Man charged with drunk driving on a... wait for it.... bar stool

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ATTENTION!

Madonna: do you think the camo was a bit much?

Lourdes: don't talk to me, Mother.

Madonna: watch your mouth or no tree bark for you tonight.

Lourdes: *siiiiigh*. I can't believe you dragged me here to kidnap, I mean, adopt another kid. Can't you leave that up to Ang and Brad? And what are you going to name this one? Sarah? Why do I get the crazy name and the kids from Africa get the most normal names on the planet?

Madonna: hey, I'm very important. I mean, look at these boots? They have "caring mother" written all over them. And this hair? It took a four year old Malawian child 15 minutes to do, and only cost 15 cents. You can't get that kind of dedication in NY. For the LOVE of Kabbalah... How can there be no cell phone reception out here? I'm MADONNA!

Lourdes: I'm walking away.

Madonna: HUT two three four...

[Image via Fame]

OMG. Swooooooooooooooooooooooooon!

I. LOVE. Ryan. Gosling. Seriously. Seriously. *sigh* Mr. Gosling has apparently taken quite an interest in Natalie Portman (who was seen canoodling with Sean Penn last night - what?! Scandalous!). All I know is I would let Ryan Gosling take an interest in me. I welcome it.



[Image via Dirty Disher]

She's come a long way from Pretty Woman... well, to an even prettier woman

I adore Julia Roberts. Love her. Here she is in her Pretty Woman days:



And here she is a few weeks ago promoting her new movie, Duplicity:



Age is certainly treating her very well. If we could all be so lucky...

[Images via US Weekly]

So it is true... Marriage does mean dressing alike.

Do you think newly married couple Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams share the same closet? Whatever they do, she certainly looks super cute and happy.



[Image via Splash News]

Oh, no no no no no....

What the crap is this???? Really, Paris Hilton? Really? She clearly let her chihuahua dress her for this outing.



[Image via FlynetOnline.com]

Inglorious Basterds Trailer

Will you go see Brad Pitt's new film?

What I'm digging right now

I'm absolutely in love with my (somewhat) new Calvin Klein Trouser Jeans. I love the color, the fit, the length, the price. I have a really hard time finding jeans that: 1. FIT and 2. I like more than a week. I love that I can wear them with flats or with a kitten heel AND the length is still perfect. (For someone who hasn't been wearing heels lately thanks to being unemployed, my feet are really loving the comfort of flats, and I've always had a hard time finding a jean that I could wear easily with flats.)

These fit the bill quite nicely.

Painting kitchen cabinets is not easy

So, many of you know that I've been trying to paint my kitchen for well over a year now, but my desire to finish is nonexistent. I was so motivated at first, but then...well, I lost my oomph. Painting kitchen cabinets is NOT at all fun. So, today, I decided it's time. Spring is coming (or already here?) and I want my kitchen back to normal. I've already got our new butcher block island and stools set up (which look fantastic) and now, I want all my cabinets and walls bright and clean (the majority are done).

The picture at right is what I'm going for with regards to cabinets: a few will be open and a few will have doors. The cabinet color is an off white and the wall color is green, which looks ten times better than what they were. I'm so annoyed that I can't find the "before" pictures that I took because then you'd get a sense of what I'm talking about. Maybe by the end of the week I'll have some progress photos to post... Stay tuned.

[Image courtesy of Cottage Living]

10 best foods for your heart

Are you eating any of the following on a regular basis? According to CCN.com, "these ten foods will help keep your ticker in top shape."

Oatmeal
Salmon
Avocado
Olive Oil
Nuts
Berries
Legumes
Spinach
Flaxseed
Soy

Read the full article here.

Our olive oil of choice is from Paolo Bea Winery in Montefalco, Italy. We bought several bottles when we visited in 2006, and we are nearing the end of our last bottle, which means we have to go back so we can stock up. The oil is so incredibly rich and flavorful, and has the most amazing color. It's pricey, but it's so worth it. I never knew that something could taste so delicious!

[Image via de-vino.com]

Johnny Depp AND Christian Bale in a new movie: Public Enemies

Introducing Maru. A funny cat.

Apple's Nano being turned into a car

The Nano is not just for playing music anymore. India's Tata Motors announced today that they are currently making the "world's cheapest car," the Nano. It's a cross between a Smart Car and a Toyota Yaris. But, a LOT cheaper: $2,000. What do you think?

Oh the things you can find in a junk shop

I decided a while ago that I'd like to buy a record player, and even though I don't have a record player right now, I did find a few records yesterday at a junk / antique shop in Essex. When I was younger, I had records before cassettes and one of my favorite records was Michael Jackson's Thriller. I had a bit of an obsession with MJ and, lucky for me, one of my babysitters used to do an awesome MJ impersonation, glove and red leather jacket included. Anyway, I didn't find Thriller in my sifting yesterday, but I did find a few other gems.... No judging, please.

