Celebrating the start of summer & the return of *Chick* Lit!

Oy vey, has it been way too long since I last posted, or what?

In the last few months I have been so preoccupied blogging for my job, that by the time I get home, I'm too tired to write for fun. Well, I need to put an end to that because there are too many awesome *Chick* things to write about these days.

I couldn't think of a better excuse to make my blogging comeback than the comeback of summer Chick Lit-- oh my favorite time of the literary year.

I was browsing Twitter the other day, which in addition to entertaining me in 120 words or less, helps me keep up with all my favorite Chick Lit authors-- Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green, Jen Lancaster and Emily Giffin (among others)-- and saw that NOT ONE, but THREE of them have new novels coming out-- two of which have already hit the shelves!

Jen Lancaster, who I discovered when browsing the biographies in Barnes and Nobles one day, is probably one of the funniest authors I have read. Ever.

I started out with her second memoir, Bright Lights, Bigs Ass, and had to then rush to read her debut biography, Bitter is the New Black. Seriously, with titles like that, how can her books not be hilarious, or at the very least intriguing?

I do believe in judging a book (and only a book) by it's cover and title. I usually prefer the pretty ones.

Anywhoo, the investor relations firm vice president, turned unemployed blogger, turned bestselling author has come out with another memoir and yet another amazing title, My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict's Attempt to Discover If Not Being a Dumb Ass Is the New Black, or A Culture-up Manifesto.

As a reality tv junkie who watches an inordinate amount of Real Housewives-- ahh a woman after my own heart-- Jen sets out on a journey of cultural enlightement, sampling the sophisitication of opera and art, Indian food and $50 wine, all while her 6 DVRs record her favorite shows of course.

I cannot wait to devour and add this to my *Chick* Lit collection. And, I will provide as-i-read updates to help capture the genius that is Jen.

Check out her blog: Jennsylvania

Next up is Emily Giffin. So I had definitely run into her pretty, pastel-colored hardcovers almost everytime I stepped into a bookstore. But, for some reason, didn't want to pick them up immediately and start pouring over them.

I guess I had this preconcieved notion that her stuff would be too cookie cutter and cliche, and I was so, so very wrong.

I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy her second book last summer: Something Blue (again with the reading the second story before the first in a series-- I have no idea why I have that pattern- I guess it works for me because it always leaves me wondering where it all began).

It had all of the elements I love about Chick Lit and more: friendship, romance, self-conflict then self-discovery, humor... and I had to read everything else she had ever written including her first, Something Borrowed.

So, I found out that her newest novel came out May 11th-- Heart of the Matter. I actually got about 50 pages through it at Barnes & Nobles the other day- and already LOVE IT. I was too cheap to pay the full $25 for the book, and am going to buy it on Amazon as soon as I finish the book I am on now- A Friend of the Family by Lauren Grodstein. I am reading it for our office book club, and I am really enjoying it (I'll write a post about that another time).

Side note: I read on her website that Something Borrowed is being made into a movie and has already begun shooting with an all-star cast including Kate Hudson, Jennifer Goodwin, Colin Farrell and John Krasinski!! AHHH sounds fabulous!! A Chick Lit turned Chick Flick hit indeed!!

Check out: Emily's blog

Jane Green (one of my top favorite Chick Lit authors) also has a new book hitting the shelves next month- Promises to Keep. It brings her central characters (two very different sisters, their divorced parents and a best friend) together in a "phone call that changes their lives forever." Sounds like this one will probably be a tear jerker.

Check out: Jane's Blog

*chick* food: Sublime Keylime Preview

So sorry I've been blog-less and MIA for the past week! I was working on a new profile for The Perfect Wedding Guide on a wonderful OC based wedding planner, Gloria McCune of Grand Engagements- she is fantastic and I wanted to make sure I took the time to write something that accurately captured her passion for celebrations and her sunny spirit.

