Bossypants is definitely this generation’s Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. This book made me laugh until I cried. I have re-read it many times, it’s sooo good!
It was one of those books that you don’t want to end. I laughed so loud
…but every sequel needs the last chapter, The Return of the Jedi, the Phillips to the Wilson, right? So the obviy person to pen her magnum opus would be…
Amy fucking Poehler!! Hooray! I am so stoked to read it. Her book is being described as “An illustrated, non-linear diary full of humor and honesty and brimming
with true stories, fictional anecdotes and life lessons, the book will
be a unique and engaging experience from one of today’s most talented
and beloved stars.” This lady rocks my boat.
Season 11
So, Project Runway is back…are you lovelies watching? It’s teams this year, yikes, they are really trying to make these people kill each other. One thing I love about PR is they love to eliminate s’s on the end of words! A nude LIP, a cool slim PANT or a clunky HEEL. At least this year they are giving them a Lexus. I remember season one got a Saturn, and I think he turned it down, haha! I really want this dude to win.
Los Angeles has a wishy-washy winter season. One day it’s dark, cloudy and raining and then the next it’s 80 degrees. We have been fighting colds and staying home but on sunny days we can’t resist going out to visit Grandma or have dinner with Stephen & Leslie *so yum!*
I have a serious weakness for pretty balloons. I had a giant white one for our pop-up anniversary dinner but Antz said as soon as he arrived at the beach it flew away. I was pretty bummed I didn’t get to take any photos with it. Lame!
So have you heard it through the grape–vine? This app is the video version of Instagram and it’s spreading like the flu *but in a good way*. Please follow my video adventures at Lizzie Hall Conley.
I can’t believe in a few months we will finally have water pressure in our kitchen. It seems silly to live with it for so long but every plumber has told us they would have to break open the walls to fix the issue, so we figured we may as well wait until we can put in a new tile back splash and new cabinets when the old tile gets demolished for the repairs. You know the saying…
Not that I’m into killing birds but I really want to kill the fugly tile backsplash we have now. So now comes my annual conundrum, to spend or not to spend? I first set the budget at $6000, for plumbing, a new DIY backsplash, painting the existing cabinets, adding some new knobs and drawer pulls and refinishing the wood floor, no frills. Then we decided Ikea installing new cabinets was our best option and all their silly extra costs began to add up, a new dishwasher, sink, faucet and BAM! Just like that the budget ballooned to $10000. Today I fell in love with the idea of having an island
Do you see that trough sink? So pretty!!
Can you blame me? We are installing butcher block countertops, so there’s no way I wouldn’t ruin it with scratches or staining it when I spill cranberry juice on them the first day we install them. If we had an island, we could use it for our food prep and save the countertops from my clumsiness. It’s ridiculous how many kitchens I am seeing with the simple white cabinets, white subway tile back splash and wood countertops on Pinterest.
I love the color of this countertop, you can tell this is a European kitchen. They always has the tiniest sinks.
These are the actual Ikea Akurum cabinets in a “real kitchen” I love that they made custom toe kicks that gives them a vintage feel. *by real I mean not fancied up for a magazine shoot.
I would love open shelves like these but we need the enclosed cabinets, our shit isn’t this nice. One day I’ll have nice shit!
This one is pretty close to our existing layout
I wish my cabinets were high enough to fit my Kitchenaid mixer under them.That would be the perfect place to store it in the corner.
This is the look I want, clean white, vintage inspired but modern functionality. Geez, why do I sound like a HGTV host?
I was never a fan of granite countertops, stainless steel appliances or dark wood cabinets. Feels dated and old folksy to me. I have no idea what color to paint the walls in our kitchen. We have so much crown molding trim that is painted white, it would seem too stark to paint white walls. I’m having similar feelings as Nicole from Making it Lovely about all white kitchen walls.
I definitely want to stain the floors darker
Not that the yellow walls are helping brighten my kitchen currently
See, my mixer is a tad too tall to fit underneath the cabinets
Now I’m like, where’s the color? Where’s the fun, bright cheery kitchen, you know? I suppose staying neutral is best since we are focused on selling our house. There’s so much to plan, decide and pay for *feeling overwhelmed* We had to return my lovely Hjuvik faucet since it doesn’t have a regular spout attachment and it’s too high for the wall. Bummer! In the end, as long as I have strong water pressure and a dishwasher, I’m happy!
