A Connection I Wish I’d Missed

I was walking aimlessly downtown around 3pm when I passed by my husband’s work. I asked him if he wanted to go for a quick coffee since the sky was blue and he probably wanted an excuse to leave the droning of his office. He came down and we went to this little place across the road called Street Level Espresso.

After walking in and ordering (one Americano for him, one Tea for Sad People for me) we sat down and smiled. It’s not everyday you get to share a sweet second during the busy work day. Our moment of bliss was cut short by an 84-year-old woman’s voice. I know her age because she said it 3 times out loud. I also know she worked in a factory for 50 years because she casually mentioned it thrice as well.

After Paul swallowed the rest of his drink to the sounds of this woman’s voice talking over the coffee machines, I told him it was fine to leave me. I’m usually the first to inhale food or drinks, but my tea was so hot I couldn’t gulp it. As he left, I readjusted myself so I was facing the bar of the shop instead of the back of the store. Just because I hate people doesn’t mean I have to look like I hate people.

The 84-year-old woman, Mary, gasped when she saw my feet. “I LOVE YOUR SHOES! THEY’RE BEAUTIFUL.”

My “beautiful” shoes.

“Ohh uhh, thanks. Yeah, they’re kinda fun.”

“I once bought a pair of sparkly shoes downtown for 150 dollars. They aren’t comfortable so I don’t know when I’ll ever wear them. I couldn’t wear them in the factory, that’s for sure!”

Come on tea, cool down. 

“Look at that picture of a chicken on the wall! Who would ever want that picture? For 100 dollars! Hmph!” She said, staring at it.

All of a sudden a taller man, Zeke, came into the shop whom Mary greeted with excitement.

Do they boil their tea with lava?

Mary kept on talking to Zeke while I burned my mouth numerous times, sacrificing my body in order to free my mind. When I finally finished, I rose and strode to the door. “It was nice meeting you.” I said.

“Oh, meet my friend!” She said, motioning to Zeke.

Oh come on.

“Hi, I’m Lily. Nice to meet you.” And I’ll probably never see you again ever. Why is your palm so sweaty?!

“Hi, Zeke.”

“I guess I’ll see you around. Mary, right?” I said.

“AHAHA YES!”

Congratulations on your first time being outside and interacting with people, Mary.

 

Bathroom Stall Poetry

Whilst inside a women’s bathroom stall on Friday night, some beautiful words jumped off the wall and spoke to me. I want to share them with you.

Eat Pray Love shut the f*ck up.

Ur mom is hot

(a drawing of a daisy)

I see you.

Jen was here.

Loser

Thank you for joining me. Those words reached out and grabbed my soul.

Red, White, and Blue Oscar Apparel

It’s a challenge for me to watch one of my country’s favorite pastimes from a lesser, more embarrassing location. And the pastime I’m referring to is the judgement of people who’ve achieved thespian greatness. Attacking people from the privacy of your own home is the true winter sport. Sorry Sochi winners. Combine it with live tweeting and I’d consider you an athlete.

I couldn’t help noticing that my country was calling out to me through Oscar ensembles. So much red, white, and blue! Granted, they could have been calling out to people from France, The United Kingdom, Russia, Norway, Australia, Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Iceland, Laos, etc, etc, etc. But I just have a strong feeling that they were trying to signal me.

Jennifer Lawrence really stepped out of her comfort zone by choosing another Dior gown to sport at the Oscars. This one was pleasant, but doesn’t hold a flame to her dress last year. However, she did manage to trip in both of them. Is it just me, or are her falls a cry for even more attention? 

Pink’s ruby slipper dress was so unexpected and glorious. I think everyone was assuming she would enter swinging from the chandeliers, wearing a leotard, but she classed it up big time. Also, who knew she could sing like that?

Jared Leto is sporting a cute little crimson bow tie with his white tuxedo jacket. I was unsure about this combination, but I realized that if he chose to wear something normal, it would feel seriously wrong. Paired with his ombre beach waves, Jared managed to glam it up without being too strange.

Matthew McConaughney also decided to wear a white jacket on the red carpet which made him resemble a cute little busboy. I feel like Matthew and Jared made a pact to both wear white, hoping to please the Oscar gods. Luckily for them, it worked.

Kate Hudson really stole the show in her Atelier Versace gown. Like, stop. This dress is gorge. I mean, she hasn’t even done anything worth mentioning in the past 5-10 years but the girl knows how to dress.

