Randomness of the Day

1) My mother-in-law reminds me of "Kitty Foreman" from That 70's Show (another all-time GREAT show), sans the excessive drinking.  My MOL laughs at EVERYTHING (seriously, she laughs even when she cries), tries to see EVERYTHING in a positive light, LOVES match-making, and just wants everyone to be happy.

2) My first blog consisted mainly of aim conversations between Moobles and myself.  Thus I created this second blog that would relate better to others, and that would make sense to others besides Moobles and myself :)

3) I love reading all the different random facts about my friends and family.  It's those random facts that make them who they are.  Thus going back to my fascination of "why we are the way we are".

4) I am ALWAYS hungry, even when I'm full, and stuffed to the brim.  I'm still thinking about what I want to eat next. I think it's from all the NOT eating I did as a kid.  I'm making up for it, like sleep.

5) I love hugs.

Randomness of the Day

1) I don't care if the channel is in HD or not. I know what the difference is, but I just don't care. I really could go through life WITHOUT seeing ALL the zits on an actor's face. This situation annoys my hubby to no end.

2) I can't seem to get myself out of bed and into the shower to get to work on time. This is not a new thing. I have this issue EVERYDAY.

3) I do tend to talk to myself, and have been for as long as I remember. I never had an imaginary friend. I just had me.

4) I still get excited when somebody mentions the New Mickey Mouse Club (aka MMC). It makes me feel special that I knew about Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling (one of my faves), Christina Aguilera (another fave), Britney Spears, JC Chasez (the love of my life), and Keri Russell (wanted to be her, and was DEVASTATED when she broke up with Tony Lucca-her "soul mate") before most people.

5) When working out, I keep imagining "Nicole Sherzinger abs and Kelly Ripa arms" over and over again in my head. This somehow doesn't motivate me to get up and out of bed any earlier to get to the gym in the a.m., and then get to work on time.

Randomness of the Day

So, on Facebook, a "note" has been going around called: 25 Random Things About Me. It's actually quite interesting and fun (but, of course, I love that kind of stuff). So I thought, why not post my list of 25 on here, and then everyday post something random about me or that I'm thinking of (along with my "Train of Thought" post), as I have PLENTY of random thoughts about myself and the world. So, let's start today with the initial "25 random thoughts about me":

1) I had written this whole thing out, and my program decided to shut down on me before I could save it. Aargh. Of course, I did it again immediately. I love this stuff.
2) I am SUPREMELY neurotic
3) My little sister is my soul mate -- connected through all of our lives, past, present, and future
4) But my husband is the love of my life -- my strength, my calmness, my laughter, my tears, my annoyance, my hugs, and everything in between
5) The one regret in my life is quitting dance. I started taking classes at age 3, until age 12, when I contracted a major case of stage fright. Still have it.
6) I love to write, however I find I write in rambles. Thus blogging and I have really connected. Check mine out at browniesugar.blogspot.com
7) I wish I were wittier. I think I might have been at one point.
8) Josh Duhamel is #1 on my celeb "to do" list ;)
9) I really wish I was more like Heidi Klum as she's #1 on my husband's list :)
10) Shopping is my drug of choice
11) Baking is my activity of choice. And now I bake from scratch! (No more boxed mixes for me, no sir!)
12) I want to see the world
13) I speak Hindi-English and Spanglish. One of these days, I'll actually start speaking fluent Hindi and Spanish
14) I want to go back to school to get my masters. I just wish I knew in what.
15) I already have names picked out for my future daughters. I can't think of any boys' names I like. This just means I have to have all girls :)
16) I dream in color -- very vivid, very real dreams
17) I majored in psychology due to my extreme fascination with "why we are the way we are" -from birth through the college years. I'm still fascinated by this.
18) I sing in the shower, and think I sound amazing (only in the shower)
19) I incessantly stare at my bare, non-existent abs (aka pooch) in the mirror
20) I play out every worst case scenario in my head of any and every situation that comes my way, whether is has anything to do with me or not. Sometimes I do the same thing for situations I see on tv.
21) I am insanely competitive, thus avoid playing any games to avoid having a "Monica" moment (see "FRIENDS" ep "The One With All The Poker"). I hate when people know more about pop culture than I do. But I'll keep that to myself ;)
22) I used to see 4-5 movies at the theater, in one month, growing up. I now see that many in a year.
23) I love monkeys. The cute curious george, chimp types. Not the crazy baboons with the red butts.
24) I need sleep.
25) I don't know how to swim

