Friday 5

1. Last week while traveling to Florida, I picked up Vogue magazine on a whim for my flight. I came across this announcing Christian Louboutin was coming out with a pricey and chic nail polish line to resemble his shoe line. The signature color of course being red.

Perfect gift in my opinion for the nail fashionista, or yourself. My question is if I could ever bring myself to use it seeing as how pretty it is unused.
photo cred Sephora 

2. The greatest thing about a vacation is calories don't count. Travel and Leisure confirms that with their list of America's best bakeries. Making the list is one of Gregg's favorite from NYC, cookies from Levain bakery. When I visited, he took me to try one and with the hot summer sun melting the chocolate as I stuffed my face with a chocolate chocolate chip cookie, sitting on a bench in the Upper West Side, I decided that was heaven.

Be sure to add them to your list next time you are in NYC
photo cred Levain Bakery

3. #blackcatselfie This article said people in the United Kingdom are not adopting black cats because they don't photograph well. Ridiculous. Needless to say, we are obviously big black cat fans around here.

Does this look like someone who does not photograph well? 

4. This made me laugh: 8 Thoughts That Go Through Your Head When Everyone Around You is Having Babies and You're Not 

5. It is 100 degrees and I am dreaming of new pajama pants. Go figure.

Have a great weekend! 

Bachelor in Paradise Episode 1

What combines Mondays, crazy people and a beach? Why it's Bachelor in Paradise of course. 

• Is it going to be a train wreck? Yes. Absolutely. 
• It is also going to be something for all of us to look forward to on Monday evenings. Because let's face it, we could all use a little crazy after surviving a Monday. 

Initial intro observations:

• There is a lot of wind and these girls are having issues holding on to their flowy maxi dresses in wedges 
• You can already see a lot of insecurity in the girls fighting for the same guys
• You can already see a lot of crazy in some of these girls...cough cough Michelle...cough cough
• Lacy from Juan Pablo's season, who are you? 
• Elise from Juan Pablo's season, who are you? 
• And everyone loves Graham....yet again. The ultimate Bachelor, Bachelor Pad and now Bachelor in Paradise repeat.

How is this show going to work 

• Bachelor style dates, if you get a date card you get to choose who goes on the date with you
• 7 girls, 6 guys....there is an elimination so soon. 
• Someone will be leaving paradise very, very soon if you don't make a connection with someone. 

Who.is.Lacy...

• Apparently she left Juan Pablo night 1...is this the best ABC could do? 
• Lacy runs into the ocean with Robert and lets him whisk her away into the waves.
• Marcus is still not over Andi and he proclaims this while wandering into the ocean in his underpants. Makes complete sense. And now Lacy is in the ocean with him. And now Sarah is upset. Did you get all that? 
• Now Lacy is back with Robert. 

AshLee vs. Every other girl in the house who likes Graham

• AshLee has planned their wedding and already registered them at Pottery Barn. 
• AshLee claims she is the only normal person here.
• AshLee is mad Graham couldn't be loyal for 24 hours

First Date Card....Clare....

The date drama

• Clare picks Graham. 
• Clare sense drama and vents her frustration to this guy:

• This guy helps Clare decide to un-pick Graham. And pick Robert. 
• Sidenote: I think Clare and Robert are super cute. Let's hope this means Parrrrraddiiiiiseeee.

The Vista Date highlights:

• Clare: "I don't even know what a vista is but we walked out of a vista" 
• Then Robert gets attacked by ants. He loses his shoes, his backpack and his shirt and now he is magically not itching. 
• Meanwhile I am sitting here watching the TV itching still 5 minutes later. 
• Clare thinks Robert is "a cool, fun, funny guy." 
• Clare is afraid of heights. Oh right, right duh. My bad. I forgot about being afraid of heights. Even in paradise heights still exist. 

Second Date Card....Sarah

• Sarah picks Marcus
• Lacy from night 1 of Juan Pablo is bummed. 
• Sarah is taking leaps and leaping into the water with Marcus 
• Sarah is done leaping and kissing Marcus

Michelle Money arrives...dun dun dun...with a date card...dun dun dun...

• Michelle takes Graham away for a secret handshake that reminded me of The Parent Trap a la Lindsay Lohan. 

• Michelle picks Marquel for a date card. 

Lacey receives a date card and asks Robert. 

• This means poor Clare.
• This also means poor Marcus who likes Lacey. Who went on a date with Sarah. Who Sarah jumped in the cave water with. Did you follow that? 
• Marcus is upset. He just got over his heartbreak with Andy. He is now having to get over heartbreak with Lacey. And his un-heartbreak with Sarah. 

Rose Ceremony time or as Ben put it so eloquently "It's cocktail time!" 

