Happy Heart = Happy Dance

Sooo much Christmas cheer the past couple of weeks! And our office holiday party is tonight! And I just checked into my flight home to Texas in the morning! Aaand I'm already packed!

(Holy exclamation points, Batman...)

All this to say: I'm so giddy inside, I might just burst out into a spontaneous happy dance... or perhaps I just did in LJ's office... and perhaps it happened twice... and perhaps it looked a liiittle something like this (Oh, do be sure your speakers are on. Trust me.):

A special thanks to Liz for this little otter's stellar moves. There was really no better way to convey just how happy my heart is at this very moment... Wee!

Now. Go ahead and watch it again. You know you want to.

Every time a bell rings...

George: Now, will you do something for me?
Zuzu: What?
George: Will you try and get some sleep?
Zuzu: I'm not sleepy. I want to look at my flower.
George: I know, I know, but you just go to sleep. And then you can dream about it, and it'll be a whole garden.
Zuzu: It will?
George: Uh-huh.

Thanks for the reminder on this cold Thursday night, George Bailey. It really is a Wonderful Life.

The Beginning of the End

Among the most highly anticipated events that occurred over my aforementioned bloggy hiatus has to be something that I've been waiting about 11 years for -- ever since I finally gave in to my Grandmom's persistence and begrudgingly opened the cover of a "silly children's book" one summer at Bethany Beach -- the beginning of the end...

Yep, that's right: The first installment of the last movie in the Harry Potter series... The Deathly Hallows.

I couldn't have been more excited. Or more prepared... I dressed up as Hermione last Halloween. I re-read books 6 and 7 over the summer. I intently watched as sneak peeks were featured throughout several Harry Potter Marathon Weekends on ABC Family (even though I own all but two of the DVD's...). I eagerly awaited every single new trailer release, and replayed it until no details were left unnoticed. I spent a recent Friday night (ok, two actually) watching the 6th movie, The Half-Blood Prince, with friends. I purchased tickets to the first midnight showing of HP7.1. I nerded out with some of my favorite fellow wizard-wannabes and stood in line with all of the other crazies for over an hour on a Thursday night. And then...

I laughed. I screamed. I hid my eyes. I cried. I woke up the next morning after 3 1/2 hours of magical dreams and was quite disappointed when my thoughts of "Accio Starbucks!!" went unanswered... In short: I loved it.

Sure, some purists are upset with slight deviations from the novel. But as a loyal fan for over a decade, I think that overall the movie did JK Rowling proud. And now I'm left to find ways to get my wizarding world fix until HP7.2 is released in July 2011...

Luckily, little gems like the following keep popping up. It probably comes as no surprise that Daniel Radcliffe has been among my Top 5 celeb crushes for quite some time... and this giggle-inducing video may have just edged him closer to the #1 spot (watch out, Henry Cavill...):

I Am Harry Potter from Daniel Radcliffe

Sigh. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If loving a teenage wizard is wrong, then I don't want to be right.

Well, hello there

What is it about watching Christmas movies on TV? I mean, I can literally see my copy of The Holiday sitting patiently between Pretty Woman and the animated classic Frosty the Snowman (stop judging, please.), just waiting for me to drop it into the DVD player... But for some reason, I'd much rather stay snuggled on the couch under my fluffy pink blanket and watch it on TNT right now -- commercials and all.

First of all -- Jude Law, how do you still make me swoon? So. Dreamy. Sigh.

And secondly -- I want a friend like Arthur Abbott. Love this. Lots:

Arthur Abbott: So, he's a schmuck.

Iris: As a matter of fact, he is... a huge schmuck. How did you know?
Arthur: He let you go. This is not a hard one to figure out. Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend.
Iris: You're so right. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for goodness' sake! Arthur, I've been going to a therapist for three years, and she's never explained anything to me that well. That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant.

Oh, and p.s. I guess this means I'm back from my unplanned bloggy hiatus..? I'm sure I'll get to updates on the fun and frolic that's been happening over the past seven or so months (Did I mention I moved? And one of my best friend's got married?? And I discovered the deliciousness that is extra dirty vodka martinis?). But quite frankly, that's all a little daunting for one little lazy Sunday afternoon post...

... So for now... Hello, again :)

Hiatus

B: So, apparently I'm on a bloggy hiatus. An unplanned one.

LJ: I know! What happened to you painting the town pink??

B: Oh, you know I'm still doing it! I just... don't seem to leave enough time to blog about it.