Am I Missing Out?

So, with a few exceptions, the TV world has been somewhat disappointing in the last few years. Every night I had something to look forward to, many times more than I could record at once! But lately I find myself only looking forward to Mondays (too much going on on Mondays...VERY frustrating) and Wednesdays at 9pm. So I figured, I MUST be missing out on something. There has to be other good shows on that I am not watching. SO here are some of the shows I have heard good things about, and am interested in starting (will have a lot of DVDs to rent). Also, I will list out the current shows that have been disappointing me over the last season or two (or more), the shows that still get me excited, and some NEW shows that haven't started yet which I am looking forward to.

SHOWS THAT ARE ON MY "TO-DO" LIST:
In Treatment (Sundays, 6:30-8:30pm, HBO Signature)
House (Mondays, 8-9pm, FOX)
Fringe (Tuesdays, 9-10pm, FOX)
Bones (Thursdays, 8-9pm, FOX)
The Office (Thursdays, 9-9:30pm, NBC)
30 Rock (Thursdays, 9:30-10pm, NBC)
SuperNatural (Thursdays, 9-10pm, CW)
Ghost Whisperer (Fridays, 8-9pm, CBS)
Friday Night Lights (Fridays, 9-10pm, NBC)
Samantha Who? (in the process of shifting days/times)
The Starter Wife (USA)
True Blood (HBO)
Trust Me (TNT)
Leverage (TNT)
Sorry 24 fans, I still can't seem to get into it.

SHOWS THAT STILL MAKE MY HEART GO AFLUTTER:
Gossip Girl (Mondays, 8-9pm, CW)
The Big Bang Theory (Mondays, 8-8:30pm, CBS)
How I Met Your Mother (Mondays, 8:30-9pm, CBS)
One Tree Hill (Mondays 9-10pm, CW)
NCIS (Tuesdays, 8-9pm, CBS)
Scrubs (Tuesdays, 9-10pm, ABC)
Lost (Wednesdays, 9-10pm, ABC)

REALITY TV THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME CRANKY:
Life In the Fab Lane with Kimora Lee Simmons (Sundays, 8-9pm, Style Network)
Keeping Up With the Kardashians (E!)
Run's House (MTV)

SHOWS FALLING OFF MY RADAR:
Desperate Houswives (Sundays, 9-10pm, ABC)
CSI: Miami (Mondays, 10-11pm, CBS)
90210 (Tuesdays, 8-9pm, CW) *it upset me at "Hello"
Nip/Tuck (Tuesdays, 10-11pm, F/X)
Ugly Betty (Thursdays, 8-9pm, ABC)
Grey's Anatomy (Thursdays, 9-10pm, ABC)
Daddy's Girls (Mondays, 10:30-11pm, MTV)
The Real World (Wednesdays, 10-11pm, MTV)
The Hills (MTV)

SOMETHING NEW TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
Castle (Mondays, 10-11pm, ABC)
Better Off Ted (Tuesdays, 8-9pm, ABC)
Dollhouse (FOX)

SHOWS HAVING ME WONDER "WHERE ARE YOU?":
My Boys (TBS)

Got any other recommendations for me?

Kissing Satellite

*picture courtesy of the Gothamist / Gawker*

I thought this was so cool, it deserved a mention. Enjoying smooching a loved one tonight!

