The Wheels on the Bus....

This morning, I was listening to the Preston and Steve show as I travelled the 95 corridor. They were discussing riding the bus when you were in grade school and middle school and it got me thinking about some of my fondest bus memories. Which, you have to remember, I rode from Pre-First to my Sophomore year in high school. My junior year, I started driving with my neighbor Jen H. who smoked cigarettes on our way into school and made me give intricately folded notes to her boyfriend who Beanorama and I had classes with at our brother school.

Anyway, I rode Bus 7, then Bus 12....but they were always the same stops.

Some highlights of my time with M&K:

• meeting my best friend from 1-9th grade Karen, on the 1st day of first grade because we both had to sit in the first seat.


• having Sue, one of the best bus drivers around, bring us Burger King for the drive home. She worked there also and would take our orders. Very cool.


• getting to drive with Earl on the North Wilmington bus. He was cool and really old. He even had a vanity tag on the front of his bus that read, "Earl the Squirrel." (Sidenote: The North Wilmington kids were different than the Hockessin and Pike Creek kids. They knew about Wawa and Lickety Split. I knew about Pike Creek Bowling Alley and Delcastle.)


• meeting my first boyfriend, Chris, who gave me a silver bracelet for Christmas. I gave him a fisherman Troll doll that I thought was so cool. We talked on the phone for a few months, then I broke up with him (also on the bus) by giving him a box of dog food and the silver bracelet back with note telling him I couldn't handle the way he flirted with other girls on the bus (ah, the drama started early).


• listening to Elliot and the Nut Hut on Eagle 106 and learning the words to Bohemian Rhapsody.


• getting kicked off the bus in 8th grade for having a lighter. I wasn't lighting anything, I simply retrieved it from my J.Crew barn jacket and in a fit of pre-teen rebellion, flicked it a few times. One of my fellow busriders told his Mom I tried to light the seat on fire and I was kicked off for 3 months. Momsy J was not happy.

Riding the bus sucked. You had to fight car sickness. It was humid when it rained (but you could write cuss words on the fogged up windows). You had crushes. Everyone saw when your bookbag pulled your skirt up and showed your world to the St. Edmond's boys. But the day you finally realized that you were the old, cool kid, and could then sit in the back, that was the day. By God, that was the day.

God, I Wish I Had Money Two....(Too)

I love Missoni. I don't know why, but I always have. Beanorama makes fun of me for loving flame stitch, but I do.

And Margherita Missoni is gorgeous and seems so nice.

I love the clothes. This is what I would buy if I was Nicole Richie Rich.

New SoUnpretty Feature: God, I Wish I Had Money

the famed prada fairy bag
price tag: $2,300.00
me want. want. want.

Rock it and roll it.

My dumbass landlords gave me a new contact! And she doesn't talk like an eejit valley girl! And she pays attention to my complaints! And lets me explain them!

Maybe I'll have a working shower within the next 24 hours!

All I Need to Know....

.........I learned in kindergarten? Probably not. I just learned something new today!

Did you know that there are now 11 planets? I blame my sister, the science teacher, for not telling me sooner.

They are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Eris.

So cool. I have always loved space.

But I haven't always loved science. I blame Mrs. Mann, my sixth grade science teacher. She made us copy board after board of notes. And we had "row captains" that checked our work. And when I failed one of her tests (on nuclei) she said, "Ha. Someone finally failed you!"

But Beanorama and I used to pass notes in her multi-colored ink pen. So slick.

Drew-be-doo-be-doo

now, i love me some drew barrymore, but she's looking a tad gaunt on the cover of vogue this month. her arms look so...so...meatless.

i bought it last night. the inside pics are absolutely lovely. i can't find them online to show you, but take my word. she's doing the whole sophisticated 1920's lonely song girl flapper thing. it's like what her face was made for.

My New Musical Obsession(s)

i have fallen in love with two bands: The National and Vampire Weekend.

go to itunes.com and sample their stuff and listen for yourself. For Vampire Weekend, search A-Punk and for The National, search Fake Empire or Ada.

The National for me is like if my two favorite bands (Arcade Fire and The Killers) met in a bar and had a steamy one night stand and got preggers and gave birth to The National. Paste Magazine rated their album, "Boxer" the top album of 2007.

Vampire Weekend...not only are their beats captivating, but they are delightfully adorable. nothing at all like their name. they are the boys pictured.

My Cup of Pride Runneth Over

sorry, i know this is bad form, but i must brag about my hubbie for a sec. dime mag FINALLY released their feb issue a little over a week ago and my man shot the cover. there's also three photos inside in the article.

way to go chris!

and since i am already head first into a shameless boast, check out his web site:

chrissembrot.com

it may take about 10 seconds to load, but after that its smooth sailing and well worth the looksie look.

