Pink Leahtard

50's Inspired Outfit Today

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:15:00 +0000

Wearing this dress from Target today. It's grey and black plaid, with small bits of pink in there as well. I've topped it off with these shoes from Payless, and I've gotten 4 compliments on my outfit today, all for under $65.

Also, yes, I'm aware that I look like Peggy from Mad Men. Actually, the first reaction I got was from Mr. B. who mentioned that I looked like I'm wearing curtains. Hey, it worked for Maria.

What To Do If Palin is Our VP?

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:39:00 +0000

"Take your free scoop of Ben and Jerry's and put it in your free Starbucks and drink it through a free Krispy Kreme. This should keep you in a coma for about four years."

At least I have a backup plan.

Guess Who Was Behind Me at the Polling Station?

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:20:00 +0000

I got to cancel out Don Imus's vote. Awesometown.

I've Always Mistrusted Broccoli

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:37:00 +0000

Food/Art Direction geekery!

Hidden faces in Cascadian Farms Frozen Broccoli Packaging, via Bread & Honey.

See it?

Baking for Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:11:00 +0000

I love both these projects, but you can find many more over at MarthaStewart.com.

Brain Cupcakes
Spiderweb Cheesecake

Pfriend or Pfoe?

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:35:00 +0000

Watch this, especially if you're from or live in Virginia.
I love you, Jon Stewart.

Last Weekend, Part 2 of 3

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:23:00 +0000

A series in backwards chronological order.

Now that I'm almost recovered from this horrible, disgusting cold, I'll continue with stories of last weekend.

Last Friday marked a very important milestone for Mr. B...the day he sent in his last check for his credit card bill.

When I met Mr. B., he let me in on how much he owed to various credit cards (I'm not going to share the amount until he approves full disclosure). For two years post-college, he traveled and lived life to the fullest (a better reason for debt than those crazy ladies on Oprah who have 2,000 pairs of never-been-worn Manolo's). I have seen him struggle to pay off that debt for the past 3 years, and I am tremendously proud of his accomplishment. Especially given these obstacles:
- living in Manhattan
- working in a job that pays less than he's worth
- economic recession
- $7 boxes of cereal, people! CEREAL!

He has been frugal to the point of annoyance, and it's all paid off (pun intended). I'm not sure you can fully comprehend what that feels like unless you've been under the shadow of debilitating debt, but I know that this is the first step toward planning for a debt-free future for the two of us. Towards owning a house in a city one day with a small backyard, a grill, an herb garden, a French bulldog running in the grass, and a grown-up treehouse.

Dark Chocolate Lime Souffles

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:27:00 +0000

Anyone who knows me for 5 minutes knows that this dessert was made for me. Chocolate? Yes. Dark chocolate? Oh yes. With LIME? OH HELL YES.

OOTO

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:39:00 +0000

Sick as a dog. Will update tomorrow with the rest of the weekend update.

In other news, watch the debates tonight!

This Past Weekend, Part 1 of 3

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:03:00 +0000

A series in backwards chronological order.

Last night around 5pm I got a call from Robin asking me if I wanted to go see Madonna at Madison Square Garden. Her friend works on the tour for Madonna, and he could squeeze us in for free. Hell to the yes!

Her Madgesty opened the show at Madison Square Garden on a throne and throughout the night reaffirmed her place as the queen of pop. I've decided that my back-up career (I have five or six) is to be a back-up dancer. I should probably start working out. Let me get right on that.

The people-watching was off the hook... gay men with fairy wings, 50 year olds dressed in early madonna lace, and LOTS of sequins.

As Robin said, DEFINITELY worth skipping Mad Men.

Making It Lovely

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:58:00 +0000

Loving the meticulous mood boards created by Nicole Balch at Making It Lovely. My sister just asked me to help her design a nursery for little Jacquelyn when they buy a house, and this will be a great place to get inspiration.

She also does fashion mood boards. I NEED that gray dress from Target.

Truly, There Is Something For Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:09:00 +0000

Apparently there's quite a market for these things, or else this seller wouldn't offer so many varieties.

For the literal.

For the camo-loving redneck.

Nothing shows pride like and extra large one of these.

Happy Friday, everyone!

My Question Is: Who Is This 9 Percent?

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:26:00 +0000

Americans' Satisfaction at All-Time Low in Gallup History

Untitled

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:33:00 +0000

We had just landed at LaGuardia, home from a wedding in Richmond. The weather all weekend was amazing, the bride and groom were beautiful, and the hospitality was overflowing. Mr. B. and I had just picked up "Virginia is for Lovers" novelty t-shirts in the gift shop an hour before. We both were overwhelmingly happy.

Stepping off the plane, Mr. B. waited outside while I went to the ladies room. I opened the door just as a girl was leaving. She was attractive, dark-haired, my age. She said, "Excuse me." I backed out of her way, but not soon enough.

"Jeez, FAT-ASS!" She huffed through the door and I entered into the ladies room and looked up at the middle-aged woman in line.

"Did that woman just call me a...fat-ass?"

The woman replied, "I know we're all tired, but that's absolutely ridiculous."

I stood in bafflement for a moment, before turning around and walking back out the door. Mr. B. looked up from his magazine, surprised to see me so soon.

"That girl just called me a fat-ass!," I said quietly.

"What?!"

"I know!" I tried to laugh it off.

We picked up our bags, and I saw the girl join her boyfriend and walk through the empty hall towards the exit. Mr. B. and I picked up our pace. The girl and her boyfriend caught our reflection in the window. I reached over and lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me. Did you just call me a fat-ass back there?," I asked gently.

