Slice of Pink

Decidering, Part 9

I'm back to making decisions! In case you are new 'round these parts, I have been making lots decisions in April, for better or worse. There is still time if you have decisions that need to be made. Email me soon; in May I go back to being terribly indecisive.

Lindsey needs to decide between two jobs at the hospital where she works. Here's her dliemma:

"If I choose to stay on the cardiac floor, I have a day shift. I will make decent money, I love the people I will work with, and I really enjoy cardiac patients and their disease processes. I will have 6-8 patients at a time, which will run me ragged, but I can handle it.

If I choose the CICU, I will work 12 hour night shifts on the weekends. Yuck. But I could probably transfer to weeknights in the next 6 months. I will make $5 an hour more…that is a lot of money in my part of the world! I will also gain invaluable experience, that could help me if I ever want to go to graduate school (don’t even know if I want to!). And I will only have 1 or 2 critically ill patients to care for, which will keep me running just as much as the other job."

I decide: Night shift! My husband, the mathematician around here, says that $5 an hour adds up to $10,000 per year, assuming you are working a 40-hour work week. That's a lot of shoes. If you are really on the fence, and would enjoy either job equally well, you might as well go for the money and then buy yourself something nice.

In fact, I might as well help you spend it. Let's take a look at what $10,000 can get you.

I thought that would get us close, but all that only adds up to $4,500. Looks like I am going to need to do some more shopping.

Such lovely things! But, that only brings us to $6,755. I continue shopping after the jump.

Beat by a Girl

Although Will came in 59th out of some 425 triathletes at the triathlon he attended this weekend, he was beat by a 12-year-old girl.

Ladies, let's salute Hannah Rae Finchamp! Getting grown men to train harder and faster, one triathlon at a time.

Her Majesty

Queen Elizabeth turns 82 today. This is not really relevant to anything on Slice of Pink, but I am digging the slideshow at Time which has some great photographs of her highness.

Also, this is certainly an excuse to have a big chunk of cake for dessert tonight. No need to feel guilty, you're celebrating the Queen's birthday.

Doxie Derby

Those blurry things? Those are dachshunds down at the Doxie Derby. I didn't take a single good photo at the Doxie Derby because
1) the derby was almost as popular as Bill Clinton so I was way up in the nosebleed section
2) I didn't bring a proper lens for my camera
3) I was laughing so hard that I couldn't hold the camera still

So, what happens is: they put the doxies in little colored capes and load them into the stalls, six at a time.

Then, they ring the bell, open the gates, and the dogs race to the finish line. Except that some of them don't really feel like racing over to the finish line. See purple, over there on the left of the photo below?

Yellow and Green are racing to the finish. Purple? Lookin' for a treat. Hey! Anybody got a treat over here?

Hey, where did everybody go?

More blurry doxies after the jump.

Decidering, Part 8

Nancy is going to a 1st birthday party for her godson on Sunday and she is the official cupcake committee. She needs about three dozen cupcakes and can't decide whether she should make them herself or buy them from Vanilla or Sprinkles.

I decide: Put on your apron, I think you should bake them. Believe me, I love a gourmet vanilla bean cupcake with thick Madagascar Bourbon frosting. I love it with all my heart, I do. But I did the math, and three dozen cupcakes is going to set you back about $120. I suspect that you could make some amazing cupcakes for a quarter of the price and, just think, you can bake in love.

(My decision, of course, has nothing to do with the fact that I myself need to whip up a dessert for a party tonight and it's nice to know that we are all in this together.)

Some delicious cupcake recipes can be found at Chockylit Cupcake Bakeshop. Yum!

Or, how about one of these fabulous recipes from Martha:

Lollipop Cupcakes, Carrot Cupcakes, Swirly Cupcakes, or (well, well) Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes.

Plus--and maybe this is the most important point of all--if you do it yourself, you get to lick the bowl.

Lovely Rita

I am going to a party tonight with Will's softball team--a tri-tip and margaritas kind of party--and this email came round:

There is still room in the limo if you would like to be picked up for the party and dropped off back off when its over (we will walk you to the door if necessary). I would like to create the pick-up route soon so please get your request in.

Alas, we are not taking the limo because Will has a triathlon this weekend so he will not be drinking but, hello, sounds like I will be having some margaritas tonight.

Decidering, Part 7

I have received quite a few emails asking me to help make career decisions. Whoa, people, this is so totally not my area. I have already had a boatload of jobs and still? No career.

But, hey! I'm the Decider! And, for better or worse, I'm making choices.

