Pinked In

Jersey Shore Music Video LOVE IT

2010-08-10T13:52:00.001-07:00

Love this :) Been meaning to post it for a while haha a little late. But love it anyway!

Watch the 2010 MTV Movie Awards at MTV.com!

Psycho-Stalker-Babble... Sound familiar?

2009-05-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

One night at a San Francisco Marina a woman named Olga spoke to a man who called himself Dimitri for about 2 minutes, then she gave him her business card with her phone number on it and said "call me." Dimitri then left the following two crazy messages:

According to the Hollywood Grind, this creep who called himself Dimitri, really is a creep. Toronto newspapers identified Dimitri as James Sears, who is a former doctor stripped of his medical license after he was criminally convicted of sexually assaulting female patients.

Being a true whacko Sears has a website called Dimitri the Lover, and he’s part of a group calling themselves Toronto Real Men, and they claim to be part of the "seduction community."

Whatever.

Hello McKitty!

2009-02-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

It's about time! While Hello Kitty can be seen on almost anything and everything from jewelry to phones to TVs and waffle makers, the licensing whore can now be found in your McDonald's Happy Meal. Now through February 26th, you can get a cool watch.

My fave? Chococat!

Hilarious. No other way to describe.

2009-01-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

This came to me on an unusually gray and rainy day here in SoCal.. Completely brightened my day. Thanks, 'S'!!!!!

Are you kidding me?

2009-01-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

Recognize this person? Maybe not by the face, but how about the pose? It's Nastia Liukin!

The five-time Olympic medalist will be featured in the spring 2009 ad campaign for Max Azria. Wow. Just stunningly gorgeous.

Are YOU ready for 2009?

2008-12-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

Back in September, I wrote at the 100 day mark to the end of the year. I hope you set some goals for yourself because that tells me you are likely to have reached them or will do so before the end of the year.

So, we are down to just under 2 weeks left 'til the New Year. Now what? Have you thought about what you want to accomplish? Are your resolutions the same every year? Why not make 2009 the best year ever?

My friend, Gary Ryan Blair wants to show you how.

Take action and get a head start today.

With this economy, many folks may be looking for jobs...

2008-12-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

Hey, this one is still available!

Any takers?

*A very special thanks to 'M' for sharing this lovely insight with me.

Don't touch that dizzle!

2008-12-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

Did anyone catch the season 2 premiere of Snoop Dogg's Fatherhood? If you aren't hooked yet, you are missing out! Too funny..

Make it a true Butterball Day

2008-11-26T20:38:00.000-08:00

Here are some great turkey tips from my friend, Joe Schroeder... I couldn't have said it any better!

(1) TEMP should be 275 to 300 NO hotter
=========================================

I could give a rip what Grandma told you. OVER 275-300 and you cook the BREAST TOO FAST = DRY BIRD. The key is SLOW cooking. HIGHER than 300 and you cook the breast meat TOO fast. That's where DRY BIRD comes from.

(2) KOSHER SALT = BRINE = SCIENCE CLASS
=========================================

Yes, KOSHER SALT + rub all over like snow = 45 MIN. Why? Because it causes the juices to DASH to the sky. Why? Because it makes the bird silky smooth as MOIST wet dew.

"But, what about cleaning all that salt off?"

Geez louise, of course. First, don't salt the thing for more than 45 and yes, WASH BIG time and get all the salt off.

(3) DRY BIRD use BOUNTY
==========================

After interviewing many, many BIRD enthusiasts, the revered common words were, "DRY the bird
and always cook a DRY bird." Don't cook when bird is still kinda wet from cleaning. DRY THE THING WELL. Meaning, after you CLEAN and salt and clean again DRY the gobbler foul WELL.

(4) "FOIL me this Bat-Man."
==================================

This faux chef asked a REAL CHEF, resident food lord FRED LARGE
and old brother Fred Rothchild piped, "Joe, wrap with FOIL (the top) and the FOIL will BASTE the bird for you and make it WAY crunchy."

XTRA TIP from Fast Fredy: RE-MOVE FOIL after 2 Hrs. Why? So the glorious SKIN has time to GOLDEN BROWN itself.

(5) TIME is as always 15-20 PER LB
=======================================

slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww + 275 to 300 DEGREES. 275 to 300 and about 15-20 MIN per POUND.

==========================================
FAST TIP to Totally RUIN the TURKEY
==========================================

Cook turkey with lots of SIDE dishes in the oven as well. Open the oven + close + open = you spoil the bird. What happens is you REMOVE the heat when you keep opening the darn oven. Plus, the extra stuff around the bird that you're cooking delays the cooking time.

=============================================
When To Remove The BIRD
=============================================

FRED who does this F/T said, "Ace, what you do is take the thing out at 145 DEGREES." FRED said the INTERNET and your in-laws will say 165. Fred says, "DONT DO IT."

Why? Because at 145 degree (check the BREAST for 145 degrees)
** USE THERMOMETER
At 145 degrees you take turkey OUT and let sit for 30-45 MINUTES. Rothchild also added that at the time you CUT the bird, it should be at about 155 to 160 degrees.

While it sits at 145 degrees it's STILL COOKING. I said, "Thanks Fred." He said, "pass the gravy."

Have a happy, blessed Thanksgiving.

With a big, fat, jiggly hug,

Tina
PS - Joe certainly knows turkeys, but he ROCKS at marketing. For more Joe, visit: www.JoeSchroederBookshelf.com. Go ahead. Immerse yourself in his world and you'll end up one-upping yourself instantly. If your eyes and ears are open, you'll be thanking me!

24 on FOX! Season opener tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo!!!!!!! FINALLY. For those of us who have been patiently (or not-so-patiently) waiting for Jack Bauer to re-emerge onscreen, the time has arrived. And it's a full TWO-HOUR SHOW!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so that's the good news.... The not-so-good news is that it's really a prequel to the season which doesn't start until January....

Aaaaaahhhh!!!!!

Hey, at least it's something. You know where I'll be tonight. Note to self: pick up large dish of cookies 'n cream fro-yo..

Have fun :)

All I have to say is....

2008-11-07T09:10:00.001-08:00

wtf?!?!?

Remember Steve Guttenberg from Police Academy? Cripes.

No more insanity!

2008-10-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

As most of my readers know, I've been into fitness for most of my life. Participating in sports, athletic training, and other sweat-inducing activities is a large part of my lifestyle.

I've been fortunate to have tried and been exposed to many different activities, some of which I just can't help going back to even though I know I won't enjoy them!

Huh? Okay, so this past weekend, I woke up super early on Saturday and thought to myself, why not utilize this great energy and go to the gym? So I hopped out of bed and ran to see what classes were being offered at 6:30-ish... Well well well, the only one at that hour was spinning, cycling, running your legs in circles without going anywhere... whatever you want to call it.

Off I went. Now, this was not the first time I've taken a spin class. I've gone many many many times before, but never without several months in between. Why? Okay here's the deal.

THE PAIN!!!!

For as long as I can recall, I have never been able to walk out of spin class without experiencing a great deal of post-workout pain. I'm NOT talking about muscle soreness. I'm NOT talking about lactic acid build-up. I'm no stranger to any of that, in fact, I LOVE that about working out. NOooooooooooooo...

I'm talking about a different pain- a pain unique to spinning in my, shall we say... AREA. Yes. It is now Monday and I am still experiencing the after-shock of that horrible bike seat.

Wtf?!? I always MARVEL at the other women at my gym who just spin away, week after week after week.. And multiple times per week! How do they do it???

I finally got the courage to ask a fellow "regular" rider on Saturday. "Don't you feel any PAIN?... Down THERE?" And this was her response:

"Oh, pssssshh. Don't worry. It'll toughen up!"

Toughen up? Yeeeeeeaaah. Maybe for you, but I'm not so into "toughening up" right there. Sorry! The words tough and flower just don't go together.. follow me?

I know I've learned this lesson over and over and so it's my own fault for continuing to take this class every so often. The end result is always the same. Einstein was right when he said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

Ladies, I'm all ears... DO tell how you manage. And don't suggest those crazy padded shorts, please!

Facing my fears

2008-10-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we spent a few days at Disneyland where we were blessed with the most beautiful weather and manageable crowds. We always have an absolutely fantastic time- there's so much to do and do over again.

One ride I haven't been able to get myself on is that crazy-looking Hollywood Tower of Terror thing. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am big into facing and conquering your fears head-on. The day before my wedding, for example, I jumped off a natural cliff in Hawaii. I have a huge fear of heights. Granted, it took me about an hour to muster up the courage, but I did it. And a few years ago, I finally took that nasty vertical shoot up and drop down ride at Six Flags specifically to conquer my fears.

Yeah, so I have this fear of that vertical drop thing. So, obviously, the Tower of Terror absolutely terrifies me. But, it BOTHERS me that I haven't ridden it ever. That I have let me fear control me.

So, last weekend, I decided it was high time I got it over with. Alas, my husband agreed and said he was all for it. Our son, however, was not as one with this suggestion and ruled it out. I'd like to think I was "saved" but now it's high on my to-do list. The next opportunity I have, I'm taking that dreadful ride.

Someday I'll knock off a sky dive as well. It's all good. It's good for the soul.

Meantime, I'll get my kicks here, practicing vicariously through these poor souls.

Who ELSE wants to pounce on Ponce?!?

2008-10-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, Ladies.. It's time for another HHHHHHHOTTTTTTIE update...

Two words.

Carlos Ponce.

You can savor him weekly on Lipstick Jungle as the sExxxXXxxxxY contractor, Rrrrrrrrrrrodrrrrrigo.
Ay Papi!

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrridiculous.

Thank me later ;)

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars... November 23rd on Fox.... It's Season 7 of 24!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2 hour season opener!!!!!!!!!!

He's Baaaaaaack!

2008-10-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Mystery returns for Season 2 of the Pickup Artist on October 12th!!!!

Last summer, the controversial Pick-Up Artist debuted on VH1 and eight lovable losers had the opportunity to learn Mystery’s famous “Mystery Method”— a step-by-step system to meet, attract, and seduce beautiful women.

He's back now, for a second season and eight new misfits will live together, learn together and love together by taking part in Mystery’s tried-and-true techniques - all under his guidance.

Here are a few of his tips: (Ladies.. your thoughts?)

*Give more attention to her less attractive friend at first, so your target will get jealous and try to win your attention.

*Always approach a target within 3 seconds of noticing her. If a woman senses your hesitation, her perception of your value will be lower.

*Don't be picky. Approach as many groups of people in a bar as you can and entertain them with fun conversation. As you move about the room, positive perception of you will grow. Now it's easy to meet anyone you want.

*Smile. Guys who don't get laid, don't smile.

You Wanna Preserve Your Sexy..

2008-10-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

Diddy fans! Diddy fans!

Listen, the next time you go to order your vodka-based drinks, keep in mind the only way to preserve your sexy is to go with THE smoooooothest kind.... And according to Diddy, it's his very own: Ciroc Vodka.

Watch this hilarious clip from the Ellen DeGeneres Show where he is put to the test!

Cool holiday gift idea for all the kids in your life

2008-09-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

This little traveling wonder is the CoOLeSt. It's called a Trunki and is from the UK.

A few years ago, I caught sight of a child riding one of these at the airport. At the time, the product was not available in the US. After waiting another year, they finally became available online.

I immediately placed my name on a waiting list and eventually was able to purchase a set for my kids last summer. They were such a hit, I sent them to all my nieces for Christmas.

The greatest thing about this mini luggage is that it doubles as a ride-on. At the airport, walking long distances is inevitable and for the kids, this piece makes it all fun! My kids love riding these at the airports, especially on those big, smooth surfaces.
They race each other, pull each other. My son has even mastered a little wheelie-spinout...

There are two little "nubs" that the kids can hold on to as handles, as well as a "leash" that can be used to pull the luggage in tow, or as a shoulder strap. And to top it all off, it is big enough to carry all of your child's favorite must-haves. And now you won't even have to carry them! Your child will LOVE doing so on his or her own!!

It never fails, every time we travel I am stopped at least 5 times by people asking where I got the cool luggage. So, I'm telling you now...

Go to www.trunki.co.uk for the main site, or www.trunki.net if you are in the US.

