Da diddley qua qua.

This evening I was working late, and when I finally wrapped up what I needed to do, I stepped outside my office building to torrential downpour. I made my way as quick as I could to the subway station and found relief for forty minutes or so until I got to my stop.

Trying to walk to my apartment, the wind was trying to wrench the umbrella from my grip, and the rain doused me every chance it got. I entered my building as if a monster had been chasing me. I was soaking wet and my dress clung to my legs and when I took a step my heels made that squiggy sound to let me know they were full of water.

Yesterday, my evening went FAR better. The weather was beautiful and I walked around the city in my sunglasses. And...I got a haircut!

Before, I've complained about finding a good and reasonably priced stylist in the city. Well, lo and behold, my stylist is two for two now. And yes, that's my Gap dress with a tee on underneath! Cute, right? I then met up with Kells at Sweet Emily's and we had a grand time consuming our favourite food and gabbing about all the exciting things that are happening this summer and all that already has!

Unfortunately, my amazing cut and blowdry (my stylist called it the "fun" blowdry), which usually lasts a couple of days, was a victim of today's horrendous, vindictive weather.

Like a fly on the wall with my secret eyes.

The deets! The happy-haps! (What?) I mean, nothing got better than hanging out on Adrian Young's tour bus - let's be honest. I kind of glided through the rest of the weekend with a smile on my face!

On Saturday morning I woke up and headed into the city because Jesse had gotten me a gift certificate months ago for a two-hour massage. (No, seriously, he's the best gift-giver of all time.) I actually had no idea what to expect, but I lay down for two lovely hours free of tension. Looking back, I think it was rather necessary and I plan on getting another one soon!

After that, I ran some errands and met up with my friend Colleen, and we met up with my old friends in Monty Are I. Hilarity and fun times ensued. They had a photoshoot on Sunday, so all day Saturday they were shopping with their label for clothes. Then I made Steve show me some poses:

I hope he worked it out by Sunday.

Me and my lemur face with Steve.

Mike, looking not like Mike at all, but strangely...a little...Bradley Cooper-esque??? The eyes?!

Now, we were hanging out at our friend Ben's apartment, which he shares with four other dudes, and Joe was taking polaroids and making us sign them. Colleen and I looked super peeved in the pic he took of us. But we were having a great time! PROMISE!

I was going to hold this photo ransom as some sort of blackmail leverage, but I couldn't not share it with the world, now. Steve and Mike. Doing what they do.

Don't let these pictures deter you from seeing them on tour this summer - whether on Warped or with Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. They're good dudes who make good music and they have a KILLER live show. Check out their site for tour dates! They have an album coming out this summer, and it will be available on Warped Tour to purchase - I got to sit down with them and listen to the masters of their songs, and I'm excited to get my hands on it when it goes on sale. There's one song I already know I'm going to be dancing around my room to. Yes!! And I'll post the rest of the pictures on Facebook soon!

All in all, it was a blast to hang out with them and catch up on everything that they're doing. I've known them since back in my freshman year of college, which was (HOLY CRAP) eight years ago...and they were known as Monty's Fan Club. It's funny to see where we all are now in our lives, and I can't wait to see where they're going...stay tuned!

On Sunday I met up with Jill, who's married to Josh from Motion City Soundtrack. She's in town for work, so we had some brunch, did a little shopping, took in some of the gay pride parade, and then meandered into a bar we didn't know was all about the USA/Brazil soccer match. It ended up being a pretty exciting atmosphere, and we ended up caring a bit about the game, too. Weird how that happens when you're in the midst of tons of die-hard fans yelling and screaming about their teams. Anyway, it was a great afternoon!

BY THE WAY. MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK FINISHED RECORDING THEIR NEW ALBUM ON SUNDAY!!!! And now it's just a matter of time for all the rest of the process to be complete! Are you excited? I'm excited!! The demos I've heard have all rocked so hard, and I can't wait to hear the mastered versions for maximum rock out-age.

Congratulations, dudes!
Jesse gave me a call Sunday in the midst of their celebrations - I wish I could have been there in the excitement, but I was also excited because this means Jesse is a-comin' home! He gets back on Friday, eeeeeeeeeeee!

After hanging out with Jill on Sunday, I dropped by Sarah's new party Sunday School NYC. I think it's a great idea - an all ages event every Sunday from 4-8pm at Webster Hall with bands and DJs! When I walked in I got a sweet purple bracelet that glows in the dark and had the date on it. I also got cuted out when I saw little toddlers dancing around to the music on the dancefloor! Seriously. Wow.

Anyway, Sarah is one of the sweetest human beings on the planet and I totally dig the Sunday School scene she's set up. I got really into the second band that played, Zambri, which had two awesome sister lead vocalists. More on them later when I've listened to their album I bought! The room was also a great setting for a dance party - which happened when Erica stood up to the DJ booth!

And here's my Sunday School portrait by Coco Courtney. I must not fall for bad boys! I think I've got that covered...

Shout !

Things I am excited about right now:

1. Jesse gets back this weekend! Did you hear MCS finished their album?!

2. I'm getting a haircut today! Okay, only a trim. Still exciting!

3. My fabulous weekend still makes me giddy! (See last post! Plus, more deets on the rest of it later!)

4. Seeing Rick in July!

5. I just got the above LAMB wallet for 60% off the price! EFF! YEAH!!!

Thank you for turning on the lights !

I had an epic adventure with Dana Dynamite last night.

After work, I met Dana at her place in Nolita and then we attempted to ask many car services and cabs to take us to New Jersey for the No Doubt show - most to no avail. FINALLY we got a car service for a decent price and embarked on our journey into the garden state. When we made it to the venue after a couple of hours of teaching the guy how to actually, you know, drive, he tries to get us to the gates in a roundabout way and then basically gets lost and asks us to ask a policeman.

Policeman liked Dana from the onset - because he thought she had a TV show. "I've seen your TV show! Here, I'll take you guys up, just follow me." We got a police escort to the back of the venue where all the tour buses are. Then, we tell him we have to pick up our passes at Will Call, we don't have them yet. So he escorts us there, and Policeman hands Dana his business card, totally flirt-like.

The car service driver tried to rip us off on the price, but we paid him no heed (literally). We finally got our tickets & VIP passes (eeeee!) and Policeman was there making sure everything went smoothly. Then when we told him we'd just head into the venue, he got a little huffy (I think he wanted to take us to the backstage area again?), and asked Dana if he could "get that paperwork back."

Dana and I looked at each other, then looked at him. What?