I have to give some honorable mentions to Naomi Watts and Maria Menounos. They both wore chic white gowns that didn’t ask for too much attention, but were simply beautiful. Also, Maria Menounos shouldn’t even be there, but props on the dress.

Lupita Nyong’o’s ice blue ethereal number really did it for me. It’s possible that she won an award for that dress alone. She also had such a beautiful and eloquent acceptance speech–I’m certain she was inspired by her frock. Lupita is most definitely America/Kenya’s sweetheart.

Jason Sudeikis wore a blue tux on this big day, which I applaud because I’m a fan of navy. However, I unapplaud because of the black bow tie. I just have trouble with navy and black mixing. Sorry, I’m not sorry.

Sandra Bullock’s Alexander McQueen dress looked terrible during the televised interview I tuned into. However, the photos online make it look pretty damn good. I also thought her hair was delightful.

I have to applaud Amy Adams’ dress solely for the fact that didn’t show her side boob. Congrats on figuring out how to flatter your body, Amy. 

I think my favorite dresses of the night were Charlize Theron’s, Kate Hudson’s, and Lupita Nyong’o’s. Did you watch the Academy Awards? Which outfits did you like?

Happy Tuesday

This actually looks freakishly like my husband and I.

 

Girl Crush of the Week: Dalia Royce

What can I possibly say about Dalia Royce? She’s everything that I aspire to be in life. I came across this character whilst watching my Wednesday night line up (The Middle, Modern Family, don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about). When the network premiered the show Suburgatory I decided to give it a try. The show itself isn’t that great, but there are a couple minor characters that keep me coming back for more. Enter Dalia Royce.

She’s perfect in so many ways. Dalia basically doesn’t care about anything and goes about communicating with people in the driest possible way. I wouldn’t describe her as a deep person, per se, but she does have emotions and struggles. I mean, she doesn’t have monetary struggles, but her parents got divorced and one time she had to transfer to a different school and live out of her mom’s car. It was pretty tragic. Despite what people think, she’s definitely had some trials and tribulations.

Dalia’s mother, Dallas Royce (played by Cheryl Hines) wants the best for Dalia but is usually torn between being a responsible parent and bending over backwards for her daughter. In one episode, Dalia gets a kangaroo for a gift simply because she wants one. When Dallas starts dating Dalia’s school enemy’s father, she becomes attached and begins to favor him over most people. She even starts to call him “Daddy Altman.” 

The reason that Dalia is my crush is because she’s a strong woman who doesn’t take no for an answer. If she wants a kangaroo, she will find a way to get one. She is so honest to the point where people start to question what’s wrong with her. And she also has the fliest wardrobe that I’ve seen in a long time.

Bucket List

Never in my life have I made a bucket list. I was especially deterred from making one when the 2007 release of the movie “The Bucket List” came out. It disturbed me on more levels than one. Morgan Freeman’s voice can only do so much to save a movie. And no, I didn’t watch the movie. The trailer did enough damage.

I always saw my life’s journey through rose colored glasses. Everything was good, everything was doable, everything was in grasp. Well, now I realize that opportunities and adventures cost money and take time. So why not make a list of things to accomplish in the future–to remind yourself what you want to eventually do when the opportunity arises. Here’s mine:

1. Go to at least one country in Africa.

2. Go to at least one country in Asia.

3. Go to at least one country in South America. (I’ve been to Mexico…but I don’t think that counts.)

4. Buy a designer gown.

5. Swim across the Straight of Juan de Fuca.

6. Ride a camel.

7. Snorkel around the Great Barrier Reef.

8. Give birth.

9. Go to a nude beach and bare it all.

10. Save someone’s life.

11. Visit a national park.

12. Purchase a URL and have a .com website.

13. Punch someone.

14. Go to a psychic.

15. Learn to ice skate.

16. Go to an Ashram and learn to meditate properly.

17.  Pet a whale.

18. See Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights

19. Write a story.

20. Learn to play piano.

What’s on your bucket list?

Betrayal

Dear Kitchen Knife,

We’ve always gotten along. I trusted you, I understood you, and I treated you with care. You were my knife of choice. Whenever I needed to cut meat or vegetables, you were there for me. I cleansed you when you were dirty. I dried you when you were wet. I put you away when you were lost.