Lameorama.

So, apparently this is the cool (not cool) newest way to reconnect... two weeks after a date. Gotta love 2008.

This has got to be one of the seven deadly sins.

Notorious ALG just sent me this classic image. It is a night that shall not be forgotten, and it says just so much about our friendship. This was from a party back in '06. That night, we rode discarded exorcize bikes from someone's trash. We emulated a statue of St. Anthony. We posed as a crucifix. And then we ended like this: me on Kara's lap ("I can't move her!") and ALG sleeping in her fancy coat, holding her heels.

The next morning ALG confessed that she had cuddled with the curly-haired brunette all night long, only realizing in horror the next morning that it wasn't me.

And as the novice bridesmaids we were, we had to attend our friend's bridal expo the next morning.

GOOD FIND, ALG. I have been LOL at my desk for five minutes writing this.

This post will be gross.

I apologize in advance. This is disgusting. But I'm concerned about something. In the past two weeks I've had two vivid dreams that involve poo. Specifically, poo on a toilet seat rather than in the bowl. (I toldja it would be gross.) In the first dream I was in a high school girls locker room looking for a place to change my clothes, and all the stalls were filthy. In last night's dream, a bunch of us were in a vacation house and I went to take a shower, and my towel brushed up against some you-know-what. I remember trying to warn ALG but she couldn't hear me. Now that I have seen poo twice in my REM cycle, I am a bit freaked out... so I turn to the brilliance of the internet, which tells me: on the positive side "For many people, the feces have been a portend of good fortune or wealth. This may include the actual conveyance of wealth or the desire for such a "find." In either case, the interpretation reverts back to Freud's own feelings that the feces were perceived by the infant as being something they created and therefore something valuable."

Huh. Well, I do have a review coming up.

But then it goes on, and sorta describes my dream, and it's not good: "If it is simply discovered, or known about without actual visual participation in the dream, then the possibility that another's influence is upon you is troubling. At this point, it is conceivable that the dream could relate to money if your influence is far reaching, or if others are odorously impinging upon you."

Nothing is good here.

Parles vous francais?

Tonight I went to two French places for food & drink. One was one of the finer places in the U.S. of A. The other, a diggity dive bar.

The first starts at $150 per person (plus drinks, tax and tip). Here, the owner literally gave me his back when I tried to say hello. Then, I was passed over for the escargot and given the bland grouper. And a mushroom cappucino? PLease. Not groundbreaking. That was superduper 2007. My overall impresion? "I don't mind rich people, generally. I just can't stand rich people in Philadelphia."

The second place had the word "Rendezvous" in its name and if that's not fancy, i don't know what is. All I know (or, as would be more fitting to say there, "alls I knows is") that I saw wings, grilled cheese, pizza fries, and a pitcher of miller lite. All all was right with the world.

The Retaliation

Amy Adams and Girl That Played Juno

amy adams is soooo perfect she makes perfect look unperfect. she should create and sell her own signature fragrance, and call it Perfect By Amy Adams.

this other gal has a name but i say she doesnt deserve to be called much more than The Girl That Played Juno. i mean, what the hell is she wearing? her mama's clothes?

these two are perfect examples of how to work petite (Amy of course) and how to scream defeat (That Girl That Played Juno).

Me Gusto

me gusto verrryyy mucho
sorry to interrupt ash, but that acceptance speech... i will not be crass, but hubba hubba.

p.s. obvs this pic is not from tonight. but who cares.

And the winner is...

Miss Tennessee!

pictured: katherine heigle, who apparently got her hair done by Ms. Truvy from Steel Magnolias.

I'm Annoyed at Nic

Nicole! its OKAY to be preggers and have a baby bump!

people know its a baby inside you, not a beer belly. you don't have to drape yourself in black, wear outrageous necklaces that distract and confuse the eye, and worst of all pose like you're laying an egg so that your tum tum doesnt stick out.

UGH!

Diablo Cody Doesn't Like Money

the caption for this photo should be "The Look for Less: How to stretch a $20 bill at Deb Shop!"

but here is the real caption...this is Juno writer, Diablo Cody on the red carpet. i get that Di-Di is an independent thinker and an acclaimed writer who wants to assure all of her fans that her recent success has not gone to her head...or her feet.

see, diablo had agreed to wear the famous million dollar pumps designed specifically for her by stuart weitzman tonight. every year, stu picks a star to wear them. but in the past few days she has blogged about a change of heart.