Elysa wants to know whether she should go back to school for a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Art & Technology or choose a whole new career?

I decide: MFA. My philosophy is this: the longer you can further your education at an institute of higher learning, the better. Let's face it, being in school is awesome. It really is. I know a lot of people get all huffy over this and say that extending your education is just putting off the "real world" and ignoring the inevitable. To this I say: Yes! Exactly! Tomorrow I have class for two hours, after which I will be having lunch downtown, getting my hair done, and riding my bike. The real world is for suckers.

Unless, of course, you want to make loads of cash. In which case you have what I see as three options:

a) Professional degree
b) Business
c) Marry well

Or, you could always attempt to merge the college life with an attempt to make lots of cash in an unfortunate venture called law school.

Stay tuned: more career decisions to come, plus I will get involved in making relationship decisions. Things could fall apart. In the meantime: cast your vote for Elysa: MFA or career change?

After the jump: my many jobs.

Decidering, Part 6

Dawn wants to know if she should keep these recently purchased Sperry Topsiders:

I decide: Unless you own a boat, take 'em back. You know, I really wanted to tell you to keep them. Really, I did. I can understand that they are comfortable and practical, but they just really aren't that cute. I spent a lot of time searching the Internet for photographs of people pulling off the topsider look. My hours of research yielded one set of photographs of women pulling off topsiders, from Refinery 29:

Note: all the models are on a boat. Or on a dock, waiting for the boat to arrive. And, also, there is a man wearing a bow tie with shorts.

I'm thinking that unless you are accessorizing with your yacht and you are wearing them so that you don't fall off of your yacht into the great blue sea, you would probably be better off with a pair of ballet flats or sandals. Some things require a lot of money to pull off--poodles and topsiders among them.

(On a completely personal note, my husband talks a lot about having a pair of topsiders during his youth and I have seen photos of him during that era and, wow, there was a lot of Aquanet involved. And probably a hair dryer. Also, a bright teal suit and some shirts made of silk. Somehow, I associate topsiders with this and so I just can't get on board.)

However! Sperry Topsider does have these nauticalesque beach-to-street flats and wedges, which I think would be a good compromise between comfort and casual style.

Lots more decisions coming soon. In the meantime, please weigh in on the topic of topsiders.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Party

April is Grilled Cheese month. I know this because my trusty sources, Hi Monkey! and LAist, told me. If you live in the Los Angeles area you can participate in Melt the Vote at Clementine, otherwise you should definitely host your own grilled cheese party.

If you want to get real fancy, send out invites like these from Real Simple, editing to note that it's a grown-up grilled cheese party. Or just call your friends up and tell them to come on over.

Choose four or five recipes and create a ballot for voting.

Add some gourmet potato chips and some good beer.

Voila! Grilled cheese party!

The Recipes:

+ The classic grilled cheese.

+ The classic grilled cheese made with an iron, by Hi Monkey!

+ A fancy grilled cheese sandwich with fig jam, basil, and goat cheese at Family Style Food.

+ Martha's favorite grilled cheese sandwich which is packed with chorizo, roasted red peppers, and saffron.

+ Simply Recipes has a grilled cheese with bacon and pear.

+ A sautéed jalapeño and aged jack grilled cheese at Chow.

+ This recipe at Food & Wine combines three of the world’s most popular sandwiches—bacon, lettuce and tomato; fried egg; and grilled cheese.

+ Mario Batali's grilled mozzarella sandwich calls for fresh thyme and nutmeg.

+ Whole Foods Market claims the ultimate grilled cheese.

+ The "Gossip Girl" $50 grilled cheese sandwich recipe.

+ A white cheddar and roasted pepper grilled cheese can be found at The Food Channel.

+ Honey-Basil Grilled Cheese from YumSugar.

There are plenty more fancy grilled cheese recipes available with a simple Google search and you can certainly make your own creations--or allow your guests to make their own fancy grilled cheese sandwiches by offering a variety of breads, cheeses, and fillings. I think Hi Monkey would approve.

Happy Grilled Cheese Month!

My Gift to You

A few months ago, our Barnes & Noble membership account was automatically renewed, costing us $25 even though we do not have a Barnes & Noble in our town. What a shame it would be to let that membership go to waste with not a single mocha latte or hardcover bestseller purchased.

All I am saying is this: if you go to Barnes & Noble and you happen to be related to my husband (William Wallace) and you happen to have our old telephone number memorized (661-729-9321), you would be able to take advantage of the spectacular 10% (or more!) discount on your purchases, lattes included.