Hi,everyone!It’s Lizzy’s Best Friend fo-eva,Aimee!Lizzy asked me to do another special guest blog post.It has been a long time since I last did this blogging thing.I will try to be as interesting and entertaining as I possibly can(I tend to be one of the most vapid people on Earth,so lemme try my best).
So…LET’S GET THIS SHIT SHOW STARTED!We shall title this blog post:BFF SHIT LIST # 2!All of my favorite things right now in the whole wide world…HERE WE GO!!!!!!!
Me and my soon to be Dream car!!
1.The Fiat 500 Pop(color:Verde Chiaro):
Ok.So,I have never been a car person.My Lizzy has never had a “broke-back” vehicle.She has always had the newest and cutest Volkswagen.Always top of the line.I have always had a rickshaw.It’s just how I roll(…or not-HA!).I do not think that in our almost 16 years of friendship that she has ever taken a ride in my vehicle.Not that I blame her.I have been a single mother since my early 20’s.I have always sacrificed for my son to have the best of everything.Now that he is almost a grown up,I am going to buy my VERY FIRST CAR!!!!!OMFG!I am so excited…Lizzy told me that I could totally do it(she really believes in me…),and that I deserve something nice!I do,Goddamn-it!I plan on getting my dream car in March!I am uber excited!!!!!The car is super fun to drive(I test drove it already)and has great gas mileage!It looks like a shoe and is super teeny tiny.I really love it!EXCITEMENT X’S INFINITY!!!!
2.Koreatown(a.k.a KO-REEEEEE-UHHHH- TOWN-UH):
I moved from Venice,Ca in November to be able to afford my car payments(very smaaaaat…).My rent is about $500 cheaper,all utilities,and my new joint is almost exactly the same as my old one.The only drawback is that K-Town is a 45 minute commute from the beach where I work.By the time I moved out of Venice,I was seriously over it.It was a total carnival atmosphere.It gets old.I lived there for ages.Korea-town is very “Third World”,but,I dig it.I like dirty.I like different cultures.I like crazy foods…I feel at home in K-Town.And,Korean barbeque is so effing yummy!I am so lucky it is in walking distance from my house!YES!!!!
With my BFFs last summer
3.Las Vegas,NV:
Ok.So,I liked a guy(if you can call “IT” that)who moved to Las Vegas.I went there to visit that knuckle-head&fell in love with Vegas!OMG!I love that place…The last time I was there 2 months ago,me and my friend Erin stayed at the Cosmopolitan!
It was so lovely.Our beds and the bathroom were the best!
I love the freedom of having a cocktail at any hour of the day(they have those “Yard” thingies to get you WASTED for hours)
Dranks!!!
…smoking like a chimney,and playing slots!WEEEEE-HOOOO!The Michael Jackson slot is my favorite!
It plays music and the seats vibrate!
I won $500 on that thing!
I also found my new favorite bar(and I hate bars and anything to do with them,or the folks that patronize bars-ew!).It’s called “Blue Martini”.They had awesome live cover band playing(Ashley Red), I have a mega crush on the lead singer, shhh!I freaking love Vegas!That place is like a fantasy land for adults.It’s all glittery&shiny and junk.
SHINY!!
Being tipsy is always a plus in my book…HA!I wanna go back and see Celine Dion(don’t judge!)and Britney Spears(when she takes up residency at one of the casinos there).I love that place!Lizzy is over it,but,I’m a late bloomer…
4.Red Lipstick:
I always have a full face of make up at all times.This is a true fact about me.I will not even go down the street for a cup of coffee without a full face.Nope.Nothing natural about me.Not a damn thing.I love chemicals,perfume,make up and being feminine.Make up rules!So…my new “thing” is red lipstick!It really makes the mouth the focal point of your face.Mac Red(the name of the color by Mac Cosmetics)is the ONLY red that looks good with my skin tone.I also use Cherry (again,Mac)lip liner to line my lips.
5.Nars Blush Exhibit A: Last time I blogged,I was raving about Super Orgasm blush…I still love that stuff.But,I felt that it wasn’t “make up-y” enough for my tastes.I like to look like Baby Jane Hudson all day and night!
Exhibit A helps me to achieve this hardcore “Kardashian” look I need to make my life complete!Then,all is right with the world…(p.s. Exhibit A is BRIGHT red-use sparingly).
