Category Archives: Mags

Falling Behind

Posted on 03.20.2012 | 16 Comments

So, here’s the thing.

When the weather gets warmer, I stop running inside.  Because spending time on the treadmill is a waste when the sun is in the sky and there are tank tops to be worn.

As a result, I have 15 shows hanging out on my DVR.

Fine.  I can take that.

I’ll get around to them someday.

Or maybe they’ll just get deleted and sent to The Big DVR In The Sky.

It happens.

Because how many cooking shows does one girl need to watch, really?

When the situation becomes unmanageable: I’m beyond behind on my magazines.  By that, I mean I’m three months (AKA 12 issues) behind.  Because when we went to Napa, I ended up napping on the plane instead of reading.

I had priorities, I guess.

Apparently my priority is not finding out that neon, tribal and Halston-esque pleats are “in” for Spring/Summer 2012.

Talk about terrible discoveries I made last week as I was browsing at The West End.

I am surrounded by clothes and there is NOTHING to wear.

And last but not least, if I’m not reading my magazines, it’s because I have real, physical books to enjoy.

Y’all know me, saying no to Kindles and yes to real pages.

Which is great, except for the small detail where my “holds” list at the library has been raining cats and dogs.

To quantify: I have six books hanging out in my reading box.

Where does it ever end?

Are you behind on your DVR/reading materials?

→ 16 Comments

Posted in Books, Mags, TV

Sharing at You

Posted on 07.21.2011 | 10 Comments

Is it just me, or does this feel like one of the longer weeks we’ve had in recent memory?  I mean, I have plenty to look forward to this weekend, but I feel like the days have just been dragging.

I was hoping to blame it on the heat, but considering how much time I spent not-outside in the past few days, I think that might be something of a stretch.

This afternoon, I popped over Mom and Dad’s house to pick up a package and was greeted by this lovely sight.

In case you couldn’t tell from my wedding bouquet, I love hydrangeas 11/10.

And let me tell you, that bush has looked anemic at best for summers.  There were points where I seriously thought it was done for.  This year?  It has fluffed up in a manner that suggests it’s As Happy As A Clam.

I like to think that I would look that perky too if I got to sunbathe all day ;)

And the package I had to pick up?  Was my myAgenda!

I wish I had thought to take a snap while I was unwrapping it – they packed it in some pink, polka dotted-tissue paper.

It felt all gift-y instead of like I had shelled out an arm and a leg for it.

On second thought, everything should come packed in pink, polka-dotted tissue paper.

Including bills and legal papers.

In all seriousness, the thing is a veritable planning-bible.  It’s almost as large as my netbook and nearly as heavy, too.  I had originally thought that I was looking for something sensible to tuck into my purse, but I think I’ve managed to inadvertently turn a corner of my dining room table into Mission Control.

The organizing-rampage will start this weekend.

And last but not least, because tonight is obviously me freestyle-sharing at you, a funny…

We’re in the middle of re-doing all of our my magazine subscriptions, right?  So I got the August issue of bon appetit.

Great.  Case closed.

As it turns out, when they attempted to auto-renew my subscription, it triggered them to send me yet another copy of the August issue.

It was very More is More of them.

Imagine my amusement when we received a third copy of the August issue as the beginning of the gift subscription that we’ll be enjoying for the next year.

More is More is More?

Happily, I’ve already sourced homes for the two orphan magazines.  You know, the value of thrift and all that.

Have you ever ended up with magazine multiples?

What kind of planner do you use?  Is it purse-able?

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Posted in Faves, Mags, nesting

A Mixed Bag

Posted on 07.14.2011 | 10 Comments

Well kittens, I’m just thrilled to report that we’re still living in the Stone Age here in the great state of Minnesota.

We’re on Day God-Only-Knows of the shutdown and now all sorts of Really Atrocious Things are happening.  The state parks are being vandalized, you can’t buy any lottery tickets and no one is drinking Miller because MillerCoors’ brand license expired in our state.

Fail.

