HAPPY WEEKEND, HOMIES!

the penguins at the 81st street subway stop say "stay cool, bro!"

I swear it's still Wednesday today, are you sure it's time for a weekend already? The Beebster just installed our window air conditioner unit for the summer--we've already had a week of intense humidity, it's the humidity that does it, man--and this not only means that our bread now has a shot at staying not-moldy for longer than 10 minutes, it also means I might possibly be pleasant to be around again during that magic 1900 "oh-my-gosh-it's-effing-hot-don't-even-LOOK-at-me hour! Isn't that thrilling? And don't you find that you could just hug your air conditioners this week, New Yorkers? I'm telling you. Steamed. Broccoli.

Right, things and stuff:

Why is your Millennial crying?

Is this the best anorak ever? (I'm also eyeing this sucker.)

Julie Andrews at the two-minute mark. Heart eye emoji.

The 21 books from the 21 century every (wo)man should read, via GQ. (LOL I have not read a single one of these #oops)

JAIME MOTHER EFFING LANNISTER!

I found this guy on eBay last night at 2AM . . . in case you want to buy him for me? haha 

Alright then. Imma enjoy feeling like a steamed broccoli every time I step outside the apartment this weekend, BECAUSE WHY NOT. And I sure hope you all do too. :)

Rescue Bots, roll to the rescue! 

HAPPY LONG WEEKEND!

It's a holiday weekend! B's finishing up a work call this morning and then the three of us are going to go off and party like goats all around the city. Hope you have fun things planned, too! 

Here's a whole bunch of stuff. Let's roll in it.

FIRST: My amazingly inspiring friend Julie, owner of fitBallet and best writing partner a girl could ask for, recently wrote a fitness + training ebook so you can follow her fitBallet course on your own at home (and feel seriously inspired about, like, everything while you're at it), and it releases today! You can get it here. It's only $9.99, but HNJ readers get a fat 10% off with the code HEYNATALIEJEAN. Check out her in-person training, online training, or class class schedule in TriBeCa for locals as well. Woman knows what she's doing. I recommend her five million percent. 

Income inequality as seen from space (found after falling down a Twitter rabbit hole)

Did you know your glossy social media accounts can be used against you in a court of law if you're trying to argue for emotional distress?

A lovely lovely review of mah book (thank you!)

And speaking of books, this looks really wonderful (Recommended to me by a reader--thank you!)

Get the old school You've Got Mail announcement on your Google Chrome, hollaaaaa

What kids want on vacation, for summer planning inspiration

Playground Purgatory. Too amazing for words. This many exclamation points !!!!!!!!!!

Two exhibits you have to hit this weekend: Bjork and Yoko, both at the MoMA.

And lastly, my homegirls at Local-Creative are hosting a co-working space in Gowanus for the month of June. $25 a day with adorable amenities in a really beautiful, bright loft space. DO IT. Find out more here and email hello@local-creative.com to reserve a space. I can't wait to check it out!

Keep it real + stay cool!

HNJ APPLE STORE EVENT + HAPPY WEEKEND!

Holy cow, this week! If I crammed any more "taking care of bizness" into this week we've had I'd be sprouting my own shoulder pads already! (Power suit joke? No? Ok.)

And now for some HNJ ward business.

First of all: We got news the other day that the Kokosnoot perk package had fallen through and the team wouldn't be able to fulfill the perks for those who'd donated. I am so bummed right along with you! I believe a refund is on its way, and to make it up to everyone who donated I put together a special listing and reserved some totes so that everyone who would like can still get their signed copy and tote. If you donated to Kokosnoot, will you please shoot me an email so I can give you the details? heynataliejean at gmail, with "Kokosnoot" in the subject line. And thank you so much, you've all been so patient and understanding. It is much appreciated! We'll get it sorted out for you!!