Foodie & the Restaurants

OH (aka TM), one of my closest friends, and an utter foodie, just like me, loves trying new restaurants and frequenting the faves. You will usually find us together on our monthly jaunts to faves, as well as new spots off our respective Restaurant lists. She is also a restaurant blogger for the Urbanista website -- a site for "urbanistas" to find everything they are looking for in NY.
Anyhoo, OH & I were just discussing how we haven't really found any restaurants recently that we have fallen ABSOLUTELY head-over-heels in love with. I feel, gone are those days...which is really sad for me. I miss having a fave frequented restaurant. Hopefully, I'll find another one soon. (Keep your fingers crossed)

But I decided to give you my list of my ALL-TIME fave (and go-to) restaurants, in all my fave cities around the world:

New York:
Cafeteria (Chelsea)
Coffee Shop (Union square)
Nobu (Tribeca)
Le Bilboquet (UES)
Baraonda (UES)
Stanton Social (LES)
Mermaid Inn (LES)
Shake Shack (23rd Street)
Chennai Garden (Little India)
Tiffin Wallah (Little India)
Ginger's (Garment District)
New Yoshi (Hell's Kitchen)
Empanada Joe's (Midtown West)
Zen Palate (now closed)
NY's Delicious Pizza (Murray Hill)
Dojo (NYU area)
Atomic Wings (any location)
Best Wingers (Murray Hill)
Dukes aka Earl's (both locations)
*Honorable mention: Fishtail by David Burke, At Vermilion, Pranna

London:
Ping Pong (any location, but St. Christopher's Place is most frequented by yours truly)
Wagamama (any location, but Waterloo is most frequented by me)
Hakkasan
Yauatcha (sister restaurant of Hakkasan, Soho area)
Sylvio (across the street from the entrance to Selfridges' Dept Store on Duke Street)
Carluccio's (St. Christopher's Place location)
M&S Food Hall aka Simply Food (Marble Arch)
Selfridges' Food Hall (Oxford Street)
Suka (Sanderson Hotel)
Maroush (Hubby's fave - I haven't been)
Cinnamon Club (Westminster)
Royal China (Baker Street)
Crazy Bear

Mumbai:
Royal China (Sterling Cinema location, same group as of that in London)
Frangipani (Oberoi Hotel, Nariman Point)
Tibbs (Shivaji Park at Breach Candy, possibly the best food item on the planet!)
Swati Snacks (Tardeo)
Golden Dragon (Taj Mahal Hotel in Colaba)
Indigo (Colaba)
Trishna (Fort location)
Moshes (Cuffe Parade)
Ling's Pavillion (Regal Cinema, Colaba)
Shamiana (Taj Mahal Hotel)
Citrus (Leela Kempinski Hotel)
Pan Asia (Grand Maratha Sheraton)
*Honorable mention: Hokey Pokey ice cream parlours (all locations)
**(note) You'll also find not too many Indian restaurants listed here. This is because when I am in Mumbai, my favorite Indian food is at the homes of my family and friends. The best Indian food you can get anywhere :)
***(note) Colaba is one of the areas my mother grew up in Mumbai, and also one of the main areas of the November 26th, 2008 terrorist attacks. :(

Las Vegas:
Social House (Treasure Island Hotel)
Red 8 (The Wynn Hotel)
In 'n Out Burger (Off the Strip)
Okada (The Wynn Hotel)
Noodles (Bellagio Hotel)
N9NE (The Palms Hotel)
Yellowtail (Bellagio Hotel)
Trevi - formerly known as Bertolini's (Caesar's Palace Forum Shops)
Wing Lei (The Wynn Hotel)

Paris:
Les Etoiles (Rue Princesa, St. Germain-des-pres) *i'm sorry, this site is in French
Colette (Rue St. Honore)
Hotel Costes outdoor restaurant
Mood (Champs Elysee)
Pizzeria Napolitaine Chez Bartolo (Rue Canettes, St. Germain-des-pres)

So what do you all think? Have any favorites you'd like me to try or visit again? Let me know!