Time's a tickin'...

2008-09-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks...

Today marks the 100-Day Countdown for 2008. Have you thought about what you want to accomplish before the end of the year?

Do you want to finish a home project?... Secure a promotion?... Start a new business?... Lose 10 pounds?

Whatever it is, your chances of achieving your goals are much greater if you write them down, be as specific as possible, and let them be known to others.

Since my work-related goals are technical and boring, I'll spare you the details, so here are a few of my personal goals:

1) Read 5 more books.
2) Have 3 dinner dates with my husband only!
3) Have a yard sale to get rid of clutter.
4) Speak to someone new every day.

There you have it. Your turn! Don't get all freakish about this. It's fun. You'll be able to look back on New Year's Day and say, "Hey, I set out to do these things and I did them!"

The countdown has started. You've got 99 days to go!

My New BFF

2008-09-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

When it comes to online auctions, I immediately think: Ebay. When it comes to books, dvds, music, and home goods, I think: Amazon. And when it comes to shoes? It's all about ZAPPOS, baby!!!!

I have been a looooooong time customer of theirs and have remained loyal initially because of their unprecedented shoe return policy. Free shipping to AND fro for 365 days after purchase. Wow! Whoever heard of being able to return a pair of SHOES one year after you've purchased them?

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to listen to the Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh speak about Zappos' "Path to $1 Billion". In 1999, Zappos began as a private company doing $8.6 million in 2000 and $32 million in 2001. Today, they have 1,600 employees, a 500 person call center, and are well on track to hit $1 billion in sales this year.

Tony emphasized that company culture was key and stressed the importance of achieving the best customer service. Zappos.com was not going to be just about shoes. It was going to be about great customer service- regardless of cost. This is hammered home in every aspect of their retail site and the overall experience.

In order to achieve this, a company culture book is provided to team members each year and every single employee writes a few sentences about what the culture means to him or her. They also send new team members to the company headquarters in Las Vegas for FOUR WEEKS of training just on culture, core values and customer loyalty, followed by a week of warehouse training in Kentucky! That's FIVE weeks of training before even touching a phone and speaking to a precious customer.

From free shipping and free 365-day return shipping, to fast, accurate fulfillment and surprise upgrades, the Zappos experience is like customer service on steroids. Tony shared a story of a customer declaring that what would really make him happy was a pizza but it was 3am. The customer rep searched and found the nearest pizza places in Santa Monica that were still open! WTF?!?

Hey, that's really cool. Today, I had to exchange a pair of shoes I bought for my son. Even though their return instructions are so easy, I called the 800 number just to hear the joke of the day :) To my pleasant surprise, Tony answered and had a guest speaker, Serena friggin' Williams helping him go through the menu options! Hilarious!!!

If you haven't shopped there yet. By all means, check it out. And the best part is, they're not even just shoes anymore. Clothing, bags, accessories... they're all at Zappos now, too.

Enjoy!!!
www.zappos.com

Let's take a trip down to King Burger...

2008-09-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

... and see Bon Qui Qui:

SICK Beats..

2008-09-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

While I don't typically work while listening to house music, I spent the afternoon today listening to DJ Inphinity and let me tell you. He rocks my world!

I can't wait to get back to Chicago to hear him live. Sick, I tell you!

Listen to some tracks here:
http://www.myspace.com/djinphinity

Fine Bowling Alley Food?

2008-09-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

Well, no matter where you go, the shoes are not likely to be the most glamorous, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover a super cool bowling alley on a recent trip to Tampa.

Instead of a smoky, dingy, dark atmosphere, this place also known as Splitsville, had a fresh, funky and upscale vibe. There were plasma screens everywhere so you could watch sports in between turns. The alleys were spotless and featured all electronic scoring. The leather seating was modern, inviting…clean. And the food – oh, the food!

First of all, whoever heard of good bowling alley food? Forget the greasy onion rings, hot dogs and beer. This menu featured a host of tapas-style appetizers in addition to main eats like: grilled mahi mahi, blackened shrimp, seared ahi tuna, and sirloin steak topped with crab meat and asparagus and coated with hollandaise sauce! Seriously, wtf?

So, I did some researching… Apparently these luxe bowling alleys are all over the place.. Just not in SD. Waaaah. In particular, I’ll have to remember next time I’m visiting to check out Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas, Lucky Strike Lanes in Chicago and Ten Pin Alley in Atlanta.

Needless to say, I was duly impressed and am itching to go bowling again. We need a Splitsville here in SD! Holla!!!

My Pick To Win ANTM Cycle 11 is......

2008-09-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

SHEENA from Harlem!!!

This girl rocks. She's beautiful. She's positive. She's hilarious and best of all, she's OVER THE TOP! I loved her on this season's opener and I'd love to see her win.

You know, 'cuz she go hard. She got a diffrent swagger goin' on. You know? She don't play. She don't fit in into the regular society. She a stereotype slasher. She not lazy. She brung it. She's representin' us Asian females. She got so much flava she don't even know where it come from, for real.

Go Sheena! Go Sheena! Go Sheena!

Personal Fave #89 - A Very Special Kiss

2008-08-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

Several months ago at a random doctor's appointment, I found myself sitting in the waiting room next to a welcoming bowl of Hershey's Kisses. Naturally, I took one and noticed that this was not your normal Hershey's Kiss. No. This was wrapped in light blue foil. Since mine didn't have the paper ribbon trailing out of the top, I didn't really know what kind of Kiss it was.

I didn't care.

I opened it up, popped it into my mouth and experienced nothing short of taste bud bliss. That little piece of heaven forced me to grab a handful on my way out after my appointment. I eventually discovered these were Cookies and Cream Hershey's Kisses. OMG. They were sooooooo yummy.

Almost immediately, I was on a mission.

I had to find these and purchase several bags for my home and office stash. Unfortunately, this was not so easy of a task. After checking all of the grocery stores where I frequent as well as the Targets and drugstores of the world, these Kisses were nowhere to be found!

Until NOW.

After months of looking, I finally found them-- in boatloads!!! Okay, wanna know where?

Wal-Mart.

Who knew? Yup. While picking up a copy of their exclusive Hannah Montana Concert DVD for my daughter, I found them in the candy aisle.

Woo hoo! Now I am enjoying these chocolates all the time-- right now, as a matter of fact. They are incredible. And you can, too.

Go get yourself some- you will thank me!!!!

Thai-Licious!

2008-08-26T16:28:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I'm long overdue for an entry.. What can I say, it's been a busy summer. I've been juggling a bunch of projects, moving towards a goal and still trying to enjoy this never-ending gorgeous weather that we are so blessed to have here in SD.

As I sit here at my desk which, at the moment is completely covered in papers, my brain is a little fried and I'm drawing a blank..!

On that note, I'll include here a photo of me and some gal pals out for a spur-of-the-moment lunch last month. Funny, we are representin' Korea, China, the Philippines, and Japan... and eating Thai food! Yum :) I could eat Spring Vegetable Rolls ALL DAY LONG.

Personal Fave #20 - For Your Little Trickster

2008-07-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

This is one of the coolest, smoothest, raddest outdoor toys I've seen in a while. It's the Razor PowerWing Scooter, which on first blush, may look just like any other scooter with a third wheel. But this thing is incredible!

The sleek design allows for the rider to do amazing tricks and maneuver with ease. Unlike the Rip-Stick, which requires a bit pf practice and balance, the PowerWing is very easy to ride. If you have any bit of motion, you can sway and roll without ever having to push. We tried this at a friend's house and it was addicting to adults and kids alike.

They retail for just under a hundred dollars at Target (which is frequently sold out of these).. It has definitely made the top of my son's Christmas list!

How Do You Spell NASTY-GROSS?

2008-07-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

V-A-R-I-C-O-S-E.

Vein, that is... I believe I spotted one today on my leg and I'm not happy about it. I was walking up to my boxing class and you know how gyms have mirrors everywhere you turn? Well, I think I saw what looked like a wormy little hellacious, corrupted vein under my skin!!!

Ugh. I lamented all through class and tried to think of how I can fit in an immediate REMOVAL of the thing. But after class was over and I got home to scrutinize what I thought I saw, I couldn't find the damned thing. Now that's not to say I don't have one.

I KNOW I SAW SOMETHING. Those darned fluorescent gym lights. They are so cruel. I will have to re-examine again tomorrow.

Does anyone have experience with these things? Do they just appear and disappear? How do you get them removed?!?

Deep breath. Remain calm.

I must get to the bottom of this. Any help would be appreciated.

The Grumpy Man

2008-07-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we attended a Beach BBQ for our friend’s birthday. At this particular event, we had a great time getting to know our friends’ extended family a lot better as well as their other friends. Interestingly, there is one gentleman friend of theirs with whom I’ve always had difficulty conversing. He has a seemingly serious temperament and has never responded well to my “Hi, How are you?” conversation openers. It’s not that he’s unresponsive, rather, it’s quite the opposite. He immediately launches into business-talk and frustrations and irritations. He bombards me with questions that in my opinion would not be filed under the category of “Party Atmosphere”, but hey, who am I to say? So, in the past, I’d generally just walk away to find the nearest drink.

Not this time. I decided it was high time to try and loosen this man up and see if there was anything beneath all that grumpiness. After all, our mutual friends must see something in him that I'm missing. So I thought, what in the world could I possibly talk about that might help build rapport and is safe and light-hearted?

Golf!

Yup. I took a chance and asked the man if he played golf. And with 27 million golfers in the US alone, lo and behold, he said “Yes” with a SMILE! Having played golf many years ago and grown up with golf fanatics for parents, I was able to navigate my way through a positive and intelligible conversation. Whew. The man lit up when it came to discussing his game, his weaknesses, who he plays with, how often he plays, where he plays, his index, etc. By the end, he told me if I ever wanted to play I ought to give him a call.

Cripes. It’s been years, but living in San Diego, I do feel a bit guilty that I don’t take advantage of the incredible climate and golf courses here. Until recently, I came up with every excuse not to play—I don’t have clubs. I don’t know of any girlfriends that play. I don’t have 4 consecutive hours to block out for 18 holes.. An on and on.

But, a few weeks ago, my dear friend “D” whose husband is an avid golfer and friend of some of the folks at Taylor Made, came over one day and GAVE ME a gorgeous full set of seemingly new golf clubs, in a beautiful golf bag! I said, “WTF?” She told me that because her husband knows the folks at Taylor Made, he gets a new set virtually every year and that all his “old” sets were gathering dust in the garage.

Are you kidding me? The set I was looking at looked untouched. I was pumped up, especially as I began to recall the single set of clubs on which I learned the game. Yikes. The driver was way before the days of the Big Bertha. My driver would have more aptly been called the Mini Cooper. The head was so small, it seemed like it was barely larger than a golf ball!

When I saw the driver in this new set, I nearly fell over. Now, I haven’t played golf in years, so I haven’t held a club in my hand nor kept up with all the new technology etc. But this thing was like someone had taken a soccer ball and melded it to the bottom of a stick. Holy cow, I thought, how in HELL can anyone miss the ball with this?!? I was so excited and now I can’t wait to get out and start practicing. My girlfriend had 3 other sets that she gave away and we’ve all committed to getting out there ASAP.

So exciting.

Anyway, getting back to my “friend” at the party.. I don’t foresee us ever going out to play a round of golf together, but if I did, it certainly would be interesting. According to golf legend Bobby Jones, “You can learn more about a man (woman) in nine holes than a lifetime.” My dad has always maintained that golf tends to expose your real character. It tests your fortitude, your confidence, and your humility. Hmmm.. all I ever hear about his golf outings is the stress and excitement he experiences from the regular bets he makes with his friends during games. The way he talks you’d think the stakes were exorbitantly high, but it is never more than a couple dollars or a round of beers.

*Sigh.* To each his own. In the meantime, I’m wondering.. Do they make leopard-print golf attire?

Ed Norton SMASH!

2008-06-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! After trying for 2 weeks to get out and see The Incredible Hulk (2008), I finally got my chance yesterday afternoon. My son 'M' and I got to the theater super early in anticipation. While I'd like to say 'M' was more excited, it was definitely me this time...