Apparently, we’re not meant to be worried unless the Anheuser-Busch license goes out as well.  But that would be in October.

Wait…what?

OCTOBER?!

We will be living in a world of hurt if the state government is shutdown until October.

In more superficial news, do you just love square plates?

Me too.

Marcus despises them, but while we were registering, I added four of them.  Just because.  It’s good for a change of scenery sometimes, and for whatever reason, I just think that eating off of them makes everything look slightly more thought-out.

Hell, I think that about our everyday-plates too.  This whole white plate-thing might just be a Kat-specific disorder.

And in my whirlwind of to-do listing and productivity, I finally bit the bullet and ordered a myAgenda.

I know.  I KNOW.  I spent ages debating it last year and ended up buying a Lilly planner, which was ultimately the wrong decision.  It simply couldn’t stand up to the battering it took in my purse.  After spending a year wrangling post-it notes and to-do lists all over the place, I decided that it was time to consolidate.

I did think to save the rather festive set of stickers that came with my old planner though.  I thought they’d add a nice touch.

More is more.

And, to top it off (because things are never boring ’round these parts) I finally made my magazine selections for the next year.  Marcus and I got gifted a subscription of bon appetit as a bridal shower gift, so we don’t have to worry about renewing that.  What I’ve come to realize I can’t live without are my subscriptions to W, Vanity Fair, and Vogue.

Since I cut ELLE from the team (it was contrived), I want to subscribe to some sort of home-y magazine as well.  You know, to jump-start that DIY-organizational spirit of mine.  BUT, I’m not sure which one…Real Simple?  Better Homes & Gardens?  Martha Stewart Living?  House Beautiful?

What’s the best magazine you’ve ever subscribed to?  The worst?

What shape of plate do you prefer?

I really do enjoy a circular plate with a lip for everyday, but the square does add such a fun dash of novelty!

How do you manage your schedule – with a physical planner?  Via Google Calendars?

→ 10 Comments

Posted in Faves, Mags, Politics, Rants

Real World Problems Just Aren’t My Scene

Posted on 02.26.2011 | 14 Comments

Kittens, I have what can only be described as a Diva Problem.

Y’all know that I am A Fan of the Cook’s four-pack of champagne splits.  And when I’m down to my last bottle, it’s time to re-stock.

So I was more than a little bit miffed yesterday when Marcus and I stopped by not one, but two liquor stores and were informed that they were either totally out of them or had stopped selling them altogether.

Not really an acceptable situation.  The next time I find them I may have to consider stockpiling (so Y2K of me, I know).

But see?  I told you.  Definitely a Diva Problem.

Diva Problems aside, after spending the last two weekends out-of-town, I didn’t realize until this morning what a novelty it would be to actually…be here.  You know?

Its put me in the mood to Accomplish.

But that suggests grandiose visions of Cleaning and Lists of Tasks.

What actually happened is that I finally vanquished the February issues of ELLE and Vogue.  Mostly, Marcus was surprised that I spent my Saturday morning reading Actual Magazines instead of Blogs.

But really, it was a necessity since this is what I have to look forward to for March:

In which the prize for winning the pie eating contest is, more pie.

I know, right?

When you’re measuring a pile of magazines in inches, the word that comes to mind is Beastly.

Can you keep your reading material under control?

I mean, usually, I’m pretty good about reading everything, but lately all of the good books that have come in from the library have been just killing my game.

Do you have Diva Problems?

→ 14 Comments

Posted in Mags, Seriously important stuff.

Oversharing With Purpose.

Posted on 02.15.2011 | 23 Comments

Since I waited until the absolute last-minute to tell y’all where we were off to last weekend, I feel like it’s only fair to give you a touch of advanced notice this time around.

On Friday morning, I’m going to Washington D.C. to visit Linds! I haven’t been since a family road trip we took for Spring Break during my Junior year of high school.

It goes without saying that I’ve been chomping at the bit to go back.  And I kind of love that I have the best excuse in the world to hustle on over there!

