What I Want Now: June 29, 2008 edition

CHRISTMAS. I have been downing hot chocolate and listening to Andy Williams sing about the most wonderful time of the year for the past two days. My parents drew the line when I asked them to send me my Caroline Kennedy Christmas book. They probably wanted to say, "This madness has to stop. It's June. You're in LA. Go to J.Crew, but yourself something turquoise with fish on it, and shut up."

But I will not be silent. People need to know that they are not alone in their mid-summer Christmas cravings.

For your viewing pleasure, I have included what I consider to be the best of Christmas '07 (with some timeless classics thrown in for good measure). What trends will holiday 2008 bring us, you ask? Only Santa knows, and we all know that he NEVER kisses and tells...



My cozy Ugg knit boots.



Nostalgia for 18 years of Nutcracker rehearsals.



The Christmas Tiffany china, to be used only two days/year and to be carried (per your mother's orders) only while wearing rubber gloves.



The windows at Bergdorf's. It's my humble oppinion that Bergdorf's windows > Saks windows.



Watching Charlie and his wonderful tree every year on CBS.



Holiday bevergae of choice: pumpkin spice latte. Only to be rivaled by steaming caramel apple cider.



Favorite coat of 2007 (and perhaps 2008...it's a good coat. And it cost, in relation to my budget, the price of a small island nation; thus, I will be wearing it until the seams have completely disintegrated): Burberry duffle in hollyberry red.



Santa's annual ride through the neighborhood on the firetruck. It's only disappointing when he's run out of Cowtails and pillow mints and has been reduced to throwing lowly Jolly Ranchers. Becuase not only is that NOT quality candy, but it also kind of hurts if, say, Santa flings it too hard and it hits your exposed clavicle.



This scent is good. Like, really, really good.



Oh, Ralphie, how I love thee.



Cinnamon. In anything.



My homegirl getting down for the holidays.



Diana = favorite modern Christmas album. Followed by Celine, Josh Groban, and Sarah McLachlan. All right, all right...and Mariah.



My favorite, most coveted pair of shoes (Louboutin lastic booties) get a good holiday workout.



Meet Me in St. Louis on CBS. CBS really comes through for me at Christmas with the classics. Which is curious, as during the rest of the year, CBS = trainwreck.



This Ralph Lauren sweater. That my husband WILL be wearing. Whoever he is just doesn't know it yet.



The lighting of the Rockefeller tree. Usually on December 13. And usually featuring appearances by one GOOD singer, the Rockettes, a washed-up Olympic figure skating champion, and many minor, forgettable celebrities. Alas, it's really about the tree. And that moment when Bloomberg's thumb hits the big red buttom.



The day when you walk into Starbucks and the Christmas cups have hit the shelves. What a feeling! What a rush! Your fingers gets all tingly and your heart swells with joy (these cups also signal the nearing end of exams). I am fortunate enough to have friends who send me many, many excited texts upon their subsequent discoveries of the Christmas cup unveiling. As if I didn't know.



The final scene of Home Alone 2. Corny, yet beloved by yours truly. The only scene I like more is when Kevin gives pidgeon lady the turtle dove ornament from Duncan's Toy Chest. Or when he tricks the Plaza employees with the tommy-gun movie scene. But I couldn't find a picture of either of those special moments in American cinema.

Sigh. Only 178 days, 8 hours, and 57 minutes longer.

If you would like to count-down along with me every second of the day, I highly recommend a visit to http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/xmas_cnt.htm.

Remind yourself...

Despite my amazing good fortune in California (amazing internship, wonderful new friends, getting to spend time with my hero, vibrant new city), I have been stuck in an engulfing black hole. I have been back and forth on law school so many times to the point that last night I had a literal breakdown. As is always true with these black hole breaking points, after emerging from the fog, I felt thankful just to be living the life I am, no matter what my future may be. I have so, so much, and have enjoyed amazing experiences, and everything, in the end, will work out as it is supposed to. Hopefully law school will get me to where I want to be as a journalist, and provide me financial stability and the ability to be as good to my parents as they have been to me. Nothing is perfect, but sometimes we have to be grateful for things, occasionally, being good.

