I'll Be Right Beside You, Dear

Happy Valentines Day, Lovies!

This day has been sweet for many reasons. I have known my husband for 2314 days (although, only married for 1 year, 4 months) and I am more in love with more everyday. I love that it still feels like we're "playing house" and we can laugh about the stupidest things. We enjoyed our day by sleeping in, having lunch at one of our regular little spots and had to run errands before doing make-up for tomorrow's big photoshoot for Redbook Magazine (I will post details soon!).

We exchanged gifts.. I suprised my hubby with a book of guitar chords & tabs of Justin and my favorite songs (holy cow, was it hard to pick and choose!) and The Complete Poems of Walt Whitman. My Christmas gift to Justin was an acoustic guitar, so he has been playing around and I have been wanting to put a bunch of songs together for him, that I knew he'd love. He was pretty excited! Do you know what my sweet husband did for me? Aside from surprising me with some a huge bouquet of hydrangeas, a sweet card and strawberries, he wrote and played me a beautiful song on his guitar. What a sweet man I married!

"To me, every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle." - Whitman

Hydrangeas are always extra special.. They always remind me of when he proposed.

For dinner, we Justin had made resevations at our sentimental 'date place' - PF Changs. We have actually spent the last 3 Valentine's Day dinners at PF's, so it has sort of become our tradition. I love that. Dinner was fabulous, as usual. We headed back home for our berries, chocolate fondue & a bottle of Italian Moscato Spumpante called "Petalo Il Vino dell' Amore" (that we have been saving since our 6-month anniversary) and watched The Notebook. I didn't even have to talk him into it! Any guys reading this? Real men have seen The Notebook without complaining. So, if you haven't seen it.. You better get on that! As far as the Moscato Spumante goes - Probably the best I have ever had. Not sure if it was because we waited so long to open the dang bottle, or if it's just because it was that good.

Yummy Moscato Spumante

[Lyrics: Snow Patrol - "Run"]

xo

Myths, Microwaves & Cinnamon

So I JUST NOW saw the video of people popping popcorn with their cellphones. Do you know what I am talking about? I didn't know it existed until a minute ago. I'm not quite sure where I stand.. Myth or Real? People are saying it's totally rigged, but others are saying it's totally possible. Hmm.. Although I'm pretty sure it's a hoax, I'm totally trying this next time I have at least 3 other willing people near me with their cellphones..



So as I'm about to do something productive with my evening, I notice "related videos" to the popcorn/cellphone one: "Cellphone in the Microwave". Really, people? Obviously, you can find everything and anything on YouTube, but I found it pretty amusing what people stuck in their microwaves. Aside from cellphones, related vids included lightbulbs, grapes, lighters, cds, ping pong balls and..

A bar of soap.



How random!! What would make people think to put any of these things in their microwaves? I'm really not sure.. but atleast I can see the outcome of the experiments on YouTube from someone else's potentially damaged microwave, right? I thought the soap was the coolest!

This brings me to: The Cinnamon Challenge

I'm not quite sure where the "Cinnamon Challenge" came from, but it's pretty hysterical to watch someone attempt it. Supposedly, not many people can succeed. The rule: You have to swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon without throwing up. We challenged my brother-in-law, Jason and his friend Chris to it, and they totally passed! (Excuse my hysteric laughing in the background.. I really could barely control myself!) Check it out --



I suppose you could compare the "Cinnamon Challenge" to:

• The "Milk Challenge" - drink 1 gallon in 15 minutes, no food
• The "Saltine Challenge" - 6 saltines in 60 seconds, nothing to drink
• Or "Chubby Bunny" - whoever fits the most marshmallows in their mouth wins

Myth or not, it's pretty funny if you can talk someone into doing it.. But if you're the one taking on the challenge.. good luck, buddy!


"It's like swallowing the Sahara Desert."


xo

Gaga Goo Goo

I remember the first time I heard the name Lady Gaga and I was like, "Whooo??" I was in a session with a client, who kept talking about Gaga.. Gaga.. and it took me the longest time to figure out she was talking about a new female artist. To me, her first "big hit" was Just Dance, back in April 2008.

Lady Gaga - "Just Dance"

When I finally heard her sing, I thought.. Hmm. She's pretty talented. Pretty pop-cliché. I guess her real name is "Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta". She took on the name "Lady Gaga" apparently by accident, after being associated with a song she liked, "Radio Gaga" by Queen. The craziest part to me? She's only 23 years old! My overall thoughts on Googs? I like her originality, but I really don't like a lot of what she stands for. Her music very catchy - and I find myself rockin' out to it, no problem - but it's pretty trashy.

Since that session when I first heard about her, she's become a insanely huge. She's definitely known for her outrageous performances, and most of all.. her "fashion". I find some her outfits pretty creepy, but some are actually pretty outrageous. She's definitely unique. Check out some of Gaga's most memorable fashion moments:

[One of my ALLTIME favorites.. GooGoo, meeting The Queen in December 2009]

[Gaga wore her Kermit coat while interviewing for a German show in July 2009. She said she dresses this way because her "life is art" and her "whole life is performance".]