Separately, if you’ve got a favorite place to visit or nosh at ’round those parts, do share in the comments.

A bit of a preface to this next bit…Miss Queen Bee Swain is a girl after my own heart.  She Excels at Royal Watching and Enjoying The Finer Things.  So it should come as no surprise that I was just thrilled when she tagged me in her Vanity Fair Proust Questionnaire-Extravaganza.

And, For the record, I’m saving my copy of the February Hollywood issue for the plane!

Without further adieu…

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Walking with my Dad around Lake Calhoun on a summer morning and then going out for a hippie-organic-fair trade-all natural brunch at French Meadow Bakery.

What is your greatest fear?

Failure.  Maybe it’s cliche, maybe it’s not.

Which figures do you most identify with?

Jenna Elfman’s Anna in Keeping the Faith.  Sometimes you have to fight like hell for what you want in your life, even if it doesn’t come across like that on the surface.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Perfectionism.  As much as it can be my greatest asset, it can be paralyzing.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Stupidity.  Especially when it’s willful.

What do you most value in your friends?

The ability to live presently.

What words or phrases do you most overuse?

Fabulous.  Love it.  So adorable.  Adore.  Agree.

What is your favorite journey?

The drive Up North to the Cabin.  There’s a certain point where the air changes and my heart basically explodes every time.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Patience.  Wtf?

What is your favorite occupation?

Dedicating a bit of time to my mitts and paws.  Just a bit of pampering can go a pretty long way.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?

I’m going to be That Girl on this question.  My dear body and I have been on quite the journey in the past two years.  And as we stand now, there’s not a single part that I would trade in.

What is your greatest regret?

That I wasn’t able to identify my personal style until my senior year of college.  I wasted SO much time in clothes from American Eagle.  And yes, I know if that’s my biggest regret, I should consider myself lucky.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Marcus, obviously.

Where and when were you happiest?

Billy (my brother) got into the U literally right before his freshman year began.  We worked together at the Daily, shared season tickets to any and all Gopher Sports, and his fraternity house was right behind my sorority house.  Senior spring, we both had morning classes in the same area of campus and so we would walk to class together.

It was incredible.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I wish my hair would hold a curl for more than 10 seconds without two hours of curling and an entire can of hairspray.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Guilt-shaming my parents into the acquisition of a Siamese cat my sophomore year of high school.

I’m still not really sure how I pulled that one off.  I mean, who looks at their mother in Mass and tells her that today’s the day they’re going to find The Kitten and then actually does it, really?  Regardless, none of us can imagine our lives without an overindulged, passive aggressive, extremely narcissistic fang in it.

What is your most treasured possession?

Any one of the sweaters that my grandmother knit…She was a bit prolific.  They’re all deadly-warm and just beautiful.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Loneliness.

Where would you like to live?

My current Plymouth-status not withstanding, I would choose Lake Minnetonka in a heartbeat.

What is your most marked characteristic?

My exuberance.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Champagne.  It’s Special Moments in a bottle.  And it’s relatively cheap.

What are the qualities you most like in a man?

Honesty.  Goodness.  Compassion.

Who are your favorite writers?

Oh, that’s a hard one.  J.K. Rowling, Brian Jacques (RIP), Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Anita Diamant.

I’ll be the first one to tell you that gifted authors of children’s books and other works for young adults deserve the most credit of anyone because they’re able to bring EVERYONE into the world that they’ve manged to create.

How would you like to die?

When I’m old and wrinkly, surrounded by those I love, positive that I have managed to wring every ounce of life out of my body.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

Hermione.  Smart girls finish first.

Who are your heroes  in real life?

My Mom.  The older I get, the more I realize that she is the absolute perfect template of how to live an abundantly blessed life.

What is your motto?

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

I want to hear from…

My favorite question of the lot: What is your greatest fear?  Share.

→ 23 Comments

Posted in love life, Mags

You Can’t Just Un-See

Posted on 01.28.2011 | 14 Comments

Yesterday, I was informed that the Superbowl isn’t this weekend, it’s next weekend.

