LC's 1st Year

If the first year of marriage is supposed to be rocky, Lauren Conrad hasn’t noticed. 

“It’s funny, everyone is like, ‘Is it different?’ I feel like I’m disappointing them. The only difference is, there is more of a sense of family. You solidified the fact that you are partners in life.” 

The only other difference has less to do with them and everything to do with other people. 

“The second you get married, people think it’s okay to ask if you’re pregnant!” she says. “It’s kind of a rude question - I would never ask one of my friends if she was pregnant.” To clarify… she is not: “I mean, we’re still very new, and we’re very content.”

The couple plays to each other’s strengths. 

“He’s much more organized than me,” she says. “He knows how to fix everything, which is crazy to me because I can’t even work our remote. I just push all the buttons and hit it. But he’ll organize my computer and be like, “I updated your software.” 

She swoons. 

“I’m like, ‘I have the most romantic husband in the world.I didn’t even ask you to do that!’ It’s nice to be taken care of sometimes - not in a dependent way but just doing nice things for each other without being asked.” 

(Adapted from Cosmopolitan article)

Bridesmaid/Wedding Singer

Weddings are glorious. Fortunately, I've been asked to be the wedding singer AND a bridesmaid at several important ones..  My childhood friend - Check! My two younger sisters - Double check! As I prepare for my first role as Mrs. of Honor (Matron of Honor just sounds horrible) next Spring, I'm reminded of all the duties that come along with it. 

7 Things Every Bridesmaid Wishes She Could Say but Can’t 

1. “IhatethisdressIhatethisdressIhatethisdressIhatethisdress.”
2. “Vegas? For a bridal shower? You’ve got to be effing kidding.”
3. “You #dont #need #a #wedding #hashtag #two #years #in #advance.”
4. “Just tell me which groomsman is good in bed. I know you know.”
5. “Sorry, basic question: Why, in 2015, do eight grown women need to match?”
6. “Something  old, something new, something - uh, no, you can’t borrow that.”
7. “The only fun part of this was seeing you so ridiculously happy.”

by Alexandra Fiber and Danielle Gibson (Glamour, June 2015) 

It Is Well

Grander earth has quaked before

Moved by the sound of His voice

Seas that are shaken and stirred

Can be calmed and broken for my regard

Through it all, through it all

My eyes are on You

Through it all, through it all

It is well

Through it all, through it all

My eyes are on You

It is well with me

Far be it from me to not believe

Even when my eyes can't see

And this mountain that's in front of me

Will be thrown into the midst of the sea

Through it all, through it all

My eyes are on You

Through it all, through it all

It is well

So let go my soul and trust in Him

The waves and wind still know His name

It is well with my soul

It is well with my soul

It is well, It is well with my soul

[“It Is Well” with Kristene DiMarco and Bethel Music]

Music video - https://youtu.be/T0dIWJ4t4Jg

Acts of Heroism

“You never think it will happen to you. 

It wasn't just a terrorist attack, it was a massacre. Dozens of people were shot right in front of me. Pools of blood filled the floor. Cries of grown men who held their girlfriends' dead bodies pierced the small music venue. 

Futures demolished, families heartbroken in an instant.

Holding my breath, trying to not move, not cry — not giving those men the fear they longed to see. I was incredibly lucky to survive.

To the man who reassured me and put his life on the line to try and cover my brain whilst I whimpered, to the couple whose last words of love kept me believing the good in the world, to the police who succeeded in rescuing hundreds of people, to the complete strangers who picked me up from the road and consoled me during the 45 minutes I truly believed the boy I loved was dead, to the injured man who I had mistaken for him and then on my recognition that he was not Amaury, held me and told me everything was going to be fine despite being all alone and scared himself ... you make me believe this world has the potential to be better.” 

South African college student Isobel Bowdery, 22, who was at the Eagles of Death Metal concert in Paris on Friday, November 13, 2015.

Source - Today.com article

Can't Sleep Love

"Can't Sleep Love” by Pentatonix 

Tell me am I going crazy? (Uh-huh)
Tell me have I lost my mind? (Yeah!)
Am I just afraid of lovin'? (Uh-huh)
Or am I not the lovin' kind? (Yeah!)

Kissin' in the moonlight
Movies on a late night
Gettin' old

I've been there, done that
Supposed to be hot
But it's just cold

Somebody wake up my heart
Light me up
Set fire to my soul, yeah
Cause' I can't do it anymore

Gimme that can't sleep love
I want that can't sleep love

The kind I dream about all day
The kind that keeps me up all night
Gimme that can't sleep love

Maybe I'm too picky, honey
But I'm not in the world you're in
I'm not in it for the money, ooooh
I'm here looking for the real thing

Oh, I'm tired of dreaming of no one
I need some body next to mine
Cause I'm dyin' to give it to someone
Because I can't do it anymore!

