A Salt and Battery

Guess who showed up at Grand Central Station today? Nathaniel, Michelle, and little baby Grace! Nathaniel and Michelle went to IWU with me, and they now live in Kentucky. Because they're both originally from New York, they were just outside the city visiting family for Christmas. Great to see you guys!

First stop- the west village to visit a take out place Nathaniel heard of called "A Salt and Battery", which specializes in authentic English fish & chips. They also serve deep-fried candy bars, which is just what the doctor ordered.

We got a Mars bar and a Lion Bar- we shared both and the jury was out on which one tasted better. We did all agree that they are MMMMM YUMMY! Basically, it tastes like a candy bar wrapped in a funnel cake, and the chocolate is melted and gooey.

Grace was such a good little New Yorker! She was all snuggled into this sling that reminded me of a little joey in a kangaroo pouch! Michelle joked that carrying her this way kind of felt like being pregnant with her all over again! These carriers are definitely the way to go in NYC!

We went back up to the Upper West side, where Dan and I live to show them our neighborhood and see our place. We had planned on going out, but instead we took advantage of NYC's delivery and got Brother Jimmy's Ribs.

"PUT SOME SOUTH IN 'YO MOUTH!"

After, Nathaniel busted out my guitar and we played some of our old "9th Hour" songs. It was so great to have all of us together, and we all vowed to not let another 6 years go by before we get together again!

New Year Wishes

A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.

-Edgar A. Guest

Every new year people make resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority of people revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. This year I challenge you to a new resolution. I challenge you to just be yourself.

-Aisha Elderwyn

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.

-T.S. Eliot

Un-beWEAVEable!

I compiled this photo documentary to demonstrate my new hair extensions and the grueling ordeal to have them woven into my natural hair. Since everyone in Hollywood is doing it, I figured I may as well transform myself into a celebrity as well! I am thrilled with my new 'do and I still haven't gotten used to all this long hair yet! It's heavy! My natural hair length is about 3 inches past my shoulders, but the hair extensions were a good 12 inches long. The entire process took over 4 hours!

Step 1: The hair. A swatch of my hair was cut out as a sample for my personal stylist, Mandi, to match the extensions. She custom ordered 100% human hair to match the exact color and highlights.

Step 2: My hair was braided into sections of corn-rows and then the hair is sewn with special thread and needle into the corn-row. When I want to remove the extensions, I just snip the thread and take the extensions off, then unbraid the corn-row in my own hair. Disclaimer: No hair was harmed in the making of this documentary!

Dan wanted to see how he would look with extensions: a little like Joe Dirt, maybe? Not the best look for him!

Step 3: After the extensions are in, they have to be cut and layered using a razor to create texture and blend them with my own hair. Ready for the finished look?

TA-DA!

You like?

JC Penny Catalogue from 1977

I must be stuck on this retro 1970's thing today! This is a must see- it's some excerpts from a JC Penny Catalogue in 1977! Thank goodness I'm a child of the 80's! You know how they saw that all trends seem to cycle back around? Let's pray that these ones don't!

Garvis! So Dreamy!

This website is worth wasting time on- it's a collection of Swedish bands from the 1970's! Peruse the galleries by clicking the arrow buttons to go forward and back. I don't know what's worse- the hair, the outfits, or the tight pants! Maybe the names... " the cool candys?"Mmmm yummy! I'm gonna hang these pictures above my bed and tape them to my locker!

Gigapan

Check this out: A new technology has been developed which allows images to be taken with GIGApixels. This allows you to be able to zoom in on a large panoramic picture, and view even the tiniest details. This site is SO much fun to play around on, and it's pretty incredible. Bookmark this for sure! The thing that is so crazy to me is that if this technology is possible (which it clearly is) then there's really no limit to the amount of "spying" that big brother can do! They're watching you... (*evil laugh*)

...Strange

Did you ever notice how life seems to follow certain patterns? Like, I noticed that around this time every year, I hear Christmas music.

I KNEW that mullet lunch lady was BAD NEWS!

I just HAD to write about this! I apologize in advance for my rant, but here it comes anyway. Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge SURVIVOR fan, and I’ve watched it since the beginning. Even in college, Danny, Kristi and I had our Survivor nights watching the show every week together. I particularly enjoy the personalities and the social dynamics of the game that make it so original and unlike any other show on television. The smartest, strongest, fastest, or even the people who win the most challenges are often the ones who never win simply because they never get the “outwit” part quite right.

This year, I felt so much sympathy in the beginning for Denise. You could tell she was the kid no one picked for their team in school, and the same was true on the show. Then, all of a sudden, she actually became a pivotal player and started becoming an important “swing vote” which had everyone begging for her to be in alliance with them. This is when I started detesting her. She didn’t play fair and never rewarded others even though they generously shared rewards with her. Then, she played the “I’m a lunch lady and I’m poor” card and totally lost me. That seemed to be her only strategy: to look sad and try to get a pity vote to win the million dollar prize.

At the tribal council reunion show, she played an even bigger “woe is me” game, saying that she lost her job as a lunch lady and got demoted to being a janitor, scrubbing toilets. Mark Burnett felt sorry for her and offered her $50,000 on the spot to help give her and her family a better life.

But here’s where it gets juicy… SHE LIED!!! Read this article that explains how she lied and then ended up apologizing and asking forgiveness from everyone. She even decided to donate the $50,000 to charity because of the scandal!!

Cory, Jess- can you BELIEVE this?! I told you she was trouble!! Plus, her story about why she has the MULLET doesn’t even fly anymore!!

"The Iraq"

The editor of the Yale book of quotations has compiled a list of the top quotes from 2007. Indeed, 2007 had some great ones! The number one quote of the year: "Don't tase me bro!" was followed by (my personal favourite) below:

"I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us."
- obviously, that quote was from Laura Upton, in the Miss Teen America pageant.

Isn't reading it even funny?

Check out the rest of the top 2007 quotes here!

Genius!

This is a great invention- a wi-fi SD card for your camera! You can set it up with your home wireless network, and the pictures will automatically download to your computer with no wires needed! They say it's simple to use, but you know what I always say: "if you make something idiot-proof, someone will make a better idiot."

There! Checked YOU off my list!

I found this article online which I wholeheartedly support: Gift cards are not gifts. I recently took part in a "secret Santa" name exchange, where each person was supposed to write down 3 things under $25 that would give you ideas of what to buy. Both Dan and I recieved names with "gift card" written on the list. That's pretty much like asking me to put $25 cash into an envelope and hand it to them: "Merry Christmas!" Don't get me wrong, gift cards are great and they do serve a purpose. They're a great way to say "thank you" or as a small surprise without occasion, but a real gift involves thoughtfulness and care. A meaningful gift shows you took the time to find a gift that represents your relationship to the recipient and demonstrates that you care about them enough to know exactly what they would love to recieve!

Please, no more asking for gift cards or (*gasp*) CASH for Christmas!

The KOP Posse

It's that time of year... any excuse to party with friends and take goofy pictures around the tree! Last weekend, I stayed with Jess and Cory in KOP, and we had a great time with Steve and Cara! Well, it was great until the drunk loser with the turtleneck sweater and tweed blazer wouldn't leave us alone at Maggiano's, right? Can't wait for New Year's, and you guys all come up to NYC w/me! Why can't we all live closer?