I got cable and now I can do Red Carpet Event reviews

drum roll please..............................

I introduce to you "Valerie's Deep Thoughts about the Oscars"

It has been such a long time since I have been able to watch a red carpet event.  Last night I was so excited and cuddled up to Andrew on the couch to watch the event.  Except he tried talking me into  watching a documentary about the Taliban for about 30 minutes before I pulled out all of my "how many boxing, football, basketball, "24", action movies...(you get the point) have you made me sit through" speech.  And then I won.  And we disected how everyone looked together.  I must say he has good taste. 

Let's start, shall we?

Although Andrew was worried that it was a bit scandelous on top with the little lace pretties covering her ta-tas, I thought this dress was just.....GORG!  Her hair, the color, the makeup...it all just worked for me.  Even though it was a little Nip daring---I thought she pulled it off.

I like simple.  I like clean lines.  I like things done right.  And this girl did this right.  

Wow.  JHudson looked fab.  She has really transformed her body.  I loved this dress and the color on Jennifer.  Her hair was a little stiff on the sides.....and I'm not a big fan of what's going on in her chest area (they are just like...chicken cutlet looking....) BUT damn girl.  Good for you.  

Okay.  She looked beautiful.  We all can admit that.  But I felt like it was a little too.....Julia Roberts circa 2001?  I don't know.  Kinda boring to me.  And what was up with the pony tail extension?  Sorry girlfriend...I wasn't feeling it.

I didn't see Michelle on the red carpet but I did see a close up of her face during the Best Actress part.  Her face is just....flawless.  I just think she looks like an angel.  She pulls off the pixie like no one can.

Oh, I love her.  I love her little preggars ball gown. She is just so pretty and can pull off just about everything.  I just didn't like her earrings.  Kinda ruined the overall look for me.  But she did have the classiest acceptance speech.  Love her. 

Can we please have more young women in Hollywood who dress appropriate for their age?  Love her whole look.

Me and my friend Johannah have this saying....W.W.G.D. (what would Gwenyth do).  We use it in social situations when we need to remember to ....well, stay classy.   Needless to say, I've always been a big fan of her.  Gwen looked really beautiful and I liked the metallic look.  BUT.  Oh, Gwen.  I'm struggling with this whole "country strong" thing.  You do have a beautiful voice.  I love the song "Cruisin'".  It fit your style of singing completely.  But I'm not feeling your performances as of lately.  Especially last night.  I mean, you have a rockstar hubsters, a baby, you are incredibly wealthy and beautiful.....maybe you can't have it all *gasp*.  And who lined up Celine Dion to sing directly after Gweny?  Bad call, folks.  Moving on, moving forward.....

    

Last but not least, our hosts.  I love Anne Hathaway.  She pulls of the quirky-nerdy girl meets bombshell perfectly.  I thought she looked stunning in all of her choices--she is a classic Hollywood beauty.  Mr. Franco--you are a good lookin' man, no doubt.  But, I'm not exactly sure they cast correctly for a co-host.  You a.  looked exhausted and b. acted "too cool for school".  I don't know....I just need a little bit more personality for a co-host.  Give it to the girls--Anne out shined.  

Alright.  These are my big thoughts on the Oscars.  I know I probably missed some big names....(halle berry....you can do no wrong) but this was all I could remember on this moody Monday morning.  Joan Rivers will probably be calling me any minute now to book me for her show.  

Peace out lovlies.  

my pretty flowers

This is the African Violet that we never thought would bloom.
Look at her now!
Andrew has the green touch. His Grandma tells him that he can make anything grow---and that's a special comment coming from Grandma McLaughlin. She has the prettiest flowers on the farm.

I noticed little bulbs pushing their way up from the hard ground this morning. It reminded me of how many cues we can take from nature. I reflected a lot this winter about my life and the world and what I want to do in the time I have left here. I feel spring moving in me now.

Keep on pushin' through.....

airplanes and me don't mix

I'm back from a trip out of my beautiful state of Virginia.

