A newsie's new news source

While having dinner last night with some former co-workers of my husband, I got into a conversation about the news business and two University of Missouri Journalism students told me about a (fairly) new online news source called Newsy.

Newsy isn't like any other news site.  Instead of reporting the news as they see it, or competing with other news sources for a scoop - they take the bias out of their presentation (really!) by combining what other mass media outlets are reporting about a story and letting viewers make up their own minds.  It really is a genius form of media convergence.  Stories are put together in 2-3 minute videos which tell a story by citing the likes of CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC, and Korea Times not to mention ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox as well as numerous news and political blogs.

Newsy also has easy-to-use apps for Apple, Android and Blackberry.  It is officially my new obsession.

The September Issue

It's been a month since my last post and - let me tell you - it has been a crazy month. We packed up our life and moved to Columbia, Missouri.  We have now almost completely settled in to our new place and are loving life back in the Midwest.

In addition to packing, moving, and unpacking - I've also made time for a quick trip home to Wichita and  I'm currently looking for a job.

With some of my downtime, I'm trying to catch up on some things I've been meaning to do for a long time - including watching this little doc..."The September Issue."

My birthday wish list

My birthday is coming up soon and I'm getting a lot of requests for gift ideas.  So here are a few things I wouldn't mind getting for my birthday:

1. Amazon The Nest Home Design Handbook $16
2. Chinese Laundry Classic patent leather peep-toe pumps $79
3. Gap Ruffle jacket $79.50
4. Steve Madden Glitter platform pumps $130
5. Amazon "Morning Glory" on DVD (this doesn't come out until March 8th, but it would be an excellent belated gift!) $17
6. Keep Calm Gallery "Keep Calm" wall print $29
7. Target Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker perfume $43
8. Coach Madison leather wristlet in silver/blush $58

Au revoir, Tim Hortons

Oh Tim Hortons...I think I'll miss you most of all.

When I move in less than two weeks, I will have to leave my beloved Tim Hortons behind.  I am disturbingly sad at the thought.  Now, I was addicted to coffee long before the little red cup, and I will continue my unhealthy relationship long after I leave.  But being the kind of plan-making gal that I am, I've been researching coffee shops in my future home and think I've found a couple of rebound possibilities:

1. Kaldi's: This place looks super trendy and fun - which apparently comes at a price.  Their price range according to their website is $4-$7.  Ouch.  I can get Starbucks for that.

2. Dunn Bros: I know this is a big chain, but I'd be willing to give it a shot.

3. Vida: Located on the University of Missouri campus, Vida offers free WiFi, daily happy hours and according to their website - is about to start offering a delivery service.  Something tells me this might be the place to start.

iTunes purge

The past few weeks have been filled with packing.  We are t-minus 11 days from the big move and my way of making the move slightly easier is to get rid of things that I don't see myself using in our new place.  From clothes to DVDs, flower vases to books - I'm throwing out and donating a lot of stuff.  Less to pack.

Well, I might have gotten a little carried away with my "cleansing" phase.  I took to my computer today to unload the mountain of music from my iTunes library.  Why?  I don't really know.  It doesn't make my computer any lighter or change the how quickly it operates.  But it truly felt a bit freeing.  I went from just shy of 2,300 songs to a much lighter 1, 988.  I got rid of a lot, but also rediscovered some music that had gotten buried.

In iTunes style, I composed a type of "celebrity playlist"....in which I play the celebrity and write about songs I like and why.