"I'm actually really pissed about this, now that I think about it. They're using me to publicize their stupid shoes and nobody asked me. I would never consent to a lame publicity stunt at a time when I already want to hide. I'm sorry if I sound like a party-pooper, but Jeebus."


unrelated fun fact: diablo used to be a stripper. i know, you're like "NO!"

he he he he.

So Busted

i am only on page 500 of 122,054 of Pillars of the Earth, and instead of catching up on my reading before next sunday's book club meeting, what am i doing? i'm live blogging about the Oscars!!!!

(i secretly am not sorry).

Can Old Broads Look Good on the Carpet?

well, it Depends...

ha ha. get it?

well, one old broad that's keepin' it real is helen mirren. you a sexy queen, girl. we can't even see your diaper lines.

Life's Not Black and Red

well, scratch that-red carpet life is! the obvious trend this year is black or red gowns.

my fave so far is marion cotillard, nominated for best actress (la vien rose). movie was awesome and so is she. and she stands out in a lovely white dress by gaultier. this rose doesnt need to be red.

Countdown to the Oscars

I saw this gorgeous picture of Rumer Willis & it reminded me that the Oscars are on Sunday. The pic is gorgeous 'cause of the dress, ignore the man-jaw having Rumer Willis wearing it. It's so old Hollywood glam. I kind of feel bad, Rumer should have just let her mom, Demi, wear the dress. It's kinda sad when your mom's looks & physique can carry an ensemble better than you can.

Anyway, the Oscars are on Sunday & I hope that we'll get a chance to see more glamorous dresses. I think that due to the recent ending of the writer's strike that this year's Oscars are going to be a lot more low-key, but I'm hoping that the celebs will bring their wardrobe "A" game.

Anyone live blogging on Sunday?

Not That I Ever Thought Otherwise.....

But I am so Italian sometimes, it scares me. Last weekend, I visited a barbershop with my boyfriend and cried when I walked in and they were playing Frank Sinatra. And it wasn't in that "Ciao Bella!" "Viva Roma!" cheesorama way. It was authentic and Lou the barber told me to say hi to my grandmother for him.

Sunday, my Mom and sister ate bruschetta, mozzarella, and olives at a bridal shower and went visiting my first cousins. I considered stopping at my grandmother's grave to say hi.

Today, I went to my Mom's house for lunch. I ate some dried figs, some roasted red peppers on italian bread, and Torrone, the most delicious nougat and almond Italian candy. It's so good. A quick search on Google told me they sell it at DiBruno's.

I will probably make a trek there this weekend. But I won't share any with my Mom because she gave up candy for Lent. She might just have to settle for some polenta.

I'm So Unhip

So, today I decided to treat myself to a mani-pedi. While I was contemplating what colors to choose, I decided to finally take the plunge & go with the trend of deep color for my nails. I've been dwelling on this issue for a while now. While I like the look of dark nails, I never thought that I had the coloring to pull it off. Plus, I'm much more of a light, or pink nail color or a French manicure & saving the bold, bright colors for my toes. Well, after seeing the results of dark color on my nails, I'm hooked on this vamp look.

Unfortunately, it's too late. In addition to spring being right around the corner, as I was waiting for my nails to dry, I was glancing through People magazine. According to their style gurus, shades of pink, purple & grey are the new nail colors of spring. Oh, well. I guess I'll just enjoy this color for the next couple of days & hope that I can get in on the trend next winter.

Gross. But Funny. Thanks Jezebel.com!

Tampires

Five Pounds, Six Ounces of Power Baby!

Not that awesome.

So last night when I got home I hear my neighbor giving relationship advice in his apartment, so, naturally, I thought I should knock on the door and invite myself in. What to my wondering eyes did appear, but a gorgeous 22 year old Indian (the lovesick one) and a hookah-smoking Persian (the neighbor). So I settled in with some cardamom (sp?) tea from the Persian and some mango hookah.

"Do I smoke it like a bong or like a cigarette?" was my question [not that I would know how to smoke a bong, for the official record].

So I smoked it like a cig. And waited for the excitement. And waited. And nothing. It really wasn't that thrilling. All I wanted was a little buzz like I got from packing bandits at the Darth Vader house in highschool.

(But I did get upset that I could hear my little Rube meowing through the door and I hope she doesn't do that all the time.)

PS: Doesn't this hookah hookah look like Julia Stiles?

Oh, SHUT UP!

michael kors. you are such a big mouth! project runway needs a makeover and they need to start with him. get dontella versace on the phone asap. now, she would be a bitch i'd like to see on the regular :)

Gentlemen Prefer Lohan

boobies. boobies. boobies.