Secondly: Hey will you come see me at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store next weekend? (HOW COOL IS THIS BTW!?) I'll be sharing how to get the most out of your summer in the city, both as a mom and as a regular old summer fun-seeker, as well as a few of my favorite "summer hacks," you know, tips for getting the most out of your summertime fun in the city (my picnic blanket hack will blow your minds, dudes), pluuuuus I'll be talking about the book a bit and answering any questions y'all can throw at me (softly) (slow pitch). Starts at eleven on the crack! Register-slash-RSVP HERE pretty please with sugar on top! I'm not 100% certain but I believe we won't have copies of Hey Natalie Jean for sale at the event, so please bring your own for me to sign. (I know the Barnes & Noble ten blocks south will definitely have a few copies if you're in a pinch, and I'll happily sign your bra as well, just throwing that out there.)

Third and finally: Huck and I were on Domino Mag this week for their Mother's Day special! (Right? This week.) You can check it out HERE. (That amazing onesie is by Ace & Jig, I know yous gonna ask.) 

A couple of other things that caught my attention this week . . . 

This story on working conditions for nail techs in NYC nail salons. I'd always suspected something was off--after getting a gel polish manicure once in Utah a while ago and being, like, this is holy hells bonkers amazing, I visited a salon here in the city to get another and, yikes. The difference between the two markets! You can tell pretty quickly over here that these places are not at all on the up and up. I haven't been able to justify getting a professional manicure since. Crazy that this stuff still goes on.

What exactly does NYC smell like? Made me laugh. Also, isn't reading about fragrances fascinating?

Relevant to blogging, Kottke on "who is the customer?" iiiiiiinteresting.

Drooling over these earrings.

SIX NEW EPISODES OF THE X-FILES! Hold me, Agent Mulder!

Related: David Duchovny, Why Don't You Love Me? hahahaha total time warp listening to this song)

Speaking of music, I'm thinking of writing a song. It starts like this:

I'm washing my hair tomorrow /
Bet ya bottom dollar that tomorrow /
There'll be suds....

Anyway, it's a work in progress.

Have a good weekend, potatoes!

RABBIT RABBIT + HAPPY WEEKEND!

Happy May! The sun is warm, the breeze is cool, Brandon is sneezing like a maniac, "and isn't jolly when you discard furs and winter garments for the first time and sally forth, like this, in spring attire?" It is, Anne-girl. My ankles are all, FRESH AIR!

SIMILAR DRESS: HERE! SUMMER SNEAKERS: HERE!

Here's some things and junk.

Firstly, my friend Lynne at Cardigan (whom I loooooove!) is having a blow-out sample sale here in New York, in which she'll have fabulous pieces marked down as much as 80% off (e-i-g-h-t-y!!). Locals, holla.

Other important things I've discovered this week: did you know there's a place in Brooklyn that makes gluten free bagels!? Thank you to the gods of bagels! (I haven't tried one yet, they better be good, dammit.) Now I just need someone to find me a gluten free black and white cookie and then mayyyyybe this will be sustainable unto my lifestyle. Sigh. :(

This watch hasn't left my wrist in weeks.

The Dooce has left the building. That Heather, always paving the path for the rest of us bloggers to follow. Super excited for her. (Another of us dinosaurs, Kottke, adds his thoughts.) Team Dinosaurs! Internet hug!

Related: The most depressing article you will ever read on Internet shaming in ever. 

Now that it's bare ankle weather may I direct you to the greatest no-show sock mankind has ever known? That'd be right here and here and thank you for that, Muji.

Animated history of the hairstyles of the 20th century!

Similar! 40 years of the American home. Amazing.

Rainy day hair is soooo the new bed head.

Made me laugh. Are we getting old or what.

ALL MOVIE TRAILERS ARE THE SAME!

Wishing all your hay fevers godspeed,
ME

TOT ZIENS AMSTERDAM + HAPPY WEEKEND!

Signings in Amsterdam and a six hour train ride to Berlin for me, what are you puppies up to?

Links to a few things you might enjoy this weekend . . .

The Kingdom of Westeros in Minecraft. Full disclosure: I know less than nothing about Minecraft.

This might brighten your day: designer real estate for hermit crabs. 

The 50 best films of the decade so far, part one and part two, according to these people anyway. Thoughts?