A Walk in the Woods

On both Saturday and Sunday I put my sneakers on, grabbed my water bottle (and camera, of course), and set out for two separate walks / hikes in the woods. Alf and I tackled Agassiz Rock in Manchester on Saturday, which was a very short moderate hike (.77 miles) and on Sunday, Aaron and I set out on a moderate hike (we walked for an hour and half on three different trails) via Ceder Hill - Pulpit Rock hike in Manchester. The latter was longer and full of more interesting sights (ex. a beaver busily constructing a dam), but Agassiz Rock displayed some amazing rocks courtesy of the Wisconsin Glacier. Both trails will be incredibly different come June, and I look forward to checking them out sporadically over the course of Spring and Summer.

Laugh out Loud Funny

Celebrity Vlog of the week

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Telegram notecards

How great are these?! Perfect size and personal. In today's emailing / texting / facebooking / twittering / myspacing society, I'm still a big fan of actually sending (and receiving!) a hand written note. What a better way to do it then with Paperwink's personalized notecards? Super cool, creative, and different. And the price is pretty decent - not too much to spend on making someone's day...

Introducing Ella Turiya Millet

My cousin, Katie, had her first baby girl on March 15th, and both she and Ella are doing well. Katie was in labor for 30 hours (!!!), and when I saw her on Monday morning, she looked amazing... Smiling and so in love with her new daughter.

What I can't wait to wear.

I've had visions of summer in my head ever since I booked our vacation late last month. We're heading back to the same cottage we rented last year in Bridgton, Maine and we decided to go in early September as opposed to early summer, mostly because Alf's pine pollen allergy was so severe last year that it nearly ruined his holiday. So, I've been dreaming about that cottage, with its 90 foot wraparound screened in porch and the sound of the water lapping the shore (oh, and the shore is about five feet from the cottage). Anyway, I'm not a sun worshiper, but I do love to sit in the sun (with lots of sun block on) and read. I can't wait to kick back with Anthropologie's Hideaway Hat atop my vacation head. Check out the link because there's a picture with a model wearing the hat and it looks tr�s chic...

I think Jennifer Nettles and I would be BFFs.

I found this somewhat recent interview with Jennifer Nettles (lead singer of the country duo, Sugarland), and couldn't help but notice how much we have in common: a love for wine and cheese, a major crush on Johnny Depp (that's mentioned in another interview, not this one), a passion for yoga, low maintenance beauty regimen, hanging with friends... you get the idea.

Not only is she drop dead gorgeous with an incredible voice, but she seems really down to earth and chill and a bit goofy. And tall. Read the full interview here.

[Image via The Hairstyler.com]

Have you visted Boden?

Very recently I received a catalog in the mail that I nearly dismissed because I get a ton of catalogs and junk mail (I see almost all of you nodding your heads in agreement). I paused before chucking this one in the recycle bin because the picture on the front got my attention: a very thin and attractive model (of course) wearing a very springy yellow top and jacket with a pair of white chinos. The color combination really popped off the page and it made me pause, rifle through it quickly, then sit down and actually go through it more slowly. I'd never heard of Boden before and after looking through the catalog, I realized why: they're a UK company.

I love their manifesto, which was printed on the first page of the catalog: "Choose your clothes as you would choose your friends. The best tend to be warm, witty and comfortable. Don't scrimp on olive oil. get the good stuff. Avoid clothes that are worn today, worn out tomorrow. Trends will come and go (take jumpsuits). Keep a corkscrew in your picnic basket. Buy clothes because you like them. They should help you feel as happy in your own skin as you were as a child. NEVER STAND BEHIND A HORSE. Make up your own mind. Be yourself. Never give up."

Here are a few items that I love from their spring line. And they're not ridiculously priced. All are available on www.bodenusa.com.

Eco-friendly crystal clear glass water bottles

Now that plastic is out, all the rage is eco-friendly glass and stainless steel water bottles. I'm not a huge fan of the stainless steel bottles, mostly because I don't care for the metal aftertaste or the sensation of the metal against my lips/teeth (I know, I'm special). However, I do use a stainless steel bottle when I'm working out since it's, as you can guess, much safer than using a glass bottle.

I'm totally loving Crate and Barrel's glass beverage bottles, not just because of the eco-friendly aspect, but because I love the look. Great for a dinner party or just a touch of class on the coffee table when you want to curl up on the couch with a good book. And, they're super affordable: $7.95 for the small, $15.95 for large.

Katie debuts new hairdo

I have a love hate relationship with Katie Holmes. I loved her on Dawson's Creek and thought she was great in Wonder Boys (I did NOT like her in Batman Returns...train wreck). And, usually if I see her on the cover of a magazine, I'll pick it up. I normally love her style (minus the pegged jeans), and I LOVED her sleek bob (minus the bangs) that she sported when she chopped her hair after having Alien Suri. But, the whole Tom Cruise thing really bugs me. I won't deny that I swooned after Top Gun. I mean, seriously, that smile? Yeah, it got to me. But, now? Not so much. There's way too much crazy behind that smile now.