Somebody has to benefit. Might as well be you.

Decidering, Part 5

Lidija can't decide where to go on holiday. She has narrowed it down to three options: USA, Iceland, or Japan.

I decide: Japan! Sushi, Japanese gardens, traditional arts, temples and palaces, Japanese beer, Mt. Fuji, and hot springs.

Plus, this from Wikitravel:

Karaoke (カラオケ) can be found in virtually every Japanese city...Most karaoke places occupy several floors of a building. You and your friends have a room to yourself--no strangers involved--and the standard hourly rate often includes all-you-can-drink booze, with refills ordered through a phone on the wall or through the karaoke machine itself. The major chains all have good English-language song selections.

Japan, obviously.

Of course, if you come to Northern California, I'll take you out for a glass of wine. Not that a glass of wine beats private karaoke with pay-by-the-hour booze, but there you go.

More decisions to come soon! In the meantime, help Lidija decide: USA, Iceland, or Japan?

Shooting Ducks

There are dozens of baby ducks down at the arboretum and I want to bring them all home and let them live in my bathtub, but I am settling for taking a million photographs of them and then forcing Will to look at each and every photo.

This little one aspires to be a model. Look at her pose for the camera.

Work it, work it.

Get my good side.

True That

Will: Why don't you get the green dress?

Me: No, I like the black dress better. It's more classic. And more slimming.

Will: Black is not slimming. You know what's slimming?

Me: No. What?

Will: The treadmill.

My husband, always keepin' it real.

Very Red

Pink Goes {Yellow}

Belted dress and skirt at J. Crew.
Shoes at Piperlime.
Teacups, earrings, necklace and patterned dress at Anthropologie.

So much sunshine!

Legislating Your Look

Real California laws, proving that we really are just as superficial as we seem:

Persons classified as “ugly” may not walk down any street. {San Francisco, CA}

You are not permitted to wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows. {Blythe, CA}

Zoot suits are prohibited. {Los Angeles, CA}

(From Dumb Laws)

Decidering, Part 4

The deciding continues...

Violet recently gave notice at her job. She doesn't have another job lined up yet, and would like to take some time off to travel a bit, perhaps visiting some freaders in England. Should she take an extended vacation or spend her time finding another job?

I decide: Pack your bags and book a flight! Between jobs seems to me the perfect time to take an extended holiday. No need to use vacation days, no worries about the work piling up on your desk back in the states, no boss calling your cell to ask where you put that one file, no email box filling up with hundreds of messages. Plus, with some Internet access, you can start your job search in England. Set aside an hour a day to search the web for some employment opportunities, upload your resume, and {voila!} a fabulous hoilday minus the guilt. Enjoy the pubs and definitely send me a postcard!

Need help deciding something? Email me at sliceofpink at gmail dot com or leave a comment. And please put in your two cents: should Violet stay or should she go now?

Habit

So, there was this oversized postcard in our mailbox today. It was a coupon for a free Habit burger. I really like The Habit, maybe because it reminds me of getting a thick vanilla shake and a grilled cheese with extra pickles at the Habit in Santa Barbara, sitting in the warm sunshine with my husband or my cousins, sharing a good laugh on State Street. Or maybe it is because they really load on the mayonnaise. Either way, I like The Habit.

We set aside the coupon for the burger and we went to throw away the remainder of the advertisements--for smog checks, groceries, and pizza--when it occurred to Will that there were probably more of these burger coupons in the trash. Will spends a lot of time out at the mailbox, eating account numbers and whatnot, and he has witnessed that most people pull out the stack of ads and, without so much as a glance, toss 'em.

So we did what any self-respecting, coupon-using Americans would do: we retrieved those Habit coupons from the trash (which is a fancy way of saying that we went dumpster diving). The good news is that Davis is super environmentally friendly so the trash can was technically a large recycling bin, solely for the collection of paper. And, lucky for us, people adhere to the paper-only policy.

In the interest of full disclosure, we did not just check our recycle bin but also the ones at the adjacent complex, partially because of our compulsive natures and partially because we are cheap and there were perfectly good FREE BURGERS going to waste. Every time I pulled out a free burger--and, let me tell you, I have at least 20 of them--I could hear a sweet cha-ching!

Care to come to Davis for dinner? I know of this great little burger joint. My treat.

Hockneyizing

Back in the day, when I taught photography, I used to make my students complete a project based on Hockney's photographic collages. They would have to go out, take a bunch of photos, develop the shots, arrange the pictures, and then glue them onto a poster board. I would never, never have allowed them to use the Hockneyizer. It is way too much fun and, in case you were wondering, my goal as a teacher was to make anything fun into a whole week's worth of work.