New Lunch Spot!

*picture courtesy of NYMag.com*

So, the people of Hale & Hearty have come up with a new self-serve concept restaurant, located in the new NY Times building on the 41st street and 8th Avenue corner (620 Eighth Avenue). It's called Schnipper's Quality Kitchen, and every dish on the menu is under UNDER $10!! And the dishes look to be exactly what a girl who constantly craves comfort would eat: some standouts are:
Green Chili Cheeseburger
Sloppy Joe
Sweet Potato Fries w/ maple dipping sauce
Chicken Fingers
Asian Chicken Salad
Fish Tacos
(and although I am not a HUGE cheese fan):
Grilled Four Cheese Sandwich
Mac & Joe (Mac 'n Cheese with Sloppy Joe)

They also have numerous "healthier" options. I am hoping for this to be one of our new lunch spots during the work week! Check out Midtown Lunch's post!

Sunday Cupcaking Sunday

So as I promised last week, I baked and baked and baked this weekend. The two pics to the right are the Chocolate Chip cupcakes with Chocolate Chip Buttercream frosting (recipe taken from the latest issue of Martha Stewart's Living magazine). Since our get-together was in honor of the wedding of a close family friend, I decided to pull out the gel cake writers and throw a congrats on the cupcakes. Pic #2 (to the right) also has 6 cupcakes in which I added some mint extract and green food coloring to the leftover cupcake batter and frosting -- to make MINT chocolate chip cupcakes (Hubby's fave flavor -- but only if it's green :D). They have been placed in my Cupcake Courier which is the BEST way to transport your cupcakes. I'll be honest--was not a fan of the Wilton cupcake carrier. My cupcakes went flying all over the place. In the Cupcake Courier, each cupcake depression is deep enough to keep the cupcakes in place (unless of course you tip the whole thing upside down...which I don't recommend).

The cupcakes below are the Sexy Low-Fat Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes with Skinny Confectioners' Icing from the book, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. This was for my RaakStaar who is Vegan, and is also traveling to the sunny shores of Puerto Rico this weekend for a wedding. I still wanted her to be able to indulge in some sweet cupcakey goodness. These were a HUGE hit. My sister (who only loves foods that are "meant" to be fatty TO BE FATTY, but then craves salads. This I don't get, but my mom wishes I could be more like her in that respect :D) -- anyhoo, my sister LOVED these cupcakes, and even took some home (where my mother finished them off, and even complemented my increased skills in the baking area -- Woohoo validation!!)

OMG...LMNOP...

The following is part of my conversation today with my colleague (yes, the very same "NO MORE SMALL BOXES" colleague. Let's call her Krazeekin, or Krazee for short...keep reading below to find out why).

Krazee: You know, I had a dream the other night.
Me: Oh yeh? *not even a faint sound of enthusiasm in my voice*
Krazee: Yes. I dreamt that Michelle Obama was wearing a white one-shouldered dress. And last night at the ball, she did!
Me: Holy Shit, Kreskin! You need to quit the business and go on a publicity tour! *VERY sarcastic tone in my voice*
Krazee: Who's Kreskin? How come I don't know who Kreskin is?
*our conversation goes back and forth about who Kreskin is...*
Krazee: You'll see...next time I have a dream, I'll write it down so you believe me.
Me: Okay, MLK.

Go Martha! Go Martha!

*courtesy of Martha Stewart Living*

So I'm not a great fan of Martha Stewart's, but sometimes, she comes up with some great ideas. Her home line at KMart is actually quite lovely. AND the February 2009 issue of her Living Magazine...*one sole tear of sheer happiness rolls down my cheek*...it's just....exquisite. Why, you ask? Because the cover story is all about...CUPCAKES!!!

So I know everyone (all 4 of you) voted equally for either a Strawberry ShortCupCake or the Baileys Irish Cream Cupcake, but i think I may have to try out Martha's Boston Cream Cupcake first. I mean, look at it. The custardy vanilla cream splicing the cake, and the ooey-gooey chocolate ganache oozing off the top. This CANNOT be made healthy, I'm sure. But it looks so damn amazing! *I actually want to hug the screen right now, it looks so good!!* There are plenty of other recipes in the issue that I want to try as well. And on top of ALL of this Cupcake-aganza (yes there's more), today's episode of The Martha Stewart Show is, again, ALL ABOUT CUPCAKES!!! The girls over at Cupcakes Take the Cake were there, of course! (You can spot them out in the audience in the preview of the episode on Martha's site).

I'll also be making Vegan cupcakes this weekend, as we're having a get-together with some friends, one of whom (my dear RaakStar) is vegan, and who tends to get left out of the yummy goodness sometimes.

I'll let you know how they all turn out!

Mo' Yos!

I created this picture of one of my nephews. He LOVES his (cheeri)yos!
We'll call him Yos from now onwards.

Try making one yourself at Obamicon.Me

Congrats President & First Lady Obama!

My "Blue" Playlist

Fergie - "Losing My Ground"
Natasha Bedingfield - "I Bruise Easily"
Rihanna - "Rehab"
PCD - "I Hate This Part"
Oasis - "Champagne Supernova"
Craig Armstrong - "Dark Angel Theme"
Christophe Beck - "Buffy/Angel Theme"
Full Blown Rose - "Somebody Save Me"
The Sundays - "Wild Horses"
Neneh Cherry - "7 Seconds"
Groove Theory - "Tell Me"
Brian McKnight - "Anytime"
The Bravery - "Believe"
Placebo - "Running Up That Hill"
'N Sync - "Gone"
The Bangles - "Hazy Shade of Winter"
Robin Thicke - "Lost Without You"
Madonna - "Love Don't Live Here Anymore"
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Morcheeba - Never an Easy Way
Santessa - "Phased"
Plumb - "Stranded"
Massive Attack - "Teardrop"
The Pierces - "Three Wishes"
Sade - "No Ordinary Love"
Usher - "How Do I Say"

--
Sent from my mobile device

Train of Thought for the Day

I want to take up dancing again (as you may have read in my "Hopelutions" post last week.)
More modern / hip-hop dance. I just don't know where to take a class, that's good, easy for beginners (let's face it, it's been so long since I last dance, I might as well be starting over again), and where I DON'T HAVE to buy a whole series/package. Plus I need a class that fits my schedule. So far all I've found is one school that has classes at 4:30-6pm and 7:30-9pm on Mondays, and 4:30-6pm on Saturdays. Either 7pm-8pm on Mondays or like 2pm-3pm on Sundays would be FABULOUS! Too bad I don't think they exist. (Yes, Li'l Miss Selena Gomez inspired me last night).

This leads me to want to try skiing again. Last time I skied I was 13. It was a ski lesson on the "mid" slope. The following week the snow melted, and that was that.

THIS leads me to another item on my list--Swimming. I need to be more on top of this as we have an indoor pool in our building, and Hubby is an excellent swimmer. Hopefully he will have enough patience to teach me.

Fairy Tales

*picture courtesy of Disney / ABC Family*

So yes, I am (secretly) one of those girls who still believes in Fairy Tales...although I'm probably one of the most cynical and jaded girls you've ever met (about myself and the general world & society). However I try to stay positive for everyone else in my life ;)

That's probably why I enjoy all these "modern" versions of our Ol' School fairy tales. I just sat and watched the Hillary Duff lead "A Cinderella Story" back-to-back with the Selena Gomez lead "Another Cinderella Story". (I've totes had the theme song stuck in my head all weekend.)

And yes, although I'm almost 30, Disney breakout star, Selena Gomez (age 16) is my new style icon. I wonder if I'd look silly with a striped wrist band on my forearm a la Justin Timberlake and a denim jacket over a grey hoodie sweatshirt, with a t-shirt underneath(???)

Thought I'd try and list all the different versions of some of my favorite "Fairy Tales". Any help would be much appreciated.

Cinderella:
Disney's Cinderella
Another Cinderella Story
A Cinderella Story
Ever After

Snow White:
Disney's Snow White
Sydney White

Sleeping Beauty:
Disney's Sleeping Beauty

Romeo & Juliet:
Ronnie & Julie
Romeo & Juliet
Baz Lurhman's Romeo & Juliet
A West Side Story

Sugar Brown's Train of Thoughts for the Day

So I was watching Regis & Kelly this am, and Jerry O'Connell (yes, the "fat kid" from Stand By Me) was guest hosting with Kelly. And he was talking about his new twin baby girls with wife, (and Ugly Betty's resident transexual) Rebecca Romijn. And it made me wonder...didn't she break up with sexy Uncle Jessie (aka John Stamos) because he wanted to start a family and she didn't? Then she remarried, starts a family, and Uncle Jessie is still looking for his "Becky"? That made me think of Jennifer Aniston, who was also jilted by her now ex-husband, Brad Pitt, for similar reasons (however in reverse). So what does everyone think about Jennifer Aniston & John Stamos getting together??? They're both Greek. He's probably a year or two older than she is. I think they'd make a DARLING couple!

Then I started thinking about my diet, and how there are all these different "weight-loss fads", and how there's a new nutritionist every week giving new information. Some say--5-6 small meals a day. Some say stay with the norm 3 full meals. Some say don't eat after 7. Some say don't eat carbs after 5. Some say it's okay to eat late, but only veggies and protein. It's got me all confused as to what woudl work for me. That lead me to remember when I was a wee sugar cube, and how my mom would structure my meals. A bowl of cereal with 2% milk and fruit before school (around 7-7:30am), lunch (usually at 12:30pm) consisting of a sandwich of some sort --balogna, ham, peanut butter / beverage (juice) / snack--chips, cookies, etc, a snack when I got back from school/after-school activities (either bagel bites, or mini waffles, or peanut butter sandwich, and so on, with a glass of milk), and dinner at 7:30pm consisting of whatever she made that day (usually Indian food). And I was a freakin' RAIL!! Granted there is a HUGE difference in metabolism between the ages of 15 and almost 30...but, I mean, there has to be something to that eating structure. I mean I was never starving. Nor do I remember ever really "craving" something. Cuz if I wanted something, I'd have it. And usually "my eyes were always bigger than my stomach", meaning I'd get my food, and it like half of it. Now I get my food, and want it doubled. I need physical help. :(

Lemon Tart Update

A Lemon Tart was spotted out of the corner of my eye on the Chalk Board at the Le Pain Quotidien on my walk to work this a.m. I quickly ran in (this also gave me a short reason to get out of this 13 degree, snowy, nose-numbing weather). And there it was...light behind it and sounds like angels singing from the heavens, haaaaaaahhhhh! I would only have one bite I promised myself. I mean, it couldn't taste as good in reality than it did in my head. It was like Marshall's search for the best cheeseburger in NY on HIMYM.

Obviously, (as per my picture) I had found a winner :) I think I even licked the fork clean at some point. It really was heaven, and TOTALLY hit the spot. It was custardy, with a hint of tart citrus, and a solid but melt-in-your-mouth graham crackery crust. And it tasted like it had JUST been made. Sheer perfection.
Thank you, Le Pain Quotidien!

No More!!

picture courtesy of Google Images

Has anyone ever seen the movie Mommie Dearest? Remember the "NO MORE WIRE HANGERRRRS!!" scene?
I'm living this scene right now at work, except my colleague keeps screaming "NO MORE SMALL BOXES!!!!"

Heart Meets Life

picture courtesy of the New York Post

SLUM ENCHANTED EVENING

Pls check out this article that my RaakStar just wrote for the NYPost, regarding Bollywood meeting Hollywood at the Golden Globes. It truly was an interesting thing to watch, especially for a girl born to Bombay-ite parents in Jackson Heights, raised in the 'burbs of Dirty Jerz, heart belonging to NYC.

Happy Birthday!!

I'd like to send a big HAPPY 30th Birthday to LawRose, Mommy to the cutest li'l Eagle EVER!!

My New Year's Hopelutions

The King of Written House has informed me that my blog has started off on a dark note, and would like me to sunshine it up a bit. This post, King, is for you.

So every New Year's Day, millions and millions of people "resolve" to do or quit something that year. The most popular being - lose weight, quit smoking, stress less, and so on. The gyms and grocery stores grow more crowded, the quit smoking hotline becomes busier, and the daily "to-do" lists analyzed. And come January 15th to February 1st, the gyms grow quieter, the Restaurant delivery business increases, life becomes more chaotic, and the people shivering outside my office building trying to light their cigarettes is back up to the usual again. And all of these people have a darker look in their eyes. A look of disappointment and frustration. And, sadly to say, I'm one of those people (sans the smoking--yuck!)

This year, after watching a few news reports and listening to my friends decide, in all gusto, that they are not making ANY resolutions this year, I decided to make a list of HOPELUTIONS. Things that I HOPE to do or make happen this year. No actual deadlines. NO strict rules.

So here's my hopelutions' list (in no particular order):
1) Lose another 10lbs
2) Learn to swim (*I can tread in water, but that's about it)
3) Stop being a shopaholic (*Hubby's favorite off my hopelution list)
4) Learn fluent Hindi & Spanish (*both of which I can only "get by" on now)
5) Take up dancing again (*I took every type of dance class you can think of from the ages of 3-14)
6) Declutter my life (*my office, my desk(s), my apartment)
7) Change my hairstyle
8) Keep a manicure for at least 5 days to a week (*mine tend to chip after a day...if they even make it out of the salon unscathed)
9) Write more (*that's what this blog is for)
10) Get back into my creativity (*Photography, sketching, writing, dancing, general creating)
11) See my nieces and nephews more (*at least those who live in the country)
12) Cook more often
13) Read more (*any good book recommendations? check me out on GoodReads)
14) Go back to school (*I'd like to eventually get my masters...just not sure in what yet)
15) Be more confident
16) Take on more responsibility at work
17) Do more outdoor activities (*bicycling, roller-skating, jogging...once the weather gets warmer)
18) Take up yoga/meditation (*quiet my mind)
19) Workout 4-5 times a week
20) Volunteer more / become more involved
21) Stop procrastinating
22) Increase my energy
23) Organize my finances / understand my finances
24) Wake up earlier / sleep better
25) Stop drinking Diet Coke
26) Be more on top of doctor's appointments (*mine & Hubby's)
27) Buy an apartment
28) Keep up my correspondence with people
29) Organize the addresses/information in my address book
30) Start a family
31) Find AT LEAST one new buyer/store to sell our clothing line to

If you would like to post your hopelutions online, check out 43Things

How the Fauna Finds Flora

Check out this book that my OH (ahem...Other Husband) found. I actually have no words...just read through it all and pick your fave story :)

http://community.livejournal.com/found_objects/3699822.html?page=1

When Life Hands You Lemons...Make Lemon Tarts!

So I have decided that since I'm not much of a cook...I'd like to become a baker. I LOVE coming up with new sweet ideas to concoct for get-togethers and guests. I started at the wee age of 12, baking with my sister (the boxed variety)....My Mom loved to cook, but my sister and I were more interested in the sweets region. Since I was not very experienced in cooking, BAKING from scratch scared me. But lately something has come over me, and I just decided -- it's so much easier to control what goes into the mix when you make it all yourself. I started last November with a MASSIVE Autumn care package for my sister who was away at college. (the theme: PUMPKIN)...I made Pumpkin mini muffins, Pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting (thanks LawRose for the recipe!), Pumpkin scones, AND the "piece de resistance" (anybody know how to put accents in a blog?) -- Oreo Cream Cheese Balls. (I know, no pumpkin, but AMAZING. Thank you to Mama's friend for this one...pure genius.)

Anyhoo...from time to time, I'll post recipes or pictures of stuff I've baked that have received good reviews from my personal taste testers. I'll also post stuff that LOOKS really good to me. (I'd like to send a shout out to the girls of Cupcakes Take the Cake--you ladies are an inspiration. Thank you! http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com)

I'd also LOVE to get your recipes or pics of yummy baked goods. I'm always looking for something new to try, or to post works of artistic deliciousness. :D

(This post was inspired by my sudden craving for a Lemon Tart...I can't find one ANYWHERE!!)

Dear Gossip Girl - Southern Mothers ft. Matt Pearson

This video is HIGHlarious! They really did Chuck Bass proud...

Reedonculii

The week has been ridiculous. Everyone i know is getting sick. Business has been wavering all over the place. All the restaurants I love are shutting down--my fave sandwich place, my fave salad place, breakfast place, vegetarian place, Mexican place... I guess it's probably best. I'm making my own lunches and dinners now...saving some money. But i guess that's what a lot of people are doing...and that's probably why all my fave places are shutting down. Stupid vicious cycle. Anybody got any delicious and quick lunch (for 1) or dinner (for 2) recipes they'd care to share?

Let's All Go to the Movies...

So here's a list of movies (past and present) that I'd like to see, as, duh, I haven't seen them yet. Some you will be SHOCKED I haven't seen. Some you will wonder what the hell is wrong with me, and WHY would I want to see them. And some you will HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE what they are. Read on if you're interested:

On DVD:
Lost In Translation (I own two copies of this movie...but I have yet to finish watching it)
Pursuit of Happyness
Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind
Pineapple Express
Tropic Thunder
The Wackness
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
LayerCake
Half Nelson
Wanted
Charlie Bartlett
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Secret Life of Bees

Waiting for DVD/On Demand:
Nothing Like the Holidays
Twilight
Rachel Getting Married

Just Out:
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Revolutionary Road
Ghajni (Bollywood version of Memento)

Coming Soon:
He's Just Not That Into You
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Watchmen (I hope it will be out soon)
Little Ashes (Love ANYTHING about Dali)

Anybody have any other recommendations?

P.S. I just saw that the movie DUCKMAN is out on DVD. have any of you every seen Duckman? Classic. Classic film.

It's a Dark Brown Day, Sugar Brown

I'm starting off my new blog on a dark note. I'm cranky. I hurt. And I'm ready to crawl underneath my desk and hibernate for a little while. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's business. Maybe it's the food poisoning over the weekend I'm recovering from. I just can't bare to stay here any longer...nor do I feel like going to workout after this. It's such a lame excuse. I haven't worked out in 2 weeks (lame excuse #2-"it's the holidays")...but I'm mostly on water and fat-free greek yogurt/basmati rice to settle my stomach...and I'm feelin' WEAK. Just read an entry on my more seasoned blogger/friend, AnthonyP (http://anthonyplovesme.blogspot.com -- check out his adventures in India). he had a similar situation happen to him. But he's on the other side of the world. In South Asia. Eating food made in who knows what. I ate WAY too much sushi, and chased that with WAY too much Pinot Grigio. Silly wine. (If you haven't heard, Pinot & I are in a fight. I'm giving it the silent treatment).

Crap...I'm feeling the beginnings of a new zit. Aren't I too old for this???

P.S. Not all blogs will be as whiny as this. Some may, but not all. I'll put a disclaimer next time, in case you want to avoid my cranky posts.