New necklace: Ooh la la!

What's better than opening up your mailbox to find a brand-new necklace waiting for you? Not much, I'd say. Yesterday I came home to find this little gem from Lauren Nicole Gifts waiting for me. Isn't it a beauty? It's the hand-made Fine Silver Wax Seal Round Initial Necklace ($48). I love the antique look of the necklace. It comes on a sturdy ball chain, which I think even Luke would have a hard time breaking. I'm sure you can think of many people on your gift list who would love this piece of jewelry. Mother's Day, anyone?

It came packaged in this cute little tin. Lauren Nicole Gifts takes great care in packaging their products and making each one look special.

If you aren't familiar with Lauren Nicole Gifts, you must check out their Web site! I've bought several gifts from their site, and I've been very pleased. They offer tons of monogrammed products, from bags and headbands to jewelry and buttons.

Next I have my eye on these monogrammed badge reels. They'll make perfect gifts for Luke's teachers.
Don't miss the Lauren Nicole Gifts blog . They offer really great weekly giveaways and discounts. {In fact, if you go to her blog now, you can enter to win a wax seal initial necklace of your very own! The giveaway ends on Thursday at midnight.}

A few weeks ago I picked up about fifteen small Christmas (that's right, Christmas!) gifts at a really reasonable price. I can't say any more because you might be receiving one (especially if you work with me...)! Definitely make this blog one of your favorites.

Try this: Oreo Balls

We have a shower at work on Tuesday, and I'm bringing Oreo Balls. This is my friend Cindy's recipe; she is the queen of dipping things in white chocolate. Mine aren't as pretty as Cindy's, but they're still very tasty. You really can't go wrong with Oreos, cream cheese, and white chocolate.

Oreo Balls
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 package Oreos, crushed
White chocolate squares, melted

1. Mix together cream cheese and Oreos until blended. Form into individual balls. Dip in white chocolate, and place on wax paper to allow chocolate to harden; chill.
{Note: I crushed the Oreos in my food processor, and then added the cream cheese and mixed it all together using the food processor. Easy.}

HBO envy

I miss HBO. We had it until a few months ago, but we canceled it because our cable bill was ca-RAZY expensive. What can I say? I'm a recessionista.

I was feeling okay about it until I started hearing reports of how awesome (yes, controversial too) the third season of Big Love was. Sure, I'll Netflix season three when it comes out on DVD. Still not the same, especially because I accidentally read a big fat spoiler on EW.com today. Der.

And now I'm regretting that I'll miss the new series, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I've enjoyed the books by Alexander McCall Smith. Have you read them? They're breezy, easy-to-read mystery novels. I bet the show is going to be good.

Ahh, books. I remember those. Maybe I should start reading them again instead of lamenting my lack of premium channels...

If you watch The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (it premieres on Sunday), let me know if you like it. If it's awesome, break it to me gently.

Is it just me...

...or has The Office just not been funny lately? I hate to say it, but the last two episodes have been downright depressing, and that's not why I watch The Office.

I really hope it picks up again before this season ends.

Things I love: Simon Baker's suits on The Mentalist

He gets my vote for best-dressed man on TV. You agree, no?

If you like Paul Rudd and foul-mouthed kids...

...than this is the movie for you.

Needless to say, I was entertained.

The most perfect candy

Is there anything better than a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg? It surpasses all other Reese's confections with its perfect chocolate/peanut butter ratio. It's probably a good thing they're not available year-round...

Hot topic

McDonald's Filet O Fish song. Love or hate?

(This seems to be a polarizing topic, judging by comments from Marilyn and my mom in the Old Navy post.)

Sorry, Mom. I'm with Marilyn on this one. I think it's funny.

Things that give me the creeps

These Old Navy SuperModelquins commercials.




Disturbing. Who's with me?

Kraft Korner

I seriously got my craft on today. Sure, I should've been cleaning my house, but this was more enjoyable.

I made a baby blankie that my sister requested for a friend.

Then I made a blanket for Luke to take to school for nap time. It matches the nap mat I got him. It's blue Minky fabric on one side and nubby red Minky fabric on the other. Soft and warm. {Steph: Is there any way to monogram this? I guess I should've thought of that before I sewed it together. Der.}

Finally I finished up these Easter friends for Luke's Easter basket. These were so fun and easy to knit. {I ordered the pattern from Susan B. Anderson.} I'll be making more of these for sure. I think they'd be cute to throw in with a baby shower gift too.

Does anyone actually like...

...Katy Perry?

Sure, I admit "I Kissed a Girl" is catchy as hell, but beyond that...?