Lint-rolling

I just overheard my husband say:

There is cat hair ALL OVER this blanket. I swear, I'm just gonna lint-roll the cat.

Lint-roll the Cat: v. (lint-rōl) to apply a roll of adhesive paper directly onto a feline, thus removing loose hair directly from the animal and preempting the transfer of said hair to other household surfaces.

Decidering, Part 3

Last night I had to make two decisions: where to grab a quick bite for dinner and which frozen yogurt to select at the Yogurt Shack (Chipotle, Cherries Jubilee). Easy.

Tashya wasn't having any of that easy decision making crap, though, so she sent me some decisions that almost made me waffle under the pressure.

Tashya wants to know:

Should she apply to graduate school for a Master's of Public Health if her GPA is low?
I decide: Yes! OMG, I totally know the answer to this one, hands down, because my husband is a school counselor and this is what he does all day. Definitely apply. It's better to apply, whatever the result, than not apply and regret not taking the chance. I would suggest applying to two dream schools, three schools that are right in your GPA range, and two safety schools. And study up for the GRE.

Should she move out of her mom’s house? If so, when?
I decide: Yes, eventually. But, really, you should stay as long as possible. My friend Jose* lived with his parents for a good deal of his twenties, even though he was a working professional at the time. Let me tell you--that man has got some seriously nice clothing and has a seriously nice collection of wine and has a seriously paid-for new car and gets some seriously expensive haircuts--all because he was living rent free. So, I say: live with the mom until either:
a) you have a chunk o' change in the bank;
b) you just can't take it anymore;
c) school or career necessitate a move;
d) you get married;
e) you turn 35; or
f) you accumulate more than 10 cats.

She just totaled her car and does not have money for a down payment. When should she look at getting a new car?
I decide: Get a bicycle tomorrow! You won't have a car payment, you'll get awesome calves, and you'll never have to get gas. This is how I roll. However, if not having a car is detrimental to your employment or social life and you absolutely, positively cannot live without one, I say decide on a payment that you know you can afford and stick to that. Stick to it even when the salesman tries to convince you that if you just don't buy lattes you can afford to tack another $50 onto your monthly payment. (Did I ever mention I used to work in a car dealership?)

Remember: I am decidering for all of April, so send decisions that need to be made. Also, feel free to put in your two cents--should Tashya apply for an MPH program? Move out? Get a new car?

*Single and hott, ladies, and once brought me back a fake Burberry purse from one of his many trips to NYC. A good fake. Loves tapas, traveling, and mixes cheap red wine with Pepsi. {Hi Jose!}**

**This is all my doing. This ad was not approved by Jose. It was not solicited by Jose. In fact, Jose is probably going to be mad at me. But, you know what? Jose can drive himself up to Davis to tell me all about it. And then we will all go out for tapas.

Spooning

From the San Francisco Chronicle this week: Spoonbread!

Strawberry Spoonbread with Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

Green Garlic, Spring Onion & Gruyere Cheese Spoonbread

Asparagus & Herb Spoonbread with Feta Cheese

Roasted Poblano Pepper, Sweet Potato & Monterey Jack Spoonbread

Maple-Glazed Bacon Spoonbread

Decidering, Part 2 (With Photos!)

I found the definition for "decider" on the urban dictionary: a decider is someone who makes decisions on issues using a lack of judgment and intelligence. Which? What! I am taking this very seriously! Y'all, I am doing research!

Okay, so hair decisions are hard. This is usually an arena left to Whoorl, but since I am The Decider, I am going to give it a go.

The beautiful Nicole is trying to decide: short or long?

I decide: Mid-length. Honestly, Nicole's hair is so thick and shiny that it looks lovely at all lengths, but the midlength style is so sassy, sexy, and smart. Plus, it looks cute flippy-out (as pictured) and also flippy-in (as in my imagination) and options are always nice.

Heidikins is getting her hair cut. Should she trim with no changes or add side-swoopy bangs?

I decide: Swoopy bangs! Swoopy, sweepy, side-swept--even talking about them is fun. In addition to bangs being very vogue, one eyebrow will be hidden by the sweep meaning that you can pluck that side less often. (Not that I ever allow my bangs to cover my unplucked brow. Nope. Never. Not at all.)

Lani is getting married! Congratulations, Lani! She needs to know: robin egg blue or lettuce?

