HOOK EM, Arizona Style :)

As promised, I’m back with some more fun pictures from my trip to Texas!

We didn’t just spend the entire time at the fair in Dallas (although I would have been perfectly happy doing so). We also roadtripped to Austin!

It was a mini Arizona reunion (or, as I like to call them, reUAnion), because in addition to me and Gerrick driving up, Julie and Joy drove in from Houston, and Bragman came from New Orleans! So fun :)

We got to Austin at like 11:30 on Friday night and headed straight out. To our surprise, we ran into a whole bunch of other Arizona AEPhi’s there - it was a real reunion!

And on Saturday I got to experience a real live UT tailgate. Crazy! I rocked a burnt orange Texas shirt that was gifted to me by Julie specially for the occasion. We saw some Houston pals (shout-out to Liz and Scott and Neil!), drank beer, ate nachos, posed with footballs, and then headed off to shop in the UT bookstore :)

UT does not fuck around... these people were tailgating in the PARKING GARAGE.

Saturday night we headed out again for tapas and a whole lot of mojitos. We went to a delicious place, 219 West, where I discovered that Texas DOES in fact try to fry everything - they had Chicken Fried AHI TUNA on the menu. That upset me greatly - it took me at least three drinks to rally back to a good mood. Some things are just not meant to be fried!

This is my friend Alyssa, who lives in Austin. Alyssa went to Arizona for a year and then transferred to UT, but we’ve stayed good friends ever since, probably due to our love of making fun of people and quoting Mean Girls. When I called and told her we were coming out for a few days, she immediately said “You have to stay with me!” It was so great seeing her - I think it had been like a year!

Special thank you shout-outs, also, to loyal Queen of LA fans and awesome co-hostesses Amy and Lindsay - thanks for letting us crash with yall!

All in all, it was a great trip. I got to see so many of my friends, which is always the best possible way to spend a weekend. Even though we’re all scattered across the country, it’s amazing to see that nothing really ever changes - get us in a room and we’re back to our old ways, shouting over each other and gossiping and laughing and having fun.

Texas, I miss you already. Take care of my friends and I’ll be back as soon as I can!

All This Fabulous Pink - How Do I Choose?!

The internet is a wonderful place.

Yesterday, my friend Amanda emailed me. “You NEED to check out this website. It’s called Iomoi - I love it and I know you will too,” she wrote. “Let me know what you get!”

I love it. Without me even looking at the website, she knew I was going to be buying things from it. Obviously, I went ahead and clicked.

UM. Where has this website been all my life? I love every single thing on it. You all know I die over color and pattern - and this website has it IN SPADES. And the best part is, pink is everywhere!

Seriously - there are TEN things in my cart right now. I’m not exaggerating, I want it all - the canvas bags and the business cards and the customized matchboxes and the iceboxes. And don’t even get me started on the lucite trays. It’s the number one thing I want in life right now (um, other than world peace). I literally spend hours googling lucite trays online. Please don’t judge me.

I can’t make a decision on which tray I want (why do I have a feeling this is going to end in me getting TWO!?), so in the meantime, I will go ahead and get these amazing address labels:

The only problem is, what color!? I am also LOVING these patterns:

Pink, leopard, polka dot, ikat, zigzag - what’s a girl to do? If you are so inclined (and I do hope you are), please leave me a comment and let me know which ones you like best! If you do, I might send you a handwritten thank-you note - complete with a fabulous address label that you helped me choose! :)

"I'm Never Leaving" - My Experience at the Texas State Fair

SHALOM YALL!

It has been a damn long time since I’ve blogged. So sorry! It really is a shame that I missed the past few days in Los Angeles, what with the 113 record temperatures and all. So sorry to have missed that. Anywho, while all you poor citizens of Los Angeles were laying under your air conditioners melting, I was away enjoying all the glorious things the great state of Texas has to offer :)

I spent the last four days in Texas visiting some of my besties, and it was super fun. What was the purpose of the trip, you ask? Well, I start my new job a week from today (yay!), and I wanted to spend some quality time with them before it becomes hard for me to go out of town.

A few days after I booked my trip, I got an excited phone call from Gerrick. “You’re not going to believe this,” she said. “The day you arrive is the day the TEXAS STATE FAIR opens!” I dropped the phone in the sink and screamed.

