April 18, 2008

Rules of Order

The other day, I was speaking with a friend who is going through a hard time. A relative is very ill, and might not make it. This is causing a lot of stress and disruption in her family's lives, of course, but something she said really stuck with me. When speaking of her situation, she said "and what makes it worse is that my house is a mess. And when my house is out of order, I feel like my life is out of control." I could have said these very same words, and I'll bet there are plenty of people who feel the same way. In times of stress or change or other events, I can often be found straightening, organizing, and cleaning. I learned this about myself just after my mother had her first stroke, and I spent a week at her home scrubbing it down and tossing things out. And even in low-stress times, you know that feeling you get, just after you've cleaned your home and filed away all your bills and organized your closet? Well for me, that's one of the best feelings ever.

So I went in search of support for my "organized is always better" theory and did find plenty of articles, but was also surprised to find some experts saying the very opposite. In Time's Messy is the New Neat, I read that some people argue that spending lots of time organizing can be counterproductive. And in CBS News' Being Messy Has Its Perks, I learned something I didn't know: that really messy people do actually know where their stuff is, so perhaps to them, the disorder (as we see it) is quite orderly.

So, am I convinced that being neat is a waste of time? No way. Perhaps it's my nature or just my preference, but I'll take a nice, neat room with shoes lined up in a closet and books organized by height over a messy one any day. It just makes me feel better. Life is hard enough, and I always like to know exactly where my new Justin boots, favorite University of Florida pen, and my favorite scissors with the pink handle are, just in case I need them.

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Filed under: General 40ish | Meaningless Gab | Reviews

April 02, 2008

Bitter is Back in Style

ringsImagine getting laid off from a glamorous, six-figure job, having to change your entire lifestyle drastically, getting screwed out of one new prospect after the next, then really sticking-it-to-the-man by getting your memoir about the whole ordeal published. Apparently, that's what happened to Bitter is the New Black author Jen Lancaster. The result: a hilarious book (if you like sarcasm and mean people) that I am really glad I picked up when I was in the middle of bum-fu**-Georgia looking at colleges in January with my daughter. Anyhoo, I loved loved loved this book. It's chick-lit-ish, but if you're not crazy about that genre, you might like it anyway. It's one of the few books that almost all of my friends have read, and we all agreed it was fab.

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Filed under: Reviews

July 08, 2007

What Do You Wanna Be?

My son wants to design video games when he's older or perhaps be an engineer. My daugher wants to be a social worker or maybe a high school foreign language teacher. And my niece seems to be heading for a field in some sort of medicine. But what happens when you want to be something that's a bit more...offbeat? You're in luck, because now you can turn to one place--Wikihow.com-- to pursue your dreams, no matter how unusual they may be.

Check out these fun articles:

No matter you decide to pursue, remember Abe Lincoln's words: Whatever you are...be a good one.

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Filed under: Meaningless Gab | Reviews

June 05, 2007

I'm a Shoppin' Fool

I've found some great buys recently that wanted to share with you:

  • Ann Taylor Loft trouser jeans (don't seem to be available online) are quite wide-legged and comfy, but still stylish. Their black-pinstripe-ish style makes them easy to dress up.

  • Chunky, studded slide sandals from Lifestride--I've been looking for something like this for about two years now, and finally found them!

  • The world's most perfect, lightweight, and stylish laptop case from Rainebrooke--only $24.95 on sale, and free shipping! I am currently traveling and love this bag more every day. (I got the light pink to brighten up my life a bit : )

  • The cutest wrap top and espadrilles from Newport News, just in time for my summer trips.

  • And if you happen to make your own jewelry like I do, check out the beads from asia-charisma.net. This company is in Thailand, but shipping is cheap and fast, and their silver is beautiful.

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Filed under: Reviews | Shopping

April 18, 2007

Fun Fashiony Blogs

Looking for some fun fashion-related blogs? Here are a few I like:

  • The Perfect Closet: Cool fashion finds and some nice travel photos as well. Be sure to check out her Frugal Friday posts.
  • Into the Fray: It's funny and smart, and it's one of my new faves.
  • SheFinds Weblog: Reviews of cool stuff and where to get it all. Be sure to sign up for their mailing list--it's Fab.
  • coolchiq: With a subtitle like Style is Everything, Comfort is Nothing, what's not to love?
  • Now Smell This: This blog with the uber-cool name offers up "perfume reviews and fragrance news".
  • Frugal-Fashionista: I like this blog because it shows pics, the price, and where to get the clothing they feature.

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Filed under: Beauty/Fashion | Reviews | Shopping

March 15, 2007

Cool Blogs

I've found some cool blogs I wanted to tell you about. The first is Closet Therapy, and it's the entertaining "Diary of a Shopping Addict." She, like The Fasionable Housewife, offers us photos of her outfits in her Wearing Today posts. Check it out.

I also really like ViewFromThe FourthRow, a blog I found this week. It's written anonymously by an NYC fasion editor, and it's pretty hilarious if you are interested in the fashion press.