I had quite an adventure getting back and I cannot tell you how many times I thought of this quote that I have posted out there on the internet machine before:

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are… Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect Tomorrow. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in my pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return."
- Mary Jean Iron

We leave home thinking that when away, things will somehow be better, make more sense, or the fabulous-ness of being away from the day to day will be refreshing. Oh this was so far from the truth. But I did walk away with a lesson learned--and sometimes you have to go away from home to finally see what you have.

happy Wednesday.

*ps. I may never fly again. Driving is the way to go.

Beastly Beast

Is it just me & the 2 margaritas I had last night or was today a beast for everyone?

okay. Don't answer that. I know.

Tonight, all I want to do is eat take-out chinese food & become an attached lump to my already lumpy couch.

these are my big thoughts for the day.
Congratulations! we both just wasted a few minutes of our lives together!

have a happy, relaxing hump day night.

ps. I am in love with Gillian Welch. When I watch her sing, I am just in a trance, I can't even take my eyes off of the screen. *sigh* music crush fo sho.

it's tuesday? here's a hodge podge post.

How did that happen? It seems like I got home last night after 9:00 p.m., closed my eyes and suddenly I was driving back into work this morning at 7:30 a.m.

I have to say, I need to toot my horn a little bit at how well I am dealing with this...well, busy-ness! It can usually send me into a tailspin. (like you don't already know that about me).

I somehow got myself wrapped into being the Musical Director for a Mary Baldwin MFA Shakespeare Production. I made a name tag that says "Musical Director" and I wear it around all day long. It might be my greatest title to date. It's a pretty cool project--I am covering 6 tunes from a musician named Robyn Hitchcock. I also play a small role as a whore in the second act. So, most nights if I am not working with the cheerleaders I am either busy working on music or being a whore. Just a day in the life.

This is a hodge podge post.

I don't have any real story running through it. I always envy bloggers who seamlessly add pictures, quotes, and music to a blog post and it all connects.

This just isn't one of those posts.

Oh but guess what? I got my phone to work (still working on project: get a fancy phone). Here is a picture we snapped from the hike. We look a lil' scraggly. This was before I fell into the river/creek.

Andrew bought me that sweatshirt at a gas station before the hike as a V-Day present. Ain't he sweet? I love Virginia & that boy beside me.

Here is my last bit of news for this hodge podge.

We are breaking down. After I blogged about not having cable, it just all became too much. I NEED TO HAVE SOME CHANNELS. This is a big deal. Like, life is going to change in the trailer forever.

we are gonna get a dish.

Happy Tuesday loves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tried to avoid putting "Happy Valentine's Day!!" in the title but failed.

Call me uncreative.

What an explosion of love-fests on the world wide web today.
I'm all for it.
I love seeing people (via FB/blogs) getting flowers, making super cute dishes for their loves, and all around being on top of this lovely holiday.

I am just not one of those people. I was lucky to find a clean pair of maroon stockings this morning to throw on for festive spirit. (okay,who am I kidding. They are not clean but the feet don't smell like rotting garbage......yet)

I just got off of the phone with Andrew and our convo pretty much went like this:

"What are you doing?"
"Fixing the sink in the bathroom"
"Good"
"What do you want special for Valentine's Day"
"I don't know, if I had a debit card I would have gotten you flowers or something"
"I'm glad you didn't. We haven't been paid this month & we're kinda poor"
"How about a ten minute back rub tonight?"
"I can live with that"
"Done and Done"

In and out and easy. One of these days I am going to blow him away with amazing holiday spirit....but until then....


Have a LOVELY Day LOVERS!

via.

张悬 - 宝贝

(V, my chinese counterpart)

I don't think it is any coincidence that I am currently writing a Grammy award winning song on the very same night of the Grammys. It's all in the cards. I just need like 4 more verses & good melody for the chorus.....almost there.

I'm also simultaneously trying to learn the words of a Chinese song that I told my friend from school I would learn. She is 14 & from China and is starting to learn how to play the guitar (but like, she can read music and already blows me out of the water ). We practiced for about 2 hours on Saturday. We are going to tour the world one day--a U.S. tour and a China tour at first--and then the world. Her American name starts with a V too, so we planned out a perfect peace sign trademark.