I have long-loved comic book heroes and stories with The Incredible Hulk being at the top of my list. I was disappointed with the 2003 Ang Lee movie and was pleasantly surprised (scratch that.. FREAKING OUT) when I'd heard that ED NORTON, one of my favorite actors of all time, was going to be starring as Bruce Banner in this year's film.

'M' and I spent 2 blissfull hours being thoroughly entertained. We were giddy. We were at the edge of our seats in amazement. Our beliefs were suspended. What a great ride the film was. The action was fantastic and Ed Norton was a super duper treat for me. It was purely a smackdown of epic proportions. Woo hoo!!!!!

We can't wait for this to come out on DVD to relive again and again.

Celebrating...

2008-06-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the lovely benefits of detoxing my body, I've managed to lose 10 pounds thus far. Not only am I carrying around less weight, but I am also enjoying a flatter tummy.

I swear that it is the reason I am finally able to execute my long-time nemesis in pole dancing, the Inverted V, as seen here.

Woo hoo! I'm so excited :)

It's been a while...

2008-06-22T19:00:00.001-07:00

Yes. I have been focusing what little extra mental capacities I have on a special detox diet with the goal being optimized health. You can read about my experience here.

I'm halfway through. Wish me luck!

Personal Fave #12 - If You've GOT to Have Those Chips!

2008-06-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

I was turned onto these by my Supermom friend, "D", who, during one of my son's many visits to her house was given this yummy treat. They are called VEGGIE STIX by Good Health Natural Foods.

They have 30% less fat than potato chips (ZERO trans fat) and have a very light and airy crispiness to them. They are delicious! Matter of fact, I'm crunching on some now.

Try 'em. You and your kids will get hooked.

The Itallion Stallion New on DVD

2008-05-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Rambo (2008) arrived new on DVD this weekend and I eagerly rented. I've always been a fan of Sly Stallone and all the Rocky and Rambo flicks -- even loved Cliffhanger!

So, I'm not the most objective commenter when I say I thought the movie was great. The action is true 80's style with up-to-date effects. It's more gory and brutal than any of his other movies, bringing to light the true horror of Burmese atrocities. Stallone looks incredibly buff, like he hasn't missed a BEAT all these years. Amazing. At 61, he deserves a great deal of respect for pulling Rambo off. Let's face it-- the man can do action and he can do it well.

I'm on a Sly Stallone "high" again and can't wait to rent Rocky Balboa now. I can't believe I let that rental slide.

In the meantime, here's a clip of him training for Balboa. I shall never complain again at the gym....

It's a Mini Hannah Montana!

2008-05-29T11:00:00.001-07:00

What is Baltimore Club Music?

2008-05-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

Baltimore Club, also called Baltimore Breaks, Baltimore house, " Knucklehead" and Dew Doo Beat, is a genre of House and Dance music. A blend of Hip-Hop and Electronica, it was created in Baltimore, Maryland in the early 1990s by Scottie B., Frank Ski, Miss Tony and DJ Spen and has since been performed by artists such as Rod Lee, KW Griff, Rod Braxton, Karizma and D.J.Technics. Female DJ K Swift is currently one of the most popular DJ's in Baltimore, with her radio shows on 92.3 WERQ.V-103 was the radio station in the late 80's and during the early 90's that was resposible for getting the music to the masses.

Baltimore Club is exemplified by its 8/4 beat structure and tempos at or near 130 beats per minute. It combines repetitive, looped vocal snippets similar to ghetto house with humorous vocal samples from television shows like Sanford and Son and Sponge Bob SquarePants, and also includes heavy breakbeats and call and response stanzas similar to those found in the Go-Go music of Washington, D.C.. More often than not, the breakbeats are pulled from two records; Sing Sing by Gaz, and Think by Lyn Collins and James Brown. Much like the rave-era sub-genre of Techno music known as Breakbeat Hardcore, Baltimore Club sounds as if the music was purposefully produced in a hurried manner as the each song is made with a limited palette of sounds and is based on a similar templates.

(ref. Wikipedia)

Baltimore Club Music

Just plain NASTY...

2008-05-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

Got parasites? No way! Nah-uhh... Not in YOUR intestines! .... Right?

Think again.

Around the world, trichuriasis is a very common intestinal helminthic infection, and about one quarter of the world population is thought to carry the parasite. This is just one of many different kinds of parasites that may be living inside of you right now.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE... and to Meet Dr. Gudakunst

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE... and to Meet Dr. Gudakunst

Couples Therapy, Anyone?

2008-05-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

Wow- this weekend was a scorcher. 90 degree heat outside and even hotter inside... Huh?

Yes, last night, 'A' and I hosted our first annual "Not-So-Newlywed" Game. Seven couples in all got grilled on everything from the strangest gift they'd ever received from their spouses, to recalling the last time they had sex. (One woman said "yesterday" while her husband said "last week"... Hmmm....)

Many drinks were consumed before we began and as couples competed for the Grand Prize, the heat was on. For the first round, the wives were sent outside while the husbands answered 9 questions. The couples re-convened to guess and reveal answers. In the second round, the men were sent outside and the women had their shot at answering 9 additional questions.

While the entire night was an absolute hoot, here are some of the more memorable responses:

Question: Husbands, if you were to give your wife $10.00, what would she buy?

One husband wrote, "Shoes."
Another husband wrote, "A bra."
Excuse me? In what lifetime?!???
(Both husbands were bitch-slapped.)

Question: Wives, what is the first thing your husband notices about a woman?

Two wives were certain it was a woman's smile.
Ahem. Uh, noooooooo... Not one husband agreed. It was either the legs, boobs or ass. As one husband (whose wife strongly believed it was smile) aptly stated, "That'd be the cans!"

Question: Husbands, when was the last time you has sex?

While some couldn't recall, others knew exactly what time (between Desperate Housewives and the following show...) Yours truly got this one right with "Last night at the beach!"

Question: Wives, who would be at the top of your husband's "Celebrities I'd have sex with" List?

Husbands' selections were Halle Berry, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Biel, Charlize Theron, Tia Carrere and Jennifer Aniston.

Interesting...

Our Grand Prize winners won a Couple's Night Out/In Gift Package featuring an extra large ceramic popcorn bucket filled with Hershey's kisses, movie tickets, mega-sized candy bars, microwave popcorn, a Blockbuster gift card, and million dollar prize money (notepad)!

Everyone else received a consolation prize of warming massage oil from the Booty Parlor.

Woo hoo!!!! Until next time...

While I’m on the subject of Dobes…

2008-05-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I woke up at 7:09am. Typically, on Saturdays should this ever happen, I'll roll over and sleep some more. Who knows what came over me then, but for whatever reason I shot out of bed and decided I was going to go for a run. In 6 minutes I was dressed and sitting at the base of the stairs about to put my running shoes on.

The very act of me sitting to put on my running shoes, (and these specifically… not my flip flops or any other shoes) must sound like a 3-siren alarm to Cash, because he comes bolting out of nowhere to slither in next to me in hopes that I will take him along.

Being the ever-so-polite canine that he is, he doesn’t whine, whimper or bark at me. He doesn’t jump on me or paw at me. Instead, he casually tries to get me to notice him perhaps thinking that the image of him standing there and my intent to go running will somehow blend together effortlessly in my brain.

How does he do this? He burrows his snout deep deep deep into my hair and sniffs around my scalp. If I don’t “notice” then he proceeds to lay his body across my shoes. And as a last resort, he gets right under my chin, puts his face up to mine and stares into my eyes until I finally have to say, “Oh hi, Cash! I didn’t see you there! What brings you here?”

While I don’t always take him with me, Cash-man was in luck last Saturday.

Off we went and I thought, what a beautiful day. I’m going to make this a great workout and Cash is going to help me by making me run faster. Now, Dobermans can run at speeds as high as 45 mph, and Cash has never moved beyond a brisk walk with me. My goal that day was to pick up my pace enough to see Cash get a teensy weensy bit of air underneath his paws- even if for a few seconds!

Fat chance.

As I huffed and puffed around the trail, I desperately tried to sustain a pace where he would have to, God forbid, jog! But he never did. He just walked and walked. If I ran faster, he’d just pick up the clip in his walk. No air. *sigh*

Nonetheless, he certainly gave me a great workout since I did

run faster. As we headed home, I saw his happy tongue hang out. He reached the front door well before me but then came back out to me and walked by my side. Perhaps he felt bad for me. So slow… Or maybe he was just being the dang good loyal dog that he is saying, “Come on, Mom.. you’re almost there. You can do it. Good job!”

I love my dog.

Have you hugged your Dobe today?

2008-05-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

Another perfect demonstration of why dobes are the best dogs in the world!

Anyone down for Spring Break in CanCun?

2008-04-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

Last year I ranted and raved about the horror film, “The Descent.” Read about it here. Interestingly, the same individual who recommended that I see that movie, also handed me a book called, “The Ruins” by Scott B. Smith. She said it was tremendously frightening and, in fact, gave me her copy to keep.

I never did get around to reading the book because so many other books kept taking precedence and it got lost in my ever-growing pile of “books for later.” Now, some two years later, it turns out they made a movie out of the story.

Amazingly, it was brought to my attention by one of the attendees at my showing of "The Descent" last year. She mentioned that we ought to go and see the movie since it was supposedly along the same lines of horror. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity and we managed to see it earlier this week.

The verdict?

Well, if you're into grim, relentless drama that acknowledges the grief that comes with unspeakable tragedy (like me) then you are in a bit of luck. However, I will say that this film was, at best, okay. It certainly was no Descent. I held, perhaps, unreasonably high hopes for this movie. Surely, nothing could match the sheer 'terror factor' of “The Descent.” Still, it beat a ho-hum Wednesday night at home.

Moral of the story: Never visit an out-of-the-way Mexican ruin covered by vines and blood-red flowers that make a squeaking sound... (huh?!?)

Tina’s rating: C+

See a preview of "The Ruins"

Great Strides 2008

2008-04-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

Six years ago I had the pleasure of meeting my dear friend's niece, Theresa, who was 4 or 5 years old at the time. I remember instantly remarking to my friend about her beauty and adorable temperament, albeit on the timid side. She was precious, just like a porcelain doll.

I raved on and on about this angelic girl and wanted to know all about her and her parents. It was during this conversation that I learned Theresa was born with 'CF' or Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system for which there is currently no cure. It is one of the most common life-shortening, childhood onset inherited diseases.

Theresa has a younger sister, Caroline, who also has CF. While I hear little bits and pieces about the girls' lengthy hospital stays, infection scares and rigid therapy, I truly have no idea what it is like to have CF nor to care for a child with CF. I do know that it breaks my heart to see my own children come down with a simple cold. So I cannot even begin to imagine how Theresa and Caroline and their parents cope each day. To me, they are all crusaders, heroes, and a source of great inspiration.

Over the years, I've been an annual donor and supporter of my friend's efforts to raise fundraising dollars and I am inviting you, too, to learn more about CF, help spread awareness and donate. I love receiving updates on Theresa and Caroline and like my friend, am thankful the girls have survived another year.

Every little bit counts and gets researchers close to finding a cure for CF. There is no better time than now to donate! Go to: http://www.cff.org/

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Cowboy and Honky Tonk?!?

2008-04-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, I’ll admit I’ve never really been a fan of country music, not even that Kenny Cheesey guy.

BUT… after watching this season’s Celebrity Apprentice, I became yet another adoring fan of Trace Adkins. What a man. What a smile. And that voice! Whoooo-eeeeeeee! His voice brings out the giggle in my laugh, the swagger in my walk…

And while we're on the subject, here are some other Hollywood hunks that make me go sickly weak in the knees:

~ Viggo Mortensen
~ Kiefer Sutherland
~ Keanu Reeves
~ Matt Damon
~ Mark Wahlberg
~ Matthew Settle (Rufus Humphrey from Gossip Girl)

Watch Trace's new music video: "You're Gonna Miss This"

"That's not possible. Tony Almeida is dead."

2008-04-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

Those of us fans of 24 had to go an entire season without Kiefer Sutherland to drool and purrrrr over. Waaah. It will be another 10 months before we will get to watch a new and exciting day in the life of our hero, Jack Bauer.

