Oscar Obsessed

Well! Another Oscars has come and gone. Did you all watch?

Oscar night is my FAVORITE night of the year - nothing I love more than sitting on my couch in my ballgown rooting for my favorite movies, eating yummy snacks, and talking about what everyone’s wearing!

Here are some of my picks for Best Dressed of the night...

I don’t really even know who Jennifer Lawrence is (I didn’t see Winter’s Bone), but she looked amazing. I mean, the entire look was flawless - there’s not a hair out of place, she accessorized perfectly, and the red dress is just insane. The new Scarlet Johannsen?

Camila Alves had never stood out in my mind as a great beauty or a major fashion icon in any way, but I thought she killed it last night in this black Kaufmanfranco gown! She looks so dramatic and elegant - I don’t even mind the over the top boobs! Plus, how could you go wrong with Matthew McConaughey on your arm (even if his spray tan was a little out of control?)

Umm... speaking of over the top boobs... For just having a baby a few weeks ago, Penelope Cruz looks amazing! I think it was really smart of her to go for a dark colored dress with a lot of embellishment - the sequined detail on her L’Wren Scott gown is gorgeous. My favorite part of her look was her hair and makeup - so simple, but so beautiful. Her hair looked so gorgeous, and she barely did anything to it!

As I mentioned last year, I like anyone who takes a little fashion risk on the red carpet (especially for the Oscars!), so I appreciate Cate Blanchett’s gown. The combination of the pale pink silk with the yellow beading on her Givenchy Couture gown is so unexpected - I love those colors together!

Okay - I know you’re all DYING to know who I think wins Best Dressed of the whole night :) Well, that honor would have to go to Miss Witherspoon:

Reese is UNREAL in this Giorgio Armani Prive dress. It’s like Barbie come to life! I love love love the high ponytail and the little pop of color from her emerald earrings, and the dress is so simple and gorgeous. She looks STUNNING. Remind me I want to look like that at my wedding, okay?

So that’s the fashion. As for the show itself? Uh, not my fave. I’m sorry, but if there’s one thing I’m taking away from that broadcast, it’s that I officially cannot STAND Anne Hathaway. And I agree with everyone else on earth that James Franco was high as a fucking kite.

But it was a fun night in the end - I had a ton of people over for a little Oscar party and almost everyone followed the “NO TALKING EXCEPT DURING COMMERCIALS OR YOU WILL BE THROWN OUT IMMEDIATELY” rule :) guess I scared them all with my threats. I served some delicious snackies and halfway through the show we ordered pizza, so all in all, a fun night!

I already can’t wait until next year’s show!

The Two Stalkers Are Back - With A Special Guest Post!

Remember these two lunatics? I know you do - quite a few of you told me how entertaining you found my two stalkers. Well, I'm glad you like them, because they're making another appearance.

This time, it's something good! The two of them got together while on vacation in Denver last week and compiled a little surprise for me... they sent it to me a few days ago, followed by several phone calls, text messages, tweets, and gchats, and essentially BEGGED for it to be published.

How could I deny them? Without further ado...

The Top Ten Reasons Why The Two Stalkers Love the Queen of LA,
and You Should Too!

10. A great distraction from work (but be careful that nobody is looking over your shoulder for fear they will mistake it for the Victoria's Secret or Pretty Pretty Princess blog).

9. It's a great conversation starter for a cocktail party (i.e. have you heard about those new organic juices out of LA? It's all the rage with the celebs including Queen of LA).

8. If it's Wednesday and you have nothing to wear, just consult the blog tag "Pink Wednesdays" for an array of choices (caveat: only works if in LA, as the post does not go live until 8:45 PST, as those of us in the mountains or in "the city" are already at work (PATIENTLY waiting for the blog update) and have hopefully already chosen appropriate Wednesday attire).

7. If you are lucky enough to belong to the intimate circle of 8493893894839 of the Queen of LA's friends and cannot keep all of her other friends straight, she has conveniently blogged about many of them - just check the birthdays tag to get a refresher course in the Queen of LA's entourage.

6. If you have the urge to infiltrate the mommy blogger community, just ask Queen of LA and she will hook you up, although she has never met them, she has somehow captivated their interest with her witty rapport (these guest bloggers believe there is a mommy blogger + Queen of LA meet up on the horizon...you heard it here first, folks).

5. For any occasion (baby shower, birthday, white elephant party, passover seder, etc.) consult the Martha Jewart tag to wow and impress guests of any age, ethnicity or religion.

