It's raining cats and dogs

I wore the wrong shoes today and it ended up pouring. My feet are soaked and my pants are soaked up to my ankle. Also, wearing wet socks around is probably the worst feeling in the world. While stepping through one puddle after another earlier I daydreamed about rain boots. Here are a few visions I had:





Next time I'll be ready.

You can find the boots at Target.

Pretty things from Lekker

I must be suffering from window-shopping syndrome. I have it bad. Here are a few items I found that I love:



My wallet will be staying shut. I just like to dream from afar.

Top row (from left to right): Exploration Placemats, Birch Lamp Set.
Bottom row (from left to right): Vacuum Carafe Soft, Bamboo Bowl Collection.

Music in every room

“Don’t pick out that. What are they going to do with a shower radio? Anyway, those things never work,” I advised.

My brother, A, was about to purchase a shower radio as a wedding gift for our mutual friends. I was against it. I had already picked out my gift, a bottle of fine wine. Nothing says romance like alcohol wrapped up in an elegant and expensive looking French bottle. My brother didn’t listen to me (of course) and purchased the silly shower radio anyway. Months later he ended up living with the married couple as a roommate on their couch. He was quick to remind me of our previous conversation concerning the wedding gift.

“I’ve been waking up every morning and groovin’ to some pretty hip tunes… in the shower.”

“Oh, you have, have you?” I replied.

“Yes, with the shower radio you said not to get. I guess they like it because its been in their shower and I’ve been making the most of it.”

“Uh huh."

At the risk of sounding contradictory and somewhat frivolous, I’ve been considering getting a shower radio. Not because of the previous conversation with my brother (although that does seem to come to mind) but because who wouldn’t want some music while in the bathroom? It can be tedious standing in the shower staring into the abyss or shaving ones legs without any form of inspiration. I just think music might liven things up a little. Does anyone know of a shower radio that works? I will probably need to do a little research.

American Apparel models are depressed (and creepy)

I understand models aren’t allowed to smile or reflect emotion but this is depression to the extreme:



Actually, it might just be creepy.

When I was younger (I’m thinking teenage years here) I went through a phase of subscribing to countless fashion magazines and store catalogs that I would get incredibly excited over. Oh, like every girl, I wanted to be pretty and have the right clothes. American Apparel wasn’t around in those days but if it had been I believe it would have utterly confused me. You see I became familiar with gorgeous, classically beautiful models. To this day, this is the kind of image I have in my mind. In the case of American Apparel their models tend to frighten me. Also, in many cases I have to stop and wonder, "What is she wearing? A plastic bag with zebra striped shorts? Is that what kids are wearing these days?”


* The images used in this post are courtesy of American Apparel.

Do men and women shop differently?

Yahoo News just put out a story on how grocery stories are still "overwhelming" to men. An excerpt from the article reads:

"Unlike women, men tend to hone in on the specific thing they want to buy instead of surveying the entire aisle, consultants said. That can be a problem for manufacturers and retailers trying to promote new products that are the life-blood of packaged food companies."

I'm not a man but I don't know if this story should be so exclusive. After a recent trip to Meijer (which is a large grocery superstore that is common throughout Michigan) I left feeling exhausted. You see, I grew up with Meijer and so throughout my life span I've come to know the layout of the land. You could blindfold me in a Meijer and I'd still know where to find paprika or a goldfish. Because Meijer is everywhere in Michigan, I imagine many other Michiganders would share similiar sentimement.

Recently Meijer has been in the process of making over their stories. They are attempting to be hip and a part of being hip seems to be shifting aisles and products. So, if you want to find deodorant it is safe to assume it is hidden in an aisle with canned vegetables. Looking for a bottle of fine wine? Then you had better head over to automotive. You will probably find your chardonany next to windshield washer fluid.

I was venting about my Meijer frustration to my sister, Theresa, yesterday as we sat in Ikea's food court. Ironically, in some ways trying to shop at Ikea is just as difficult as trying to shop at Meijer. I love going to Ikea in Canton (after all, it is the only Ikea around) but I do not love the madness of trying to move through the crowds of people who are also enamored by Swedish design. Often, I will leave Ikea empty-handed. Somewhere in the process of fighting to get through the store my love for cheap furniture dies.

So, has shopping become "overwhelming" for men alone? I don't know. I do know I am starting to feel some of the burn.

Birthday wishlist

I celebrate my birthday at the end of the month. I've been asked, "So what do you want for your birthday?" several times now. I don't have an exact answer to this (also, isn't it rude to tell people what I want?) and so I decided to put together a wishlist. The wishlist is complete fantasy. I don't expect family and friends to rush off to purchase any item on the list. I'm providing it to share some of the things I've had my eye on or that I would enjoy (items that are most likely outside of my budget). So, here is the list.

Canon EOS 6.3MP Digital Rebel Camera. I miss having a digital camera. *Sniff, Sniff*

Sony Cybershot DSC-T10 7.2MP Digital Camera. This would be my small camera for spying. Also, for when I didn't want to carry around the much bigger digital SLR camera.

Teaposy teapot. Actually, I just need a clear teapot so I can watch flowering tea in action. I also like the Miko teapot.

Mari's New York brownies. Ok, this isn't exactly something my body needs but they look amazing.

Ikea Expedict bookcase. I like the $129 one. I would put it in the Living Room of my apartment.

Starbucks gift card. This is something I can always put to use.

Also, I love all the items on my Amazon wishlist.

R.I.P. my bright green Crocs

A certain someone wasn't able to handle the sight of my green Crocs and after wearing them nonstop their brightness and the constant reminder of Kermit became too much for even me. So, I retired my old pair of Crocs today and picked up a new pair of Mary Janes in black. They don't stand out but like other Crocs, are comfy as can be. I didn't see any of the Spring line of Crocs at the store but you can check them out here.

Oh, and in case you didn't figure it out the above photo is of my old Crocs. I am pictured wearing them on the ferry to Mackinaw Island.

Scary fashion

In the quest of looking for dresses to wear to my brother's wedding I ended up looking on Amazon. After all, they have an entire section on Women's Dresses.

My search has ended. Here are are a few (of many) dresses I won't be wearing to my brother's wedding:





Scary? I know.

Decisions made in yellow

My brother, W, loves yellow and so it is no wonder his May 2007 wedding is going be yellow-themed. Rumor has it yellow is going to be in season this spring and so I am contemplating looking for something yellow to wear. I love this beautiful dress from J.Crew:



The wedding isn’t until May but don’t be surprised if I start talking about the wedding early. After all, it’s not every day that one of my siblings decides to get married. After this wedding I expect a ten or twenty year gap. I know my siblings well and rushing to the alter just isn’t a top priority.