The reason I mention these memories is because I’m confused. I treated you with the utmost care and respect only to have the delicate skin of my finger ravaged by your blade today. I am aware that things may have been a bit beyond your control. My husband may or may not have gotten carried away while sharpening your blade as he mimicked Gordon Ramsay. He also may or may not have warned me about the sharpness of your new and improved blade. He also may or may not have demonstrated the sharpness of said blade on a tomato while I watched and said “Oh cool.” Nevertheless, cutting my finger was uncalled for and rude. 

The problem might lie in the fact that you don’t know your own strength. Not only did you cut me, but you cut right through the sponge I was using to wash you. You used to like being washed. Did people kick Jesus in the face when He washed their feet? Maybe on accident if He was too tickle-y. I digress. The sponge did nothing to you. And you destroyed him. Granted, his time was almost up anyway, BUT STILL. You do not control what goes on in my kitchen. You don’t make the rules.

Note: I feel like I don’t know how to properly wash knives.

I’m sorry to say that I will have obvious trust issues with you from here on out. Until you become dull and useless like your old self, I will be forced to use another, less aggressive knife.

Love,

Lily

Grandma Names

Grandma names are super on trend for babies this year. I’m usually a fan of old fashioned names because, I, myself have been blessed with one. I’ve always been interested in family names–what people name their children, what their maiden names are, etc. Grandma names are basically all the same though. You know a grandma name when you hear one. They always prove to be interesting though–some are plain and some are unique.

Sophia, Blanche, Rose, and Dorothy. So many great G-names in one show!

One time, while I was in a shop on Main Street USA, Disney World, an older woman was working behind a cash register ringing up my purchase. I looked at her name tag and read “Geraldine. Your name is Geraldine?” To which she replied, “Yep! But everyone calls me Gerry.” So awesome.

Some of the more popular G-names that have come up on the celebrity baby-name radar are: Lucille, Isadora, Agnes, Marion Loretta (SJP got carried away with the grandma names), Tabitha, Maxine, Blythe, Hazel, Ruth, Lorraine, etc. All very fun, very weird names.

One of my grandmothers is named Roselynn and the other is named Marion.

Are there any good grandma names in your family?

Oscar Noms

I was feeling super uninspired a couple of minutes ago until I read Katie’s post about the fashion choices at the Golden Globes. I was obviously really passionate about this topic because I wrote her a 100-or-so word comment sharing my thoughts and feelings. Then a little light bulb went off in my head–Hey the Academy Award Nominations have been posted! I can write about that! And everyone knows I’m extremely talented when it comes to talking about movies and judging celebs because that’s the topic I was Freshly Pressed for. See, I’m good for something. 

And that’s how I arrived at today’s post. And it’s going to be a lazy one. I’m going to filter through all of the nominees and determine which ones I would choose if I were single-handedly running the awards show. This is a really creative idea for a blog post, so no one steal this. It’s never been done before. I’m in awe of my innovative spirit.

Best Picture:

I would award Wolf of Wall Street best picture even though it’s probably not. The length really does it in for me. Did it really need to be 3 hours? No. Could a full hour have been cut out and make the film feel more concise? Defs. It was slightly indulgent on Scorsese’s part, but it was an entertaining show and a good story. Also I didn’t see 5 of the other movies up for the award soooo that kind of narrowed it down for me. Also, I just spelled Scorsese without looking it up.

Best Supporting Actress:

I’m glad JLaw got a Golden Globe because I will literally jump through my TV and pull a Kanye if she get’s another Oscar. Especially with the terrible NY accent she had in American Hustle. I think Sally Hawkins should win for her performance in Blue Jasmine. She was pretty great. However, I wouldn’t be upset if Lupita N’yongo won just because of the awesome red dress she sported at the GG’s. She has proven to be a person of worth.

Me, thinking of Jennifer Lawrence winning.

Best Supporting Actor:

I like all of these fine men (except maybe Barkhad Abdi because his teeth scare me–I’m sure he’s nice) but I think Bradley Cooper deserves an Oscar. Or Michael Fassbender. Or Jared Leto. Or Jonah Hill. Idk all of them? What if “Idk all of them?” was on the envelope for Best Supporting Actor? I would make a great Academy.

Best Lead Actress:

I think Cate Blanchett did a fantastic job in Blue Jasmine. Like, I’m not the biggest Woody Allen fan, but I thought the part of Jasmine was beautifully tragic and…I sound so dumb. I really liked Judi Dench’s character, Philomena, but I don’t think it required a lot from her. To be honest, I would be happy with either of these ladies.