S0 here I was, fretting about what to bring for The Big Game.  A dip? Something that involves the oven? A new recipe?  A tried + true favorite? And really, it was all in vain.

Yes, another week gives me the chance to kick back and relax.  But we all know that what it really means is that I’ll spend the next seven days planning it all over again.

Since I no longer had to decide whether or not I would read Vogue in my free time or bring it with to the party (which might have been inappropriate, but it seemed like a totally logical solution to me), I’ve been taking care of business.

And in that process, I’ve been gently reminded that some things you can’t just un-see.  Like the Arch-Rivals spread in the January 2011 issue of Vogue.

Y’all know there are just some trends I can’t get on-board with.  Like those Plaid/Lumberjack shirts that people insisted on running around in last winter.

For the record, if you were one of those people, I still respect you.   Y’all know it’s just not how I roll.  For better or worse, I’m a Patent Leather-Pearls-Cardigan-Polo-Ballet Flats-Neon Print-type of girl.  I’ve never known any other way.

But platform shoes?  When we slammed the door on those in 1999, I NEVER looked back.

We should have seen it coming.  We brought back clogs last winter  (1997, We Missed You!).  And some people would have us believing that cargo pockets are an acceptable sartorial choice.

Denial? Ain’t just a river in Egypt.

In case you need some refreshing as to why Platform Shoes are the Devil’s playthings, let me bring you back to the 6th grade at West Middle School.  I had not one, but two SUPER-CUTE pairs of shoes that fell into the “Platform” category.

Public Enemy #1: A pair of slate blue Sketchers sneakers with a three-inch platform.  They were not fashion.  They were not function.  They were purely WTF?

Public Enemy #2: More subtle than the first, these were a pair of black foam sandals from Target’s Xhilaration line.  Only two inches off of the ground, these bad boys had a woven faux-bamboo sole and an electric blue butterfly-flower arrangement embroidered on the outside of each sandal strap.

When I wore those things, I thought that I was All That.

Like I said before, I NEVER LOOKED BACK.

Kittens, I thought we were Home Free after we miraculously bypassed the Parachute Pants phase.  But I die a little bit inside when I suspect that the next thing to return to the scene could be the white peasant skirt.

But our future has already been written.

What’s one trend you just CANNOT get on-board with?  What’s one trend you don’t even want to admit you embraced?

p.s. If you haven’t been, make sure to check out my latest style post on TC Jewfolk!

→ 14 Comments

Posted in Mags, Rants, Style

Model Patriot

Posted on 01.25.2011 | 18 Comments

Most urgent order of business: Today I learned that ABC Family Messed With A Good Thing and released Mean Girls 2.

Say what?

To re-phrase, ABC Family shamed the memory of Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, the 80% chance that it’s already raining and tried to re-create a brand of madness that knows no method.

Confused?  Mystified?  Under the same impression as I was – that Mean Girls was never meant to have a sequel?

We’re all on the same page.

To make an extremely long story short, I am appalled.

I mean, for crying out loud, Mean Girls brought us back to a peaceful place before the very fabric of time and space was warped by The Jersey Shore, sexting, Silly Bandz and Four Loko.

The Good Old Days are dead, kittens.

Am I the only one who feels like The Social Contract has been broken?

Tonight, I wanted to address the massive pile of magazines that has completely taken-over my reading basket.

By that, I mean the January issues of Vogue and bon appetit are languishing alongside ALL of the February issues.

We all know how that goes.

But then I got all Civic-ly Minded at the last minute (y’all know I have to move as The Spirit strikes), and decided that it would probably a good call to watch The State of the Union.

You know, embrace the joys of American Citizenship, stay in-the-know about the plans for our country over the next year, check out Michelle Obama’s ‘fit (loved it, btw!)…that sort of thing.

Model Patriot.  Right here.

Confession: I may or may not have been secretly excited for the excuse to go on a Capitol Hill-induced CNN-jag.  It ain’t no election day coverage, but in a pinch it’ll do.