1. "Gravity" - Alison Krauss & Union Station.  I love her voice.  I have since I was little.  She was actually the first concert I ever went to.  I love the line "and all the answers that I started with turned out questions in the end."
2. "Key Largo" - Bertie Higgins.  I like the the reference to Bogie and Bacall.  I listened to this song for the first time because my mom asked me to download it.  It was her and my dad's "song" when they were dating.  I think it's adorable.
3. "Blood Bank" - Bon Iver.  I discovered this song after reading Taylor Swift's Celebrity Playlist.  It just sounds so cool.  And you really have to listen for the meaning.
4. "Now and Forever" - Carole King.  This song makes me think of my best friend growing up.  We don't get to talk much these days, but listening to this song makes me want to pick up the phone.
5. "Say You Will" - Fleetwood Mac.  My love for FM started early.  My dad loved them, and I have a massive Stevie Nicks crush.
6. "The Man in Love with You" - George Strait.  Sigh.  I love George.  Like, worship him.  I particularly love this song because it's a man recognizing all of his faults, everything he's not, every reason a woman would have to not love him - but saying no mater what, he'll always love her.
7. "Number One" - John Legend.  This song is horrible.  It's a terrible song about a cheating man (who has a conversation with his penis in the middle of the song) but the horrible-ness mixed with the upbeat music just makes me laugh.
8. "Rosie's Lullaby" - Norah Jones.  The only song off an album I completely hated.  Just so soothing.
9. "Friends Don't Let Friends Dial Drunk" - Plain White T's.  I like running to this song and it makes me laugh.
10. "Samson" - Regina Spektor.  I love the line "and the history books forgot about us, and the Bible didn't mention us."
11. "Home Ain't Where His Heart Is"- Shania Twain.  I don't know why I'm always drawn to incredibly sad songs, but I've loved this song since I was really young.
12. "Stay" - Sugarland.  I cried when I saw Jennifer Nettles perform this on TV for the first time.  Amazing.  Another really sad song.  
13. "Enchanted" - Taylor Swift.  I think it's just too easy to say, "Hey, nice to meet you."  The way Taylor writes the song, "I was enchanted to meet you," juxtaposed with the incredibly simple line of "Please don't be in love with someone else" is perfection to me.
14. "The Dance" - Garth Brooks.  I've always been very into lyrics and meanings of songs.  I remember vividly hearing this song in the car with my mom one night.  I remember the exact intersection that we were sitting at when I asked her what this metaphor-heavy song means.  She told me that "the dance" was life.

We're moving to Columbia!

Big news:  we're moving!

My husband recently accepted a job in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri.  Over the next few weeks we'll be packing up our life and heading back to the Midwest.  I can't explain how excited I am to be closer to both of our families.

Daydream believer

I've been thinking lately about the last vacation I took.  I believe it was Toronto in October, 2009.  Hmm...I think I'm probably due for a proper vacay.

Before you start to feel too sorry for me, the traveling I have done of late has been back to the Midwest by choice.  When you live 1,300 miles from your family - any chance you have to get back and see them, you take.  So, the last trips my husband and/or I have taken were to Kansas City, Wichita, and St. Louis.

We didn't go on a honeymoon for several reasons - one being that we got married in Buffalo so all of our friends and family had to come to us for the wedding.  We spent the days after the wedding being with them and taking it easy.  Money was (and is) a concern.  We never just have money lying around for a vacation.  But hey, a girl can dream right? Here are some places I wouldn't mind going:

Paris: I'd love to spend a week walking around the gorgeous city, visiting the Louvre and the Champs Elysees, and looking at fabulous French people.

Italy:  I've always, always wanted to visit Italy.  Rome, Florence, Naples, Venice, Genoa, Milan, Sicily...My ideal vacation would be spent city-hopping around Italy for two weeks.

Anywhere With A Beach: It's mid-January in Buffalo, NY.  I need a beach, palm trees, and a frozen drink in my hand.  STAT.

A girl and her Kindle: a love story

Once upon a time, there was a girl.  This girl loved to read.  She bought every new book she wanted and read until her little heart was content.  One day, the girl went to put her new books on the bookshelf and gasped.  Full.  The entire shelf!!

Okay, okay you get it.  But my love for my Kindle is really unmatched by any non-breathing thing.

Here's what I love about my Kindle:

• The screen.  It's so easy to read.  No glare and I can look at it for hours without my eyes hurting.
• Samples.  Probably my favorite feature.  If someone recommends a book to me, I can go to Amazon.com, download an e-book sample and read the first chapter or two of the book to see if it grabs my interest.  Without this feature, I probably never would have read "The Hunger Games."
• Capacity.  Kindle Wi-Fi holds more than 3,500 books.  Many, many more than my bookshelf.
• Cheaper Books.  "The Hunger Games" at Barnes and Noble: $22.99.  "The Hunger Games" in Amazon.com's e-book store: $8.57.

And they lived happily ever after.

Why I Love Thursdays

                                    What I did last Thursday

                                                                My stack of things to do today

Because of a slow-down at work, I'm now only working four days a week.  At first I was upset because I like working full time and hello, a rich girl I am not.  But it only took me until my first Thursday off to realize, this is kind of nice.

