Disappointment TV

Warning - possible spoilers ahead!

All across the nation this week you can hear the sound of crickets chirping in the silence. That silence is caused by millions of Americans sitting shaking their heads in disgust. Three top shows, three disappointing endings.

First, let's talk about LOST. I don't know about you, but I really, really was expecting more from that finale. I mean for the last few years skeptical people have been placing bets that the Losties were either already dead or it was just a dream all along. Well, we didn't end up that far off, did we? For six years, we devoted ourselves to this series - the mythology, the characters and the mystery. I was just hoping for a little bit of "wow" and I feel that instead I got "wah, wah waaahhhhh".

So then, that takes us to Dancing with the Stars. I've been a faithful viewer since the beginning. It's always been a fun show. But really, to put a professional dancer on the roster and then have her win. No offence to Nicole Scherzinger, but it really wasn't fun to watch her this season. This should is all about growth, starting off a novice and going pro. But, instead she dominated all season and took all the fun out of the show for me. Dancing - I gave up on you about halfway through the season...if you can't do a better job with casting, then I'll be taking you off my DVR's season pass list.

And, finally that brings us to American Idol. I can at least say that I am not an avid watcher of this show. And that's has less to do with the talent and the production and everything to do with how LAME America is. What is going through the heads of the viewing public? Why oh why do you keep preventing the RIGHT contestant from winning? You keep voting for the absolute most boring singers! Adam Lambert should have won. Crystal Bowersox should have won. Why does the candidate who most seems to be carved out of cream cheese always win? Snore! Maybe someday America will be able to see past someone who seems a little different and instead see the amazing talent they possess.

Well, summer is just about here and with it a soft television line-up. I guess I'll be turning back to Netflix for my summer entertainment.

What did you guys think?

Fa-Fa-Fabulous!

Sometimes it's the va-va-voom in life that makes it all worth while, right? Well, here's a small dose to add to your life.

I came across an ad for the Conde Nast online store while reading my favorite magazine - Vanity Fair.  Curious, I navigated to the address and was instantly captivated. While many of the items are a bit pricey, they are SO worth it. The site is filled with standout art pieces for your home or office. Whether it's a framed vintage photograph or magazine cover to sophisticated note cards and gifts...you've got to check out this site.

Skirting the Edge

Dear designers,

I kinda hate you. What's with all the pencil skirts, bubble skirts and ultra minis right now? Do you know who can wear a pencil skirt, bubble skirt or ultra mini and have them look flattering? Ummmm...not too many. Ok, so maybe a handful of stick insects in LA and NYC, fine. But you should see some of the people in my office trying to wear these styles - it's not pretty!

Anyway, what's a girl to do? I love, love, love wearing skirts in the summer. As soon as the weather warms up, pants go out the window and fun, feminine flowy skirts take flight. Most of my things from last year just look tired and grumpy, so I decided to indulge and pick  up a few new skirts for myself.  Houston, we certainly have a problem. This is what designers have in store for us this season:

Ann Taylor - this is what you have in mind for Spring? Ugh! 

Talbots - one of my favorite stores since I like simple and classic looks. I have rarely failed to find something cute and pretty here, until this year when I was faced with things like this....

Off to Nordstrom....what the what?

And, finally to Macy's....

Anyway, you get the drift. So I guess that the answer is that those of us who are not a size two have to wrap ourselves in burlap and keep our eyes downcast? Or...keep wearing the same old grumpy looking things from last year until a designer comes to their senses and starts making a-lines again?

Best of the Boob Tube

In honor of May sweeps and because there are so many interesting new shows on the air these days, I thought I would provide you with my very own top 10 best shows on television right now.  If you see shows on the list that you haven't yet watched, jump in, the water is great. I'm sure you'll be happy you did.

1) Modern Family - seriously folks, if you're not watching this show, you are missing out. My husband and I have laugh-out-loud moments in every episode.

2) LOST - only two episodes left! Get on it people!