Gimme that can't sleep love
I want that can't sleep love

Closet Clean-Out

Q: I'm going  through my closet to get rid of the clutter. What is your advice on the pieces worth keeping versus those I should part with?

A: I suggest separating your wardrobe into four categories: 

1. Soul Stirrers = Items you love
2. Basics (tees, camisoles, rudimentary staples you wear regularly)
3. Pieces you rarely or never wear that are in good shape
4. Items that are in some state of disrepair

That last category of items? Throw them away. 

The rare or never worn items? Give them away. 

As for the essential pieces you should always have in your closet: 

• Classic white button-down 
• Versatile blazer
• Dark-wash jean
• Trench coat
• Figure-flattering, day-to-night dress

[Tim Gunn, Project Runway mentor and host of Tim Gunn's Guide to Style]

50yr Anniversary Club

...Warning: These epic love secrets of the 50yr Anniversary Club might make you ugly-cry!

Sally, 80, and Bob Kline, 82 (Married for 58 years)
Sally: Always talk things out. Our neighbors had a fight and went days without speaking. That’s just the worst thing I’ve heard.
Bob: Each morning, we say, “Let’s count our blessings.” The first is, “Well, I’ve got you.”

Lennie Gerber, 78, and Pearl Berlin, 89 (Married 1 year, together 48 years)

Lennie: We still wake up every morning and have some schmoozing.
Pearl: I can’t start my day until I’ve held Lennie. Then, I go make her a coffee.

Pauline, 77, and Bob Kirchner, 78 (Married 52 years)
Pauline: It took him three years to figure out I was the one.
Bob: We dated on and off. I went out with some other gals. She left town for a while.
Pauline: And then he came and got me.
Bob: I saw that she was the girl who was going to  work.
Pauline: We dated others, but we always came back to each other. 

- Originally by Gabrielle Hurwitz in Cosmopolitan, January 2015 -  

Remembering 9/11

September 11, 2001 | President George W. Bush 

Today our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and Federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.

The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our Nation into chaos and retreat, but they have failed. Our country is strong.

A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.

Today our Nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America, with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.

Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our Government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, DC, to help with local rescue efforts.

Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks.

The functions of our Government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington which had to be evacuated today are reopening for essential personnel tonight and will be open for business tomorrow. Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business as well.

The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.

I appreciate so very much the Members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance.

America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism.

Tonight I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me."

This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.

Thank you. And God bless America.

Dare to be Divergent

You don’t get better without criticism. As a writer, I need honest feedback about my work to make my writing better. 

I learned that in college. One of my professors kept pushing me to write more honestly, and the voice of Tris (the heroine of Roth’s blockbuster Divergent trilogy) really developed as a reaction to that. 

I still work with critique partners, and that’s only valuable if you don’t get defensive. 

Part of being a professional is about getting over it, meaning you have to separate yourself from your work and realize that if someone is criticizing your writing, they’re not criticizing you. 

I am bigger, more complicated person than any book. 

Every human being is a crazy festival of thoughts. 

You have to have a life outside your work. 

[Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series] 

Being Chic

I am such a fan of fashion. Good styling says so much about a person. 

Girogio Armani says, "Being chic is a way of carrying one-self. Style is not identified completely with fashion, but means capturing the spirit of the times and making it one’s own."

That is why I have such an appreciate for costume designers! Characters of TV, movies, and theater are more convincing when their 'look' is on point. 

My @Chexie04 Pinterest has boards dedicated to the clothes of the shows Reign and Revenge. My only interest in watching Scandal is because of Lyn Paulo, the show's brilliant costume designer. 

Here are some tips she provides for dressing well in real life:  

Put your best footwear forward 

How you walk is so important. If you stride across a room, you exude confidence. So make sure you have the right foundation - which is your shoes. As the day goes on, you don’t want to be hobbling around the office. It’s okay to have six pairs of shoes under your desk to change into. I do! 

Express Yourself 

When I spoke to Shonda Rimes, Scandal’s creator. I told her that I didn’t want Olivia Pope to be another woman in a masculine suit. It’s detrimental to women. Being a woman in the workplace doesn’t mean you have to dress like a guy. 

What’s your biggest strength at work? 

I am very organized. I don’t have a lot of patience for clutter — either verbal or literal. 

What’s your best interviewing tip? 

Be confident, dress the part, and if you’re being interviewed by a woman, carry an absolutely amazing purse. 

Scandal collection at The Limited

New Girl Fangirl

The Galusky family recently re-watched the first few seasons of New Girl and came to appreciate its witty script and show plots all over again! Hannah Simone (aka CeCe) is still my favorite character, whereas my husband is A LOT  like Schmidt than he cares to admit. 

Here's a fun story that Hannah Simone shared with Elle magazine: 

My most cherished article is my grandmother’s necklace that she had her whole life — a black and gold cameo. 

