:: from a couch-corner critic ::

i love awards shows - mostly for and because of the red carpet. the glitz, the glam, the horrible fashion blunders. i love the pre-shows, the show-show and the post-shows. especially at the grammys where i am likely to see people i know and where almost-anything is a little more easily accepted. the range is broader - you have rock, country, old hollywood, punk, undefined. and i love my time-honored position as a couch-corner (the best seat in the house) critic. here are some of my most notables - good or bad.

it almost seems unfair that someone virtually unrelated to the music business would win best dressed, but i think marissa miller looked hot in an easy and "effortless" way. it would have been cheesy for her to wear a gown like some of the nominees and performers.

taylor swift looked amazingly beautiful, but seemed more fitting for the oscars than the grammys. though, now that i think about it, with the exception of the obvious (lady gaga, brittany spears) and a handful of others who were more grammy-esque (the above marissa miller, miley cyrus, fergie) the women were a little less rock-n-roll and a little more sophisticated & glamorous. taylor's hair, makeup, jewelry and gown were incredible on her.

i think she's going to end up on some worst-dressed lists, but i thought katy perry looked great in this zac posen dress.

i don't love the gown (though it was much more telegenic than photogenic), but i do love rihanna's hair & makeup.

i can't believe i'm putting her on a positive list, but here's to miley cyrus. though, i'm really just looking at her - trying not to think of her voice, her dad, her age (do i even know her age?) or her teeth, for that matter - when i say that she looks great in this dress. i don't really like the cut-outs (or the jewelry), but i do like the style & shape for the occasion.

easily the worst dressed so far.

nicole kidman has always been creepy to me, but this just picture/pose absolutely takes the creepy cake.

:: an awards show junkie ::

gaga & elton john = cool surprise, good performance.

guiliana rancic's hair = so much better tonight than at the golden globes. this time you couldn't see how far back her hairline starts.

taylor swift = looks amazing. the surprise-face is getting old, but the humility and gratitude never will. "accepting an impossible dream."

beyonce = too forced. and an alanis morrisette cover?!

pink = wasn't looking forward to her performance because i assumed she'd sing a song that i'm already tired of, but it was well done. simple. i like that. but then again, i missed the very end.

best new artist = i am so excited for zac brown and all the guys - including the great folks behind the scene - for the win. they have worked really hard over the years and i hope they are soaking up every moment of this.

fergie = i would love it if fergie would one day bust out with the 'kids incorporated' theme song. that would be hilarious for us older folk.

taylor swift part 2 = i thought stevie nicks would ruin taylor's performance for me, but it was actually pretty magical. in that, taylor's magic spell made stevie's voice tolerable for a change. and by tolerable i mean almost, kind of, sort of drowned out in some parts.

3d, really? weird. maybe i'd feel differently if i had some glasses and wasn't getting dizzy from looking at the tv during this portion.


click here for a complete list of winners as they're announced.


i'm bored with this. off to do some fashion bashing.

:: i love bullet points so much ::

i just came across this blog. i love it. it's not really suitable for young eyes or work viewing, so considered yourself warned - there are a lot of penis pictures (sketches, not real ones). if you are offended by nudity or cussing then i don't recommend clicking on the link.

here are some of my favorite (non-penis) pictures from the blog. you shouldn't be offended by these. unless, perhaps, you have a hard time showing a little leg.

blog.theblakewright.com

:: stud finder ::

i picked one of these neat little umbra conceal bookshelves on my last athens (ga) shopping trip in september, but i've yet to locate a stud on which to hang it in a place where i would want to hang it. so far a waste of money, so i just like to think how lovely it is all by its bookless self on a shelf in the hall closet.

umbra.com

and speaking of finding (or not) a stud: i had a meeting with a financial advisor this afternoon. one subject that came up was whether (or not) i am in a relationship. another was to determine my plans/goals for spending in the future. i jokingly said i'm looking to buy a boat. he advised against such a poor investment. i said, "i'll just have to find some friends with boats." he said, "or a boyfriend with one."

:: lovely love ::

i would like to know someone who buys this gorgeous chair so that i could see it in real life. perhaps even sit on it and see if it feels as lovely as it looks. or maybe borrow it for an afternoon for that little corner in my living room that just begs for something this adorably fun!

anthropologie.com

:: love you more ::

yesterday i was listening to the ben folds album, rockin' the suburbs. the last track always takes me by surprise. it's a sneaky one. i never think about it until it's there in all it's quirky sweetness. some things, like that song and this gorgeous picture, are just so beautiful they hurt. in the best way.

jaarongreene.com

i don't get many things right the first time. in fact, i am told that a lot. now i know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls brought me here. and where was i before the day that i first saw your lovely face? now i see it everyday and i know that i am, i am, i am the luckiest.

what if i'd been born fifty years before you in a house on a street where you lived? maybe i'd be outside as you passed on your bike, would i know? and in a white sea of eyes i see one pair that i recognize and i know that i am, i am, i am the luckiest.

i love you more than i have ever found a way to say to you.

next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties and one day passed away in his sleep and his wife; she stayed for a couple of days and passed away. i'm sorry , i know that's a strange way to tell you that i know we belong, that i know that i am, i am, i am the luckiest.

"the luckiest" by ben folds



[click on the song title to hear the song]

:: what a ham ::

the big lump wrapped in gold foil, resting in the center of the table, could only be one thing. well, really, it could be a variety of gold foil wrapped things. but in our family, on easter or christmas (or just about any other big family gathering - especially those that included maunga lil and poppy art), is was only going to be one thing.

Honey Baked Ham. the real deal.

every time i take a bite of one of those slighty sweet, slightly salty slices of goodness, i am taken back to maunga & poppy's house in decatur. and i can't help but wish i had some lemon pepper seasoning, as that was the requisite topping for HBH leftovers.

and really, that's all this is about. i just ate a couple of slices of leftover honey baked ham (thanks to my sister for having me over for new year's dinner last night and sending me away with leftovers!) with no lemon pepper seasoning. it reminds me of that feeling you get when you walk out of your house and realize you forgot deodorant. it's not a necessity, but things just aren't the same without it.