3) Justified - a great contribution by FX. Amazingly well written, intriguing character writing, unexpected twists, and a hot leading man!

4) The Good Wife - cerebral and emotional. Great combination!

5) House - your favorite dysfunctional doctor is at it again. He's quit psychotherapy, will he go back on the sauce?

6) Glee - musicals were never this fun. Even my husband will watch it with me.

7) Big Bang Theory - if you don't love Sheldon then you should move to Mars.

8) The Middle - unexpected contender here. This quiet sitcom gets big belly laughs from us. Whether it's the perfect caricature of teenagers or their unusual little boy, this show is full of surprises.

9) Parenthood - I was skeptical about this show when it first came on, thought it might be just the movie revisited...but it's much much more. Great casting and generational dynamics!

10) Who Do You Think You Are? - If geneology interests you even a little bit, this is the show for you. Take a handful of celebrities and follow them as they trace their ancestry back. It's intriguing and gets me thinking about my own family tree.  Several of the episodes have run already, so watch them on Hulu.com.

And, since summer is coming and that usually means that TV generally stinks, I usually fall into the loving arms of Netflix to fill the great entertainment divide. If you haven't yet watched these great shows - jump into them on Netflix. In no time you'll be sucked right in.

 - The Wire

- Battlestar Gallactica

- Dexter

- The Tudors

- Mad Men

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme....

On this dreary Tuesday, let me regale you with a few of my favorite things.....

My cockapoo - searching for the perfect dog? Search no further! The cockapoo is a mix of the cocker spaniel and poodle. Smart, sweet, affectionate and hypo-allergenic. I adore my baby girl puppy who will turn 4 this summer. One could not ask for a better behaved or more loyal and loving dog than our Zoe.

My Kindle - Oh how I love thee. Don't get me wrong, I love real books too. But as a person who loves to read, but really only gets a chance to thoroughly read on vacation - it's SO great to be able to pack several books without adding weight to your suitcase or carry on. Plus, after downloading several books, it's nice to know that the price of a Kindle book has so far been less expensive than the bookstore price.

Siruis Satellite Radio - When my husband first started talking about wanting to get Sirius so he could listen to Howard Stern, I wrinkled my nose. But when we bought our Ford Edge and it was all set up for Satellite Radio, I started listening...and....I. Love. It.  Station after station of music I love, that you select by genre. Comedy channels, fun talk stations like Cosmo Radio and shows like "Whatever with Alexis and Jennifer". I'm in love and my daily commutes are so much better for it.

A fan of the blog? Don't forget to sign up to follow me here.... Thanks!

Hands Up and Step Away from the Carbs...

Have you ever seen a photograph of yourself and been horrified, really horrified, thinking, "Who the heck is that person? OMG it's ME!!"

Well, that's been happening to me a lot lately. And, I've been in total avoidance mode about it too - which makes things a whole lot worse. How did this happen to me after one year of marriage? One day I was at a really happy weight, the next day I gained a husband and two dress sizes. Fabulous.

I can't really blame my weight gain on my marriage. I blame all the unrestricted fun I've had since my relationship began that put me on the fast track to fat pants. I completely stopped focusing on me and instead focused on US. We eat out all the time. We work hard, come home and crash together on the sofa, so no exercise. My husband has a carb tooth, so we have food items in our house that I never bought when it was just me at home (and clearly I'm eating them). So, basically I took all of the good habits I had as a single person (using the gym, lots of activity, healthy eating of small portions, never bought sweets or ice cream into the house) and chucked them out the window. Don't get me wrong, we've been having a really wonderful time. But I've now realized that it's at the expense of my waistline and self esteem.

I confess to feeling like everyone around me is looking at me and thinking, "One year of marriage and she's already let herself go." It makes me sick and upset just thinking about it. And, this kind of thinking is helping to keep me fat...ack! I need to start putting myself first again and taking back the "thin and pretty" mindset I had in my single days.