It’s a woman’s profile in silhouette, and though you don’t know the woman’s story, you get this strong, beautiful, feminine quality, which is so much like the women in our family — so much like my grandmother. 

She was half German, half Italian, and was a nurse in Germany during both World Wars, and that necklace was always a segue  to her incredible stories: She was engaged, her fiancé was killed. She started to realize that the men she treated would often not come back. 

I remember once asking her, ‘Were you ever engaged before?’ And she laughed. She said, ‘Hundreds of times. Everyone who asked, I said, “Yes!” ‘ She said, ‘It was a no-lose situation. It gave them something to live for and me something to hope for.’ 

She passed about five years ago. The only time I’ve ever worn it, because I’m very careful with it, was when I did this episode about how much I loved my grandmother on New Girl.

Jimmy Kimmel's Tomato Sauce

Who knew that Jimmy Kimmel (late night talk show host comedian) was also a cook? He contributed an article to Glamour magazine and shared this great recipe... 

My tomato sauce is what I cook the most, and a lot of people have asked me for the recipe. 

It’s very simple, but it’s taken me many years to refine, and I’m actually still refining to this day. So here’s what you do: 

1. Heat a few tablespoons of good-quality-extra-virgin olive oil in a pan. 
2. Slice some garlic into thin pieces, and fry them until they’re golden but not brown. If the garlic turns brown, start over. Remove the garlic from the olive oil. 
3. Add a whole can of tomatoes to the olive oil, but remember: Not all canned tomatoes are created equal. I like Bianco DiNapoli the best. They are not easy to find, but you can buy them on Amazon. Add a little bit os sea salt and a few leaves of fresh basil. 
4. Bring that to a boil for a minute, and then turn down the heat and let it simmer for at least 20 minutes. It can do this for quite a while - up to a few hours will get you an even deeper flavor. 
5. Once you’re done, take a ladleful of pasta water and add it to the sauce. 

… And that’s it. It’s a big favorite with everybody who eats at my house. 

I love it so much I could drink it. And I have. 

Get It, Gwyneth

On Young Adulthood

The day I left my parents’ house, my dad was like, “You are totally on your own. Don’t ask me for help with rent, don’t ask me for help with anything. Your privilege was to live in my house and to get the education that we were able to afford for you.’ My father loved his success, but he was hyperaware of the entitlement that can be created if you grow up as a rich kid, and so he was very clever at letting us know that we were borrowing it.

On Goop’s Material/Spiritual Sides

We’re always trying to reconcile all these different parts of ourselves. We want something beautiful or to get a girl crush on someone, but we also want to understand ourselves better, we want better relationships. Women are so multifaceted. There are more materialistic, poppy, shallower sides to us, and there are profound sides to us. We’re capable of holding a lot.

On Productivity

I’m in meetings with investment bankers, VC firms, private equity firms— you name it, across the board, men. Women in 30 minutes can get more accomplished than men in two hours.

Gwyneth Paltrow [Marie Claire, February 2015]

Husky Love

Upon marrying my husband, I inherited joint custody of a Siberian Husky named Kona. I call him my Bonus Son, and he has definitely introduced me to the world of dog ownership. My family only had fish and birds when I was a child. Robert's family was more of the dog and cat type. Kona has won me over though! He's 7yrs old now with a red and white coat, blue eyes, and 'happy face' markings. I have a system of cleaning whenever he sheds his undercoat. And we have a little routine to celebrate him with song and dance after he eats and is given a treat. 

We continue to support several local Husky rescues (shout out to Husky Haven of Los Angeles and Husky Camp!). It breaks our hearts to hear stories of how these dogs are returned or are found. For any of you considering being a Husky parent, here are some tips to remember: 

Exercise Needs - These dogs require rigorous DAILY physical activity. They won’t care if it is freezing cold outside, if you are sick, had to work overtime, had a hot date lined up, or if you had a long day filled with child care duties. These dogs will demand that they be walked or run until they are sufficiently tired regardless of the other things that went on in your day.

Property Destruction - If you don’t provide them with a thrilling daily adventure they will resort to going out into the world and searching for their own adventures. Left indoors, bored and unexercised dogs can destroy furniture, walls, doors, and pretty much anything that they can sink their teeth into. Put them outside to save the inside of your house and they turn your backyard into a lunar landscape complete with craters, rip up any existing shrubs, trees, and flowers, and destroy fences in an effort to escape from the yard. 

Working Breed Dog - Huskies, while being very intelligent, are also legendary for being notoriously hard to motivate and stubborn, making them a challenge to obedience train. For the most part they hate the tedious repetition of obedience training and before they will comply with a given cue, they will first analyze and evaluate if it is in their best interest to comply with the request.

