my life lately according to instagram

So far, my spring is off to a pretty great start.  Weather is still on and off, but when it's on, it's super spot on.  Here's to bright colors, shorts and flip flops!  And I will probably be shaking my booty off in a celebratory victory dance once school is out.  Choreography for said dance will be in the works, and of course I'm taking suggestions.  I'm personally a big fan of the glorious pelvic thrust, but I'm willing to shake things up.

And if you have ever had a salad from Cafe Rio, you understand why it deserves a portrait taken of it.  Because it is quite simply a beautiful thing.  Cafe Rio just produces edible artwork masterpieces.  #mouthfiesta

And I got to watch my boyfriend Jack Nicklaus it up on the links.  I'm becoming so fluent in my shorthand colloquial golf lingo, it is to be envied.

Now excuse me, for a pantless toddler is beckoning me to help her wipe her "nose booders," so business is calling.

happy birthday, morgi poo!

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday to my sweetest friend Morgan!  

This lovely lady has known me since I was 12, and still loves me anyway, which explains why I consider her to be one of the most wonderful people times a thousand!

Insert embarrassing, random, furry hat picture here 

Gray Sweatshirts 4 LIFE

Happy Birthday Morgi Poo! 

if one thing can be said for mill valley it's that it is gorgeous... and has the best sandwich ever (vacation part one)

For our spring break/4 year anniversary we decided to stay with my Grandpa in a little town called Cotati, in the bay area.  We left at about 7 am (original plan 6 am, no matter what, every trip, time of departure always gets postponed an hour), and got in about 5:30 pm.  Cotati is right next to Sonoma so the scenery was uhh-mazing, living in Idaho I'm so used to the typical desert landscape so on this trip I had a hard time tearing my eyeballs away from things like the rolling green hills and seaside.  AND THE COWS!  They were everywhere just doing their cow thing, but for some reason seeing them scattered along the hillside was so beautiful.  To be able to go from rolling green cow-sprinkled hillsides to pool-side palm trees in less than 2 minutes gave my tummy little springtime butterflies.

But the real beauty of day one was my experience with, I kid you not, the best sandwich known to mankind I think (I'm still in the process of polling everyone).  In Mill Valley, which is a great town a little inland from San Francisco, there's this great french bistro that I make a habit of frequenting.  DO YOU SEE THOSE FRUIT TARTS?!  Nothing says I'm on vacation like fruit tarts.  But my favorite meal they offer is the oven roasted chicken and pesto sandwich on fresh baguette.  It was SO worth breaking the pescetarian diet we've been trying to stick to.  Nick had an avacadoey turkey some kind of wonderful sandwich and helped me finish mine.  Needless to say, the meal slightly blew our minds.  It put me in such a good mood that when a woman passing by on the street mistook me for someone else, got real close to the window by our table waving an smiling, I wasn't even uncomfortable.  In fact, it made the meal that much more enjoyable.  I waved back with a smile that said "HEY lady!  You're going to be a little embarrassed in a moment when you realize I'm not who you think I am, but for now I'm going to smile back and wave, and we can be friends anyway!"

Because that's what good food does to us.  Good food = good mood = less awkward moments.  And cows, cows lead to a good mood too!

Go eat some good food, and maybe wave at a stranger and happy Thursday!      

finding your inner marilyn

Holy camolie no blog posts in forever!  Well March was quite a blur of a month for me, which included trips to the only city I will ever be completely and totally infatuated with (I won't drop names yet, because Boise may get her feelings hurt), merry making with relatives, and work and school, but I've been going a little light on the school lately... Beware, I've been sitting on this blog post idear for a while, so it's a bit of a doozy...


BUT!  The one thing that I have been able to squeeze into my oh-so-busy-but-not-really schedule (somewhere between episodes of Desperate Housewives, which I sometimes call "Desperate," because I do this thing where I make fun of people that shorten down TV show titles, and do it for the sake of comedy, until I can't seperate comedy from reality and I start becoming the people I'm making fun of... and I'm also really good at putting long side notes into parenthesis... it's a real art form...)  is the TV show SMASH!  Is anyone else in love with this?  It's like glee on steroids (pretty sure I heard that on a commercial)...


