MonkeyPosh

Back in the saddle--- at least for an occasional ride.

2010-12-14T12:32:00.000-08:00

HELLO FRIENDS!

Tis the holiday season, and after a long absence, I wanted to stop by the old blog and say hello and dip my toes back in the blogosphere.

I hope the past year has been good to you and that you all have had health, happiness and prosperity.

Things have been busy around these parts. I have been traveling, working on many projects, and generally trying to keep my head above water and breathe.

I have been burn out on writing for the past year, but luckily have been able to keep in touch with a lot of you on other internet keeping in touch websites that I will not promote or give free advertising on this blog. I have been feeling the itch to write again, and I am exploring many avenues for writing, and thought that posting on my blog would be a good way to get back into the swing of things.

Since last I posted, I have been to many interesting places- Japan and Singapore being the most awesome. I promise to post photos in the next few days. I promise also to write about what beauty items I am addicted to lately.

In the meantime, please tell me what you have been up to, and what you are loving.

Happy Holidays!

Monkey gone a travelin'

2009-12-30T03:29:00.000-08:00

So, I know. I have been a horrible and delinquent blogger for almost all of 2009. I spent most of 2009 traveling, running, working, going to school, and stressing over home improvements.

Here are a few photos from one of my most recent trips to Espana. It was a wonderful trip full of awesome Gaudi architecture, good seafood, excellent runs by the sea, lots of public transportation, and PERFUME!
This photo is of the crazy brilliance of acclaimed and controversial architect, Gaudi.

This is a photo of me -giddy as a little girl outside the Museu Del Perfum in Barcelona. It was a magical feast for the eyes and olfactory glands. I loved it, and I am very thankful to my husband and his fancy ass camera for taking some awesome shots of all the thousands of vintage and artistic perfume bottles from all over the world.

More Gaudi beauty.

I appreciate all of you who have kept in touch with me through my delinquent blogging. After the New Year, I plan on doing a post of all my favorite things of 2009--beauty products and beyond.

Also in 2010, I may get a cool phone where I can blog and tweet and all that jazz to keep in touch better, instead of being old school and relying totally on the laptop.

I have many more travel photos to share from all sorts of adventures. I also promise more give-aways.

Happy New Years to one and all, and here is hoping everyone ROCKS THE DIME.

"The Dime" is my very cool and uber urban term for 2010 that I totally stole from my friend, MKD. Thanks MKD!!!

(all photos owned by MonkeyPosh LLC)

Jolly Holly and Very Merry!

2009-12-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MONEKYPOSH!

Here is hoping everyone has a wonderful Holiday and a safe, fabulous, and posh 2010!

Soon I will do a list of my favorite finds for 2009.

xoxoxo

Tardy for the party...

2009-11-09T12:17:00.001-08:00

Ok-- I am so very sorry for the delay in announcing the give-away winner.

I tried a couple of weeks ago to post, but blogger was not working for me--so I tried the next day to post and it would not work, then I left the country, then I just got lazy.

My beautiful friend Jamie chastised me--in a very nonconfrontational and nice way, but it was enough to make me feel bad.

I did the drawing the same as always--all entries (via blog and e-mail) were put in a hat then I drew the winner.

The winner was CHESTER'S MOM!!! The report I got was that she loved the stuff, and that makes me very happy.

Thanks to all who entered.

Again, many apologies for being such a horrible blogger. I promise to get my act together in the near future -at least where blogging is concerned.

I hope everyone is doing great and having as much fun as me this Fall!

Another MonkeyPosh Give-Away! HOORAY!

2009-10-01T07:13:00.001-07:00

MonkeyPosh is pleased to present yet another fabulous give-away!!! In this motley crew of beauty booty you will find: A brand new bottle of Something About Sofia (EDT--the whole collection is EDTs) from the new and oh so cute Benefit Crescent Row Collection. For those of you who do not know, Crescent Row is a little enclave of colorful and gorgeous residences in Bath, England. I am lucky enough to have visited Bath and I would love to have an abode on Crescent Row right next to Sofia. She would be a GREAT neighbor as she is fabulous-and here is what the box says about one, Sofia-
she lives in a dream
more dazzling than fiction.

imaginary yet real
she defies all prediction

and incredible girl
sofia draws you right in

to where the everyday ends
"and magic begins"

I mean for reals, come on--Sofia sounds EXACTLY like all the MonkeyPosh readers.
Also included in the bounty is this GORGEOUS Amaretto lip color from Laura Mercier.

There is also an 11oz Claus Porto shower gel in Acacia Tuberose. This scent, my friends is AMAZING. Smells somewhere in between flowers and sugar. Believe me--divine.

Also-Grapefruit and Bergamot shimmering body souffle' from H2O+ which smells so nice and gives your skin a very soft shimmer. Not stripper glitter---no-- more of a nice girl parties in Miami Beach type sheen. You girls (and guys) know exactly what I mean.

A mini bottle of Cartier Delices de Cartier EDT. So delicious and such a beautiful little bottle.

ALSO****A bottle of the new Here Today Aragon Tomorrow nail polish from OPI. This polish is in the hottest color for fall-the beautiful deep dark green. It is from the new ESPANA Collection by OPI and it is a highly coveted color. I am in love with it!

I am aslo including 3 samples of the highly coveted and ever elusive Serge Lutens fragrances.

Douce Amere, Flerus d'Oranger, and Flerus De Citronnier. AHHHHH!

Last but not least, a Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti Puff Eye Roller. This thing works wonders. I keep mine in the fridge and when I am feeling bedraggled and tired I roll it gently around my eyes and puffiness and dark circles disappear....like magic.

Oh I almost forgot, this joy of a package will also include a canvas Glamour Girl makeup bag from Nordstrom.

So the rules to enter are the same as always:

Leave me a comment with your name and a way to get in touch with you if you do not have a blog, OR drop me a line to MonkeyPosh at Yahoo dot com.

Good luck and thanks for playing!

(all photos property of and licensed by MonkeyPosh LLC)

Kitchen Update -for the curious.

2009-09-30T19:08:00.001-07:00

Hello Folks!

Happy last day of September. I cannot believe tomorrow will be October already. We are for sure feeling the chill of Fall in the air around here.

I know I said another give-away would be posted last week, but like so many weeks lately, last week totally got away from me. I PROMISE to have another give-away tomorrow. I will post bright and early.

I have had lots of comments and e-mails asking how the kitchen turned out, so here are some pictures that were taken a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to everyone who is interested.

Notice I STILL do not have a backsplash. The subway tiles I ordered take 4-6 weeks to come in, so they should be in any day now. After the backsplash is installed then we just need to have all the trim painted and it will be DONE!!! Praise the Lawd. I will post an update when the backsplash is installed. Here are some photos of food I have been cooking in the new kitchen:

Homemade fresh salsa-with yellow tomatos from the Farmer's Market.
Tuna and avacado sandwich with rosemary lemon mayo and toasted foccacia. Delish!

Sweet tater french fries with spicy salt--my fave!

Homemade steamy chile on the stove. Feels like fall!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the next give-away. You'll be glad you did!

Have a great night!

(all photos licensed by and property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

And the Emmy goes to......no really it is the MonkeyPosh giveaway-

2009-09-20T13:13:00.001-07:00

Hello All--the day has arrived....the excitement mounts......drumroll please...

I would like to say first off--THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED the MonkeyPosh giveaway.
So, I had 20 entries from blog comments and another 13 via e-mail.

I put all the entries in to a hat......

mixed them all up, closed my eyes...and drew a name....AND THE WINNER IS-----

The ever-charming and swell--JAMEY L. Congrats to Jamey. I will be e-mailing you Jamey to get your address and all the details. HOORAY!

Thank you again to everyone that entered, and do not fret if you did not win this time, because next week MonkeyPosh will have another give-away that will rival this last one. Frangrance, bath products, nail polish, and much more. Please stay tuned.

Oh and next week, due to request, I will post new photos of the kitchen-which still needs a backsplash.

Have a wonderful Sunday evening, and congrats again Jamey!!!!

(all images property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

SORRY! Drawing Tomorrow!

2009-09-19T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends-

So sorry I have not been able to post the drawing.

I was at the beach out of town for a bit , plus

I have been having technical difficulties with the blog. I do believe everything is in working order as of now.

Tomorrow the drawing will be in full effect. It will happen prior to 5pm central time.....so stay tuned. I look forward to it.

Good luck!

Happy Saturday.

(all images property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Gone

2009-09-04T04:44:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends.

I am headed out of town, so I am going to leave the give-away open for entry till next week. I will only be checking in via computer sporadically, but do not worry-all entries will be valid.

Thanks to everyone who has entered thus far. Winner will be announced next week.

Until then, enjoy September. I love an Indian Summer.

Also, check out the song September by Kalai- one of my favorite songs.

Giving it away...

2009-08-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

So....I have been MIA from the blog ,and last I blogged, I promised a give-away. I apologize for being so remiss and tardy, but I have had a crazy busy summer. I have missed all of you blog friends. I promise to try to blog more in the upcoming months, but in the meantime--at long lazy last, here are the goods for the MONKEYPOSH GIVE-AWAY!

It is a mish mash of beauty items that I would imagine any beauty and bath loving gal would want.

First up the SIMPLY THE ZEST SPA IN A BOX set from Bliss. This includes hand cream, body butter, and body scrub all in the lemon-sage scent. AHHHH!

Next is the beautiful MAC Glaze Lipstick in PERVETTE....cause you know you are. Don't even try to front. Seriously this lipstick is a gorgeous slightly frosty pink. I love it.

Also--fragrance samples--Serge Lutens, Frederic Malle, etc. I will throw in more than what is pictured.

In addition--11 OZ Claus Porto Bath Gel in LIME BASIL--delicious and succulent--Claus Porto is legendary for their luxe bath products.

1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray of MAGNIFIQUE which is Lancome's newest addition to their fragrance line up. It is a beautiful scent--perfect for this transistion into Fall.

Also- New Max Factor Limited Edition Lash Perfection Mascara in Black.

And--Mac Nail Laquer in Sacred White--a pearl white beautiful color, and Sula Paint & Peel nail varnish in Blush and Clear Top Coat.

Last but not least, some Cle de Peau Beaute' samples. Cleansing foam, gentle balancing lotion, and gentle nourishing emulsion. As you know, Cle de Peau is uber lux and such a treat.

There you have it. All you have to do to enter to win is leave me a comment with your blog link, your e-mail, or another way for me to get in touch with you -should you win. You can also e-mail me at MonkeyPosh @ yahoo. com.

Good luck, and thanks for checking in on me all these truant months.

Have a great day!

(all photos property of and licensed by MonkeyPosh LLC)

Bitchin' about my kitchen

2009-06-23T14:01:00.001-07:00

Hello All-

I know I have been promising to get a give-away under-way, but I am slightly over-whelmed. I mentioned in previous posts that we are having our kitchen redone. This is WEEK 4 with no kitchen (nor bathroom on the main floor as we are having it redone too). I cook a lot and I guess I did not realize just how much time I spend in the kitchen. Not having a kitchen is really messing with my mind and making me feel displaced in my own home. Also, having workmen in the house all day every day WAY awkward and strange too.

Here is a little update on the mess so far:

This is what the kitchen looked like before-empty. I had already taken down all my decor when this photo was taken.

This is what it looked like about 48 hours later. EVERYTHING gone...including the wall! We seriously considered just putting in a glass wall for about 10 minutes. The view was beautiful! New wall, new window, subflooring......
New tile. Progress. I finally feel like we are on the home stretch.
Partial cabinet installation.

Another photo of the cabinets with the floor and the paint. The island is to be delivered today. It is going to be antiqued black. I cannot wait for all this to be done so I can cook a big pot of chile...on a real stove. I am not sure I will be in any hurry for any new home renovations any time soon, but you know, I would sure like some new tile in my bathroom. I think this home renovation stuff could be addictive.

I promise to post the give away before the end of this week. Stay tuned.

(all photos property of and licensed by MonkeyPosh LLC)

Three things I am loving now.

2009-06-09T05:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday. Things around here are in total chaos. After much thought, planning, saving, and stressing, we are having a total kitchen renovation and it is loud and intrusive and strange. Everything has been demolished and removed and a wall has been knocked down. I will be glad when it is over, but sadly it is a long way from being over.

On to more pleasant things. I have not blogged about beauty products for a very long time, so since I am sequestered in the basement out of the way of the kitchen mess, I will share 3 things I am enjoying this June. Please forgive if this does not work as this is my first blog attempt on a MAC. I have only used Windows my whole life and Macs are way different, so please bear with me.
OK--This Spectrum Coconut Oil is one of my very favorite things in the whole wide world right now. It is AMAZING. I constantly use it on my skin, on my split ends, and even on my cuticles. I got it at Whole Foods in the oil aisle, along side the olive oils, peanut oils, avocado oils, etc. It comes in solid form, and soaks right into my skin. It is so moisturizing without being overly slick and greasy. I can slather it all over my hands, and still snap my fingers. If you rub it betwixt your hands it will emulsify and you can put it in your hair. I cannot rave enough about this multi tasking wonder. If you have dry skin like me, you will love it. It also adds a beautiful sheen to your gams while sporting your summer finery.

Insomnia lends itself to some really bad late night TV. Sometimes I even watch the occasional infomercial...not often, but every now and then. One night I became engrossed in a Wen Hair Care infomercial. I was skeptical (as I always am with infomercials). I was all.." Lemme get this straight...it is a conditioner that cleans your hair? It is not a shampoo, but cleans your hair just the same all the while leaving it incredibly soft and supple and Charlie's Angels like?" WHAT? So I went to the website and saw all the scents, and everyone knows I am a sucker for things that smell pretty. They sounded delicious--Fig, Cucumber Aloe, Sweet Almond Mint, Tea Tree, etc. I ordered the Sweet Almond Mint and the Tea Tree and I have to say, I LOVE IT. I have lamented about my hair on this blog a ton--all about my well water and my porous, frizzy hair..blah blah blah. Seriously the WEN Conditioning Cleanser is wonderful. Thanks Chaz Dean.

Lastly, I am all into this little bottle of Ken Paves Color Drops. Say what you want about Jessica Simpson, but her hair is fabulous. Always. The man behind the mane is Ken Paves (who also does Eva Longoria;s hair). The color drops come in 3 or 4 colors, and of course I use the red one. You put a few pumps of the color drops into your conditioner (or your WEN conditioning cleanser), mix it in, then distribute throughout your hair. It just adds a little color enhancement. Continued use can intensify the color. I dig it. I use it 2 or 3 times a week just to spice of the locks.

I hope you are all enjoying your June. I promise to post the giveaway this week or next week.

Have a beautiful day.

(photos from www.spectrumorganics.com , www.wenhaircare.com , and www.beauty.com )

Hmmmm..just noticed that typing a www on Mac does not automatically turn it into a link. Still so much to learn. Sorry if you click and they do not work.

Happy June 1.

2009-06-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

Where the heck have I been? I know.

I really needed a break from blogging (and lots of other things in my life) the past few months. I decided to focus on things like traveling and spending more time with my loved ones. I really appreciate all the notes and e-mails asking where I was and telling me you missed me. It means a lot to me.
So, I have been on a few trips since last I blogged and here are some photos of 3 of my most recent trips.

In February we went to the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. It was our second time there and I think Kauai is my favorite out of all the Islands.
This was the view from our place. I wanted to move in.

It was whale watching season, so of course we partook in some whale activities. Captian Don is awesome for a laid back, personalized boat tour. You can find him here http://www.captaindonsfishing.com/ . The website has a lot of fishing information, but he does any kind of boating adventure you would like. He will also give you restaurant suggestions, and any other information you need about Kauai. Oh and his first mate watches reality TV, so when I got bored with the whales, we talked all about The Real Housewives of Orange County. I was in heaven.

Gorgeous Kauai sunset. Deep sigh.

I also went to London. It was amazing. I loved it and did not want to come home. I had wonderful weather and such a lovely time.

I got my eyebrows threaded for the first time and I loved it. I always said I would be too scared to get my brows threaded as I am a wax type of girl, but after some champagne and a manicure from the Champagne Nail Bar at Harvey Nichols, it sounded like a grand idea. When you are a dehydrated and jetlagged traveler, a glass of champagne makes a lot of things sound like a good idea. Proceed with caution.

I also went to Boston to see the Celtics beat the Bulls. I am a lifelong die hard Celtics fan....since the days of Bird, Walton, McHale, Ainge, etc. I had never been to the Boston Garden so it was a thrill and a dream come true.

The Celtics won which made the experience that much sweeter. Go Pierce!

This week I plan on doing a big giveaway, so please stay tuned, and thanks again for checking in on me during my truant blogging period.

This last photo was taken in Chicago and I am only adding it because it cracks me up and I am easliy entertained--it is one of the many perks of being an only child.

Have a wonderful evening.

(all photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T04:42:00.001-08:00

As I look back on how few posts I did in 2008, I fear I have become a little bored with my blog. I do not know what it is exactly. It seems that lately, I just do not have the time, nor do I feel inspired to write as much here as I used to. There are probably many reasons for this, and I could drone on and on about those reasons, but I think the crux of it is that I have become focused on many other things. I also think I am busier than usual , I have a slight case of the winter blahs, and It seems more of my energy is being used for higher priorities that have nothing to do with blogging this year. In a time like this with the bad economy and so many people suffering, and so much going on in the world, writing a blog and reading blogs about things as trivial as lip gloss and a good cup of coffee can be a welcome distraction from all the bad news. I want to thank everyone who has followed my blog, and I want to thank everyone who has made me laugh, entertained me , and educated me through their blogs. Blogging has afforded me travel opportunity and friendships--and that is a beautiful thing. Don't get me wrong, I do plan on blogging in 2009 as I have many adventures planned, and I have loads of beauty items to give away. Stay tuned.