Let me back up a sec. I LOVE Texas. Well, actually, I love the South and everything about it, but I have a soft spot in my heart for Texas. In college, I dated someone from Texas, and quite frankly, he never shut up about his love for his state - the people, the land, the food, and ESPECIALLY the Texas State Fair. I think some of that love must have rubbed off on me, because I love everything about Texas too - and it doesn’t hurt that some of my best friends live there, so I get to visit all the time!

So for years I’ve been hearing about the Texas State Fair. And finally, last Friday, I got to go and experience it on my own.... and holy shit you guys. I am still trying to process everything I saw and heard and did. It was INSANE.

My tour guides on this experience were my Gerrick and her boyfriend Daniel. They were so excited to show me the fair, and didn’t even yell when I was literally walking around like I was just dropped off by my alien spaceship. Usually I get a little embarrassed about taking pictures in public (I don’t like looking like a tourist), but that day my camera did not leave my hand. I took pictures of food, of signs, of animals, of people - you name it. I never want to forget the fair!

If there is anyone in this world who appreciates good ole’ southern cooking more than me, it’s the two of them - especially Daniel. I KNOW that boy got a kick out of dragging me around the fair for six hours, insisting I sample this and try that and take a bit of this and a sip of that.

As a Fried Food Connoisseur, I was literally in heaven. Yup, I just admitted that on the internet. I don’t care. The three of us shared everything so we could try more things -- I’ll tell you what we ate, but you can’t judge. We had fried butter, fried Texas caviar, a fried Snickers bar, fried cookie dough, corn dogs (which they call corny dogs in Texas - weird), and a sausage on a stick (not gonna lie, I wouldn’t let anyone else hold it). DELICIOUS!

Next time I go to the fair, I’m making it a two-day event so I can try all the other food. Fried cheesecake, fried Texas frito pie, chicken fried bacon, fried grilled cheese, fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fried margaritas and beer.... when I die, bury me on those fairgrounds. It’s the only place I want to spend eternity.

Did I mention that while all this was going on, it was a brisk 95 degrees outside with about 100% humidity? (I truly debated long and hard about even putting these pictures up on the internet, that’s how disgusting I looked that day.) I was MELTING. Right before we left, I literally drank six lemonades in a row and made Daniel carry my purse to the car because I was so damn hot. This is us seeking refuge in an air-conditioned building selling, um, gumbo and pecan pie. I tasted the gumbo and ran off to make out with the air conditioning:

Not exactly sure why, but sometime throughout the day Gerrick decided we needed to go on a ride. The fair is not just food and drinks and sheep - it also has fun rides! Gerrick picked a ride called “The Love Bugs” - a ride that spins you around and around reallllllyyyy fast -- and before I knew it, we were being strapped in. Since it’s making me dizzy to even think about it, I am going to post this small collage of photos to illustrate how the Love Bug experience went:

Basically, the centrifugal force of the ride pushed Gerrick on top of me, and for the life of her she could not pull herself off. For the full three minutes, I LITERALLY was squished like a tiny bug and I could NOT get her off of me - all I could do was laugh (and then cry). When the fucking ride was finally over, I could barely climb out. As soon as I regained my strength, I laid down the law - we would NOT be going on any more rides. Back to the food...

Before we could leave the fair, we had one last stop to make -- the Livestock Tent. Um, to say I was dying of excitement would be an understatement. Little Known Fact: goats are my favorite animal. Whenever I am at or near a petting zoo, I immediately run for the goats and stare at them and hold them. So I was very excited to go to the Livestock Tent. And then we walked up and before we could even enter, we saw THIS:

THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the WORLD’S BIGGEST HOG. And I got to see it in person!!!!!!

That thing is MASSIVE. I still cannot believe how big it is. Gerrick says that when we walked up, my mouth LITERALLY dropped open. She said she’s never seen me so speechless in my entire life.

After the hog, I literally had to take a breather and sit down for a few minutes to process what I had seen. Ten minutes later, I was ready for the rest of the animals. Other fun furry friends we got to see and touch: goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, llamas, camels, ostriches, alpacas, cows, ANDDDDDDDD a REAL LIVE GIRAFFE! The AEPhi in me was singing and dancing :)

That, my friends, is my writeup of the fair. I’m exhausted just thinking of it! But that was only a tiny part of my trip to Texas -- so I promise I’ll fill you in on the rest in a separate post. But before I go....