Six Scandi fashion blogs you should follow.

Buy one of these for your babies ASAP.

Could you go three days without looking in the mirror? Would it change your life? Leandra did. I once went four days without a mirror on a Youth Conference pioneer trek . . . actually it was sort of transformative, I won't lie.

What happened when two Vogue beauty editors swapped beauty routines for a week. 

Is this THE BEST HOODIE EVER?

GRANNY HAIR. I want in.

Guys, keep it real. I'll see you in Berlin! 

À BIENTÔT PARIS + HAPPY WEEKEND!

yours truly up front in a shop in canada!thx anabela for the shot!

I'M ON A PLANE! Well, in a few hours I'm on a plane. (Remember to email me at heynataliejean at gmail to RSVP if you can make the meet+greet in Paris!) I'm so excited / totally thrilled / a little bit nervous for my time in Europe, and so grateful to the folks at The Hive for inviting me out to speak at their conference in Berlin so I could have the excuse to meet readers in nearby cities. It's going to be restorative and wonderful for me + my introvert to wander all over hill and dale together, I can't wait. Though don't cry for me Argentina but this will be my first time away from my baby for longer than one night in . . . ever. Fingers crossed my cabbies are nice and my conversational French is up to the job! 

So! A few quick things I enjoyed this week . . . 

This Hey Natalie Jean book review. Clearly. I mean, obviously I agree with every word of it. ;)

The trailer for the Iris Apfel Documentary!!!!!!!!! Caaaaan't waaaaaait.

This made me cry.

My favorite mascara of all the times.

The adorable café in Paris where we'll be having our author meet + greet is adorable.

New York TV apartments and what they'd be worth today.

I love this girl and her #noapologiesproject on Instagram.

Striped dress alert!

I got to attend the Madewell fall 15 preview and it was everything you'd want fall to be.

Beautiful post on nursing.

My sister recently joined the Birkenstock fold, and it reminded me I've been looking at these kids birks as a possible alternative to Saltwaters. Though why you'd need an alternative to Saltwaters is beyond me.

This article on the nerdiest casting director in Hollywood--right up my alley.

I've scheduled a week of posts for while I'm out. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend! 

LUCK OF THE IRISH

brandon took this of us at the american museum of natural history last weekend. it's a new favorite. i can't put my finger on it, but it does it for me.

So hey, wow, this week, eh?

Well, so St Patrick's day. When is St Patrick's day NOT exhilarating? It was hugely exciting day for us, which my two ginger leprechauns and I celebrated by watching Once Upon A Time + eating lots of soda bread with raisins in it. (I think I finally get why people watch this show. IT'S BECAUSE OF CAPTAIN HOOK ISN'T IT.)

We also did all the green things that you do, you know, green things and stuff: mirror selfies, super awesome outfits . . . we picked up the dry cleaning from the green cleaners place, it was a fun time.



Aaaaand wink practice. Yes, at "Old McDonald's." Hey, it was a holiday!



I came home to this little set up one afternoon this week when Brandon was working from home. How cute is THAT.

Oh yes, and then there was all this . . .

sweet readers sending me hashtag hugs, my book on a SHELF, and cute, my husband paid full price for me! as someone pointed out when i instagrammed it--i suppose that does make me a ten cow wife! haha!

Weeeee!

So, wow, this week. On the one hand, this week was completely normal. Huck went to school, Brandon went to work. I wrote in cafés + tried to answer emails + met with future collaborators + did the laundry + then accidentally broke the screen on my laptop and decided to just live with it, you know, as you do, but then on the other hand! ON THE OTHER HAND.

And I just wanted to gush and say THANK YOU! Thank you for writing such wonderfully kind reviews on your blogs + instagrams. Thank you for letting me know what resonated with you! (Like "Shirley's' Drapes." Oh gosh, I've been so excited for you all to read that one that I almost couldn't stand it, and it makes my heart so full to finally share it + get such sweet feedback.) And! The support on social media!! Thank you for hashtagging all your photos of the book so I could air-hug all of you from all the way over here. Sooo many air hugs! This has been a hugely wonderful experience, I can't even find the words. So thank you. I hadn't thought to expect any of this. Thank you and thank you and thank you. And to those of you who bought this ham sandwich and maybe wanted a Reuben, well. Next time I would love to write you a Reuben. But this one, it's ham. Yes I am comparing my book to a sandwich. You know.