In honor of the cusp of a new year, I wanted to list my goals and wishes for 2009.

I have had the same resolution for the past few years: to stay far away from crazy people who bring drama to my life. That has worked very well for me, so I see no reason to change it. Other than that, I usually do not make resolutions, instead I make goals. Here are a few:

I want to honor my good health by running more and eating more fruits and vegetables.

I want to drink more water and less Diet Pepsi.

In this vein, I want to consciously be thankful for my good health every day, as so many people I know and love have suffered illnesses and health scares lately.

I want to breathe deeper, be more patient and less judgemental (unless you are a crazy drama monger--in which case I will judge you all day long).

I want to physically be around the people I love more this year. I am so lucky and thankful to have wonderful family members and friends that I love.

I want to eliminate all unnecessary drama and chaos and clutter from my life and my house.

I want to take moments throughout my day to stop and really be present.

I want the world to get better, be more united, and stop fighting. I know that one sounds slightly Pollyanna in the current state of things, but I really do want the world to get better, and I have high hopes.

I want to be aware of the energy around me and how I am contributing to that energy.

I want to laugh more (lots more) and worry less (much less).
I want to feel more free, love more free, and be kinder (again, unless you are a drama-monger in which case I will not be kind to you).

I want to see the world and be more open minded. I not only want to be more open minded in reference to travel and new cultures, I want to be more open minded to many many things (again, except for drama mongers).

I want to do more things that make me happy with abandon and gusto.

And last but most certainly not least, I wish these sweet sneaks came in my size:
How hot are those kicks? Ernie and Burt and Grover! I totally want them.

Thank you to all of you for making my 2008 great.

Here is wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year Full of Love and Laughter!

(shoe photo from a Finish Line catalog and Dear Finish Line: Please make these in a size 8 ladies. Thanks in advance)

A Parisian Thanksgiving

2008-12-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. I cannot say I am enjoying it, because I generally find the holidays to be stressful and slightly overwhelming-- however I have made a few decisions this year in an effort to try to alleviate some of the usual stress. I am mailing VERY few presents this year. I do not have one single family member in the state where I live, so that means I usually have to mail almost everthing. Not this year. Praise Jesus, everyone in my family has everything they need. This year I sent packages to the Troops serving our country from afar. It was much less stressful and I know it will be much more appreciated than any Barnes & Noble gift certificate I could have sent my cousins --who already have EVERYTHING.
My husband and I decided not to exchange gifts this year and instead spend money on travel. We always say that, then we always end up giving each other gifts anyway, but this year we mean it.

This year a gift to each other was a trip for Thanksgiving. We went to Paris, where they do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but I am a very lucky girl to know great people all over the globe and my friend, Jennifer (she is American) who lives there, invited us to a wonderful Parisian Thanksgiving party. Here is a photo of Jen and me and a charming Frenchman -who totally embraced Thanksgiving--even if just for one night. This has paid off for him in dividends-his good attitude and smoldering French looks have landed him on my friend Karen's FOXY LIST....and that my friends, is better than any turkey and dressing! Our Parisian Thanksgiving had all the trimmings, and it was delicious. Jennifer was the hostess and I think my husband and I were the only Americans besides her. She had everyone go around the table and say what they were thankful for. The French people were a little hesitant and Jennifer said to my husband and I in a hush hush voice that the French do not really embrace how to be thankful......instead they focus on what to complain about. Hilarious. She said it in jest, as we all know, French people are lovely.

The city was all decked out for the Holiday Season and it was beautiful. I had never been to Paris during the holidays, so it was a treat. We stayed by Place Vendome and the street had chandeliers hanging over it. Gorgeous!This is a photo of Printemps all decked out for the holidays.

The photo below is the beautiful Place des Vosges in the Marais. We had beautiful weather that day, and we walked around and had a delicious lunch at CHEZ JANOU , where they DO NOT have a menu in English and they will scoff and roll their eyes at you if you ask. We of course did not ask, but we heard from other people that the staff reacts that way so no way....we did not ask...nope not us.

This is a strange thumb statue by the La Defense in downtown Paris. There was a very quaint holiday bazaar going on by the La Defense also. Vendors were selling all sorts of French holiday trinkets and delicious food and hot wine! My husband titled this photo "Keeping the little woman under my thumb". He's funny....that's why I stay married to him. Ahem.This is a photo from downtown overlooking the tops of the holiday bazaar tents and in the distance you can see the Arc de Triomphe. You can also see the Eiffel Tower from here. I loved it.

We have tons of photos, but I will leave you with this photo from the very cool Pompideu area by Les Halles. I will post more later on Guerlain and Serge Lutens and all the street food along the Champs Elysees. Until then.........Au revoir.

(all photos taken by and property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

And-- Thanks to Jennifer for a lovely Thanksgiving!!!!

2nd Half of Fave Movie Alphabet Post--

2008-12-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

So here is my second installment of my favorite movie post by order of alphabet.

I am only about 3 weeks late on this, but I have been traveling in and out of the country, fruitlessly trying to get ready for the holiday season, and battling a horrible sinus infection.

Before I get started on my movie picks, I must give a shout out to a hot and funny lady:

She looks GREAT in Vanity Fair this month. I admire her for her comedic writing skills and her no fear attitude. Go Tina!

As for the movies, I think I left off at M last time......so .......

N-- Neverending Story - I remember seeing this movie as a little girl with my Uncle and my cousins C and J. It was so strange and enthralling. I loved the Luckdragon and Atreau. It brings back a lot of happy childhood memories.

O--Out of Africa, Ordinary People, An Officer And a Gentleman-- Out of Africa is just beautiful. Streep and Redford in Africa--what is not to love? No special reason for Ordinary People except I just loved it. An Officer and a Gentleman is somewhat cheesy, but noteworthy . I loved Debra Winger in the 70's and 80's, and Richard Gere was hot back in the day before he got kinda strange.

P- Perfume--Any of you who know me at all, know that I am an obsessed fragrance collector. I have literally traveled the globe getting those ever elusive fragrances. Suskind outdid himself on the book, and the movie totally hypnotizes me. I LOVE IT!
We were actually in Frankfurt, Germany for one of the European premieres of the movie and it was very exciting.

Q--The Queen--I think Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen were fabulous in this movie. Totally believable. I look forward to seeing Michael in Frost/Nixon.

R--Rainman, Reality Bites, and Rear Window-- Whatever. I know Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise Crazy, but oh how I loved him back in the day. Plus, Dustin Hoffman was BRILLIANT. Part of Rainman was filmed in a small town in Oklahoma by a church where I sometimes attended, and the excitement when they filmed there was palpable. I will always have a special place in my heart for Rainman. Reality Bites was like a coming of age film for me. I love the soundtrack and Ethan Hawke --YUMMY! I know he now looks like a burnout who needs a shower, but I would still have dinner with him. Rear Window is a fave from my childhood. I loved Alfred Hitchcock when I was young.

S--*so many of my faves start with S so I will not give any details, I will just list them* The Sound of Music, Selena (I know shut up), Shawshenk Redemption, Steel Magnolias, Silence of the Lambs, Something for Joey,..ETC. I could literally list about 10 more but I won't bore you.

T-- To Kill A Mockingbird and Terms Of Endearment- Gregory Peck enough said, and Terms of Endearment ALWAYS makes me cry. Marriage issues, health issues, Mom issues, so many issues. Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger were both brilliant.

U-*Let me say that movies starting with U are very hard to come by, so please do not judge me too harshly for what I am about to write* URBAN COWBOY- that's right, I said it. I rarely watch movies anymore, so most of the movies I pick as favorites are from my youth, and please know when I was a youth I lived in Oklahoma where a movie like Urban Cowboy was cool. When I was in primary school, my teacher, Mrs. Mosley was going to let our class watch a movie on a fancy new high tech gadget called a VCR. We got to vote on what movie we wanted to watch. Everyone wrote a movie down and put it into a bucket then Mrs. Mosley counted the votes. The votes were as follows: 17 for E.T., 3 for Back To the Future, and 1 for Urban Cowboy. I'll let you guess my vote. Mrs. Mosley laughed and laughed and laughed. Bitch.

V- La Vita e Belle --Known in the U.S. as Life is Beautiful, but I was stretching for a movie that starts with V. It is a lovely movie.

W-Waiting to Exhale--*edited to add What's Eating Gilbert Grape-I love a movie about strong women.... strong and hateful women. It was back before Whitney got on the pipe, and she was so gorgeous and talented. Also, I love Angela Basset. I adore What's Eating Gilbert Grape. It is so dysfunctional, and so entertaining. I think Leonardo is genius. Johnny Depp and Juliet Lewis are freaks, and the woman that plays his mother is so honest in her portrayal. Easily one of my all time faves!

X--I got nothing. I could put X-Men but honestly I have never seen it. I do not watch superhero movies. I still have not even seen the latest Batman movie.

Y--Yentl--It is Barbara as a man. She sings, she frolics, she's awesome.

Z- Zoolander-- A far cry from a favorite, but I have seen it and it starts with Z and Ben Stiller is hot and funny--so there you go.

Finished. I guess I need to watch more movies, but as I said before, it seems I NEVER have 2 hours to just sit and watch a movie. I appreciate Pat tagging me and I am sorry it took me so long to finish this post. I was in Paris for Thanksgiving and I will post on that later in the week.

Have a great day.

**oh and I was kidding about Mrs. Mosley being a bitch. She was a good teacher.

TAGGED to do a favorite movie post....eeeks.

2008-11-22T05:25:00.000-08:00

Hello All,
My friend Pat, who writes a brilliant movie blog over at DOODAD KIND OF TOWN has tagged me to list my favorite movies alphabetically. I am not an avid movie watcher, in fact I rarely sit down long enough to watch a whole movie, not to mention I am no good at making lists, as I sometimes cannot remember my favorite things (whether it be movies, beauty products, etc) becasue the word "list" fills my chest cavity with so much unnecessary pressure.
I am going to do this post in 2 parts, because my brain might combust if I tried to do it all at once.
I did not read anyone else's list (including Pat's) prior do doing mine, as I did not want to be influenced or tempted to copy anyone else's answer....so this is all organic and all mine..try not to judge and/or laugh.
A-M

A- All The President's Men - Although I was a child when I first saw this movie, I liked it. I cannot say that I understood all of it, but all the adults in my family were interested in Watergate, so I sort of understood. Now that I am an adult I can totally appreciate this movie.

B- Beaches- Seriously, Bette is brilliant in this movie. I love a story about humor, music, and everlasting friendship. (honorable mention goes to Belle du Jour, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Barefoot in the Park )

C- Cinema Paradiso- Beautiful story of a boy and his mentor set in Italy. Thanks Prufrock for introducing me to this lovely movie.

D- Dr. Zhivago or La Dolce Vita- These are both movies I grew up watching. I have always thought Julie Christie was so elegant, and her with Omar in the Russian snow is simply amazing! La Dolce Vita--Fellini is a genius, Anita is gorgeous, and the cinematography of Rome back then is so moving. (honorable mention goes to Dirty Dancing (shut up), Dead Poet's Society, Don't Look Now, or Delicatessen)

E- Les Enfatns du Paradis- Beautiful French movie that I first saw when I was very young, but I still love to this day. It is the story of a beautiful French lady who is courted by an actor, and mime and a criminal --all set in France. I mean come on people--that is my fantasy life.

F- Father of The Bride--I know, but it is sweet and it is funny and it stars Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. There may have been better and more profound movies I have seen that start with the letter "F" , but none are coming to me this morning.

G- Grease- I know, I know....this movie posseses so much nostalgia for me. I really do love it. It is fun and simple...two of my favorite things.

H- Harvey--the original with Jimmy Stewart. I saw this movie when I was a little girl, and even as a small child, I was very moved by the story of kindness and of guardian angels (for lack of better term). I also saw a stage version when I was little and I loved it. Such a sweet story, and please....what is not to love about anything Jimmy Stewart stars in. Love him!

I- Um....yeeks, I got nothing for this one. I have racked my brain, and I just do not think I am particulary impressed with anything that starts with "I".

J- Jour de Fete- I love the sweet and Chaplinesque feel of this lovley French film.

K- Kissing Jessica Stein--I love this movie. I love the main character's awkward, quirky, sincere humor. I think the writing is smart, the soundtrack is fabulous, and I love that they make New York City such an important part of the whole package.

L- Little Manhattan, Little Shop of Horrors, or Love Actually--Ok, I cannot decide on which is my favorite out of these three. None of them are particulary earthshattering, but I love them all. Little Manhattan is so very sweet, and again I adore the soundtrack and the featured backdrop of New York City. Little Shop -again with my love for Steve Martin, and Ellen Green is amazing. I love the movie version of this musical much more than any stage production I have seen. Love Actually, what can I say? Such a cast, such fun, and so very very sweet.

M- The Magdalene Sisters- I suffer from a bit of insomnia, and although that sucks-it is also a great way to see offbeat movies that are not usually shown during regular hours. I saw The Magdalene Sisters a few years ago in the middle of the night, and I LOVED it. So quirky and scary and sad, yet totally believable. It takes place in Ireland at a convent in the 1950's or 1960's and it is so true to the era and the place. I loved it.

Happy Birthday Finley!!

2008-11-14T05:24:00.000-08:00

Today my little Precious Puppy Pot Pie turns 2. I guess that means he is 14 in canine years, but to me, he is still a baby.

This is Fin playing ball in the backyard...the way the wind caught his fur as he ran made him look hilarious.

I love when he does this becaues it looks like he is tending bar. Look at that little skin roll above his tail....oh I could just die from the cuteness!
With one of his favorite toys. He is the master of playing catch.Trying to make time with a cougar statue he took a shine to.Speaking of taking a shine.....he fell madly in love with my friend Emily. I mean come on, she is cute as a button and charming to boot- seriously-look at her camo hat. Em and Finley slow danced then went for Indian food and I was totally left out in the cold.
He is never happier than on a walk.Being precious can really make you tired.

I am going to work on my Alphabet movie meme survey from my friend Pat this weekend, and in keeping with movies, I am going to see Dirty Dancing --The Musical this weekend also. It should be interesting. If the musical is anything like the movie, I will be over the moon and saying every line.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FIN-A-LOOOOOO!

(all photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Thanks Mary!

2008-11-07T02:43:00.000-08:00

Bon jour!

I know...I know...how do I expect to have any blog readers when I never blog? Please accept my deepest apologies, but I have not been home. I have been busy going places...like SONIC. Thanks MARY!!! I have been in a diet cherry limeade/diet vanilla coke coma for the past couple of weeks. I only wish my Sonic sold the fried pickles....then my life would be complete.

I have been really busy traveling, working, trying to decide about a kitchen renovation, silently thinking A LOT about this election, going back to school, and trying to avoid my nosy and very inappropriate neighbors. In an effort to escape the daily grind and to see some beautiful Fall foliage, my husband and I took a day trip to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

I have lived in this area for over 10 years, and I have always heard how "nice and \posh " Lake Geneva is. I have driven through on my way to other places, and it did not look that nice and fancy to me, but maybe I was missing the magic....so off to Lake Geneva we went. Many people have claimed that Lake Geneva is "The Hamptons of the Midwest". I have come to the conclusion that this is what people WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE HAMPTONS call it. Although the leaves were beautiful, and the lake itself is nice enough....I was just not having it.
Yes, I know....lovely...BUT

There were LOUD, OBNOXIOUS motorcycles EVERYWHERE. I am not a fan of Harleys and the whole Harley culture. Sorry, but just not my thing. I have worked with many motorcycle groups through various charities and they are so nice and always willing to help, BUT very loud and dangerous modes of transportation (that more often than not include white tank tops) are not my thing.
After our day of lake frolicking we decided to come back home and get some Fall shots around our house.

I love this family of geese.

Have a beautiful day!

(all photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Joe Pug and Albuquerque

2008-10-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends.

The last few weeks have been busy here at Chez MonkeyPosh. First off, I did a very fun radio gig with my friend Em. She has a radio show and real live musical artists come in and play live music on the radio. LIVE MUSIC like right there in the studio...like a private concert where the artist is literally one foot away from you--SKREEEE. I know this happens ALL THE TIME on the radio, but it is so different when you get to be right there.
This is Em and me with the amazing Joe Pug, who was her musical guest the night I got to guest host with her. I was in the room with Joe when he played LIVE ON THE RADIO and his music was so awesome and his lyrics so powerful. All that, along with his Greg Brady meets Mac Davis looks, his Wrangler jeans and his beautiful guitar playing made me swoon and flush and go all giddy. My husband was listening to the show, so I had to somewhat act rational, but daaannnng Joe is talented. You can check out his music on myspace or on http://www.joepugmusic.com/home.html . His new album, Nation of Heat, is wonderful and Joe has been compared to the likes of Bob Dylan. Check him out. I would like to thank Em for including me and thank my friends Misto and Curtis for calling into the show and making a very fun time even better. I have great friends.
Next up was my trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico to the International Balloon Fiesta. I know--I know--but I went with my cousin Jessica and ANYWHERE is a treat with Cousin Jess....even the New Mexican desert. Here are some shots of the balloon fiesta.