Best Lead Actor:

Aww poor little Leo. He tried so hard. Give him an award already. Plus, I really don’t want to hear Matthew McConaughey’s voice again.

Best Director:

David O. Russell for American Hustle I guess. Purely because his movie rhymes with his name.

Best Animated Feature:

Frozen. It’s the only one I saw and the only one I needed to see. Do we really want a movie called The Croods being awarded with a golden statue?

Achievement in Cinematography:

This is bordering on “boring award” territory, but I loved the movie Prisoners and I think it deserves to win something. Since this is the only award it’s up for, I thought I would give it some love.

Adapted Screenplay:

Philomena gets my vote. Did you know that Steve Coogan was one of the main writers? It’s a lovely and heartbreaking story that I think everyone should watch.

Original Screenplay:

Okay, I didn’t really like Her that much (I thought it would be weird, but just weird enough where it was okay. It turned out to be I-forgot-how-gross-Joaquin-Phoenix-is weird.) but I applaud Spike Jonze’s creativity.

Who and what are your top picks for this year?

2013 Roundup

Out of boredom and a severe lack of creativity, I decided to do one of these awful questionnaires that float around tumblr. I thought it had some good questions that helped me look back throughout the year. If you feel like doing this yourself, feel free to copy and paste it!

• 1:What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before? Visited Portland!
• 2:Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I think so, and no. I’m going to constantly try to better myself and do good.
• 3:Did anyone close to you give birth? A friend did, yes. And her baby is the cutest ever.
• 4:Did anyone close to you die? Nope. No one close to me ever dies. I never get the chance to put a cute funeral look together!
• 5:What countries did you visit? Canada. You don’t need to remind me how lame that is.
• 6:What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013? A puppy and more self confidence.
• 7:What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? October 5th only because it was my birthday and I had an extremely fun bash. Also May 4th because that’s when I took my husband to Disney World 🙂
• 8:What was your biggest achievement of the year? Reading over 30 books! An all-time high for me!
• 9:What was your biggest failure? Being idle.
• 10:Did you suffer illness or injury? A little bit here and there.
• 11:What was the best thing you bought? Anything that makes me feel good–facials, massages, bath products, perfume, etc.
• 12:Whose behavior merited celebration? My mom’s.
• 13:Whose behavior made you appalled? My dad’s.
• 14:Where did most of your money go? Bath products, books, movies, clothes, tennis lessons.
• 15:What did you get really, really, really excited about? Vacations, seeing family, shopping!
• 16:What song will always remind you of 2013? “Don’t Save Me” by Haim
• 17:Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer? Happier, thinner, personally poorer, collectively richer. Things are lookin’ up for old Lils.
• 18:What do you wish you’d done more of? Exercised, volunteered, danced, stayed up late, laughed.
• 19:What do you wish you’d done less of? Sleeping, eating, being moody/mean.
• 20:How did you spend Christmas? In Vegas with my cute little husband. He’s not actually little, but he’s cute.
• 21:Did you fall in love in 2013? I continued to fall in love.
• 22:What was your favorite TV program? I liked Catfish, Biggest Loser, Breaking the Faith (all terrible reality TV shows) and Mad Men.
• 23:Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Hate, no. Highly dislike, probably. No one comes immediately to mind though.
• 24:What was the best book you read? Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was one of my favorites. I also loved East of Eden by John Steinbeck and The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.
• 25:What was your greatest musical discovery? Haim, Lorde, more Lana del Rey, more Elvis Costello, XM radio stations.
• 26:What did you want and get? A new iPad.
• 27:What did you want and not get? The ability to gracefully walk in heels.
• 28:What was your favorite film of this year? This is the End, Prisoners, Philomena, Blue Jasmine.
• 29:What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Growing and learning with my husband.
• 30:How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? Black, maxi dresses, mini skirts, comfortable, sweaters, rings.
• 31:What kept you sane? My husband, my mom, and music.
• 32:Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Eddie Redmayne, Leonardo DiCaprio, James Franco, Ryan Reynolds.
• 33:What political issue stirred you the most? None. I am not one to be stirred by politics.
• 34:Who did you miss? My friends and family.
• 35:Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013. Blood isn’t always thicker than water.
• 36:Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be.” -Doris Day

Hope you have a happy new year! Thank you so much for following my blog, or just for stopping by! I really appreciate it!