Brian and I DID get to make keylime cupcakes this past weekend, but we made a few adjustments to save time and money (and so we could have a chance to get through season one of Showtime's Dexter- great show by the way- the antithesis of what I believe is "chick", but nonetheless compelling, crazy, creepy and addictive- hey we chicks don't just dig weepy romances and fluffy comedies!) Tomorrow, I'll post the recipe and give our little anecdote behind the cute cupcakes, but for now here is some eyecandy to send you off into a sweet week!

Chick *Food*: I Scream For Buttercream

The silver lining to being sick these past few days? Watching chick flicks in bed and resting on the couch unapologetically :). Yesterday, I caught Definitely, Maybe with Ryan Reynolds, my new cutie crush, and bought Confessions of A Shopaholic on Demand. Finishing out the night with Two Weeks Notice (Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant are a comedic match made in heaven!).

Even though I have read the entire Shopaholic series and the movie completely deviates from the book, I still love it. Isla Fischer is the saving grace- she is so bubbly and beautiful, a great Beck Bloomwood indeed. You just have to accept the fact that most movies adapted from books are nothing like the story- if you go into the theater wanting it to be exactly like what you read- you will without a doubt be disappointed.

So, this weekend Brian and I will be embarking on another baking adventure- perhaps a new little weekend routine. I glanced at foodgawker for inspiration but nothing struck my fancy- so I did a google search for buttercream recipes (because I LOVE buttercream) and cupcake recipes and saw a key lime buttercream cupcake. What better way to celebrate Summer than with a keylime dessert- so tangy, so fruity, so fresh, so essentially summer! I can't wait to try this one out- it's got to be better than the whoopsie pies because there is no cream cheese involved (I checked... twice!).



A few months ago, I did a phone interview with one of the owners of a bakery in SD - Sweet Cheeks Baking Company- for The Perfect Wedding Guide. Since I was in San Diego the following weekend for a Pheromones concert, I decided to pay Sweet Cheeks a visit and meet the ladies behind the confections in person. Brian and I got to hang out with one of the apprentice bakers and she gave us a taste of this blackout chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream frosting....OUT OF THIS WORLD! I must have been dreaming about it for weeks and weeks it was so good. That was the moment I fell in love with buttercream and its light, melt-in-your-mouth goodness.



Sweet Cheeks also incorporates healthy ingredients like wheat germ and whole wheat flower, and they use all natural ingredients for their delicious creations. Somehow they manage to slyly sneak the healthy in there because you can't even taste it. Needless to say, when I get married- Sweet Cheeks will be the top choice for the wedding cake vendor!

Here is a link to the article I wrote on Sweet Cheeks if you want to check them out:

http://tinyurl.com/njqk3z

Have a wonderful weekend and I will update next week w/ pics and story on the Buttercream Baking :)

Chick *Food*: Taking a Whack at Whoppie

Inspired by the already acclaimed, much awaited film- Julie & Julia- I though I'd embark on a baking bonanza this past weekend and try to bring out my inner chef...buried somewhere inside of me. With all of the Food Network watching and lusting over delicious looking specimens in my various home-y magazines you would think I'd at least be halfway decent- but I think when it comes to cooking, I should just stick to my staples for now (eggs, morningstar tacos, and scallops- well at least those are mildly fancy!).

When I spotted a recipe (accompanied by a mouthwatering photo) for red velvet whoopie pies (basically a giant oreo), I knew I wanted to try it out on Brian, my boyfriend. Brian's mom- the Martha Stewart of Mission Viejo-bakes him (from scratch) a red velvet cake every year on his birthday- which is pretty much the one thing he looks forward to most of Sept. 17. Because food is the way to a man's heart (don't let anyone try to convice you otherwise) I wanted to show that I could make it like his momma does.