This was a Swiss Cathedral-one of my favorites. I think about 1/3 of the balloons and their pilots came from other countries, which was very cool. We met people from all over the world while we were standing around. Big balloons bring out the friendliness in folks.
The Darth Vader balloon had quite a following. When people started noticing it was being blown up, they started running towards it cheering--strange. When it finally got all the way blown up, the Vader fans whooped and hollered then I bet they went home to watch the Star Wars Trilogy followed by Lord Of The Rings Trilogy. The Vader balloon was very cool.

This is how I felt most of the time at the balloon fiesta. You have to get up at 4am to be at the fiesta grounds by 5:30am to see the balloons all take off. While it is still dark they have a "Flicker" which is pretty, but fighting crowds in the cold in the wee hours of the morning is not my idea of fun. When I say fighting the crowds, I mean for real. I went to the balloon fiesta about 10 years ago, and I do not remember the crowds being so bad. It was SO CROWDED and everyone is taking photos and looking off into the horizon at the pretty balloons so no one is watching where they are going and you are lucky not to get trampled by Bob and Edith, the retirees who drove their RV down from Toledo. They come every year because the balloon fiesta is the best thing on earth. Edith in her sweater decked out with balloons,does not understand why some people want to go to France, or Italy (pronounced Itlee) when they can just come here to the balloon fiesta and see the most beautiful sight in the world. Make no mistake. Folks are serious about the fiesta.

The bumble bees were my favorite. So cute. The female has a breast cancer awareness ribbon which I thought was precious. After a while the pilots separated their hands then made them kiss. I do not think I got a photo of them kissing becasue Edith from Toledo was telling me about her recent trip to Biloxi (not that she gambles) with the Red Hat "girls" in the RV and I think my ears were bleeding.

Shout out to Walgreens, (diet) Pepsi, and beer--quite easily 3 of my favorite things ever.

Besides the crowds and the horrid lines to everything (we waited an hour to use the port-a-potty. I loathe port-a-potties worse than almost anything, but waiting in line an hour to use one puts a whole new spin on my loathing), the balloon fiesta was a good time. Jess and I enjoyed ourselves and we got some lovely photos.
Oh and one little nugget of information I bet you did not know is that Neil Patrick Harris AKA Doogie Howser, M.D. is from Albuquerque. Well, when Cousin Jess and I found out that his parents owned a restaurant there...we were all over it. The restaurant is called Perennials and it is cute and quaint and has variety of interesting things on the menu. There were no Doog sightings, but we are pretty sure Doog's dad was working the morning we were there. He looked A LOT like Doog. I had French toast dipped in crushed corn flakes and it was very good.
Perennials is located at 6001 San Mateo Blvd right across the street from The Cliffs Amusement Park. We ate at some other good restaurants with traditional New Mexican cuisine, but I will probably just post those on YELP and not bore you with them here.

After we left Albuquerque we headed to Santa Fe, which we both loved. I will post on that later.
Until then, have a wonderful day!

(all photos owned and licensed by MonkeyPosh LLC)

AND THE WINNER IS......

2008-10-02T12:04:00.001-07:00

Happy October everyone! I am feeling a chill in the air in my neck of the woods, and I am sure cold weather is on the way. I hope everyone is enjoying Fall.
Blah Blah Blah about the weather...now back to important stuff like the MonkeyPosh give away!

Ok---so I had 25 comments and 13 email entries for this give-away.
As per usual, I put all the entries in a hat, mixed them all up, and drew a name....
And the winner is (drumroll please).......

FREE GOODS!!!!!

AKA my friend Jeffrey. How ironic that about 7 years ago I started calling him Free Goods and now he has won my free goods in this contest. I also find it ironic that he is the only male to enter. Hooray for men who read my blog!
Free recently got married, so I really hope his new wife enjoys these gifts!

Congrats Free!!!! I would be happy to mail this to you, or we can meet for drinks/dinner some night for the hand over.

I would like to thank everyone who entered, and everyone who has kept checking in on me during my delinquent, nay almost non existent blogging summer.

Tomorrow I leave for New Mexico with my cousin to go to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. We are also traveling to other parts of the state to see what kind of trouble one can get into in New Mexico. It should be um...fun.

Have a great weekend!

(photo property of http://balloonfiesta.com/main.php )

Time for a MonkeyPosh Give-Away!

2008-09-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

I feel like it is has been forever since I have blogged...and I guess it has. It seems as though my days are a blur of tasks, chores, work, and activities and before I know it, the day is gone. I have been told by a few people that as we get older, time goes by even quicker. That scares me. I already wish there were more hours in the day.

Fall officially began this week, and in my humble attempt to celebrate impending cooler temperatures and pretty orange leaves, I am giving away some very cool things to you my friends and readers-who are just friends I have not met yet....and I always try to be very generous to my friends.

In addition, this damn economy is depressing-so the giveaway is also an effort to try to counteract that even if just a little. Giving over $200.00 worth of luxury items away will make someone happy, and when people are happy everything seems better.
In this humble giveaway you will recieve:

Brand new full size Victor and Rolf Flowerbomb shower gel.

1.7oz Estee Lauder Sensuous Eau De Parfum.

Tocca Havana Candle. (Havana smells like sugar cane and rum--YUM!)

Full size Nars The Multiple in Antibes--see photo below for color.

CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara in Black

Dior Brilliance Extreme Long Wearing Nail Lacquer in Gold Nugget --see photo for color.

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti Puff Eye Roller-this feels so good straight out of the refrigerator!

Soap and Glory (the brainchild of Marcia Kilgore founder of Bliss Spa) Peachy Cream Big Butter Body Butter.

5 ML bottle of Prevage Anti-aging treatment.

And -samples of Flowerbomb EDP, Bond N09 New Haarlem EDP, Rumeur by Lanvin EDP, and Missoni EDP.

All items are brand new and ready for you to enjoy! All you have to do is leave me a comment with a way to reach you if you win. If you have a blog I can contact you that way, but if not, please leave me an e-mail address. I will put all entries into a hat and draw a name in a few days. If you do not win this one, do not fret, as I will have another awesome give away in a couple of weeks.

Beautiful day to all --and good luck!

(photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Proof that G_d does indeed answer prayers......

2008-09-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

Before you chastise me for overt blasphemy...please know I am saying the prayer answering part in jest....well...kinda. I have been wishing that the gorgeous Aedes de Venustas room spray and candle would morph into a parfum, and it has. Praise all things sweet and holy, it has.

I have posted my adoration for all things AEDES on this blog and on YELP before. My crush on the men that work there is no secret either. And now....now I can frolick through my life draped in the brilliant scent of Aedes de Venustas.

Aedes partnered with famed French Parfum House, L'Artisan Parfumeur on this highly anticipated fragrance. I have been a fan and lover of L'Artisan fragrances forever also.

You can pre-order this gem on AEDES.COM . You know I have pre-ordered mine. I am giddy with excitement and as happy as a little girl. I cannot wait for it to arrive. Estimated arrival date is October 2.

Thanks in advance Aedes....and thank you G_d.

(photo from the magnificent http://www.aedes.com/ )

The stars at night are big and bright..(clap clap clap clap) deep in the heart of Texas

2008-09-09T04:57:00.001-07:00

I recently returned from a very fun trip to Texas to see family and friends....and of course for some shopping. We drove due to some things I had to pick up along the way, and the driving part was not fun. Long car rides are not very MonkeyPosh at all . Driving through the Illinois prairie in the middle of the night ...well...it sucks. Please note--in this crazy political climate where almost everything is taken out of context, I AM NOT making a political statement with the above photo. I just took a picture of the Texas sign. That is all.The most important , fun and fabulous thing I did on this trip was go to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends, Steph- or MISS. S -as she goes by on her blog. This is a photo of Miss S , her Dad (I call him Lightnin') and me in the Stockyards of Fort Worth, Texas. Lightnin' was kind enough to drive us all around to see the sights of Fort Worth. We also had a delicious lunch at Cattlemen's Restaurant in the heart of the Stockyards. The food was phenominal, and if you ever make it to Cattlemen's in the Stockyards, ask for Brink as your server--he was a hoot.Typical business sign in the Stockyards. The whole area is very rustic and western and cool. It is also where Chuck Norris used to film scenes for Walker, Texas Ranger in case you were curious....and I know you were.This is my favorite picture of Miss S. She is a beautiful friend with a beautiful soul and I am so happy I got to see her and her Mom and Dad. We had a lovely time.

Also, no trip to Dallas is complete without some shopping. It is the home of Neiman Marcus- to be sure. I grew up in Oklahoma, so when I was a little girl, Dallas was like my New York City. I have since grown up, but Dallas still excites me in a very nostalgic, and familar kind of way. Dallas has some of the best shopping in the South --Neiman Marcus, Saks, Barneys New York --etc.
When I first spotted these Chie Mihara Saigion boots at Neiman Marcus, I had a very "Carrie Bradshaw Hello Lover" kind of moment. If you know me at all, then you know I love shoes and these were love at first sight. To me, these boots look very Parisian and feminine and beautiful. By the way, Andy Choate of the shoe department at the Neiman Marcus in NorthPark Center in Dallas is wonderful. He searched the country to find me a size 8 in these beauties...and he found them. Thanks Andy.

I also got some of the super cute Harajuku Lovers fragrances. The fragrances themselves are not bad, but honestly I got them for the cute bottles. "Baby" is the one pictured and I got it for myself. I got the "Love" one for my cousin Lily because it looks just like her.

I took a trip to Downtown Dallas to the Flagship Neiman Marcus too. It was a treasure trove of fabulous beauty finds. The SA, Amanda -who helped me was a doll and she had the most fabulous (and shocking) lashes on. I loved her.

I got the new Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Palette and I love it. Every color is wearable and beautiful and perfect for Fall, not to mention perfect for a redhead.

I also fell in love with Guerlain Cologne du 68-Matieres Premieres. It is named after the famed address on the Champs -Elysees in Paris, plus it is said to have 68 ingredients that make up the beautiful scent. It is fresh and floral and creamy and wonderful. I have worn it almost every day since I purchased it.
This is the gorgeous Chanel Smokey Eye Quad. I thought I was not going to be able to find this gem, but Chanel always comes through. Rimmel also has a beautiful quad that resembles this one very much if you cannot find the Chanel one. I will post pics of the Rimmel one sometime this week for comparison.

Now that Fall is almost here, I am getting excited about coats and boots and cashmere- however working on Fashion Week stuff almost has me craving Spring again.

September is always such a fun month.

Oh and for you music fans, check out the song "September" by Kalai. It is lovley. I have been a fan of Kalai for a long time. He is very unique and he is from Alaska--but then again, isn't everyone these days?

Have a wonderful day.

(all photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC, www.ChieMihara.com, and www.Sephora.com )

I heart JK by Jemma Kidd (and Napoleon Perdis too)(and Sonic too)!!

2008-08-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

So I had a great Sunday. I ran Sunday morning, , then went to Sonic for breakfast, then went to Target to stock up on Jemma Kidd's new makeup and some Napoleon Perdis too. Exercise, food, and makeup--the three staples for a perfect Sunday. I have blogged before about my love for Jemma (and Jodie) Kidd. I have always been a fan of Jemma's makeup, but until now I could only get it in London or at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. Her new line at Target is beautiful and colorful and oh so accessible. I loved it all! It is available at most Target stores and of course at TARGET.COM .

The colors are vibrant and gorgeous and I am praying it is not for a limited time only--but you know Target is notorious for that--hello Jovovich-Hawk and Richard Chai.
When I was in Australia earlier in the summer I got a ton of Napoleon Perdis cosmetics, so I only purchased a couple of his things at Target. There is also the Pixie line and that is very nice too, but I spent my money on Jemma's stuff.
I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to finally have a Sonic in the Chicagoland area. The lines at lunch and dinner have been over 2 hours long --seriously. They have a whole staff of people who do nothing but direct the Sonic traffic and lines. We went in the early morning on Sunday and there was no line, but they were already putting out the orange cones for the lunch rush. I cannot even imagine how much money it is making. I am seriously thinking of a franchise. All the cherry limeades I could ever drink. Heaven!

Here is hoping everyone had a lovely weekend.
(photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

Naughty Monkey Posh--and other boots

2008-08-21T05:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, so a while ago I got an email entitled "Naughty Monkey Posh", and I was thinking --OH NO - what did I do now? However, it was about a beautiful new shoe from Naughty Monkey named POSH. Naughty Monkey kept getting visitors to their sight from people typing in MonkeyPosh for my blog. That is very cool, and even though they did not officially name the shoe after this humble blog, it is still neat that I could get them a few purchases. Thanks for the nice email Naughty Monkey, and on the inside I will pretend the beautiful shoes are named after me, because we all need our fantasies, and mine ALWAYS involve shoes. Seriously. This is the very hip Naughty Monkey Posh shoe. You can get it at SHOP ROBERTSON . Tell them MonkeyPosh sent you.
Since Fall is just around the corner, I decided to display some other boots I am in love with this week. I adore these beautiful Robert Clergerie Chabot boots from ZAPPOS . I love the color, the style, the everything. I would tuck my jeans into these boots and wear a big cardigan. These almost make me look forward to Fall....but just almost.
FIERCE! These Emilio Pucci boots are amazing. I could NEVER pull them off, nor could I walk in them very far, but they are like a work of art. I am paying my homage because they are amazing. I totally see Mary J. Blige wearing these. Totally.
In keeping with my Gray theme from a few months ago, this is the Frye Paige Buckles Boot in Slate.
Because I am still obsessed with gray, I ordered these from ZAPPOS , and I am loving them. I cannot wait to wear them.

Although I am NOT looking forward to Fall and Winter, perusing all the beautiful Fall fashions is helping to ease my pain. Did you get Vogue this month? It is HUGE. I have yet to delve into it, but I have it on my coffee table and hope to soon.

Beautiful day to all.

(photos from Zappos.com, and ShopRobertson.com)

August

2008-08-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

As summer is winding down, I am trying to enjoy every last minute of warm weather. I know that has been the recurring theme of MonkeyPosh all summer...and I guess I feel somewhat lazy and guilty for rarely posting on my blog, so I constantly need to explain and justify. I appreciate everyone who has continued to check in on MonkeyPosh through my travels and the lazy days of Summer. As Fall approaches, I promise to get back to fashion and makeup and all the good stuff.In Chicago, it just isn't Summer without a few Cubs games. This past Friday I was lucky enough to get to hang out with some of my fave gals at the Cubs VS Cardinals game at Wrigley. It was a beautiful day...mild temperatures...clear skies...a fun crowd...cold beer...I digress....The Cubs won, so we headed to Bernie's for some post game tomfoolery, and obligaroty cheesy photo posing. I am so lucky to know an arsenal of fabulous and fun women that I get to hang out with. Many thanks to T, T, and E (and a random woman with a diamond encrusted whistle who was very generous with her almonds) for a great day!

Also, this past weekend I got to hang out with my friend JR from Texas and we just happend to pick up Bobby Lee from Mad TV along the way. That is what I love about Summer, you just never know who you will end up with.....and to quote CHRISTIAN SIRIANO from the last season of Project Runway- "I love Asians. Asians are FIERCE!" Indeed dear Christian.....indeed.

I hope everyone is having a fun and fabulous August.

(all photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

PS -I totally love Christian! Hi Christian!

Late Summer at Chez MonkeyPosh -part 2

2008-08-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

This is the second installment of some late Summer shots around my house. The weather has been odd lately. Usually we get our bad storms in the Spring, but this year most of the severe weather has come really late. We have had a lot of storms lately and just this past week, we have lost electricity twice.This is a picture from my front porch as a very strong storm rolled in. The colors and shapes of the clouds were beautiful and haunting.We have had a cute little family of barn swallows in our yard this summer too. They are so little, and active, and so cute. This is their brood. This is a nest atop a column on our front porch. The babies are so cute, but every time we spend any time on our porch, the Mama bird swoops and chirps and carries on trying to protect her babies. This is a great shot of the Mama feeding her babies. She is out getting food all day long. Those babies eat a lot, and when they are hungry--they are loud.
I love this photo of our pond, because to me it looks like it could have been taken in a bayou in Southern Lousiana. This is a gorgeous Blue Heron that hangs out in our pond and catches fish from that fallen branch. On this particular day that black bird was vehemently trying to run the Heron off. It was entertaining to watch.Here is our Blue Heron in all his (or her) glory. Majestic.Since this post has totally gone to the birds (chortle chortle), here is a picture of a hawk that landed on our back porch. I had never seen one up close, and they are huge. This picture was caught as it was flying away. It's wingspan was about 4 feet wide.This is a tomato that my husband grew. After the scare with the tomatos, he just decided to grow his own, because to my husband, summer is not summer without fresh, homemade salsa. I am not a big tomato fan, but I do think this photo is pretty.Gorgeous hibiscus bud. I love this one.

And...here is Finley enjoying the lazy dog days of summer. He likes to kick back with the remote and watch some Project Runway.

Here is hoping all of you are enjoying late summer.

Oh and I must add that Jemma Kidd is debuting a line of cosmetics at Target. I am so excited about this as I love Jemma and have blogged about her before. I look forward to trying her stuff out and reporting soon.

(all photos taken, owned, and licensed by MonkeyPosh LLC)

Late Summer at Chez MonkeyPosh -part 1

2008-08-01T04:41:00.001-07:00

Happy August!

As I have said in previous posts, I have been trying to enjoy every moment of summer. I have been spending as much time as possible outside soaking up the sun and warm weather because I know Winter will be here soon and the thought of that makes me want to stick hot needles in my eyes (do not judge me if you did not live through the last Chicago Winter) ....but alas, I will refrain from self mutilation due to impending bone chilling weather and I will focus on rejoicing in the sunshine. These photos reflect some things that make me rejoice in my very own yard. I am a cheap date. Precious Finley keeping all the ne'er-do-wells off the property.
Beautiful purple flowers in the backyard. I think this one looks like a painting. Our flowers have done very well this year and that brings me a lot of happiness.

