Catching Up!

So after I uploaded all my Thanksgiving pictures from yesterday, I realized there was lots of other fun stuff that I hadn’t shared with you too! So here’s a little bit of what I’ve been up to, that for some reason hasn’t made it onto the blog. (I do Tweet about everything though. Do you follow me? You should! And if you’re not on Twitter, well, what are you waiting for?)

A few weeks ago, Greene Bean called with exciting news: her company had just offered her two tickets to a SUITE at the Staples Center for the So You Think You Can Dance tour! Being as she and I are big fans of the show, she invited me and we had a grand old time. I had never been in a suite at Staples before and it was SO fun - we ate pretzels on barstools and lounged on the couches while watching the dancers peform onstage. All I can say is, I wish I could shake my stuff like they can - it was amazing! Thanks for the invite GB :)

My friend Stevie came over and did me a major favor - he hung my MASSIVE piece of art on the wall! When my old roommate Talya moved out, she took most our art with her (her father had painted it), and there was a big empty space above my couch that was driving me crazy for months. I went digging in my parents house and came across this enormous, 7x7 foot painting that happened to EXACTLY MATCH my decor in my apartment! The Fields were kind enough to bring it over in their U-Haul when they moved RF in to her new Brentwood apartment down the street for me, and Stevie had promised me that as a birthday present, he would help me hang it up on the wall. So here it is! Now I get to publicly thank my pal AND show off my new wall art :) (PS. Would any of you be interested in an apartment tour post series, with pictures? If so, let me know in the comments and I’ll see what I can do.)

In other news, I spent the weekend before Thanksgiving in my favorite city of all time! Yes, I headed back to Vegas (for I believe the 6th time this year, but who’s counting) with my dear friend Allison for a wonderful Girl’s Weekend. We stayed at the Aria, which was lovely, and spent the weekend doing lots of fun things - eating fancy meals (here and here, among others), drinking delicious wine (um, one night I bought my own bottle at dinner and carried the leftovers around the casino... all class I tell you), lots of shopping, and gambling, of course (I even left up!) It was a wonderful weekend and I’m sure we’ll be back very soon!

And finally, I recently saw two turtles having sex. It intrigued and grossed me out enough to whip my camera out so I could take a picture to share with all of you :) Aren’t I sweet?

And with that, I’m off! Have a great day, complete with a mental image of two reptiles fornicating :)

TGivs, Silverman Style

Hey Turkeys! How was your long Thanksgiving weekend? Did ya'll eat til you were absolutely stuffed? (Um, I know I did.) We had Thanksgiving at home. Our family friends the Mayos came over and so did Anna and E :) we had a full house!

Of course, Martha Jewart went ALL OUT for Thanksgiving. She is seriously the world’s bestest hostess - like, we could be featured on the cover of Food & Wine. Here she is prepping the turk (for the first time in a looong time, we didn’t have a fried turkey. This is just a regular one!):

And here she is posing with her pretty table. Please note the HOMEMADE Thanksgiving-themed centerpiece, complete with turkey-shaped candlestick holders. Yup, she went there.

We spent the whole day cooking (and only had to make two emergency runs to the market... and by we, I mean ME. The Ralphs cashier laughed at me.) We had a FEAST. Oven roasted turkey, homemade gravy, two kinds of stuffing (one veg, one with chicken-apple sausage), sweet potatoes with marshmallows, corn salad, butternut squash soup with homemade corn muffins, and a jillion desserts, including her famous chocolate-challah bread pudding, two pies, and homemade pumpkin whoopie pies. YUM. I even contributed - I made smashed potatoes with rosemary and garlic and everyone liked them!

Here are some fun pictures of us and our guests:

Afterward the meal, we sat around the table playing games (emceed by my father), and then the triptophan kicked in and I literally passed out at like 9:30. Isn’t it crazy how just EATING can be so exhausting?

And before you even have to ask - yes, I am one of those crazy people who lives for the Black Friday sales. I was at the mall at 9:00am bright and early with Bailey and my mom in tow, ready to hit the stores for some bargains! I got a few nice things on sale, including this and this and this, and then headed home happy. The rest of the weekend was spent hanging out with fam and friends, doing more shopping, seeing some movies (loved Morning Glory and liked Love and Other Drugs), and just relaxing. Bay went back to New York today which makes me sad but other than that, it was a nice weekend!