[Creeper!! Gagg's accepts her MTV VMA award in 2009 for "Best New Artist"]

[July 2009 - Gaga wore this during a news conference before the 'Isle of MTV Concert']

[2009 VMA's on the red carpet]

[I hear she's pretty known for performing in this bubble costume..?]

[What is going through Goog's head??]

[2009 MMVA's in Toronto - Her outfit is made of hair. Yes. Hair.]

[ACE Awards in 2009 - I have to wonder if there is something wrong in her mind? I want to believe that she is just thinking creatively here, but..]

[2010 Grammy's on the red carpet.. Is GooGoo holding a spiked star??]

[Gaga performed a duet with Elton John @ 2010 Grammy's.. Both covered in soot]

[Pictures taken of Gagg's in Copenhagen, Denmark right after she broke up with her BF, "Speedy". Hmm.]

I wonder what it's like being Gaga. Is she ever just "normal"? And where in the world does she find those outrageous outfits? I guess it's just a mystery.

xo

Listen to Lady Gaga

[Photos - Various Sources]

LOSSSST!

I am obsessed with LOST and I'm not ashamed to say it! Justin and I started watching the series this past summer, after hearing incredible things about it. I found season 1 for dirt cheap, and figured if we didn't like it, then oh, well. It took Justin a little longer than it took me - I think it was the fact that some things were so far-fetched that made him kinda skeptical.. Not me. Episode 1 and I was a gonner! Once he admitted it was addicting, it was inevitable that we would end up getting the rest of the seasons as soon as we could get our mits on them!! We ripped through Season 1 in maybe a week? Season 2 within days! I remember watching episodes for days and days.. One night, after watching 5 or 6 episodes in a row, Justin and I look at eachother shamefully, and say.. "Maybe just one more??!!" Augh! By that time, we hooked my entire family, as well as Stacie and Dan! We ripped through Seasons 3 and 4 and ended up having to wait for 5 to come out on dvd (FINALLY, this past January!), and now here we are. Caught up, and ready to rumble.

The final season of LOST premieres tomorrow night and oh, shinto. Justin and I will be ready, front and center. My fellow Lost buddy, Stacie, mentioned that there was a screening of the premiere in Hawaii on January 30, and it's going to be so mind-blowing that we will be practically "falling out of our seats". I can't wait to fall out of my seat!! It's too bad some of our friends here are so against it, without ever giving it a chance. Whatevs, their loss!!

[Source]

In my excitement, I have been following some blogs (especially this one!), Lostie websites and ABC.com's promos and previews.. EEEEE!!!! Because I'm so obsessed with this amazing show, I thought it would be fun to look at our favorite Lost characters, and see where they were before they were "LOST". Enjoy!

Charlie Pace

Before LOST, Dominic Monaghan plays a hobbit in Lord of the Rings

Ben Linus

Before LOST, Michael Emerson plays another creeper in Saw

Dr. Jack Shepherd

Before LOST, Matthew Fox was most known for his role in the TV Series, Party of Five

Hugo "Hurley" Reyes

Before LOST, Jorge Garcia played a role in TV series, Becker

Ana Lucia Cortez

Before LOST, Michelle Rodriguez played a spitfire in The Fast and the Furious

Juliet Burke

Before LOST, Elizabeth Mitchell played a role in The Fugitive

John Locke

Before LOST, Terry O'Quinn played in the original The Stepfather, back in 1987

Michael Dawson

Before LOST, I always knew Herold Perrineau as Romeo's pal Mercutio in Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Kate Austen

Before LOST, Evangeline Lilly wasn't in very much - photo from a Chat Line commercial

James "Sawyer" Ford

Before LOST, Josh Holloway's first, bigscreen appearance was in the movie, Cold Heart

Richard Alpert

Before LOST, Nestor Carbonell got to wear a nice, little costume in TV Series, The Tick

Mr. Eko

Before LOST, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje played a psycho-prisoner in the TV Series, Oz

Jin Kwon

Before LOST, Daniel Dae Kim played a role in a sci-fi TV Series called, Crusade

Sayid Jarrah

Before LOST, Naveen Andrews played a role in The English Patient

Daniel Faraday

Before LOST, Jeremy Davies played a wimpy soldier in Saving Private Ryan

Charles Widmore

Before LOST, Alan Dale played a role in 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis

Walt Lloyd


Before LOST, Malcolm David Kelley played "young Antwone" in Antwone Fisher

Sun Kwon

Before LOST, Yunjin Kim played a role in Korean TV Series, Iron Palm

Shannon Rutherford

Before LOST, Maggie Grace wasn't in much until 2005's remake of The Fog

Desmond Hume

Before LOST, Henry Ian Cusick played "Jesus" in The Visual Bible: Gospel of John

Claire Littleton

Before LOST, Emilie de Ravin played a role in TV Series, Roswell

Boone Carlyle

Before LOST, Ian Somerhalder played a role in TV Series, Young Americans

Check out some of the cast members' next moves after saying 'goodbye' to one of the greatest series I've ever seen.

Listen to the indescribable music from LOST, created film scorer Michael Giacchino

xo

[Photo Sources - Most from here, others from various sources]