Daisy following an afternoon rain.Sadly, it is not all beauty in my yard. These damn Japanese Beatles are just about to ruin 3 of our big trees. This is the first year we have had these pests and they had already devoured the tops of our trees before we even realized there was a problem.This is what our trees look like now. Ghostly brown whisps of leaves are mostly all we are left with. So, now we have to have these attractive bug trapper bags in the yard. UGH. They are unsightly, but they sure do work. They fill up with bugs daily. There must literally be millions of these bugs in my neighborhood.
Our mulch has also developed this strange egg yolk looking fungus in random places. It is so strange- if you touch it, it evokes this spooky fog of smoke like stuff. It has been a challenge keeping Finley out of it, but our Vet says unless he ingest mass quantities, it is pretty harmless, but it sure is ugly.

I love the colors on this one....yellow and fuchsia and red.
Gorgeous hibiscus. Reminds me of Hawaii.

These two photos are just of random flowers around the house. I love how pigmented the second one is. Such rich colors.

My husband took this photo and I love it. The detail is amazing.

I hope all of you are having a wonderful summer. Please do share any amazing things you are doing.

Beautiful day to all.

(All photos taken, owned , and licensed by MonkeyPosh LLC)

Summer Love

2008-07-22T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
I believe I missed my blog birthday last week.....the blog has not been a priority this summer. Anyways--happy belated blog birthday to me!

I realize I have not posted about beauty or fashion items for a very long time....so I am dedicating this post to some beauty products (and beyond) that I am loving this summer.First off, I am obsessed with Balmain Ambre Gris, and I am working my way to Paris to get a full bottle. It smells crisp and warm to me. One of the main notes is Tubereuse, but it is very subtle, which is good because I am not a huge fan of Tubereuse. The cost to ship this bottle of goodness to the US from Paris is more than the actual bottle of perfume costs. No thanks--I will save my money for a plane ticket and pick it up myself--which I hope to do soon because this fragrance is gorgeous.Yum! This Guerlain Double Vanille is delicious. I am not a foody gourmand fragrance fan the majority of the time, but this vanille is special...it has something a little woody and tobacco-esque in the composistion to my nose. I am loving it this summer.On a recent visiti to MAXINE SALON in Chicago, I picked up a few of the new Shu Uemura hair products and I have to say, I love them as much as my beloved Kerastase. My favorite out of the bunch is the Moisture Velvet Nourishing Treatment with Camellia Oil. This makes my unruly locks soft and glisteny....even in the Chicago summer humidity. I love it!Speaking of hair, I am LOVING Rihanna's new short do. I could never ever ever pull it off, and I guess most people couldn't, but I think it is gorgeous and so flattering to her beautiful face. I am also loving the new MAC Mineralize Blush in Gentle. It is the perfect color to brush lightly on your cheeks this summer. It has just enough iridescence to give a lovely, yet light glow. I have very fair skin, and it is even flattering on me. I am totally and completely obsessed with KIEHL'S new line of Superbly Restorative skin softeners. The salve pictured above has been my best friend this summer. I use it on all my dry skin areas, and it even makes my heels soft and supple. There is a body lotion and a body oil in this line too--I have them all and have used them every day this summer. They are all wonderful for dry summer skin.This TNS Recovery Complex is a new find for me this summer. I can thank my friend M for turning me onto this little bottle of magic. It makes my face so soft and smooth. I got mine at THE SKIN STORE but a lot of dermatologist's office carry it too. It is a little pricey, but I find it to be worth the money. I saw this Elliot Lucca Portia Shopper bag in a magazine and I fell in love. I purchased this in cognac brown, and it has been one of my favorite purchases this summer. I love that it has the long shoulder strap that attaches--which makes it perfect for summer travel. It is big and roomy and I love the structure. You can find Elliot Lucca bags at Nordstrom or ELLIOT LUCCA .

I am loving music by JOSHUA JAMES this summer too. This is the lovely M and me and Joshua at a recent concert in Chicago. He is so talented and his lyrics make me weep. He has one song in particular called "Lovers Without Love" and it is beautiful and sad.....but he also has a happy song called "The New Love Song" which is perfect for summer listening. All his songs are thoughtful and most have a message. He puts on a great live show, so if he is in your town, go out and see him.

Oh....So You Think You Can Dance--I am hook, line and sinker for this show. Obsessed does not even cover it. I plan my evening activities around this show. The talent on this show is incredible. Oh and I love the host, Cat Deely. She is catwalk material, but is an improv actress first. I love a pretty woman who rocks the improv. I am so thinking I am going to go see the Top Ten dancers when they go on tour across the country. I think I am going to ask Jamie from PARALLEL FIRST to be my date because she loves this show too, and she might be the only person as lame as me --I mean as cool as me -- to buy tickets to see a bunch of reality show dancers probably in a theater somewhere like Aurora.

Last but not least, I am obsessed with the fact that I AM GETTING A SONIC IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS. Anyone who knows me well (at least all my family and friends in Oklahoma) have heard me whine and complain that there are no Sonics anywhere near me. I have lamented this fact for years. My friend LeAnn used to mail me bottles of their special cherry syrup from Oklahoma so I could make homemade cherry limeades Sonic style. Well I do not need cherry syrup charity any more because soon I will pull in to the Sonic Drive IN and order my own Sonic Cherry Limeade like a proper Southern Lady. I cannot wait.

Anyone care to share any of their loves this summer? I would love to hear them.

Lovely day to all.

(photos property of Kiehl's, Guerlain (euro), News Parfums, Fox TV, Sonic, and MonkeyPosh LLC)

Seward, Alaska

2008-07-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

As I said in my last post, Seward , Alaska is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Not pretty like Paris, France is pretty--full of man made objects and art that make it pretty-- No, Seward is naturally and ruggedly beautiful. The rough ocean meets the big mountains meet the fluffy clouds. It is simply breathtaking. In Seward, you can visit the Kenai Fjords. A fjord (pronounced fyord) is an inlet of land with steep sides caused by glacial activity. To you and me that basically means pretty mountains with glaciers everywhere.

This wooden bear is cute, but look at the cruise ship and the mountains in the backgroud. So beautiful. The whole time we were there, the clouds lingered about half way up the mountains and the effect was majestic. We did not go to Alaska on a big cruise ship, but I have heard it is the best way to see everything.
Beautiful glacier melting into waterfalls in Resurrection Bay.
More waterfalls into the ocean..beautiful.

I think this one is Harding Glacier. Here is an example of the bright blue color the glaciers cast. It is because of the absorption of red and yellow light (just like in oceans) and something to do with hydrogen bonding. The effect is brilliant blue. On clear days the color is much more vivid. Sadly, it was overcast most of the time we were there.

The wildlife in the Seward area is AMAZING. This is a gorgeous Bald Eagle that was sitting atop a telephone pole and my husband was able to get a great picture with his zoom lens. It is so sad to think that the Bald Eagle was on an endangered species list at one time. They are still protected and with good reason-they are so beautiful and regal.

We took a day cruise out into the bay and all around the Aleutain Islands that surround Seward. The waters were VERY ROUGH and scary but the scenery was worth all the nausea and fear. There was a pod of Humpback Whales and they were being very active. They breeched and slapped their tails and fins for over 30 minutes. We have seen Humpbacks in Hawaii a few times, but they have never put on a show like they did in Alaska.

This is a Dahl's Porpoise which is a cousin to an Orca Whale. The coloring is the same as an Orca but the Dahl's porpoise is about 1/3 the size of the whale. We saw an Orca while we were there, but it was in the glacial water with tons of little icebergs and so we could not get a good photo. There are a lot of little otters and they almost flirt with the tourists. Half the time it seems like they are waving. They usually hang out in parties of two and they are very active and jovial. They lose most of their heat through their hands/paws so that is why they hold their little hands together--to maintain their body heat--awwwww.
This was an angry male sea lion protecting his harem. According to our boat guide, male sea lions stake claim to a rock in the ocean then they lure many females to live on said rock and he mates with those females for over a month. During this time he does not eat at all because he cannot leave his rock. If he leaves his rock, another male sea lion will overtake it-so he eats and eats and eats in the months preparing for mating season sometimes gaining over 500 lbs. Damn.

Learing about all the animals was just as good as seeing them.

All in all, my husband and I agree that this trip to Alaska was one of our best vacations yet. We look forward to going back and visiting Juneau, Ketchikan, and other parts of this beautiful state.

Have a beautiful day!

(all photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC and most are courtesy of Mr. MonkeyPosh's mad photography skills)

Head in the clouds

2008-07-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

I have been so negligent of my blog all summer, and I really have no excuse other than just being busy and distracted, and out of Ritalin. Ok, just kidding about the Ritalin, but I have been totally taking advantage of the summer time and if I do sit down for any amount of time, it is usually to watch reality TV and/or eat junk food (so obsessed with So You Think You Can Dance!)....but not to blog. Plus, during the summer so many friends (skree Violet Noir, Kate, Les, and WW) visit Chicago and it is so fun to get to spend time with them. Oh and we got a Wii and a Wii Fit--so that keeps me busy and teaches me all sorts of things like how out of shape I am and that I have the balance of a 60 year old.

Up yours Wii.

A few hours will pass very quickly while trying to master the Wii.....seems this whole summer is going by way too fast.

So, last the blog left off, I had just returned from Alaska.

As I said in the previous post, we flew into Fairbanks, which was not really in the mountains like I expected. We spent a few nights there, but during the days we drove all around, because honestly, Fairbanks was a little boring. One day we drove to North Pole, Alaska which was very cool in a cheeseball kind of way. The stores there are decorated for Christmas all year round. It is a small town, but it has lots of silly things to take photos of. Exhibit A= the photo above.

I must also point out that we were in Alaska for their Summer Solstice which is the longest day of the year and a huge celebration. The daylight lasts 24 hours for about 2 months in the summer. It was FREAKY to say the least. You would wake up at 2 am and it was full blown light outside. In Fairbanks, they had a midnight softball game and when they were promoting it on the news, they said everyone who was going to to the game should wear plenty of sunscreen because it would be 80 degrees and sunny. Their heat of the day is AT MIDNIGHT!

One of the things that shocked us was the large variety of wildlife EVERYWHERE. This moose was just hanging out on the side of the road. I was not privy to how huge moose are. They are massive and when you spot one on the side of the road you must stop like a lame tourist and take a photo.Driving around Alaska is very beautiful. The scenery almost everywhere is amazing. This is a photo in Denali National Park. Denali means "The Great One" in Native Alaskan and it refers to the largest mountain in North America. It has since been named Mt. McKinley by our government, but none of the Alaskans ever call it Mt. McKinley. It is Denali--period.These photos were taken from the car driving in and around Denali National Park. This is a snowshoe hare who was sucking on the pebbles then spitting them out. It was in a creek bed and all the creeks are glacier fed and full of minerals, so I can only guess he was getting some sort of mineral off the pebbles. He was very very cute and not scared of me at all.

This is a photo of a Ptarmigan which is a grouse. These birds are loved at Denali. Many of them had hatchlings the week we were there, and this made the Park Rangers very excited. All of the Park Rangers talked about the park as if it were a person. All the ones we spoke to seemed to truly adore their job.

We took over 1,300 photos, so I could post so many more of the mountains in and around Denali, but sadly none of our photography could ever do them justice, so I will humbly move on to Anchorage, Alaska.

The drive from Denali to Anchorage was gorgeous, but we were happy to check into our hotel because it was a such a long drive. Anchorage is much more of a "city" than Fairbanks. Anchorage had lots going on AND they had a Nordstrom-HA! The first thing we did was eat. We ate coconut fried salmon, king crab legs, halibut, ETC. The seafood there is amazing. Next we went to a "Sled Dog Rodeo". The Iditarod Dog Race is HUGE in Alaska. The mushers are superstars there. We got to see some movie dogs.

This dog was in Snow Buddies,and this dog was in Eight Below. I have never seen either movie, but my husband has seen Eight Below and he totally remembered this dog. Apparently, Alaskan Malamutes are extremely intelligent and easy to train for movies. I think the dog that was in Snow Buddies looks kinda like Day-Z from Fightin Mad Mary's blog--all the cool dogs have a little Sled Dog blood!

This is Dallas Seavey whose Father won the Iditarod a few years ago. He is shooting for a win too. Those dogs were so excited to be harnessed up and run. They are a joy to watch.

I posted a few months ago about Finley going to Sled Dog Fantasy Camp because he could totally pull a sled through subzero temperatures in the mountains.

A dog can dream, can't he?

I will do a post about Seward, Alaksa in the next few days. Seward is worthy of a post all it's own.

Have a wonderful day!

(photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Home

2008-07-01T03:59:00.001-07:00

I am home from our journey to Alaska. It was beautiful, and rugged, and not at all what I thought it would be. We landed in Fairbanks, rented a car and drove all over that huge state.

When I was in college, one of my favorite songs was "Anchorage" by Michelle Shocked and one of the lines is : "Hey Chel, you know it's kind of funny, Texas always seemed so big, but you know you're in the largest state in the Union when you're anchored down in Anchorage". No truer words were ever sung--especially if you are driving through Alaska. The maps are all so misleading, simply because the scale is so much bigger there. What might be 10 miles on a map of New Jersey can easily be 70 or 80 miles in Alaska. However, the drive 90% of the time in Alaska is simply breathtaking. We drove from Fairbanks, to North Pole, to Delta Junction, to Denail, to Anchorage, to Seward. Seward, Alaska is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. My husband stayed a few days longer than me in Seward to go fishing. He was supposed to fish for salmon and halibut, but due to the long winter there, the salmon were not in yet. That was a bummer, but not all is lost because now we have a freezer full of Alaskan halibut that my husband caught. Who knew I was married to such a Grizzley Adams?!

The above photo is our drive into Denali National Park.

Denali is the native Alaskan name to Mt. McKinley. That is not Mt. McKinley in the photo as most of the time the peak of Mt. Mckinley is in the clouds and even catching a glimpse is a lucky thing.

More photos coming soon.

I hope everyone's summer is as great as mine!

Lovely day to all.

(photo from MonkeyPosh, LLC)

North To Alaska

2008-06-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends-

This summer is just slipping by with very few blog posts. It seems we have been so busy working on the house and the yard, with our jobs, and with running. We have been spending time exercising here at Chez MonkeyPosh because this Winter was murder on our weight. With all the snow and cold, I became quite lethargic--UGH. I am trying my hardest to get in shape--and much to my chargrin, this takes a lot of time. I have been running a lot in the neighborhood and going to the gym and taking various fitness classes. It is hard work, but well worth it. I want to be back at my fighting weight by the end of July.

We are off to Alaska early in the morning for a few days. I am excited to see the rugged beauty and to eat tons of salmon. I will post pictures upon returning home.

Have a wonderful week.

(photo from Away.com)

Tagged by Beckie!

2008-06-11T13:27:00.001-07:00

Hello Folks!
The lovely, informative, dog loving Beckie over at Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog has tagged me to answer 6 questions in a game of tag that is sweeping the blogging community. I love a good survey--so let the games begin.

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
In June of 1998, we had just moved to a new city and into a new home, so I am sure I was busy cleaning and sorting and setting up my house.

2. What are 5 things on your to-do list today?
*Call the carpet installer to come measure our rooms.

* Run at least 2 miles

*Go to the grocery store to look for Otis Spunkmeyer muffins for my girl Stephanie.

*Clean my kitchen (including cleaning out the fridge-UGH)

*Watch the season finale of Top Chef--lame I know, but I love that show!

3. What are some snacks I enjoy?
Oh I love marscarpone cheese on crackers. I love turtle brownies, pieces of ham wrapped around carrots (for a low carb snack), twix bars, granola bars, ETC.

4. People I want to know more about?
OUR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES. And all the other people who make all the governmental decisons that have an impact on my life. I also want to know more about people who have followed their passion and made their dreams come true, and brilliant ,funny people.

5. Places I have lived?
Germany, Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Arizona

6. Things I would do if I were a billionaire?
I would buy a swank apartment in the 16th arrondismont of Paris,
a flat in London, and an apartment in NYC. Then I would open a store in New York. I would travel the world. I would take care of all the people I truly care about. I would open an animal shelter and donate lots of money to animal charities. Oh and I would pay off all my bills TOTALLY.
Oh and I may also buy a cool apartment in Los Angeles or Monaco to stay in all winter.
Seriously I cannot even fathom that kind of money, so I do not know what I would do.

Ok--I am tagging my girl Christa at THE SWIRLS and the witty and charming
Jamie at PARALLEL FIRST .

Thanks for tagging me Beckie!
Lovely day to all.

Monday Love

2008-06-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

It seems like forever since my last post--but I guess it has only been 9 days. That is almost forever in the blogging world. Time seems to be getting away from me lately. For some reason, we are just so busy. When the weather gets warm, the world moves fast.

In between the litany of menial chores I am inundated with , I have been occupying myself with some things I am loving lately.

First off -I am SO EXCITED that some of my favorite authors have new books out this summer.