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Filed under: Reviews

January 19, 2007

Sites I'm Diggin'

I've been surfing around a bit lately, and I thought I'd let you know about some sites I am frequenting these days:

  • The Cowboy Boot Web Page--If you love boots (like I do), visit this site and locate custom boot designers in your area, brush up on boot legends and lore, visit the online boot gallery, and just have a whole bunch of fun.
  • Shopping with the Preppy Princess--A blog that takes me back to my preppy high school days.
  • Stampington.com--Magazines, supplies, and project ideas for the crafty or those who like to wish they were.
  • Artgirlz--More stuff for crafty types.
  • FastWeb--The place to find scholarships if you have a kid who is planning to go to college.

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Filed under: Meaningless Gab | Reviews

August 26, 2006

Free Gift With Purchase: A Short Review

bookThere's only one magazine I buy religiously each month--Lucky. So when I read that the magazine's creative director, Jean Godfrey-June, had written a book about her life in beauty magazines, I hit the 1-Click ordering button on Amazon.com faster than I ever have before for any other book.

Free Gift with Purchase: My Improbable Career in Magazines and Makeup is a memoir of the self-proclaimed not-so-glamourous June. It includes plenty of tales about her time at Elle magazine, and even some tips about hair, beauty and fashion.

If you're looking for a brutally honest and funny read, and you love fashion magazines and always wondered what goes on behind the scenes, this book is for you.

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Filed under: Reviews

August 15, 2006

Newshound--Interesting Stories to Check Out

Now that school is back in session (can I hear a collective "Yay!"), I've been searching for interesting news stories to bring to you. Let me know what you think of these:

Posted by L.C. at 12:18 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed under: News/Media/Studies | Reviews

August 14, 2006

Sites I'm Diggin'

Looking for some cool sites to visit? Here are my latest faves:

Posted by L.C. at 07:00 PM | | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed under: Reviews

May 22, 2006

The Devil on the Big Screen

Are you a Chick Lit lover? Well then you've no doubt heard of, and probably read, The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger. I read the book a couple of years ago, after reading a few reviews where many from the fashion-related press dissed the author for (what they believed was) dissing the fashion industry. And like many people who read the book, I found the writing so-so but the plot really fun and interesting.

Well it's time for the movie, and I am pretty psyched, because Meryl Streep is playing the infamously wicked Miranda, and Anne Hathaway is playing the in-over-her-head intern, Andrea.

Check out the movie trailer here.

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Filed under: Reviews

May 18, 2006

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Not so sweet on your sweetheart these days? Well you're in luck! Because June 2nd is National Break Up Day.

Visit the Budweiser-sponsored National Break Up Day Web site, and you can take a compatibility test, check for signs that your relationship is ailing, send a break-up e-mail, and even cut-up pictures of your soon-to-be-former love interest.

Talk about fun! I've been married for more than 17 years, have no plans to give dh the boot, and I still had a blast on this site!

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Filed under: General 40ish | Reviews

May 14, 2006

Mother's Day and a Movie Review

capoteWhen I was 20 years old, I was in college and had just chosen my major--journalism. My parents were upset about it, because they believed I'd never be able to support myself on a journalist's salary, and they felt I was wasting tuition money chasing a silly dream. I worried too, and for a while considered changing my major to computer science engineering. I loved to write, but the confines of traditional journalism didn't fit me very well, as I learned in my first few news-writing courses and in my first job writing for an aggressive, award-winning, student-run newspaper. Then I met a professor named Ben (who later became my mentor, my dear friend, and my unwavering champion) and he introduced me to the works of Tom Wolfe and Truman Capote. I fell in love with Wolfe's The Right Stuff, but it was Capote's In Cold Blood that really helped me decide to continue to pursue a writing career. The book, quite literally, changed the course of my professional life.

Yesterday, I finally got around to watching the movie Capote. (I'm not sure what took me so long.) The film focuses on the years Capote spent writing In Cold Blood, and, by doing so, helped change the face of American journalism. He is one of the writers responsible for what we students in the 1980s called New Journalism, and what later came to be known as Creative Non-Fiction, and Literary Non-Fiction: non-fiction work that includes some traditional elements of fiction writing.

I have to say that as I watched this film, I was nothing short of mesmerized. I laid in my bed watching the movie alone, although I rarely watch movies in bed or alone. But I needed to be completely free from distractions to take it in. Philip Seymour Hoffman portrayed the flamboyantly gay and brilliant Capote, and I can't think of anyone else could have done it any better. The story followed Capote (writing for The New Yorker at the time) as he befriended the people in a small Kansas town where four members of a family were brutally murdered in 1959. Ultimately, Capote also befriended the killers, as he dissected the crime, their motives, and their lives, trying to explain what lead them to the sad, inexplicable day when the murders occurred. I was also quite taken with the portrayal of Capote's relationship with To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee--Capote's dear friend and research assistant as he wrote the story. I'd known they were lifelong friends, but I never really understood the vital role she played in the writing of Capote's book.