So here I go, embarking on Operation Life Swap. I want to have my great marriage, AND the self-care mindset I had while single. So...how to start?  Today I joined Weight Watchers. And tomorrow I'm going to start exercising in the mornings before work again. I used to take classes like Pilates and Belly Dancing, so I'm going to look for a class like that to take again.

My first goal is a 10 lb loss. I won't set a second goal until I've achieved that one. I'm hoping that by breaking the whole goal into chunks (pun intended) that it will be more manageable. So, my first WW meeting is this Wednesday night. I'm going to start today in preparation. I know I can do this. I just need to focus - especially focus on the long term weight loss strategy over the short term taste of something delicious....

I feel beautiful, slender and comfortable in my own skin...

Home Sweat Home

Being a new home owner is exciting, but tough - if you are like me, that is. I want to do it all NOW. And that means a workout -- painting, hanging crown moulding, knocking down walls, carpeting, choosing window coverings, buying new furniture and creature comforts...Whew, I'm exhausted just thinking about it. The list is endless and the barrier is of course, time and money.

We love our new house, and we've made so much progress through elbow grease already. But I'm impatient to have the house be "ours" and just the way we want it now, so that we can actually relax in it on the weekends, instead of promising our first born child to the Home Depot.  What are the elements of your dream house? How are you trying to incorporate those elements into your current home? Do you believe that you can have it?
My husband and I love to travel, talk about travel and dream about travel...so we've created a feature wall in our hallway where we have hung matted and framed photos from some of our favorite vacations. Doing this doesn't have to be expensive either. I uploaded our photos to Snapfish and ordered large prints and I bought the frames and matteing at CostCo. And, Voila! Custom looking artwork and a personal area of interest that always gets us compliments from visitors.

Despite all of our great progress, there are some things that I'd really love, but know that I'm just going to have to save and save and save...and wait. I'm trying to learn patience...trying. *sigh* In the meantime, a girl can dream and try to manifest wonderful things, right?

My wish list includes:

A cozy Hammock for a shady part of the backyard.

A really great outdoor sectional for our screened in porch - I love this one from Restoration Hardware.(One of my all time favorite furniture stores!)

A really cozy sectional for the "Man Room" (like this one from Pottery Barn - it looks so comfy!)

And, a great stone patio for entertaining (wouldn't this be heavenly for winter and summer?)...

So, what's on your home completion or dream house wish list? Are you envisioning yourself already living in it?

Well, What Is Your Dream?

Can you see the forest for the trees in your own life? In this world of fast-paced madness, deadlines, traffic, and places to be, do you take the time to lift your nose from the grindstone and think about your life from the 30,000 foot view?

What do you want your life to be? Who do you want to be in it with you? Where do you want to live it? How do you want to spend your time? What goal do you want to achieve? Are you working toward that goal, or have you been swallowed up by the "right now"?

It would be incredibly tragic to wake up at 70 and realize that your real life never even came close to your dream life. So, what steps are you willing to take today to start dedicating a portion of your day or week toward your dream? Do you believe you can have it? You better! So remind yourself everyday and think about achieving those goals in a positive way!

I am constantly feeling sidelined by the mundane tasks of life - laundry, grocery shopping, making dinner,  home renovations, business meetings. It's a struggle to find time in the day to focus on what I want to be and where I hope to be. I've found that using my commuting time for this focus really helps. I listen to inspiring audiobooks or often just drive in silent thought. It's my quiet time alone and it helps me to stay focused. What time can you carve out to focus on your dreams?

Another suggestion to help with focus is to make a vision board either in hard copy or virtually. Really spend some time thinking about what you most want. Look for photos and items that best represent your goals and dreams and collect them on a bulletin board, piece of cardboard or make a collage online. Put this vision board in a place you can see it every day. Spend some time visualizing yourself achieving these things, really know that it can all be yours.

In the grand scheme of your life, will it really matter if you took on a little less in the now so you can focus on you and your dreams a little more?

What's on your vision board? Here's some ideas for mine....