I think David Sedaris is a genius and I liken myself to an aggressive Amway salesperson or creepy Landmark Forum convert when trying to push David's literature onto my friends. I want everyone I know to experience Sedaris. I want them to know the gift of his words. As I said, he is genius. I cannot relate to you, if you cannot relate to Sedaris. Period. My husband read about 20 pages of "Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim" then exclaimed--"I do not get it, this book is not funny." What? Who is this alien mutant I married? Needless to say, marriage counseling ensued. I guess you have to have a sense of humor to actually get humor. I was thrilled to find out David has a new book titled "When You Are Engulfed In Flames". I bought it on Friday and I have been laughing like a hyena ever since.

Ann Leary, who is the wife of comedian and actor Dennis Leary also has a new book out called "Out-takes From A Marriage". I bought this book on Friday too and I cannot wait to start it.
A few years ago I read Ann Leary's book titled " An Innocent A Broad". I loved it. It is a true story of how Ann went with Dennis on tour in Europe many years ago when she was pregnant with their first child. She went into pre-term labor while in Britian and had to stay in Europe for months in order to save her baby. They had no money, no family there, they were not familiar with Europe, they were young and scared. It is a great book.

I am also obsessed with this balsamic vinegar from Melina's. We ordered it from Modena, Italy. The selling points were that it was thick like honey and delicious enough to eat on ice cream....HUH? Vinegar on ice cream? Well you know I had to order it right away. It is indeed delicious and thick and tastes nothing like the balsamic you get at the local grocery store. I have not tried it on ice cream yet, but I did try it on some strawberries and it was more like a glaze with a kick. Delicious.
I am also very excited that one of my friends in New York (by way of London) is going to launch a new line of nail polish very soon. It is yet to be named and there is no launch date yet, but she sent out a few polish prototypes and I am loving this one. It is a lovley pinkish nude with sparkle. Actually getting a new product off the ground can sometimes take forever.

I will keep you updated as I know the scoop.
Oh and I love my new washer and dryer. I resisted a front loader washing machine forever, but we needed a new set as ours was ancient and plain and refused to spin anymore. I was dazzled by all the showy models . I refused to get a showy one, and you can see from the picture that I stuck to my guns. Bright obnoxious metallic red is not showy AT ALL. What? You can tell from the photo that I am a little nervous about all the bells and whistles. When it finishes a load, it plays a little tune that sounds like the ice cream man. Ahhhhh.

In addition, I am loving this new chair that I purchased from Tonya, the designer extrordinaire at my local Walter E. Smithe furniture store. Finley loves the new chair too. He barked at it for the first day, but then made his peace by evening and now he calls it mama and sleeps with it every night.

Lastly, I am elated that the Celtics and the Lakers are once again battling it out for the NBA Championship. I have been a die hard Celtics fan my whole life, so this is very exciting to me. GO BOSTON!!!!!

Here is hoping everyone is having a lovely Monday!

(photos from Amazon.com, MonkeyPosh L.L.C. , and Courant.com)

Sex And The City--The Movie.

2008-05-31T04:06:00.000-07:00

I did not have high hopes for this little piece of highly anticipated cinema. I wrote a blog post a while ago about how I was just so over all the bickering over whether or not they would make a movie. I went to the theater with an open mind, but left with an empty heart. I know that is way over dramatic, but roll with me here.

My friend Pat is a die hard Sex And The City fan- just like me, and we have always had discussions on our love of the show....plus Pat is a movie blogger, so who more befitting to go see the movie with? Pat did an amazingly insightful and thorough review on her well written blog -DOODAD KIND OF TOWN . I cannot even begin to write a review anywhere near her genius, but I will share a few of my random thoughts.

If you have not seen the movie yet, then stop reading here, as some of what I say could be considered spoilers.

First off, WTF with this belt?

Carrie wore this belt in a few different scenes with a few different outfits. When a black studded belt gets more screen time than Stanford...well we all know we are in trouble.

One of my favorite moments of the movie was ...well of course when Big says "I can build you a bigger closet". I loved him at that moment, but that is pretty much where my love for him ended. Anyway, another favorite moment was when Carrie was going to move -I KNOW LEAVING HER ICONIC APARTMENT- so she had to get rid of some things. She did a little impromptu fashion show in her closet for Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte and one of the things she put on was her tutu dress from the show intro. It was funny and nostalgic and it made me think I was going to love the movie.

Ahem.

My favorite storyline was the one of Miranda and Steve. It seemed real and touching and surprisingly way more rich and meaty than any other story line. I felt more invested in their story than anyone else's. I considered Miranda the star--well her and that effing black studded belt.

Pat and I both felt that the writers of this movie did not stay true to the characters. We all KNOW these characters, and we do not believe their personalities changed so much in the last 3 years. I think the writers underestimated us as fans and intelligent people. When one of Charlotte's major moments in the movie is a poop joke--A POOP JOKE -- I do not know whether to roll my eyes or be insulted. Women are buying these movie tickets Michael Patrick King, NOT twelve year old boys. Come on. That is just a cheap laugh.

Jennifer Hudson--well she was warm enough, but meh, weak storyline, and PLEASE do not get me started on that Louis Vuitton bag.

I loved Carrie's Vogue shoot and the cameo by Andre Leon Talley (who almost got more screen time than Harry and Stanford), but her actual wedding ensemble left me less than impressed. The dress was gorgeous, but Carrie should know that she should not wear red lipstick with blue undertones. NO NO NO.

I must say that I did love most of the fashion, and I do believe Patricia Fields is a genius. I met her once a LaGuardia and she was very nice.

Samantha and Smith bored me to tears. Smith acted stiff (no pun intended) and almost zombie like. Oh and Samantha's dog, although it was funny-it was still twelve year old boy humor.

Pat said it perfectly when she said that Charlotte was mostly there for her Pollyanna reactions. YAWN. I also agree with Pat when she said that Kristen Davis should be miffed at the writers for her weak role in the movie. I love Charlotte.

I loved these characters and I wanted MORE. I also missed their proclaimed fifth character--NEW YORK CITY. She was not really showcased or featured in this movie. Whenever I used to watch the show , I would be swooning over the city and I could not wait till my next trip there. I missed New York in the movie. A lot. After the movie, I just thought about Mexico and falling into a "Mexicoma"-groan. Seriously, I do not even really like Mexico, and seriously I was not crazy about this movie.....which does not surprise me, but somehow makes me sad none the less. I will see it again with friends and hopefully I will pick up on some nuances that maybe I missed the first time around.

I am looking forward to reading everyone else's thoughts and reviews.

Lovely day to all!

Wonderful and Wacky Land of Oz

2008-05-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

Something very unsettling about Australia is how very similar it is to the United States in many ways. Australia has KFC, Aldi grocery stores, Target, Pottery Barn (but they call it Domayne), 7-11, ETC. Sometimes we would be walking along and forget we were half way around the world from home. Their TV shows are mostly all American too. American Idol, most daytime soaps, Deal or No Deal, ETC. They do have some of their own shows, but primarily they watch American T.V. . Do not get me wrong, Australia is still very different in many ways, but there were moments that were almost eerie, and I had to take a step back to realize where I was.

One major difference betwixt the US and Oz are the prices of things. Australia is EXPENSIVE. My husband who always complains about prices in Paris, said he would never complain about Paris again because Australia is just THAT EXPENSIVE. A MAC lipstick that is $14.00 dollars at your local Nordstrom was $40.00 in OZ. Granted, prices were in Australian dollars (the AUD), but while we were there the difference between the US dollar and the AUD was about 6 cents. That is insane. Also at 7-11, a 12 oz Diet Coke was around $4.00. Damn. I never even found out what gas/petrol was there a gallon, but everyone drives.

The Australians have parental warnings before every show except cartoons. They warn of the tone, language, content, etc. What I find strange is their commercials. Some of them are QUITE naughty, and they have no warnings. There was one commercial in particular that played over and over. It took my husband and I a few minutes to get it, but once we did, he thought it was the funniest thing ever in the whole world. It is the video at the top of the screen. I am sometimes not successful at imbedding videos into posts so I hope it works. It is quite funny, but naughty none the less. Those crazy Aussies.

Have a wonderful day!

Taronga Zoo -Sydney

2008-05-27T05:13:00.000-07:00

I tried to sit down to blog all last week, but this weekend was our neighborhood wide garage sale, so my week was full of cleaning and sorting and all sorts of torturous suburban neighborhood stuff. I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Now....Back to Australia-

One of the best days in Sydney was spent at Taronga Zoo. It is said to be the best zoo in Australia-and it did not disappoint. We signed up for a private tour so our guide could educate us on all the animals indigineous to Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. I was surprised to know that there are hundreds and hundreds of animals from Australia- a lot of which I had never even heard of. Akidnas-which are like porcupines, Bilbys-which are like bunny rabbits, etc. Of course there are koalas and kangaroos and Tasmanian Devils which we have all heard of . One thing I learned is that the Tasmanian Devil population is declining very quickly due to a strange and unexplainable occurance of facial tumors. Apparently these tumors are affecting the Devils and causing horrible pain. The tumors grow so big that they impair the Devil from eating and they die. There is a lot of research being done to try to find out about and prevent these tumors but it is expensive. You can find out more about it here: SAVE THE TASSIES .

Here are some lazy kangaroos. Kangaroos are like wild mules in that they move about mostly during dusk and dawn--so the rest of the day is just for relaxing. Their legs look so long all sprawled out. These are Red Kangaroos -as opposed to Gray Kangaroos.
Gorgeous Koala! We got to be right up close and personal with the Koala Bears and that was very exciting. They are so docile and so calm. They have very little energy due to the fact that they only eat eucalyptus leaves--but our guide was very adamant that the eucalyptus leaves do not make them drowsy or "high" or impair them in any way, which is what a lot of people think.
Here I am with a little Koala butt on my head. Awwwww!

The Taronga Zoo has one of the largest populations of Chimpanzees in captivity in the world. We learned so much about their social structures and the role of dominant males and how they treat young chimps. We also learned about the sad state of their fate in the wild due to logging espeically in Africa. It is very sad, but it was all so enlightening. Be aware of where your wood products come from.

Giraffes are my favorite animals (along with monkeys.....and my Finley) so we spent a lot of time at the giraffe exhibit. You could see the Sydney skyline across the harbor and it was simply beautiful.
Real Australian Dingos. They were so majestic and they moved almost like a tiger. We were told that wild dingos in the bush are very dangerous to livestock as well as humans-but they sure are handsome. I am sure if I came across one in the wild I would try to pet it, then probably get my lips bit off.

Another interesting thing about our day at the zoo was that a family from Chicago who now lives in Singapore were on our zoo tour. They were so nice and interesting to talk to and now my husband and I are quasi planning a trip to Singapore. We have thought about going there for a while, but after talking to that family, we are all about it.

This is me with the handsy koala at the exit of the zoo. Kim Kardashian was there the same day as us, but I never saw her. If you ever go to Sydney, and you have time, I suggest the Taronga Zoo.

Have a wild day.

(all photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Back Over from Down Under

2008-05-21T03:38:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends! I am back from my adventures in Oz, and various adventures since Oz.

Australia is a lovely and odd place. It is like being in a kinder, gentler version of the United States only they do not have Diet Pepsi, it is on the opposite side of the world, and everything is SO EXPENSIVE!!! Seriously--a Loreal lipstick was $29.00 USD. It was odd because they were going into their Fall and all the ads were for Winter coats and such. That can mess with your head when you are just coming from a Winter like we had here in the Chicago area this year.

We spent quite a bit of time in Sydney. I had a great time and I saw a lot and learned a lot.

The flight was unreal. The longest plane ride I had ever been on was about 9 hours. This plane ride was: 3 1/2 hours to Los Angeles, then 14 1/2 hours to Sydney. That is 18 hours in the air. EIGHTEEN HOURS. Thank goodness Qantas Airlines is awesome and every seat had a private movie screen to watch new movies. Oh and Toni Collette was on our flight from LA to Sydney with her new baby in tow. Toni was very petite and cute. I was excited.

We arrived in Sydney very early in the morning and our room was not ready, so we went and walked around the Harbor. It is beautiful during the early morning hours.This is a beautiful shot of the Sydney Opera House. It looks different all during the day as the light hits it and shadows are cast from all different angles. We stayed in an area of Sydney called "The Rocks". It is by the Harbor and it is full of restaurants and shopping and it is very busy.The gorgeous Sydney Harbor Bridge. This was taken at a little park type area right by the wharf.
This is another morning shot of the Opera House. So beautiful.It was Fashion Week in Sydney and it was very busy and exciting.

This is a shot of the Bowie show filling up. BOWIE WONG is a very popular fashion and costume designer in Australia and Europe. His show was beautiful.

These 3 people seemed to be more popular than Bowie himself. I still do not know who they are, but the dark haired girl's shoes are unreal. The press took tons of photos and interviewed these people a lot. I asked who they were and I was told their names, but nothing rang a bell. I was on the other side of the world though. I guess they are allowed to have celebrities I have never heard before .

I have more reports on the Zoo, Northern Oz, swimming with sharks, etc. ,for later. As for now, I can say I am glad to be home and sleeping in my own bed, however I am looking forward to traveling to that side of the world again soon.

Have a lovely day.

(all photos property of MonkeyPosh L.L.C)

Monkey on the road (and in the air for 16 hours)

2008-04-28T04:32:00.000-07:00

I am off on a journey. I came down with a horrible virus right before the trip, and I was too sick to even blog. I will be gone and busy until the 3rd week of May, so here is wishing everyone a beautiful Spring and wonderful month of May.

Photos and report upon my return.

G'day Mates!

(photo from Sydney Visitors Bureau)

*Oh and while I am gone I will miss some special things so: Congrats on the wedding Misto and Happy Birthday to Cousin Jess and LeAnn!

On up in my crib

2008-04-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love to decorate my house, but it does not come easy for me. I am always second guessing what looks good. I wish I could just be confident in my taste and run with it. I wish I could just hire Nate Berkus to come make my house fabulous, but I do not have Oprah's money.

I have been toiling over a chair for my closet for some time. I am a nervous Nellie when it comes to picking out furniture, because 1. Furniture is expensive and 2. I know I will be stuck with whatever I pick out for a long time. I wanted something chocolate brown and sleek--is sleek the right word? Maybe I mean plain. I wanted a plain, brown chair. Nothing fancy. This is the chair I chose. I wish it were a darker shade of brown, but overall I am pleased.

I have also been trying to organize some of my jewelry. This is a shelf in my closet with some of my jewelry. I love the tree thing for necklaces. I found it at Homegoods. I also saw something like it at Urban Outfitters.

This is another jewelry tree I found at Pottery Barn. It is hard to tell what this one looks like because it is so bogged down with my tacky pink gumball necklace--but I love this jewelry tree. I think it can still be found at POTTERY BARN .

Today I will continue with Spring Cleaning and trying to spruce up my crib. It seems to be a never ending job. I have a bit of Spring Fever, and I think I am just ready to move.

Lovely day to all!

(all photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

Summer Sandals

2008-04-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

In anticipation for Summer, I have been looking for great Summer sandals. So far, I have purchased the cool Patchwork Sandal by Chie Mahara. I love Chie Mahara's unique styles. These are more interesting to me that plain brown sandals. I got mine at Nordstrom.
I am also loving these strappy Ness sandals by Calvin Klein. I think these can add some edge to a little black dress....and you know me, always looking for an edge-HA
I found these at Bloomingdale's, but you can also get them at Zappos .

Now all I need is some warm weather and a fun reason to kick up my new heels!

Have a wonderful day!

(photos from Nordstrom and Zappos )

Monday Obsessions

2008-04-14T14:24:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday.

Today is a good day. It has been fairly sunny and warm around here , so that is very good. I have been working on trying to organize all my makeup and beauty items and sadly this will require buying another shelf to put it all on. Between purchases and freebies I am feeling a bit knee deep in the hoopla. I am fortunate to have a lot of stuff to play with though--and like my husband says--all the makeup and perfume keeps me entertained and out of the bars. He is a funny, funny man. Please.

To celebrate our lovely, albeit rare weather, I wanted talk today about some things I have been obsessing over. Please induldge me for a moment if you will.

The Real Housewives of New York. I am not sure why, but I just keep watching it. The Real Housewives of Orange County were much more fun, but these East coast ladies engage me.

Alex--WHATEVER. Such a poser. Sadly I know someone very much like her who lives outside New York City. So pretentious. Her co-dependence on her husband skeeves me so bad. Do people really act like that? I almost think Alex and Simon HAVE to be acting for the cameras.

The redhead-what is her name? Everytime I hear her on TV I think it is Joy Behar. Me and Bawbby this .....me and Bawbby that.

Ramona--good at tennis and has a cute husband and cute daughter.

The Countess--she seems really fun, but saying a service person is like a child and they must address her as Mrs. Delesepps (or however you spell it) is so snobbish. Who knows, if I were a Countess maybe I would be the same way, but I sure hope not.

Betheny--she is the only one I think I could stand. Betheny came by all her success through hard work, and not a wedding band. She seems fun and she is gorgeous.

Tomorrow is the season finale of this season, so I am sure Bravo will have a marathon tomorrow during the day--HOORAY!

Obv I spend WAY too much time watching Bravo. Whatever. Tacky cable television keeps me out of the bars too.

I am love love loving this John Frieda Frizz Ease Night Formula. You put it on dry hair before bed....sleep....then wake up and wash your hair and it is wonderful. It seriously helps my frizzy, pourous, unruly, red heap. I know I talk about my love/hate relationship with my hair a lot on this blog, but please allow me a query of my friends and readers-- What do you, gentle readers think of highlights on red hair? I have had highlights for over a year and I am thinking seriously about getting rid of them. My blogging buddy Jamie has the prettiest, most vibrant, natural red hair. After meeting her, I really lamented my highlights. Another thing I have been obsessing over is Karen Elson's hair color.