Learning a Chinese song is hard. It reminds me of when me and a friend in high school were obsessed with the soundtrack/movie to "Selena" and we would just butcher Spanish words and just make up what we thought she was singing. It wasn't until my fourth year in Spanish that I realize what she was actually saying. I'm going to try and respect the Chinese language a little more on this one.

We had our "VALERIE Day" today. I woke up A by singing my new Chinese song at the top of my lungs to him while he was still waking up. He really loves me. Brunch was amazing, but then we went for like a 500 mile hike, I fell into a creek, busted up my knee & I dropped my cell phone into the water and had to hike out with cold wet feet. : (

So there goes the pictures to accompany that adventure (but maybe talks of a fancy phone were brought up?!)

"V Day" was a little bit of a flop. But I am cozy at home in a robe, knee propped up, learning Chinese and writing grammy winning songs.

Can't stop, won't stop. Peace out.

Last night I learned how to do the jerk.

This is me.

This is me with a painful look of chaperone-anxiety on my face at the dance last night.

I am older this morning.

I am going to be 27 next month and that realization was confirmed last night as I seperated make out sessions, hands heading down southern regions, & chased around boys who "just want to go sit on the bus, man. I don't like the way you are comin' at me, yo".

But of course I had fun. I even learned how to do the jerk (& no, I am not referencing the Steven Martin classic). Andrew once again saved me at a work event by being an all star chaperone. We have both decided that if we have a daughter that she can never grow up and if we have a son he will not be allowed 2 feet from a female at all times.

I slightly envied the innocence of the kids last night, dancing around like maniacs to every Lady GaGa song they could listen to, but then I thought, no way. I am soooo happy that I have already lived that part of life---oozing teenage hormones. No thank you. I'll take my baby raging woman hormones any day.

Givin' the Goat

(picture from my non-fancy phone)

Last night was sooooooooooooo good for my (our) souls!

I love the stage at Mockingbird because you feel like you are in someones living room--we sat just one table back from the stage. The Black Lillies were awesome.

At one point Andrew turned around and said, "Is he giving you the goat eye?"
Now, I don't know where the origin of the "goat eye" comes from, but I have a feeling that this is something that came straight from the hills of W. VA. It means giving someone, well, you know, that kinda look. ;)
I'm pretty sure that he was giving everyone the goat eye from the stage but I smiled and said, I don't think so, and kept on dreamily staring, maybe hoping that he was giving me a little goat. (what, engaged doesn't mean blind.....)

After the show I rushed over to buy their new CD. I walked up up to Trisha, one of the singers, and asked her if I could hug her...because, I'm all touchy-feely-and-slightly-awkward like that. I saw Cruz, the lead singer, to the side and smiled as I asked him to sign my CD. I was face to face with the goat eye. I left really fast because, well, you just shouldn't linger around handsome musicians with goat eyes. This is a very important lesson in life.

Givin' the "goat".


It's a good thing I have already fallen head over heels for a boy with the biggest blue eyes on the planet.


Plans for the weekend: High School Valentine's Dance tonight! I already told all of the cheerleaders to ask Andrew to dance. He will die. For reals.

Saturday I have to work from 9-4 (boo) BUT I also get to work on some music during that time. I can deal with that. Sat. night we are going over to a good friends house (who has babies that I can play with!) and Sunday is our full day celebration of V-Day! (Valerie Day!)

xoxox Happy Weekend lovers.

runaway music

Tonight I am going on a date night with A-dog to see the Black Lillies. Have you heard of them? I fell in love with their recent CD and I am really looking forward to being around live music tonight. It's been too long and it's just good for the soul.



I also discovered this band called The Civil Wars. They kinda make me swoon. *sigh*


and while we are on the subject of music, I am sponsoring a dance this Friday with the cheerleaders and I have been instructed to learn the "dougie". Andrew has to help chaperone with me. HA. I am so excited/scared about what I will see and how many grey hairs I might leave with.