So this afternoon. This afternoon I came down with a raging case of the What's Nexts. You know those? Otherwise known as the Nowwwwww Whaaaaaats. The last time I had a case this strong was the day I walked out of the Testing Center at BYU after finishing my very last final. That feeling of WELL, CRAP. NOW WHAT. You know the one?

I was asked this question in an interview the other day, this "What's next?" question. I hadn't yet caught the What's Next bug at the time and so the question sort of threw me. Like, What's next? Well, I have to pick up my kid from school in a couple hours . . . ??? But no, that's not what they meant, so I said, "book tour!" because, well, that is what is next. A book tour! How fun, right? I still shake my head at this, like, whaaaaaaaat. It's a two-parter. First comes Europe. I'll be in Paris April 4-8th, Amsterdam the 8-10th, Berlin the 10-12th where I'll be speaking at The Hive, and then London the 12-14th. Specific times + locations of signings + readings + possible meet ups are still being ironed out, so look for that once we have all our duckies in a row (and if you have recommendations, do you KNOW how much I want them? THIS much. Please! Send them over). There'll be a follow-up stateside tour landing something-June-y-ish that is still very early in the planning stages, so, you know. Posted / I'll keep ya. 

But yes, the What's Nexts. They're here, and pass the lozenges + the tissues, cause I got 'em pretty bad. Completing this book has felt like this great closure for this giant chapter in my life. The 2005-2015 years, they done feel archived. And it's like an entire section of my brain has just been vacated. I'm finding myself giddy with the options. What's next!? It's a hallway of options! Which doors should I open?! It's kind of exciting. I'm ready to dig in and see what I find. You know. Posted / I'll keep ya. 

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Happy weekend my friendlies! 

Let's cut right to the chase: here are some links to a few things I've enjoyed this week! 

It's Friday the 13th! For the second month in a row! What does that mean? How often does that happen? Are we are all screwed!? All you need to know right here, written the last time this happened, in 2009. *Spoiler alert: We'll probably be fine.*

My book comes out on TUESDAY and you should totally buy it. ;)

How not to embarrass people who use your restroom, on Apartment Therapy. The comments on this one, people. The comments.

"If you're having a bad day, here's a video of Ryan Gosling dancing at age 12." Thank you to my seester for this one.

THIS TWEET. #Luuuuuuuke

What would Joan, Nora, and Fran be wearing right now if they were in their 20s? Right up my alley. Oh my gosh. Right up yours, too. (Not, like, UP yours.)

Girls who steal. As a somewhat recent experiencer of "petty theft," as the author calls it, I found this really powerful, and so very important. I think this is a topic is of ultimate importance, really. A female acquaintance once said to me, "I know what it feels like to be mean just because I enjoyed the power." As a woman, my greatest hope for the world is that we someday get to the point where women no longer do this to each other. The short-term loss of being kind is real, I'll be honest; in my experience it is often very painful to be the one trying to be kind + open. But the long-term loss of not being kind, I think, is far, far worse. And now I am rambling, next link! 

An interesting take on the modern fashion world.

Sign me up for this!

I'm SO late to this party, but, Generation Like (thanks, Nicole!)

From rad reader Chantel in the comments on yesterdays post, "Irrational parenting." (thanks, Chantel!)

Run Liz Run, in The New Yorker. I don't know why I enjoyed this so much, but I did.

Ryan Adams + Natalie Prass cover She's Like The Wind

No makeup for a year? Can I just say--these days I'm down to just brow gel, mascara, and tinted moisturizer in the morning, and it is weird, and it is wonderful, and ultimately bafflingly trendy, and I don't get it, but I love it, but I don't get it, but I love it. (We're getting our links with a side of my dumb opinions this week, whee!)

Speaking of--power brows.

Best white button up, and the best summer take on the white button up.

Also on Man Repeller--these rules of Netflix binge watching made me laugh.

The real Manhattan subway map--there is nothing truer. via @joannagoddard

I would like to wear this entire outfit please.

In need of any bolga baskets? I'm asked all the time where to get one, and the answer is, right here! Or also, here!

COUNTING STITCHES + HAPPY WEEKEND!

I'm posting my Friday links a little early this week because I feel like it!!! This week has gone on long enough!! It's been Thursday for three days in a row now I swear it! I've had it!!

So yo, what are your plans for this weekend? We have a make-up brunch with friends, it's the Oscars on Sunday (!!!!), it's supposed to snow and then rain and then hit a glorious 40 degrees, life literally could not be more different and exciting than on previous weekends. ;) I have to tell you, I am such a creature of habit that times like these where we settle into a good, comfortable rut, and life carries on exactly the same as it always has week after week, these are the good times. This is pretty much my favorite. (I like to call it "a groove" but let's be real, it's totally a rut.) "It's time to go buy more popcorn again," was a thought I just had that made me feel cheery for completely no reasons. Also, I have a counted cross stitch project going on that came with the kind of cross stitch chart to make a solid-gold needlepointing granny cower in fear. These be good times, kids.

Other things I dug this week:

The problem with those feminist Super Bowl ads. Late, but relevant.

More Mandy Patinkin!!!! (Thank you, Elizabeth!!) And a fruit plate artist, who is yes, of course, from Moscow, Idaho. Oh geez, Moscow. This is so goofy. Seeing the Saturday farmer's market in the video made me tear up and EVERYTHING. (I sold my onesies at that art gallery!) (YOU GUYS.) (I AM FREAKING OUT.)

Anne Lamott on Brian Williams. This was so wonderful. It really hit me in the gut. Thank you for bringing some humanity to this issue, Anne.

Familially related, with a bit less humanity, is this: Is Alison Williams the most boring person in New York?

Leave it to Man Repeller to have the best 50 Shades review ever. 

A day in the life of a fashion blogger's husband. Heeheehee.

Did you watch the SNL 40th Anniversary? Did you think it sucked, like Gawker did?

Silly, yet amazing.

This week's striped shirt, should you be in need.

Keanu on the Q! (should be the name of a band)

The beanie alert was the best part of this article on Mickey Drexler and Madewell. Guys I love Madewell like a sister and I just can't help it. 

This is important.

This is also important. (I've had it. It's amazing.)

How various animals will be spending their tax refund. I didn't think it was that funny until the sloth one. The sloth got me.

Speaking of Madewell, I accidentally found a far less expensive version of Madewell's famous Transport Tote the other day, should you be in need.

These are NOT tiny brontosauruses. (Don't you miss the days when they were called a brontosaurus and not  an apatosaurus? Am I confusing dinosaurs?)

Erin is doing a mini-mini capsule. Just 25 items! (Here's another of my favorite posts of hers, on her favorite conversation starter.)

On my date night wish list, the new Broadway play Hamilton.

Loft beds. Inspiring us over here.

Pigeon waiting at baggage check. Related: "Know where you never see a pigeon? In a tree. Know where you always see a pigeon? On the tops of air conditioning units." Double Related: "Have some self-respect, don't you know you can fly?!"

Hot dudes reading on trains. On Instagram.

"Boob jobs." On Apartment Therapy. Hee.

Eewwwwwww subway germs. (This reminds me of how we all freaked out about the Ebola doctor--"He rode the A train!? I ride the A train!!!"--and then realized we'd all probably be friends with the Ebola doctor--"Hey, he went to The Meatball Shop, I love The Meatball Shop!!")

If Brandon ever asked me, "What is the most ridiculous thing you've ever wanted me to buy you," (this is a question he would never ask me, but I have an answer lined up for it anyway), I would tell him, "Duh. This." 

"Being thin didn't make me happy", and the blog post that sparked it. 

I wore this lipstick pointlessly around the house twice this week (Huck is on winter break and it's too cold to go anywhere--school! come back!) and both times it made me feel like a boss. 

Board butter! SO doing this this weekend.

LOL at the DWR champagne chair contest. People are such amazing creatures you guys.

via Cup of Jo, the floor plans for our favorite sitcom houses, and the Joan Didion Exhibition, which I am definitely checking out.

And finally, via @kottke, this bit of cleverness.

Hee! Happy weekend! See you on the flip side.

I LOVE ALL OF YOU + HAPPY WEEKEND!

Hey dudes it's my baby brother's birthday today! On unlucky Friday the 13th! But Mercury is NO LONGER IN RETROGRADE, so thank you for that, Bob! 

Guys I want to know of your plans for this weekend of loooove. As for me and my house, we are doing mostly nothing (Valentimes grouches over here), though we do have a date for some kind of German food planned for tomorrow evening. Who knows. Brandon's idea. Pray for me.

Back to Blake.

Oh Blake, it is an honor to look like your female equivalent.

Hey, if you see Elder Blake around the Salt Lake / Wyoming area, will you give him a big old hug for me? And then tell him he's handsome. Oh! Also! His favorite food is Tostitos Restaurant Style tortilla chips, should you want to give him a birthday gift.  Oh that Blake is a good egg. Slightly cracked, but good nonetheless.

Cooked yolks.

This is going nowhere.

But does Blake look like Henry Holbrook or does Blake look like Henry Holbrook.

And now, the reason you are really here: Some links to a few things I enjoyed this week . . .

In honor of the Valentimes among us: "I regard romantic comedies as a subgenre of scifi, in which the world operates according to different rules than my regular human world." Preach, Mindy.

New York animals vs regular animals

Kim K's awkward expression during this Kanye/Beck/Beyoncé rant at the Grammy's was so good I'm thinking of becoming a Kim Kardashian fan.

This was a really interesting read, involving some of the contractors Forever 21 + other fast fashion retailers hire to do their manufacturing. It was linked in the comments by a reader in yesterday's post, where there was a great discussion on the topic. I'd love to direct you there, if you want to know my (highly imperfect) feelings on the matter, and I'd love it if you chimed in, but POLITELY. We are all stupid, politely stupid, in this blog.

Related to the above (sooooorta, barely): "People never want to do one thing. We want to do all the things." Discuss freely.

Ageless movie stars! Seriously though.

via @kottke, The problem with action movies today. I am motivated to finally watch Die Hard now.

Mindy refuses to talk race. I love Mindy to death and back tho I'll give it to you straight: I'm totally petering out on The Mindy Project, and I think it's because, try as I might, I just don't get the Danny Castellano. Do you? Do you get it? I don't know, this might be where we have to agree to disagree if you do. Also, Peter Prentice just left the show, and I'm like, insert broken heart emoji right here.

But at least Vampire Diaries is good this season!! I am not ashamed!! Raise your hand if you're a #steroline fan! And who is seeing 50 Shades of Grey I know the answer is ALL OF YOU! (Ad blocking first for that link, you guys.) (No, seriously.)

This amaaaaazing before + after. And this one too!

THIS EXCITES ME! I sincerely thought I was the only weirdo who thought of numbers as gendered, anthropomorphized personalities, but it turns out, I'm so totally not. (PS-Radio Lab!!!)

Also in podcasts: "If you don't have anything nice to say, SAY IT IN ALL CAPS" Thank you to Rubi for this one. Rubi I love you!

Every wardrobe needs a red and white gondola driver tee, and this one's on saaaa-aaaale! (I'd order a size up.) (Um, and what the heck is this amazingness!?) (And also why is J.Crew now making triple-extra smalls?) (Honestly, you guys. What is this world coming to.)

"Do I like who I am while I'm doing this?" Good read on cultivating self-esteem.

This is pretty.

Locals! Art classes. Let's do one!

And lastly--have you entered my giveaway yet? Please do!! You have through the weekend!

Okay that's enough now. Go kiss somebody cute. Happy Valentimes!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Happy weekending to you and yours! It's loooooove month. And it's effing cold outside. Are you cold right now? I am freezing as I type this. This week was bonkers in all the best possible ways. I got to hold the first real life copy of my book in my hot little hands. (Have you entered the giveaway yet?) I had the most delicious roasted carrot salad of my life at ABC Kitchen. I sent easily twenty-five billion emails on Tuesday alone. Brandon is mostly on death's door thanks to the Great Cold of 2015, and Huck, well, Huck is Huck. The Holbrooks have a date with some penguins this weekend to clear out our brains. Penguins are good for that. I am consistently impressed with Huck's commitment to those penguins. He took to safari animals for a little bit (just a slight dalliance with giraffes) but he's back to the penguins now with such a vengeance, and it's just about the greatest thing. The other day when I asked him to pick up his socks he honked at me, and let me tell you, you've never truly lived until you've run a penguin race with a four-year-old from your bathroom to the kitchen.

A few things I've enjoyed this week!

Via @Kottke, Nine Inch Nails + Taylor Swift = pretty good. But. Nine Inch Nails + Carly Rae Jepsen!? PERFECTION. Hoooooolyyyyy. High school me is really freaking out over this. I've listened to it a bajillion times. At the 0:28 mark you guys.

Björk!

This, from *Wit&Delight

Artlexa Chung. Heee!

Need, Want, Like, and one I come back to a lot on Debt, from The Minimalists

Where to get the best oatmeal in the city. I am so into this.

THIS TEE! You probably need five. And then yes, go ahead and wear it with these.

Ack!! (This is why I almost never eat chicken willingly.)

Cats caught stealing. The best.

Erin's ALT advice, via Liz

How to find out who you really are, by Anne Lamott

And in case you needed some controversy to go with your weekend links, Roald Dahl says "It really is almost a crime to let your child go unimmunised."

This made me happy.

This is goooood dry shampoo.

This quote, from an episode of Homeland: "Men secretly think their wives are crazy, and women secretly think their husbands are losers." Tell me your thoughts. I asked Brandon and he said . . . yes. Haha.

This clip from Jon Stewart on Sarah Palin's recent, oddly-incoherent speech, had me laughing harder than anything else has in a long time.

Okay, so I admitted to my raging Mandy Patinkin crush on Twitter the other day, and in response a reader shared this link, "Highlights from a night with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin" She said, "It's like watching your grandparents sing at a family function!" I say, I had to watch it through my fingers, aaaaaall the cringe-y, weird, i-love-this-i-think? ack! feelings. :)

The spring maxi dress of my dreams (yours too, I bet).

And House of Cards is back this month! Feb 27th! Can you not wait or what!? And I've thought this over quite a bit and I really think that House of Cards is probably a more emotionally-detached version of Homeland. Yes? Same show? I'm talking about sex here. In 500 words or less, please compare and contrast the relationships of Carrie Mathison / Nicholas Brody and Zoe Barnes / Frank Underwood in relation to career advancement and basically murdering each other, and have it on my desk by Tuesday.

(That wasn't a link, just an unsolicited opinion. :)
(Also, I can never walk past a subway column without cringing anymore!)

(Have a great weekend!)

HAPPY WEEKEND, HOMENUGGETS!

I know what I will not be doing this weekend, and that is watching any more episodes of Homeland. I cannot do it! Season 3 was too sad! 

Other things I did this week that accomplished nothing while also clearing up a half decade of unnecessary confusion: finally Google the meaning of the word "artisanal." You know, I once had a very stimulating debate with Brandon over whether or not people can be considered artisanal, or if it's only things that can be considered artisanal. The debate ended on a pretty grandiose note when Brandon officially declared that from henceforth the word "artisanal" actually meant nothing anymore, it had absolutely no meaning, he had decided it. I think we were looking at organic kombucha at the time all this went down. It made me laugh then, and it makes me laugh now, it makes me laugh any time anyone mentions cheese or fermentation.

Okay, and now for a few things I enjoyed this week . . .

This twitter account. I actually snorted. (See also: my long-time twitter crush, Josh Groban.)