Dana goes, "Do you mean your business card?"

He nods, and takes it back. It was the strangest thing. We were cracking up about it for hours. 1. Why take it back?? 2. You call your business card "paperwork" - really?!

ANYWAY, finally in the venue and we decide rather than go backstage, we just want to watch the show from our killer seats, since it will sound better. Obvs, I was all up for this. We get to our seats and Dana reaches for her phone to tell her friends she'll be back after No Doubt plays, and she realizes she left it in the car. Bum out. Luckily, she has a blackberry she uses solely for e-mailing, and since everyone has a smart-phone of some sort, she can e-mail everyone her whereabouts, haha.

I was just standing there, excited to be at the show. No Doubt had an amazing setlist that included one of my favourites off Tragic Kingdom, "End it On This." There was a guy in the audience who had a sign that read "Today is my birthday! Please play Tragic Kingdom or Total Hate!" They sweetly obliged by playing "Tragic Kingdom" until Tom's wireless cut out and when he came back out, then launched into "Simple Kind of Life." Dana and I were swaying and singing our hearts out. Another fan had a sign saying he'd been to thirty shows! Gwen brought him on stage to introduce the band members - which he did perfectly and wonderfully and they all gave him thumbs ups and hugs.

When No Doubt left the stage before their encore, Dana explained that her friend Chad was coming out to sit with us during the encore because his girlfriend was going to take the stage during one of the songs. You know, his girlfriend, Hayley Williams from Paramore. So Chad (who also happens to be in a band) is sitting between us, and he's a legitimately nice dude, very mellow and sweet. When the encore starts, I don't let his presence affect my flipping out. Whatever, your girlfriend's awesome, and I will shout along to "Stand & Deliver" and bounce around.

After the show, Dana and I went 'round back and met up with Tony Kanal and his girlfriend Erin. Super-nice. Of course. Dana introduced me as her friend Jessica, a really big fan. Perhaps a blush from me, but whatever, that's what I am. A huge fan. Yes, hello, you're awesome, great show.

Then came along Nina, the drummer Adrian's wife, who's really close with Dana. She was so personable and wanted to know, as a die-hard fan, what I thought of the show (um, I may have gone on a tangent about it's amazingness?). And then Adrian, his seven-year-old son Mason, and Tia joined us. Incredibly nice. What would I expect? They always seem so - from the way they treat their fans, to each other, to other bands - I've never heard them being egocentric jerks like some musicians in their bracket. Even below it. They're genuine and talented and grateful for all they have. I was surprised at how nice.

When Dana mentioned that we had gotten to New Jersey via car service, Nina became instantly worried about how we were going to get back. She then relayed how their bus was taking them back into the city to their hotel - and, per chance, would we want to travel back with them?

Um, yes.

So we got on the bus (each member of No Doubt has their own bus - families will do that to you!), and Adrian was asking us if we wanted anything to eat or drink, and telling us about the day they spent in New York. The bus was incredibly nice - huge fridge, queen size bed in back, big bunks. I made a joke about being on Jesse's bus with 18 other people and how luxurious it felt on Adrian's bus, and Adrian said he "remembered those days."

Yes, during this whole time I was spazzing out undercover style because, let's think about this: I was on Adrian of No Doubt's tour bus. I was having a conversation. I was acting nonchalantly as possible about hanging out with a guy IN MY FAVOURITE BAND EVER. Surreal doesn't even begin to cover it.

When we got into the city and their hotel at 2am, the paparazzi were there waiting. I was totally surprised. Dana and I said our goodbyes and ran to get a cab to retrieve Dana's phone and then head home.

Dana and I on the bus - THANK YOU DANA DYNAMITE!!!
She also has some more pics :)

I may or may not have danced around in the elevator going up to my apartment at 230am. I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE.

No matter who calls.

I'm doing it again. Tonight I'm going to see No Doubt! It's the fourth time in two months, and the 2nd time in just a week, but I'm still just as excited. Okay, maybe a little bit more excited for tonight. Because Jesse set the whole thing up (as an anniversary gift months ago) with our friend Dana, who works for Ben Sherman, and happens to be friends with Adrian (the drummer for No Doubt), and the Paramore kids. And...she happens to have VIP access tonight. And...I'm her plus one.

WHUUUUUUUUUUUUT? I know, Jesse knows WHATTADO to keep me happy! I've been ecstatic for months, but don't like sharing things until, ya know, I'm pretty sure it's going to happen. And it is! Today after work, Dana and I are meeting up and heading to New Jersey!

I have no idea what the backstage access is going to be like or any of those kinds of details, but I assure you I'm mostly jazzed to see the show again. I have this weird thing about not wanting to meet my idols, but we'll see what happens. I know I'll be superawkward regardless!

These are a bunch of No Doubt pics from their current tour. It only really gives you a glimpse into how fun the show truly is; though their energy translates pretty well into photographs! I may be back later or tomorrow with a Smiling Like I Mean It of a ND song, since, I told myself I'd do that for this summer...but I forget things sometimes! Anyway - what are you doing this weekend?! Has anybody else gone to the tour?! Anybody else digging the two new Paramore songs as much as I am?

All over, all over.

By the way, we had a great time on Tuesday night. The Baracklyn Cyclones won! They went by "Baracklyn" instead of "Brooklyn" for the evening in a show of presidential pride. We got a Barack Obama bobblehead too!

Jesse flew back to LA yesterday; by next week the MCS dudes should be mostly done with the recording process for the new album. Then it's off to mixing and mastering and production and all that jazz - but next week Jesse's back! Hurrah!

PS This is what my hair looks like as of late in this crazy hazy humid weather. Sigh.

Gonna dress you up in my love.

"Things... are... happening!"

Last week, I was approached via e-mail by a woman named Justine who works for a branding/marketing company. She'd read this here blog and wanted to know if I was interested in being a Gap Brand Enthusiast, meaning I'd throw a little party for me and my close friends where we'd try on loads of Gap product. It would also mean I'd get sent Gap packages over the course of a year.

So yeah - I was interested!

I met with Justine after work yesterday for a discussion about my "nomination." Afterwards, she took me over to the Gap where I got some free merchandise of my choosing - and, let me tell you, I'm already pretty enthusiastic about the Gap after this visit!

Admittedly, I haven't been to the Gap in maybe a year - mostly due to my cut down on shopping (weddings cost money!). I was surprised to find a lot of stuff I wanted, and so I tried on many an outfit. I also tried to think of my mother, who says I need to wear brighter colors all the time. I tend to wear lots of darker colors like purple, red, and gray. And in New York, it's true, wearing all-black just sorta happens a lot. I've been better in the past couple of months with my latest purchases, and so, I present to you, my Gap score:

Bright green sundress! I hardly wear green. I think I only have one cardigan of this same color. But it's super cute - it's basically a cotton tank top and a silky light skirt. Justine suggested pairing it over a small tee, an idea which I'll be trying soon!

Okay, I ended up with something gray: this totally adorable short-sleeved cardigan. It's light though. I'm wearing it at work today and I'm kind of in love with it. I was choosing between this color and a dark purple - went gray!

This dress is bright blue, and silky. It fits perfectly - I forgot to get a picture of the back, which is a racerback that fits snug and clean. It looks great, and I feel fabulous in it. Won't it look cute with those yellow wedges my mom got me? COLORS!

And the dress was so fabulous I got it in black too (hee hee) -

Now, my closet is full of summer dresses - it's exciting! But also, I wish I could maybe have a hot, dry summer day in which to wear them? Because so far it's been pretty dreary out. It hasn't stopped being rainy and sticky and humid and gross! Ah well, there will be a time...and I'll be feeling pretty good and prepared in my outfits!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !

It's ERICA DAGLEY'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!! She's turning twenty-six, and like the previous years, it will be a celebration to remember!

First up, we're going with a group of friends tonight to see the Brooklyn Cyclones play in Coney Island! Let's hope the rain stays away. If there's one thing that Erica Dagley likes besides ice cream, cats, boys in white tees, Pine Flu, and Chris Pine in a white tee holding a cat and eating ice cream - it's BASEBALL!

Afterwards, we're heading to Angels & Kings, basically Erica's second home, for more celebrations!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERICA DAGLEY!!!

Roll over and whisper some goodness.

Every day for the past couple of weeks, the morning weather report declares rain. And it's true - it's been raining nearly non-stop whether I happen to be here in New York or in Massachussetts. Usually the rain dampens not only the soles of my shoes, but also my spirits. Usually, the rain invites me to stay in bed a little longer: no need to go out and play. Usually, I obey.

However, the past two weekends have been some of the best in my history. Of course, I've recounted the tales of last weekend from the bridal shower to the bachelorette party to the hangover. And this weekend held just as much fun and excitement!

On Saturday morning, Erica and I woke up entirely too early (but necessary). We made it to Grand Central in time to meet up with Katie and Perry to head to Massachusetts. Because that night we were seeing NO DOUBT!!!

No Doubt = my favourite band on this planet. Yeah, I said it. I grew up listening to them, and they still blow my mind. We drove the hour to the Comcast Center and Perry got us our tickets at the band guestlist window (yeah, I know) and with a bit of help from her father, we were seated in the second row center for the show. YEAH.

Before we sat down, however, we had to collect our merch - I got a tote with the retro Spiderwebs poster on it, the limited edition tour poster, and the official tour program (which is filled with achingly amazing photos of the tour).

Why yes, I took this picture with my iPhone...

After going through layers of security to our seat, we settled in for an amazing set from Paramore. Since the seats were empty next to us we all kind of spread out and rocked out. And next...

Came No Doubt. They played all their hits and the four of us began a good two hours of jumping, fist-pumping, skanking, and singing. I would like to call it a legitimate workout. Also, they played a full version of "Tragic Kingdom," "Different People," and "Rock Steady," - all which made me oh-so-happy! I've seen No Doubt live several times, including almost a month and a half ago at Bamboozle - and this was the best I've seen them! They're one of THE BEST live bands I've ever seen, with all their energy, and they completely upped themselves on Saturday night. Watching them surrounded by my besties, all of us fangirls, was a great feeling.

The video backdrop for their show had some amazing montages and great new stuff from the band. I hope they make a live DVD of this tour and it includes some of those montages - they were quite mesmerizing!

After spending an hour getting out of the parking lot and another hour trying to get home in a rainy haze, we finally made it at 130am. I was up at 6am, because guess who needed to get picked up at the airport?! JESSE!!

Of course, his plane arrived half an hour early and so I was speeding a bit on the way there. I got pulled over for the first time ever. But the cop only gave me a verbal warning for going 80mph in a 65mph zone. Phew.

Then I got Jesse, who flew in on the red-eye from LA, so we were both in a sleepy haze. We had a few appointments on Sunday, and I dropped off the girls at the train station. When I returned, for Father's Day (!!!!) my dad, mom, brother, Jesse, and I went to the best local pizza joint called Zorba's. We gorged and then went to see Up which is adorable and we all loved it. I had a really great time relaxing with my family and especially my dad!

On Monday, Jesse and I took care of a few more things, and it looks like we're all set to make this "marriage" thing legal in August!

Can I get a "YAY!!!!" ?!?!?!

Woah! And to make it real ----

By the way. Tomorrow. I'm seeing No Doubt with my fellow die-hards - Erica, Katie, and Perry. Let me take a moment...

There's one tour poster for each date on the tour - can't wait to check out what our date's is!

They seem to be playing most of the singles with a couple old songs like "Hey You" and "End it On This." I'm just excited to be seeing them live again (who knew if it would happen?!) and to sing along with mah girls.

One of the best bands I've ever seen live, still true!
Oh, and on Sunday, Jesse's flying in for some necessary wedding planning, so I get to see him for the first time since LA! And it's also Father's Day! And when we get back to New York, it's Erica's BIRTHDAY!

...I may be a little tired next week :)

After me comes the flood.

This week has been a lot of catching up, cleaning up, and (of course!) reading. I just finished Jam's recommendation of Devil in the White City. The true stories contained in the volume are fascinating, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in history, architecture, or serial killers.

The Chicago World's Fair, 1893.

What I found most interesting, however, was how the book was written. As someone who went to college for journalism, I tend to read things in two ways - to enjoy in the story and the characters, and to in some way decipher or theorize how the writer put it all together. This book was particularly fascinating because it was journalistic - Erik Larson put together the histories of two men and one world event of the 1890s not only through newspaper research, but through diaries, letters, and other personal belongings. These personal writings served as the most incredible testaments to the times and these men; a letter the lead architect wrote to his wife while he was away showed how stressed he was, but also how much he was looking forward to seeing her. The words would be considered quaint today, but Larson points out that his sentiments were racy enough to "steam the envelope open" in its own time.

And, of course, this isn't the first time letters have been used to gain insight into a person's life and thoughts. However, I can't remember the last time I've written a letter detailing my life and sent it to someone. Instead, I have (we all have) e-mail, blogs, twitters, and those pesky social networking sites. We have expanded the sources of our personal thoughts and they are all available at one place: a computer. So, in the chance that I do something remarkable or brilliant or even something that turns out to be infamous - one needn't wonder about the person I actually was, because it's all here. On this blog, in my e-mails to my friends, and displayed and updated nearly daily. There's no mystery to me, and maybe that makes me considerably un-interesting, but any good writer could weave a shocking tale full of foreshadowing of "the events she was to face later in life."

You know, whatever. Dramatization. Soap opera. You can do it with everything, especially the internet. And to Larson, some steamy letters from 1892. The letter-writers and diary-keepers of the 1800s are the e-mailers and bloggers of the present.

The hangover.

I've been over Saturday - the bridal shower, the bachelorette party...well, after waking up a little groggy on Sunday, my girls (Erica, Christy, Amber, Kelly, Jiscilla) and I headed to Life Cafe for some brunch. Though some of us were still feeling the effects of the previous night, it was still a lively meal and complimented with mimosas. Amber, that rebellious lady, ordered a bit too many drinks:

Cranberry mimosa, water, iced coffee, orange juice. Silly.

Also, please notice the size of mine and Christy's mimosa...

Jiscilla is also drinking a mimosa - a pint-size one. She became tipsy all over again and if you've ever been around Jiscilla tipsy, you know she's the cutest ball of giggles and thoughts ever.

After brunch we went back to the apartment for a slideshow of all the pictures Jiscilla took the previous night - I think nearly all of us were crying from laughter by the end of it. Seriously, when the bartender at Barcelona dressed up like Harry Potter, he looked more like Murray (Flight of the Conchords) dressed up like Harry Potter in Yes, Man. Follow? Anyway, I'll have all those (well, most!) pics up in a Facebook album when I get my hands on them.

Then we headed out to see The Hangover in Manhattan. It was probably the most perfect timing in history to see that movie, which is about the day after a bachelor party. I don't think any of us stopped laughing throughout. And maybe it was the timing, and perhaps it was because I was surrounded by my best friends, but it was definitely the funniest movie I've seen this year.

Also, I think everybody now crushes Bradley Cooper. Just sayin', Kells and I were on that ish back when he played Will Tippin on ALIAS, the adorable, rumpled, glasses-wearing journalist. Swoon. No doubt, I'm excited everyone else is all about him now too! So, check out ALIAS for some good JJ Abrams-ness, plus, the season one finale has my favourite Will Tippin moment.

We simply couldn't part after seeing the movie - we were still recounting scenes and lines from it, and both Christy and Amber would be flying home the next day. We decided to go to (you guessed it) Sweet Emily's for the always-delicious grub. We finally said our heartfelt goodbyes and talked about how amazing the entire weekend was. And how it was just a pre-cursor to how great the wedding is going to be in August.

You know how when you're little and you're talking to your best friends and you're like, "when we grow up we're going to live in the house next door to each other and have sleepovers all the time!!" - well, I'm not going to lie, I may have had this thought while saying bye and reflecting on how lucky I am to have these friends. Hearts.

The bachelorette party!

After the wonderful, classy bridal shower, us ladies got down to the real business at hand: the bachelorette party. Erica and Kelly handed out purple beads, sunglasses, and a special giant, blinking engagement ring for me to compliment our outfits. I had no clue what was planned; I was told to show up at the curb outside our apartment at 10pm. Initially, I thought a scavenger hunt was at hand.

I should have known better.

Awaiting us was a sweet limousine and Tanesha the driver. I was completely flabbergasted. We all climbed into the limo and Erica and Kelly doled out the champagne as we headed into Manhattan. Erica also made the most amazing mix of songs to ever grace my ears - the entire time we were in the limo I believe we spent it singing along to our favourite songs and seat-dancing (old pastime).

Our first stop was the bar Maritime, underneath the hotel of the same name. It was pretty sophisticated and we drank prosecco and danced. Angela also showed up at this point, as she would travel with us for the rest of the night!

[I should also say here that Jiscilla is still working on the photos from the rest of the night - this is only the beginning! It's also why we look so coherent. Don't worry, you'll be able to tell the time of the night by the deterioration of my crown. These pictures are from Maritime, and the rest I'll soon have up in a photo album.]

After the Maritime, we piled into the limo to head uptown to Barcelona, a bar with an amazing selection of....shots. We entered the bar and a space cleared for our rowdy party. We proceeded to order the Harry Potter shot in which the bartender put on a scarf and glasses and held a wand above our ten shots which he then set on fire. Don't worry - we have visual documentation of this amazingness, you'll see it soon. We downed it.

I believe it was Katie Brown who threw on a slew of amazing songs on the juke box and returned to tell us that there was another bachelorette party in the small bar, at the back. They were definitely not having as much fun as we were - simply standing together sipping their drinks while we hugged, laughed, and screamed. They promptly left.

Before I knew it, "Just a Girl" came on over the jukebox and we all started singing. This may or may not have sounded like screaming or yelling - the night became quite a whirlwind at this point. I do know Amber climbed on the bar and got underneath the beer tap for a swig, which the bartender was loving. We took some sort of orgasm shot that was quite gross in demonstration, I wouldn't want to recount it, but since it was the raunchiest thing that happened at THIS bachelorette party, it was the perfect touch. I took two of those.

Mandy Moore's "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week" was our next scream along. Then Paramore's "Misery Business" - at which point we were all standing on the bar step and dancing and yelling and slapping the bar to the beat. Yeah. THEN Motion City Soundtrack's "LGFUAD" came on - I think it was that one, I know it was MCS! - and we were all screaming and the girls were all "You're marrying this guy!" and Perry had a great quote from the night on her blog:

Bouncer to patron: That girl is marrying the dude in this band.
Patron: What band?
Bouncer: The one playing in the bar right now!

Then two of us did the Top Gun shot in which we were instructed to put on a hat and aviators and they played "Danger Zone." Classic. So, then we (the life of the bar) left Barcelona and headed to Niagara for some dancing and utter randomness.

Here's what we could gather. A group of us headed to the basement to dance, and then we all came up to the non-working photobooth and talked to a bunch of curious people. Gaby was talking in Hebrew to a couple of men, and people thought Jiscilla was our hired photographer for the evening. One woman managed to get into A LOT of our pictures. Christy nearly yelled at the woman's friend who was wearing a t-shirt with the British flag on it: "ARE YOU BRITISH?!" At some point she also yelled at a guy on a rickshaw who tried to talk to me. Love her. Oh, and I kept on slamming my amazing fake ring on the limo window to see if anyone on the outside could see it. By this time, my crown was securely on crooked and bent.

We exited Niagara to get some pizza across the street. All I remember is pointing at a slice of white spinach pizza and plopping down at a table, slightly hunched over, scarfing, and eyes half-open. I was also highly amused my Amber's purchase of a pig-in-a-blanket.

The girls in the wedding party bid adieu to the rest of the ladies who lived in Manhattan, and we climbed back into the limo. WHICH HAD BEEN SWITCHED! Seriously, we got into the limo and it was a completely different one! But we took it all in nonchalantly, and continued the party. The next morning we affectionately called this the "tumbling" part of the evening, as Christy referred to all of us like being in a washing/drying machine in the back of the limo. We were all over the place. We were still singing and dancing, but also half asleep.

Note: this picture is NOT from the end of the night. Those look A LOT different. Ha.

We made it home safe, and as I was washing my face Amber walked into the bathroom and I apparently tried to make her harmonize with me while singing a single note into the mirror. Typical. Kelly was doing her Barry Gibbs impression. Jiscilla has an incoherent and dark video of these final, break-of-dawn moments (never to see the light of day) and we all fell into our beds with smiles on our faces.

We all had so much fun. The next morning we woke up like zombies. But with some water and a few motrin, we were ready for brunch. The weekend continued for us on Sunday, and I'll have more on that tomorrow.

Jesse remarked on how glad he was that "nothing bad happened," since sometimes a group of people embibing a lot of spirits and traipsing around the city could lead to some pretty harried hijinks. However, I was surrounded by my best friends all night. There's a reason I keep them close - I know none of them suck. None of them are drama queens. None of them would ever endanger us. We all like fun! We all have our wits about us! I will be friends with these girls for life. As it always is when we hang out, there's never an awkward moment or negativity. We cherish each other and celebrate our friendship. MY FRIENDS RULE.

The bridal shower!

Good morning! I've just had one of the best weekends of my entire life so far. I know it'll be hard for me to describe just how amazing it was - but I'm sure Jiscilla's pictures will help out! Yesterday as she loaded the pictures in from Saturday's Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party, I believe the count was 683 pictures. Yes. Six-hundred and eighty-three. I'll eventually post them as albums, but here's a small selection and details about the Bridal Shower! The only one I've ever been to so far!

My mom arrived Friday afternoon, and we picked up her best friend Milagros on Saturday morning. The apartment was in a state of bustling excitement as all the decorations were going up and being set. I came back to find my best friends Christy, who had flown in from Texas, and Amber, who had flown in from Michigan! I hadn't seen either of them in such a long time!! Along with Jiscilla, Kelly, and Erica, the whole gang was back together.

I got into my dress (oh it's so lovely to have excuses to buy new things!) and Jiscilla did my hair & make-up as our resident beauty expert. Then the rest of the guests, Gaby, Katie, and Perry arrived and the festivities began!

My Maids of Honor (yes, I have TWO) Erica and Kelly organized the whole thing and made it quite the classy affair, with a spread such as this. They should probably start some sort of party planning business.

The party started off with some wine and just general catching up. The picture pretty much demonstrates why we're friends. I don't know why we were doing this, but we did. That's me on the left, along with Christy, Kelly, and Erica. And robot hands.

And here's Amber! I hadn't seen Amber in over a year, since she spent most of last year working in Italy. She's one of my bridesmaids, with Christy and Jiscilla. That rounds out my wedding party.

The ladies started off the party by giving me a purple crown to wear the whole day and night and then we played a game - which Jesse had a part in. They had asked Jesse to answer 32 questions via video about himself, and I would be asked the same questions and see how many we could get right together - whichever of our lovely guests guessed the correct amount of right answers got a prize.

I answered many questions assuredly and with confidence.

However, sometimes I would be wrong. Um, I really had no idea Jesse' favourite actor was Johnny Depp. I went with Daniel Day Lewis. In the end, I got 19 out of the 32 questions correct! And Katie took home a prize.

I had to get a picture in of my lovely mother! Seriously, walking around with her in the city, many people remarked that we looked like twins. At least I have her genes, right? And she made the best empanadas EVER for the spread.

The group of us continued drinking our wine and then we got down to the cake-cutting. Kelly apparently knew of an amazing cake-baker in New York, and it did not disappoint.

YUM!

After the cake, we opened presents. It seems that bridal showers have "themes" these days, and after careful consideration, Erica and Kelly threw out many a theme they'd found online (like "sandals" ???) and tailored something to my own personality: BOOKS! I got many, MANY books as gifts and I couldn't be a happier lady! I definitely have enough unread books on my shelves now to fill out the rest of my 52 Book year! My friends are so lovely and creative - they picked out a great range of books that I either wanted or didn't even know I did but now am so excited to read! I was so surprised!

I really couldn't have asked for a better theme, and I was certainly mesmerized by the mountain of books that I had laying there at the end of it! I also got a great bunch of cookbooks, which I can't wait to try out. Cooking has never really been a hobby of mine, but I will attempt it, I will!

Afterwards, we played our favourite party game ever: Celebrities! Seriously, playing this game leads to some of the most hilarious clues and answers ever. Like, I may or may not have said "Neil Mandela" instead of "Nelson Mandela." Other examples?

Jiscilla: HOOOOOOOOOOOCH!
Answer: "Tom Hanks"

Jessica: Probably the greatest actress in America right now, was in Devil Wears Prada...
Amber: Anne Hathaway!
Answer: Meryl Streep

Perry: The most charitable person...
Jiscilla: Angelina Jolie!
Answer: Mother Theresa

Classic celebrities.

That wrapped up the Bridal Shower, but twas not the end of the festivities. We all had direct orders to be ready to go by 10pm for the Bachelorette. Let me just say the shower was more than I could have ever hoped for thanks to my ladies - they know me so well as to include all the fun of the tradition, without adding in any corniness or antiquity usually associated with such a party. They continued in that mold for the Bachelorette, too. I'm so grateful!

So, we rested up by watching 13 Going on 30 (how great?!) and getting dolled up. There was a bit of color coordination, as you'll see below...you can also probably guess as to what color I've chosen for the wedding, ha. We had a champagne toast to kick off the rest of the night...and more on that debauchery later!

I could break your heart any day of the week.

It's Friday! I'm in a great mood even though today is the fifth straight day of raining in New York!! Because?! It's FRIDAY!!

And what else better to commemorate a great mood than officially unveiling the current status of my Top Five. You all had your guesses. You were mostly close. So here it is. Please, allow me to girl-out.

1. George Clooney

Probably the most obvious to long time readers. Is there any one with more easy charm? Just see Out of Sight, one of my favourite movies - J.Lo or no J.Lo!

2. Robert Downey, Jr.

Yes, I think to enter my Top Five, apparently a charming personality is necessary. Probably the most eccentric of my Tops, I've blatantly loved RDJ through the 90s, and he's the only reason I want Ally McBeal to come out on DVD - I loved his character Larry and his singing made me swoon. This crush reignited via movies like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man.

3. Hugh Jackman

Hugh seems like an all-around nice guy, you might say CHARMING, and he's got that, um, body. He also plays my second favourite X-Men character and probably single-handedly made me like him more than I did before the movies. (Remy LeBeau was the stuff of my childhood swoons.)

4. Lee Pace

Oooh, a surprise for some! But we all know I love Pushing Daisies. His bashful, awkward, idealistic romantic character Ned is so adorable, sometimes I squeal. I dig his lankiness, the way he raises his eyebrows, and his giant hands.

5. Chris Pine

A BLOND IS IN THE TOP FIVE. Being so recent, I don't think I have to explain where THIS crush comes from and why. Jon Hamm was booted from this spot for Pine Flu. Although, Mad Men airs again on August 16th - but when is Star Trek out on DVD? How will these two battle for my imaginary affections? Other people who wavered in and out of the top five were Matthew Fox, Christian Bale, Chris Carrabba, Edward Norton, Jason Lee, Mark Ruffalo, Ewan MacGregor, and others.

The thing about the Top Five is that I don't know any of these dudes. I don't want to. They live in my head mainly as their characters and the little snippets I gather from their personalities via interviews and whatnot. I don't want to know that much about them, actually - because my projections of them are much sweeter, I'd guess. The good thing is that I have my number one in real life: Jesse. I know pretty much everything about him and that only enhances the fact that he's amazing. He's my number one charmer, my lovely man, my own personal superhero, my daily source of appeal.

So it's a good thing I'm marrying him! [Lock. It. Down.] In fact, this weekend is an all-ladies weekend with my Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party! Yes. This weekend. I don't share much of the wedding whatnots here, as planning a wedding isn't all that fun, and I don't think readers will gather anything of use from MY wedding planning, but you what is fun? Parties. So stay tuned for reports of the awesome parties!

Meow meow.

It's been a month since saying bye to Keanu, and not a day passes that I don't think about his little self. When I sit down to eat, he's not there to sidle up next to me and do a little begging. When I'm folding my laundry, he's not sitting in his favourite part of the couch acting perturbed by my constant movement. When I'm making the bed, he's not chasing the corners and jumping around on the mattress while I pull the sheets tight. All these things, and many more make me miss him. Jesse also misses him, and sometimes we talk about him and smile. I'm glad I have him to lean on. I know Keanu's in a good place now, but I still wish that good place included my lap! :)

Your head will collapse.

Does anybody watch the Starz original series Party Down? Admittedly there were two things that drew me in: it's created/produced or something by Rob Thomas and Paul Rudd, and there were many actors from my one of my favourite shows ever, Veronica Mars. It could be a little uneven at times, but I ended up loving the one-liners and all the cameos (including a great finale scene with Kristen Bell that still has me cracking up).

I also caught up with True Blood, as last summer I kind of lost interest because I'm not Anna Paquin's biggest fan. I loved her in The Piano (I do an impersonation of her accent...maybe...), but one of my close friends had to work with her a couple of years ago and basically said she was a huge jerk. I don't think she's that impressive in True Blood - but she won an Emmy for it, so maybe it's just my prior knowledge of her creeping in as bias. Or perhaps just because she won an Oscar when she was 13 people just love giving her awards? Perhaps. ANYWAY - the supporting cast is awesome, and the last episode was really, really scary. Also, both these shows have roles played by Lizzie Caplan, whom I loved in Mean Girls as Janis.

Now, the point of all this television talk is that I've been trying to "catch up" with all the hype of these new shows. However, there's one show that goes on hiatus every year for far too long: LOST. And so, I thought it would be a brilliant plan if we continued watching LOST on Wednesdays - from the first episode. Jam worked it out that we'd have to watch 2.5 episodes every week to be all caught up for the final season's premiere in 2010.

Let me tell you, watching the pilot after just watching this last season's finale was kind of mind-blowing. You know how they show Jack's flashback in surgery and his dad makes him count down from five and afterwards Jacob hands him a candy bar? Jack tells that story in the pilot when Kate is stitching up his back - except he doesn't mention his father was there and he makes it out like he decided to do it on his own (oh, and he doesn't mention the stranger Jacob, of course). Also in the pilot, Locke shows Walt the game of backgammon - which he tells him is an ancient game, before Christ's time, and he holds up the checkers showing it's light versus dark. As in Jacob versus Black Shirt?! Seriously, full circle. I'm back to anticipating Wednesday nights as I usually do when new episodes are on the air!

Included this pic because how awkward does Evangaline look here?!

The crew includes Jam, T-Bone, and Erica - anybody else who's down for classic LOST episodes is welcome as well! Tonight will be our third viewing...we're on episode six, as we've watched two episodes a week for the past two weeks. Those pesky .5s will probably be taken care of in a couple marathon weekend days we set aside.

And there are other pros to re-watching old episodes; I mean, I won't go through my usual Fox withdrawal:

(Not a Top Fiver - though he wavers in and out occasionally!)

I'll always see you through.

Finishing 2666 was not my only success of the weekend! I got some great shopping in, as well.

A few months ago I saw these pair of Betsey Johnson sunglasses in purple online and I wanted them soooo bad but they sold out right quick. Cut to last Saturday and I'm walking into a TJ Maxx in suburban Massachusetts with my mom and I see THESE. For $7.99. And I proceeded to purchase them, plus another Betsey pair that are huge with thin red frames in red, and another pair that were cat-eyed - a style I've been obsessed with since that trip to LA.

I also found three adorable, affordable summer dresses at the TJ Maxx; all for great prices, of course. Above is a little snippet of each. I felt really good after all my summer shopping, which didn't break the bank AT ALL. So then my mother took me to Macy's and bought me a pair of yellow wedges since she thinks I don't wear enough color on my feet...yeah...but they're awesome, dressy wedges.

I'm still on the lookout for a pair of on-the-beach, walking-around-a-beach-town wedges, though. I saw a pair at TJ Maxx that were too big! But my purchases, pretty good, am I right?!

My mother and I continued our afternoon by lunching with my great friend and former co-worker slash roommate Deidre, who lives in the area. I always love playing catch-up.

The weather this weekend was also amazing - unlike the thunder storms that woke me up at 3am last night! Here's a photo of my mom standing on a particulary picturesque lake pier on Saturday:

But I'll be honest, I love thunderstorms. I love staying in and counting the seconds between the flashes of light to the rumble of thunder. The first crack or clap of thunder always makes me jump, but I tend to smile when I realize I have goosebumps. I love being in bed for thunderstorms and awake and holding onto somebody and laughing together. Last night wasn't so fun in the middle of the night...with nobody to latch on to.

You are the anchor that holds me.

"Reading is pleasure and happiness to be alive or sadness to be alive and above all it's knowledge and questions." - Roberto Bolaño, 2666.

I finished this novel last night, and immediately re-read the last three pages again, as if in a trance, as if unable to let go of something I'd spent a lot of time with over the last three weeks, as if I couldn't stand for the story to be over. It's hard to compare this book to much else I've read, though I've added it to my favourite books, just as I did The Road earlier this year. I think the last time a book made me stop and re-read a sentence or whole passages so many times was probably Gabriel Garcia Marquez' One Hundred Years of Solitude. I'd recommend 2666 to everybody who loves a great sentence, can deal with tangents, and will invest time into this 900-page novel in five parts.

So how am I doing with my fifty-two books for 2009? Well, the last time I updated about it here was back in February, though I update my Goodreads status nearly daily with my reading. I'm still completely open to suggestions - the last time I did it, I added your suggestions to my "to-read" list, currently at 206 books! So, I might not get to it right away, but...it'll be there. Perhaps just tell me about a book that really moved you, something that might be akin to how relevatory I found 2666. Even if I've already read it or whatever - I love hearing about books other people treasure and why. My own favourites can be found here.

Fifty-Two Books in 2009

01 A Clash of Kings, George R.R. Martin (01.05.09)
02 World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks (01.18.09)
03 Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer (01.20.09)
04 The Road, Cormac McCarthy (01.22.09)
05 Y: The Last Man, Brian K. Vaughn (01.27.09)
06 Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyers (01.31.09)
07 Infinity Blues, Ryan Adams (02.12.09)
08 The Best American Magazine Writing 2008 (02.28.09)
09 First Love, Ivan S. Turgenev (03.08.09)
10 Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (03.15.09)
11 Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy (03.16.09)
12 The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera (03.24.09)
13 Never Let Me Go, Ishiguro Kazuo (03.29.09)
14 The Last Vampire, Christopher Pike* (04.05.09)
15 Whisper of Death, Christopher Pike (04.13.09)
16 Monster, Christopher Pike (04.21.09)
17 A Storm of Swords, George R.R. Martin (04.30.09)
18 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Seth Grahame-Smith (05.15.09)
19 Crimson, Brian Augustyn (CURRENTLY READING)**
20 2666, Roberto Bolaño (06.07.09)
21 The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson (CURRENTLY READING)

Hopefully I'll reach the halfway point of 26 books in July! After I finish Jam's suggestion of The Devil in the White City (which is a quite good non-fiction read so far!), I have a few shorter books lined up to take a little breather from those novels which add pounds to my commute! They include, The Sound of My Voice by Ron Butlin (128 pages), Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall (240 pages), and The Lover by Marguerite Duras (128 pages).

So, again, let me know what your favourite book ever is and explain why you love it and how it moved you! I'm excited to read about them!



*Did you know that Christopher Pike chose his pen name from the Star Trek character? Still. Relevant.
**This graphic series isn't really doing it for me, I may put it down after finishing the second volume.

Recurring.

I just looked down and realized when I traveled to LA I wore this same outfit, reading the same book (though now I'm in the third volume).

This time I'm headed to Massachusetts on a train, and I'm going to spend some time with my parents! What's everybody doing this weekend?!

Also, this train is unbearably hot and an old man is constantly clearing his throat, sitting next to me. Lame!

-- via my travel partner iPhone

You're all over the map.

Look how dapper my man looked on his birthday!

Pretty bummed I wasn't there to share in the festivities...

Meet our winner, Christiana!

Christiana holding her copy of Amanda Leigh! YAY!!

Mandy Moore played a spectacular show last night at Highline Ballroom. I've been to a lot of concerts, and I have to say that a lot of the time the sound is off or the vocals just aren't at their best - this doesn't mean it's a bad concert! Rather, I expect live music to be a little grittier cause, well, the band is playing there right in front of me, not tweaking around in a studio.

But Mandy's voice was great. Not just great, but BEAUTIFUL. That girl knows how to sing well, and I was thoroughly impressed. Her band members Daniel Clarke (keyboards) and Mike Viola (guitar) joined her on stage for a lovely set. She was wearing bell-bottoms, a screenprinted black tee and a white blazer - an ensemble that totally fit into the 70s vibe of her music. Ryan Adams was at the side of the stage watching raptly and clapping in support.

She seemed so genuine on stage as she continually said "thank you" during the show and acted embarassed over her band members making a crude joke. All the girls I was standing with loved the show (I think this was the first live Mandy performance for all of us) and we all agreed we wanted to be Mandy's best friend.

If you haven't done so yet, check out Amanda Leigh! MMW continues, though I'm still deciding whether I have the energy to attend another Mandy show tonight at Joe's Pub. We'll see!

Here are some sweet pictures taken by Keller last night -

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSE !

Jesse Mack Johnson turns 32 years old today!

It's a bum out that I'm here in New York and he's across the country in Los Angeles, but that's the way it goes. I sent him a little card reminding him that this was his last "single" birthday. The rest of the years he's all mine.

Tonight he's going to some crazy magic show in LA at The Magic Castle. Apparently you have to dress up. I expect a full report, because honestly all I imagine is GOB.

If you have twitter, you can wish him a happy birthday at his handle - @jessemackj! (Doesn't everybody smile when they get Happy Birthday wishes? Even from people you haven't met? That's why you should Happy Birthday him - because I want him to be smiling all day!)

And I get to put up this picture AGAIN:

My favourite.

I could handle your tortured heart.

I'm not sure if you've noticed, or if you're entirely aware, but it's Mandy Moore Week. Yup. See, she's in town, and through my bestie Erica, who is "working" her album, I've been able to go to a bunch of events for Amanda Leigh.

Like, last night. We went to this uber-posh and quite secret bar (apparently it's some new hot spot called "Avenue") for a private album release party thrown by Coach. Honestly, when I heard that Coach was throwing the shindig, I expected to be in a marble-white Coach store surrounded by purses I couldn't afford, and sipping out of dainty champagne flutes.

(Mandy last night at Avenue via)

However, Erica and I arrived to the address only to find a huge black door with no signs. The only reason we knew it was the right place was because a guy popped out with a clipboard and asked if we were on the list. Which, of course, we were. We walked into a large, dim room in all shades of beige and black. We hurried upstairs for some reason and found a tinier, even darker room with a bar and saw Mandy sitting back on a couch eating some appetizers. We ordered a drink and then my head swiveled to see Ryan Adams standing nearby, engaged in conversation with a couple of other people.

Oh. Hey.

There were maybe fifteen people in the room, all of whom I presumed either worked in music or at Coach. The DJ played a few Amanda Leigh songs and it was a cool evening...or, rather, I felt a little cooler than usual. But I'm still Jessica, and I may or may not have squealed silently when I saw Mandy sidle next to Ryan and exchange smiles. He seemed totally at ease and happy to support his lady - not what I expected from many reports I've read of his erratic behavior.

At the same time, I avoided Mr. Adams because - and I may have said this before - I don't really relish meeting my faves. Kind of takes away from the idea of them I've conjured up in my head. And, I'm usually an awkward idiot in these types of situations, so I'm sure something weird and highly embarassing would happen. FOR EXAMPLE, I did get introduced to Mandy last night by her manager, who introduced me as "Danielle." Yes. I did not correct him. I just smiled and shook her hand. Like an idiot.

By the way, she seemed really excited for the album, totally humble, gorgeous, and nice. As I expected. (Oh, and she's really, really tall.) But...I can't even imagine what would have happened if I met Mr. Adams. I mean, this BLOG is titled after a lyric in one of his songs. I've been listening to him for years, I've championed his music when others call it too "unedited" (PFFT), I buy his books of poetry, and I was the. biggest. fan. ever. of his blog. These are just a few of the things that would lead to intimidation which would lead to brain melting symptoms if we were to ever meet. (This also goes for Gwen Stefani, and the Top Five.)

What's funny is that in LA, I met a dude named Daniel, through Matt and Tony of MCS. Daniel grew up with them...and Daniel plays keyboards for Mandy Moore. (Your brain is melting now, isn't it?) Anyways, so Daniel was there last night, and we caught up, and talked about birthdays and playing shows and he mentioned what a "sweetheart" Ryan really is. All good, all good. Daniel also asked about my blog address after I mentioned I held a contest, and I just don't think I'm ready to hand it out to the dude - well, maybe when Mandy Moore Week is off the front page...

I'm SUPER EXCITED for tonight's Mandy Moore show at Highline Ballroom! I really can't wait to hear all the new songs, as I've been listening to them non-stop and I'm kind of in love with Amanda Leigh. Plus, I'll be seeing the MMW Contest Winner Christiana! And quite a lot of friends and other notables, as I'm hearing it's quite the hot ticket in town tonight...

Also, sidenote, I'll be holding another contest soon open to EVERYONE, not just those within reach of Manhattan!

We have our Mandy Moore Contest Winner!

And her name is Christiana! Christiana commented mere hours after the contest went up - and connected Mandy Moore to Kevin Spacey in ONE step.

Mandy Moore was in Saved (2004) with Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin was in Rocker Gibralter with Kevin Spacey (1988)

Hurrah! Apparently Christiana is a big Mandy fan, so I'm glad she's coming to the show! (& gets the album!) I'll see her there tomorrow night!

Also, here are some other winning connections:

Mandy Moore was in Dedication with Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet was in The Life of David Gale with Kevin Spacey

Mandy Moore was in Saved with Jena Malone
Jena Malone was in The United States of Leland with Kevin Spacey

Any other fun connections you can come up with?? Even if they're more than one step?

Also! Has anybody listened to Amanda Leigh yet? What do you think?

I'll make this painless, try to be sweet.

What a glorious weekend it was! On Friday, Erica, Kelly and I had another official summer date - dinner at Sweet Emily's and then a movie. What movie? Well, Star Trek. Yes, third time! Yes, Chris Pine has officially entered my Top Five. And I'll discuss those included in the top five in another post. For now, know that Jon Hamm was kicked out (this may change on August 16th...) and neither Keanu Reeves nor Ryan Adams were ever in contention, however intrigued I am by their works.

Here's another thing about Star Trek - my best friend Kelly is not a fan of science fiction. She has very high standards when it comes to movies. It has to be thought-provoking and usually indie and/or star Zac Efron. She despises sci-fi, period pieces, and cheesiness (except where Mr. Efron is concerned). She loves Wes Anderson films and Natalie Portman. But she looooved Star Trek. This is the highest recommendation I can give. "Oh why haven't you checked out [Movie]? Kelly saw it and loved it." That usually makes any friend of mine who knows Kelly, go see the movie. That's why her nickname is Kells For the Win.

On Saturday, Erica and I hosted our annual rooftop BBQ! We had some real fun with our good friends! Per usual.

Jen & Molly!

Gaby, Katie, Sean.

Kristen, Lauren Ashley, Cara, Rob.

Molly, Ben, Kristen, Lauren Ashley.

Andrew, Katie, Jonah.

Rob, Jaime, Andrew.

ROOFTOP BOCCE!!!

After the festivities, we headed into Manhattan to see Tyler & Pete's band A Great Big Pile of Leaves play a show at Lit Lounge. It was uberfun and I love their music - it's quite interesting to watch Tyler's skills at the drums. He said he will teach me how to play some Foo Fighters songs on the drums in the future (holding you to that, T-Bone!). Anyway, they're working on a video right now for a new song and a) the video is awesome and b) I can't get the song out of my head!! More on that when it's released!

Yesterday I caught up with a lot of things on my checklist, and also caught the MTV Movie Awards because I heard Chris Pine was presenting an award. There was actually a few good moments during them, none that topped Pine's cardigan + oxford + tie ensemble, though. Let's be honest.

Later today I'll be announcing the winner of my Mandy Moore contest! We had a very astute reader come through on Saturday with a one-step answer and I think that's put off any other contestants from leaving a comment :)

How was your weekend?!