I'll be back though. And soon. With lots of stories. And pictures. And giggles.

Pinky promise.

Tonight Was Necessary.

I'll sum it up for you with a guest bloggy from my dear friend/dinner date this evening. I couldn't have said it better myself... mostly because my mouth would have been full of a delicious chicken finger. Yeah... No shame.

Sometimes you need to meet your best friend at a diner and eat ridiculous amounts of fried food on a Wednesday night. I might be full for the next week, but damn, it was worth it.

Accidental Relationships

twentysomething 1: PS - i think i may have found myself to be in a relationship

twentysomething 2: i just love the fact that we live the sort of lives that we can just happen to find ourselves in accidental relationships...

twentysomething 1: i would be freaking out about this except i love this kind of awkward

So much fun! So little time (to blog)!

There's been a whirlwind of giggles, twirls, and happiness around these parts the past few weeks. Between visits from much-missed friends, wedded bliss, and pretty dresses (Oh, and work. That too...), I've barely had time to breathe -- let alone blog! I promise that some time soon I'll provide a much overdue update of details (and pictures!!).

But for now, I'll leave you with some motherly wisdom that will for sure be applied to the coming weekend. Below is an email from the oh-so-cute mom of one of my next two dear friends coming to the city TONIGHT (Yep. Theta Reunion in the City... Havoc will ensue. You have been warned)... Many moms faced with their daughter reuniting in Manhattan with three of her silly sorority sisters might be a bit worried and feel compelled to offer caution against leaving drinks in dark corners, or talking to finance boys strangers at bars. Perhaps even a reminder to look both ways for crazy cabs before crossing the 5th Avenue. But not our Mama Kath... She's always been one step ahead of the rest:

Hey there,

Seems they are a bit skittish in NYC about unclaimed packages in Times Square so be sure and stay away from anything that looks like a bomb. Really.

love you

mom

Stay away from bomb-looking items? Check and check. A life rule to live by, if I've ever heard one. As for not talking to finance boys... errrr, strangers... at bars? Not so sure I can keep the girls away from that dangerous peril all weekend, but I will surely do my very best....... well, best-ish. :)

America The Story of Us Premieres THIS Sunday!

After months and months (and months) of working on the exciting media campaign for HISTORY's America The Story of Us... the time is finally here! The campaign has been going so well (check out an AdWeek article about it here and see a really cool video of the transformation of Grand Central in NYC, Union Station in DC, and the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in CA here. Pictures below :) ).

The Main Concourse of Grand Central Station, NYC

Union Station, Washington DC

Photo Credit: Matt Garbow

Union Station, Washington DC

Photo Credit: Matt Garbow :)

And now the premiere is this Sunday at 9pm on HISTORY... And y'all, I can't wait!

If you know me at all, you know I'm the first to admit to (and embrace) my inner nerd... But honestly, I'd be excited for this premiere regardless because it really is going to tell and depict America's history like we've never seen it before. It's a brand new look at the lesser known events and people who impacted the forming of a nation in a big way. Complete with tons of CGI and reenactments, HISTORY is really going to bring the story to life. You can see for yourself in the trailer below:

You don't even have to take my word for it - the series has been getting a ton of great press, from The New York Times to USA Today to a really great segment on The Today Show last week:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

President Obama is even introducing the first night of the six-part special event... I mean, how amazing is that?? You can see it here.

All this to say: Hope y'all tune in for the premiere and enjoy! America The Story of Us on HISTORY this Sunday April 25th at 9pm/8pm Central. :)

A Loved One at Their Sides

Well, if this news doesn't make for a Happy Friday, I don't know what does...

Excerpts from The New York Times article "Obama Widens Medical Rights for Gay Partners" are below, and read the whole thing here.

“'Every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindness and caring of a loved one at their sides,'Mr. Obama said in the [April 15th] memorandum, adding that the rules [aimed at granting hospital visiting rights to same-sex partners] could also help widows and widowers who rely on friends and members of religious orders who care for one another. But he says gay men and lesbians are 'uniquely affected' because they are often barred from visiting partners with whom they have spent decades.

Richard Socarides, who advised President Bill Clinton on gay rights issues, said that while the memorandum on its own did not grant any new rights, it did 'draw attention to the very real and tragic situations many gays and lesbians face when a partner is hospitalized.'

[...]

In some instances in the past, hospitals have barred bedside visits by the person who held the medical power of attorney for a patient.

Gay rights advocates said the rules change was inspired by one of those cases involving a same-sex couple, Janice Langbehn and Lisa Pond, who were profiled in The New York Times last year. After Ms. Pond was stricken with a fatal brain aneurysm, Ms. Langbehn was denied visiting rights in 2007 by a Florida hospital. Although Ms. Langbehn had power of attorney and she and Ms. Pond were parents to four children they had adopted, the hospital refused for eight hours to allow her and the children to see Ms. Pond, her partner for 18 years. Ms. Pond died as Ms. Langbehn tried in vain to get to her side.

Ms. Langbehn, represented by Lambda Legal, a legal advocacy organization, brought suit against the hospital, Jackson Memorial in Miami, but lost. On Thursday night, Mr. Obama called her from Air Force One to say that he had been moved by her case.

'I was so humbled that he would know Lisa’s name and know our story,' Ms. Langbehn said in a telephone interview. 'He apologized for how we were treated. For the last three years, that’s what I’ve been asking the hospital to do. Even now, three years later, they still refuse to apologize to the children and I for the fact that Lisa died alone.'

[...]

The memorandum is intended to 'help ensure that patients will be able to face difficult times in hospitals with compassion, dignity and respect,' a White House spokesman, Shin Inouye, said Thursday night. 'By taking these steps, we can better protect the interests and needs of patients that are gay or lesbian, widows and widowers with no children, members of religious orders, or others for whom their loved ones are not always immediate relatives. Because all Americans should be able to have loved ones there for them in their time of need.'"

Goodbye, Betty

I'm not even kind of ashamed to admit that I'm pretty darn upset that tonight is the series finale of Ugly Betty... I don't care how silly it makes me that I still watch it when it seems like the rest of my demographic has moved on -- Ugly Betty was one of the few shows left on broadcast that I could count on for quality story lines, smart writing, lots of laughs, a few tears, and (perhaps most importantly) pretty, pretty clothes... every. single. week.

EW blogger Tanner Stransky did a beautiful job of summing up Why It Mattered.

"That pilot, right down to the fade-out song I once loved so, “Suddenly I See,” felt like someone had taken the past couple years of my life, candy-coated it, wrapped it in a Guadalajara poncho, and given it an 8 p.m. time slot on national television. Granted, I was not Betty. I did not work at a fashion magazine. I was not fighting all the b*tchery and prejudice that she did. But I understood her plight in so many ways: her desire to reach her dreams, her wanton lust for writing, her near-constant feeling that she was an outsider. The show’s wildly successful run as the lead-in to on Thursday nights must have meant many other people did, too."

Thanks for the fabulous and entertaining four years, UB! Here's hoping tonight ends with the start of a very happily ever after for everyone... :)

"That's love, right? When you know somebody better than they do and you would do anything in the world to protect them."

-Hilda Suarez, Betty's older sister

I Know My Redeemer Lives

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning
Who told the ocean you can only come this far?
Who showed the moon where to hide 'til evening
Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Well I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
All of creation testify
This life within me cries
I know my Redeemer lives.

The very same God that spins things in orbit
He runs to the weary, the worn, and the weak
And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken
They conquered death to bring me victory.

Now I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I know my Redeemer, He lives

To take away my shame
And He lives forever I'll proclaim
That the payment for my sin
Was the precious life He gave
But now He's alive
And there's an empty grave.

And I know my Redeemer, He lives
I know my Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
This life within me cries
I know my Redeemer lives.

-"Redeemer," Nicole Mullen

My heart is so full of happiness, gratitude and hope at the truth that He lives... What a wonderful reason to celebrate with dear friends and worship with my Apostles family tonight -- and we'd love to have you join us if you're looking for a service in NYC.

He is Risen! Hallelujah! Happy Easter to you all.

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
-Job 19:25

The Triumphal Entry

As we enter Holy Week today, we celebrate Jesus... as the people of Jerusalem did so many years ago when he rode into the city on a colt, preparing his path by laying down their cloaks and palms. However, unlike those who cried out, "Hosanna!" that day, we remember Jesus and celebrate with the blessed knowledge that his reign would not end with his earthly life. We know that this day, this Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of the holiest of weeks when our Christ would die on a cross, our sins heavy upon him. And we know that on the third day after that, he would conquer all of those sins -- conquer death itself -- and rise again.