Of course, with people like Brian around (aka perfectionist virgo's who have to be right- and usually are) I am not allowed to do the baking by myself. The recipe was simple and easy to follow, and for the most part the cookie part of the whoopie was ok (he ate 6 of them before bed the next evening so they must have been pretty damn good!). However, the filling left much to be desired with it's overwhelmingly cream cheesy taste- it felt like I was eating a bagel! Now, I don't know if it was our fault or the recipe's, but because I am no baking buff, I am going to suck it up and take the blame. I now think of our cookie concoction as a "whoopsie" pie, but at the very least it was a lovely bonding experience!




Next time- if we do decide to attepmt it a next time- we are going to take a tip from Momma Johnson and switch out Better Homes and Gardens's recipe for the whoopie filling with her red velvet cake frosting...mmmm sounds delectable already! Maybe this upcoming weekend I'll brave the baking again because, afer all, practice makes perfect- or in my case practice makes halfway decent. I'm going to scout out the next victim to my virgin baking hands on foodgawker.com- will keep you posted on the progress :)

P.S. want to tack a whack at whoopie as well? Here is the recipe- let me know how it goes!
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/red-velvet-whoopie-pie/ (and here are the pretty pics from the article!)

Chick *Lit*: Final Words on J.Weiner's BFF

Loved it- no surprise there! So emotional, so poetic, so real, so good! If I had my choice, I would have finished it in a day, but it only took me a week to get through this adventure of friendship, of self-discovery and acceptance, of living life to the fullest even when you think it might be too late to carpe diem.


I can't detect what I love most about J.Weiner's writing but I got to say- whether the resolutions are happy, sad, or surprising, no one can end a novel like she does. She manages to leave you content with how things are left, yet you still wish the book wasn't over so you can find out whats happening with the characters...it's like a novel you know has a sequel and you just can't wait to see what's next. Even today while I was driving to work, I was wondering how Addie was and if she was still friends with Val- I know a book is good when I forgot that I finished reading it.

I don't want to reveal too much about the plot just incase anyone decides to read it (or borrow it!), but I will say that you get to see an entire character progression of how Addie goes from lonely to loved, and even though she doesn't live a blessed life, she does get a blessed ending- a much deserved conclusion that will leave you smiling & satisfied :)

*Chick* Week Preview

After a lovely weekend in Orange County (and away from my computer!) I have a lot of blogging to catch up on, so instead of writing into the wee hours, here is a preview of what is to come this week on *Chick*. Hope you'll stay tuned!

* Final Comments on J.Weiner's BFF (finished today on the train home)
* Thoughts on my new chick lit pick (bought at target today for $18-Madeline Wickham's (aka. Sophie Kinsella- author of the Shopaholic series) The Wedding Girl. The only thing better than a new piece of chick lit is a new piece of chick lit about weddings!
* Stories & Pics of my bf & I's attempt to make a red velvet whoopie pie from a recipe in Good Housekeeping.
*Decor ideas & inspiration from Better Homes & Gardens

Can't Wait! Hope everyone had a lovely weekend <3
(gotta love pink peonies!!)

Jane Green: Dune Road

I promised a review on Jane Green's latest, Dune Road, and I am going to deliver finally- sorry for the delay... I just had to gush about 500 days of Summer last night, and I was tempted to stay up later and show pics of my new purple desk and some of the knick-knacks I got at Michael's yesterday on clearance to decorate it(I'll do that next week!).



First off, I just want to preface this post by saying that I LOVE Jane Green and everything she has written thus far (and trust me... I HAVE read all of it!). From Jemima J. to The Beach House (2 of my favorites) she has mastered the art of drawing an audience in with her unpredictable plot twists and lovably flawed leading ladies. Her stuff is chocolate for the soul- 1 part deliciousness, 1 part guilty pleasure, and 1 part pure comfort.

Dune Road tells the tale of Kit Hargrove, a recent divorcee whose relationship with her ex is interestingly amicable- enough so that you question throughout the novel whether these two should have split in the first place. She becomes the asst. to a high profile writer in her small town of Highfield, CT and the story unfolds as a series of ups and downs throughout her relationships with her friends, her ex-husband, her family, and her mysteriously perfect new man.