4. The queen loves to travel so she is full of wonderful travel tips that she so kindly shares with her readers. For example, if you're going to Vegas you can drop her name because she is there basically every other weekend (or might as well be) so the whole city (wait staff, bartenders, dealers, strippers, you name it) knows her. The queen and her mother have gambling addictions (fun fact!). These travel tips will not only help you with your personal travel escapades but also ensure that you sound smart (i.e. Did you know that Las Vegas during Christmas looks like "the North Pole exploded"? Did you know in Israel you can get the most delicious passionfruit smoothie?)

3. An amazing thing about Queen of LA is that she encourages her readers to give her feedback (only if its positive) so you can reach her in the following ways: jordanmarisasilverman@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/queenofla, www.twitter.com/queenjord, blog comment, parent's address (find the Queen here on Friday nights and many other days out of the year) (caveat: use constructive criticism wisely and sparingly, as she tends to get hotheaded and will threaten to not post at all #sigh #emptypromises).

2. Most of you don't know this but the three of us (the two guest bloggers and the Queen herself) were not always friends. Before this blog, "Jordan Silverman" was just another one of Stacy's (see birthday tag september 6th) short, loud, Jewish friends from college. But one magical day Stacy sent Robin this blog at work when she was bored (see #10) and the rest is history. What other blog can claim to make history?

1. UGH. This blog thing is EXHAUSTING. We're bored, distracted, ADD, hungry, tired and over it and we didn't even finish 10 things. Thank god for Queen of LA who never ceases to entertain, inspire, and awe us with her............again, we're tired so we'll leave you with that. Queen of LA is A-MAZING. #sushigirls4lyfe

Do I even need to tell you I laughed for HOURS upon receiving this piece of brilliance? Many thanks to Stace and Robin for the hard work they put into this (they have also suggested I use it for future marketing material. I'll keep that in mind.)

Hope this entertained you all as much as it entertained me - and hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Boys Don't Get Pink

Yall. Jacob is here. I picked him up from the airport and within forty-three seconds of getting in my car, he demanded I allow him driving privileges and shouted at several LA natives NOT to bring their dogs with them to the airport. Then we went to dinner and he ate four scoops of ice cream. Four!

Last night he laid next to me on the couch flipping back and forth between The Godfather and What Not To Wear. When I started blogging and reminded him that I needed to select something pink to feature on today’s blog, he sat up and yelled, “I have no pink for tomorrow!” Yeah, I couldn’t make this up if I tried.

Anywho, today’s pink item is actually something I bought yesterday while killing time at Forever 21 while waiting for Jake’s flight to land. I walked into the store, saw this hanging on a rack, and immediately knew it had to be mine. Um, pink leopard print? Yeah, I knew it was coming home with me.

Every once in a while, Forever 21 comes out with an item of clothing that looks completely different than their normal stuff - that is to say, elegant, high quality, and well made. This shirt falls into that category for sure - it truly looks like something I could have purchased at Nordstroms or Bloomingdales or a fancy little boutique. If you’re in the market for a new sassy top, I highly recommend - and it’s less than $20 to boot!

(Hilarious side note: while searching for an image of the shirt on forever21.com, I scrolled past a zillion shirts when Jacob suddenly yelled “THERE IT IS” from over my shoulder. UHHHHHHH WRONG. This is what he thought was the shirt I bought, despite staring at the actual piece of clothing right in front of him. When I looked at him like he was a moron, he was like, “What? It’s totally the exact same shirt.” Boys are SO DUMB.)

Ladies and gentlemen, this is my best friend. It’s gonna be a great couple of days :)

NEVER SAY NEVER

This is a safe place, right? No judging here? I realize that I basically put my entire life on the internet for everyone to see/read/laugh at, but sometimes I just need to make sure. So no judging. Especially after what I am about to reveal...

I SAW THE JUSTIN BIEBER MOVIE.

Yup. I did. That’s my confession. But that’s not all...

I LOVED IT.

I’M A BELIEBER.

I GOT THE FEVER.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, this weekend I ventured out to the movie theater where I bought a RIDICULOUSLY expensive ticket to the 3D showing of NEVER SAY NEVER: The Justin Bieber Story. I honestly don’t even have an excuse, other than it was freezing cold and pouring rain in LA and I needed something to do.