We know that we are saved. Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

The Triumphal Entry

¹As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples,²saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' "

⁴They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, ⁵some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" ⁶They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. ⁷When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. ⁸Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
¹⁰"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

¹¹Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

-Mark 11: 1-11 (NIV)

It Was Bound To Happen

I was about to write the following blog. And then LJ beat me to it... Which is just plain silly/ridiculous, considering the tale that follows... enjoy :)

well.

this is a funny story. ok, funny-ish. mostly because we tried to prevent how it ends. but let me back up. and start from the beginning.

a text conversation with BFF and co-worker bethany

last night, 10:55pm

and then, this morning. this conversation happened.

and then, a lil later, upon arriving at work this morning. this gchat conversation about our separate morning workouts happened. (might i suggest a little Zoom Screen action for this one? :) )

and then. i walked into her office. and this happened.

see, we really did try to prevent it. but neither of us clearly said whether or not we'd be wearing said flowery dress. i thought she said i could wear, she thought i said she could wear. you see how that could happen from our texts, right? no? oops?

so. here we are. at work. in the same dress. well, same outfit really. flowery dress, cardi, belt, tights, boots.

this doesn't quite help our argument for being different. does it?

meep.

Meep indeed, my friend. Meep, indeed.

Hot Fudge Sundaes & Duct Tape

I woke up this morning with a random desire to look in the mirror and find my hair had magically turned back to the color it's been the majority of my life... my (nearly) natural shade of blonde. Which is strange, because I've really been loving my little adventure over to the "Dark Side" for the last few months. So at first I chalked up this strange longing for my go to Goldilocks look to the change in weather; a weekend spent in the warm sunshine that has me wishing for summer so badly I can almost taste the Mister Softee. But as the day has gone on, I've realized that there are quite a few other things from summers past that I'm missing more than usual today...

My beach, for one.

Funnel Cakes in South Bethany,

Dolle's Salt Water Taffy.

The feel of hot sand under my feet,

The smell of Coppertone sunscreen - SPF 30, to be exact.

Building sandcastles and searching for sea glass,

Then hot fudge sundaes and chocolate sodas at The Royal Treat.

Late evening walks along the ocean's edge

And running from the cold waves, into familiar open arms.

Waking up to the sound of jazz and NPR coming from an old radio,

Fruit Loops and Trix on the cozy screen porch.

Loose, faded newspaper clippings gathered on the table,

Amidst countless photos of memories over the years.

Marbles and wind-up toys in random corners of the house,

Golden retrievers and Wishbone.

Duct tape, and how it could fix anything.

Ireland, even though I've never been.

Rooting for the Baltimore Orioles,

Or hiding the remote because I wanted to watch cartoons,

And hiding cigarettes... because they're bad.

Extra chocolatey malted milkshakes straight from the blender.

Silvery white hair, topped with a decade-old Winnie the Pooh hat,

And a sparkling personality, with the brightest blue eyes to match.

My grandfather.

So I suppose what I've been missing most today isn't a thing - or a hair color - at all... It's my Papa. Today would have been his 87th birthday, and even though it's been more than five years since he was here to celebrate, I can still close my eyes... and smell pink peppermints and aftershave... and hear his infectious laugh... and admire his strength of character... and be grateful for the life my Grandmom and he made for their family... and feel his overwhelming love.

"You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy"

-Psalm 30:11 (NLT)

In case you need me in the middle of the night...

... there's a good chance I'll be on E. 37th Street between Second and Third Aves from 11:30pm until 2:00am.

What's that? Why, pray tell, would I not be snuggled safe in my bed? What could possibly get me to wander the corners of Murray Hill during the wee hours of a Monday evening?? Well, I'm glad you asked... because I have a very logical explanation for my questionable nocturnal behavior:

Elephants.

Elephants walking through Manhattan.

That's right, friends! The circus is coming to town - my town! And cute little elephants, ponies, heffalumps, and the whole gang will be on parade from the Queens-Midtown Tunnel right on across 34th Street to MSG.

Sometimes I shudder at how much I hear this overused phrase in this crazy city, but in this case, I think I'm allowed to make an exception: Only. In. New York.

We're So Sporty

Conversations like this just make it oh-so-terribly-clear why LJ and I are BFF... AEAEAE :)

me: also, any interest in going to a rep bowling thing tonight? and not bowling?

LJ: i have no socks

LJ: and a dress

LJ: and texas is playing bball tonight

LJ: so maybe not

me: don't be silly. we would NOT be bowling

LJ: ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

me: only cheerleading/drinking

LJ: HAHAHAHAHAHA

LJ: then. yes.

It's all about the outfit, really. :)

You. Are. Welcome.

The first, of what we can hope assume will be many, full length trailer for Eclipse.