6.Gel Nails:
My new favorite thing!So,check it out…Lizzy says I have “Crypt Keeper Hands” *Liz note: so true, she needs to wear gloves with lotion all day & night!
It’s true,I totally do.They look like they belong to a corpse. All dry and shit. ASH-Y…Whatever..so,my friends told me about Gel nails.These things last for 3 weeks!OMG!So shiny and purdy!They make my skin look waaaaay less crocodile.They do take ages to get(almost 2 hours).So be prepared to sit there for 5 years.But,it’s worth it! Trust!
7.Karla Deras:
Karla Deras is a fashion blogger that attends FIDM here in Los Angeles.Her blog is OMG!She has the best style,best make up,nails,hair,and DIMPLES!I totally just copied her blue nails,too!I think she is the most adorable thing in life right now!She also sells her own line of jewelry at high end department stores.Her blog is called “Karla’s Closet“.
8.Megan Martinez:
Megan Martinez is a BAD-ASSED make up artist and co-owner of Chaos Make-up.She is based in Texas.She is so damn talented.I love her.She does unbelieveable work..I really want to take one of her classes(I have my estheticians license,and really want to get back into doing things with skin-maybe even make up school).Anyway,I love her!
9.Sophia Amuruso:
This chick is the shit!She is the owner of Nasty Gal.OMG!The clothes are fantastic(ok…some are real hoochie)!I buy a MEGA amount of my clothes from Nasty Gal.Sophia Amuruso was on the Forbes “One’s To Watch” list. I don’t even think she’s in her 30’s yet…Check out NastyGal.com
I need a one piece suit for this summer(I have to hide all my junk-i.e.stretch marks and saggy,old lady unsightly blubber).This is my favorite!So cute!Kinda last year,but,I don’t care!Loves it!
11.The word “MEGA”:
My favorite word right this second…I don’t know why..I just love it! M E G A!!!!!!!!!!!
My Lizzy gave me a set for Christmas!I love these things so much!I don’t wear them everyday(I wish I could)…I don’t want to ruin them…They are so special!LOVES!!!!!
13.Pinterest:
Lizzy turns me onto all sortsakindsa things…She always says,”Oh,DO THIS!I am fucking begging you!Trust me!You will love it!”And,I am always like,”Yeah,right…I ain’t doin’ that dumb shit!”…And,then,I do…And then-I AM HOOKED AND ADDICTED TO WHATEVER IT IS…In this case,it’s the PINTEREST!I have over 460 followers and I just love pinning!I do it for hours!!!!!It’s so much fun!Lizzy knows me best…that’s why I love my bff(don’t try and steal her…SHE’S MINE!!!!!!)
Ok…this was my “Shit List #2″(hahahaaa…#2…).I hope you all enjoyed it list of crap.I hope to do it again really soon(Lizzy wants me to have a blog of my own…I cannot commit enough time to a blog,and I don’t wanna half-ass it).See ya!!!!!!!
It feels like ages since I last blogged. Sorry lovelies, I’ve been enjoying hanging at home with Antz & Liv. We had an uneventful 3 day weekend. Saturday Antz and I had a business meeting. Monday, we watched the inauguration concert and hung out in the backyard. We finally had a break in the cold January weather and Antz moved our patio dining table back upstairs. Liv & Antz made homemade lemonade and I picked up Chipotle and we had our first outdoor lunch of the year.
I hope to have many more outdoor meals but our 7 year old grill died so we are looking at replacing it with this guy.
Totally cute and we only need a small grill, nothing fancy. After lunch we took a walk on York Blvd. Antz and I are not pleased that Cafe de Leche is adding a mural to the lovely brick wall. Highland Park has it’s fill of murals; the Virgin Mary is plastered everywhere as well as every party shop has Spongebob, Elmo & Dora *which never seems to look right*
I adore street art but something tells me that this guy isn’t going to bring it in the mural department.
I do love the lovely yarn bombing on York. Highland Park has been coming around. This article came out last week and gave us some hope that our little house could one day bring in the big bucks. Who knows, we’re already being dubbed the next Echo Park. I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not. We’re still debating the big kitchen remodel, go big or go budget?
Once again, I’m borrowing this feature *please be flattered* from Bleubird but it’s so cute. It’s pretty self-explanatory please, feel free to borrow from me…
Of course I would choose the only book no longer in print and impossible to find. Yet, I’m so fascinated by Sofia Coppola.