People of the world. Listen to me. The Texas State Fair is glorious. You NEED to experience it at least once in your life. It is unlike anything you have ever seen. Do yourselves a favor and book a flight to Dallas next year. I’m sure I’ll see you there :)

In With the New

I can’t believe I forgot to tell ya’ll some big news. I got a new roommate!

Yes, it was an end of an era last month when Tal moved out. We had lived together for three great years and shared lots of fun Brentwood memories, but I was very happy for her when she told me she was moving in with her boyfriend Danny. After all, he literally lives across the street from us, so I can still see her all the time! (In fact, I was over there last night!)

Now I live with my friend Rachel - yay! Rachel and I actually went to both high school and college together - she is a year older than I am and is probably one of the nicest people I have ever met :) She moved in a month ago and I am loving living with her!

And of course, since I am as impressionable as a four-year old, from the moment she moved in I have been obsessed with her room. The way that she decorated it and her furniture is so cute - so bohemian and ethnic, and of course now I have absolutely no interest in my sparkly picture frames and Anthropologie bedding anymore. I have been spending hours in front of my computer reading interior design blogs and shelter magazines. I HAVE THE DECORATING BUG. BAD.

For example, she has a super cute colorful comforter folded at the bottom of her bed. When she told me she got it at Crate & Barrel, I immediately ran off to my computer to stalk their bedding. And then I fell in love with this:

UM, I NEED THAT. As certain people have been saying for years (AHEM Ellen Silverman), it’s high time I grow up and stop buying pink frilly bedclothes. And I think this is a really good compromise! It’s colorful and feminine, but not over the top girly. I REALLY, REALLY want it.

Rather than drive my mother nuts with my insistence on buying a new comforter every six months, right now I am focusing on the living room. Talya and I did a pretty good job of dividing up most our stuff when we bought it - rather than splitting things down the middle (and then eventually having to pay the other back for half), we each bought certain things for our apartment and own those things. When Tal moved out, she left me with mostly everything, but she did take her beautiful art with her - her dad is a very talented artist and we had some gorgeous paintings on our walls. I miss those paintings A LOT!

Right now our walls are pretty much bare and it is giving me a fucking panic attack every single time I walk into the living room. Thank god I have it under control -- next week my friend Steve is helping me move a HUGE painting from my parents house that they are giving me, plus a gorgeous piece of art I bought in Israel earlier this year. Yay for macho boys with trucks! And Michaels was having a frame sale a few weeks ago, so I finally framed a few other Israeli prints I’ve been meaning to hang - the walls may be bare now, but soon enough they will be gorgeous! (Don’t worry, I’ll show ya’ll picks when everything’s up!)

And I’ve also been obsessing about coffee tables. Tal left her coffee table and side table, and I’m thinking about upgrading to something a little different -- I’ve always loved the look of a glass top coffee table, so I’ve been scouring the Internets for something pretty yet affordable. This is my major obsession, but that price is ridiculous, so instead, I found these two that I like on a discount furniture website. They’re very reasonably priced - under $275 for both the coffee table and two side tables.

Jacob is not going to like this very much. He says buying furniture is an investment and that I need to buy pieces that are high quality and timeless. He is the furniture expert so I should listen to him, but in the meantime, please leave me a comment and let me know which you like better and help me decide!

In other fun news, in a few hours I am off to TEXAS, ya’ll! I am going to experience the wonders of the Texas State Fair in Dallas and then head on over to Austin for a real live UT football game.

I know it’s only Thursday, but I’m wishing you a FAB weekend :) I’ll be back Monday with lots of stories and pictures!

Navajo Neon Pink

I live in awe of anyone who is handy or crafty enough to find something old and make it into something new.

Don’t get me wrong, I see the potential in lots of things, and always have a million ideas in my little head of how to improve or change or update a new piece, but I have no freaking idea how to go about it. I’m a very creative person, but I know what I’m capable of, and sanding a wood dresser or reupholstering a chaise lounge is not in my repertoire!

Anyways, a blog I read, Design Sponge, features “DIY Before and Afters” - pictures and explanations of furniture that people found and updated to use in their own home. New paint, new upholstery, new hardware - whatever it is, I always end up insanely jealous.

