my movie column.

one thing i love about coming to the nor cal is that we always see lots of movies. M and i love to see movies, but usually ones that have made it to the dollar theatre....which means they have probably been out for a while. but not when we visit the parentals! we get to see them all- new, semi-new...action-packed, romantic comedies and children's flicks.

my opinions on the movies we've seen:


we saw Enchanted- which i absolutely ADORED. my favorite of the bunch. holy cow, could Giselle be any cuter?? i think not! i want to be her... i don't remember wanting to be a disney princess since i was 6. my baby girl loved it, too. she kicked and squirmed through the entire thing! this is definitely one i will buy the day it comes
out.

we also saw the new National Treasure. i felt very entertained throughout the movie- though it wasn't necessarily as thought-provoking as the first. i would recommend seeing it.

today we saw P.S. I love you. seeing this movie inspired me to write this blog. i am still so sad after watching it! i'm not sure if it was just the pregnancy hormones, or my real ones, but i cried through the whole dang thing. i mean, it really gets you thinking about your life...it got me thinking about mine... i love M so much- i can't picture my life without him. it literally breaks my heart. it makes me want to hug him and never let go. has anyone seen it? am i crazy for feeling this way? my advice: if you plan on seeing this show, bring a box of tissues...and prepare to be sad. in fact, i'm planning on turning on Emperor's New Groove to provide some much needed cheer and laughter.

pink power.

throw out the blue, folks...IT'S A GIRL!!

it's funny because somehow I knew it all along. i don't quite know how, because heaven knows that i did NOT want a girl for the longest time. in fact, my parents reminded me of this over dinner the other night when we broke the news to them. they said, "a GIRL!? you promised us you never would have a girl because girls were mean!" and i did. i vowed to them years ago, "mom, dad, i do not want to have a girl. i'm having all boys." well, apparently, it's not up to me.

and i'm so glad!

we're SOOO thrilled to be having a girl! i feel like the heavens above have been intricately preparing M and me for a since we've been married. we've been surrounded by the most adorable little girls for neighbors- Elizabeth, Juliette, Hailey, Madeline, Raleigh...the list goes on and on! and the most adorable nieces/cousins- Annabelle, Nicole, Kaydee, Natalie- i've been getting more and more excited week by week, year by year to do the ribbons, pig-tails, dresses, bows, tights, the love, the hugs and the DRAMA that inevitably come with having the pink goodness of a baby.

so while i am a little nervous of those "teenager years," and the crazy hormones that accompany the XX chromosomes, i couldn't be happier than thinking of holding my baby girl.

perfect present hunt.

first off- did anyone go out shopping on saturday??? WHAT A ZOO! i literally felt like a cow being herded a long in directions i didn't want to go. i felt a sort of empathy for cattle that i hadn't felt before. they must get so frustrated at people ringing bells or sending dogs to bark and chase after them...kind of like how i felt with people honking at me while i was trying to find a spot to park...or people walking so fast to the right or left of me that i felt like if i didn't keep up with the pace, i'd get trampled. i really enjoy shopping for my friends or family, though. seeing their faces when they open something that you picked out specifically for them makes all the hustle and bustle worth it.

one complaint:

i'm getting kind of tired of hearing all of my friends and family say, "Yeah, I have all my shopping done. It feels so nice!" I want to scream! I do have close to all of my Christmas shopping done...minus one person...the person who should be all done: THE HUSBAND! i can't help but be stumped. i have had some good ideas...all of which have failed to work out...so now i'm crying out in desperation for HELP (imagine me writing S.O.S. in the sand so that all can see). i want to be meaningful...yet, i know that men don't see "meaningful" quite the same as we women see it. i mean, i would get all sentimental and teary eyed to see a picture of us in a frame. i don't quite see the same reaction coming from M. i guess i just want him to be happy on Christmas morning... there has to be a perfect gift out there somewhere! ugh. what a dilemma.

any suggestions? comments? they'd be much appreciated. until then, i'll continue the "perfect present hunt."

this is my grown-up christmas list

many of my cute friends have posted their "wish-lists" for christmas on their blogs...and, well, it inspired me. now, i don't think i ever remember making a wish list for any holiday or occasion. i don't really know why- i guess i just have that little kid in me that loves the element of suspense and surprise that comes with not knowing what you're going to get. still, M keeps on hinting that he would like some guidance this year...and, well it just seemed so fun!

(i'd like to preface this by saying this: i truly do have everything that i could hope for right now. i'm so happy with the man of my dreams, a baby-to-be, and wonderful family and friends! this list simply caters to my greedy side)

My Wish-list (from the elaborate to the simple)
1. A Kitchen Aid Mixer
2. Children's Books (i can't get enough!)
3. A New Apron (I like this one and this one best)
4. A Yoga Mat
5. New Converses
6. A Digital SLR Camera- like this one (in my dreams)
7. Anything for baking (cookie cutters, recipe books, etc)
8. Movies- any! Disney, HAIRSPRAY, old movies, etc.
9. Lip Gloss in Nymphette
10. Piano music from Pride and Prejudice
11. Navy Vans
12. An ultrasound to know if it's a boy or a girl!
13. One of these adorable Diaper Bags
14. Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits

A little self-indulgent...but everyone needs some wishes!

i'm "it"

so unbeknown to me, i've been playing some game of tag and now i'm "it" (according to pretty miss davis). this means that i have the task at hand to describe 6 things you may not know about me. this is a difficult task for me, since for those of you who know me know that i have a BIG mouth. nonetheless, i'm "it" so i will try.