The Shake Shack economy.

Did you know you can stream the entire Criterion Collection for free on Hulu? I spent a few nights this week catching up on some French New Wave. Godard first -- Masculin Féminin and Breathless. There's some pretty decent hair inspiration going on in there.

The Man Repeller emoji roundtable. Taking things overly seriously, yes.

My new favorite watch that I am completely obsessed with.

Juno was a bust, but The Great Blizzard of 1888 wasn't! This podcast has been on my to-listen list since I first found the Bowery Boys blog, after googling to figure out where in the city The Knick was filmed, which is a really great show in case you haven't seen it. (Related--this follow up review of the show in the New Yorker that makes an interesting point about shows that start out bad but then get better.)

I've been looking for a cheek/lip tint that won't dry my lips out, and this one has good reviews. Anyone tried it? Anyone found a winner?

This--thank heavens.

Huck's favorite song these days.

And what one man learned from wearing make up for a week.

Have a restful weekend and see you in February!

BOOK PLANNING + HAPPY WEEKEND!

Oh Friday!

Hey, happy weekend! It's book promotion planning day today. I'm over here in a coffee shop mooching some wifi and shooting off emails and trying really hard to not panic, because even though promotion is not at all my strong suit, I'm really starting to get excited for everyone to get their hands on this thing and read it. I'm really proud of it, and it's really feeling real. I'm totally weirded out. Hopefully I get all my ducks in a row, because I'd love to make it to your city on a book tour, and there are like, logistics. (What cities should I plan for, cheese?) (You can preorder! Link on the sidebar to your left!) Brandon's always prefacing any of his exciting ideas with, "If your book sells a million copies . . . " which, look, that's great, you turkey. 

The sun was out until well past 5 yesterday, it's supposed to snow tomorrow, and I can't even put words to how happy it makes me. In Moscow (where we used to live), February 15th was usually the first day of the year when the sun would stay out past 5pm, and I could see it and smile at it as I drove home from work. I could set my watch by it. (Snow could be expected to be mostly gone by June 1.) So this January 23rd nonsense is juuuust fine by me. I knew to expect February 15th for the sun to stay out, because that's the kind of thing you notice and look forward to when you live in northern Idaho in the winter, because northern Idaho in the winter is the pit of despair. I can still remember every inch of that long drive home through the snowy wheat fields. There was this one moose that lived around those wheat fields, I was always nervous that I'd hit him when it was dark out. One morning I was late for work because of that moose. I sort of sat there awkwardly while the neighbor dude tried to shoo him off the road, waving his hat around like a lunatic, while the moose just stared at him, completely unconcerned. It was kind of great.

A few things I enjoyed this week . . .

So first of all, is Mercury is in retrograde right now, through February 11. I've already fallen victim to its ridiculousness. Batten down the hatches! Take cover! Don't sign any contracts, guys!

The truth about your smile -- have you been doing it wrong all this time?

Should you feel ambitious, here is a list of all 339 (!!!!) books referenced in Gilmore Girls

And this video, on our relative size to, like, everything. Some seriously good perspective if you're feeling stressed.

Oh my gosh: To fall in love with anyone, do this. (And The New Yorker's response, To fall out of love, do this.) Will I force Brandon to do this with me? Duh. (Hey, it's been almost 12 years. Sometimes you need a nudge ;). The steps to do it yourself are listed here, and you can find out more about the experiment (like how they calculated for introversion vs extroversion) here. Go forth and fall in love!

Shopping, tourism, love locks, and ownership of your city, in Paris

I thought this was interesting. (My money's on Billy Crystal.) (Have I told you about the time I walked past him on the street in TriBeCa and it was my most Meg Ryan moment of my whole entire life!?)

Joanna got me turned on to High Maintenance, in case you're looking for something more, uh, herbal, to watch this weekend. And in other old news, Broad City is back, and have you been listening to Invisibilia?! :)

The real cost savings of moving from the city to the country, on Apartment Therapy. (The comments on this one are fascinating.)

Have a great weekend!