If you haven't quite had the time to check out SMASH or you actually have one of those busy lives filled with meaning (boo!), then allow me to outline the basic premise.  It follows a group of overly talented people, some writers, some triple threat singer/dancer/actor (which I can TOTES relate to...), producers and so on.  A writing team comes up with the idea to base a musical off of THE Marilyn Monroe (ever heard of her?), and the trials and tribulations of trying to get that musical up and running.  That's the basic idea.


I've always admired Marilyn Monroe, and who doesn't adore pinning one of those inspirational pins about how Marilyn was curvy and told everyone to shove it on Pinterest?  But just what is it about her that's so captivating?  I have to say, it was her sense of entitlement.  Anyone who's never even heard of her (not sure if such a person exists, but you know, it could happen), just one look at a picture and I guarantee that person would say she seems confident.  Everyone says that the sexiest thing a person can wear is confidence, but excuse me, last time I checked, Gap was out of stock of confidence, so where can I buy mine? (Sorry, humor isn't exactly leaking out of my pores today....)


Now, believe it or not, Marilyn and I are not exactly personal friends, although I do like referring to her on a first name basis.  Kinda the way men like to refer to their favorite sports teams like they personally are on the team (i.e. "I'm nervous, we've got like no pitching this season!" Please let me know if mine is the only one who does this...).  But I'm thinking Marilyn did not ooze sex appeal 24 hours a day.  I'm thinking somewhere there are a few scars, a few blemishes, perhaps even, dare i say it, a little cellulite she may not have been happy about.


This is about to get real here.  Prepare for a Dani overshare:
I feel like I can't really remember the last time I didn't have some kind of self improvement plan in the back of my mind.  If I get this skirt, it will look so cute!  If I whiten my teeth, I'll look so much better.  Maybe if I buy that new mascara, my eyelashes will look as long as hers!  I know these things sound silly when I write them out here.  But don't we all do this?  Don't we all have some image in our head of how we want to look, how we could look with just this and that?


I don't think Marilyn Monroe was any different.  She once was little miss Norma Jeane Moretenson.  I'm sure Norma Jean had the same kind of insecurities everyone does.  But I think when she decided to change her name, it was her way of shedding her insecurities and all those ideas of who she could be.  And she became Marilyn Monroe.


So what I am suggesting, is we should all change our names!  I really think doing so will give each of us he confidence to just be who we want to be and we will all become icons!




Ok, not for reals.  But I think I want to start trying to shed my Norma Jean, and I want to shed those thoughts that I am never what I want to be.  I want to shed the desire to continuously picture who I could be if I were ten pounds lighter, or if my skin were clearer, or my teeth whiter, or my lady lumps more... lumpy... (Say shed one more time...)


So as of today I suggest we really start trying to break that habit.  The Norma Jean effect, if you will.  I'm not saying that there was anything wrong with Marilyn as Norma Jean, and I do understand that he life was never quite fulfilled, but I do admire her for taking things into her own hands and making no apologies for who she was.


So I am going to try to start finding ways to stop picturing who I could be, and start really loving what I am.  And when I find those ways, bet your bottom dollar I'll be relaying them back to you.


What are ways that you are going to find your inner Marilyn?

hiking is just walking with a change in elevation....

 Boise city in the valley. (To make any city sound hicklike, put the word city after it.  Boston City, Miami city.  Also must be said with twang.  It works for even the flashiest of cities.  Exception: New York City.

 I crossed a guy wearing the exact same hat as me, considered making a comment like "nice hat!LOL!!", but he was running much faster than I...

Question:  Is an activity (such as hiking) still athletic if it can be done in a flannel?  Discuss.