So we went. A 25, 26, and 27 year old. And there we sat, for two hours, surrounded by screaming cheering fourteen year old girls who at one point LITERALLY started shrieking “JUSTIN I LOVE YOU!” in the middle of one of his performances. Not to mention the fact that GB was LITERALLY sitting next to a minuscule two year-old child, who was so excited by all the commotion that he started smacking his legs up and down, causing his LIGHT UP SNEAKERS to start flashing all over the place. She was like, “I feel like I’m actually at his concert.”

The best part of the movie? I learned that Bieber fans (my kinship now) hold their hands up to form a heart shape, which they wave in the air while he sings and dances his teenage heart out. I LOVE THIS. I’m thinking of adopting it for my own life. What do you all think, would you be willing to flash the heart sign at me as I walk down the street?

And do I even need to tell you that I sang his songs all the way home, then promptly ran to my computer and downloaded like four of them? No, I don’t think I do. As I type this, I am currently listening to NEVER SAY NEVER on repeat. My roommate is thrilled. (“Now you got it stuck in my head!” Direct quote.)

So there you have it. I am a Belieber. And proud of it, actually. That little gentleman with the gorgeous hair and soulful eyes can SING, yall. Do not be so quick to discredit him (or say that I’ve finally lost my shit completely). He is a gem and I kind of love him.

In other random yet exciting news, Jacob arrives today! He booked a spur-of-the-moment trip for general fun and merriment, including but not limited to Baby Boy Shabtay’s bris. I think he just wanted to be a part of the spectacle :)

I personally can’t wait to see him hold the baby!

WHAT A WEEK!!!

This week has truly been one for the record books!

Saturday morning, around 11am, I’m in the kitchen making breakfast with my mom when my phone beeps with a BBM. It’s Gerrick: “OMGGGGGGGGG.” I ignore this, because I literally get a BBM from Gerrick at least four times a week saying that exact same thing, and it’s usually something like “I just ate the best sandwich for lunch” or “I just bought a pink headband on sale for $1.99.” By now I know if it’s really important, she’ll just call.

A couple of minutes pass and I move into my bathroom to straighten my hair. My phone rings. It’s Gerrick. I press the speaker button and say hi as I keep doing my hair. She doesn’t even say hi back - just launches right into her news...

“LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE TO START PLANNING A WEDDING!!!!!!!!!” she screams in my ear.

I drop the straightener. It lands on my hand and burns me but I DON’T EVEN NOTICE. “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???” I scream, and burst into tears. On the other end of the phone, hundreds of miles away, my best friend bursts into tears at the exact same time. “IM ENGAGED!!!!!”

Yup, that’s me on the other line! This picture will make me start crying until the day I die.

I literally cannot even type this without crying. I am SO EXCITED for Gerrick and Daniel. I have been waiting for this day for SO LONG - I knew Daniel had bought the ring all the way back in DECEMBER, but I didn’t know it was going to happen this weekend! (As a good best friend should, I was in charge of figuring out her ring size. I did my job well - the ring fits perfectly!)

Gerrick is my best friend and seriously one of my favorite people in the entire world, and Daniel is her perfect match, other half, and equally as fabulous :) They are THE BEST couple and I CANNOT WAIT FOR THEIR WEDDING!!!!!!!!!

To say I am overwhelmed is the understatement of the century - one best friend had a baby and the other best friend got engaged, all in the same week! I can’t even count the number of times I’ve cried hysterically in the past six days. I feel like I need to pinch myself - is this really happening?

This is what it means to grow up - to be a part of people’s lives as they grow and change and flourish, and to be by their sides through it all... engagements, weddings, babies, the whole thing. I met Gerrick (and Anna, for that matter) when I was 17 years old standing in the AEPHI kitchen - little did we know where our lives would take us from there. In my wildest dreams, a scared little homesick freshman like me could not have imagined the joy and excitement that would come my way. In the past eight years, so much has changed, and it is only now, as a 25 year-old adult, that I can truly look back and marvel at how our lives are turning out. We are truly growing up.

I had to include a new shot of the baby. How precious is he?!

I could not be more thrilled and excited for my friends. We've got a lot of good times coming up :) I love you SO MUCH!!!

He's Here!!!

HE'S HERE!!! Baby Boy Shabtay was born February 15th, 2011 at 11:27pm. He weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces and was 19 inches at birth.

Isn't he the CUTEST?!?!

