underwhelmed.

is that a word? that's how i felt about last night's show. now that the excitement has worn off, i'm realizing that it just wasn't that great. i thought that because movies were extraordinary this year, the show would be, too. anne was trying so hard and i loved her song, but i'm not sure she and james pulled it off. i did have a great night, though. we had a little party at my aunt's house, stepping it way up from pajamas on the couch. delicious food and fun company. we all filled out our ballots before the show [even my dad!] and after a dismal start, i came out of nowhere for the win!

highs:

jude and robert. they were great in sherlock holmes and great on stage. next year's hosts?

russell brand and helen mirren were delightful. how about they host? can we just pick any two actors now? side note: russell just makes me giggle. loved him on snl the other day.

sandra bullock presenting. maybe the most enjoyable part of the night. kind of wanted her to stay up there and finish the show for us. [also my favorite red dress of the night]



christian bale. sweet speech, definitely earned/deserved that win.

colin firth. so dry but so charming. dance moves? immediately thought of what a girl wants and the leather pants. anybody else?

billy crystal. has anyone done it better than him? probably not.

anne's dresses. here are my favorites:




best picture winner. the social network was so good, but twenty minutes into the king's speech i knew it was the best thing i'd seen all year.

lows:

why wasn't mark wahlberg recognized? he was amazing and the fighter was a fine piece of work.

boring film clips. usually they're much better.

justin timberlake and mila kunis. they thought they were funny, but i just wasn't getting the joke.

true grit didn't win anything? really?

the goods:

so even though i didn't love the show, the dresses did not disappoint.

lots of sparkly dresses


hailee steinfeld. love everything about this. it's just what i would have worn as a teenager at the oscars. i voted for her even though it was a longshot. she was just so good!


mandy moore. i love the detailing, even though it's hard to see.


halle berry. best use of tulle.


hilary swank. best use of feathers.


michelle williams. man, she makes me wish i was blonde. and could pull off short hair.


amy adams. i love how a lot of dresses this year were more covered up but still very sexy. [can i say sexy?]

lace-y detailing.


melissa leo. such a cool dress. i couldn't stop staring at it.


mila kunis. lavendar lace. genius. but it looks like she just realized she forgot a snack and now she has to sit for 3 hours.


scarlett johannson. always a favorite. this one is very different but i love it.

runner-up for my favorite dress:


natalie portman. stunning. the color is amazing and she looks so beautiful. can i also just say that she gives lovely speeches?


my favorite dress:


cate blanchett. this one requires two pictures. i know it's different, but when i saw her on the red carpet, it was just gorgeous. her hair and makeup were fresh and pretty and this dress is just made for her.



so, what did you guys think?

"skywriting isn't always positive"

7 things that made me happy this week . . .

one: the golden grapefruit i peeled and ate like an orange. messy, but oh so delicious.

two: the oscars are tonight! can't wait to see how everything goes down.

three: my discussion in the car with a three-year-old about why we don't eat our hair or something equally important. i thought it was sinking in when she interrupted me and said "brittany, that's enough talking now." grreeeat.

four: the new adele cd rocks my socks off. set fire to the rain and someone like you are early favorites.



five: a friend told me that she loves my "nautical style." loved this for many reasons. mostly, because i have a style (!) and apparently an over-abundance of striped shirts is legit.


photo from closetvisit via alyson

six: a snow day. couldn't have been more needed and appreciated.

seven: gwyneth is coming back to glee!



. . . and 3 that didn't

one: taking out my contacts with said grapefruit still lingering on my fingers. oh the burn!

two: the fact that both taylor swift and adele are coming to portland and both shows sold out immediately. so bummed!

three: being woken up at 7:00 on a snow day to kids rejoicing outside. go back to bed!


title from parks and recreation this week. always makes me happy.

meatless meals

i have learned to be more creative in the kitchen since i don't eat meat. i've even learned to like things i thought i hated. i was having lunch at the nordstrom cafe a couple months ago and was disappointed at the lack of meatless entrees and eventually decided on the mushroom raviolis. i hate mushrooms, by the way. their texture grosses me out. but i decided to order it anyways (with no extra mushrooms on top, of course).
best. decision. ever. turns out i love mushrooms! as long as they're chopped up finely, they have the most delicious meaty flavor. since i don't want to run to nordstroms every time i want raviolis, i made it at home.



3 ingredients. so easy.

package of mushroom cheese raviolis [trader joe's and costco have the best out there]
alfredo sauce
sun-dried tomatoes

i like to chop up the tomatoes and stir them into hot alfredo sauce. it's delicious. even if you think that you don't like mushrooms, you really should try these.

what are your favorite meatless meals?

original photo courtesy of bluepupae's flickr

happy thoughts

7 things that made me happy this week . . .

one: the clear sky last night on my drive home. whoa, there are stars up there!

two: the crossword that i finished in a half-hour in pen. no, not new york times.

three: discovering that i can, in fact, wear one kind of hat. inspired by this girl.



four: my new book about the secret service detail that protected president kennedy. fascinating stuff.

five: the galentine's party i went to with all of my favorite gals. what a love-fest!

six: this salad, that i've made twice now.

seven: being asked to be a bridesmaid for the first time. so exciting!

. . . and 3 that didn't

one: the ants are back. boo.

two: not realizing that the h&m at the mall opened. no one told me!

three: now i have to find a bridesmaid dress. surely the worst shopping experience next to swimsuits. tips?

my year of living dangerously

probably since it's february i should write down my goals for the year. they've been rolling around in my head for a month but i keep forgetting to write them down. i thought about things i wanted to get better at or do differently and i realized that i'm a pretty safe person. i'm open-minded and i like to try new things, but only if there's no chance i'll fail. i don't take a lot of risks or challenge myself. i'd like to change that. here's what i'm working on in 2011:

try yoga for more than one week

run. on a regular basis. big goal: run in the hood-to-coast this summer. yikes!

travel somewhere i've never been by myself. or with someone if anyone would like to volunteer.

interview for teaching jobs. terrifying.

swim. with all that fancy breathe to the side stuff.

bake something involving yeast, kneading and rising.

talk to and make something happen with that guy. shoot. i wrote it; now i have to do it.

read the books that are on my bookshelf that i've been avoiding. scarlet letter, wuthering heights? i'm looking at you.

sew those skirts that i bought the fabric for a year ago. i won't sew my thumb, i won't sew my thumb.

work on my creative cooking skills. once you don't eat meat, cooking great meals gets a little bit harder.

find a place i love and get used to the idea of moving there.


i think that's good for one year. i'll keep you posted on how all of this is going.

SAG Awards 2011

not too much to report here, just a few favorite dresses. i'm getting really excited for the academy awards, though. i've seen 7 out of 10 of the best picture nominees and i'm shooting for 9 out of 10. i don't think i can stomach 127 Hours.


mila kunis. love the belt, the color, and the hair/makeup. it all works for me.


lea michele. i love her hair and the dress is just beautiful.


julianna margulies. i thought she looked so beautiful when she won and i got a little nostalgic for the E.R. days. her speech was really sweet and i love how cute she and her husband are!


january jones. i love this because it's so daring. she looked stunning during the show and i'm glad she did something different than the golden globes.


claire danes. intriguing print and i thought the overall look was great. anyone else feel like she's been winning awards for this miniseries for a long time? the award show timeline is weird.


tina fey & amy poehler. my favorite ladies of funny. tina looks stunning and it's such a different look for her. amy looks great after baby #2 and i secretly love the white-blond hair. wish i could try that out for a day.