apparently it's christmas...

or at least that is what the stores
want us to think.

The bf and I spent the past weekend
in Jersey, and whilst driving on Saturday night
we heard Christmas songs being played on the radio.
Then on Monday, we went to Target, and they already
had their Christmas displays up.

The day after Halloween is a little too soon.
Let us at least get through half of November?
maybe?

blah.

well at least Halloween was fun!
We hung out with my family for part 1
and then ventured over to Miss Valentine's
house for a party.
As always she was the best host and supplied
us with loads of goodies to eat.
I was especially enamored with the Johnsons Popcorn.

here are some photos from the night:

This is my nephew Joel dressed as a bunny!



















me, carly and fink















Britney, crab, madonna, rufio, guy with knife
in his head, and a fairy.















and last but not least, princess mees.

200!

woo 200th post!
maybe I haven't been such
a terrible blogger after all.

The bf, Serg and I are heading to NJ
tomorrow to celebrate Halloween
with my family and some of my favorites.
I have decided to be a crab,
which consists of a crab hat,




















and a monochromatic outfit
that I purchased from American Apparel.

Fairly cheap, and i can wear the clothes
again- so it isn't a waste.
I did try to find a real costume at the
halloween store but everything was either
slutty, cheaply made, or expensive.
Often the cheaply made overlapped
with the expensive.

If I am going to be spending $60 on
some costume, it better not be made
out of some crap fabric that is going
to make me sweat.

I also think that it is fitting
that I am going as a sea creature.
a non-slutty sea creature I might add.
Keepin' in classy under the sea.

in praise of music videos.

Well maybe just Bjork's for now...

Last night at work we had
a throwback session and became
enamored with the beauty and charming
qualities of Bjork's videos all over again.
Who can look so good in a bald cap?
make robots all sexified?
and be the most adorable thing
in a choreographed production?
only one lady.

It's not a wonder they are incredible either
especially with Michel Godry
and Spike Jonze directing.

here are a few to enjoy.

Dog Parade

Each year the dogs get all decked out
for the Tompkins Square dog parade.

I am never in attendance but I do
love to look at the photos of
all the cute dogs, and clever costumes.

Because I am 90% sure that serg would
attack me for trying to dress him,
we will never join the costume fun.

But check these guys out! they seem to be enjoying it.

Pumpkin Massacre

Each morning when Serg and I
take our first walk,
I noticed that the pumpkins
in my neighborhood were
being attack by the squirrels.

I thought that it was pretty funny
seeing a little creature tearing into
a very large pumpkin.
Sadly, I didn't have a camera that day
but I did take some aftermath photos today.


































































I've decided to keep our pumpkin in the kitchen
so that we can eventually eat it in pie form
rather than let the squirrels ravage it.



In other news, we've been hanging things around
the apt and it is slowly becoming a home.
Here is a photo of Serg
The other is of the bf hanging his taxidermy
and a large mirror that has a ghost in it.
not an actual face, but an orb.
I was a little creeped out when I saw that.

halloween time.

it's 10.52am and
nightmare on elm street is on.

October is one of my favorite months,
when else can you watch so many horror flicks
at all hours of the day or night?

I can't really pinpoint the time
when I started enjoying horror movies
and stopped having to sleep with the light on.

Though I do remember that the movie that
scared me the most was a children's film.
The Witches caused me more mental angst than
any other movie I've seen over the years.

I have only seen it once when I was either 8 or 9
and never again.

You can check out one of the clips that
scared the crap out of me here.
I much prefer Angelica Houston with her
own beautiful face.
















When I think of witches, I think of Practical Magic.
the kind of witches that you'd want to be,
not the ugly kind who turn kids into mice...
well maybe I could find a happy medium and be
a pretty witch who turned kids into mice.













Because who wouldn't want to be able to do that once in awhile.

And whether I was a witch or not,
I'd want to live here.

goodness gracious

I am a huge advocate
of natural and organic foods.

I check the ingredients
of everything that I buy,
from cereal to cleaners, to shampoo.
In search of the product with the least
amount of ingredients (and chemicals).

After reading Death by Supermarket,
In Defense of Food, and general nutrition books,
I decided to cut out the high fructose corn syrup.

You can read about how it is made here
It is a very complicated process
which should be a red flag immediately.
Who wants to put a highly processed product
into their body?
"Not I" said the redhead.

Here's where my blood begins to boil.
Recently there have been commercials airing
supporting high fructose corn syrup.




What gets me is that they claim that
HFCS is ok in moderation.
That could be the case if HFCS wasn't
in 80% of the foods at the average supermarket.
I'd be willing to bet that all of their
snacks at that birthday party were processed
and loaded with HFCS.

Well OK maybe not all of their snacks,
but HFCS hide in places that you least expect.
Love sandwiches? check the ingredients on your bread-
believe it or not, it is a challenge to find
HFCS-free bread at the supermarket.
Are you a cereal fanatic? because even rice krispies
and special K have it.
(I was deeply saddened to find that rice krispies was tainted.)

I could probably go on forever about this.
So I will sum this up right now.

You wouldn't put HFCS in the
food you make in your own kitchen,
so why buy items that have it?
And if it is so safe, why do
the HFCS people feel the need to
create commercials to defend it.

sorry to rant, but I felt it was necessary.

finally!

We have internet!
and a dog!

I finally adopted Sergio,
and he seems to be enjoying
life in our apartment.

We were insanely worried about him
barking, because we arrived home one night
and he was going crazy.
But since we've stopped locking him in the kitchen
he is doing much better.

Sounds crazy but the dog whisperer book
really helped us train Serg.
Cesar Millan really knows what he is doing.

I found this clip of him helping a beagle,
and while he does a great job, I think that
the highlight of this clip is the owner
who is wearing a beagle shirt, and has
beagle items all over the house.



Thankfully Serg has no real breed
so I could never become that owner.
haha.

Pumpkins!

I am so excited that the season
of autumn decided to grace us
with her presence this year!

I went out to early to run errands
this morning and there was a crisp
breeze and leaves crunching under my shoes.
heaven.

Another thing that I love about fall
are the pumpkins.















The bf and I were in whole foods the other day
and I saw a pumpkin display and yelled "pumpkins!!!"
a few seconds later, we hear a toddler yell out
"pumpkins!!!". I'm going to assume that he
wasn't mocking me and really enjoyed the
pumpkin display as much as I did.

As soon as we get settled in the new place
I am attacking the apartment with
halloween decorations.

I love halloween, my goal is to
have a REAL costume party.
none of this sexy costume crap,
I'm talking serious costumes.
Apple Cider.
Cupcakes.
Scary Movies.
and all things that halloween should be.

oh goodness, I almost forgot
my family's favorite halloween special.
Disney's Halloween Treat.
Here are some of my favorite clips.

Dita knows..

fancy hats are awesome.

Settling. the good kind.

For the last 4 years I've been on a constant move.
I've lived in 3 dorms rooms,
4 apartments,
3 states,
and 2 boroughs.

This Sunday, when I move
it will be the first time I've had
a permanent home in 4 years.

It's a magical thought.

I'm in the process of packing up my life
so I'm afraid I don't have much to say today.
Definitely more tomorrow.
xoxo

Our New Home

The bf and I decided to move in together,
and after a stressful and emotional
(only on my part) hunt, we finally found our dream home.

We are moving to Queens...I know I know,
I'm a BK girl. But I agreed to move to Qns
if the apartment was really something special.

And this definitely is.

We are moving to Sunnyside Gardens,
which has been around since the 1920's
and is compiled of beautiful brick homes,
tree lined streets, and community greenspaces.

Insipiring tail

I receive e-mails from the ASPCA,
and today they wrote about their
Dog of the Year award.

I teared up while reading it.

"Ten-year-old Cole Massie of Los Angeles, CA, may live with cerebral palsy, but he has
all the support a kid could want, thanks to a very special black Lab/
golden retriever mix named Ilia.

Recently crowned ASPCA Dog of the Year as part of the 2008 Humane Awards program, Ilia performs service duties like bringing items to Cole in his wheelchair and opening and closing doors. But the pooch also has that special healing touch that can’t be taught. “He provides amazing incentive to Cole during therapies, doctor’s appointments and procedures,” says Cole’s mom, Michelle Massie. “He calms, inspires and motivates my son far better than anyone ever has."

Or, as Cole sums it up: "I like when he lies next to me in bed at night and we listen to Harry Potter on CD, and that he helps to clean me when I'm in the bath by licking my face and arms. He's my furry brother and best friend—and a serious bed hog!

This past July, three years after boy and dog were paired by the nonprofit Canine Companions for Independence, Cole was faced with a difficult, but life-changing surgery. “He had walked on his toes, and his feet were totally rolled in,” says Massie. “The operation would allow him to use his feet and free him of the wheelchair.”

“Cole was frightened by the idea of surgery at first,” remembers Massie. “We explained how much more independent he’d be afterward, but he wasn’t buying it. Finally, we told him that if he had this procedure, there was a very good chance he’d be able to walk Ilia on his own—with no parents and no walker." After that, says Massie, "Cole would stroke the dog’s head in bed each night and whisper, 'I will walk you, Ilia. I will walk you.'"

After much coaxing, Cole underwent the surgery in Summit, NJ, and Ilia traveled more than 7,000 miles to be by the boy's side. The ten-year-old is now on his way to becoming an independent walker—and his dedicated service dog will be with him every step.

The entire family will attend the ASPCA Humane Awards Luncheon in New York City this October 30, where Ilia will be honored along with seven other extraordinary animals and people.

P.S. We'd like to remind you, pet lovers, that even heroes have their quirks. As Massie reveals, “Ilia knows 46 commands, but he won’t fetch!”

I just love stories like this!

I think I am going to try to get Serg that award.
He doesn't fetch either,
but he will root through my purse for his treats....
I guess we have a long way to go with him.

Oh My Goodness!

I took Sergio to get groomed today!
and he looks so handsome!


I wasn't sure where I should go,
when a fellow dog owner/grand st park go-er
recommended Doggie Styles in Williamsburg.
She said they were super nice and affordable,
and she was correct.

Our groomer was so friendly and understanding,
he took things very slow and made sure
that serg was ok throughout the process.
(serg hates being picked up and prodded-
so obviously a trip to the groomers is a nightmare)


I highly recommend Doggie Styles,
if you live in the Williamsburg area.
The staff is amazing and the prices are
more than reasonable.

Now look at how handsome he is!!

Da-what.

The bf and I attended the
cubs/mets game last night.

I was my first and last time
at Shea stadium.
And it was fantastic!
















I don't follow baseball, but I enjoy
going to the games.
Bonus about Shea: they serve brooklyn
lager- yessssss.
I hate going to sports events and being
forced to choose between bud and bud light.
finally some delicious beer.

I also indulged in a pretzel with mystery cheese.
So good and yet, so bad.
















Thanks to our friend Louise,
we had AMAZING seats.
(she knows the gm of the cubs)
and we spotted Bill Murray
in our section. which was a huge
highlight for the both of us.
















Some photos are from out home plate seats,
and the others are from the dugout
second row seats.

We had such a good time!
















I'll leave you with my favorite
rendition of the national anthem.
Sadly I couldn't find a decent video
so my apologies for this junky version.
But Maya Rudolph is brilliant.

Latest Obsessions

I've always been a fan of hats.
When I was younger I had
a crap ton of "blossom" hats,
and ones covered in rhinestones.
(yes I have always been gaudy)

These days I have decided to
begin investing in a cocktail
hat collection.
They are ridiculously beautiful
as well as timeless.

There is a booth in artist &fleas
with AMAZING hats.
2 of them will be mine.
oh yes.

I also took my search to etsy
and Batcakes hats have just made my day.
check these out.









































































I just purchased the cheetah hat
because there was only one.
and I felt that I needed it to survive.

If you want to jump on the cocktail hat
bandwagon, I suggest you get to Batcakes asap.
If you are in the NY area check out Fabulous Fannies
in the E village and artist & fleas in wburg on sat and sun.

My second obsession is /eks/
(pronounced X)
a wonderfully delicious frozen yogurt joint
on driggs b/w N9 &10th.

They actually make the yogurt in house
without any refined white sugar.
hooray!
I've seriously been addicted to this stuff.
But keep in mind it is frozen yogurt,
so it is going to taste like yogurt.

I read so many comments on yelp that
complain about the yogurt tangy taste....
why would you get frozen yogurt if you
don't even like the unfrozen stuff??
people baffle me.

I think this is way better than pinkberry.
It's light, refreshing, and I cannot
get enough.

Kitchen Sink

Here is the
fill-you-in-on-everything
blog.

I cannot believe it is September,
and the end of the month at that!
The crisp fall weather has been
magical, especially since we
were denied the season of
autumn last year.

The change in seasons always
stirs my deep desire to shop.
There are a few things at artists and fleas
that I have my eye on. (hats and jewelry!)
and I already have 2 new shoe purchases
under my belt.
















I FINALLY got new rainboots
at the fantastic price of $25
and a new pair of ankle boots
at payless for $34.
I love cheap shoes. fact.

In dog news, Sergio is doing
quite well, and he even let me
pick him up the other day.
(he didn't enjoy it, but he
didn't attack me- so I think
that is a huge step)

We spend most of our mornings
at the park on grand street where
he has taken to running around
like mees out of the bathtub
(read: all crazy-like.)
It makes me laugh so hard when he
does it.

The bad part is that when I return
him to the shelter he always tries
to follow me home.
This breaks my heart.
I just want to bring him home.

Another frustration has been my art.
I just haven't had the time or money
to do anything lately.
But today I picked up a pencil
and finally drew something that
I didn't hate.
it's a squid- I know everyone's shocked-
but different from the norm.




















I also want to get back into collaging
but I'll need a new supply of magazines
to chop up, I've exhausted all my other ones.

I know this is a super long post
I'm going to try to be better about
posting regularly again.
It's just a habit I need to get back into
I know other bloggers understand.


hugs and manatees.

Busy Bee

I'm a bad bad blogger.
fact.

But I have been busy,
as usual.
Between work, sergio,
searching, and the such
I've been running myself ragged.

I've made some sweet purchases
and gone to some good shows
in between, and I'll be posting
about those as well as my latest endeavor
tomorrow.
promise promise!

On the Waterfront

The park at Grand and River
has finally opened up again.
Despite the trash that seems
to be piling up, it is a lovely park
that is right on the water.

Serg and I have been venturing
down there to sit and watch the waves,
talk about how handsome he is,
and snuggle.

here are some photos from the park.















Serg blinked.



































He's so sweet, I also think that
Robert figured out what breed
he is a mix of- he said that the guy
on Ace of Cakes has a dog that looks
just like serg, and it is an eskimo dog.

So I did some research and the ears
and the coloring are different,
but it does kinda look like him!

Obviously this dog is a little more
well groomed than serg...