As usual I found myself enthralled and obsessed with the book, but I also took notice of something that set apart this novel from her previous books, or I was just too blissfully consumed by Green's stories before to notice. Maybe because I started reading J.Weiner only a few mintues after I had finished Dune Road, I found myself becoming quite the critic of Green's writing style. While her stories may be completely and utterly engrossing, her eloquence pales in comparison to J. Weiner. Maybe she was rushed in writing this story (out about a year after releasing The Beach House) and she didn't have the time to commit to the art of storytelling or maybe this just wasn't her best- which happens when you're an international bestseller a dozen times over- not every one can be a smash hit. What bothered me most were the redundant descriptions of Kit as this lost, confused woman who hadn't really found herself yet at mid-age. Regardless- there are some pretty mysterious plot twists that will hold your interest and keep you guessing.

Bottom line I will keep reading Jane Green because I do love her stories and they are always a fast & fun read. Do I think it is worth your time- YES! Do I think it is worth your money- Well, as much as I hate to say it I would advise you to check out Amazon or any other bookselling websites to get a cheaper copy- because I paid almost $30- and would have been much more satisfied paying about $20.

Ta Ta for now- I might be back this weekend to blog more about BFF (hint: it's getting good!)*

Chick *Flick*: 500 Days of Summer

Cause it's late & cause almost everyone has seen and/or given their 2 cents about this breakthrough indie chick flick, I'm going to make this post short & sweet.



Aside from the absolutely ADORABLE Joseph Gordon-Levitt (my friend and I realized his facial structure and deep dimples are hauntingly similar to Heath Ledger's) and the quirky, blue-eyed, ambiguously beautiful Zooey Deschanel- who are quite the entertaining, leading couple- the storyline manages to grab you with it's authenticity and sincerity. Even though I love me a good chick flick, this film strayed away from the mold of fantastical love stories that make you wallow in a stream of self pity because you haven't found the Noah to your Allie, and it actually tells the story of a real relationship and it's real derail.

We know it doesn't work out between Tom and Summer from the beginning (and from the trailers)- but rather than following a chronolgical model of where the relationship went wrong, the flick is a series of vignettes- shown through the various "days of (with) summer"- in which we see the rise and fall of their coupledom (or should I say coupledoom?).

We've all had those moments (whether we have just been broken up w/ or for some reason our crush just seems not to be that into us) when we mentally rewind through all the moments together and try to figure out where everything went wrong. And Tom (Levitt) totally hits on that feeling of helplessness as you search through the memories and can only reflect on all the good- leaving you even more mystified as to what the hell happened.

The saddest, and truest, part of the message this movie imparts is that even the most blissfuly beautiful relationships end.... and not necessarily because of anything specific- but just a series of little unfortunate events that make you realize you're not completely happy with your s.o.

This is a total MUST-SEE- and it will definitely make you crush on Mr. Levitt- I'm hoping that Hollywood will give him some more leading roles so I can see those dimples on the big screen again <3

p.s. am postponing Jane Green chat till tomorrow..don't think I forgot about her!

Orchid Inspiration

After a random walk to Michael's with my mom today - I am bursting with ideas for my room, and even some plans to spice up my desk at work. The problem is: can I execute something as beautiful as this floating orchid?

I'm going to do some research and see if I can do a faux floral spin on this elegant, tropical centerpiece (by the way, if you haven't noticed- am a tad obsessed with flowers!) The fake blooms at Michael's are pretty pricey (anywhere from $2 to $10 per flower), so I might have to clip some coupons to achieve a cheap, chic look.