You’ve probably seen the trailer where the bomb is dropped: Whoaaaah… Tony Almeida is not only back from the assumed dead, but he’s gone to the dark side! I had the pleasure of meeting Carlos Bernard while in LA last week. And while he has that evil, bad-ass look about him, I’m convinced he’s no bad guy. He can’t be! He is the only person Jack can trust- his only friend! Ugh. We will all just have to wait and see.

Beep beep beep…

Ladies Night

2008-03-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

It's March 31st. Woo hoo - Spring is here! I celebrated another birthday this month. A few of us "soccer moms" went out for a night on the town for a fab night of dinner and dancing (always my fave brainless thing to do!)

Thank you, ladies, for indulging me on the dance floor and especially the tequila shots :)

Cheers~

Walk It Out!

2008-03-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

Now here's a girl who can move. She smiles, too, while doing her thang. You go, girl! Everyone else, get out of the way!

I party like a rock star, look like a movie star, play like an all star...

2008-01-16T15:24:00.000-08:00

I can't get this track out of my head and my hips. I've always been a fan of Pitbull's crunk. He's a great rapper but has been underrated by a lot of people. From his new CD, Boatlift, "Go Girl" is plain MAD. You be the judge. (It's clean.)

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

The holidays have come and gone. I can't say mine weren't stressful at times, but the time spent with family and friends was absolutely wonderful. I feel blessed and overwhelmed with gratitude for everything in my life.

Today marks the first of a brand new year. Thanks to a gentleman whom I've never met, but whose daughter I befriended last summer, I've resolved this year to take time for myself to do ordinary things.

While reading his blog recently, I was moved by one of his entries. I've included it here. Enjoy... and cheers!

From the bestselling author, Harvey Mackay:

Author Mitch Albom says he wrote his book "For One More Day" when he became fascinated by how people answer this question: If they could spend one more day with a loved one already departed, how would they spend it? What would they do?

In Parade magazine, Albom says that he repeatedly found that people wanted to spend an ordinary day doing ordinary things with the people they had loved. Notably, almost everyone wanted to tell a special person just one more time how much they loved him or her. Others mentioned that they wanted to do the things they always did with that person, such as head to the racetrack, eat in a favorite hamburger joint or talk about old times.

One son wished that he could share knowledge that would have eased his father's guilt over an incident where the father threw a snowball and accidentally blinded another son. Later, after the father's death, the family learned that the son had a condition that had predisposed him to such an injury. He wanted to help his father lift his burden.

One man longed for a moment with his son who died in a car accident. He wanted to relive a favorite getaway, a walk with him in the woods.

Asking people to describe their wishes helped Albom understand what we yearn for. Often it's not something exotic or faraway. The most common responses involved personal connections and realizing that a normal day is something we should all treasure.

Chances are, you've been blessed with success and tremendous opportunity. You can likely recall some colossal failures and deep disappointments. Would you choose any of those for one more day? No matter how much the big things have changed your life, it seems that it's the little things, so many of which we take for granted, that make our lives worth living.

How does this relate to careers and work issues? No matter how passionate you are about your work, it's only part of your life. As you've heard so many times, don't work so hard at making a living that you forget to make a life. When work stress spills over to disrupt the rest of your life, you need to plug the dam. Is this how you would spend your "one more day?"

When you feel like you are tottering on the edge and you just need a break—you should take one. In today's busy world, it is easy to fall into the trap of never taking any time for yourself. Just about every time you pick up a newspaper or magazine these days, you find a study declaring that Americans are more stressed, sleep deprived and time-crunched than they ever have been. That's no way to spend one more day.

While you can't turn the clock back, you could certainly benefit from some real time away from the things that drain you. Spend that time instead with the people who are special in your life. Here are some simple suggestions:

Disconnect. Promise yourself that you will not answer your cell phone, return a text message or check your email. Lest you think I'm crazy, let me remind you that people have survived for centuries without these things. It's highly likely that you'll not only survive, but also probably emerge refreshed from unplugging and turning off for a change. When was the last time you had an uninterrupted dinner?

Escape for an evening. Leave work on time and stash your briefcase in a closet. Spend the hours doing something you love—anything but work! You know the old saying about all work and no play. Would you really come back—just for one more day of work?

Take your vacation time. Hoarding earned days? Do you lose them if you don't use them? Maybe you are just building up a cache of time that you will use "when you need to." People seem to be almost unwilling to take breaks when they really need them. Keep in mind that the workplace and world will survive, probably quite well, if you go on vacation. If you think you are indispensable at work, stick your finger in a bowl of water and notice the hole it leaves when you pull it out. Now try to imagine the hole in your family's life without you. It suddenly becomes a clear choice!

Snoop D-O Double G

2007-12-17T21:12:00.000-08:00

Snoop's new reality series is HYSTERICAL. I've always loved Snoop for his music and even more for all of the behind-the-scenes, down-to-earth community work he does, so I was doubled over in excitement when I found out about his new show, "Fatherhood" -- a glimpse into Snoop's day-to-day life!

'A' and I were practically in tears laughing so hard during episodes 1 and 2. You see a whole new side of this mega-successful recording artist, producer and actor. The crazy Snoop you see in all the sexy music videos is definitely not the one you see at home with his family which he aptly describes as "ain't the Huxtables."

Line it up on your TiVo-- you WILL laugh.

The poor thing!

2007-12-14T12:12:00.000-08:00

Check this video out... but skip ahead to about 25 seconds. As graceful as we all try to be, I SO wouldn't put it past myself to do EXACTLY the same thing.

Besides being Prince Spaghetti Day…

2007-12-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Wednesdays because it is also Tina’s “Slink and Slither” Day. It’s my day to give some lovin’ to ME. Yes, every Wednesday without fail, I spend 2 luscious hours working out via exotic and pole dancing. Yum. It’s the soft music, the loud music, the slow beats and the fast beats. The music just moves me. And with the lights so low I feel like I’m in my own world prancing around in my kick-ass stiletto boots!

Aaaahhhh… Afterwards, I always feel like I’ve had a full body massage. I am so relaxed and ready to take on the world!

But really, where else can you unleash your inner goddess without any inhibitions and in the safety and comfort of a studio chock full of stripper poles and other amazing women doing the same thing? Well, once you start pole dancing, it can be kind of addictive and you start to wish there were poles everywhere that you could just take a whirl around. Here's a woman for example, who was thinking exactly what I was thinking when I was down at Disney World riding the monorail:

And then there's always the makeshift poles you see outside...

Another surefire one is sure to be found at the children's playground :)

Ahem. Anyway, for the past several weeks, I’ve been dancing to a lot of industrial rock. Today, I wanted to get back to my mainstay fave of dirty, nasty, raunchy, booty-thumpin’ hip-hop. (naughty smile) Everyone’s erotic creature is different. It just so happens that mine leans pretty heavily towards gangster. So, after fishing around in my iPod I found an oldie but goodie in Lil’ Kim’s “Kitty Box”.

WOW.

I left class on a high and haven’t come down since. Time certainly flies when you’re having fun, and when you’re pole dancing, it’s always a fun time when you’re flying.

Happy Wednesday to all! Now, off to make some pasta dinner!

(photos from lupoledance.com)

Call me SMITSen!

2007-12-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

Last night I jumped mid-season into the drama, Cane. After 2 back-to-back episodes, I'm HOOKED. Jimmy Smits rocks my world and the rest of the cast is golden. This series has everything - love, lust, money, family legacy, deception. It's the Latino Godfather!

Thank goodness for television viewing online. I can at least catch up on all the episodes I missed. If you haven't seen this show, definitely check it out. And as for adding it to your TiVo season pass list? Don't bother. The "season" ends next week due to the Writers' Strike. (!$?&#!)

We really are headed for re-runs galore...

Thinny Thin Thin

2007-12-09T22:06:00.000-08:00

That’s what my blood has become. Having grown up in Chicago and spent the rest of my years prior to 2004 in New York and Boston, the cold winter experience was always a part of me. Visions and experiences from the blizzard of ’79 in Chicago and blizzard of ’96 in New York City are indelibly printed in my memory. Yes- the long, freezing winters of day-in and day-out shoveling which sometimes went well into the month of April, were exactly the reason why we moved cross-country.

So here I am now, living in San Diego. And after only 3 ½ years, It's safe to say I’ve become a total cold weather WUSS. On Friday night the outside temperature was very chilly-- around 55 degrees. For our family dinner outing, I donned a scarf, wool sweater, fleece-lined tall boots and mittens! As I left the house I caught a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror and chuckled. Boy, has my blood thinned. Back east, when the temperature ROSE to 50 degrees, I would break out my short sleeves, roll down my car windows and celebrate what I felt was BALMY weather. I wasn’t the only one either. Our neighbors would routinely break out their grilling tools and host barbeques!

*Sigh.*

It’s all relative, I guess. As I type, I have family members in the Midwest currently experiencing single digit temperatures—something like 3 degrees. Psssh. I wouldn’t even be able to get the mail without crying. I certainly don’t miss those cold, snowy winters. I don’t even know how I managed all those years.

Someday, perhaps I’ll venture back for a visit between November and April. No problem. When full-bodied electric suits are fashionable, count me in!

I got it from my mama

2007-12-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

Did you catch the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show last night? Will.i.am opened the runway with my fave workout tune!

Are we headed for re-runs galore?

2007-11-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

So, the Writer's Guild of America has launched it's long-awaited strike. Who, wha? Yeah. Most people aren't going to care about the strike, nor will they notice it anytime soon..

BUT, I WILL AND I DO!!!

Fox just announced that they have axed this season's airing of 24 due to the strike. Rather than dealing with the possibility of a disruption mid-season, they decided to not air it at all.

All I have to say is these people better reach an agreement ASAP or there will be some REAL drama over here!

Jolly Holiday Shopping

2007-11-07T14:21:00.000-08:00

Videonow, DS, Wii, Leapster… The name of the wish list game this year at our house is electronics. Handhelds and game stations.. Heck- even I kind of want a Wii. Coming in at a close second are those masterfully-marketed Webkinz animals. Who would have thought my 2 1/2 year old would be eating all her vegetables at dinner just so she could get time on the computer to “shop” for more furniture for her pink pony’s virtual room? And my son… banking all kinds of credits for winning countless games of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” against the computer? Amazing. All Webkinz are are glorified Beanie Babies and they are taking over my household!

And then there’s Hanna Montana. Whoooooo-weeee does she command obsessive market share in this household. Now, I will give the pop star credit… She’s no cheesy Hillary Duff. Her tunes are catchy and she’s adorable, to boot. She’s got staying power. My point? If you know of any kids ages 6-14, chances are they are in love with Miley Cyrus. Two-thirds of America’s tweens are fans of Hanna Montana so you can’t go wrong giving gifts centered around her to this age group.

I know, I know. It’s only November 7th. How can I even be thinking of holiday gifts already??? Thankfully, my extended family is extremely proactive in this department and requires an explicit wish list from all individuals by November 1st. While some might feel this takes away any elements of fun and surprise, I am a BIG believer in this time-saving tool. Plus, I’d much rather see my nieces and brothers and sisters-in-law receive something they will squeal over in excitement versus sending them a “surprise” gift they have zero use for. Where’s the fun in that?

And this goes for us on the receiving end, too. I can’t even begin to state how many gift cards from Ann Taylor I’ve received in my lifetime. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Ann Taylor clothing… on OTHERS. But for me? It’s just silly wrong. And with hundreds and hundreds of dollars in credit there, it may as well be money burned.

So, here’s my take: Do not leave your gift to fate. Send out a list of appropriate choices to your family. And underline appropriate! Eg. Shaq-sized mukluks are NOT stocking stuffers.

Good luck and enjoy tackling your shopping lists!

New York Style... All the Way

2007-11-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

There are two kinds of pizza lovers: those who prefer thick crust and those who prefer thin crust. Here at the House of Wilson, it’s the latter all the way.