Hope you all had great Thanksgivings, full of great food and fun times with your loved ones! I’m always thankful for all of you :)

Being Thankful

Last week, I went to a food pantry.

I was there for work - I had been asked to take photographs for us to use in our organization’s future newsletters and brochures. I arrived around 8:45 in the morning. There were already hundreds of people lined up on the sidewalk, waiting for their turn to come in and receive a bag of groceries. They had been lined up for hours; someone said they had been there since 6:00am. There were all kinds of people lined up: young, old, in wheelchairs, with children, alone or with families. Some of them looked homeless. Some of them looked like me and you.

It is easy to get caught up in the banalities of everyday life: errands need to be run, grocery shopping needs to be done, bills need to be paid. I, for one, do those things every single day – and I rarely think about how lucky I am to have what I have: food on the table, a roof over my head, money to spend on necessities and luxuries.

So today, I am thankful for the simple things. I am thankful for a turkey in the oven, heat in the house, a healthy family, and a house full of loved ones. I am thankful for my life, because even when it’s hard and crazy and stressful and harried, it’s still a pretty great one.

Because I have so much, I cannot forget to take care of those who go without. And I’m also lucky enough to work for an organization that’s entirely dedicated to doing just that. And that’s why I invite you to check out the JFS Adopt-A-Family Virtual Drive – you can help make someone’s Hanukkah or Christmas a little brighter. Visit www.jfsla.org/adoptafamily and click to add things like stuffed animals, puzzles, gas cards, movie tickets, and food to your cart. All items will be donated to families in need so that they, too, can have a happy holiday season.

Today, I’m thankful for all I have. And thankful that because of that, I get the opportunity to help others.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!

Keep Me Warm Pink

Um. People of the world? It is COLD in Los Angeles.

Not that I'm complaining, of course. I LOVE cold weather. Spring and summer are nice, but I look forward all year to the time when I can pull my boots out of the closet, start wearing tights underneath my dresses, and loop a scarf around my neck every time I leave the house.

(Yes, I realize that loving the cold as much as I do is directly contradictory to attending the University of Arizona. Oh well. Worked out okay, didn't it?)

See that coat up there? I saw it in an email and totally swooned. Literally gasped out loud. Immediately clicked through with the intent on buying it - after all, it's FINALLY cold in LA, and this girl needs a new coat! Until I opened the website and realized that it was a children's coat.

Oh, for gods sake. This is not the first time that's happened to me, either. Several times now, I have admired something in the J.Crew catalogue and folded down the page with the intention of returning to it and buying it, without even realizing that I was perusing the Crew Cuts section. Woe is me.

So I was a little mad for a few days. It's cold outside and I wanted to be snuggly and warm and wearing a pink coat to brighten my day. And then... I found this baby!

Yeah, I need that. I actually am in love with it. The length is right. It's got toggle closures (which I'm obsessed with). The hood is detachable. Plus, it's the MOST gorgeous bright color, and it's Burberry to boot! It's the perfect pink coat :)

If I owned that coat, I might have to move to the East Coast... so I could wear it ALL the time!

My 2010 Hanukkah Wish List - At Long Last!

Last week, my sister called. “Hi, what are you doing?” she asked.

“Working on my Hanukkah list to give to the parentals,” I said.

“WHAT! I want to do one this year,” she said. “How does it work? Do they get us everything we ask for?”

I laughed in her face. “No, Bailey, they do not get us everything we ask for,” I told her. “In previous years I’ve asked for things like ponies and cars and helicopter rides. Use some restraint.”

“Oh. In that case, I think I’m gonna ask for a pair of Chanel ballet flats and call it a day,” she said.

“Enjoy that,” I said. “You’ll be the one crying on seven other nights when you have nothing fun to unwrap!”

She’s an amateur. I, on the other hand, am not. So here we are. Time for the unveiling of the 3rd annual Jordan Marisa Rose Hanukkah Gift Wish List. If you’re new here, read this first before proceeding any further. All caught up? Good.

This list was emailed directly to my parents earlier today. I have yet to receive any screaming phone calls or emails, so either a) no one has opened their email yet, or b) they think I have absolutely lost my shit and are scared to even respond. Both plausible.

This is what greeted them in their inboxes...

My dear parentals,

Can it be true? Another year has gone by already? Why, it is already December – how quickly time flies when you are having fun!