1. i love old things. old movies (some favorites include Casablanca, Singin' in the rain, Wizard of Oz and Holiday Inn), old music (can't get enough of the Rat Pack or the Buena Vista Social Club), and vintage fashion (40's inspired shoes (I LOVE SHOES), jackets and skirts). in fact, i am watching Casablanca as we speak with a romantic heart, wishing that my hair could look as stunning as Ilsa's and that a size 8 was still the ideal figure.

2. i wish i was a musician. i think i'm quirky enough- but not talented enough. i play the piano, the saxophone, the clarinet...and a little bit of guitar, but none of them really well- which is my dream. i think most of all, i wish i could sing. my mom has one of the best voices anyone has ever heard, and i always wonder, how in the world did that gene skip me? a little greedy, i know. but you can't really have a solo or be on stage in a broadway production (another dream) without the voice to match.

3. i hate the phone. i always have. i hate making phone-calls, even to people i really know. i also rarely will answer the phone if i don't recognize the number. the interesting thing is i'm pretty sure the phone hates me back. my phones always break- very shortly after i get them. right now, i am suffering with a phone that has a completely cracked screen. i can't tell who's calling- so if i miss the call, i don't even know it. anyway, i don't really know why this loathing exists- maybe i had some horribly awkward conversation in the past that i've some how suppressed into my memory. i apologize if you have been the recipient of this hate-hate relationship.

4. i love cold showers. i think this is because when i was little, i used to have the hottest temper of any 3-year old in a 1,000 mile radius. i would get so worked up (about things like my dad taking a bite of my cotton candy- clearly rational behavior) that i would start hyperventilating and i could hardly breathe. my parents didn't know what to do to calm me down- so they'd put me (with clothes and all) in a cold shower to help cool me down. to this day, they have a calming, soothing effect on me.

5. i would choose staying in on a friday night with my honey, snuggling while watching movies and eating popcorn over just about anything. to me, there's nothing as ideal or romantic.

5 1/2. i might choose chips and salsa over popcorn. i could eat chips and salsa at every meal- it's my signature.

6. i adore tennis. M and i love to play together- and someday i will be very good at it. (that someday is the day i'll finally earn the cute tennis skirt).

feeling festive.

wow, i heart christmas. who doesn't?? i feel so christmasy today because....we found a tree. and decorated it too.


now, i realize that this will not be in any pottery barn catalog nor will it star on a home edition of martha stewart...but the lovely nature of the greeny goodness still gives M and me a sense of accomplishment and holiday cheer.

in fact, i have so much cheer that i'm singing this song at this exact moment:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five-and-ten, glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,
Toys in ev'ry store,
But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door

(skip a couple of lines)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas;
Soon the bells will start,
And the thing that wil make them ring is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart.

i know you wish you were here to listen to me belt the "carol of my heart" out. good stuff.

churro-licious

costco is one of my favorite places. it just is. tonight, we intended to "just get a couple of things," or in other words, "to just be in and out." get real. can anyone just slip in and out of costco? there's so much to see...and everything there is so desirable. tonight, my rumbly tumbly discovered just how desirable some costco treats are....one costco treat to be exact: the churro.


this picture just does not do it justice. most of the world knows that my stomach has not been able to do much of anything lately...but this dollar delight kept my tummy and my taste buds crying for more. i have a feeling i just created a pregnancy-long craving for myself. thank goodness it only costs a dollar.

kickin' our heels

A few weekends ago M, Dev, Kim and I learned some new dance steps, just in time for the holiday parties that are coming up. Check 'em out!

united we barf.

one wonders, what could be worse than barfing? well, i think M and I have figured out what's worse...barfing together.

after a week of not being able to stomach anything more than dry toast and popcorn (what a combo), yesterday I had a breakthrough beginning with a breakfast of pancakes. i ate two whole pancakes! yesssss. the day went on...i couldn't eat anything else, but chips and queso from chili's sounded pretty good. mike was starving and wanted chili's too- and so did dev and kim.

we got to chili's...and mike already was feeling a little sick. i was sorely disappointed to find out that the queso i had been craving had beef in it. for some reason i haven't been able to eat meat (surprise surprise) so i had to settle on another option.... and mike went for the burger.

well, the burger apparently was the worst option for M. right after he finished it, he said "i don't feel too good." a few short hours later, i had fallen asleep and M ran out of the bed for the bathroom....i went to the kitchen to get him a glass of water...i brought it in to him and then, it happened. united we barfed.

it was an interesting, new experience for the two of us. one i hope never happens again, but a memory i'll remember forever.