Thin crust pizza can be found everywhere in New York. Eh, unfortunately for us, not so much here in southern Cali. 'A' and I are forever on the hunt for the best local thin crust pizza and I’m about to reveal our biggest find (pun intended). Right in the heart of Encinitas’ Moonlight Beach town is a place called, “Manhattan Giant Pizza.” Oh my goodness is their pizza TASTY! It is so yummy, I actually give half credit to them for my taking up surfing two years ago. Knowing I could swing by for a slice (or two, or three..) after a stab at the ocean was all the push I needed to dive head first into the waves. Okay, so they also get some credit for my poochy size 6 belly. (Ha! As KLS would say… That is a LIE. There ain’t nothing no size 6 about me, honey, but my ring finger!)

No seriously. If you can appreciate great tasting pizza, you must try MGP. The “Giant” comes from the fact that they actually make monstrous-sized pies (30 inches!) with ginormous slices. Now that’s MY kind of eats. Go see for yourself. Abandon the dark side and meet me there.

Oh, and don’t bother asking the friendly owner if he’ll sell the joint. I already checked and they will be “keeping it in the family.”

Ever had one of these?

2007-11-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

Within the first 5 minutes of waking up to my wailing 2-year old and tripping over my son's dinosaur toy, I received a text message from the nanny canceling. My husband was well, M.I.A. and I have to be at an appointment, like, 15 minutes ago.

The rest of the day has pretty much followed suit.

(long, deep breath)

Wow. Is it a full moon or something? Or maybe I just had a little too much candy last night. No- can't be that. Otherwise how would I explain surviving all the candy I ate the night before?

Days like today make me thankful for my Personal Fav (#4): Ooh La Lift by Benefit Cosmetics. Shit's the bomb. It's like a magic wand. Dab some under your eyes and those nasty black circles and puffiness disappear. Lightens and brightens your eyes, and takes any visible signs of stress away.

Now, if I could just channel some of that magic towards the rest of my afternoon...

Bibbidi bobbidi boo!

Personal FAVS (#7)

2007-10-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

Killer abs.

We all want them. We all (well, at least I) do a gazillion crunches in hopes of attaining that dangling six-pack carrot.

Having worked out for most of my life, I’ve tried a boatload of exercises and gadgets geared towards obtaining this crazy dream-- especially post-partum. From the ab roller and the body blade, to Hip Hop Abs and 1000 crunches a day, I've finally found my all-around answer...

Ultimately, the key to showing off great abs really boils down to your diet. So, assuming you’ve gotten that under control, here is my personal favorite, time-tested results-producing abs product: The BOSU Ball. It stands for Both Sides Up and looks like an exercise ball that has been sliced in half. There are tons of different moves you can do with this contraption on either side. It's fantastic and will not take you long before you see (and feel) results. I use mine twice a week.

And here's an added bonus.. Your kids will think it's a trampoline and burn lots of energy jumping on the thing.

Happy crunching!

P.S. Here are just a few moves we can all aspire to:

Pure Entertainment TV

2007-10-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've highlighted The Kardashians' show. I've named Gossip Girl as my hands down fave of the season. Also included in my arsenal of must-see TV has been: Beauty and the Geek, America's Next Top Model and The Bachelor.

Yes, The Bachelor. Girls, have you even SEEN this season's bachelor? While I've never been a huge fan of the show (or previous bachelors for that matter), I must say, Brad Womack is one SeXy man and for that reason alone-- I'm tuning in each week.

But I miserably failed to include the latest, greatest show that ranks right up there with Gossip Girl and that is, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane. Wow. Formerly married to the "Godfather of Hip-Hop," Russell Simmons, Kimora Lee is at the helm of the female hip-hop brand and fashion empire, Baby Phat. I love this show. She's over the top. She's crazy. And she's funny as all hell.

Now there are plenty of bloggers out there dishing on the "poor quality and trashy content" of these shows. And there will be others out there who say I watch "stupid shows." Well, excuse my third grade verbiage, but that's retarded. TV for me is an escape. I don't turn the tube on in search of intellectual stimulation and such. The aforementioned shows serve as pure entertainment.. No more, no less.

Laughter is the best fashion, and I get plenty of it from these folks.

XOXO!

Are You Keeping Up...

2007-10-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

With the Kardashians?

Who the hell are they? They are the children of the late Robert Kardashian, the famous LA marketing exec who vehemently defended OJ Simpson in his murder trial (and then later regretted his stand.) The show follows Kim along with her sisters Khloe and Kourtney, half sisters Kylie and Kendall, mom Kris and stepdad Bruce Jenner.

I just checked out the first episode. What a HOOT! Airs Sundays on E!.

My Skin’s Best Friend

2007-10-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

Aaaaaaahhhhh…. There’s nothing like spoiling yourself with a phenomenal facial. I love my aesthetician. I’ve been going to her for almost 2 years now and I can honestly say… She gives the best damned facial out there!

I love going to see her because I know that every time I walk out of there, I will see immediate results. My face will look as clear as glass. My skin will feel as smooth as Lake Placid and glow radiantly like the sun.

I like to think of her method of skin care as the “Mercedes Benz” of treatments, chock full of extreme attention to detail, vast experience and the best, all-natural, all-organic products on the market. She always has my skin’s absolute best interest in mind. Not unlike a careful chemist, she goes to work mixing my custom mask and potions right beside me—throwing in a dash of this for tightening and a splash of that for healing or whatever. And it’s different every time. Sometimes she’ll do a gentle chemical peel, other times she’ll do a microdermabrasion. It all depends on what my skin presents and needs on the day of my appointment.

And it’s not magical, oogah-boogah stuff. She truly knows her trade and is always continuing her education to provide the best products, equipment and care for her clients. Period.

Now here’s the sick part. An aesthetician like her could easily charge upwards of $140 for a single-treatment facial in some swanky spa. EASY. But she chooses not to do that. Instead, she keeps her overhead costs low so she can provide excellent, dream facials MORE OFTEN (like we all need and deserve) to her beloved clients. Nah… For eighty super-stretched bucks you don’t get a measly 40 minutes of steam and a clay mask coupled with painful extractions. Hell no. What you get is a ridiculously luxurious amount of results-oriented pampering (try an hour and fifteen minimum!) which includes a peel or microdermabrasion plus whatever else she feels you need, IN ADDITION to your purely organic facial!!!

Hellooooo! She is my biggest skin care secret… and I’m sharing her with you now! For those of you lucky locals, you have the opportunity to experience Charlene’s ever-indulgent and organic facial. Call her today and see for yourself. 760.727.0300

DLR APH.. Huh?

2007-09-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

Disneyland Annual Pass Holder…

That’s what I became last weekend. After having gone to Disneyworld and Disneyland so many times over the years, I finally decided the fun never wears out and you can never get tired of or outgrow these places. With Disneyland only an hour’s drive away, I now plan to go back MANY times. ‘A’ was out of town, so I played single mom and took three kids there for 13 fun-filled hours last Sunday.

What a BLAST we had! Of course, there was a lot of build-up prior to this day because, quite simply, my kids are CUCKOO over pin trading. I’d say they’re just a lil’ bit obsessed.. Okay, so I am, too.

For those of you non-fanatics, Disney Pins are a hot collectible that have been around for years. What I love about them is that aside from being super cute, they are small and do not take up a lot of space.

When you start, you typically purchase a booster set that includes a lanyard stocked with 4 or more pins. You can then begin trading with cast members (Disney Park employees) or other willing collectors. While many people will just buy and trade pins that appeal to them in the moment, others will stick to a certain theme. Having a theme is great because it can help keep you stay focused in dealing with the overwhelming selection of pins available.

My son, for example, focuses mostly on Stitch pins and Mickey Mouse pins. My daughter loves Ariel/ The Little Mermaid pins as well as other princess pins. And I love the VILLAINS (esp. Ursula the Sea Witch and Cruella) as well as any mother-related pins like Mrs. Incredible, Lady and her puppies, Perdita and her pups, Nani and Lilo, Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother etc.

Here's my personal favorite from my collection:

And then there’s the Cast Member only pins or “Hidden Mickeys” that we love to gather. These are the pins that you can’t buy. They can only be acquired by trading for them with a cast member. They have a tiny little mouse ears logo stamped on the pin (hence “hidden Mickey”) as an indicator. I swear my son can spot these from a mile away. He will always try to acquire these even if it doesn’t fit into his themes because they can be valuable when trading with others.

*Sigh* I must say, we spent just as much time trading pins as we did going on rides. We just can’t get enough of the magic right now. We’ll probably go back every other weekend not to mention our upcoming trip to Disneyworld over Thanksgiving… Crazy, I know.

What can I say? Catch the fever and trade with us!

Fifty's back!

2007-09-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

OMG.. I am loving the new track, "Peep Show"-- Fifty is HOTTTTTTT. This track. His voice. They absolutely LIGHT my fire. Throw in a little Eminem and forget about it. Now it's my latest ring tone and pole dance song.

He is the KING of Hip Hop. (Nice try, Kanye.)

YouTube Crazy

2007-09-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Do I love YouTube or what? It seems in every other post, I include some zany video clip.

Really, though, what an insane success story YouTube is. It was founded in February 2005 as a medium to allow people to upload and share video clips (some serious, some just plain whacked out). And just twenty months later, Google acquired YouTube for a hefty $1.65 BILLION in stock. 20 months! Today, YouTube delivers 100 million video views daily with 65,000 new videos uploaded each day.

And I am a happy contributor. Lucky for you, today I'm sparing you the horrifying Britney Spears performance at the VMA's as well as the equally mortifying display by her number one fan, Chris Crocker. (Congrats on making Yahoo! front page..)

No, rather, in the spirit of back to school, check out this video below highlighting how an eleven year old girl gets herself to and from the classroom.

In Full Fall Force…

2007-09-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

Well, vacations are over. Labor Day is behind us. School has started across the country. The US Open tennis tournament wrapped up on Sunday. And, the VMA’s have come and gone (Poor Britney.)

For many of us, the next three months will be our busiest of the year. If you’re in business, it’s crazy 4th quarter time with mega-preparations for 2008. If you’re a mom, it’s homework galore, child taxi-ing and holiday insanity coupled with numerous family gatherings. And if you’re both like me, well, this is what I tell myself, “Everything will be fine, just put on a little lipstick.”

Really, what more can you do?

Hmmm… yeah, I guess going to a Justin Timberlake concert could certainly lighten things up a bit. Anyone have tickets for this Sunday’s LA show???

Lookin' to go, lookin' to go...

US Open Fever

2007-09-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

During this week's match between Andy Roddick and Roger Federer, John McEnroe and Ted Robinson surprised viewers with a special guest commentator--- tennis royalty, Angre Agassi!! The first 2 sets were fantastically close and exciting to watch, but I think I had even more fun listening to Agassi speak about the player's games. Wow. He had such insightful comments and observations. I hope to see him do more of this in the future.

Here's one of my favorite commercials:

This One Just In...

2007-08-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

Here’s another shot from the party. It’s me and ‘J’ (a two-set) with Mystery and his wingman, Matador, from “The Pickup Artist” on VH1.

Check ‘em out.

My Night at the Playboy Mansion

2007-08-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a NIGHT!! A bunch of us were shuttled over to the mansion from our hotel (Hyatt Century Plaza) at 7pm. When we arrived, we were greeted by a red carpet-- paparazzi style, photos and all. I made a beeline for the bar and started with a lovely vodka-mixed drink. Took the tour, checked out the celebrity wares up for silent auction, chatted with some bunnies, and wafted in all the dinner eats made by Hef’s personal chef.

The rest of the evening was a pleasant blur. In a word: tequila. In two words: Patron Silver. Aaaaaaaaahh, talk about Premium. As I was downing shot after shot, I kept thinking of those lewd t-shirts in Ft. Lauderdale and one in particular that read, “One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, FLOOR!”

Luckily, I never hit the floor. I even managed to make a few flies on the free-standing pole. And yes, I swam in the grotto! All in all, it was a fabulous time. I met some great people and had an absolute blast.

There was an after party back at the hotel and believe it or not, I even made it to the after-after party. I made it back to my room at 4am and even remembered to set my alarm for 7am. Oooh, waking up to that was PAINFUL. I had to make the 2 hour drive back to San Diego to take my beautiful daughter to her ballet class. Couldn’t miss that. Then after ballet it was my son’s soccer game followed by a skateboarding lesson. All of this sans Tylenol. Didn't want to overload my poor liver anymore than I already had... Goes to show what hangovers will do to your logical thought processes.

