roadtrippin'

So, we left for Rockport the morning of the 9th.
I know- first you're hearing about it! Anyway...
What were we doing the NIGHT of the 8th?

Making a roadtrip playlist.
Zach made one for his iPhone, I made one for my iPad. We hit the road, put them on shuffle and had good music the whole way down and the whole way back. Awesome.

Here's MY playlist-- what would YOU put on YOURS?

1. Say You'll Haunt Me -- Stone Sour
2. Poker Face -- Lady Gaga
3. Price Tag -- Jessie J
4. Timebomb -- Beck   **
5. The Crow & The Butterfly -- Shinedown
6. Californication -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
7. Scar Tissue -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
8. Under the Bridge -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
9. Like A Stone -- Audioslave
10. Hotel California -- Eagles
11. Devil's Dance -- Metallica
12. I Disappear -- Metallica
13. Of Wolf and Man -- Metallica
14. The Judas Kiss-- Metallica
15. Firework -- Katy Perry
16. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) -- Metallica
17. For Whom the Bell Tolls -- Metallica
18. No Leaf Clover -- Metallica
19. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) -- Michael Jackson
20. Smooth Criminal -- Michael Jackson
21. Smells Like Teen Spirit -- Nirvana
22. Death Of It All -- Rob Zombie
23. Dragula -- Rob Zombie
24. Scum of the Earth -- Rob Zombie
25. Judas -- Lady Gaga
26. Uprising -- Muse
27. Dude (Looks Like a Lady) -- Aerosmith
28. Wanted Dead or Alive -- Bon Jovi  **
29. Sweet Emotion -- Aerosmith
30. Jailhouse Rock -- Elvis Presley
31. Hound Dog -- Elvis Presley

I feel like I need to explain a couple-- namely the ones with the ** next to them. FIRSTLY, I'm not a fan of Beck. I couldn't care less about the rest of his music, but THIS song happens to be the song that was during the credits, and therefore the name of, my favorite episode of True Blood. It was a season 2 episode, the one where they escape from the Fellowship of the Sun church with Godric. I think that's right- and the episode ends with Luke blowing up Godric's house? Yes. And SECONDLY, I similarly don't listen to Bon Jovi. BUT this song is the theme song to Deadliest Catch, and when you're going to the coast to fish, it's necessary to channel your inner Hillstrand/Hansen/Harris and get your Wanted Dead or Alive on. 

Any of my songs your faves? Any you're surprised by?

image sources: {rhcp, eagles, metallica}

oh, those five.

I'm going to warn you now.

This is just silliness.

But fun silliness and I've gotten multiple questions, so I'm gonna post it.

ALSO, if you've got no shame like me, and you, READER, want to, I will post a McLinky tool and you can link back here so we can all post together. It's fun.

The FREEBIE FIVE.

The five people your partner couldn't begrudge you a "fling" with. 

The get-out-of-gaol-free pass. 

We all have them. You may not have five. You may have two. You may have eight. 

What's funny is when you actually LOOK at your five, you'll find you have a definite type. I knew Zach's five and when I started putting this post together, I didn't really think there was a definite trend between either of our fives.

Oh boy, is there!

(we also have a plus one. the person that would jump into the five should somebody do something heinous. or... just a plus one.)

So, let's start with Zach's.

Zach's five is sadly, NOT in order. 

I don't know the exact order, but I know that Gina Carano and Kate Beckinsale are in the top spots. Maybe tied for first. Depending on the day. 

Top Row: Kate Beckinsale, Mila Kunis, Milla Jovovich.

Middle Row: Natalie Portman, Gina Carano

+1: Katy Perry

 ----- + 1 -----

My five IS in order. 

I watched The Hangover and thought that perhaps BC had jumped Michael Fassbender. But then after seeing X-Men, I'm positive MF is in the right place.

Also, this wasn't as easy for me to put together. I knew MF, BC, JB and JGL were in the right place but couldn't decide whether or not to flip flop RR and JG. In the end, RR in Van Wilder has been in my heart a lot longer than JG in Prince of Persia ;) 

Top Row: Michael Fassbender, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds

Middle Row: Justin Bartha, Joseph Gordon Levitt

+1: Jake Gyllenhaal

----- + 1 -----

Ugh. FUN.

And so pretty.

See?

 Zach likes dark haired, dark eyed, exotic looking ladies.

I like dark haired, light eyed men who can play badarses and dorks. Awesome.

(though, I've never seen MF be a dork.)


WHO MAKES IT INTO YOUR FIVE??

{Image Sources: KB, MK, MJ, NP, GC, KP, MF, JGL, JB, JG, BC, RR}

pack it in.

So.
Sunday we went over to the Clark's house to sort through a 30 pound bag of gravel in search of sapphires. Beside the point.

While we were there, Jenn (<--the blonde!) came to pick up her daughter, who'd spent the night with Rog and Steph. We starte talking and decided to throw an impromptu, surprise quasi-baby shower...

the next day.

We managed to get all the ladies in the immediate family to a restaurant, with baby gifts for our darling, wonderful, sweet expecting cousin Valerie. We LURVE this girl, and are so excited about Baby Kennedy.