Is what Mr. Boyfriend and I decided on Saturday when we went for an uphill jaunt in the foothills this past Saturday morn.  We woke up at the crack of 8 am (which is considered sleeping in at our household), and felt like doing some moderate hiking.  We drove to a trail head out off Bogus Basin, and  it was so delightfully breezy and warm and the sun was shining.  Despite us feeling slightly pathetic because we, two young healthy kiddies in their 20's, were doing this thing called "hiking" (aka uphill walking), while multiple 40-and-50-somethings with their wind resistant marathon gear, jogged past us in both directions.  Which made us question, what is hiking?  We both decided it was walking from one elevation to another, but hiking sounds much more rugged and athletic.  So really, we were hiking.  I mean, which would you say?  I just went on a treacherous, physically demanding, North-Face-esque hiking expedition, or I walked from point A to point B, which was slightly higher up than point A.  Personally I'm going to take the North-Facey option.  Never stop exploring.

Notice Nick's face in picture dos.  That is his "I'm not really interested in smiling for this picture, this is just a girlfriend requested mandatory picture smile" smile.  It is featured in many holiday and vacation pictures we have together.

Did somebody say vacation?!

Why yes, yes I did.  Because it reminds me that boyfriend up there and I are going on a 4 year anniversary/spring break vacay!! (Do people use the word vacay?  I feel like they do...)  We're going to go stay with my grandpa in wine country/San Francisco area.  And I'm excited times a billion.  There will be many pictures .  Hopefully enough stories so I won't have to go two weeks! without blogging again (oh, you thought I wasn't going to go there, but then I did.... awkward...)  Sorry bout that.

I supposed that's almost all I have to say.  Oh, and this past weekend I played a game called "but a bunch of whatever you have into the croc pot and hope something edible is turned out 8 hours lately"!  Are you intrigued?  I knew you would be...

Let's hear it for the boy

You know the girls who are all "Blah blah blah my boyfriend/husband is soooo great, he did this and this and this for me, and I'm so spoiled and then he bought me a giant golden chocolate fondue fountain, and then he did all my laundry and folded it while I ate chocolate dipped brownies, and then he gave me a unicorn for a "just because" present, and he said we could watch TLC all evening while he gave me foot rubs, and then he told me about how much he can't wait to have babies one day, and how he is afraid NOT to be committed.  Isn't that just great?!?"

And then you look at her and you're all, "Yeah.  That's great.  Oh, P.S. nobody cares so shut it..."

Well, I'm certainly NOT trying to be like that.

But I do give credit where credit is due.  And Nicklaus made both the above dinner of baked lemon garlic salmon, with garlic roasted red potatoes, and spinach-greens salad with basalmic dressing* (*It has been decided by me that coming up with fancy names for food dishes is JUST as important as cooking them...).  Me = impressed.  Then he proceeded to bake banana bread via his grandmothers recipe for dessert.  I would try to describe how delicious it all was. But I would not do it justice.

There were no chocolate fountains involved, but it was still, nonetheless, like wow.

Let's hear it for the boy, let's give the boy a ha-aaaaand.*

*In reference to the original Kevin Bacon Footloose, not that new, re-make crap.  BTW, my degree of separation from Kev is now a 3 due to recent events.  Which is pretty awesome.     

The End.

Oscar's best and worst dressed according to someone with no fashion credentials...

Last night was of course the Academy Awards which, really, is the only awards show I ever watch.  My parents are pretty cute about it and we all fill out ballots (despite the fact that we have no idea what we're talking about) and it's a pretty darn good time.  Of course, we all LOVE to love/hate what the stars are wearing.  And before I get the whole "What do you know?" thing, I'm gonna start out with "nothing."  I know close to nothing really about high fashion and dress design and blah blah blah, but I do have eyeballs.  So I'm gonna say that gives me a little opportunity say when something looks awesome (in my opinion) and when something looks like a hot mess, minus the hot.  Which equals just a mess.  ALSO, I understand the whole "Who really cares, there are SOOO many more pressing issues than what some people wore to a big party" bit, I'm gonna agree with you.  But I don't feel like talking about any of those things at this moment.  So without further ado, here is the best and worst of the Oscar's according to me. Oh, and I didn't include the designers because a.) I don't know most of them, b.) I don't really care that much.