Le. Sigh.

Happy Belated, Bloggy!

Ohmygoodness! I'm a horrible bloggy parent... Yesterday was PTTP's very first birthday and I didn't have a chance to write anything! 112 posts in the last year, and then yesterday of all days just completely slipped by me... Sigh. I do hope she forgives me for this sad, sad oversight.

My spaciness aside, I like to think that if this little blog had gone out to celebrate last night, she would have woken up this morning to a scene that looked a little something like the below... because, if you ask me, nothing screams of a fabulous evening quite like a killer pair of heels abandoned on your apartment floor, surrounded by the balloons you trailed in behind you the night before...

Audrey Hepburn Complex

Here's to another year of painting this crazy beautiful town the prettiest shades of pink! xoxo

Snow Globe

Even though my office didn't close along with all of the public schools in Manhattan (and several agencies... sigh.), the snow sure has been pretty to watch today... The big, beautiful flakes made my morning commute feel like I'd woken up in my very own snow globe.

Hope y'all have a lovely, snuggly weekend. As for me, my fingers are crossed that some of the 20.9 inches of snow that's fallen in Central Park in the past 36 hours is still around for some frolicking... because wouldn't it just be an awful shame to go through my very first Snowicane without making even a single snow angel??

xoxo.

Snowicane

There's a "Snowicane" headed our way. That's right. Apparently when enough snow meets up with 75+ mph winds, they have to come up with a whole new word to describe the situation... Eek!

So, here's hoping that my pretty pink umbrella survives the winds during my walk to work tomorrow. Oh, and that the city stays covered in its perfect white blanket long enough for me to make a cute snowman or two after work :)

Oh hello, Outlook Reminders...

Thanks so much for filling my morning with sunshine:

After buying our tickets a month and a half ago, the Texas Independence Day concert is finally just around the corner! Only 5 days until a fab night with all of my Texas/NYC Loves (in case you hadn't noticed, there are quite a few of us)... Featuring pretty much my dream TX Country lineup: Reckless Kelly, Pat Green, Eli Young Band and Roger Creager!! Between those performances, and the many, many cowboys who are sure to dust off their very best boots and Levi's for the occasion, I'd say we're in for a pretty swoon-filled evening.

And "ATLANTA with the girls!!! Weeeeeee!!"... well, that pretty much speaks for itself. Just 10 short days - approximately 240 hours - until LJ, Angie and I are reunited with Miss Jamie in the ATL. There are no words to even pseudo-describe how happy the anticipation for this trip makes my heart. Can. Not. Wait.

Oh, and that silly Time Sheet reminder, you ask? Please just disregard. It's raining on my parade. And the particularly nasty "4 hours overdue" note...? We'll just go ahead and chalk it up as a tribute to the aforementioned trip to see Jamie, Queen of Overdue Time Sheets. :)

ReBlog: Gia's Situation

An excerpt from a ridiculously funny Bachelor Recap blog, guyinaustin.blogspot.com, courtesy of the one-and-only Jamie. I don't often comment on dating in NYC on here, but this was just too entertaining to pass up:

"She [Gia, contestant on the current season of The Bachelor] tells Jake that she’s never met guy as deep as him. Considering the fact that she’s from New York and that the dating pool consists of guys like Pauly D and The Situation from Jersey Shore, I actually believed her. "

Happy Friday :)

Happy Birthday Noodle!

A very happiest of birthdays to my lovely and lawyer-ly sister Stephanie, i.e. Noodle (don't ask why that's the nickname that stuck... Goodness only knows where we come up with some of our silliness)!! It's good to see we (or our hairstyles, at least :) ) have come so far over the years...

Since I sadly can't be there to bake you some delicious Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Cupcakes and frolic around singing songs from Mama Mia! while we are in search of stationary stores, I figured this little diddy would be the next best thing... Please be sure to keep practicing so that we will be ready to grant our mother's wishes and perform it in a Talent Show one day. (True story.) However, I think that you should be adorned in purple feathers. I, obviously, will be in head-to-toe pink:

"Many men have tried to split us up but no one can

Lord help the mister

Who comes between me and my sister

And Lord help the sister

Who comes between me and my man" :)

Happy Happy Birthday, Sister!! I love you and can't wait until our next cross-country play date. xoxo.

Sweet Dreams!

"Well, if you're going to be stranded... may as well be somewhere with cupcakes."

-Manny, Modern Family

p.s. If you're not already watching this new(ish) ABC comedy, please do yourself a favor and start... immediately. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.