Monday, Steph and I ran around Houston, getting cupcakes (Monday was also Jenn's birthday! Had to have cake!), presents, cards... it was pretty fun, actually. We shocked the pants off of Valerie and she got some great stuff. She's leaving for CA to meet Bo in a couple of weeks, we wanted her to have some things to take out with her to help them start getting their house out there ready for baby. (can we please just pretend that I don't look like c-r-a-p in that picture? kthanksbye)


Tuesday we went back to the Zoo. Rather, Liam and I went back. Zach and Steph came with us. Kidding- We were thrilled to go back. This time, we took the little red Radio Flyer wagon. Liam wasn't very well behaved with the stroller, so I figured he couldn't really be any worse in any other mode of transportation.

Lo! He was a DREAM in the wagon. He was perfectly happy to sit and be pulled around- he had his cup of cereal, his Tommy Tippee (best ever!) water cup and was happy as a little clam. I loved the view from the back. I thought it was precious. 

We tried to snap a picture of Liam in the huts in the little village at the African Forest... Daddy even went in with him. 

The best Steph and I could do was a running shot- Zach laughed in the hut thingy, his voice reverberated off the sides and freaked Liam out. It was so funny.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,

Merry, merry king of the bush is he,

Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh, Kookaburra,

Gay your life must be. 

I LOVE Kookaburras. Of all the things I miss from Australia, these are the tippity, tippity, tippity top of that list. My school (I wanna say OUR because of Miss Lauren! Hi Lauren! Hope your arm is cast-free soon!!) in Perth, SMAGS, had two Kookaburras who made their nest in the bell tower of our chapel. It was FANTASTIC hearing them when we were in chapel. 

I love them with a fiery, burning passion.

After a busy beginning to the week, Liam and I have done a whole lot of nothing for the last couple of days and it has been glorious. 

My silly monkey has really enjoyed himself, can't you tell?

what i'm loving now

It's Tuesday.

Hubs is at home-- playing on his computer at the moment. Liam is napping.

I'm watching a random movie on HBO-- fiddling on the computer.

I suppose that makes it about time for me to show you all the wonderful little gems that are giving me the warm & fuzzies? Yes.

----------------------------**--------***--------**----------------------------

So, Kate Spade again. Can you even resist this picture?

What's better is it's a v-i-d-e-o, their video to celebrate January's color, red. And I adore it. I've watched it a number of times, just because it makes me smile. Sparkly cake. It's like KS really can read my mind. Check it out: Kate Spade's January Red by Ely Kim

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Confession: I watch PBS. 

Specifically, I watch Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. I love it.

My newest favorite is Downton Abbey, which just finished running last week, I believe. 

It's actually a series in the UK, that is so popular they're making a second season (!!!) and I'm really thrilled. 

It follows the Crawley family, and takes place in 1913/1914 around the time of the start of World War I. The Earl of Grantham and his wife have three daughters and no heir to their estate, after their cousin died when the Titanic sank. Enter Mr. Crawley and his mother.

They're wonderfully interesting characters- particularly Dame Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess. 

In addition, the story covers the staff at Downton Abbey and all their shenanigans. And there are some pretty serious shenanigans. 

I have really enjoyed it-- it's available on iTunes, if you're interested. It's even the original BBC cut. When the show aired here on PBS, we lost about an hours worth when they cut the show down into 4 90 minute episodes. 

----------------------------**--------***--------**----------------------------

Herm, there's Kate Spade again!

But this time, it's really not about the designer.

It's about the new spokesmodel, Bryce Dallas Howard.

These pictures have been everywhere on the internet, in magazines... and I'm obsessed with her HAIR color! Especially in that last picture. *sigh*

I'm considering saving all of these pictures on my phone and taking them with me when I go to see Steve next. I mean, I don't know if I could pull the color off, but HE would be able to tell me.

I think it'd be SO much fun to rock this color-- especially going into March.

I've had lengthy discussions with MM about our taste for fun colored hair, and sporting BDH's color, how awesome would some green extensions be? 

Steve better look out. 

I may be needing an Irish/St. Paddy's Day make over soon.

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I never really enjoyed reading Jane Eyre in English classes.

I always found it kind of boring. 

I mean, the girl has NOTHING good happen to her for most of the book.

But... 

I kinda really want to see this movie. 

I love Mia, she was so cute as Alice in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Also, Michael Fassbender plays Edward Rochester, so that's something to maybe, kinda... if I'm really lucky... talk my hubbers into going to see this with me. Who's Michael Fassbender?

Him:

Trust me, if you don't know what movie that is, or what scene, your husband/brother/boyfriend does. He's the epitome of manliness in that film. 

He also is the ONLY redeeming quality to Jonah Hex -- which, by the way, is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. He's also in Inglourious Basterds, which I haven't seen, and never plan to. I'm not a QT fan.

Anyway, I'm hoping either that my Mr. will agree to see it with me, or that it ends up on On Demand very quickly ;)

AAAAAND with that, folks, I leave you.

I hope you're all having a great start tot he week!

Image Source: {Bryce 1, Bryce 2, Bryce 3, Bryce 4, Bryce 5, JaneEyre, Michael300, Downton, KateCake}

perfect pachyderm

Sometimes, it's like people can read my mind. 

Lately, that "person" is Kate Spade. 

I came across the 2011 Spring Look Book this morning while I was marooned on the couch with a cold.

And I came across this:

That's the Royal Plantation Elephant Basket (retail @ $295) and I'm hoping and praying there's a way this little bugger could be mine. *sigh*

No, I don't know how I'd use it. No, I wouldn't carry it as a purse. But darnit if I don't smile from ear to ear when I see it.