake, but I don't know what else to call it. Pretty easy, just store-bought sugar cookie dough, cream cheese frosting, and fresh berries. Too bad no one wanted to eat the blueberry part.

Chocolate Honey Almond Tart (from Giada At Home)


I was really excited about the Chocolate Tart and using my new springform pan for the first time. It was really rich and creamy, but the graham cracker crust was super crumbly. Next time, I think I'll try more butter and see if that helps it stick together better.

I'm already thinking about next year and what I'll make!

Summer Mix Tape

Music is crucial in the summer, especially if you're driving around a lot. Here's my perfect summer mix: a little old, a little new, but all good

Walking on Broken Glass--- Annie Lennox
Crazier--- Taylor Swift
Waking up in Vegas--- Katy Perry
Fallin' Apart--- The All-American Rejects
Paranoid--- Jonas Brothers
One Love/People Get Ready--- Bob Marley
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough--- Michael Jackson
That's Not My Name--- The Ting Tings
I Can't Forget---Evan Olson
Working for the Weekend--- Loverboy
Someday Soon--- KT Tunstall
Saturday in the Park--- Chicago
Miss Independent--- Ne-Yo
Strawberry Swing--- Coldplay
Don't Stop Believin'--- Glee Cast (Check this out, it's awesome!)
Sunshine--- The All-American Rejects
You and I--- Ingrid Michaelson
When The Sun Goes Down, Summertime, or Beer in Mexico--- Kenny Chesney (wouldn't be summer without a little Kenny)
Lovefool--- The Cardigans
I Could Break Your Heart--- Mandy Moore
Rise Up--- Diane Birch


What's your soundtrack for the summer?

Utah Trip

For my graduation from BYU, and to pick up Lindsay from school, we drove to Utah last month. All of us. In one car. It was glorious. No seriously, we had a lot of fun. We watched a bunch of movies, nobody got really carsick, and we enjoyed the forced bonding. While we were there, we ate super delicious food (Costa Vida- which we decided was way better than Cafe Rio, sorry!- Old Spaghetti Factory and Kneader's), sat on uncomfortable seats for way too long, got up really early for convocation (who wants to walk at 8 in the morning?!), visited with family and saw some amazing things.

Amazing thing #1:
While driving through BYU campus, we had to stop for a family of ducks. They were trying to get to one of the many ponds on campus and we all just died watching them. I got some pretty great pictures from inside the car. We could not believe how many ducklings this mom had! Talk about a handful! They had to jump the curb to get to the pond, and we weren't sure they were going to make it because the first duckling kept missing it. Luckily, they made it, and dad duckling was anxiously awaiting them just on the other side. Tender, really.



Amazing Thing #2:
Friday night we took a mini-trip up to Salt Lake to walk around Temple Square and find something to eat. The girls had never been, so it was fun to look at everything. We got to talk to some wonderful sister missionaries from cool places and guess where they were from based on the flags on their nametags.



Afterwards, I decided since we were in SLC, we needed to stop at one of America's most famous high schools. (Thanks, Shan, for the prompt address look-up.)



When we got to East High, it started pouring and mom and dad wouldn't get out of the car. It doesn't mean as much to them, I guess. It was up to us girls to get a good picture. We walked around to the back where you could look in from huge floor-to-ceiling windows. A woman was leaving right as we walked up and I'm still kicking myself that I didn't stick my toe in the door and get in. Didn't want to risk the jail time. These were the best pictures I could get, and we all had a moment of silence and awe to be standing where Zac Efron once stood. Just so you can compare, here's pictures that I took of the cafeteria and then some from the movie.






Amazing Thing #3:
While walking around Salt Lake, we stumbled upon this amazing house. We all decided we would move in on the spot and it would be amazing. Anybody know how much something like this costs? I'm sure we could swing it, if everyone pooled their allowances. That is, if we even got allowances.



pictures of actual graduation to come soon

Movie Review

Star Trek



People keep saying how they didn't expect Star Trek to be good but were pleasantly surprised. I actually expected a lot from the movie, and I thought it was pretty great. J.J. Abrams, the director and producer, is the mastermind behind shows like Felicity, Alias, and LOST. I knew he was going to make Star Trek relevant and yet still appeal to hard-core fans. I loved how he snuck in favorite actors like Greg Gunberg, Amanda Foreman, and Jennifer Morrison. I was also so excited to see Zachary Quinto in such a big role. I've loved him since day one on Heroes, even though he was a super bad guy. Chris Pine was also great, and I think he does really well in the leading man role. I'm now very intrigued with the whole Star Trek franchise and want to see some old episodes and compare.

Wicked

Since I missed Wicked the first time it came into Portland, I was so excited to hear it would be coming again this Spring. We managed to get pretty good seats for all six of us (Lindsay was still at school, although she saw it on Broadway) and even though it was way too expensive, it was so worth it.


Once the original cast finished their run, I made up my mind that the other performers couldn't possibly be as good. Idina and Kristin are pretty much the best, in my opinion, so I honestly didn't have high expectations, but I was blown away! I was moved to tears probably three or four times. The staging was amazing, the ladies who played Galinda and Elphaba were phenomenal, and I loved finally learning how the story and the songs fit together. I hope the trend of turning musicals into movies continues with Wicked.

on a side note, was anyone else loving seeing Idina and husband Taye Diggs together on Private Practice? with fellow Broadway alum Audra McDonald as a series regular, I was a little disappointed they didn't break into song!

Book Review

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan


While I was in D.C., some of my students were reading The Lightning Thief for a book group. I loved the idea of introducing students to mythology through a fiction series and a well-written one at that. I started in on the series as soon as I got back home, and am now on the fourth. They are intended for young teens, but they are interesting enough for adults. I have learned so much about Greek mythology and really enjoy Percy's adventures. Check them out!