I know you have been eagerly anticipating receiving this list – how could you not, when I happily bring it up at every possible opportunity?

This is the third year in a row you have received such a comprehensive list, and I know by now you are well-versed in how it goes, but just in case: if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, I am available at (818) XXX-XXXX. If your questions, comments, or suggestions fall between the hours of 12am midnight - 8am, I invite you to call my assistant, Bailey Janna, at (818) XXX-XXXX. She is more than happy to answer any questions pertaining to purchases on this list.

I greatly appreciate your love and support this holiday season. It is a pleasure, as always, doing business with you. But enough talking. Let’s get to the goods.

Without further ado…The 2010 Jordan Marisa Rose Hanukkah List!

1. Ipad - available at Apple stores nationwide

2. Tory Burch flats - black, size 9. I am open to either these or these. Surprise me!

3. Gucci Retro Inspired Cat Eye sunglasses, black with gold trim

4. Tassel keychain, pink leather or purple suede

5. Gap sequined zip hoodie - available at Gap stores nationwide starting November 30th (yes, I checked!)

Please note: gift cards to any of the following retail establishments - Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Anthropologie, Gap, J.Crew, or Barneys - are always welcomed and appreciated.

Please note: items on this list do not HAVE to come from my parents. Gifts are welcomed from anyone – friends, lovers, perfect strangers who found Queen of LA on the internet by Googling “sparkle hair extensions” (my most searched term). By all means, feel free to bestow presents upon me!

Hanukkah is just a few days away... I can't wait!

A Weekend Escape!

And what’s more tweet-worthy than Vegas? Nothing!

So that's where I'll be for the next few days - I’m escaping to Vegas for a fabulous weekend jaunt with my dear friend Allison - we plan on shopping, spa-ing eating delicious food, and gambling our little hearts out!

Hope you all have fantastic weekends... I’ll be back Monday with lots of fun pictures and stories galore!

The Queen's Guide to Gifts

It’s that time of year again! Thanksgiving is next week and the holidays are rounding the bend. This is one of my favorite times of year, and not just because it’s more socially acceptable to be found blowing your paycheck in a mall :)

As we have covered ad nauseam on the blog, I loooove getting presents. BUT! A fun fact about JMS is that I love GIVING presents just as much as I love getting them. I pride myself on being a thoughtful and unique gift-giver, and it truly makes me giddy like a child when I hand someone a present and get to watch them open it and squeal with delight :)

You longtime readers will remember that last year, I made a Gift Guide. I still stand by everything I mentioned last year -- all great and thoughtful ideas for presents. But it’s a new year, so it’s time for a new list!

Great Gift Option #1 - A Personalized Longchamp

Everybody needs a bag like the Longchamp Le Pliage tote. It’s practical, it’s durable, it’s lightweight, it holds a ton, it’s equal parts classy and preppy and cute. I love mine - I’ve used it for everything from books and papers in college to my laptop when I travel to a beach bag for sunscreen and towels. They come in tons of colors and best of all, Longchamp is now offering the opportunity to personalize your bag! You can choose your color, your hardware, the size of your handles, and you can emboss or embroider it with the name or initials of your lucky recipient in any color or font you want. A truly special personalized gift!

Great Gift Option #2 - A Snazzy Notepad

Speaking of personalized things... last year I suggested personalized notepads as a great gift, and I still think that’s a phenomenal present - people rarely buy it for themselves and always need it! This year I am loving the ones by Dabney Lee -- you can choose from a million different styles, colors, patterns, and any type of monogram you want, AND they come packaged in an adorable little lucite box, which looks so cute and professional on a desk or in an office. As I type this, I am thinking about how much I want something from this website!

Great Gift Option #3 - A Hold-Everything Travel Case

I travel quite a bit, which means I pack a suitcase quite a bit as well. I used to be terrible at packing, but over the past few years, I’ve become much better at it - I discovered that the trick to packing quickly and efficiently is to have a specific place for everything. I have lingerie bags for undergarments, special bags for my shoes, mesh bags for accessories like belts and headbands, and of course, a gorgeous Kate Spade bag for my makeup and beauty products. I love this bag - it’s actually two in one (there’s a smaller one inside of it), which makes it even easier to find things when I need them in a hurry. This is a great gift for anyone - a world traveler or just someone who likes to stay organized in a super fashionable way!