I have seen her in person, and her hair is beautiful. I think I want to get rid of all my blonde and go bold and red again like Karen and Jamie. Anyone know a great hairdresser who can do this red? I have had red done wrong so many times. I am also obsessing about this Diet Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper. I am not sure if I really like it or not, but I am low-carbing so ANYTHING with the name chocolate that has ZERO carbs is worthy of massive obsession at this point in the game. To me, it tases like a liquid Tootsie Pop--you know the suckers with Tootsie Roll stuff in the middle. I never really loved Tootsie Pops, but I cannot quit drinking this stuff. Three weeks without carbs can make you a freak.

Another obsession this week is the new Jo Malone Dark Amber and Ginger Lily perfume. I cannot find a photo, but it is amazing. I will do a full review a little later, but it is limited edition so if you sniff it and you like it, I would suggest getting it.

Care to share any of your obsessions this week?

Lovely day to all.

(photos from asseenon.com, http://www.johnfrieda.com/ , http://www.style.com/ , and I do not remember where I got the other one--sorry.)

Diamancels are a girl's best friend!

2008-04-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

'Tis approaching Spring and I do not know about you, but I am so ready for sandals and flip flops and pedicures and letting the air hit my feet. My tootsies are tired of being cooped up in socks and shoes during this long, cold winter. This time of year, I am loving my DIAMANCEL FOOT BUFFER to get my feet in shape for Spring and Summer!

One thing I cannot stand is crusty heels. You have seen them..... in the checkout line at the grocery store, at the pool, lurking in various shoe stores, etc. It is all I can do not to offer vaseline to these flaky footed folks. I know there are some health issues that lend themselves to dry and cracked heels (diabetes to name one), and please know I am not referring to anyone with any of these ailments. I am talking to those people who are just too lazy to pay a little more attention to their hooves. Vaseline or baby oil can work wonders--and they are both very inexpensive. Before bed, apply vaseline or oil to dry feet then put on socks and sleep through the night then *voila* wake up to softer and prettier feet. I happen to use Vitamin A&D ointment (without zinc) and it is very inexpensive and works like a dream too.

In order to keep your feet in tip top shape, you must exfoliate the dead skin off. In the past I had always used a pumice stone after I had soaked my feet, but with the Diamancel Foot Buffer, you can file away on dry feet. It seems industrial strength and it REALLY gets the dry skin off. I would adivse to put a towel under your feet to catch all the dry skin--EWWWWW --I know, but seriously there will be skin....dry, unsightly skin.

I was introduced to the Diamancel Foot Buffer when I got a pedicure at the BLISS spa in Chicago. It is a little pricey, but it is worth every penny--especially when you think of the money it could potentially save you on professional pedicures. If you are like me, you will get pedicures anyway, but the Diamancel can truly help in between pedis.

So if not for yourself, do it for all the innocent bystanders who must look at your feet this summer! Just kidding--but the Diamancel is wonderful!

Happy Exfoliating!

(photo from http://www.diamancel.com/ , and you can find this product at http://www.biss.com/, and http://www.amazon.com/)

The WINNER--and things that make me happy this week

2008-04-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

I will start this post by saying that one of my cameras is not working and I cannot find the other one--so I have no cute photos to accompany the announcement of who won the Stella perfume...so let's cut to the chase---

I had 13 entries on the blog, then 17 e-mail entries ......I put all the names in a hat.....shook the hat hard as to be fair and the winner is........

*CAROLYN from THIS hilarious blog--Hooray!

I have never met Carolyn, but I thoroughly enjoy her witty blog--when of course she is posting and NOT procrastinating. I really wish she would post more because she is truly funny.

I know from Carolyn's blog that she is witty and beautiful and her hubby is very cute. I also know that she loves to travel (shout out Italy last fall), she loves gelato, and perfume, and she has horrible luck with car stereos. Carolyn also did a great review of "Lars And The Real Girl" on her blog. I have yet to see it, but I am horrible with movies....more on that later.

I wish I could just meet up with Carolyn to give her the Stella, but I believe she lives very far from me so it will go in the mail to her early next week.

Thanks to everyone who entered and congrats Carolyn!

I also want to talk about some things that are making me happy this week.

First up, I am trying to eat very few carbs and no sugar. This is very hard because I think my sugar addiction would be like that of a drug addict....only not illegal and less expensive. The more sugar I eat, the more I want, so I am off cold turkey for over a week and I think I have just about quit shaking and sweating. My "lithium" so to speak this week has been Kozy Shack NO SUGAR ADDED Rice Pudding.

SWOON! They come in individual serving sizes and each serving has only 90 calories. I put cinnamon on mine and it is really good. I am happy I found this because I usually hate low carb treats. Kozy Shack can be somewhat hard to find, but I got mine at my local Meijer.

I am also in love with the Davines line of hair products lately. Have you tried DAVINES ? It is AMAZING. I purchased a shampoo, conditioner, leave in conditioner and some honey gel and I love all of them. It can be hard to find in salons, but AMAZON carries a lot of the products.

I know I am WAY late to the "Atonement" party and my friend Pat over at DOODAD KIND OF TOWN is cringing because I rarely watch a whole movie. Pat writes a great movie blog and when I see her I always feel like a dope because I do not know very much at all about movies. I always see things like a year after they come out. Whatever--I loved "Atonement" and I loved the performances of James McAvoy and Kiera Knightley.

I have loved James McAvoy for a long time. He is in a movie I watched a few years ago called "Rory O'Shea Was Here"...in Europe it was called "Inside I Am Dancing". It is about a young man with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and a young man with Cerebral Palsey in modern day Ireland. Rory is the boy with M.D. and he is played brilliantly by James McAvoy. I am very partial to that movie and to the performance because since I was 17 years old I have worked on and off with the Musuclar Dystrophy Association. I was a camp counselor for years and I have known a lot of young men with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and James played the part flawless. The movie is great and portrays with dignity some of the real struggles (physical as well as social) of a person with a physical disability. The beautiful Romola Garai plays Rory's caretaker in the movie and it just so happens that she played the 18 year old Briony in "Atonement".

I am also loving L'oreal Collagen Remodeler. It is marketed for use on the face, but I have been using it on my hands at night before bed and I swear my hands are softer and smoother. I am always searching for new hand creams, but hey if it is good enough for the face then surely it is wonderful for the paws. This product can be found at just about any drugstore. I got mine at Target.

Care to share anything that makes you happy this week?

Have a beautiful day!

(photos from http://www.peapod.com/ , http://www.davines.com/ , IMBD, www.l'oreal.com )

To Celebrate Spring: Another MonkeyPosh Giveaway!

2008-04-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

To celebrate life and Spring and just because giveaways make me so very happy, I am giving away a BNIB (Brand New In Box) beautiful 1 ounce bottle of Stella Eau de Parfum by famed designer, Stella McCartney. I am sure most of you readers and friends already know all about Stella, but here is what the SEPHORA website has to say about it:

Stella

A fragrance based on the contrast between the freshness and softness of the rose, and the dark sensuality of amber, Stella is a sophisticated scent focused on an intense sense of femininity.The concept of the Stella McCartney bath line is based on an ecological and organic cosmetology, selecting the best natural raw materials and capitalizing on vegetal extracts based on organic agriculture and on extraction methods that respect and protect the natural life force of the plants.
Notes:Rose, Peony Flower, Mandarin, Rose Absolute, Amber.

Style:Sensual. Intense. Feminine

Stella is one of my favorite fragrances for Spring/Summer and by far one of my favorite rose scents all around. It compares slightly to Lancome 2000 ete Une Rose which is also very unique and a beautiful rose for Spring.

My other all time favorite rose fragrance is Fleurs de The' Rose Bulgare by my beloved Creed. To me, it is breathtakingly beautiful.

Please leave a comment with your blog link, e-mail address or another way I can get in touch with you if you want to be eligible for the Stella....or you can e-mail me at MonkeyPosh@yahoo.com .

I will leave comments open till Monday evening.

Thanks and have a beautiful day!

(photo credit from http://www.ulta.com/ )

Hazel

2008-03-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

My Grandma has always been the most important person in my life......by a landslide. Growing up she was always my soft place to fall. I may have my Father's hands or my Mom's smile, but thank God I got my Grandma's heart.
While my parents were off traveling the world and being way too cool to be parents, my Grandma always welcomed me with open arms, warm homemade bread, and chocolate milk.

Hazel was a simple woman, a child of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl. Have you have ever read "The Grapes of Wrath" ? If so, then you have read my Grandma's story. She worked hard her whole life, and shared everything she ever had.

I have been in Oklahoma for over a week. My Grandma passed away early last Monday morning. I am glad I was there, and I am glad I got to spend her last few days on this earth with her and that I got to tell her how important she is to me and how much I truly appreciate her and thank her for everything she ever did for me. Even though I no longer live in Oklahoma, I am very happy that I always made it a point to go see her a few times a year and spend lots of time with her. I always tried to spend every moment with her. She was so fun to be around. I will miss her terribly. My whole family will miss her terribly.
Hazel was not a wealthy woman--however she was rich with love. I am a better person because she loved me.

So far 2008 has been full of loss for me, but I will choose to be happy, 'cause that is what Grandma would have wanted.

I love you Grandma.

Photo 1--when I took Grandma to get her hair colored and fixed a couple of years ago.
Photo 2--Grandma and I at her apartment last summer.
Photo 3- Grandma in her shirt I bought her for our 4th of July party 2 years ago.
Photo 4- Grandma and I at her rehab after her surgery last July.

Memoirs of a cousin

2008-03-12T04:17:00.001-07:00

It is always a huge treat (and a very busy time) when my cousin Lily comes for a visit. She is here this week for her Spring Break and we are having a blast. Lily is one of my favorite relatives. I feel lucky that she once again chose to spend Spring Break with me.

One of the very fun things about having a little girl come and visit is decorating her room!! I love to decorate my house, and having guests is the perfect excuse to spruce things up. I try to fix her room up the way I would have liked my room at 11 years old. All the essentials.

One important essential for an 11 year old girl is a plastic, fake Birkin from Marshalls for $5.99- SCORE! So deliciously tacky.

Monday we went to the Shedd Aquarium which was fun, but SO crowded. We enjoyed the Shallow Seas 4D show. The glasses were very Devo.

Lily is half Chinese (from Taiwan), so Monday afternoon we went to Chinatown in Chicago. Lily has been teaching herself Mandarin Chinese (the child is brilliant) so she wanted to go hang with her peeps and try out her conversational skills. She was totally able to talk to the store owners and our waiter at Joy Yee Noodle (Joy Yee is awesome by the way) and she was so proud. My husband and I were blown away. I told her if she becomes fluent I will take her to Taiwan. Keep your fingers crossed, because cousin Jenny totally wants to go to Asia.Here we are with the Year of the Monkey(posh) statue in "New Chinatown".

She wanted a traditional Chinese dress, so we found "the perfect" one then I put her hair in buns, complete with chopsticks and she looked beautiful -like a little Geisha.....even though Geishas are Japanese and not Chinese, but still she was SO CUTE!!!!!

Lily makes me laugh and I needed that this week. I am very thankful she is here.

Today our agenda includes pedicures (with my beautiful new gray polish from Dear R-thanks R!) homemade pizza, a trip to T.J. Maxx, and the premiere of Top Chef tonight. Good times!

Have a beautiful day.

(photos property of MonkeyPosh, LLC)

Many Thanks

2008-03-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

Thank You to everyone who sent your kind words and well wishes about my dear Forrest.
I appreciate the kindness.

My eleven year old cousin, Lily is visiting this week for her Spring Break, so she is a much needed breath of fresh air. We are staying very busy, and that is good.

I hope to do a post about her visit today or tomorrow.

Thank you again, and beautiful day to all.

(graphic from cards direct)

Farewell my beautiful boy.

2008-03-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

FORREST.... 8-14-1995 -to- 2-29-2008

It has been a very hard week here.

My Forrest was 12 and that is very old for a Dalmation. He hung on as long as he could, and I truly appreciate the 12 beautiful years he gave me. It is really hard to write what it feels like to lose your constant companion for 12 years. I love that dog. He was like my child--not to compare a dog to a child, but those of you who love animals know that they are part of your family. Forrest has been much more of a family to me than many of my human family members and I think it is so unjust that animals are taken from us after such a short time.

There is nothing else I can say except, run free Forrest.

I love you and miss you.

Thank you for your love.

More Gray

2008-02-26T06:29:00.000-08:00

More snowy, gray weather in the Midwest today. Although I am beyond sick of all the winter weather, this is a beautiful powdery snow. It makes me wish I were skiing in Aspen, and not stuck here working and cleaning house all day.

Because my friend, Shiloh asked for some gray purses, and I ALWAYS try to oblige my readers, here is to you dear Shiloh...gray purses.

This is the very cool Botkier Sophie Tote which can be found at BLOOMINGDALE'S . I love the 2 zipper pockes on the sides-perfect for lipgloss, powder, and your cellphone.
I love the taupey gray shade of this Bottega Veneta Woven Hobo bag from OVERSTOCK.COM . The woven hobo by Bottega is a classic. I really love this one.

This insanely beautiful bag is the Zagliani Crocodile Puffy Satchel. I worship this bag. The shape is so classic and feminine. The soft gray crocodile makes me weep. This gorgeous little number is found at SAKS.COM and will cost you a whopping $11,800.00--oh in that case dolls, lets take two.
I blogged about this B&D Tuxedo Bag from NET-A-PORTER last year, so I am not even sure if it is still around for purchase. I happen to love it and it is a beautiful gray so I think it is worthy of double honor. Besides, if you click on the Net-a-Porter link, there are all sorts of lovely things to swoon over.

This is the Tory Burch "T" Contrast Patent Leather Tote. I think it is cool and the patent red looks great with the gray. I must be honest- I love Tory Burch, I really really really do, but I feel that some of her logo stuff is just a BIT over the top. This bag can be found at NORDSTROM .

On a recent trip to New York City, I was going to an event and I needed a clutch-so I went to Saks where I can always find what I need. I fell in love with this Treesje clutch. Check out their beautiful bags here: TREESJE . I almost bought the black one, but the very cool sales associate at Saks talked me into the shiny gray one. I know it looks dark in the photo, but it is really a very nice pewter gray color. This is a picture of me and Fin in all the snow. This is my gray coat, AHEM- FROM TARGET, and a gray cashmere scarf. I love my gray Target coat and I actually get a lot of compliments on it. I love Target. Those are my new Oliver Peoples sunglasses. I love Oliver Peoples, so I wanted to give them a shout out too. OLIVER PEOPLES .

I was looking through old photos this weekend and I came across this picture of Forrest and me when Forrest was 10 weeks old. He is now 12 years old--so this photo is very old. I thought I would post it becasue my baby puppy was very sweet and cute , and because I have on a big GRAY shirt--with leggings. Twelve years ago I could get away with leggings--not so much anymore. Time goes by so quickly.

Beautiful day to all!

(photos from Bloomingdales.com, Overstock.com, Saks.com, Net-a-Porter.com, Nordstrom.com, and MonkeyPosh L.L.C.)

HUGS to Shiloh!

Shades of Gray

2008-02-20T06:46:00.001-08:00

The weather around here has been...well...gray. I have been so uninspired to blog lately, and my friend Shiloh from Australia scolded me for having not blogged about anything related to fashion or beauty for a while now. SO--I decided to use the weather as my fashion inspiration and use some beautiful GRAY things for this post.
Gray is the new black...soft gray that is. It is the most popular neutral of the moment...don't blink or the new neutral will be navy, or chocolate brown...but at this moment it is soft gray, so soft gray I will celebrate today.
This is the beautiful Devote Pump by Chinese Laundry found at PIPERLIME. No frills and lovely.
I have not embraced the bootie trend for myself, but I love them on other people...other people being tall , thin, willowy girls with leggings and thin ankles. These are the Corso Como Bootie also found at PIPERLIME . Even though I am not sure about wearing these myself, I think they are beautiful. This is the Mia Viper flat also from PIPERLIME . Flats are still going strong and sure to be in through the Spring and Summer and these are very cool. I love the snake skin and I love flats.
The gray trend is also alive in nail polish. I would not have thought that gray would be a good color for me, but I LOVE this ZOYA Freja.This is Zoya Freja with some cheap glitter polish on top, but I think it looks very cool -and it is my blog, so I am posting a picture of it for your viewing pleasure-HA!

This is the very chic Gray Studio Exclusives Trench from BLOOMINGDALE'S. I love how it is paired with the black derby-very cool. I love Delman shoes. I have been a fan of their funky yet wearable styles for a long time. This is the Gray Flannel Delman Flat from SAKS . This shoe is prim and pretty and totally wearable. I love this French Connection Herringbone Wool Jacket from BLOOMINGDALE'S . I love the shape of the jacket with the bell sleeves, cute collar and the flare of the bodice. Love love love!
This is the gorgeous Robert Rodriguez Side Tie Skirt in gray from SAKS . This skirt is so classic and lovely. I also love the model's shoes in the picture.Last but certainly not least are the Gray Cambio Techno Bermuda Shorts from SAKS . I happen to love Bermuda shorts, or walking shorts depending on where you live. I happen to live in the Midwest where we call them walking shorts. I am going to order these today because they would look so great with a crisp white shirt and a fierce red stiletto. I would also add a scarf to my hair with a splash of red....I digress.

I love these shorts!

I hope whereever you are today that your day is sunny and not gray. As my friend Misto and I talked about just this morning, everything is better when the sun is shining.

Hugs to my Misto.