worst

Melissa McCarthy - Hey lady, I adore you.  You made me crack up in Bridesmaids, to the point that i almost* peed.  (*Almost was added in to avoid my personal embarrassment, but I may or may not have actually peed. Minus the may not...)  I understand that a curvier figure is going to be slightly more challenging that those other skinny minny starlets who wear whatevs, but this is definitely not the best I've seen you in.  The cape sleevey thing, I really just don't quite understand it.  And I don't like it. That's gotta go.

Anna Faris - You're adorable, but the hair is not awesome.  And that dress is very boring and cheap and tacky.  I'm sorry, but I probably could have picked up the same thing if I wanted to at Forever 21, which makes you silly for not saving your buckets of dough.

Jennifer Lopez - I don't like the arm cutouts and I'm about 98.5% positive I witnessed nip partway through your presentation.  And is it just me, or do you wear that bun thing a lot?  Very Jenny from the block, but let's mix it up a little bit.  And -10 points for doing that "I'm going to turn around and make everyone look at my bum while I present" thing.  You really need to make someone else's award about YOU?  Disappointed.

Emma Stone - I'm just not a fan of the dress with your hair color.  I L-O-V-E LOVED your pale peach dress and blonde hair you wore that one time.  (Anyone know what I'm talking about?)  But this bow thing on your neck.  Yeah, I'm not feelin' the love this time around.

Enough with that negativity!

best

Mila Jovovich - Asymmetrical sleeves are a little hit and miss with me, but this is definitely a hit and battleship sink.  I love the soft, glamorous hair that seemed trendy this year, and the red lips give the pop of color that her dress is lacking.  Kudos, Mila.  Kudos.

Cameron Diaz - Despite your involvement in making the presentation of Best Make-Up into a "look at me" joke (shame, shame), you did look stunning while you did it.  Beige has received a lot of criticism for being boring, but with her bronzy glow I think it looks bomb.

Giuliana Rancic - I think this dress is absolutely stunning.  The glitz, the flowy, the makeup, the hair.  I can really think of nothing other than perfection.  And for that, I salute you.

Penelope Cruz - This woman here always seems to be one of my favorites at award shows.  I feel like I have never seen her not looking beautiful.  The color is gorgeous, and there's that glamorous, vintagey hair I love.  

unsure

Viola Davis - I adore the natural hair.  People are used to seeing her in a wig, I understand, but I still am annoyed with everyone criticizing her for wearing her hair naturally.  You can't blame Hollywood for celebs setting false expectations for beauty for young girls, then get upset and bash someone for going au naturale.  On the other hand, this dress is still iffy for me.  Color: exquisite.  And I do like the bottom of the skirt,  but let's be honest, I'm seeing more than I would care to of the twins.  And I'm not even a prude.

Michelle Williams - I also think this color is fabulous, and I like that she's sporting her platinum Marilyn-esque locks,  but I'm not sure I'm crazy about that extra little skirty thing going on.  No, in fact I think I can say I do not like it much at all.

Stacy Whatever Her Name Is George Clooney's Girlfriend (That's your name from now on) - Once again, color yay!  Shape, possibly a nay...  You're a beautiful girl, and I love the hair and BASIC shape of the dress.  Just not quite feeling that whirlpool in your sea of gold.

Natalie Portman - You ladyfriend, are one of my favorites.  And I applaud you for your vintage Dior choice.  However my jury is still out on the polka dots...

Wow.  So that's where I'm at with this whole Oscar's fashion thing.  Congratulations if you made it all the way through!  Now I am going to go about my day in my holy socks and rag tag jeans.

Happy Monday!!