Did you watch the State of The Union?  How did you feel about the First Lady’s Outfit?

I’ll be the first to admit that while I found her frock to be a flattering one, the cream was a bold choice in that sea of black, gray and navy suits.

Who else heard about the monstrosity that was Mean Girls 2?

→ 18 Comments

Posted in Confessions, Mags, Movies, Politics

Date Night

Posted on 01.14.2011 | 11 Comments

When Marcus and I moved in together in June, the transition was (thankfully) pretty smooth.

I mean, there was a little bit of a learning curve.

Marcus learned that I compulsively run the dishwasher.  My logic being that if one rack is full, the entire dishwasher is full.  Otherwise, you end up with a sink full of dishes.  A sink full of dishes = No bueno.

I learned that despite the lovely oak dinner table we picked out together, he eats standing over the kitchen counter when I don’t eat with him.  Confusing?  Yes.  But not really worth asking questions.

Goodbye, mystery.  We barely knew ye.

What really surprised me at the time,  is that even though we were living in the same house, I saw him less.

Obviously, there’s not some sort of tricky mystery to all of this.  But even though the problem was right in front of our eyes (as my Mother is fond of saying, If it was a snake it would bite you), it took me a few good weeks to figure out.

I moved in, and there were no longer any obstacles to get in the way of seeing one another.

Or more concisely: We stopped making time for Us.

Apparently they forgot to include that in the So You’ve Decided to Live in Sin manual, choosing to rely on scare tactics like, Leaving The Toilet Seat Up and That Time Of Month.

I am SO on to you people.

But truly, as any magazine, book or good talk show host will tell you: In order to have a healthy relationship, you have to make time for one another.

Duh.

So we decided to bring date night back.

Not that there is any rhyme or routine to the madness.

But usually once a month or so (read: when we check our calendars and realize that by an Act of God we’ve failed to schedule something for a Friday or Saturday night) we go out.  On a real date.

And it’s wonderful.

Tonight?  Date Night.  And even though I’m super bummed that it isn’t quite warm enough to go hopping down Nicollet Mall (a giant boulevard of shopping and nice restaurants in downtown Minneapolis), I’m more than happy to go scrounge up some wines by the half-glass and some wonderfully crusty bread at my favorite restaurant, Bacio.

When is the last time you missed a super-obvious problem?

Do you schedule date nights?

Even though I don’t schedule date nights with Marcus, I definitely schedule them with girlfriends to make sure that I get the chance to see them all.

→ 11 Comments

Posted in Going Out, Mags, Seriously important stuff.

A long time coming.

Posted on 01.03.2011 | 11 Comments

Kittens, I know it’s been awhile since we’ve indulged in book club time.  This could be due to the fact that in the last two months, the amount of time I’ve had available for leisure reading has exponentially decreased.  It could also be due to my renewed effort to avoid drowning in my bounty of magazine subscriptions.

Sometimes, we don’t need to know all the answers.

A word to the wise: When you ask for magazine subscriptions as a gift, choose a manageable number like two…or three.  Not SIX.

So over my lunches, this is what I’ve been perusing lately.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot

I mean, we all know that there was a time before HIPAA and informed consent and what have you.  And we all know that medical science had to start…somewhere.  But I don’t think anyone would believe that the world’s longest growing immortal cell line would belong to a woman whose descendants cannot afford, and do not have health insurance.

I’ll be honest, I never would have picked this up if my mother hadn’t lent it to me.  So absent a mother who pushes books on you, here I am.  Pushing.

let’s take the long way home, by Gail Caldwell

This one.  THIS one is kind of like Marley & Me meets The Art of Racing in the Rain meets a tale of sisterhood.  I want so badly for you to start reading and think to yourself, I know this. This is MY story too. Because if you can say that about your life, you have happiness.  You know love.

I would have sobbed at the end, had it not been for the fact that I was reading this in my office’s extremely public lunchroom.  Probably plan on having kleenex handy.