Lovely day to all!

(photos from Piperlime.com, Saks.com, and Bloomingdales.com** Zoya nail polish photos are property of MonkeyPosh LLC.)

Happy Valentine's Day and TAGGED by Swish Style

2008-02-14T05:52:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! I hope all of you have a wonderful V-day full of love and sunshine. This is me in front of the LOVE art sign in NYC on 6th and 55th...or at least I think it is 6th and 55th. I kinda love that sign.

Also-

Nicky over at SWISH STYLE tagged me to answer some media habit questions. Nicky is a lovely lady with a very nice blog and great taste...stop on over and say hello to her.

Here are my answers:

Books-

I love to read. I like all kinds of books except cheesy romance novels and science fiction. I love books that make me laugh. I will read anything by David Sedaris or Anthony Bourdain. I love travel narrative books and I love anything interesting. I like silly chick books from the likes of Jane Green or Amy Drake or Candice Buschnell. I loved "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I love true crime books and I dig Ann Rule. I love Stephen Clarke who writes hateful books about living in Paris. I could go on for days about books I love.

T.V.-

Hmmm..I love the Travel Channel and the Food Network--travel and food are 2 of my favorite things. I love Anthony Bourdain's show called "No Reservations"--which is all about travel and food too. I love a show called "Neat". It is on HGTV and it takes place in Canada. It is a show about clearing clutter and redecorating. I also love Project Runway, Survivor, Top Chef ETC.

I love The Office-( Brit and Us versions), Curb Your Enthusiasm, Extras, Friends reruns, and Sex In The City reruns. I think I am going to like Lipstick Jungle, however Cashmere Mafia did not entertain me in the least. I love all improv shows--Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, etc. I like any TV with witty writing--which there is VERY little of these says--writers strike not withstanding. I am probably forgetting some of my fave shows, but you get the idea.

Music-

I like EVERYTHING except heavy metal. I am really into indie music and although I do not hate everything on conventional/mainstream radio, I do not go out of my way to listen to it either. I like European music and music that moves me. I love jazzy -bluesy stuff too. I love music by true artists and not crap done mostly with machines. I also love old school Rod Stewart and Journey and stuff like that. I wish I could sing or play an instrument. I played the flute when I was in middle school, but I am talking about a real instrument like guitar or drums. You really cannot really jam like a rock star while tooting a flute.

I will be out of town for the next few days, so again, lovely Valentine's Day to all and thanks again for the tag Nicky!

(photo property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

The cooped up cook

2008-02-09T05:12:00.000-08:00

I just realized I have not posted in almost a week--where does the time go? I have been feeling uninspired lately. I think all this snow is starting to make me loopy. When I say "all this snow" please know that this has been a VERY snowy winter here in the Chicagoland area. There has been more snow this year than in the past 29 years. The roads have been horrible and most days, I have limited mobility as far as getting out on the streets--so I have been feeling very cooped up. When I get cooped up I cook and nest. I have been obsessed with trying out new recipes and home decorating and cleaning house--which are very good things, but I am so tired of this snow, ice, fog and COLD!

Here is a photo of the FOG that has been around just about every morning for the past week. Spooky. So many flights cancelled out of Chicago airports due to not only the snow, but the fog.

SNOW!

This is Finley in all his glory. He LOVES the snow and he runs and tunnels and digs and frolics over the snow drifts. My husband calls him "Baby Sled Dog". You know how men can go to "Fantasy Baseball Camp" and as a fan they can participate in Spring Training?

Well, my husband wishes they had "Fantasy Sled Dog Camp" for dogs, because he would totally take Fin to the Iditarod Dog Race in Alaska.Fin has been reading up on it. Forrest loathes the cold and snow, so while my husband and Finley dream about dog races, Forrest lays under his Pooh blanket and dreams about food.....which brings me to all the cooking I have been doing.
This is steak with homemade olive tapenade and chopped plum tomatos and rosemary roasted sweet potatos--with butter on top because no matter how fancy you make a potato it always has to have either butter or ketchup.

These are scallpos with a tobasco pepper reduction, carmelized onions, fried pancetta, and fresh chopped basil on top. These were outstanding if I do say so myself...and I do.

There is nothing I like more on cold days than hot soup. Soup is one of my favorite things any time really. So, this night I made a soup duo. The top soup is a butternut squash soup with a dash of cloves, a dollop of creme fresh, fried pancetta, and crispy fried basil leaves. The second is homemade chile with with chorizo and beef, carmelized onions, creme fresh and sharp cheddar cheese. Divine.

This bottom photo is how I cook MOST of the time--hot dog with curly frito things and a cold beer. Thank G_d my husband is not picky. HA.

I hope that where ever you are, you have better weather than me.

Do any of you have any wonderful cold weather recipes or favorite meals? Stay warm, and happy cooking!

(all photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

Grounded.

2008-02-02T04:59:00.000-08:00

Friday was a BAD day.
I was up at 3:00am to be ready to leave for the airport at 5:45am to catch my 8:45am plane to NYC for Fashion Week duties and parties and receptions and shows. We had about 11 inches of snow through the night on Thursday --and it was still snowing--so I dutifully checked my flight status on the internet. Much to my surprise it said my flight was ON TIME. I was surprised considering the tragic weather, but I crossed my fingers and went with it.

It took over 2 hours to get to the airport because NONE of the roads were plowed at that G_d-awful hour of the morning. I get to the airport only to look at the status screen and see that my flight was CANCELLED. Everyone was fighting for the very few flights leaving O'Hare. Over 600 flights were cancelled at O'Hare yesterday. SIX HUNDRED! The best I could hope for would be a 4:00pm flight--however while I was standing in the check in line, that 4:00pm flight quickly got delayed to 5pm, then 6pm, then 6:40pm....then 7:20pm..and so on and so forth.
Because all the bad weather here was supposedly moving towards my destination, my chances of getting out were basically ZERO. I checked to see about flights today, and there are tons of cancellations and delays today too, because of all the cancellations yesterday and the domino effect that causes for the next few days. By the way, the weather is supposed to be 48 degrees and sunny in NYC today.....DAMN YOU CHICAGO WINTER!
One of the things I was going to get to be involved in while in New York was a reception to honor Australian designer Josh Goot. He showed his stuff earlier this week in NYC. So to rub salt in my wounds, I get up this morning to check my e-mail and there is one from Intermix, so I click on it and guess what is highlighted on the Intermix website???? JOSH GOOT ITEMS galore. DAMN SNOW!! DAMN CHICAGO!!!

Oh well.

I hope where ever you are, you have good weather.

Here is hoping all my friends at Fashion Week are having a blast and having better luck than me.

(photos from MonkeyPosh LLC's backyard)

Food and Drink and Prada

2008-01-31T04:58:00.000-08:00

This has been a fun week.

Remember the Prada Fragrance give away contest I had a while ago? Well, Jamie over at PARALLEL FIRST was the winner, and this week I actually got to meet her to hand over the prize. It is so neat and sometimes strange to get to meet another blogger--someone that you have only known through blogging. Jamie is just as she seems to be on her blog: smart, vivacious, HILARIOUS, pretty, ETC. She is seriously hilarious. I know she is funny on her blog, but in person she made me cry with laughter. As I told her, I do believe she holds back on her blog. If you are ever out with Jamie drinking (it could happen), please get her to tell you the story of her and her boyfriend riding in a rickshaw in Milwauke at Summer Fest. First she was in a rickshaw...then as the story goes along, she says it was really more like a poor college student under the bridge put together a picnic basket and a wheel barrow to make a "rickshaw" just to get a few bucks from drunk SummerFest patrons. Picnic basket and a wheel barrow--I laughed till I peed. I found Jamie's blog through JONNKIER'S BLOG. Jonniker once helped out a friend of mine in need--and for that I am forever thankful to her.
Here we are after I bothered some lone drinking boy to take our picture. I think Jamie was mortifed...I think we made his day. Jamie seriously has the prettiest skin I have ever seen close up. We visited for 3 hours and never once could I find a pore on her face. Jamie, I need to know your skin care regimen and sunscreen. She also brought me some candy to take home, so my husband loves her now. I had a great time with Jamie, and I hope we can meet up again to talk bangs, travel, men, our dogs, and rickshaws.

Thanks Jamie!!

Next week I hope to post about my new love for Killian and Divine fragrances that I got in New York.

My friend Pat at DOODAD KIND OF TOWN and I had a day of shopping and eating in Chicago on Saturday. We ate at TABLE 52 which is owned by Oprah's former chef, Art Smith. It was good. I plan to write a review of that later.

This weekend I am on the road for research, work, and fun.

Beautiful day to all.

(photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Busy.

2008-01-30T02:43:00.000-08:00

Ok--so I have been surprisingly busy this week. I have been meaning to do a blog post for about 5 days now. There has been too much going on-work, fashion week duties and preparations, endless errands, etc. So to finish up on the NYC trip...

We went to see Young Frankenstein because I love Megan Mullaly, Roger Bart, and Andrea Martin. Save your money folks. It had a few funny parts, but not funny enough to make up for the high cost of good seats.

This was in Rockefeller Center when someone told me I looked like Carrie Underwood--WHAT?

Must be the big hair. New York has good water or something because my otherwise insane hair always acts nice while I am there. By the way--it is big like that because of the wind. By the way again--I do not like Carrie Underwood at all, but I am Southern-so for someone to say my hair may resemble someone with big old Nashville hair makes me happy.

This is me in the biting wind and bitter cold with my Duane Reade Couture bag in front of Carolines. I love comedy and I love Carolines.
This is a shot of Lake Michigan from the plane back into Chicago. It was so cold that the lake was frozen. That freaks me out, so I had to get a pic of it. I am so sick of winter.

On another note, I spent Friday and Monday in Chicago shopping and eating with old friends and meeting up with the darling and hilarious Jamie -who won the Prada. More on that later.

Have a great day.

(all photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

New York With a Fork!

2008-01-25T06:35:00.000-08:00

New York was a blur of beauty, musicals, shopping, research, etc, but in this post I want to talk about FOOD. We ate at some great NYC restaurants and such, but I did not have my camera at some of them. This post is all about a few of the delicious and delightful haunts we visited.PASTRAMI--Enough said. KATZ'S DELI is delicious! My husband and I struggled over cheating on our beloved Second Avenue Deli (which has moved from it's historical original location at 2nd and 10th --oy the heartbreak of that) but we decided to take a chance on Katz's. In addition to adoring my pastrami sandwich, I loved the sweet potato knish and the cole slaw with the sweet mayo. The cole slaw seriously tasted like ice cream. Can you even imagine? Leave it to a Jewish Deli to make mayo that tastes of ice cream. I think all my life's dreams just came true in that last sentence. Jesus, I love Jews.
My favorite hotel in NYC has to be the Peninsula on 55th and 5th. I have stayed in many places in NYC and for location, convenience, staff, and accomodations I more often than not choose the Peninsula.One night they brought me this to the room:

It was a trio of delicious sweets. I loved the presentation, and of course I loved the goods. It was gratis--cause that is how they roll at the Peninsula. When you are a return visitor, they treat you right.

One of the best things BY FAR of the whole trip was eating at PERILLA located at 9th and Jones right off Bleeker. It is the new venture (opened in May 2007) of Harold Dieterle--the talented and handsome winner of the first season of Top Chef. HERE is a little YouTube video tribute to Harold. The music choice makes me chuckle.

Perilla has a very cool, modern vibe. I would not necessarily call the food Asian-Fusion but it definitely has an Asian lean. The menu is original and delicious. We started with the pork belly. The name alone--pork belly- kinda made me cringe, but my husband assured me it was "just like thick bacon". Indeed it was like thick bacon--thick, fatty, flavorful bacon-what is not to love? For dinner I had the grouper with plantains and my husband had the roasted duckling. It was beyond the beyond. My husband's meal fit somewhere in his top 5 favorite meals of all time, which says a lot because my husband has eaten a lot of unique meals in many restaurants and many different countries. He even said that meal almost made him forget about the wreck (see post below) he had the day before. His only complaint was that "Harold carries cheap whiskey". Crown Royal, Harold--CROWN ROYAL!

This is me all proud of my Perilla meal (and my slight Merry Edwards buzz). To top the meal off we had the frozen chocolate mousse served on a graham cracker with a scorched marshmallow on top--DIVINE. I look forward to my next meal at Perilla--and next time I will be sure to book a manicure at JIN SOON natural hand and foot spa-which is only a couple doors down. Hopefully next time I can swoon over Harold too. I love a man who can cook.

Delicious day to all!

(all photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

Wrecks and John Henry

2008-01-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

I am home from New York, but it has been a whirlwind.....Friday when my husband was driving to work, he was hit at 40 mph by a less than honorable person--WITH NO INSURANCE. He was hit so hard from behind that my car (he was driving my car) hit the car in front of him--so now the front and the back of my car are both banged up. Thank God my husband was not hurt, but now it is a flurry of insurance and estimates and rental cars and stress. ACK! I will post more on my trip tomorrow, but today I present you John Henry. John Henry is a fan favorite of legendary status amongst my fragrance friends. I have known him for years. He is always such a lovely man full of wit, wisdom and all beautiful things. I spotted him and there was much hugging and hand lotion.

This trip to NYC was all about food, fragrance, friends, makeup, musicals, and freaking cold weather. More on that tomorrow.

Lovely day to all!

(photo from MonkeyPosh LLC)

The Big Apple

2008-01-17T17:09:00.001-08:00

I am off on a quick weekend trip to New York City. It will be part work -but mostly play.

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Martin Luther King Day to all.

(photo of the view of NYC from the Mandarin Oriental New York property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Sunday Night Wanderlust

2008-01-13T15:14:00.001-08:00

For some reason, Sunday nights always lend themselves to wanderlust for me. My greatest love in life is travel. I will not be satisfied till I see the world. So here I am with a glass of wine dreaming of all the great places in the world I have yet to see. In honor of my chronic wanderlust, I give you photos of my trip to Rome. Titan Fountain.

The Coliseo (as the Romans call it).

View from the Coliseo of the colorful street and my hair.

Vine covered passageway to one of the many gorgeous churches. The Vatican and Saint Peter's Square.

Me in the amazing St. Peter's Basilica comtemplating the confessional.

Inside the Coliseo.
Very cool Roman bathtub.

We stayed at the St. Regis Grand and every night they had a snack waiting for us in the room. This night it was pecorino cheese, breadsticks, and Chianti--delicious.

This is me at the Fontana de Trevi. The fountain is gorgeous, but even more so at night, however be prepared for lots of people and be aware of pickpockets.

This summer I hope to travel more to fun and exotic places. One of my main goals of 2008 is more travel. Do any of you have any fun trips planned for 2008? If so, please share with me.

Beautiful day to all.

(all photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

I heart Belle Gray!

2008-01-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

I have been a fan and customer of Lisa Rinna's store, BELLE GRAY since she opened about 3 years ago. I was in Chicago recently and I saw the most stylish girl carrying the most gorgeous bag and I had to ask her what it was. Turns out it was the Caldwell Bag by Goldenbleu. I asked her where she got it and she said Belle Gray. I came straight home and started checking out all their new stuff on line. I am in love with this Goldenbleu Caldwell Patent Handbag. I love the big button details and the gorgeous blue color. I also love this Madison Marcus 3/4 Sleeve Blouse. Again, the color is like the above bag and I am in love with it. Demure yet sexy! This is the Oh Deer Toffee Houndstooth Pump also found at Belle Gray. It is so classic and "sexy secretary".

I am always looking for lovely clutches for nights on the town and events. This Laura Merkin Eve Clutch is gorgeous. It is all about the patent leather this season and this color is to die for.
Love Love Love this bag! This is the Goldenbleu Marni Croc Handbag. It would so not be practical for me to carry a white bag as I would have it filthy in no time, but this one takes my breath away. It reminds me of a vintage doctor bag and I am always searching for a cool looking doctor bag purse. Beautiful!

Belle Gray also carries their own line of candles. They are named after Lisa Rinna's daughters with Harry Hamlin -the Delilah and the Amelia candles. My favorite is the Amelia. So warm and delightful. I have ordered this candle about 3 times from the Belle Gray website. The throw is great and they last a long time. *They seem to be out of the candles on the website, but if you call the store they will ship them.

You can click here: BELLE GRAY to find all items posted.

You can also call Belle Gray direct at:

866-423-5534 -- or -- 818-789-4021

Belle Gray has 2 locations. One in Sherman Oaks, CA or the newer location in Calabasas, CA.

(all photos from Bellegray.com , all swooning courtesy of MonkeyPosh)

Hi Lisa!

And the winner is.....

2008-01-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

First off, I would like to thank everyone who visited MonkeyPosh and entered to win the Prada fragrance. I meant to do the drawing yesterday, but I was busy at the vet with my elderly dog. More on that later.....but today I put all the entries in a hat....and I drew out the winner.......and the winner is........JAMIE --who has her own sassy blog here: PARALLEL FIRST . I have never met Jamie, and I am not sure how I started reading Jamie's blog, but she is smart and has a wicked sharp wit. She is also very pretty and has an adorable pup named Doc....AND she is soon going to smell like crisp linen in the Prada! Another great thing about Jamie winning is that she lives in Chicago, so rather than mail the fragrance to her-- maybe I can just meet her for coffee and give it to her then. That would be double awesome. Anyways--Congrats Jamie!