So it was worth the wait. The movie was absolutely spectacular--deep, moving, complicated--and I loved it. But, of course, it was also Mother's Day! In addition to being left in peace for a couple of hours to watch the film, I got coffee in bed, some Estee Lauder perfume, and a book of poetry written by my son. My family also took me to an antique market and I picked out a vintage cameo bracelet. (I love antique jewelry, and had not added to my collection in a while.) I'd been looking for a 1940's cameo bracelet for a couple of years, and was happy that I finally found one that was in good shape and that I could actually afford. It was a fabulous Mother's Day. If you're a mom, I hope yours was great too!

Posted by L.C. at 07:51 PM | | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Filed under: General 40ish | Reviews

April 19, 2006

The Undomestic Goddess--A Chick Lit Review

styleA few years ago, I decided my taste in reading (and even most of my movies) was a little too serious. So on a whim, I picked up my very first Chick Lit book: Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella. It was like discovering I needed a guilty pleasure after all, and that Chick Lit books were just the answer. I proceeded to read several more books by Kinsella since then, and pretty much loved them all.

This weekend, I finished reading The Undomestic Goddess, Kinsella's latest work, and once again, I was pleased. The story revolves around Samantha, a high-powered attorney in London who has no life outside of her work. Then a mistake at work, followed by a series of mishaps, land her in a job as domestic help, although she can't cook or clean or do much of anything besides practice law. Since she wanted to escape what she thought was a career-devastating error back in London, she fibs her way into a new life, and discovers true happiness for the first time, complete with deep insights about a simpler life and a hunky gardener boyfriend.

Although the story sounds a little sappy, Kinsella manages to pull it off brilliantly. She's funny and succinct, and she makes me love her characters. And as a writer, it's one of those books--as are her others--that makes me say "Damn, why couldn't I have written that?" Oh well. Maybe someday.

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Filed under: Reviews

March 17, 2006

Friday Fab Five: Movies I Could Watch Over and Over Again

Thinking of just five movies for the dubious honor of my Friday Fab Five--now that's tough. I can easily think of 10 off the top of my head. But I'll give it a try:

1. Ordinary People - (1980) I first saw it when I was 16, and I was enthralled. Timothy Hutton is a teenager who's family is falling apart after his brother's accidental death.

2. In the Name of the Father - (1993) The story of a man (Daniel Day-Lewis) falsely convicted and imprisoned for 15 years for a pub bombing. But the plot is far more complicated and, incredibly, it's a true story.

3. My Left Foot - (1989) The autobiographical tale of Christy Brown, an Irishman born with cerebral palsy, who only has use of his left foot.

4. The Year of Living Dangerously - (1982) A journalist (Mel Gibson) falls in love with a diplomat (Sigourney Weaver) in Indonesia during a political upheaval, set in the 1960s.

5. Raising Arizona - (1987) I laugh, on average, every 60 seconds when I'm watching this film. A cult film with a huge following by the brilliant Coen brothers, who gave us another fantastic work high up on my favorites list--Fargo (1996).

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Filed under: Friday Fab Five | News/Media/Studies | Reviews

March 12, 2006

My Favorite Products

I was sitting in church this morning thinking about how I need to run to the drugstore. (Oops, I mean I was thinking about God and the sermon, of course. I thought about going to the drugstore after service. It was definitely after.) I don't just want to stop off at CVS on the way home, I must stop on the way home because I am completely out of my favorite moisturizer. Oh I have plenty of other moisturizers and they're okay, but I have to go get my Olay Regenerist because nothing else seems to work and I am, quite frankly, a bit brand loyal when it comes to certain things.

So I started thinking about all the things I buy, on sale or not, just because I couldn't imagine being without them. Besides my Olay, here are a few others on my list:

  • Clinique Foundation--I've been wearing it since I was 16. And whenever I try something else, I always end up running to the Clinique counter and begging for help.
  • Dentyne Gum--The new Vanilla Mint flavor is my latest addiction.
  • Secret Deodorant/Antiperspirant--Another product I've used since I was a teen. Nothing works better.
  • Nine West Shoes--I have some other brands, but when I mean business and I need a good, wear-everyday pair of shoes, they have to be Nine West. Great for my narrow little elf feet.
  • Coco Chanel Perfume--This is my winter fragrance, and Calvin Klein Escape is my warm-weather choice. Without one of these on, I am just not completely dressed and ready to face the world.
  • Swiffer--The dry cloths and the Wet Jet have basically changed my life. As far as getting up all the dog hair on my floors, that is.
  • Mrs. Meyer's Soap--I always keep Lavender or Lemon Verbena Liquid Soap in my guest bathroom.

So there you have it, my I-could-live-without-them-but-don't-wanna items.

P.S.--Please stop by my other blog, Thrifty Decorating. It was redesigned this week and I'm dying to show it off!

Posted by L.C. at 10:38 AM | | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Filed under: Reviews