My guitar is sitting next to me in my office--ready for practice after work. March is going to be a busy music month for me---but it will be an exciting month (not to mention by birthday month) It's moving along----even on days when I feel like it is moving along at a snails pace....it's movin'.

big black box

We don't have a t.v. I mean, we have a TV but no channels. So we watch a lot of DVD's and I beat Andrew in the Wii 3 point shoot-out a lot (I have the ranking high score---what now basketball star?). I want you all to close your eyes and imagine sitting with you partner, BFF, after work with no TV. Sure, for like, a week, I felt all good about our decision (it's mainly a money saver) but then you start to realize HOW HARD IT IS TO JUST SIT with another person in the room without the TV to serve as a third party.

So here are some things that we do to pass the time:

*play board games
*listen to NPR
*read
*go to separate rooms so I can practice/he can play Wii/get away from each other
*talk about the day
*eat food and stare at each other
*get on the black hole that is facebook and have andrew read over my shoulder (but yet he hates FB.....denial, boo, you are in denial.)
*talk to our animals like they are real people
*look at the stack of DVD's that we have watched 100x already and get into a fight when I am forced to watch "Oceans 12" for the 12 millionth time.
*poke each other in the face
*talk about working out but not really do it

Look how interesting my life is!!!!!! I swear we really are in love with each other. I think that all couples should go tv free for a bit of time before the big W day. Maybe not to this insane extent but it definitely makes you closer and prepares you for being with that person non-stop FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
*dum, dum, dum* Cue scary music.

But I wouldn't take back our super close time together. It's special/torturous in all the best of ways.

big black box

We don't have a t.v. I mean, we have a TV but no channels. So we watch a lot of DVD's and I beat Andrew in the Wii 3 point shoot-out a lot (I have the ranking high score---what now basketball star?). I want you all to close your eyes and imagine sitting with you partner, BFF, after work with no TV. Sure, for like, a week, I felt all good about our decision (it's mainly a money saver) but then you start to realize HOW HARD IT IS TO JUST SIT with another person in the room without the TV to serve as a third party.

So here are some things that we do to pass the time:

*play board games
*listen to NPR
*read
*go to separate rooms so I can practice/he can play Wii/get away from each other
*talk about the day
*eat food and stare at each other
*get on the black hole that is facebook and have andrew read over my shoulder (but yet he hates FB.....denial, boo, you are in denial.)
*talk to our animals like they are real people
*look at the stack of DVD's that we have watched 100x already and get into a fight when I am forced to watch "Oceans 12" for the 12 millionth time.
*poke each other in the face
*talk about working out but not really do it

Look how interesting my life is!!!!!! I swear we really are in love with each other. I think that all couples should go tv free for a bit of time before the big W day. Maybe not to this insane extent but it definitely makes you closer and prepares you for being with that person non-stop FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
*dum, dum, dum* Cue scary music.

But I wouldn't take back our super close time together. It's special/torturous in all the best of ways.

3X3X365

my friends have a new blog project and I think it is wonderful. You should check it out. :)

http://3x3x365.blogspot.com/

yay for the middle of the week!

The month I can't spell!!!!

HELLO FEBUARY! I mean, February. Thank goodness we got that whole January mess over with.
February, treat me right baby, treat me right.

I'm out of the depths of despair. For reals. But I have found myself super busy. My days have somehow stretched from 6:30 a.m. to about an average of 7:00 p.m. That's a long time away from the farm....and I don't like it. BUT it's for good reasons and at least it is keeping me busy during the dark days of winter.

Not much else has changed on the home front, but Olivia has decided that she wants to lounge on the counter top--which she has never been allowed to do before. She is a persistent booger. But we figured out why she keeps getting up there.

HANK. The barn cat is creeping up to the window and making goo-goo love eyes at our Olivia. Hankerpants, as I affectionately refer to him as, watch it. Olivia might have a whole lotta lovin' to go around---but you are a barn cat. She, is a well-bred, long haired, sassy pants machine. We just can't have any messin' around going on.

Hank (Hankerpants)- Barn cat/Olivia stalker

Happy Febuary.