Attention and Human Companionship - While these dogs may look rugged and tough on the outside, under all that fur resides a tender heart and a gentle fragile soul. These dogs LOVE to be with people and will suffer tremendously if they are ignored and excluded from everyday family life.

Seasonal Coat Shed - Imagine living in a snow globe but instead of snow, there is dog hair wafting through the air with every breeze that blows through your house. That is the reality of living with a double coated northern breed dog. There WILL be dog hair. Lots of it. Embrace the concept or opt to get a different breed of dog.

With the right owners and with the right training Huskies: Are always ready to go on an adventure at a moment’s notice. Love to be active (They’re a furry gym membership that you cannot ignore). Are intelligent dogs with clever antics that will keep you smiling and laughing. And are usually world class snugglers, cuddlers, and love bugs.

Advice from So You Think That You Want to Get a Husky by LoveYourHusky.org

Memorial Day Poppies

On this Memorial Day, I have been intrigued by the holiday's history and significance. My interested started when the Vanguard University Veterans Center wrote an article about it, so I did my own research about those who made this special day of remembrance happen. 

This poem In Flanders Fields was written by World War I Colonel John McCrae, a surgeon with Canada's First Brigade Artillery, in 1915... 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row, 
That mark our place; and in the sky 
The larks, still bravely singing, fly.
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago 
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie 
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 
To you from failing hands we throw 
The torch; be yours to hold it high. 
If ye break faith with us who die 
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 
In Flanders fields.

In response, two women - Anna E. Guerin of France and Georgia native Moina Michael worked hard to start the sale of artificial Poppies that could be given to the families who lost someone in the war. The poppy became known as the "Flower of Remembrance" and was adopted as the official memorial flower for the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This was written by Moina Michael... 

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

#MemorialDay #WeRemember 

Pina Colada Song

I recently looked up these lyrics for a caption of one of my Instagram photos. The song is called Escape (The Pina Colada song) by Rupert Holmes from 1979. It’s quite clever! 

“I was tired of my lady, we'd been together too long
Like a worn out recording of a favorite song
So while she lay there sleepin' I read the paper in bed
And in the personal columns, there was this letter I read

If you like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain
If you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape
Then I'm the love that you've looked for, write to me and escape

I didn't think about my lady, I know that sounds kind of mean
But me and my old lady had fallen into the same old dull routine
So I wrote to the paper, took out a personal ad
And though I'm nobody's poet, I thought it wasn't half bad

Yes, I like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain
I'm not much into health food, I am into champagne
I've got to meet you by tomorrow noon and cut through all this red tape
At a bar called O'Malley's where we'll plan our escape

So I waited with high hopes and she walked in the place
I knew her smile in an instant, I knew the curve of her face
It was my own lovely lady and she said, "Aw, it's you."
Then we laughed for a moment and I said, "I never knew."

That you like piña coladas and gettin' caught in the rain
And the feel of the ocean and the taste of champagne
If you like making love at midnight in the dunes on the cape
You're the lady I've looked for, come with me and escape

If you like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain
If you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight in the dunes on the cape
Then I'm the love that you've looked for, write to me and escape

Yes I like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain

I'm not much into health food, I am into champagne
I've got to meet you by tomorrow noon and cut through all this red tape”

Through the Storm

Once the storm is over, 

you won't remember how you made it through, 

how you managed to survive. 

You won't even be sure, 

in fact, whether the storm is really over. 

But one thing is certain - 

When you come out of the storm 

you won't be the same person who walked in. 

[Through the Storm]

Another World

- Quotes from Clive Staples Lewis, aka C.S. Lewis -

You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.

Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes,
but when you look back everything is different.

I pray because I can't help myself.
I pray because I'm helpless.
I pray because the need flows out of me all the time - waking and sleeping.
It does not change God - it changes me.

Uptown Funk

Uptown Funk

By Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

This hit, that ice cold

Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold

This one for them hood girls

Them good girls straight masterpieces

Stylin', whilen, livin' it up in the city

Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent

Got kiss myself, I'm so pretty

I'm too hot (hot damn)

Called a police and a fireman

I'm too hot (hot damn)

Make a dragon wanna retire man

I'm too hot (hot damn)

Say my name you know who I am

I'm too hot (hot damn)

Am I bad 'bout that money, break it down

Girls hit your hallelujah (whoo)

'Cause uptown funk gon' give it to you

Saturday night and we in the spot

Don't believe me just watch

Stop, wait a minute

Fill my cup, put some liquor in it

Take a sip, sign a check

Julio, get the stretch

Ride to Harlem, Hollywood

Jackson, Mississippi

If we show up, we gon' show out

Smoother than a fresh dry skippy

Before we leave

Lemme tell y'all a lil' something

Come on, dance, jump on it

If you sexy then flaunt it

If you freaky then own it

Don't brag about it, come show me

Don't believe me - just watch - come on!