At 2pm, I nearly passed out while driving home. I don’t know how I made it. But when I did, I crashed hard and slept ‘til Sunday!!!!

Thanks for everything, Hef!

Grand Prize Winner!

2007-08-15T08:59:00.001-07:00

I was looking for someone to actually decipher the lyrics by EAR and not by Google (lol), but major props go to JOSH in Colorado for being so resourceful and sending this in! THANK YOU!

Here y'all go...

I like to move it, move it

Ya like to ("Move it")

I like to move it, move it

Ya like to ("Move it")

I like to move it, move it

Ya like to ("Move it")

All girls all over the world,original Mad Stuntman pon ya case man!

I love how all girls a move them body,and when ya move ya body, and move it,nice and sweet and sexy, alright!

Woman ya cute, and you don't need no make up,

original cute body you a mek man mud up.

Woman ya cute, and you don't need no make up,

original cute body you a mek man mud up.

Woman! Physically fit, physically fit,

physically, physically, physically fit

Woman! Physically fit, physically fit,

physically, physically, physically fit

Woman! Ya nice, sweet, fantastic

Big ship on de ocean that a big titanic

Woman! Ya nice, sweet, energetic

Big ship on de ocean that a big titanic

Woman! Ya nice, sweet, fantastic

Big ship on de ocean that a big titanic

Woman! Ya nice, sweet, energetic

Big ship on de ocean that a big titanic

I like to move it, move it

Ya like to ("Move it")

I like to move it, move it

Ya like to ("Move it")

Now I know many of you are sitting at a desk somewhere, perhaps at work or at home... Whereas before, we could only just raise our arms and wiggle, now we can sing along! Lemme hear it!!!

*Oh, and what does he mean by nice big ship like the titanic?!?!?

Back-to-School WeekEND

2007-08-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

It's Back-to-School week and what better way is there to celebrate, than to knock off another big list item this weekend? Yup, this soccer mom’s going to be partying it up at the Playboy Mansion. “A” went several years ago and encouraged me to check it out.

CHECK IT OUT?

I had to chuckle. He makes it sound like it’s the latest road kill on I-5. Check it out... He’s damned straight I’m going to check it out! I’ll be looking for Snoop Dogg, interrogating the playmates and swimming in the Grotto, too! So here’s the thing… What the hell do I wear?!?!?

Playboy Mansion - video powered by Metacafe

Tina's Very Own "Singing Bee"

2007-08-11T23:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, so "A" and I went to a great party this weekend where this oldie but goodie was spun by the DJ. Here's the deal... I'll give anyone a Grand Prize if he/she can decipher what the hell this guy is saying in this longtime favorite o' mine (besides the title track!)...

Vacation All I Ever Wanted..

2007-08-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

Last week, “A” and I took our very first trip sans kids. We met up with some friends and associates on a cruise and sailed from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West, Cozumel, Belize and back. The last time we’d been to Ft. Lauderdale was probably 8 years ago. We had a lot of fun memories there and were excited to revisit. We walked along A1A and visited the many shops and bars. Ft. Lauderdale has got to be the capital of lewd t-shirts. I kept thinking of Vanilla Ice driving his 5.0 and singing “Ice Ice Baby.” After a great seafood dinner at one of the cafes, we actually stopped back at the place where I got my FIRST navel piercing. New owners, expanded shop... but it was still pretty neat. Next morning, we ran up and down the beach to see if we could still cover the same distance we did 8 years ago – no sweat!

Our first stop on the ship was Key West. We only had a half day there, so we just walked Duval Street, shopped around and had some Key Lime pie. We spent the rest of the day partying on the boat.

In Cozumel, we took a taxi to a private 5 star resort, The Reef Club. This place was luscious. We spent the entire day enjoying unlimited food, drinks, water sports and lounging. The pool was gorgeous and the beach and waters were pristine. After several hours we went to their incredible spa and had an amazing couples massage. It was WONDERFUL. We ended the day with a little shopping before getting back to the ship.

Next stop was Belize, where we had a much more active day scheduled. We hiked through the jungle, zip-lined through the forest at 85 feet, hiked some more, and cave tubed back. Very very exhilarating and cool.

Our last day was at sea. We did the pool scene most of the day- it was very relaxing. All in all, this was a fabulous trip and itinerary. Even though we missed the kids horribly, it felt like a second honeymoon (awwwwwww..) Here's one of the gazillion cheesy photos that they snap at you all day long:

Back at the Hair Salon...

2007-08-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Yes. I fell out of bed and neglected my blog for a while... Just been trying to enjoy the last few weeks of summer :)

Anyway, a couple weeks ago I was back in the chair to see “M” for my trusty hair appointment. As my faithful readers and friends know, I have been emerging from these appointments with much more than just a fresh haircut. Last time, if you'll recall (Haircuts...), I left my appointment with a navel piercing.

So there I was, chatting away with "M" when out of nowhere appears this skinny, scrawny little black and white kitten. I reach out to pet him thinking he’ll bolt, but instead he comes closer and says hello. He then sprawls out on the floor amidst all the hullabaloo of the salon. People were coming in and out the front entrance. Hairdressers were stepping over and around him to get by. It was comical. He may as well have been lounging beachside while sippin' a mojito, the way he looked.

Curious, I asked "M" about the cat (Mistake #1). She proceeds to tell me the cat is a stray that has been visiting the salon for the past 2 days.

“He needs a home” she says. (Mistake #2)

Being that I am not a cat-person, one of the items on my Big List is to “have a cat that acts like a dog”. Friendly, social, no freak-outs, no hissing, no scratching, no hiding all day long. So, basically, this list item would forever remain unchecked. Ha Ha.

Long story short: I went home with the cat. Fleas, worms and all. ?#@&!

I don't know what bleeding heart sentiment I was possessed by, but it was this kitty's lucky day. He didn't know what hit him. Within 24 hours, he received a flea bath and treatment, a slew of kitty vaccines and had his testicles snipped to boot. Yeah, we don't waste anytime around here at the House of Wilson.

Oh, and his name?

Flea.

(And if you look closely enough, you'll even see the blood-suckers hopping around his face..)

American Politics.. It all boils down to boobs and ass!

2007-07-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the infamous Obama Girl video, a new video is set to be released on Monday: Obama Girls vs. Giuliani Girls. A bunch of booty shakin' bumpin' n' grindin' to help us in the selection of our next president.

Here's the trailer:

Does anyone else want to move to Switzerland? Anywhere but here??

How LOW can you go?

2007-07-01T13:55:00.001-07:00

As if last Sunday's travel experience wasn't bad enough.. Here I am on Dallas/Ft. Worth's runway twiddling my thumbs trying to get back to beautiful SD. Waaaaaah. Just as the last person boarded the plane, thunder, lightning and rain began. We now have to wait for the storm to pass and then some before we can pull out of the gate.

Ho hum. I'll take this moment to share another product fave of mine: So Low Workout Pants. I LOVE these. They feature a foldover waist which is oh-so-flattering for any tummy. You can wear them as high or as low as you like. The pants flare so they elongate your legs and hug right where they need to. Whenever I wear these to the gym, someone will often say, "Your legs are looking thinner!" Pssshh! My secret: It's the PANTS!!!

Love 'em. Girlfriends, go get yours. Wear them with confidence in your pursuit of life, liberty and semi-nakedness.

www.solowstyle.com

Just improve. That’s what growth is.

2007-06-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Sunshine State! As I type, I am sitting in my hotel room watching a rerun of Star Wars – Revenge of the Sith. After going through a bit of hell to get here, the past week has been a wonderful whirlwind—kind of like experiencing a little bit of heaven without the inconvenience of dying.

My arrival was delayed 9 1/2 hours getting me to my destination at 3:30am on Monday. This gave me only 4 hours to sleep and prepare for my first day at tennis boot camp. Needless to say, Monday was comical. Not only was I trying to adjust to the insane heat and humidity here, but the 7 hours of ensuing tennis just about flattened me.

Despite the shaky beginning, I can’t say enough great things about my IMG Academies/ Bollettieri Tennis experience. The level of intensity of the tennis instruction and drills was fantastic. I was surrounded by adults and juniors from all over the world with incredible skills and athleticism. It was extremely inspiring.

Thursday was “Game Day.” An emcee conducted the day’s drills with great music blasting over loudspeakers as he announced various games and prizes. I especially loved bouncing around to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”. Somehow it made the burn in my legs feel a lot less painful. Everyday after lunch, I jumped in the pool for a half hour to recuperate and recharge just enough to barely make it through the afternoon sessions. I had such a fabulous time. To top it all off, I had initially set out to shed some weight at this boot camp (or “booty” camp, rather), and I DID!!!

I have been in constant battle with my last 10 post-pregnancy pounds. Exasperated, I tried a famous weight-loss program three weeks ago and failed miserably. This well-known diet program whose name begins with J and C promised I would lose at least 5 pounds after my first week. Pssssh! No problem, I thought. So I wholeheartedly followed the program, ate their crappy food and faithfully logged my meals. I went to my first weigh-in only to find I’d lost a measly 2 OUNCES!! Screw that.

In my week here, I dropped 7 pounds. No pills. No 1000-calorie cardboard crap diets. No ooga-booga magic. Just plain, old-fashioned, kick-butt, working out. Yeah, baby! Now, that’s what I’m TALKIN’ ABOUT!!!!!!!! Bam!

No booty school dropouts here!

Amazing! I was blown away...

2007-06-24T00:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, so most of us have watched America's Got Talent at some point. And we know that the "talents" can often be painful to watch. I mean, how about the guy that breaks things with his butt? For crying out loud...

Well, this came across my screen and I nearly peed my pants. Here's a guy who looks like a complete bloke. He's a mobile phone salesman who lacks self-confidence. A total regular guy, he walks on stage and says he will be singing OPERA. All three judges brace themselves for an immediate dismissal and find themselves completely gobsmacked. It's actually a video from Britain's Got Talent.

Check him out:

Flying to England anytime soon?

2007-06-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Just for airline passengers (and pilots) is a ginormous silhouette of a pole dancer in a field near London’s Gatwick Airport. It covers 100,000 square feet!

Pretty cool. Check out the site. You can enjoy your own lapdance in the comfort of your own… cell phone!!!

My Latest FIND

2007-06-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Okay Ladies,
Have you ever been out and about and you go to find something in your purse only to find that you are digging around for the next 20 minutes through receipts, papers and other randomly floating items?

Now, some of you may be more on the organized side and have things all neat and tidy, but what if you're out having a lovely dinner and your BF starts ringing your cellphone to tell you about her latest weight-loss secret? You need to answer that phone! No time to fish around in the dark while it rings and rings and then gets sent to voicemail.

Check this out: http://www.solasfashion.com/
Every single bag in the line comes with a built-in neon light that glows around the purse whenever you open it. Auto shuts off when you close... SaaaaaWeeeeeeeeet!!

I'm loving the Serendipity Lite in White. All-leather. Beautiful east-west style a la M. Jacobs. Perfect for summer-- goes with everything.

Remember, it takes work to rock a funky bag.
And there you have it.

Ciao!

Baby Got Back

2007-06-20T17:47:00.001-07:00

One of my longtime favorite songs is aptly called, “Big Ole Butt” by LL Cool J. I can’t help but move to this tune as Big L professes his love for big booties, most especially when he chirps, “Tina got a big ole butt.”

Despite L’s preferences, I am forever on the hunt to find the best method of a non-surgical butt lift and shrink. Recently, I stumbled upon a loyal follower of Callan Pinckney’s Callanetics workout. My friend and fellow workout buddy, “K”, explained to me in great detail how the video helps her to tone her arms and raise her rear. Of course, this is when my ears perked up and I said I must try it for myself. Lord knows I could certainly stand to raise my rear a few inches…

So, about the video… It was created in the 80’s. You can well imagine the attire and hairdos, but all of that aside, the workout has some pretty tough exercises that definitely firm and tone. It was very easy to follow. Callan Pinckney is 47 years old in the video and she definitely walks the talk. I liked it because it was a nice change of pace for me.. Low impact, minimal sweat factor. Do-it-yourself at home (I was in my jammies). I can see why she has such a loyal following even after 20+ years!