Great Gift Option #4 - A Magazine Subscription

I LOVE magazines. I get a ton in the mail - Lucky, US Weekly, Glamour, Allure - and I am always so excited when they arrive. And the best part? Every single one of them was a gift - I didn’t pay for any myself. A magazine subscription is the gift that keeps on giving - literally, every single month! Find out a magazine that your loved one is a fan of, and buy them a subscription. It’s a great little luxury that will brighten their whole entire year!

Great Gift Option #5 - Some Pampering

Everybody likes to be pampered. Women love it, and secretly, men do too. I think a great gift is one that appeals to someone’s beauty desires. Does your mom get her nails done every week at the same salon? Get her a manicure/pedicure on you, and throw in a special paraffin wax on top of it. Does your brother love a particular cologne? Splurge on the big bottle for him. I personally would fall over myself in delight if someone got me a big box of Drybar gift certificates, but if you know someone who loves massages or facials or body scrubs, look up spas near them on www.spafinder.com and get them something relaxing and luxurious!

And if all else fails...

Great Gift Option #6 - The Gift Card

Here are my feelings on gift cards: I have no problem whatsoever with them.

If I have a friend or family member who is particularly difficult to shop for, here is what I do: I ask them sweetly what they would like as a gift. If they do not answer, I ask them again, a little less sweetly. I don’t ask a third time - I go out and buy them a gift card to a store I think they would enjoy.

People, everyone loves gift cards. It’s a gift AND it’s the chance to get exactly what you want - how could that be bad? I don’t agree with those who say gifting someone with a gift card is a cop-out or too impersonal. Buying great gifts is hard. If you don’t have the time or if you’re buying for someone who’s truly difficult, it’s a win-win situation. Three places everyone loves a gift card to? Target, Starbucks, Apple. You can’t go wrong with those three!

So there you have it! Some great gift options for the upcoming holiday season. Now I have gotten myself all riled up and will need to go finalize the Jordan Marisa Rose Silverman 2010 Hanukkah List - coming soon, I promise...

Happy holidays! And happy shopping!

Words for Wednesday

I learned how to talk when I was just a few months old. My first word? “More.” As in, more milk, more Cheerios, more smushed banana pieces on my highchair tray. (Apparently, I also accompanied my cries of “more, more, more!” with a pleading look while waving my hands in the direction of the refrigerator. Also, apparently when said refrigerator was opened, I was known to clap.)

After that first word I quickly began talking in full sentences. (Another story my parents like to tell is the time when, at the ripe old age of two, I looked the waitress at Marie Callenders square in the face and ordered a slice of peach pie for dinner. My mother swears she had never even mentioned it near me, let alone served it to me, and thus has no idea where I learned what peach pie was.)

It was only natural that after learning how to talk, I also taught myself how to read. And from reading came writing, and I don’t think I’ve ever stopped - talking, reading, writing, communicating in any way I could. (Perhaps this also explains my deep love for Facebook?)

I tell you all this to explain something about me: I love words.This week, I learned a new word, and was so excited that I tweeted about it. Does that make me a dork? The word is indicia - do you know what that is? An indicia is a little mark or box on a piece of mailed communication that shows that the postage costs have been paid by the sender.

I had no idea there was a word for such a thing, but now I do, and you can bet I’ll never forget it. That’s because I once read something in a book that said if you use a new word three times, it becomes your friend for life, meaning you will never forget it and will always remember what it means. (God, I am really exposing my dorkiness today, aren’t I?)

Anywho. I like that sentiment, because for a writer, there’s nothing more important than respecting and emphasizing the importance of words. Which is also probably why I am so utterly in love with this:

That, my friends, is an electric pink crocodile embossed leather thesaurus. And you can bet your ass I am freaking out about it. There’s also a matching pink leather dictionary that needs to come live in my house with me as well. I am literally swooning over these two - talk about being a dork!

I can think of nothing as essential for a writer to have. And if they happen to come in hot pink and look gorgeous displayed on her desk, well, why not?

Surely something so chic can’t be all that dorky!

Fit For A Queen

When I was in New York over the weekend, I met a few friends for lunch in the city. I hadn’t seen Elianna for months - since she moved out of LA, actually, and to my surprise and delight, within the first few minutes of reuniting in a sushi restaurant on the Upper West side, she pulled something out of her purse and presented it to me.

It was the cutest magnet I’d ever seen - shaped like a crown, emblazoned with bright pink letters announcing “ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU TREAT ME NO DIFFERENTLY THAN A QUEEN.”