"Oh...no...(stammer). Um, I said that to the other lady."

"But why?," I asked. Clearly, she was lying.

"Well, she was just...look. I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"It's just that it really hurt my feelings."

"God, don't be so self-conscious!," she snickered.

Mr. B. pointed at her face. "And you need to cool it right now."

We walked passed them toward the bus ramp. There was the satisfaction of handling the situation the correct way, and of having someone in New York City actually face up to the consequences of rudeness. Of doing the right thing. Of having her boyfriend see her ugliness.

But it still hurt.

"The Christmas Tree" by John Roberts

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:23:00 +0000

Why...WHY can't I stop laughing? It's inexplicable.

Palin Bingo

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:26:00 +0000

To use at tonight's debate. Download all four!

The Best Day Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:15:00 +0000

Mr. B. and I during a ridiculously fun trip to Coney Island before they shut it all down. I love the couple behind us pointing and laughing.

Photo by Shaun Irving

Drank

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:56:00 +0000

Read about this "anti-energy drink" two weeks ago and have been looking to buy Mr. B. a can ever since. Does anyone know where I can find one?

"Drank" contains a combination of Valerian Root, Rose Hips, and Melatonin designed to "slow your roll" after a hectic day. A calming beverage, Drank is formulated to relax the body, mind, and soul. "Drank" is the perfect lifestyle beverage for those who can appreciate extreme relaxation. So grab a Drank and "Slow Your Roll"!

LOVE the quotation marks.

In related knews, learn about Purple Drank.

I suppose it was only time. They already came out with Cocaine Energy Drink.

Now's The Time

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:56:00 +0000

If you've been putting off taking action in this year's election, now is a great time to start.

My good friend Kyle (that's him above) has picked up his life and moved from NYC to Chicago in order to help get Obama elected in November. Kyle is not mister political. He's a Lebowski. Can you imagine The Dude caring about an election? But things have gotten bad enough, and he cares about our country enough that he's on the frontline trying to make a difference. You can read a little bit about his story here:

As I said to Kyle, I donated $120 in lieu of getting a new pair of boots. I can handle wearing last year's model of shoe, but I can't handle last year's model of president.

Now donate!

NEED.

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:18:00 +0000

Mad Men Illustrations.

Off The Junk

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:50:00 +0000

As of yesterday, I'm going cold turkey on Gossip Girl, perezhilton.com, The Rachel Zoe Project and nonsociety.com. I live in a city where high fashion, consumerism and status is more important than the frivolity it should be...I don't need it to pervade my entertainment as well.

These shows/websites make my soul feel dirty, and I intend to take back control.

UPDATE: This is harder than i thought. I have nothing to do at work today as I am one of the two non-Jewish folks on my account, apparently. Btw, Happy New Year! But seriously? I'm running out of websites, I've eaten 2 pieces of chocolate, and now I'm blogging. But I haven't looked at one of the aforementioned gossip sites (Gawker.com is still okay, in my book. Right now, anyway).

Stay strong!

Mating In Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:39:00 +0000

The other day I was in a meeting, and the subject of romantic relationships came up. My coworker recommended the book Mating in Captivity, and once she told me the premise, I was intrigued enough to go buy my first self-help book.

My coworker summed it up as thus: back in the old days, we had an entire village to serve our relationship purposes...counselor, friend, lover, baby daddy, caregiver, etc. In the modern age, we put all that pressure on one person (due to couples living away from family and friends), which might not always be the best course of action. The author, Esther Perel, sort of advises couples to spend more time apart in order to maintain individuality and mystery, the reasons we fell in love with them in the first place.

While the book may market itself as a book about sexuality, I find it's more about romantic relationships in general. I see examples of my parents' dependent relationship a LOT in this book, and while lovely and perfect for them, I fear following a similar pattern because I want to maintain my own identity separate from a significant other. I'm treating this book as preventative medicine.

I thought this review from Amazon.com was fairly dead-on: "Great book, I recommend it to anyone, even if you don't "need" to read it. Written in a very nice, Sex-and-the-City-like, style. Explains a lot of things in a way you probably haven't thought of them before. Makes you think about yourself, your desire, your relationship and how you may be damaging it."

I'm only on the fourth chapter, and I'll give this book it's due review at the end of the reading, but so far I'm finding myself nodding along and wishing that everyone I knew read this book.

Sleep Talking

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:59:00 +0000

I subconsciously hear Mr. B get into bed.

I roll over, squeeze him.

Pat him on the back.

Me: "It's better for you if you cut it up into little chunks."

I roll back over, go back to sleep.

Sarah Silverman's "The Great Schlepp"

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:44:00 +0000

The Amazing Gift of Woo Lai Wah

noreply@blogger.com (Leahtard) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:21:00 +0000

About a year ago, Chris was visiting town and we snagged tickets to a taping of The Daily Show. The guest was Ishmael Beah, author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. I wanted to read his book after seeing what an amazing person he's become, full of hope and happiness after everything he's been through.

But oh my god. Do not read his book before bedtime. I woke up thinking people were chasing me with machetes and cutting off my limbs. Now I'm only allowed to read it on the subway commute. It's an amazing book (seriously, you should read it), but it really demonstrates how awful humans can be...very Heart of Darkness, is man inherently good or evil, etc.

So it was a nice balance to read this yesterday. I was blown away by the beauty of this story.