Just look at all the rave reviews on amazon!

Callan says you’ll lose 10 years in 10 hours. I’m going for my second hour tonight. Going for that perfect peach!

I can hear it now…

“Tina got a teeny tiny butt.” Oh, yeah.

Book Clubs... Fact or Fiction?

2007-06-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

I’ve never been part of a book club. What do you do at a book club? Is it an excuse to gather socially or do you really just get together to discuss books? The reason I wonder is because I recently met a gal who was telling me all about all the fun things she did with her “book club”, none of which were centered about any books!

Are book clubs formed around a certain genre of literature or is the material free-for-all? Who decides on the book of the week?

As an avid reader, I’ve considered joining one or even starting one, but I’m picky about what I like to read. Since I don’t have a lot of extra time, I am always squeezing in whatever moments I can to tackle my way-too-long list of books that I want to finish. And then there’s the ones that I wish to re-read..

Somehow I do manage to read the equivalent of at least one book a week just by sneaking in a chapter here and there. You'd be amazed at how much reading you can accomplish by simply strategically placing books throughout your house. For me, at any given time, I have 8 to 10 books each in a designated spot. I have a book in my purse, in my car, one next to my bed, one by the couch and of course, one in each bathroom. If I’m cooking, I’ll read a chapter in the kitchen. If I’m taking an “eye-strain” break from my computer, I’ll read a chapter at my desk.

A lot of people find the books I love extremely boring and dry. In fact, this weekend, when we returned home from a party, I found the nanny perusing my kitchen book, “How to Out-Negotiate Anyone”. She looked way less than entertained. Are you kidding? I eat that stuff up! I crave mostly non-fiction. I love books about psychology, entrepreneurship, and business. Then there are the memoirs and books about serial killers. If I ever do read fiction, they are almost always thrillers. I mean, I do enjoy the Harry Potters and the Devil Wears Pradas of the world, but there are way too many books ahead of them on the list that I rarely get to these.

*Sigh* I guess if I do start a book club, it will have to be the kind with more of the social slant. That’s cool. There’s nothing like another excuse to get together and drink!

Happy reading!

Queen Bee STILL Rules Post-Prison!

2007-06-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

FAB remix. Lil Kim kills it! (warning: explicit lyrics)

And I quote...

2007-06-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes."
~ Benjamin Disraeli

My trip to Sears

2007-06-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

So I went AWOL for a while... What can I say? Things have been pretty tame in my brain... Not so socially starved right about now. Perhaps because summer is near and school is almost out, everyone seems to be in a partying mood. And I love it when people are in a partying mood!

Here's my day's excitement: I got a new washer and dryer delivered to my house today. Woo hoo! Being that our old set was nearly 10 years old, I haven't really "kept up" with the latest and greatest in the world of washers and dryers. I mean how different could they be? I thought I'd just take a quick trip down to Home Depot and have a new set, just like the old one. But NOOOOOOO. I was told by a friend to go to Sears since they'd be likely to have a big sale over Memorial Day Weekend.

So off I went and oh, did they have a sale. The more you buy, the more you save plus vouchers galore. I spent 3 hours at the store learning all about the machines-- way more than I needed to know. Now they come with sensors to tell you how much or how little laundry you've put in and when exactly they are perfectly dry. They have different degrees of "quietness". They have settings for kids laundry versus regular laundry. (Still not sure what the difference is there.)

In any event, I now am the proud owner of a beautiful set of eye-level, front-loaders that are whisper quiet in a beautiful shade of "black diamond". ?#*^#!?!?

Being that 'A' is not the most technically adaptive member of our family and does all the laundry exclusively in our house, I'm not so sure he will appreciate all the added bells and whistles (however quiet they may be).

We shall see. At the very least, he will be able to put in three times as much load in one cycle as before AND the dryer cycle will always finish before the washer cycle so he doesn't have to wait. That should be worth its weight in gold, right?

Personal FAVS (#19)

2007-05-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get in that mode where when you find a product or article of clothing you love that you feel the need to buy it in every color or simply just multiples of the same thing? I am a big fan of "when you find something you love, buy 2 or more of them."

Several summers ago, I discovered the coolest sunblock for kids. It’s called Ecko the Gecko and I swear by it. It has all the great features that you’d want in a sunblock (waterproof, non-greasy, high SPF).. But the coolest thing is that this sunblock is PURPLE! Not only do the kids love being “painted” purple, but I love it because I can see where I’ve applied it and I can be sure I haven’t missed any spots.

And, faster than the novelty of being purple wears off, the color fades in time for your kids to enjoy the beach, pool, sun without looking like Barney or Tinky Winky. I just loaded up on my summer supply. Yup-- 6 of 'em (2 each for 'M' and 'M' and 2 extra for their friends that inevitably wish they had purple sunblock, too!)

Moms- buy this for your kids. They’ll love it! And trust me… You’ll want to have several of these on hand.
www.jafra.com

My Favorite Jeff Foxworthy Jokes

2007-05-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

You might be a redneck if...

...you’ve ever been to a wedding reception at the Waffle House.

...Thanksgiving dinner was ruined because you ran out of ketchup.

...you think that Dom Perignon is a mafia leader.

...you prefer car keys to Q-tips.

...you’ve ever vacationed in a rest area.

...you think “Chablis” is the name of last month’s Playboy centerfold.

...you think “Ross Perot” is how your cousin Ross got out of jail early.

Farewell for now, Kiefer.. Time to prep for summer!

2007-05-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo!!! LOVED last night's show. Another great season of 24 has come to an end (boo hoo). And with every season finale comes the reminder that summer is right around the corner. (YESSS!!)

So, I’m very excited about an upcoming trip I just finalized. I will be in Tampa on business in June (I’m very excited about this, too.) But being that Tampa is just a hop and a skip away from Sarasota, I decided to add a few days at the beginning of my trip to attend the IMG Academies- more specifically, the Bollettieri Tennis Boot Camp. I’ve gone before back in the day when I was a more serious tennis player. I actually went to hone my tennis and footwork skills. This time, however, it’s about me looking to chisel my shizzle- follow me? The tennis? Yeah, tennis will be played, but I look at it more like the Bollettieri Bikini Boot Camp for me. Why? Because they basically kick your butt multiple times over so you can hang it on their clay courts to dry. With summer fast-approaching, there will soon be nowhere left to hide my flaws. I NEED this. Yup. SIX HOURS of tennis each day in the blistering hot sun with a 3-minute banana break in the middle. I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! (Think: leg-flailing Molly Shannon on SNL).

This time around should definitely be interesting. Gone are the days where I was blood-hungry for competitive matches and striving for the utmost precision on my serve. Forget about it. I can see it now: Me and my pony-tailed, pink wrist- and head-banded, matchy-matchy leopard-print spandexed out-of-shape self attempting to swing away at those little flying yellow things. Yes, times have changed. On second thought, I’m going to need a round of acupuncture just thinking about my upcoming pain.

When my friend “S” heard about this, she declared not only is she ALLERGIC to any form of exercise, but she also bitch-slapped me for actually paying for such an experience. Meanwhile, “S” doesn’t ever lift a finger except when she’s on the hunt for discount designer jeans and she looks like a seasoned track runner. What the $&#@?!? These people will never understand!

Can't Blog... 24 Season Finale Tonight!!!!

2007-05-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

Gotta concentrate...

Top 25 Reasons Why I Love Dobermans:

2007-05-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

25. Dobermans have velvet ears.
24. They can fit their velvety body into the teensiest spot in the bed... and make it grow... while your spot shrinks.
23. The way they curl up and gently rest their head on your knee or your foot while you do just about anything.
22. You always get the sidewalk to yourself when you're walking a doberman!
21. They pretend to "not like" the new baby, but secretly give her kisses and sleep with their nose in her shoes.
20. The way their ears lay flat when they've done something wrong.
19. The way they patiently wait for you no matter how long.
18. They must be the first one to answer the door and will not let anyone close until you've said 'hello' in a friendly manner.
17. The way they hoard our most important possessions in their "nest" (cell phone, shoes, socks, keys..)
16. They like to play "tag"...but you're always "it"
15. Dobermans display a life-long puppy-like sweetness. They're goofy & clown-like, intrigued and curious, while also being our guardians, protectors, and our best friends.
14. They will get your attention even when you try to ignore them.
13. The Doberman ‘velcro’ lean.
12. Dobermans give little love bites on the "derriere".
11. The way their whole back end wiggles when they wag their nub.
10. A Doberman means never having to go to the bathroom alone.
9. Dobermans give you unconditional love.
8. The way they lovingly sniff your entire scalp as if searching for the Hope Diamond in order to absorb your complete "scent."
7. Dobermans can change their "look" on a dime. They put on their most menacing look for solicitors and as soon as you close the door they will "giggle" with you.
6. The way they let you “nanny your children” that they think they gave birth to.
5. The way they sit with their back to you and scoot backwards until they are tight against your legs.
4. Their kisses in your ear.
3. The way they show you they love you no matter what every second of every minute of every day!
2. The doberman's admirable ability to clear a large room of people with one regular sized semi silent deadly Dober-toot.
1. They are the most beautiful, loyal and misunderstood of all the dog breeds.

"Hello, I am Cash Wilson. I enjoy all the creature comforts of life and am truly a "momma's dog." Do not think, however, that just because I enjoy playing ball or am a great companion to the rest of this family and have accepted the domestic help, that I am a docile dog. For if you are foolish enough to think you can enter my home or property without permission you are in deep poop."

The Movie

2007-05-17T16:06:00.001-07:00

Chick flick.

What comes to mind? Pretty In Pink… Pretty Woman… Legally Blonde… Sweet Alabama (Is that even the name of it?)

For me, it was a bad-ass British film featuring a stellar all-female cast about a group of adventurous gal pals that go on a spelunking trip. Spe-who-king? It’s cave exploring. This film was called “The Descent.” And man, have I gotten a RAP for showing this on Friday night.

Okay, so I have an affinity for horror films and like to stay on the lookout for those which can create sheer terror in their audiences. Unfortunately, ‘A’ doesn’t share this hobby with me so whenever new horror flicks come out I rarely get to see them in the theatres.

Several months ago, a long-distance friend highly recommended this movie for its tremendous fear factor and convinced me that I absolutely must see it. Knowing my dear husband would want no part of it, I decided to rent it take it with me on my next business trip. Why not watch it ALONE in my hotel room. I mean really, how scary could it be?

So off I went on my trip with my rental and I was so eager, I popped it into my laptop and began viewing it on the plane ride to my destination. Mind you, I had headphones on, so no one around me could hear the movie, but at one point (and those of you who’ve seen the film know EXACTLY what point I’m talking about) I yelped and jumped out of my seat only to realize the strangers to both my left and my right had done so IN UNISON with me! I had to turn the thing off to regain my composure in the first of 5 ensuing mental break installments.

Without a doubt this was, for me, one of the most cover-your-eyes, shriek-out-loud, Holy Crap jump-out-of-your-seat, pee-your-pants-in-one-fell-swoop frightening films I have ever seen. And while there are a lot of good horror flicks out there as well as classics, I believe that if a film can ever sustain that kind of wring-your-neck tension for 90+ minutes straight, it deserves a friggin’ Oscar.

And don’t you like to share Oscar-worthy movies with your girlfriends?? Come on, I thought my pals would also appreciate this film as much as I do, but NO. They just didn’t. It’s certainly not for everyone as I discovered. It’s not “Fright Night” nor “Friday the 13th”. The Descent will scare you to the core. If you haven’t seen it- watch it. It is the kind of horror film experience I dream about, where I’m screaming (and cursing) out loud. My fright-induced neck injury from my initial viewing should be proof-positive that you ought to at least judge for yourself.

… Just maybe not over Mother’s Day weekend.

http://www.thedescentfilm.com/

Did someone say “Red Panties and Sex on the Beach”?

2007-05-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

…Continued from “Do you know what TIME it is?”