Maybe it's those atroche* onesies she insists on wearing.

*I'm trying very hard to get "atroche" (short for atrocious) to catch on. You like? (No pressure, but my sister is already on board.)

And if "atroche" is already super trendy and I'm the last to know, please don't tell me.

I think I'm in love...

Look what the Shoe Fairy left on my doorstep today! (What, the Shoe Fairy doesn't stop by your house? That's so sad!)

Expect to be seeing me wear these a lot.
I hope the Shoe Fairy brings me a pair in yellow next...

I have high hopes for this show

...especially now that I know that it's also starring

Kristin Chenoweth

and

Victor Garber

Flashback Saturday*

*Yes, I ripped this off of Stephanie. I'm hoping she'll go for flattered instead of offended. While Luke was napping this afternoon, I folded clothes and watched Clueless. I forgot how much I liked this movie. It's time for Alicia Silverstone to make a comeback. She was supposed to be the next big thing after this movie, but she really didn't make it far beyond those Aerosmith videos.

It still creeps me out that she ends up hooking up with her stepbrother, but it is Paul Rudd, so I guess I can let that go. As Cher puts it: "He's kind of a Baldwin." (Wow, that comparison doesn't up 15 years later.) Paul Rudd, by the way, hasn't aged a day.

My favorite part: Cher gets in trouble after running a stop sign and says, "I totally paused!" I still plan on using that if I ever get pulled over. And also the soundtrack. The soundtrack is classic.

Read this: The Willoughbys

I first heard about this book on the Angry Chicken blog, and I knew that I wanted to read it right away. It was probably the cover. The Willoughbys is a children's book written by Lois Lowry (who also wrote Number the Stars, The Giver, and lots of other books you've probably read). The book is very funny and satirical and pokes fun at the conventions of old-fashioned children's books. It tells the story of the four Willoughby children, who wish they could be orphans, and their parents, who wish they didn't have children. I love that Lowry doesn't hold back when it comes to the vocabulary--she even includes a glossary of some of the bigger words (I admit I had to peek at it more than once). Here's an excerpt:

Their father, an impatient and iracible man, went to work at a bank each day, carrying a brief case and an umbrella even if it was not raining. Their mother, who was indolent and ill-tempered, did not go to work. Wearing a pearl necklace, she grudgingly prepared the meals. Once she read a book but found it distasteful because it contained adjectives. Occasionally she glanced at a magazine.

The Willoughby parents frequently forgot they had children and became quite irritable when they were reminded of it.

I'll definitley hang on to this book and read it to Luke when he's older. I'm not sure what the recommended age would be. Maybe 10-12?

Me & Uncle Stevie

Stephen King writes a column for Entertainment Weekly, and we have a lot in common when it comes to our pop culture preferences. (Yes, I find this appropriately disturbing.) Case in point: In the new issue of the magazine, he calls Breaking Bad "the best scripted show on TV." I think he's been reading my blog! (Okay, now I'm really disturbed....)

Click here to read the rest of his column.

Mmm. Chocolaty goodness.

My friend Marilyn's birthday was this week, and I made this Mississippi Mud Cake for her. Sadly, Marilyn and her little boy have been sick this week, so she hasn't been at work. So we went ahead and ate the cake without her. (Okay, when I put that in writing it sounds really bad. Sorry, Marilyn!) Anyway, the cake was delicious (lots of chocolate, plus marshmallows and nuts). I'm not much of a baker, but it came together pretty easily.

This might be the best thing on TV

Have you seen Breaking Bad? We finished watching season 1 on DVD last night, and I'm telling you, nothing you're watching this season measures up.
The premise: Walter White is a high school chemistry teacher--just your average buttoned-up family guy. When he is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, he partners with a former student and uses his scientific know-how to start cooking meth so he can make money to leave for his family. Now I know that sounds pretty heavy (and at times it is--viewer discretion is definitely advised), but the show is also darkly comic. (Did I mention Walt's brother-in-law is a D.E.A. agent? Wacky!)
If you haven't seen it yet, no worries! The first season is a manageable seven episodes (it was cut way short because of the writers' strike), so you can still get caught up before Sunday's season 2 premiere on AMC. Netflix it, catch it on OnDemand, watch the season 1 marathon starting on Friday night on AMC, or borrow my DVDs. It is high-quality entertainment.

And you don't have to take my word for it. Entertainment Weekly gives it an A and says, "For all its bleakness and darkness, there's a glowing exhilaration about the series.

It's a feel-good show about feeling really bad."

Well said.