Last week, Design Sponge featured this DIY Before and After, and I almost fainted with jealousy. LOOK AT THIS PINK AMAZINGNESS!!!!!

UNREAL. AMAZING. GORGEOUS! Can you imagine what a fantastic addition they’d make to a room?! I realize that most people don’t decorate solely in neon colors like I do, but they’d add so much personality and spice to a room even plainly decorated in grownup colors (you know, beige, taupe, grey...) A commenter on the original post called them “navajo neon” and I think that’s the perfect description for them. Obsessed!

The chairs are available for the low low sum of $550, and you can buy them here. But don’t. Because then I will have to come over, distract you, and then steal them from you while your back is turned. No, really.

Okay people. I want to point out that as I typed this, I just made a vow to myself that the next time I find a piece of furniture that has great potential, I AM going to buy it, and I AM going to update it, and I AM going to blog about it so you all can enjoy my successes and failures :) That is a promise!

Call It, I Need A Wallet

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for me to buy a new wallet.

I’ve been using my current wallet for about two and a half years. Actually, that’s a lie. I’ve been using my current wallet for about six months, but before that, I had the exact same one that I used for two years until it fell apart. Then I walked into Bailey’s closet and stole hers (yup, we had the exact same one). It’s a pale gold woven wallet, similar to the one above, and it cost $30 from Steve Madden. A bargain!

But it is time for a new one. So obviously, I turned to my trusty pal The Internet, and have been searching and searching for a good one. I can’t rush this purchase - a wallet is something you use every day, so you gotta make sure you get the right one. I carry around lots of credit cards, gift cards, coupons, etc, so I need a wallet with plenty of slots, plus an inner pocket for coins, and I need it to be in a durable fabric, since it's thrown into my purse alongside my keys, so it gets scratched up a lot. Let the search begin!

Whenever I see fancy wallets in department stores or boutiques and contemplate buying them, my mom always says the same thing: “If you buy that wallet, you won’t have any money left to put in it!” She’s right, of course, and for the record, I do think that spending hundreds of dollars on a wallet is ludicrous when there’s so many cute affordable options out there. But if I were going to break the bank on this purchase, I’d either go for this Balenciaga one (such a pretty violet color) or this insane navy patent leather Chanel. Unbelievable!

On the flip side, if you buy a cheap wallet, you’ll have tons of cash to keep inside it - you could even buy two! These two from Forever 21 are so inexpensive! Since I am attracted to glitter/sparkle in all forms, I am liking this gold Forever 21 choice a lot, but I love the color on this kelly green foldover wallet/clutch combo so much that I just bought it! How could I not, for this cheap?

These two are more in my price range - they’re both under $200, which I think is reasonable, and they’re both really fun! I love the quotes on these JKC wallet (seriously, go check out her site), but I am very much drawn to the pattern on the Marc by Marc Jacobs - black and white leopard spots? Yes please.

And finally, the wallet that started me on this whole quest. When I last saw my sister, she announced, “I bought something you’re going to die over!” and pulled this out of her bag.

Um. Let me get this straight, Bailey. You bought a shiny gold leopard print wallet edged with hot pink trim and you DIDN’T buy me one? WTF!?

That wallet screams my name like nothing else and I’m pretty sure I have to make it mine. I’ll keep yall posted!

Time for Kips

I've mentioned before why Yom Kippur is not my favorite holiday (I'll refresh your memory - it had to do with a massive hunger headache and an overload of carbohydrates when the fast is finally over). However, even Queens are guilty of sinning, and this particular Queen can be a sneaky little devil at times, so that's basically what I'll be doing all weekend. And laying on the sofa dreaming of pizza.

Have an easy fast (if that’s your thing) and I’ll be back Monday! Next week we’re finding me a new wallet, a new piece of furniture, and a boyfriend NOT from the internet. So you know it’s gonna be good.

Working Girl

Good morning! Hope everyone had a lovely Pink Wednesday. Today’s post won’t be long - just popping in to share some good news...

I am now gainfully employed!

For the past six months or so, I have been working freelance and consulting for a particular Jewish non-profit organization that is near and dear to my heart. I am proud to announce that yesterday, they offered me a job, and I have accepted!