“I had to get it for you,” she said. “It screamed QUEEN!”

That got me thinking. What other items exist out there in the wide world of shopping that are queen-themed? And more importantly, why do I not own all these items?

Actually, I do own a few of them. Not all of them, but a few of them. And every time I look at them I am filled with a great sense of joy. I feel that way whenever I wear my little crown earrings:

Or when I hang something on one of my "royal" hooks:

Or when I am brushing my teeth or doing my hair and I catch a glimpse of this fantastic picture frame balanced on the edge of my bathtub. Yep, that says QUEEN BITCH.

So yes, I have a few, but I’m always looking for more. I stumbled upon this little novelty mug in Bed Bath & Beyond a few weeks ago, and shrieked in the middle of the store. I was on my way out when I saw it and didn’t have time to run back in and buy it, but rest assured, it will be mine one of these days:

Months before I even got my drivers permit, I came across the cutest thing in a random pharmacy one day - a little silver tchotchke that you hang from your rear view mirror that announces “QUEEN OF THE ROAD!” I fell in love and instantly bought it, and it’s hung from the rearview mirror in every single car I’ve ever driven since then. I can’t find a photo online to show with you, but I did find these cute little magnets that say the same thing. Amazing! I may need to start a collection of queen-themed magnets :)

And finally, something I’ve been eyeing for quite some time now - this adorable little crown pillow I found whilst trolling the internet late one night. I WANT THIS. And I want it ESPECIALLY BAD because one Mr. Jacob C. Samuels told me he was going to buy it for me. HMPH. Now I am calling him out on the internet because I love love love it and so far, it has not shown up on my doorstep :(

As a friendly reminder, may I request that if you are out and about and happen to come across something queen-themed, kindly take a photo of said object and send it to me so that I may feature it on my blog. Barring that, you could always just, you know, buy it for me :)

The Queen loves stuff, but there’s nothing I love more than QUEEN-THEMED stuff!

Feeling HOT HOT HOT

Okay. Just popping in to share this week’s story about what a moron I am. (I know you people love that shit – my most popular posts are the ones where skunks seek refuge underneath my car or where I spill powdered sugar all down the front of my new black blouse.)

So. On Monday night I started feeling sick. My head hurt, my body was super achy, and the joints in my wrists and knees were killing me, a surefire sign that illness was on the way. Another surefire sign of illness? Temperature issues, AKA, being so cold you wear your Northface in the house. (I almost slept with it on.)

On Tuesday, I woke up and went to work. About halfway through the day, my boss told me to stop being dumb and to go home. On the way home I called Gerrick, who, besides being my bestie, is also a nurse, and asked her what medicine I should get at the pharmacy. She recommended a few things, and I stopped at Long’s, bought some Theraflu and a Jamba Juice, and went home to sleep.

Wednesday morning I woke up feeling a little better. My body wasn’t so achy and my headache hurt less, but I was still having insane body temperature issues. I woke up freezing cold and had to put on an extra pair of socks, but by the time I was dressed and ready to leave, I was so hot that I had to roll down the windows in my car.

As the day went on, I started to feel much better, with the exception of my random temperature fluctuations. I was so hot I was literally walking around my office in a tank top. Forget a hot cup of tea from Starbucks, I was gulping down a huge iced Crystal Light lemonade and fanning myself off with brochures.

At lunchtime, I headed down to Trimana with RF to get a cup of soup. It was around 12pm, and I hadn’t taken any medicine since I woke up. I was in the middle of telling her about my freakish quasi-menopausal tendencies when I pulled out the Theraflu and started unwrapping the pills.

“Um... wait. Do you think maybe that has to do with why you're so hot?” said brilliant RF, and pointed to the medicine in my hand.

You guys:

Yes. Your eyes are not deceiving you. The reason I had been suffering from INSANE body temperature issues is because I had been taking PILLS THAT MAKE MY BODY HOTTER. I do believe these pills are meant for old people who wear cardigans and bunny slippers 24-7; I however am a naturally hot blooded individual WHO HAS NO BUSINESS TAKING SUCH THINGS.

I am such an idiot. Please, laugh at me and my stupid mistake. Everyone else has :)

My dumb, non-feverish body is actually in New York this weekend for some family time. Here's hoping you have a nice relaxing weekend full of HEALTH! See you next week.