(insert drooling noises here)

here are two pics of lindsay lohan posing as marilyn monroe for new york magazine. there are many more. she's on the cover too. but these two pics are the best at featuring Lee-Low's greatest assets. the perfect (and au natural) breasts.

oh, how i covet thee.

If You Heart Andy Samberg Like I Do...

An SNL Digital Short poking fun at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad statement "There's no homosexuals in Iran." Features Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Jake Gyllenhaal, and the ever-hilarious Andy Samberg.

Contest - Vegas, According to Mom

I've told a few stories about my mom that should give you some insight into her weird mind.

Guess how much money she gambled while she was in Las Vegas for three nights.

Some background: She was there for my sister's volleyball tournament. There were other adults/parents there. She lifted her 20-year ban on gambling for this trip. (She had made this rule after losing $100 in 30 minutes in AC 20 years ago.) Of the famous fountain show at the Bellagio she said, "I could've just watched the end of Ocean's 11 for the same effect."

Winner receives a hug.

Justice, Nun Style

I'm going to try to make this story short. My mom and sister got home after 2:00 a.m. on Monday night/Tuesday morning from a vball tournament in Vegas, so my mom let Ali, my sis, sleep in and go to school late. She called the school to inform them. Then, she got a text from Ali that said that she had gotten five demerits for tardiness. My mom was so angry because she had called and thought there was no reason for disciplinary action (plus she was cranky yesterday). Taking the advice of a school administrator, she e-mailed the principal, Sister Maureen. Well, don't mess with Team God! My sister was pulled out of class and berated for using her cell phone in school. My mom received a very pleasant e-mail from Sister Mo saying that she would take away the demerits, but that she was very disturbed by Ali's blatant disregard for the school policy on cell phones. That was probably the first time that both my mother and my sister got in trouble from a teacher. Nerds.

Yeah, I was a bad ass.

Finally! Bedding is on its way.

So I finally picked a duvet cover. You know I was stressed about this issue. And I must say, I must have taste b/c I apparantly picked the "centerpiece" of Dwell Studio's 2007-08 collection, Hedgerow in Saffron. As soon as I stopped being cheap I found something I liked.

It helps to have a designer as a "friend" and to read design blogs like Apartment Therapy and Design*Sponge. (And design sites like Design Public and 2Modern.)

Let's just hope the Rube doesn't eff it up.

Another Hills shout out!

Yes, this is the place where Heidi and Spencer ran into LC and Jason for the first time right after Jason got out of rehab.... It was sooo cool to see it... Yes, nerd alert...

Go team LC!

OMG!!! Here's a preview of third season of THE HILLS!!

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

I CAN'T WAIT! I know, it's sad.... :(

12 Days Till Book Club!

hope you've been doing your homework! the first meeting for So Unpretty's book club will take place in 12 days.

as you know we are reading Ken Follett's, "Pillars of the Earth".

if you want to geek out, check this out and take some quizzes.

see, mom...reading is fun!

The Hole Story

Maybe I should have heeded the advise of this photo and grabbed a cupcake last night at 1:30 a.m. when my upstairs neighbor was keeping me awake with enough noise to make me think she and four friends were dancing along to ONJ's "Physical" video. But instead I reached in my closet for my broom, held it firmly in both hands, and whacked it against the ceiling. And down came the spackle (or whatever my ceiling is made of). Yep, I made a nice hole about two inches in diameter. The best part was explaining my late-night rage to Angelo, maintenance extraordinaire, this morning.

The Real Meaning of Valentine's Day

Sorry, I should have posted this yesterday.

On my way to work on V-Day '08, I was shocked to find what seemed to be the evidence of an early holiday celebration. A pale pink thong sat brazenly on the Walnut Street sidewalk. From just a glance, I am pretty sure it was the Gap Body classic lycra string bikini thong. I assume it all started when someone said "Happy Valentine's Day" to the underwear owner - you know how that makes women lose all control.

You too, Feisty, you too.

What's the big deal?

So, today I have already gotten two half-assed Valentine's Day wishes from boys. One was from a friend who said "Happy Thursday." The other was from a boy (who I have kissed a lot), and his said "Happy Day."

Seriously? Adding in the word "Valentine" isn't going to make me think you're proposing. Stop being lame.

Love, Beanorams

PS: Happy VALENTINE'S Day to our faithful unpretty readers!
PPS: Please, never say VALENTIME'S Day. Right, ALG?

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.....

I took a plane to Tennessee yesterday.