I decide: Lettuce. Lettuce choose lettuce! (The Decider: Now with Fancy Word Play!) The lettuce seems decidedly more fallish for a September wedding. And I love all these fabulous wedding palettes that use lettucey colors in their color schemes: muted green, white, and champagne, light green and red, or (to include both options) green with a touch of eggshell blue (emphasis on the green). Happy planning!

Your opinion? Should Nicole go short, midlength, or long? Should Heidikins get some swoopy bangs? Should Lani go egg blue or lettuce green?

More decisions coming soon! Have you sent me yours?

The Sweet Shoppe

I suspect that this Sweet Shoppe in Chico, California is a little bit what heaven looks like. Or, exactly what heaven looks like. Except that everything would be free and the calories would be nonexistent.

Decidering, Part 1

Slice of Pink is falling apart. Once again, I forgot to pay the hosting people, so home now consists of links to debt consolidation and Elton John tickets. And then I rearranged a few things (if you can't see the changes, try reloading), which killed the Blogher ads and I cannot, for the life of me, get them to come back. I've emailed all the relevant people, so all we can do is wait patiently for people who are much smarter than me to tell me where to click.

In the meantime, we still have each other. And leftover Easter candy. And my stellar decision making skillz. So, let's carry on.

Sarah, one of my former students, is choosing a college. Should she go to UCLA or UCSD?

I decide: UCSD. It's in sunny San Diego, the beach is within walking distance, and, most importantly, there is a Dick's Last Resort restaurant. And let's be frank, if you are choosing between a city with Dick's and a city without Dick's, you should obviously go for the city with. Right?

Auburn Kat is moving. Should she go to NYC, Buffalo, or Raleigh, NC?

I decide: Raleigh, NC. Although I am madly in love with NYC, I can't go against my southern roots (which are entirely phony and made up, but I remain true to them nevertheless). You get to say "y'all" a lot, macaroni and cheese is served in fancy restaurants, all the sodas are called "Coke," and you can practice your Southern charm over a mint julep.

Stay tuned, more decision making to come shortly! Please feel free to leave your opinions in the comments. Should Sarah go to UCLA or UCSD? Where should Auburn Kat move--Buffalo, NYC, or Raleigh?

And, finally, be sure to send me decisions that need to be made!

The Decider

Will and I are really bad at making decisions. Really bad. When we have to decide where to go eat dinner, it goes something like this:

Will: Where do you want to go?

Me: I don't know. Where do you want to go?

Will: I don't care. What do you feel like?

Me: Anything really. What do you feel like?

Will: I don't care. What sounds good?

Me: Well, maybe Crepeville or Cafe Bernardo or Plutos...

Will: Which one?

Me: I don't know.

And then we ride around for twenty minutes playing the elimination game and then maybe, once we decide on someplace and park the bikes, I might decide that this place doesn't seem like the best option after all and we really ought to go for Italian instead. It's awesome being us.

Having to decide on dinner is relatively easy. Choosing a hotel for a vacation? That might take two hours or more of searching the Internet, narrowing down options on Travelocity and Expedia, weighing the alternatives (Hilton (four stars, $199/night) or Best Western (two stars, $100/night)).

This month, however, I have a goal to make decisions. I'm just gonna make a choice when a choice has to be made. No pro and con lists. No lengthy debates about crepes versus pasta or Hilton versus Hyatt.

I am the Decider.

And, you know what? I am so excited about this month of decision making--so confident that I am going to be making some really superb decisions--that I want to make your decisions, too. Please send me decisions that need to be made and I will make them for you.

Can't decide between two great spring dresses? Send me the links and I'll make a choice! Choosing between two colleges? I'll pick! Can't decide on a menu for a dinner party this weekend? Let me know! I'll decide! Wondering whether you should go to karaoke on Saturday? Yes, yes you should.

I'll post my decisions right here, so we can all benefit from my decision making. There's no guarantee, of course, that the decisions will be perfect, but at least they will be made.

Feel free to leave a comment or Email Me. I'll be making decisions through the month of April, after which I will go back to not knowing.

Now then, what to have for dinner?

ReFRESSing

What is this Fress soda that I am currently drinking? It claims to be "Kola" but tastes suspiciously like bubblegum. And it has 198 calories per can. Wowza.

Pink is Three

Well, would y'all look at that. We've been together for three years here at Slice of Pink. Technically speaking, it's been three years and one day, but one day off is close enough considering that I completely missed our previous two blogiversarys. Hey! It could have been worse! I could have remembered the occasion but celebrated by buying you a toaster or a weed whacker.