She appears to be a quiet ingenue *rare for a Hollywood socialite* but shows her voice is quite loud and has a great eye for stunning visual and vulnerable characters in her films. Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides & Marie Antoinette are my favorites. I will keep an eye out for it next time I visit Wackos.
So tell me lovelies, what are your Want/Need/Wear/Read?
How have you been? Last weekend we went to a super fun birthday party for twins from Liv’s class. They had a party at Griffith Park next to the carousel *sound familiar?* I didn’t take as many pictures as I usually do because, yep you guessed it, my camera battery died. Such a recurring theme for me. Liv had a blast and rode the carousel 3 times. I only managed to go once. When did carousels start spinning so fast? I got old lady motion sickness.
Kids go absolutely ape shit for balloons. I wonder why we adults even bother buying anything else. They played with these until they flew up into a tree. Then their Dad had to rush off and buy another set. *Note to self, make sure the balloons for Liv’s party are super anchored*
They are so cute!! I can’t believe everyone in her class is almost 3. Liv is the youngest in her class, yet the tallest girl. Everyone is shocked when I tell them her birthday isn’t until June.
Somebody takes their cake eating seriously.
Walt Disney used to take his daughters to this carousel and it provided inspiration for him to create Disneyland
Liv loved her birthday swag bag. I have a feeling we will have a full calendar in the birthday party department. Happy Hump Day!!
I have been known to bash families with more than one kid. Let me say this, I like large families, I just don’t think it would work for me. Let’s take a look at my own family tree.
My Grandma Louise, My Mom Bobbye, Me *at 11 years old* and my awesome dog Cash
And there you have it. Of course I have a father, William, but my Mom raised me as a single parent. I have a handful of aunts, uncles, a cousin or two that I have seen a few times but this was my family core. No family reunions, huge Thanksgiving gatherings, bickering over the bathroom in the morning or awkward chit chat with relatives you see once every few years who pinch your cheeks and say how much you’ve grown.
Now my hubby, his family is massive. When they have a family get-together the crowd rivals Woodstock. Being a part of his life and family for the last 16 years I’ve grown accustomed to larger families. I never had that many people to care for and it was overwhelming for me at first. Then I enjoyed meeting new nieces and nephews, visiting relatives from LA to Mexico. I think having 3 sisters-in-law, countless cousins and uncles, and “this is the son of my sister’s daughter’s husband’s brother” is very cool. I sometimes wonder what life would be like with 3 or 4 children and sadly, I only see chaos. I meticulously make Liv’s lunch the night before and I couldn’t even imagine making specialized meals for 3 other children. As organized as I may seem, there are definitely days when I can’t find a shoe or Liv refuses to take a nap so I can’t wash dishes, clothes or even my hair. How do these Super Mom’s do it? I am terrible in the discipline department. I can’t scold Liv with a straight face and when I do get stern with her I am on the verge of tears. I thought I hated diapers but I despise taking a toddler to a public restroom even more. Or even having to clean a potty with a #2 *Yuck beyond belief* Well, obviously I’m only seeing one side of large family life. There are several amazing families who seem to have everything under control. Case in point…
Gabrielle is mother is 6 lovely, well behaved, incredible children. She manages to feed, clothe, bathe, entertain, educate, and love them all while living in this amazing farmhouse in France! Following her family’s move from the States to Europe has been so inspiring. If she can do it with 7 people, I surely can handle Paris with just 3! She really proves the phrase “The more the merrier!“
Now they may not be the largest family but James home-schools her two oldest and she takes care of a 2 year old *who is potty training* and an adorable 3 month old. She still manages to bake a cake every Sunday…from scratch. This family is moving from Texas to Tennessee and I still can’t figure out how she a. maintains her sanity and b. can afford to dress her children in the cutest clothes ever. The style and kindness that radiates from this family gives me a toothache from being so darn sweet.
They say three kids is average but this is no average family. I recently found them from Bleubird and became smitten by the charm and silliness the Lyons exude. I guess it helps she’s a professional photographer and Dad is a producer for our favorite show. There’s something about big brother’s holding their little siblings that makes me melt. Seeing the photos of the bonds between these 3 siblings shows me there’s more than arguments, obligations and other family drama. It teaches me to not hold on to being selfish and learn to be selfless.
I do have my moments when I consider having another baby, so let’s just say I’m never going to say never. Babies are such blessings and I feel indebted for every day I spend with Olivia. Who knows what the future may hold for our family. Just please don’t ask me when!!
Here’s some photos of our day. Happy Weekend!
Toy shopping at Dinosaur Farm *so happy she’s on the mend from being sick*
Showing a dinosaur to a new friend
I finally used my Kate Spade pouch, I love it so much!! *I’m just terrified I’m going to somehow ruin it*
Thanks for being the freakiest thing I’ve ever seen in a bathroom
I have a one-track mind lately, well, actually multi-track mind. Liv being sick for the last 3 days is super lame. I’m just getting over my cold, we are both sad faces.
Matching chins, only her double chin is cute and mine is horrible!
This amazing song is constantly playing in my head from putting together Liv’s birthday party playlist.
Last night Antz and I had our first Wii workout last night *I’ve gained 2 lbs since Halloween* I did 36 minutes of boxing, step, hula hoops and kung fu *my favorite* I’m not the least bit sore today! So when I’m not preoccupied with those things, my mind is daydreaming of our new kitchen. It’s hard to stick to our tight budget, especially when our 10 year old toaster dies and I have been wanting this handsome guy for ages.
Knowing my luck when I’m ready to buy accessories, they will be sold out *they are sold online only* I am so excited to actually have counter space for lovely things. I am constantly looking at white subway tile kitchens on Pinterest. I’m a little cautious of buying any cute stuff now since I still haven’t gotten a final plumbing quote and I’m expecting a ton of unexpected costs when Ikea installs our cabinets. We didn’t budget for professional demolition. We’re going to attempt to do it ourselves and see if we don’t ruin our house before we have to hire professionals. I have toWILL stay on budget!
My batteries are all charged and I’ve got a skip in my step towards making my resolutions into reality. I’ve got my first scheduled Wii workout tonight. My plan is to get 3 workouts and 2 walks a week. I had to postpone last week’s workout since I was sicky. Now my lovely Liv has what appears to be a light flu. She’s sneezy, coughy, fevery, stuffy, achy, runny nose and has a serious case of the sleepys. I’ve been giving her liquids, soup and toast. So far toast and fruit is all she eats but she’s not barfing which is good news, I suppose. Unfortunately, I don’t think she’ll go to school tomorrow. I’m sure by Thursday she’ll be back to her bright and cheery self.
Here’s a sneak peek!
I have made progress in the Great Birthday Plans. I found the perfect venue, within a reasonable budget and accommodates most of our needs. Antz is going to take a day off this month so we can check it out since it’s closed for private parties on weekends. I hope all is well and I can book it so we can secure our date *June is a very popular birthday month* I was going to order Party Packs from Hot Dog on a Stick but the new venue includes pizza and who doesn’t like pizza? That takes a great load off my plate since I no longer have to find someone to pick up the food and all the expense of keeping it warm, and the condiments involved with hot dogs. I’m going to make lemonade myself and use my new lemonade dispenser. The adults will be happy to know I can serve beer and wine at her party. It’s all coming together and before I know it, June will be here. This morning I found the perfect 3rd birthday party outfit for Liv but I have to hold off ordering any clothes for her since she grows like a weed and everything I’ve bought so far she’s on the verge of outgrowing. It is ridiculously cute in an edgy-but-sweet way *not your typical tutu with a shirt that says I’m 3* I’m super excited for her party!!
So tomorrow I will meet with our plumber, Martin, to get his feedback on the faucet I bought. Our existing sink is only 29 inches wide and the new sink will be 36 inches so we are going to reconfigure all the cabinets layout. In March we’re having Ikea come to our house to measure our crooked walls. I’m so happy we aren’t installing those cabinets ourselves because we have the slanty-iest house in the world. I call it my Pop-up book house. We’ll attempt to do the backsplash ourselves since we have experience installing waterproof drywall and tile, so I’m pretty confident. My Mom has a hardwood floor guy to refer to us and all we need to find now is an electrician *who doesn’t charge $200 per hour*
I’m pretty geeked out for Antz & my date night in a few weeks. We’re gonna see Life of Pi. I wasn’t gonna see it until I read the book *which I hear is pretty awesome* but life with a toddler makes reading a rare occurrence. My friend Nic said it was visually stunning.