This picture really does show just how much younger Katie is to Tom... she looks young and fresh and he looks tired and rough around the edges. Anyway, the new hair looks shiny and flashy, but I prefer the shorter do.

[Image via The Dirty Disher]

Life is so GOOD

I'm totally loving GOOD, a magazine for "people who give a damn. It's an entertaining magazine about things that matter." I picked it up at an airport about a year ago and read it cover to cover three times. The issue was about "Guess Who's Coming for Dinner?" and discussed our meat eating society and how commercialized the meat industry has become, rampant with disease and controversy. The article focused on a few individuals who were trying to do GOOD and make the meat industry better by going with something called the small-farm movement, which explained by the author, Peter Rubin, is: "It�s animals are free-range, grass-fed, patiently raised; artisanal meats, resurrected from nearly extinct breeds. It can be expensive. And at farmer�s markets, health-food stores, and restaurants everywhere, we�re making the choice to spend a little more to eat�and feel�a lot better."

I'm a vegetarian for a very specific reason: I can not eat something that I would have as a pet (even chickens and turkeys, people). Reading this article did make me feel better about the state of the meat industry (Alf eats meat, which means I do still cook it from time to time, even though I have broken down in tears preparing certain dishes... we won't go there right now, though), and it got me thinking (hoping) that there is hope for animals that are only in this world as a food source. So, I read the magazine. I suggested my friends read it. I thought, I need to get a subscription. And then, of course, I forgot about it because it's not a magazine that you'll find in the check out line at the supermarket. However, I was at Barnes & Noble last week and remembered to look for it. After scouring every possible section that I thought it might be in, I found it buried behind The Atlantic Monthly (not for long, though, as I then moved GOOD front and center).

The current issue highlights what's happening to our planet in 2009 and beyond. There's a lot of heavy issues discussed, accompanied with some equally heavy photographs. But, it gets you thinking. It grabs your attention. And, most importantly, it educates you (unlike US Weekly, which is a total guilty pleasure of mine, but...). And what's completely cool, is you pay what you want for a subscription, and 100% goes to a nonprofit of your choice. Now, that's what I call very GOOD.

My boyfriend is in a new movie (coming out soon)

My today

Wow, Juliette Lewis is talented

She and her band, The Licks, may have broken up, but the girl could seriously headline Cirque du Soleil.



[Image via The Dirty Disher]

Nothing new at all...

So, I realize it's been a very long time since I blogged, but sadly, there's not much going on in my world right now. I know. Sad. This past weekend was exceptionally low key, but we did have a visitor, which was fun for a change. My cousin, Blake, came down on Friday night and, because of the snow, ended up staying until late Tuesday morning. We did manage to bundle up and go for a walk on Saturday, which led us to The Old Spot in Salem, a great English pub with some great beer, an amazing four onion soup, and probably the best curry fries I've ever tasted. Later on, we met up with some friends at O'Neill's and listened to some live Irish music, had some more drinks, and then stumbled home.

The rest of the weekend, we watched a lot of movies bundled under our blankets, fire blazing in the fireplace, and a few more beverages at our fingertips. On Monday, I'd had enough of the snow (we got probably a little over a foot) and desperately needed to get out of the house. So, Blake and I went shopping for some ingredients for chocolate chip cookies (Alf was having a serious craving), as well as Croque Monsieur Mac n Cheese. The Croque Monsieur was a huge hit (both Alf and Blake agreed it was a 4.6 out of 5 stars).

The chocolate chip cookies came out pretty decent (I made them with applesauce instead of butter, so the texture was a bit odd), but not nearly as good as the Croque Monsieur. It took a while to prep (chopping and grating the cheese), but I think the outcome was well worth it.





Ingredients

* 1/2 pound ziti
* 2 cups milk (I used fat free)
* 2 cups coarsely grated gruyere cheese (about 6 ounces)
* 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
* 2 large eggs
* 3 slices wheat sandwich bread, roughly diced
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing (instead of using butter for greasing, I used Pam)
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* Pinch of cayenne pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* Kosher salt
* 8 ounces thinly sliced deli-boiled ham

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; toss with 1/4 cup milk.

Meanwhile, combine both cheeses in a bowl. Beat 1/4 cup milk and the eggs in another bowl; fold in the bread and add half of the cheese.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, cayenne, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt; cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Slowly add 3/4 cup water and the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk; bring to a boil, stirring until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese, then add the pasta and toss.

Butter a shallow casserole dish. Add half of the pasta, top with some of the ham and cover with the remaining pasta. Top with the remaining ham, then cover with the bread mixture. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine