Gonna get along without you now.

It's been so long! First, I had to get over jetlag. And that overlapped with Jesse being home for exactly four days. And tonight after work I'm heading to Massachusetts to spend a weekend with my family.

I hope to start posting my Japan adventures tonight!

Now for other news besides my most amazing trip.

Apparently, all over the internet and fashion world, clogs are in. I hesitate to say "back in" because I never lived through a period of their relevance before. I hate clogs and I proclaim here and now to never give in to such atrocities. A trend I'm willing to try out, though?

Hot pink lips. Let's do it. I am always down for trending lip color for some reason. Maybe it's because it's a relatively cheaper trend that I don't have to feel guilty for testing out? Anyway: results soon.

Last weekend my friend needed someone to try on some outfits for some NBC taxicab spots and American Airlines online content segments. I said sure, I'll get up at 530am on a Saturday! I was still jetlagging so 530am felt like 730pm in Japan, therefore, I was fine. I also loved getting my makeup done because the artist, Lauren, colored in my eyebrows superthick and I think I want to try that out as well. Check it:

I just have to learn how to do it and not look too over-made up. Any tips? Any eyebrow pencil brands you'd recommend? Trust me: when it comes to make up, you know more than I do.

The book club, FSJBCB, is going swimmingly and we're about 70% of the way through War & Peace! It's a mighty, mighty novel but we're all enjoying it. The other members - Sean, Amber, and Jaime - all have great insights and we also have ways of bringing Tolstoy down to "our level." Especially since each meeting requires champagne cocktails and delicious red velvet donuts. We might even do our own version of Drunk History (please click for HILARITY) in our last meeting and videotape ourselves trying to summarize War & Peace...after many rounds of cocktails. Stay tuned.

I've been listening to She & Him's Volume Two all morning and I'm in love. It officially comes out next Tuesday, March 23rd, and if you loved Volume One you'll adore this album as well. Remember when I was obsessed with Volume One? I think I played that on repeat for over a year straight. My Last.FM can attest to that!

I know I never posted my Oscar predictions or even commented on them, so I'll say that I was happy that The Hurt Locker won best film and Kathryn Bigelow won best director. I'm still most disappointed that Bright Star didn't get more recognition for the director Jane Campion or best supporting actor Paul Schneider, though! Seriously. Also disappointed that A Single Man didn't get more recognition - a film that if I had seen last year when I was making my top films list would have come in fourth after Hurt Locker and before District 9. After viewing An Education three more times via my flights to Japan, I think it would have gotten a top 10 spot as well. I also saw A Serious Man and did not enjoy it at all. And I love the Coen brothers. I don't feel it deserved a best film nomination - should have been swapped out for the similar-sounding A Single Man! Perhaps there was a mix up? Same with Blind Side and Bright Star? Just saying.

Oh, and after rewatching Up in the Air as well and giving it some "settling time" as I referred to in my tops post, I wouldn't place it near my top ten. The allure of Clooney was great, but he really seemed to phone it in. Plus, what crap female characters. I was especially glad that Precious took the screenwriting award rather than Up in the Air, which was the frontrunner.

So that's what's up! Expect a barrage of posts about Japan this weekend!