Check out this faux orchid- pretty passable- yes?
I'll keep you posted on my experiment <3

P.S. Listening to a lovely "chick" song right now- Adele's "Best for Last". Discovered it on my "Chasing Pavements" station on Pandora today at work...if you're a chick- you might dig it...

thoughts on *BFF*

So, I'm starting to learn that J.Weiner's new book, Best Friends Forever, is quite the tear jerker- I was even a bit misty reading on my lunch break today. It's clear from the beginning that this story is not going to be some bubble gum, happy-go-lucky tale. If I had to pinpoint one primary recurring theme it would be loneliness and how empty life can be when you have no one to share your joys and sorrows with. Addie- the main character- goes through most of her life without any friends-paralyzed by her introversion and inability to connect with her peers.

We know at the very beginning that her childhood best friend, Valerie, abandons her once they become teenagers- I haven't found out exactly what caused their separation yet but Weiner hints throughout that it probably has something to do with Val becoming beautiful and popular in h.s. as Addie becomes more & more awkward and uncomfortable in her increasingly thicker skin.

As Weiner continuously paints a picture of Addie's past it seems as though any bad thing that can happen to her does, and you can't help but wonder- when will it end? I won't give away any of the plotlines, but I'm just gonna say that this is the quintessential portrayal of when bad things happening to good people-a theme that resonates with many of us.

Tomorrow I'm going to take a break from Jennifer Weiner to chat about Jane Green's new novel (which I quickly finished before BFF)- Dune Road! And you'll just have to stay tuned to see whether it was a must-read! <3

Decor Galore

For the past 3 years my house in the San Fernando Valley has been undergoing a massive remodel- leaving me and my OCD, decor-crazy self craving a clean, cool, tranquil space. As my room continues to be a work in progress, I have been constantly searching the internet and Ross/TJ Maxx/any other cheapy store with cute tchotchkes for anything purple, mauve, lavendar, cream, silver or with flowers, esp. hydrangeas (my absolute favorite bloom) to make my room a beautiful haven admist this half-finished house.

I found a purple desk on wallmart.com and it is cheap enough so that I can actually add it to my W.I.P. (work-in-progress) room at $49.

It's simple but it will really make my room pop with some unexpected color- and it has just enough room for my laptop, a notepad, and a beautiful vase of fresh hydrangeas. For storage- I am looking for chic cabinets or shelves to compliment this burst of color. Will let you know if I find anything .. <3

Oh - and here is the inspiration behind my decoration (minus the bear) :)

Jennifer Weiner: Best Friends Forever

One of my all time favorite authors, Jennifer Weiner, just came out with her new novel- Best Friends Forever- last week, and no wonder, with her fantastic slew of stories *Good in Bed* Certain Girls* Little Earthquakes* In Her Shoes* that speak to any woman on every level, it has already made it's way onto the New York Times Bestseller list.

Of course, I got it right away (thanks to my mom for spotting it for like 18 bucks at Target- pretty nice for a new hardcover!), and am already sucked in- to the point where I risked getting car sick on the loooong ride back home from Las Vegas yesterday to read on about Addie and the mysterious appearance of her childhood best friend, Valerie.

As Weiner dabbles into an uncharacterisitic literary switch from typical chick lit to chick mystery, her familiar wit and poetic eloquence are arguably at their best. Even if the plot was shit (which it isn't), I still think I would be transfixed by her writing style which is evocative of emotions only women can feel to their fullest- love, loss, the everpresent struggle of accepting who you are, complicated friendships, family struggles. She goes so deep it is impossible not to feel as though you know exactly how her characers feel.

And I swear, if she didn't make it as a wildly successful chick lit author, she could have been a food critic because her descriptions of food make my mouth water- almost more than watching Ina Garten's delectable dishes on the food network.

I'm on pg 120 of the novel (reading whenever I can- before bed, on my lunch break) and cannot wait to read more about Addie's complicated, troubled life and her unique relationship with her old & only best friend. I'll be keeping you in the know all the way through and am almost certain that it will be a novel to add to your "to-read" list! <3