Then I took another plane to North Carolina.

Then I took a plane to Philadelphia.

Then Philly Car Share back to my bf's apartment.

Then a cab to 30th Street.

Then a train to Wilmington.

Then a cab to my house.

Then my car to work.

Ah.

Notorious is tired.

I'm Dumb. Again.

ok, not so much dumb as i am clumsy and careless. i was out last night having several celebratory birthday drinks with a friend. i took a taxi home in the pouring mixture of ice and rain. when we got to my house i slipped my cell phone in my pocket while i counted out the fare and got out my keys.

apparently as i slid across the cab seat to get out my phone slipped out of my coat pocket.

some man named david and his drunk girlfriend took it home with them and had a REALLY hard time figuring out how to answer my tricky tricky TV phone.
david told me he lives near by and i can pick the phone up today but not to call til 1oam.

he's tired.

*the reason for the "again" in the title comes from the fact that i have lost whatever cell phone i was carrying at the time at least 7 times in recent history. and broken about 5.*

WTF, I thought Jerry had a job....

If not, will someone please hire him?

Hi, I'm Turning Into Cameron's Clone

pictured: Jessica Biel at an awards ceremony this weekend
justin has apparently been giving her fashion tips...

I'm not one to gossip, but...

Did anyone notice the awkward moment during last night's Grammy Awards? No, I'm not talking about when Kanye started talking to his mom - not about her, to her. Nor am I talking about the fact that everyone turns a deaf ear to Fergie's subpar voice. I am referring to Rihanna and Jay Z's win for "Umbrella." First, Riho went to Jay's seat to walk up on stage together, and she totally ignored Beyonce, who was standing right next to her man. A blatant dis. Then, she tried to hold his hand on their trek up the stairs, but he shook it away, which made for a painfully obvious weird moment between them - and all American viewers. Then there was some playful flirting during the acceptance speech. I felt uncomfortable just looking at the screen.

Lisptick Jungle...eh, not so bad.

NBC's answer to ABC's sucky Cashmere Mafia is not so bad. its also not so good. its just...eh. i feel like the writers strike has skewed my perception of good and bad TV.

Lost however is amazingly amazing. amazing.

P.S. this picture is awful though, isnt it? brooke sheilds needs to close her legs, and they all need to stop acting like they are made of spaghetti. its not sexy or cute. i can almost hear the creative director on this shoot shouting, "Come on ladies, sultry! sexy! sedated!"

Creepola.

My boyfriend and I went to see Juno yesterday and no surprise, I absolutely, positively loved it. I was very happy that I loved it and not let down like, per se, Superbad.

What did let me down was mother effin' Jason Bateman's character. (SPOILER ALERT!) I have always thought he was hilarious and seemed like such a nice guy. He was the only thing that was relatively funny about that Cameron Diaz/Christina Applegate/Selma Blair "girls" movie....actually, I liked Christina Applegate, too, but I digress....and he is great in Arrested Development. And of course, Dodgeball. He says the word "blumpkin" in a movie. That is classic.

Anyway, Juno was great. For a movie talker, I even zipped it and paid attention (and held my full bladder for 1.5 hours). I had to break the silence though and say to said bf, "Something is creepy about Jason Bateman. It feels gross." And lo and behold, his character did turn out gross.

It's okay. I will get over it and start loving him again soon enough.

Ode to Roy

i learned this morning that veteran actor, roy scheider, passed away yesterday at age 75.

i was so sad to hear this news. jaws is easily one of my all time favorite movies ever.

here's to you, roy, and here's to my favorite line of the movie:

"We're gonna need a bigger boat..."

Congrats, Amy, Sweet Amy

Yo, Aim.

no matter what you've been up to in the last 5 months in your personal life, i still love your music.

you have been my ringtone since last summer.

i bought tickets to your show at the tower theater, which you did not make it to.

i listen to your entire cd about once a week now, but last year, it was easily 2-3 times a week (nothings waning by the way, just trying to keep it fresh).

congrats on your 5 grammy awards. well deserved. your songs float around in my head quite often and there are times that i will think of a verse and see how amazingly poignant it is.

hope my country lets you come back sometime soon. i still want to see you live.

Ode to milk

Ahhh. Refreshing. Delicious. Perfect with an Entenmann's holiday cupcake.

I buy a gallon of milk at a time just for myself. I love it. I get excited to buy a new batch. Sometimes I eat simply so I can enjoy a cold glass of the white delight. So the answer is yes - I got milk.

A few of Alg's favorite things

Umbro shorts, blue sequin halter top, glitter makeup, adidas sandals.