But this year, I remembered(ish). So, what should we do to celebrate? We had best do something spectacular, something definitely involving champagne, because Lord knows when I'll remember it again.

Thanks for three years, y'all!

On Bullshit, Legal Style

I lose¹ every single game of Masterpiece² that I play³.

---------------------------------
¹Noting that, on Saturday, I came in last or second to last in the games I played.
²Parker Brothers, Masterpiece: The Art Auction Game (1970), available at Amazon.
³Despite the fact that I can name the titles, artists, and dates of all of the artworks. I thought I was going to be superb at the game. Apparently, I am unable to properly manage my assets. Big surprise, eh?

March Love

Maybe it was Spring Break or the warmer weather, but March really flew by. Here are a few of my favorite things this month:

Longer days, cheap spring dresses, having house guests, Unruly Things, Peeps, hotels that give free coffee and cookies in the afternoon, San Luis Obispo, watching old episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, these cute bento lunch boxes, watching a A Year with Frog and Toad at the community college theater, warmer days for bike riding, drinking a pitcher of pear cider with my best friend forever.

Pounding

Last night, Kathryn and I shared a big ass pitcher of beer downtown and then rode our bikes home in the middle of the night.

This morning, I woke up at 7:00 in the morning to the sound of a jackhammer tearing up the street directly outside my bedroom window.

There should so be a law against running heavy machinery before 10 am during spring break.

Focal Points

Kathryn and Drew drove to Davis this week to celebrate Spring Break 2008 Davis style. This morning, we rode our bikes over to the university to check out the Eggheads, several public art sculptures scattered around campus. We even took some photos with the Eggheads.

Kathryn snapped a shot of me and Drew with Yin and Yang.

Then I took a photo of Kathryn and Drew with the heads.

Finally, Drew composed this shot of me and Kathryn.

Clearly, the egg is the focal point of this photograph, in case that wasn't clear.

Tri Fashion

My husband wears spandex in public.

He pairs the spandex with a "muscle shirt."

Yet, despite the fact that he will squish into a teeny pair of shorts and a muscle shirt, for some reason he will not agree to wear a pink spandex suit. I just can't understand why.

Apparently, he is more of a bright, primary color kind of guy.

On Packing

I am a terrible packer.

Every time I am going somewhere, I have such good intentions. I resolve to pack only the essentials. I intend to lay out on my bed one outfit per day, all of which will match a single pair of black shoes or, at most, two pairs of black shoes--one dressy, one casual. I intend to bring only a single coat, probably black, which will match each perfectly selected outfit and which could be layered over a summer dress or paired with a sweater to meet whatever demands the weather may make.

I imagine it would look like one of those magazine layouts where five optimum pieces can be combined to make 78 outfits, ranging the spectrum from beach casual to elegant sophistication.

What I do instead is this: start piling things in my suitcase. Add more items until the suitcase is bursting at the seams. Squish in half a dozen pairs of shoes. Hide some sweaters among the items in Will's bag. Before we walk out the door, grab several hangers worth of jackets and sweaters. Forget underwear.

I think that I have travelled a respectable amount and, by now, you would think that I could pack one small carry-on bag for a long weekend away. Somehow, I'm not even close.

Are you a perfect packer or do you roll the one-weekend-four-bag way?

Apple Jackets

Cozy Apples!

Things I Now Know

1. What a Shoofly Pie is {via PomJob}.

2. What a $16,500 per month apartment in the Plaza looks like.

3. That beer is healthy.

Wednesday was highly informative, no?

Little Zoo

I just adore these Little Zoo photographs by Elizabeth Soule.

Sweet Suite

On Saturday night, after dinner at an Italian restaurant and a few glasses of wine, Lauren and I checked into our hotel room. Although the convention we were attending was right across the street from the Radisson, we elected to say at a lesser-quality (i.e. cheaper) hotel around the corner. We checked in a little after 10pm with plans to go get some margaritas at a restaurant across the parking lot. Lauren was finishing up a phone call and I opened the nightstand drawer to get out a notepad.

And do you know what I found in the nightstand drawer?

A bible, a book of Mormon, and a fat stack of paperwork belonging to a recently released convict. As in: A CONVICT WAS STAYING IN OUR HOTEL ROOM BEFORE US. And not just that, but he left behind his FBI number, social security number, personal letters, court paperwork, address, phone number, and photo.

Maybe we overreacted, but Lauren and I decided we wanted a new room. You know? Our convict could have realized that he left his paperwork behind and returned to collect it. And, I don't know, my feeling is that convicts don't always follow normal social protocol. And, therefore, our convict might not go to the front desk to get his paperwork like a law abiding citizen would, but he might very well come knocking at our door. Or he might bust through our window. That's how convicts roll.