• Now begins watching all of the contestants try to lobby for a rose....it's always fun watching people who are not good at communicating try to communicate through persuasion
• AshLee thinks she is safe safe safe because she has Graham in her back pocket. 
• Should your rose be strategic or based on friendship??? Marcus can't decide. 
• Oooo interesting development: This time the roses are not anonymous. There is no secret Pier One lockbox room. 
• Crazy Michelle voluntarily decides to go home. 
• Michelle Money has some serious hair going on

• Graham picks AshLee because he is afraid of being stabbed while he sleeps.
• Marcus picks Lacey who picked Robert for a date who went on a date earlier with Clare. Did you get that? 
• Robert picks Clare. Clare is over Robert but thankful for the rose. 
• And here comes Ben who ha been strangely quiet this episode which I think is a strange omen to the rest of the season. Silent but deadly wins the race on these shows. 
• Ben picks Sarah. 
• Daniella is going home. 

Who will listen to AshLee cry now? How will the girls get revenge on Robert and Marcus next week? And how will Chris B's arrival challenge Graham's control of the house? Will I continue writing about this nonsense? Stay tuned....

Vegas Family Vacay

Awhile ago, as in June, a family known as mine went to Las Vegas for a good ol' fashioned family vacation. I am sure you can picture it…organized travelers, perfect weather, getting to the airport early, no rushing to our flights…..

WRONG! First there was a torrential downpour that soaked me while trying to pick up some sandwiches pre-airport. 

Then we had to get all these bags checked  (if you look closely, you can see above that is the curbside line of people out of control because of rain delays earlier in the day). Plus get the car parked. Plus get wheelchairs. And of course we were on time. <insert major sarcasm>

And who came to the rescue? None other than my little sister. …I still sit here in shock months later. Dad and I parked cars and she got all boarding passes, all bags checked and we headed straight to security.

And upon arrival, Dad gave up trying to figure out taxis and got a limo. In Las Vegas there is a limo line and a taxi line which is very convenient for people like us traveling with an army of family.

After we had arrived and checked-in, the three of us headed downstairs at The Bellagio to get To-Go food for dinner.  As you can see by our drinks, we weren't just going to sit there waiting for food without entertaining ourselves.

Monday night (unknown to Kristina or me) kicked off the beginning of the double vacation Kristina and I were on that week in Las Vegas. Family Vacation by day….and sister Vegas vacation by night….

Night 1: Kristina and I hit up Marquee Nightclub at the Cosmo….the next morning I got up early to share coffee with Papa….let's not judge my appearance. Then after about 4 hours we finally made it down to the pool….it only took a few fights and an act of Congress...but we were on our way….

The Bellagio has lots of pools. Lots of beautiful and amazing pools. It is also approximately 115 degrees in Las Vegas so you don't want to do anything but spend the entire day in the a/c or in a giant pool of water. Once we finally made it down there, it was amazing. 

For the next few pictures please just sing the words "I'm so fancy….you already know…."

And then after dinner…..it was sister Vegas vacation night 2 at Hyde at Bellagio:

Imagine being eye level with the fountains, behind a huge glass opposite side of the strip. You can feel the wind as the fountains dance. It's also funny that while everyone else on The Strip is watching this set to the tunes of Frank Sinatra you are listening to the tunes of Usher. 

And that brings us to Wednesday morning and another day of family vacation: 

This quickly became our ritual…morning coffee, splitting a cherry danish with Papa….and for me also Tylenol.  

Later in the day Wednesday, we decided to venture down The Strip to the Venetian. To say we looked like a parade would be an understatement….

That plus a hungry sister who can.not.function. when she is hungry had us all in lovely moods by the time we made it to lunch at The Venetian….

In the family…a little food and a lot of wine goes a long way….

The best part though was when my Dad got tired of us. Not a joke.  After we took the family picture, he started talking to the table next to us. It all started so innocently with Dad saying "so where you guys from…" and 10 minutes later I was snapping photos to document the evidence. <That is my Dad in the middle in the dark blue shirt>

One of the funniest moments though was when Kristina and Papa decided to wander along pretending to be part of a tour group….they totally blended in well don't you think?

Then began Night 3 of Vegas Vacation:

Fizz Champagne Lounge which is one of my favorite places in Las Vegas. Gregg and I discovered this little gem during our visit last December.

Then we spent Thursday, our last full day, wandering around with a lot of ridiculousness: 

 Kristina jamming out in the O souvenir shop.

And then there was her big production in the Shania Twain gift shop…

A little Grandpa-Granddaughter gambling at Caesar's Palace  

And after watching the Spurs win the finals we had our own finale to our Sister Vegas vacation week Thursday night at Encore Beach Club:

When people ask how our vacation was I tell them "it was a nonstop circle of we love each other, we are having the best time, we want to kill each other, we are all fighting, we are eating, we are drinking, we are laughing, we love each other" and so on and so on…." 

These people are crazy but these are my people.