I will be working in Communications doing all the things I love to do - writing, editing, proofreading, and creating original content for their website, newsletters, and marketing materials. Plus, I will be in charge of managing their social media platforms (yay Facebook and Twitter, my best pals!)

I start in two weeks. I can’t wait!

A Pretty Pink Pair, No Matter Where You Live

When I was in New York last week, I stopped by Bloomingdales in Soho to browse a little bit. I made my way through makeup, shoes, jewelry, and purses before heading upstairs to look at clothes. As I looked around, a saleslady approached me and asked if she could help me. I thanked her and told her I was just looking.

“Don’t forget to go pick out a new winter coat!” she said. “We just got a whole bunch in. Perfect for the weather that’s right around the corner!”

I laughed. “No thank you,” I told her. “I don’t really need a winter coat where I’m from!”

I don’t need a new coat. That’s the beauty about Los Angeles - even when it’s cold outside, it’s never THAT cold. Which might explain why it’s the middle of September and instead of buying things like scarves or boots or gloves, I’m online buying SANDALS.

The details on these are incredible. I love all the different colored stones and accents of gold - I think they would look adorable with some skinny jeans or black pants and a flowy shirt. Plus, I love the gorgeous dusty pink color - so subtle and delicate! They also come in black and pale green, but let’s face it, the pink pair is by far the prettiest.

Best part is, they’re on sale! So if you live somewhere warm, pick them up and wear them out soon :) And if it’s getting cold where you are, get em anyways - it’ll be warm weather again before you know it!

Tucker Time

I think we all know that I can be a bit crazy when it comes to getting something I really want :) I am not above scouring the internet or calling stores all around the country to track down an item that I have fallen in love with. Therefore, the fact that I have spent the last few days obsessing insanely over the Tucker for Target line will come as no surprise to you!

I LOVE the brand Tucker. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, Tucker is a clothing line known for their beautiful silk pieces, most famous among them their gorgeous silk tops. I bought my first Tucker blouse a few years ago and fell in love with the bright pattern, perfect loose fit, and ability to fit in with everything in my wardrobe from pencil skirts to skinny jeans and cargo pants.

Since then, I’m always on the lookout for a new Tucker shirt to add to my wardrobe. However, the stuff comes at a price - the silk shirts retail for around $250 each - WAY too much money in my opinion, even for something I love so much. I’ve been lucky enough to snap up a few pieces on sale here and there, but in general, I can’t justify the price.

Imagine my INSANE AND UTTER DELIGHT, then, when I was reading a magazine earlier this summer, and turned the page to reveal a two-page Target ad for none other than their upcoming designer collaboration... WITH TUCKER!

Seriously you guys, I almost passed out on the spot. I immediately began researching the internet for any info I could find, and discovered that the line would be available September 12th. I put the date on my calendar and waited breathlessly.

A few weeks ago, Gilt Groupe did a sneak peek sale on their website for the line, and even though I was promptly logged-on at the appropriate time waiting to snap some stuff up, everything sold out instantly. I was SO upset. A lovely blogger who I follow on Twitter did manage to order a few things from the sale, though, and tweeted that one of her pieces arrived in the wrong size. When I saw that, I eagerly tweeted back to her my desire to buy the dress from her - it arrived a few days later and I fell in love. The quality was excellent, the fit was great, the colors were interesting, AND the dress was hundreds of dollars less than I would pay in Bloomingdales or Barneys... It only made me more anxious for the rest of the Target line to debut!

On Saturday night, I sat on my aunt’s couch in New York with my laptop on my lap, clicking refresh on the Target website over and over like a crazy person. But the line didn’t come up! So instead, on Sunday morning, just a few hours before we were due to leave for the airport, I dragged my mother out of bed at 8:00 in the morning and we drove to Target so I could indulge :) here is the picture I snapped as I ran through the big red doors and beelined to the women’s section:

I ended up with some good stuff! So now, besides the dress I already got, I came home with two silk camisoles, a blouse, and another dress, all for less than the price of ONE Tucker top would normally cost :) SCORE. I have my eye on one more blouse, but for now, I am incredibly happy with my new loot!

I would like to thank my mother for indulging me in my insane shopping excursion... I would make a brief speech about what a saint she is, but let’s face it, I got my shopping genes from her - obsessively tracking down an item of clothing is nothing new to the Silverman women!