Stones Into Schools, by Greg Mortenson

If nothing else, Greg Mortenson is 11/10 about sharing his story and the story of the people in Afghanistan and Pakistan in a way that makes you want to mobilize.

That being said, I don’t really know that we really needed a second book.  It was nice to read about central Asia without all of the problems and hassles that the first book presented.  It was good, but it was also kind of the same.  If you read it, you won’t be disappointed.  But you also won’t be surprised.

Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell’s writing is easy to read and interesting.  But after you’ve read one of his books, you’ve read all of his books.  And as a friend observed, if you’ve read Freakonomics, you still have kind-of read all of Gladwell’s books.

If you’re into his stuff, definitely check out Freakonomics. And if you’re not quite ready to take the running leap into reading the book, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner also write a blog over at the The New York Times by the same name.

And, as promised before, here’s our extremely belated and latest list of recommended reads.

The Millenium Trilogy, by Stieg Larsson
The Glass Castle
Anything by Jodi Picoult
Anything by Chelsea Handler (I’ve read My Horizontal Life – it’s good, but if you loved I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, you’ll find it tame)
The Joy Luck Club (Tawny, I somehow managed to escape reading this one in H.S.!)
Anything by David Sedaris
Water for Elephants (Back in my book-club days I read this one – highly recommend)
Life of Pi
All Creatures Great and Small
The Gun Seller
The Hunger Games Trilogy
No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (series)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (I love this book SO hard.)
Other People’s Love Letters
Bitter is the New Black
Slave
Not Ready for Mom Jeans
Madras on Rainy Days
The Help
Here on Earth
A Thread of Grace

What have you been reading lately?

→ 11 Comments

Posted in Books, Mags

Bon Voyage!

Posted on 01.02.2011 | 18 Comments

People, today I escape The Tundra for warmer climes.

Not that my poor skin even knows what it’s like to feel the sunlight anymore.

Today, we change that.

I’ve spent the last 24 hours as a Picture of Industry: Laundering.  Packing.  Cleaning.  Blogging.  Like nesting in reverse, really.

But I’ll be the first to admit that it’s always easier to leave when you know what you’re coming home to. :)

So, what you’re reading this week from here on out has been auto-posted.  I only say that because I don’t want y’all to think I’m being ridiculous and paying like, $4 a minute at the internet cafe on the ship when I could be busy sipping cocktails and tanning.

Rather, I’m about to take a brief sojourn out of the country with a passport picture that looks nothing like me.  Lest y’all think I’m being dramatic, close your eyes and imagine an 17 year-old with ash-blonde hair and no makeup on.

Yes, this is the best of all possible ideas.

So what went into the suitcase?

Snacks.

One skill it’s safe to say that I’ve mastered since our trip to Hawaii, is the art of packing travel snacks.

Armed to the teeth, people.

Because y’all know as well as I do that it’s totally possible to starve to death in an airport.

Not this girl.

With a stash like that I should probably be expecting to perform Epic Feats of Strength.

Magazines.

Because boredom on vacation is Public Enemy #1, I’ve been stashing ALL of my January issues.


I can’t wait.  In addition to hiding them beneath the coffee table, I’ve been having to say no at the salon and every other place that magazines end up casually fanned-out for the passerby.  Temptation is a cruel mistress.

Plus, magazines are perfect for travel because you can ditch them without remorse when you’re done.

Workout Gear.

Strangely enough, my biggest dilemma was whether or not to pack workout clothes for the trip.  I know that healthy living bloggers are split on the issue of whether or not to attempt Fitness on vacation.

That being said, I really don’t know what it’s like to take more than a day off from running.  It hasn’t happened since October after my last big race.

I’m afraid.

So I sucked it up, packed the gear (thank God running clothes are light!) and have come to the determination that if the worst that happens is my gear sits unused in my suitcase, so be it.

Do you workout when you’re on vacation?

→ 18 Comments

Posted in Mags, vacation