When I get down and feeling sorry for myself, I think of these awesome women who got up and DID something about it. Retaining the ability to be inspired is half the battle, and these people inspire me.

bedtime bubbly.

It's 10:41 PM, and I have an odd craving for bubble tea.

I think we are in need of a re-do...

...of the Vintage Subway Tea Party of 2004.

Chowderfest 2008

If you are bored today (c'est moi), and are fortunate enough to be in the immediate vicenity of Hyannis, MA (non c'est moi), please attend the annual Chowderfest (2008 edition), in which you (yes, YOU) get to decide which Boston-area chowder peddler had the best edible wares of the past year. My personal pick is Stephanie's on Newbury.





That such an event even exists is a testament to the ingenuity of American culture. What, I ask, could be better than an entire event devoted to the finest of all soups?

If you take my advice and attend this extravaganza, please report back with sensory details.

Meanwhile, as it is 99 degrees here in LA, I will substitute the following heat-friendly meal for the chowder I wish I were consuming thousands of miles away:

hello, vespa.

Brilliant article of the week(end):

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/22/ciao_car_hello_vespa/

If you are at all interested in subsidizing my modes of transportation, I am quite fond of the Gap limited edition striped model.



Mmmkay, thanks.

Heat Wave

I got a total of two hours of sleep last night due to the miserable heat wave that has engulfed Los Angeles. I was convinced for a good four hours (from 11 PM-3 AM) that I was literally dying. At 3:15 I decided to stop half-heartedly watching "Rescue Me" on FX and do something productive...

8 AM cravings.

formerly penny candy.

couture canine

Why, oh why, does my expensive taste have to extend even to dogs? And why, oh why, did that gentleman from Seattle have to bring his Goldendoodle into Petco for me to discover and fall in love with?

All I can think about now is my hypothetical 'doodle that I will name Atticus. (http://dogtime.com/dog-names.html)

This is, of course, in an alternate universe where my meager college budget can accomodate a dog with an $1800 price tag.

Yet another brilliant Kate to add to the list.

The kind of book that you can wrap around yourself like a warm blanket on a brisk day.

"...but she could never understand anyone who would voluntarily leave the most vibrant city in the world. It was a constant: her one true love was New York and she was never going to cheat. Or change." -p. 39

Post-birthday update for the parentals

They wanted to see the bouquet that their hard-earned money had delivered via Mariachi Band of uno. Thus...



I then proceeded to use all of my monetary Birthday Haul for my downpayment on my new Audi...

I jest, of course.

I am only leasing the Audi ;)

They call her Mellow Yellow...

Most recently, I have been on a yellow kick. It compliments my constant color of choice (blue) quite nicely and also is happiness-inducing. Who sees yellow and gets sad, I ask you? Maybe someone who runs a yield signs or a yellow light and gets creamed, I guess, but really, there is really no other reason not to feel anything but benevolence and veneration towards the golden hue.

Whoever invented the color yellow was brilliant (no pun intended). I mean, think about it. Without yellow, Mr. Roy G. Biv would be laughably reduced to Mr. Ro G. Biv, which doesn't even make sense. Also, when wearing yellow, people are less likely to walk into you in crowded metropolitan areas because you look somewhat similar to a buoy bobbing light-heartedly amongst a sea of drab mollusks (not my best analogy, but you get the point). I could go on and on about the fine attributes of yellow, but I'll let you come up with your own, as I would not want to rob you of the joy of color-contemplation.

Alas, the fact remains that I cannot wear yellow anywhere near my face without resembling a nautical trainwreck. Thus, the peacoat and headband are automatically eliminated from the "practical-items-I-should-buy-after-carefully-thinking-through-all-ramifications-of-purchase" category. Which obviously has never stopped me before. Hence the yellow gingham summer scarf, yellow chunky necklace, and yellow newspaper cap that sit atop my closet lonely and unused.

However, please feel free to buy me this, which is neither yellow nor worn near the face, yet exudes that certain nautical je ne sais quoi that I strive for. As an added bonus, it features my crustacean of choice, the lobster (see previous post).


*All accoutrements courtesy of J.Crew, which I think goes without saying.