On another note--Please send my dog, Forrest some good vibes. Bless his heart. He is old and arthritic. He has become quite aggressive lately too--probably due to the pain is in his back legs. The vet said he may also have a form of doggie dementia. Everyone who has ever met Forrest would say this comes as no surprise. He has always been a little "special". He is very cranky and has started to bite in his old age--this is how Forrest looks most of the time now-He almost refuses to go outside in this cold weather and he has bitten both my husband and me for trying to make him. He also snaps at little Finley a lot. Because we love Forrest and we want the family to live in blood free harmony, we had to resort to this:

A muzzle. It breaks my heart, but he is much more calm and humble in the muzzle. It sucks to get old. By the way, he has had every test (blood, liver, etc) done under the sun and he is healthy other than his old joints and cranky disposition. He is also on a new medication now for pain and clear thinking. Hopefully he (and his attitude) will improve soon.

Thanks again to everyone who entered to win the Prada, and since so many people asked-- the color on my nails in the post below is Maybelline Salon Finish Nail Color in Rouge Red.

I plan to do many more giveaways here at MonkeyPosh in 2008 so stay tuned!

Beautiful day to all!

(all photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

Happy New Year!! And a MonkeyPosh Giveaway!

2007-12-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I would like to thank everyone who has asked me to participate in their end of year Favorite Things lists. Usually I am all over the fave things lists, but-- unfortunately, I recently had a ganglion cyst removed from the palm side of my left wrist and I have to wear this wristguard, and the pain is way worse than I ever expected. Typing is hard and painful, so no list typing for me this year. Also, we will be busy traveling for New Years so instead of a fave things list I decided to have a PRADA FRAGRANCE GIVEAWAY!

I received a brand new bottle of Prada Infusion D'Iris at a beauty event, and I would love to celebrate the new year by giving this beautiful fragrance away to one of you blog friends. One of my New Years Resolutions is to be more generous, so I would love to pass this Prada goodness to a home that would love it. The fragrance is brand new, in the box....never been worn, only sniffed. This is what the SAKS.COM website has to say about Prada Infusion D'Iris:

A dream, an Italian voyage, an ambiance, the smell of soap, the clean scent of crisp linen sheets, and naked skin. It combines classic, exceptional quality ingredients from Italy such as the Iris Pallida from Florence and the warm top note glow of Sicilian mandarin. It expresses itself through its contrast between a great freshness and apparent lightness and a type of tender veil, sensual, and strong, that envelops the body and the clothing of the woman who wears the fragrance.

If you would like to enter to win, simply leave a me a comment on this post with either your blog link or an e-mail where I can reach you. I will put all comments in a hat and draw the winner. Oh and to my male readers, your wives, girlfriends,(or boyfriends), and even Mothers might love a new bottle of Prada--so do not be shy!

I will be gone till Jan 2, so I will leave comments open till Jan 3rd.

I look forward to reading everyone's favorite things of 2007!

Here is hoping everyone has a wonderful New Year full of love, peace, prosperity, health, and happiness!

(photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

Happy Holidays from all of us at Chez MonkeyPosh!

2007-12-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!Jen and Finley Christmas Eve 2007.Forrest in a photo all by himself because he is way too cranky and cool to be in a photo with his mom and his brother.Finley chilling in his holiday suit.

One of my favorite haute couture ornaments.

Here is wishing everyone a beautiful Holiday full of love, peace and happiness!

(photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

Pretty Shoes for the Winter Blues

2007-12-21T04:02:00.000-08:00

I know we are just fresh into Winter here in my cold neck of the woods, but I am already feeling stifled and limited and just all around closed in by all the cold and snow. I do not get seasonal blues like a lot of people do, I just feel less free. I want to go outside and feel the sun on my skin--but that will have to wait till May around here-UGH.

In the meantime I will just talk about something that ALWAYS makes me happy and brings sunshine into my life --pretty shoes!

I am supposed to host a "Shoe Party". I have been supposed to host said party for over a year, but something always gets in the way. I have a whole dossier of lovely party favors and shoe themed decor just waiting on the party to happen.

I ran across THIS in the Horchow Catalog:

How cute are those? They are shoe and purse chocolates! What is better than a shoe? A SHOE MADE OF CHOCOLATE! Can I get an AMEN??!!

I am counting the days till I can wear open toed pretty sling back sandals like these gorgeous Cole Haans. This is the beautiful Aurora Slingback. I love this color--so fresh! You can find these beauties at COLE HAAN .
These are the Via Spia Misu Sandals--so pretty! I found these at ZAPPOS . On the Zappos website the color is listed as "purple shift", but I ordered these, and the color is very bronze to me.

This is the Report Charlize Slingback from PIPERLIME . I am a fool for an animal print shoe. I think these are lovely.

Last year we started a major closet renovation/add on and we included a shoe room. We were limited on wall space due to the construction of the house, but we tried to use every inch of space we could.

It is still a work in progress, as I am always trying to rearrange things for optimum organization and to find more room for MORE SHOES! HA.

Now I am on a quest for cute boots with low heels....pox on winter snow!

Beautiful day to all!

(photos from Horchow.com, ColeHaan.com, Zappos.com , Piperlime.com and MonkeyPosh LLC)

Cowshed.....take me away!

2007-12-17T05:52:00.000-08:00

Sheesh---I need a vacation.

This time of year is always so hectic. It seems as though everytime I think my holiday work is done--poof--there is another dinner party, or another gift that needs wrapping, another deadline to meet, another trip to the post office, etc. It never ends. The fact that we are covered in snow, my car is in the shop, and I am on a hateful sugar high(thanks to all the sweet holiday gifties from well wishers) 24-7 does not help at all. Oh, and the time I wasted trying to appease someone from, or representing the Chapman family due to my post below just adds insult to injury....or maybe injury to insult in this case-HA!

So, when my days are long and cold and busy, sometimes there is nothing better than a nice warm bath. ..and a glass of wine, but I will leave wine posts to people much more eloquent than I.

I will stick to what I know, and I know bath products.

I have been a fan of the COWSHED line for a long time. I first experienced their stuff in London about 4 years ago, then I was pleasantly surprised to find the Barneys in NYC carried the Cowshed line. I stocked up for fear it would go back to being sold exclusively in the UK again.

Cowshed Bullocks is one of my all time favorite shower gels. It is lavendar with a kick and I love it. I had been using it for a while when I went to SOHO HOUSE NEW YORK only to find out that is the line of toiletries they have in their hotel rooms and in their spa. I sometimes will pick hotels based on their brand of toiletries, or at the very least, toiletries can weigh on my decision. In the spa at Soho House you can purchase almost the whole line of Cowshed products. Soho House is an incredible hotel, the Cowshed products are just a total added bonus.

The image above is of the Lazy Cow Bath Oil--infused with jasmine and chamomile, it is delightful for a warm bath on a cold, winter evening.

This is the Knackered Cow bar soap. It is wonderful for when the holidays (or the every day) has you plum knackered. It contains oils of lavendar and eucalyptus and it is amazing.

If you love bath products like I do, then give Cowshed products a try. They have many, many things to choose from on their website.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the holiday season, keeping warm, and finding time to rest and relax.
Oh and if you are going to the post office today-I bid you peace. I hear it is going to be a zoo!

Lovely day to all!

(all photos from SohoHouseNewYork , and Cowshed)

Paris Vogue ---what the hell?

2007-12-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

I must start out this post by saying that I LOVE Paris Vogue. I have always loved Paris Vogue. I have a friendly working relationship with Paris Vogue. I love it...for reals.

BUT--What the hell?

I have had the Novemeber issue for a few weeks now, but I have been reticent to say anything because really, I do not know what to think.

I love the front cover shot of Carolyn Murphy and Andre J. Andre can work a bootie, and his legs are to. die. for. I also love that it is The Special BRUCE WEBER Issue. Although Bruce is somewhat controversial, I happen to see the beauty in his photos.....they are mostly of nude males though-HA!
The reason I am flummoxed by this issue of one of my favorite magazines is because of THIS:
WHAT. THE. HELL? There are eleven pages of photos and literature about Dog The Freaking Bounty Hunter and his family. THIS IS PARIS VOGUE --NOT GUNS AND AMMO.
I am not fluent in French, so I am not sure exactly what the article says, but what could it possibly say? He has a show that no one watches, he was caught on tape spouting racial slurs, he is not stylish or relevent at all....what the hell? The above photo is a cut of his wife in her shorty shorts, her cowboy boots and her long French white tips. Jesus.

This is Dog shaking his tail feather on the street with some models. Work it Dog.

Anyone know what is tied around his thigh? Please God do not let it be a bandana.

Oh and this is a Dog and Family collage. Let's just say for the sake of argument that maybe Dog and his family are lovely, but seriously--Paris Vogue worthy? Eleven pages worthy? Is the article a farce?

Does this confuse anyone else? Please, someone with this magazine make sense of the Dog story for me so I can finally get a good night sleep and my faith in humankind and all things Vogue can be restored.

Has the world gone crazy?

HA--have a great day!

(photos from Paris Vogue November 2007)

*EDITED TO ADD-- This blog is for entertainment purposes only (mostly my own entertainment). This blog is silly and full of satire. I am a trained comedic writer. It is what I do. I never mean any malice to anyone--Chapman family included. Since posting this yesterday, apparently I have offended a few people at a site by and or dedicated to Duane Chapman's son Leland. My apologies, but please--your family is colorful and public and if you did not want people to talk about you, then you would not have such a public life. I did not mean to offend, but come on, Paris Vogue? I stand by my post.

Beautful Holiday Palettes...and the Chocolate one that got away.

2007-12-09T02:32:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for holiday makeup palettes.....

I know that some of you remember the ever elusive and uber gorgeous Bobbi Brown Chocolate Eyes Palette from last year. It was the buzz of magazines and the beauty blogging world. I became obsessed with this palette. Buck wild shamedly obsessed. It is gorgeous, no? The colors are neutral and lovely and perfection for a redhead. I searched every mall from Illinois to Texas for this palette to no avail. I am not a competitive person at all, but tell me a beauty or fashion item I want is unavailable and I become a crazed Olympian. The challenge is on. I tried. Lord how I tried for this Chocolate Palette.....but no dice. It was a very limited edition and even now I cannot find any hanging out on E-bay or sitting around on Craigslist. Gone...poof...no more.

I eventually gave up my quest, but the Chocolate Palette was never far from my mind.

Fast forward a year later....

So a couple of weeks ago I was perusing the cosmetic aisles at Target (love Target) and I spied something beautiful, something neutral and soft and very reminiscent of my lovely Bobbi Brown Chocolate Palette--it was the gorgeous Sonia Kashuk Eye Palette in Perfectly Neutral. Granted, it is not exactly like the Bobbi one, but hey that one is no more.....I need to get over it.

I happen to love this palette. The colors are lovely and perfect for anyone. As I said I picked it up at Target. This one fills the Chocolate Palette void at least a little bit. Be sure to check the Target website out this holiday season. TARGET.COM has tons of stuff that even some of the stores do not carry.

Avon also has a very nice browny/bronzey/neutral palette this holiday season. Avon's is called the Eight in One Eye Palette in Neutral Tones--it is the one on the bottom.

The other Avon eye palettes are nice too. Avon has had a revolution in recent years. Before you go and write Avon off, please note-- It is not your Mother's Avon anymore. Avon has updated and expanded and actually become rather cool. I love the Paradise Greens Palette. It reminds me of summer at the beach. The Water Colors Palette also looks like it could provide a gorgeous smokey eye.

Avon now has the MARK line which is hip and young and fun. All their stuff is great and cool and you should totally check them out here: AVON.COM .

Also for my fragrance loving friends-- Avon collaborated with Christian LaCroix on a lovely new Eau de Parfum called Rouge.

It is a very unique and complex fragrance--nice for Winter. Avon is for sure worth checking out this holiday season.

Have a lovely day!

(photos from bobbibrown.com, MonkeyPosh LLC, and Avon.com)

Back from Oklahoma and Nail Polish Question

2007-12-07T04:36:00.000-08:00

I am back from my trip to Oklahoma. I got to spend quality time with my family and a fun evening with friends. Please do not ask me why my head is all bent over sideways. Southwest eggrolls do strange things to me. I love Southwest eggrolls and I love my friends and family.

Ok- when I returned from my trip, I had 11 emails and a few blog comments asking me what the color of my nails were in the post below where I am fondling a lobster roll. It is "Hard Knock Life" by Deborah Lippman's Vinyl line that is available at BATH AND BODY WORKS .

It looks more black than blue to me, but in the sunlight it is a really deep blue. I love all of Deborah Lippman's stuff, and I have blogged about her genius before. Her Vinyl line is relatively new. It is in really small bottles and has TONS of shine. You can check her other stuff out here: LIPPMAN COLLECTION .

Whilst we are on the subject of nail polish....I got a manicure yesterday and even though I am opposed to nail art, Jamie- my nail girl talked me into a snowman for the holiday season. The girls where I get manicures are REALLY good artists. I could never do the small and sometimes intricate artwork they do on fingernails.
Cute, no? As I said, I am usually not a fan of nail art because I kinda think it is tacky and juvenile , BUT it is the holiday season so what the hell? I like my little man.

Here is a close up so you can see his hat and scarf. In case you were wondering, he is sporting a lovely Hermes cashmere scarf.

Oh and Hanukkah started a couple of days ago, so Happy Hanukkah to everyone!

(photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

Boston and Lobster Roll Love

2007-11-30T18:42:00.001-08:00

This week I went to Boston for business, shopping, and LOBSTER ROLLS!

I headed straight to Quincy Market .....and chowed down on a plethora of lobster rolls and lobster bisques and any other delight of the crustacean persuasion I could get my paws on.
Boston is one of my favorite cities. I love the culture, the history, the shopping, etc. After Quincy Market I went to Newbury Street and shopped at Louis Boston, MAC, Intermix, etc. The weather was great and there were no crowds at all.

At Copley Center they also have a really big Barneys New York. It was so nice and the lady working in fragrance really new her stuff. I did not even know that Barneys existed..I only knew about the tiny one in Chestnut Hill.

This is a photo of The Boston Common, which is said to be the oldest park in the United States. This photo was the last photo I took before I dropped my camera AND BROKE THE DAMN THING. Ack--I was so mad. It was a great trip and I look forward to going back for Celtic games and of course more Lobster Rolls.

Tomorrow morning I am headed to Oklahoma to visit my family and some friends.
I am not taking the laptop, so I will be out of the loop and not blogging for a few days.

In addition---
Today is my gorgeous, sweet, smart and hilarious friend Angela's birthday. She has a sharp wit, and hearty appetite and keeps fit with faux yoga. Ange and I both have a strong averson to extra skin and we stay far away from sliders (the ones at White Castle and beyond). Thanks to Ange for our frequent chats and for all the times she cracks me up with her quacky sense of humor! She seriously makes my ribs hurt with laughter sometimes.
Here is wishing Ange a great day of birth!

I hope everyone has a wonderful first week of December.

(photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Very Thankful

2007-11-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

I know I am a few days late for a Thanksgiving post, but I wanted to say a little something about a few things I am thankful for right now.

I am thankful for my friends and family. I am very fortunate to have friends from Los Angeles to New York --in between and beyond. A lot of my friends I have had for over 20 years. I am also thankful to the internet so that my friends whom I live far away from and I can have a daily connection. I try to be a good friend, and I am fortunate to have friends who are very good to me.

I am thankful that my Grandma who is 93 is still with us. She only has flickers now of reality and rememberance, but she is still silly and loving and ornery. My Grandma is my favorite person on the planet. I love her and I am very thankful for her and what she has meant to me throughout my life. My Grandma has lived a long and eventful life and that reminds me of how thankful I am for my own good health. I thank God every day for my health and I never take it for granted.

I am also thankful for my dogs.

My Forrest (the dalmation) is 12 and he is getting quite cranky and elderly. He has become a bit loopy and at times he is difficult to deal with but I love him, and I am very thankful he is with me. My Finley is sweet and a pleaser, I am thankful for him too. He is very cute dressed up like a Chicago Hot Dog. I know, right?

I am thankful that my husband gets me fattening gifts like this cookie and chocolate covered strawberry gift from SHARI'S BERRIES . It is a wonderful website full of delicious, blissful sweets.

Shari's has gourmet cookies---delicious. They ship anywhere in the U.S. and I have always been pleased with them....but hello I am always pleased with chocolate and cookies.

I am also thankful for HANCOCK GOURMET LOBSTER who provided my Thanksgiving dinner straight from Maine. We had lobster this Thanksgiving because I felt like being NON traditional. We had lobster rolls and lobster pot pies. It was delicious. Hancock has wonderful, fresh food and fast reliable shipping. When you cannot get to Boston or Maine, Hancock can bring a little East Coast culinary bliss to your doorstep. I just placed another order from them today. Boston, Mass has the best lobster rolls I have ever had. You can find lobster rolls just about everywhere in Boston. I am going to Boston tomorrow morning for some business and the first thing I am doing when I get off the plane is getting in a cab and heading to Quincy Market to eat lobster rolls till I am full. I really do not know anywhere in the Chicago area with good lobster rolls, but my favorite place in NYC for lobster rolls is Ed's Lobster Bar. Ed's is located at 222 Lafayette Street in New York City and the website is ED'S LOBSTER BAR . I am a tad obsessed with lobster rolls, and I could seriously talk about them for 3 more paragraphs.....but I won't. I will just say that they are good and if you have never had one, you must try one before you die.

Lastly, I am thankful for my peaceful place in the world. Sometimes my life seems so busy and hectic and I feel overwhelmed....then I look out my back door and see the geese landing in my pond and I realize how blessed I am for all the great things and people in my life.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and here is wishing everyone a beautiful holiday season.

(Photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)