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I heard today that a local high school principal had banned hugs. I found that abhorrent. I find hugs therapeutic. I'm a hugger. I think the world needs MORE hugging. So there.
Me: Apparently some schools have also banned high fives.
Lauren: Next: fist pumping.
It would be a travesty in Jersey.
"I rinse my mouth out with soda. I was pretty sure Dr. Pepper was a dentist."
So here was an adventure. As if I've not gone out ENOUGH in the last month, I was invited to The Sheraton Universal's Oktoberfest event. I'm not much of a beer drinker but I took a couple people with me just to see what it was all about and maybe partake in their advertised free snacks...
Hey, everyone loves free snacks. Don't judge me.
This is a very bad picture of the sausages they were passing out. They were COLOSSAL and delicious. There was some kind of spicy mustard on them along with an apple relish I would basically bathe in. I skipped the fries. I don't do sweet potatoes...
Like I said, beer is not quite my thing but I did like the white ale I tried from Oro and the Blue Moon Pale Ale. My FAVORITE, though, was the Lambic... Lindeman's Lambic is like CRACK. You can get that beer in black cherry, peach, pear... I'm pretty sure if you handed me a bottle of that, I'd drink it all in one sitting and pass out with glee.
Luckily for me and those around me, they were just offering sips.
They sell it at Trader Joe's, Gelson's and BevMo. Go get it. Thank me later.
TGIF, kiddies. I am THRILLED it's Friday. As I am twisted this way, I already anticipate Monday with a little gloom and eaglery await NEXT Friday, besides. You see, NEXT weekend, Burke Williams awaits me.
Thx to Jess for forwarding...
The show goes on for shunned plus-size designer Elena Miro in Milan
by Marie Denee
At the peak of plus-size fashion and its respectful attention, Milan, once a leader in forward fashion for the plus-size woman, sets plus-size fashion back by shunning high-end plus-size label Elena Miro. After opening London Fashion Week for the last five years, Elena Miro was EXCLUDED from the schedule.
According to the AFP, head of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion Mario Boselli explained the reasoning for excluding Miro, "Some labels just weren't in line with what ready-to-wear week should be. We wanted to champion the values of creativity to reaffirm Milan's role in the world."
Even with this direct blow to the label, designer Elena Miroglio debuted to her Spring/Summer 2011 collection to a sold-out room. On Wednesday, at the beginning of Milan Fashion Week, Elena Miro showcased a collection “harking to the 1950s when the beauty of women, the round shapes and soft bodies were de rigueur,” she told AFP backstage before the show.
The S/S 2011 collection from Elena Miro draws from solid light grays, beiges, and whites -- shades and tones oft shied away from, but welcomed once again for a "positive and sunny" feeling, Elena Miroglio commented.
In a time where plus-size fashion is peaking with events such as One Stop Plus showing during New York Fashion Week, the arrival of Full Figured Fashion Week(tm) in Los Angeles, and Love Your Body Day in Hollywood, Elena Miro weathering the storm amidst societal pressures only proves the beginning of the stay of plus-size fashion.
Check out Elena Miro's official site - her designs are beautiful: http://www.elenamiro.com/it/
As a perk of having this blog, often times I get to try stuff or, even better, give YOU stuff, but nothing has been more fun than attending Blogger Prom, which last year if you recall, was an 80s themed, Hollywood rooftop spectacular, oozing with free goodies and promotions. Not to mention amazing food and fabulous people!
This year's event was no less spectacular. Themed with old Hollywood glamour, the prom committee really outdid themselves. The new venue, the effervescent and elegant Yamashiro, perfectly lended itself to the theme, as it is on a hill overlooking the brightest part of Hollywood and has been around for almost 90 years.
Admission was changed up a little this year. A $10 per person fee went to Operation Frontline, a groundbreaking cooking-based nutrition education program, that teaches low-income families how to prepare healthy meals. It was a nice touch -- we spend the whole night enjoying freebies and it's some good karma to help a cause simultaneously.
There was food and drink galore. My personal favorite, like last year, was the "sex cheese," which is actually an Aged Brick Spread from Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, Joe Widmer, courtesy of The Cheese Impresario. It resonnated so much with me last year, that this year, it was the first food item I bee-lined for. They don't call it "sex cheese" for nothin'!
And, super bonus, I FINALLY got to try Coolhaus, whom I've followed forever on Twitter, and is basically my #1 "I wanna try" food truck. Let me just tell you: TWO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH SEA SALT CARAMEL ICE CREAM IN THE MIDDLE?! Yes, that is as heavenly as it sounds. I encourage you to stalk them and eat them as well. If you do not live in Los Angeles, I encourage you to get on a plane and find them. (Ok, I am kidding, I would never encourage you to be so flagrant unless you were Richard Branson. Or you REALLY liked ice cream cookie sandwiches.)
I also must point out that my favorite vodka, Pinky, was there -- and they are only my favorite since I discovered them at last year's Prom -- they have always been kind to me on the social media circuit and I love that its pink vodka. I'm an easy sell. But the drink of the night was delicious. Pity of the night was the massive line that was a permanent fixture at the bar. It was kind of a deterrent for me and I wish they had that set up like last year, with a couple locations. Perhaps they thought limiting us to three drinks (with drink tickets) would keep the crowd minimal but no such luck. Anyway, it kept me from having my second and third drink. Similarly, the long line for the tacos (which looked delish) also kept me away. And frankly, left more room for sex cheese and ice cream sandwiches. Oh, and chocolate from ChocolateBox. Click here to check out the full menu for the night.
The goodie bag was beyond measure and while I am dazzled most by the free vodka (I am, if not anything else, predictable), the Pinkberry gift card and $30 for Border Grill (I love Chef Susan Feniger), there was a LOT of give-away goodies. You may envy that here (and in the photo below).
And while we're at it, though I did not win any raffle prizes AGAIN (Yes, I am bitter), you should check out all the amazing companies that contributed there, too.
Did I miss anything? OMG, I didn't even touch on the beer tasting or the scotch tasting... Let me sum that up for you, though. I like white ale and I HATE scotch. White ale is delicious (love you, Beer Chicks!) and scotch is pungent as all hell. That shit BURNS. Who are you super-powered devils that consider yourself scotch afficionados? You are crazy is what you are. LOL. (But let's still thank Dalmore Scotch because their reps were very tolerant of all my questions and picture taking and they tried so hard to convert me.)
The event, overall, a smashing, marvelous success. I always come away wishing I'd met more new people, but always, always happy to have seen blogging friends I never get to see and already anticipating the next event. The prom committee should be congratulated and feel so proud that they did it AGAIN. I cannot WAIT to see what they pull of next year! AWESOME! STUPENDOUS! GLAM! LOVED IT!
Also worth checking out: Blogger Prom photo group on FLICKR
My date and I are planning the outfits and getting pumped -- BLOGGER PROM approaches!
I might have gotten a little carried away at Forever 21. But no matter, it still only cost me a few bucks. Isn't Forever 21 fabulous that way? LOL.
Some of those items were already mine, I swear.
Especially excited for this year's venue, which should be stunning. It should even top last year's.
Stay tuned for the details following! EEeeeeeeeee!
This was regarding Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, who is asking his fan, whom he's dubbed "Situation Nation," for votes this season on "Dancing With the Stars."
Me: FYI, the term "Situation Nation" makes me wanna vomit.
Danielle: If you vomit then. . . we will have a Situation. Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Sometimes, I hate Danielle.
"They're endangered! No wonder they're getting it on!"
-Aleesa
