Backity back!

Back in NYC from sunny CA. Survived the redeye flight reveled in the purring when I got home! 

Highlights of the West Coast wedding extravaganza: friends from afar, drinking champagne on a boat, bride rocking a feather fascinator (hard), seeing a real-life California surf shop and real-life California surfers, beach, Indian dancing. WHEW. My first real visit to CA was a success—now to rest up and beat the jet lag!

Genius snackage

How could you not love a snack like pie lollipops? The inventor of this recipe deserves an award of some kind. No, multiple awards....

Thanks to Ginny for passing this one along!

Bag dilemma

Readers, do any of you have a solution to my bag dilemma??

In her book, I Was Told There Would Be Cake, author Sloane Crosley pokes fun at New Yorkers who wear/dress in serious outdoor gear. On this point, I must radically disagree with her—there is indeed just cause for owning and using that gear! (Maybe not if you live on the Upper West Side like the author, but if you make the long haul to and from the boroughs, there is!)

So, I have my X-treme commuter coat. I'm working on choosing some good, sturdy sneakers, too. Now I need a bag.

Sunday, I went for an upper body massage (hooray b-day gift certificate!), and the source of many of my aches and pains became clear. Why on earth am I lugging my life to and from work every day on ONE shoulder? That cannot be good. I started to notice women everywhere carrying gigantic purses, diaper bags, laptop cases...you name it, we are capable of carrying it around on one shoulder. Impressive, but not super healthy!

So, I'd like to invest in an excellent bag that is not terrible for my back. I've looked at the outdoor stores (ilke EMS) and places like Lands' End, too. Ideally, the bag would fit my books, an umbrella, possibly shoes, and my lunch. 

Problem is that none of the backpacks I'm finding are terrifically fashionable. I can choose a kinda climber-chick bag (cute, but not me and not very "work"-looking) or run around lookin' like a ninth grader. Tough!

So: messenger bags—good or bad for your back? Weight seems distributed more evenly than with a purse. And backpacks—anything between camping gal and Mia Thermopolis (pre-princess makeover)?

Teddy time

Snack I sorta wish I had NOT invented: itty-bitty ice cream sandwiches.

I should start with the Teddy Grahams. I love Teddy Grahams. Love them. I may be the only person over 8 who consumes them on a regular basis. I recently had a chocolate craving, and picked up some chocolate Teddy Grahams. Last night, I realized that dabbing a bit of vanilla ice cream between 2 chocolate Teddy Grahams creates a 1-bite ice cream sandwich!

6 Things

I was tagged by Jamie over at Same New Story (go! check her supercute blog header!) to list 6 things that make me happy. Here goes:

1. The coffee Chris makes for me in my Oscar mug every morning. 

2. Roger's belly.

3. This calico cow:

(It was sent to Big Bird some time ago and has hung in my cubicle ever since. Note that it has 8 legs.)

4. My "friends & family" iPod playlist. I am always blown away by how talented my loved ones are!

5. Little dogs running. 

6. Eating outdoors.

I tag: Jenn, Devan, Jim, Steve, and Erin. Go!

Invites drying

Wedding plans are officially in full swing! Invites are out and guests are RSVPing. I'd mentioned a while ago that we were making our own invites. Well, the vision changed a bunch of times, but we came up with something we love and had tons of fun during our little arts and crafts times.

Erin posted beautiful photos of the finished product, preserving the little details forever. And here are a few glimpses of the invites in progress. At the top, the stamped ink drying. Below, the ink on the envelopes drying in our bedroom. 

Another vampire post

image from SciFi Wire

Did anyone happen to check out Entertainment Weekly's list of the 20 Greatest Vampires of All Time? I was psyched that one Buffy vamp made the cut (Angel), but was shocked at one all-important omission: Spike.

The places Buffy took this character were more complex and greater than I ever thought possible for TV. Spike is endlessly interesting and brilliantly written. One could analyze his character for days on end. Watching his story unfold (I'm not done yet! No spoilers!) has provided continual creative inspiration. Lots of writers must draw inspiration from Spike—I recently read that Nora Roberts (surprising!) keeps a figurine of Spike on her writing desk.

If I'd had to choose between Angel and Spike for that list, I would've gone with Spike. Don't worry, I already wrote a letter.