So I’ve finally recovered from the weekend. Wow. Last Friday night was cherry. Once again, seven of us crazy mamas got together for Girls Night. Upon entry, each mama received some treats-- Mother’s Day prezzies from me to my gal pals. These included: a customized martini glass filled with chocolates, a bedtime dish with a hershey’s kiss, edible body powder, and a vanilla-scented massage oil candle (when the candle burns, the “wax” is actually massage oil). Ooh la la!

I don’t know why but apparently, these women (and their hubs) had all kinds of naughty thoughts going through their heads anticipating I was planning a night filled with male strippers and other wild-n-crazy things. Perhaps it has stemmed from the much-discussed new pole in my bedroom. Or maybe it was the highly-anticipated boob cake (which by the way, never made it to fruition-- don't ask.) Who knows?

I got a call from Nurse ‘G’ just before she was about to head over asking if I needed anything. There was one thing that I had forgotten-- vegetable oil. I told her we needed it and to bring lots of it. Well, when her hubbie caught wind of this, he’s all, “Vegetable oil?!? What do you need THAT for??? What does she have going on at that party?? (Helloooo? Ever heard of a chocolate fountain? You need vegetable oil to keep the chocolate flowing, for crying out loud.)

Sheesh! Can’t a gal plan a fun and simple estrogen-only, pole-free night without all the fuss? It turns out as we all discovered, the answer is a loud and resounding YES. Whoa, Nelly!

So there was your typical pizza, my luscious martinis, and some yummy chocolate. The gals came with their loaded imaginations and no-holds-barred openness. It was a riot-filled night complete with highly detailed and graphic sharing/discussion of anything and everything pertaining to sex, plastic surgery, breast sizes, bikini waxing, more sex.. you name it. Nothing was taboo. Nothing was left out. I never name names, but one of us walked away with nothing short of an EDUCATION. I haven’t laughed so hard in months.

At midnight, we finally got around to popping in the movie I’d selected to show. More on this in the next entry, but only a few brave souls made it though this affair. Some were too drunk to watch, others went home horny as all hell. (Ladies, tell your hubs they can personally thank me later.)

So much for the slumber portion of the party. By the end of the night it was just me and ‘M’. We stayed up until 3:30 discussing who was hottest amongst Kiefer Sutherland, Johnny Depp and Viggo Mortensen.

See? Just like when we were kids…

Happy Mother’s Day

2007-05-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Mom,
It’s been almost eight years since you were called to Heaven. What I would give to just sit with you and chat like old times. My rose garden is in full bloom and I clipped a peach one today in your honor- your favorite.

Not a single day goes by that I don’t continue to look to you for guidance and support. You were and still are the person I continue to learn from. Your support and open arms always made me feel like a baby bird beneath your protective wing. Your beautiful son-in-law and grandchildren have never met you and I am always striving to make sure they know you well. It is tough, however, as there aren’t yet any words in existence that are as encompassing enough, colorful enough or true enough to describe your heart and soul. It saddens me that they will never experience first hand your quiet humility, unmistakable dignity and selflessness, nor to be on the receiving end of your always generous heart. I can only hope and pray that just an inkling of your influence has rubbed off on me.

Mom, I know that in your last days on Earth you were most worried about me and my well-being. I was still your “baby” and you weren’t ready to leave me to be on my own. The best things you never said to me were: no, you can’t, and you won’t. I hope you can see that I’m more than okay today. Your guidance has gotten me through some of the toughest times in my life. Now this bird will continue to fly high until we see each other again.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Do you know what TIME it is??

2007-05-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

It’s Mother’s Day Weekend. (Yes, for me it’s a 3-day affair.) I love this time of year-- the flowers, the chocolates, the Sunday brunch, the girlie gifts.. Last year I asked my dear husband to buy me a 12” subwoofer for my car. Aw… so sweet!

Women everywhere are taking time for themselves and to honor other moms. Whether they are planting seeds in a garden, baking cookies for their elderly neighbors, or playing with a puppy at the park, they are indulging their femininity and womanhood.

Tonight I am hosting our Moms Night Out—or, rather, IN. Some of my most unforgettable fun times and memories from when I was a kid stem from all the slumber parties. Playing games, staying up all night in our jammies telling scary stories.. After fondly reminiscing, I thought, why do these great events have to be just for kids? That’s it- I’m having a slumber partay for all of us deserving diva moms.

It’ll be just like old times.. well, with one small difference. All of us in attendance will be of legal drinking age! And I do make killer cosmopolitans. (My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard!) In honor of our femininity and womanhood, my maternal instinct tells me I ought to bake, too-- just, not cookies. No, I'm going to bake a boob cake. Ladies, let's celebrate our humps.. in the back and in the front!

Ah, but wish me luck. Baking is not my forte. During the Holidays, in my attempt to make peppermint bark for all the neighbors out of the goodness of my heart, I nearly burned the house down. No joke. As my fire extinguisher "snow"-covered husband and dear children will attest, we needed every ounce of that stuff. *sigh* Every once in a while I’ll still find a small remnant of that fire-extinguisher “snow” in some corner of my kitchen. Fond memories here at the House of Wilson.

Off to the kitchen. Gotta find those oven-safe Pyrex cups. (Be brave. Be very very brave.) And to all within a 5-mile radius: Get outta the way!

To be continued…

No SPF? You WILL get burned!

2007-05-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

So, being that this is a personal blog, I pretty much try not to talk about work-related topics.. but this borders on the edge and I just have to get if off my chest. I’m pretty old-fashioned when it comes to trusting others and developing loyal working relationships. These days it feels like everywhere you turn a contract needs to be created, signed, notarized and then reviewed by everyone and their great grandparents’ attorneys. Obviously, in our sue-crazed world, we need to protect ourselves so I know it’s necessary. But for crying out loud, some things just need to be able to be done without the moon and the stars having to be lined up perfectly, you know?

ie: You want to pick Billy up at 6:05 instead of 6:00 today? Okay, we will need that in writing.

Ridiculous requests aside, I have, in the past worked some rather significant deals that I call “napkin deals.” These are the kinds of deals where if you can imagine, you’re sitting at a bar, discussing business over a drink and work out a proposition. The deal is so clean that it can be laid out on a napkin. This is the way it used to be done all the time (a long long time ago). No attorneys. No BS. No fine print legalese. It’s not because we’re lazy. It’s based soley on trust. It’s very very simple. You hold up your end of the bargain. I hold up mine. Boom, boom. Done.

I know, I know. You’re shaking your heads at me. Well, I’ve never claimed to be perfect and sometimes I’m just downright stupid when it comes to believing that this is any way to do business in today's world- ever. While I will gladly shell out big bucks for my continuing education, this was one costly lesson with absolutely no ROI. A very bad deal.

What can I say? Lesson learned. Lesson shared.

NEXT!

Today’s Daily Affirmation

2007-05-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

Do you partake in daily affirmations? I've been told they can be a wonderful jumpstart to your day or project. Furthermore, they can even become a reality if you truly believe and engage in what you are stating.

Here's what you're supposed to do:
1. Close your eyes, look up to the sky and smile to generate emotion. Then scream your affirmation out loud while visualizing the statement.

2. Do this 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night.
(Try it in the shower. Turn the water as cold as possible and scream your affirmation to further intensify your emotion and commitment.)

3. Do this for the next 90 days.

Can't hurt to try it, right?
Aw hell, why not?

“I’m a sexy mama!”

My 5 Must-Haves of the Moment:

2007-05-08T21:26:00.001-07:00

1. An iPod Shuffle
2. Tempur-Pedic SupremePillow
3. Brooks Addiction Running Shoes
4. A new surfboard
5. Lots and lots of Ferrero Rocher chocolate balls

“Take a deep breath.. One, Two, Three!”

2007-05-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

Those were the fateful words I heard all last week. I don’t know what my deal was with pain, but it must have been my attraction du jour. Between the piercing and my laser hair removal appointment, I experienced all the discomfort of a 24 hour long fast compressed into several split seconds of horror.

For those of you who’ve never experienced laser hair removal, I have two words: IT KILLS! Both literally and figuratively. For me, the pain factor ranks right up there with getting stitches before the numbing spray actually numbs you, and just below tattooing. A laser beam actually zaps the hair follicles to death so they will never grow hair again. Unfortunately, this zapping needs to be repeated several times to do the job and it's NOT for the slight of heart. Ugh. With the ends justifying the means, sometimes searing pain is the only way to get dramatic results.

For me, that end is complete “seal-dom”. I want to be as smooth as a SEAL without ever having to shave or wax again. Yes, so short of the hair on my head, that means EVERYWHERE. So there I was at my third appointment in a series of six (Lord help me). Forget my five-hour mental psyching up and gulping of 2 potent margaritas prior, in order to face the pain. My poor, poor nurse/ laser technician had to equally prepare herself for the upcoming torture scene with me. Before I came along, she figured she'd seen everything in her clients ranging from the typical racing heart rate and beads of sweat running down the forehead to cringed faces and little winces. Then there’s me.

Now, you may think I’m a sissy and I may very well be. Even though I can say I've jumped from a cliff, swam with great white sharks, and given childbirth without meds, the feeling of someone zapping my skin with a hot laser beam over and over makes me want to reach for a continuous and fast drip of morphine. I’m telling you, it hurts like hell. Nurse “G” (who turned out to be the mom of one of my son’s buddys from school—small friggin’ world, I tell you) has had to endure nothing less than skin-breaking nail digging, extreme cursing, and blood-curdling screams that would make those that come from the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror PALE in comparison.

I honestly don’t know how I managed to make it through yet another session. At this point, however, it’s Nurse “G” I’m concerned about. I believe she needs to be taken into CTU to be debriefed after working on me. But I ask those of you who have undergone this treatment: pray tell, is it just me? You’ve been through it, at the very least most likely with a woman you don’t know. On top of the pain, imagine having a fellow preschool mom open fire on your cha-cha?!? Cripes.

No really, though. Suffering and pain in the name of coiffing maintenance of the lower pelvic region aside, my friendship with “G” has just blossomed. We’ve scheduled playdates and sleepovers for our boys. We’ve exchanged gifts—absolutely lovely. Heck, she’s even coming to the next Moms Night Out.

*Sigh* Clearly, I have issues with pain, though. What’s a low-pain threshold girl to do???

Now, about that tattoo…

The quote that turns me on…

2007-04-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

“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.” ~ T. Roosevelt

Haircuts and Navel Piercing

2007-04-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! In preparation for my evening with Kieferrrrrrrrrr, I went to get a much-needed haircut. There’s nothing quite like having that perfect hairstylist. You know, the kind that knows and understands YOUR hair. The kind that doesn’t need any explanation, but just goes to work and then works magic on your ‘do. The kind that’s also your friend (or at least makes you feel like she’s your pal.) Well, I am fortunate enough to have one of those stylists… Or not…

Today was different. One of our topics of conversation was body piercings. ‘M’ (my stylist), is no stranger to multiple piercings of various sorts and I casually mentioned wanting to SOMEDAY re-pierce my belly button since my previous one had closed up after my pregnancies. (Mental note to self: Never ever mention even remotely wanting a piercing or any other painful body inflictions in ‘M’s presence again.)

My routine hair appointment was immediately followed by a drag (by the new hairdo, no less) to the piercing salon which just so happened to be directly across the street. How friggin’ CONVENIENT. Now, really, I know this is no big deal to most, but I tend to get squeamish when it comes to needles and things of the like. I like to have time to prepare for punctures, you know? ‘M’ clearly detected my fear and got some sick pleasure out of going with me to the parlour knowing she’d get to watch me suffer-- all under the guise of “support,” of course (pssh- yeah right.) As we’re walking in she’s all, “Oh my gosh- I’m so excited my nipples are getting hard!” What the $#@%!? She's sick.

I'll spare you from the additional drama and say that it’s done, or rather re-done. Wasn’t too bad, though I would have much rather had more time to prepare or at least had my husband there for another “sympathy” piercing. Yes, that is how I got through the first one-- I made him get pierced as well. I guess I’m just as ill as ‘M’. (And don't ask me where, 'cause I'll tell you Ft. Lauderdale.)

*By the way, ‘M’ is definitely Pinked In. Not only is she a polecat, herself, but she also digs her music. On her playlist? Lords of Acid. Reading list? Wicked Games. Love it! She’s a whole other blog..