While the weekends are usually filled with errands, household chores and time with my husband, Thursdays have become a sort of "me" day.  I get the new magazines - fresh out of the plastic wrap they're shipped to the stores in (I pretty much know exactly what time the deliveries are made, and literally stalk the lady who stocks the new glossies), then I get a large coffee at Tim Horton's, and then select which non husband-friendly movie/TV show/music to play whilst sipping my caffeine  and reading my newly acquired stack of happiness.

Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby everywhere!

If you didn't keep up this weekend, you probably missed the celebrity baby boom. Jewel, Marion Cotillard, Tia Mowry, Victoria Beckham, and Jane Krakowski all announced they're having babies.  Khloe Kardashian and Kate Hudson might by pregnant.  And Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr had a baby.  I swear to God, I couldn't refresh a web page without someone else being pregnant.

On the bright side, all the baby talk did remind me to pick up my birth control from the pharmacy.  Here are the celeb babies I'm most looking forward to this year:

Rachel Zoe - I luurve her and I love "The Rachel Zoe Project."  This week it was reported that she's having a boy.  I'm really happy for her husband who spends 99.9% of his time around girls, dresses, shoes, and gay men.

Jane Krakowski - Loved her since "Ally McBeal."  Doubly love her in "30 Rock."  I think she's super classy, hilarious and beautiful.  And I'm obsessed with her beach-wavy hair.

Victoria Beckham - I just think she's awesome.  And she needs a daughter.

Natalie Portman - She always looks amazing.

I (heart) Taylor

Confession:  I love Taylor Swift!!  My husband (and lots of other people) endlessly make fun of me for it.

I love that she writes her own music.  I love that she feels the same way lots of girls feel about her first day of school, her crush, her first love, her break-up, etc...and puts those feelings into words.  I love that she loves her family and writes music about them.  I love that she's classy and won't comment on what guys her songs are about (though most times it's pretty obvious).  I love that she's girly.  I love her style.  I love her hair.

Fashion flashback

My love for "I Love Lucy" started when I was very young.  My childhood best friend and I had "Luc-a-thons" where we'd stay up until the early morning hours watching the sitcom, reciting the lines right along with Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel.

I recently started collecting "I Love Lucy" on DVD.  I now have the entire series (seasons 1-6) and as I watch, I'm consumed the the innocence of it all.  Lucy was harmless.  Never a curse word, no sleeping around, no one does anything morally corrupt.  It was (and I think is) hilarious because the actors were talented.  They did the shows mostly in one-take in front of a live audience.  And Lucille Ball remains one of the greatest physical comedians of all time.

Aside from all of that, as I've been re-watching the series, I've noticed more and more what Lucy wears and how fashionable it is - even by today's standards.  Evidence as follows:

 Lucy wears a mens'-style plaid shirt.  I would wear it today with a pair of skinny jeans and flats.

 Speaking of pants and flats.  She had it down the 50's.  Plus, check out the striped button-down shirt.

 Lace is all over red carpets these days.

 There's nothing about this I don't like.  White shirt, vest, skinny tie, Wayfarers!! To borrow a phrase from Rachel Zoe, "I die!!"

And polka dots...always in fashion

...And then, an obsession

                                             Gap City Flat

I have long been searching for the perfect ballet flats.  I have a pair I bought about four years ago that I adore.  And then a year ago I got a puppy.  My precious flats have suffered and I have been determined to replace them.

Enter these sweet shoes from Gap.  I seriously need them in every color.  There are 21.  I already bought them in "Graphite" and "Purple Rain." Because they retail for $39.50-$49.50, I cannot afford to buy them all.  I wasn't even going to buy two.  After much thought and consideration, I decided to get "Graphite" and then my eagle-eyed husband spotted the purple ones on a sale rack - for $4.95!!!


Unfortunately, there is still about six inches of snow on the ground here - so wearing them will have to wait.

First, a confession...

                                                        Maggie, Ben and me

Despite the name of this blog, I have never been a member of a book club.  I wish I were. Maybe I should start one.  I love to read (obviously) but more than that I love the idea of sharing the experience of a good book with other people.  The way I feel about a particular book may not be the way that you feel about the same book and I like the dynamic that evolves when people have differing opinions.

I think a book like "Eat, Pray, Love" would be perfect for a group of women to read together.  I recently finished "The Hunger Games" trilogy and I'm dying to discuss it with someone.  The comment it makes about our society is disturbing.  Reading more classic novels is something I want to do and sharing Jane Austen with fellow enthusiasts would make the experience all the richer.  


Also, I have never owned a piece of Chanel.  I do however have an addictive relationship with coffee.