Anna called at 9am to tell me and GB that her water had broke and she was on the way to the hospital. To say that I started flipping out was an understatement. I literally couldn't breathe - Greene had to yell at me to snap me out of it. And then I started taking my position as Social Media Correspondent for the Birth seriously and got on the phone and started calling our friends :)

I left work around 5 and immediately headed to the hospital to see Anna and keep her company for a bit. She was there with E, E's dad and sister, and her own sis Linsey - they were in a big suite on the birthing floor, hanging out and watching the Westminster Dog Show while waiting for a baby. I briefly entertained the crowd, made friends with the nurse, watched Erez eat cucumbers, and stared at Anna in fascination for a few hours until GB arrived. We kept her company for a little while longer, and then left so the doctors and nurses could come in and do their thing.

A few hours later, the baby still wasn't here, so Anna said we should just head on home. I said OK on the condition that we were notified as soon as the baby had arrived. And that night, just as I was drifting off to sleep, my phone rang with the wonderful news! I sat right up and texted everyone and fell asleep with a huge smile on my face.

The next morning, I could not do anything except think about Anna and E and the baby. So when lunchtime rolled around, I bolted to my car and drove straight to meet the little man himself :)

When I walked in, Anna was cuddling him in the bed. Cue me bursting into tears IMMEDIATELY. I'm talking HYSTERICAL CRYING. I don't know what came over me - I am NOT usually that emotional, but I couldn't believe that my best friend is now a MOM!

Here we are having a moment... he opened his eyes when I started talking to him! (He DEFINITELY recognizes my voice. That must be from all the hours I spent leaning over and singing Britney Spears songs to Anna's belly. Not kidding.)

We're having a moment :)

Finally, I stopped crying and admiring him long enough to actually sit down in the chair and hold him!

Obviously, all babies are tiny, but Baby Boy Shabtay is absolutely BITE SIZED :) I have held dozens of babies, but never one this brand-new to the world... he was less than 12 hours old in these pictures!

I can't get over the fact that just a few days ago, he was on the INSIDE, and now he's on the OUTSIDE hanging out with all of us! We've been waiting for him for so long!

I love this! We are already on the same wavelength. As soon as this happened, I asked Anna if she felt jealous that the baby was going to replace her as my bestie :) She just rolled her eyes. Some things never change!

He is truly gorgeous and I could not be more excited for Anna and E. This baby is so lucky to have them as parents, and I can't wait to watch him grow into a tiny little walking, talking, real-life person!

Anna and Erez and the baby are already at home and everyone is doing great :)

His name will be revealed next week at his bris, so stay tuned! And since all of our friends live spread out across the country, get excited for a LOT more updates about this tiny little boy. I can't help it, I'm already in love!!!

A Little Absence...

Anna had the baby last night!

She and the little nugget are doing great. He is absolutely gorgeous - I went to visit them at the hospital today and burst into hysterical tears upon finally laying my eyes upon him.

I will be back Friday with some fun stories and of course, a TON of pictures!

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH ALREADY!!!!

Grammy Style

I don't take the Grammys as seriously as I take the Oscars. I did not watch them live on Sunday night, but rather, on rewind last night on my couch - fast forwarding through almost everything except the live performances.

Nothing Lady Gaga does shocks me anymore (and I love that bitch no matter what - womb or no womb!), so I thought her performance was just lovely. Cee Lo Green, on the other hand... WTF?!

My roommate and I agree that Gwyneth looked HOT. Loved the insane Louboutin heels, loved the tight black bodysuit, and ESPECIALLY loved the earrings. Girlfriend cannot sing for shit (and needs to stop trying), but those hot pink feather earrings? TO DIE FOR.

Naturally, I hit the internet to try and find them. Hers were made by Wilfredo Rosado and were probably nine million dollars, but I found some more affordable options for us!

Top row, left to right: Miss Selfridge, Rue21, Daisy Knights, Forever 21

Bottom row, left to right: Alex Monroe, Anthropologie, Forever 21, Kenneth Jay Lane

What does all this mean? Expect to see me rocking a pair of feather earrings in the very near future. And if I can get myself a black jumpsuit and a pair of sick heels to match, all the better. I just can't promise that I won't be accompanied by a large rap singer wearing an insane feather contraption :)

A Birthday Poem for Julie!

Yes, today is Valentine’s Day, but more importantly, today is one of my bestest’s birthdays.... and you know how I like to celebrate birthdays around here... with a poem and a collection of hilarious and slightly embarrassing photographs!