We marched down to the front desk, Lauren and I, and requested a new room. But there were (allegedly) no available rooms. So, we got a little demanding.

Us: So, then we'd like to move out of this hotel. And we don't want to pay.

Lady at the front desk: I don't really see what the big deal is.

Us: Well, we could be KILLED.

Lady: We have his address. If something happens, we know where he lives.

Us: An address doesn't help us if we are DEAD.

(More discussion about KILLED and DEAD)

Lady: Fine! If you move out by midnight, we won't charge you.

We said that YES, WE WOULD MOVE OUT, THANK YOU. We packed up our crap, which is one hour was already scattered throughout the room, and lugged it out to our cars and, hallelujah, we were not going to be KILLED and DEAD.

There was only one problem. We didn't really have anywhere else to stay.

We drove over to the Radisson and repeated the story of our convict to everyone we saw. The Radisson didn't have any available rooms for the night. Neither did the nearby Holiday Inn. It was looking like we were going to be chillin' in the lobby until a room became available the following afternoon, but as Lauren pointed out, we wouldn't have slept had we stayed in the convict room, so we might as well not sleep in the lobby of the Radisson with some martinis.

But, then, lo! Somebody we knew had rented a suite for a party and now, at 1 o'clock in the morning, the paid-for suite (and its king-sized sleep number bed) sat empty. And we, being homeless, were invited to move on in. And so we did. And we were not killed or dead. And it was lovely.

That, my friends, is how our convict got us a sweet suite in the Radisson.

Red Balloon

I attended a convention over the weekend in Fresno and somehow ended up at a place called John's Incredible Pizza. This place--an astoundingly tacky and overpriced pizza buffet--had about 11 million kids running wild and offered a variety of buffet items clearly geared toward people under the age of eight, from a macaroni and cheese pizza to green cake.

Because a group of friends were eating at the place, Lauren and I ended up at Incredible Pizza (using the term incredible rather loosely here and certainly not to describe the cuisine). There we were, pulling out our credit cards for unlimited slices of pepperoni. Did I mention our "friends"? They are 13.

The cashier (or, rather, the gatekeeper to the pizza extravaganza) rung up my $11 entry ticket and tried to up-sell me some sort of pizza membership--a one time $5 fee that included game tokens and other perks that I'm sure she would have described in great detail had I not cut her off.

"No, thanks," I answered, deadpan and vacant. "I don't live here and I will probably never be back. But we will take a heart balloon from the clown."

The waitress, probably sensing my lack of enthusiasm for the $11 pizza buffet, threw in the heart ballon for free.

Totally worth the $11.

For Today, At Least

From Keep Calm

Pink Goes {Green}

Have you heard? St. Patrick's Day is rescheduled this year.

The Pope says we need to celebrate on the 14th. Or maybe the 15th. Others say that Saint Patrick's Day will be on the 17th, as usual.

Some are going to resolve the dilemma by just starting the celebration today and partying through the 17th.

In other words, you are gonna need to be wearin' the green for the next few days. Thanks to Paper Pony, I have discovered Polyvore and have spent my entire lunch break building St. Patty outfits for you.

Like, for instance, this lovely outfit which includes a $12 green apple ring.

So, the jeans in this outfit are $200, but the shoes and the bangle are from Old Navy. Evens things out.

How about a little Lilly Pulitzer pink and green? Perfect for resort life, summer in the Hamptons, or St. Patrick's Day!

And, finally, this outfit, which I put together for you to wear out to a pub. Doesn't beer make such a good accessory?

Happy wearing o' the green. For the next four days.

Five Questions That Need Immediate Answers

1. Are True Religion jeans as fashionable if you can purchase a pair at Costco?

2. If I go to BlogHer, will I be sitting alone at the back of the room or will I be drinking champagne with friends?

3. What is your favorite cheese?

4. If your significant other had spent $85000 on high end prostitutes, wouldn't you be just a little bit too busy packing up his crap to put on a strand of pearls and attend a press conference with him?

5. Did you refresh your browser to see the new Slice of Pink banner?

Hey, Honey

I eat honey by the spoonful.

Sometimes I even eat those little packets of honey that cafés put out for people to squeeze into their tea. I just tear open the packet and suck the honey right out. Classy.

In other words, I'm pretty excited about the new Honey Latte at Starbucks.

I picked up a nutritional brochure at Starbucks while I was waiting for my latte to be made and found this list of ways to make your beverage have fewer calories:

Say "hold the whip."
Say "skim milk."
Say "sugar-free syrup."
Say "fewer pumps of syrup."
Say "iced."

Seems like an awful lot of things to remember, if you ask me. I'd need a index card to get through my order.

Do you have a long-winded coffee order full of crazy specifics?

Brought to You by the Letter E

Today I am guest posting over at GenPink as part of the ABCs of Being a Twenty Something. I'm E for Education.

See you over there!

Renewed Commitment

I found this in my unpublished draft folder, written on February 12:

So, I never did answer all your questions, much like I never posted my wedding photos, much like I never finished the tour of my new apartment. It's how I keep you coming back.

But, I have a renewed commitment to getting things...

Getting things what? Done? Amazingly enough, my self-proclaimed "renewed commitment" didn't even last long enough to finish the sentence.

Contracts and Cupcakes

A few months ago, Michelle and I joking decided to open our own practice upon graduation from law school. Our business would be called "Contracts and Cupcakes" and you could come on down and get yourself a contract while enjoying a scrumptious cupcake and a tall glass of milk in our bakery-styled law firm. Because wouldn't that be so much more fun than getting a contract at a boring old law office where everyone is all stuffy and dull, wearing suits rather than polka-dotted aprons?

Today, we practiced our baking in a five-hour baking spectacular.

Michelle did most of the difficult tasks including working the cookie press and running the hand mixer.

I pressed the Reese's into the peanut butter cookies. You guys, I am seriously really good at those peanut butter cookies.

In the end, we decided it was all an awful lot of work. Plus, we ate about a million of the little treats. So now what we are thinking is this: Wine and Wills. You come on down and get yourself a will, we'll serve it up with a nice glass of pinot noir.

Hello Lovely

There's a tree outside my patio which I just noticed is jam-packed with large pink blossoms. The tree is partially hidden by a larger shade tree, so the flowers have likely been blooming unnoticed for the past several days, but today they began to peek around the corner, just enough so that I could see them as I parked my bicycle. Hello!

We moved to Davis in the fall, so I am not really sure what to expect this spring, but somehow I imagine it is going to be good.

Trivial Pursuit

My law schooling skillz came in handy this week when my mom sent me an email, asking me to do some research on a New Jersey law. I did the work and put together a responding email discussing the law briefly and then the specific effects of that law in New Jersey. At the end of the email, I asked my mom why she needed all that information on the law.

I got her response this morning: the New Jersey law had been the basis of a question on the television game show, Cash Cab, and she hadn't known the answer.

Should you ever be on that Millionaire game show and need to know about the New Jersey Blue Law, you can phone me with one of your lifelines.

Answering game show trivia questions: three years of law school--and $120,000--well spent.

February Love

My favorite things this month include:

Ruth Green Design, new highlighters (nerd alert!), 3191, watching the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove with Will, fresh flowers on the dining room table, studying outside in the sunshine, the gleaned-from-Girl-Scouts Banana Boat recipe, David Ichioka's Sleep Pix.

Baked Bliss

On Friday night, I attended one of the biggest law school events of the year--the annual auction. There was free wine and appetizers and a million items to bid on, ranging from the fabulous (gourmet meals, trips) to the bizarre (rubber band balls, body piercing). I drank a considerable amount of the free wine and bid on a few items here and there, although I was mostly outbid because I failed to keep track of the things I was bidding on, so as to check back before the bidding closed.

Although a majority of the auction items were donated by professors and local businesses, the club organizing the auction also solicited student donations--things like guitar lessons, a homemade pie, a break-up phone call, or dog sitting.

Michelle and I, best law school friends forever, decided that we would donate something together. In Civil Procedure we decided that the something would be a basket of baked goods. Four dozen sweet treats baked with love and tied with a pretty pink bow. I know. I know. What was I thinking?

The basket--the basket which is not currently in existence--went for over $30. The recipient has one month to redeem his certificate for this "basket of baked bliss"--we actually used that word, bliss, insinuating that not only would we bake up the goodies, but that they would be glorious and divine--and when he does, Michelle and I are gonna need to learn to bake up some bliss.

Just in time, the new Food Blog Search is available and I'm gonna type in "Bliss" and see what comes up.

How about you? Got any blissful bake sale recipes that don't require fancy things like chiffoning or ganaching or marzipaning? I mean, obviously, we will be making the peanut butter cup cups, but somehow I think we are going to need something more than a tube of cookie dough and a bag of Reese's to get out of this mess.