Julie is 26! It’s her special day,

Let’s join together and shout HOORAY!

A more wonderful person you could never meet,

When it comes to friendship, she just can’t be beat.

The kids in Houston are lucky with Julie leading their class,

As a teacher, I know that she truly kicks ass,

She is always down for games and fun,

But when school is over, “Ms. Rubenstein” is done.

In her off time she plays kickball, she loves to play that sport,

She wears her team jersey (sometimes with jorts!)

She’s a real Texan girl who says “yall” quite a bit,

That is a habit she’ll never ever quit.

We have a pact that we made, we’re really gonna do it someday,

Return to live in Tucson and go back to the U of A,

I can be AEPhi’s housemom, Julie can be Wilma Wildcat,

We’ll spend our nights at Dirtbags, it’s as easy as that!

We both share a love for polka dotted stuff,

And when it comes to Forever 21, we can never get enough,

The same thing with Las Vegas, we could play for hours at end,

A cheesy girl who loves gambling on fishies? That’s my kind of friend!

This is the first time in years I’m not there to help celebrate,

But I know that your day will surely be great.

I love you and know that our friendship will never ever end,

Happy Birthday to my beautiful best friend!

Wishing you the best birthday ever, Julie Ann :) I love you and miss you sooooo much!

I Heart You: My Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Valentine's Day? Not my favorite holiday. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I prefer to tell the people who I love that I love them all the time, rather than when God, the government, and Hallmark tell me to.

So V-Day does not really register high on my radar. However, I know that other people (including some of my own loved ones) take it very seriously and enjoy celebrating, and let's face it - I have a lot of male friends who are completely clueless about what to get their girlfriends. So why not make a little gift guide?

Behold, a bunch of Valentine's Day-themed gifts that any girl would love to receive. So whether you're buying for someone special or just treating yourself, get out there this weekend and pick up one of these gems!

I love this keychain. Bright, simple, not too expensive - it would make a wonderful gift for someone of any age. And I love the idea of a keychain, since it's something you use every single day - each time you look at your keys, you'll think of the special person who bought it for you!

There are those who love mixing silver & gold jewelry and there are those who can't stand the thought of it. Me? I am 100% a fan of the look, and actually rock it every day with a stack of mixed bracelets that I rarely take off. I didn't want to include too much jewelry on this guide since I think it's overplayed (especially on V-Day!) and the boys who I know seem to panic at the mere thought of buying jewels, but this long pendant necklace is gorgeous. Jewelry with hearts on it can easily be too precious or prissy, but this is just the right amount of classy and sassy! OMG. I cannot get over how cute these teacups are! When you fill them up, the liquid forms the shape of a heart - so precious! They come in all different colors, and a set of six is only $50! What a great gift for a mom or grandma or aunt!

I wish I could remember where I first saw this "Heart Art" - I think its SUCH a unique and interesting gift! These framed paper cuts come in all different colors and designs and can be customized, but I think this Tiffany blue one with the tiny red heart might be my favorite. I really want one for my desk with my name on it!

Anyone who has ever met me knows I love me some tights. I wear them all the time, with everything - skirts, dresses, boots, heels, flats, you name it. Typically, I stick with plain black opaque ones, but these would take it to the total next level - they are covered in tiny hearts. I love them!

I personally don't own any Tory Burch flipflops, but I know a lot of women who do, and they all say they're super comfortable. Every season, TB comes out with new styles/colors/designs, and this is her Valentine's version - so cute! I particularly like them because I think the heart design looks a little like leopard print... you know I can't resist that.

And speaking of Tory, how cute are these PJs!? I can't get over how comfy they look, and the pale pink/bright red hearts are just adorable. I think my favorite part is the red piping - makes them look so elegant! Just so cute!

My friend Julie (who happens to share her birthday with Valentine's Day) loves silly/weird/wacky sunglasses, and these have her name all over them. Available in black, white, pink, and red, they're only $14 and are super festive - for the holiday AND for every day!

I saved the best for last :) I love everything about this photo above - the simplicity, the colors in the confetti, and best of all, the SHOE CLIPS! Yup, those are just a regular pair of flats - jazzed up with little sequined clip-on hearts. I am SWOONING over these (and pretty much everything else on the Ban.do website). Gonna need to make these mine!

As a friendly reminder, may I just state that I am ALWAYS accepting presents, no matter the day or holiday :) feel free to buy ME anything on this list!