i have a friend named julie

Julie isn't a thing, she's a person, but I figure she's good for the blog since I have her. For a friend, anyway. She got me a really cool watch for Christmas that I've eyed for literally two years, so I guess that counts for the money spending.

But anyway. My friend Julie. She is frequently mentioned on this and my other blog, typically as the Julie with the clothes blog. That's because she has a blog about clothes, but she also writes really well on her normal blog-- because she writes really well. Once she wanted to be an English teacher and she was pursuing an English degree, but Julie suffers from the same problem I had in school, in that we are smart, we like to be smart, if we actually tried to be good students we could, graduate school would be no problem, but we like to sit around Denny's until 2am too often, to the detriment of our homework. In this case, specifically to the detriment of Julie's homework. So she's not an English major anymore, but she still writes really well. Like, really well.

Along those lines, it has been suggested that she write a book about her life published under a pseudonym, which I happen to think would be highly successful and a very lucrative option, but I'll leave that up to her.

This is a shirt-tunic thing that Julie has, and I have it too, so I think that counts for the blog. Actually, her little sister Jenny has it, but I've never seen Jenny wear it-- only Julie. We call it "Ragu" because one time she wore it and looked like the older sister on My Big Fat Greek Wedding, even though that lady is Greek and I'm pretty sure the word "ragu" is Italian. In fact, I know it's Italian. It's fine. We know what we mean.

In fact, it happens a lot that we just kind of talk (a lot, really. We really like to talk. I mean, we talk a lot a lot a lot, which I'm sure you'd never be able to tell since I don't ever say much on this or any blog and neither does she) in a manner so that we know what we mean, but a lot of people don't know what we mean. Like we'll say things like, "He doesn't like me, he likes me." Which, I mean, makes perfect sense.

Julie and I had a New Year's party last year, and we're having it again this year, but my point is that it was really a Big Moment in our lives. Something changed that night, and it kind of opened the door to a doozy of a year for her-- let's just be honest about it. She is. After our Grown Up party (that people came to), we suddenly found the circus of life had turned into something Normal. Then we started dating these boys, and then we both got engaged within a week of each other, and then we were going to get married a week apart. This was exciting. Long story made short, however, not all came to pass, and unfortunately, Julie (and her ex-fiance, for that matter) suffered a dis-engagement, which was pretty sad and horrible. But you know, I really think she's come out on top from the whole thing. I don't mean that she's better off than before she was engaged, and I'm not at all mud-slinging ex-fiance (who is one of my longest-time friends). All I mean is that life tossed her a few hundred lemons, and she's still squeezing the last drops of juice from them all. That lemonade sure tastes delicious!!

We met a few years ago during A Christmas Carol at HCTO when we were both in the choir. It was the last of the Great Choirs for the show, if you ask me, us with our dresses, and Robbie and Sarah, and Adam and Eric and that's when we met Jim, too. She grew up seeing every HCTO show ever and then was in it and it was a dream come true. We've been in together four years and then this year, suddenly-- we were over it. In a good, nostalgic, we'll always say we want to go back to it even if we never do kind of way. In the meantime, she auditioned for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels a few weeks ago, nailed the audish, and is going to be single cast in the show opening in February. This is because she can Sing. Not just sing, but Sing. Also she plays the piano. Not so much of a dancer, but at least she's a mover, and that will do just fine, particularly all gussied up in a French maid costume for the show.

Julie likes books, journals, clothes (duh), old movies like White Christmas, modge podging, hunting Savers and DI (she may have sold her soul to the thrifting gods-- I'm really not sure she hasn't), taking pictures of herself and others twirling around, McDonald's, Thai food, mixing up all the remnants of food and condiments during 4-hour trips to Denny's, looking at pretty things in Target, sitting in the Target food court with me, texting, tweeting (@julieannaface), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and her baby cousins. Children of all ages are drawn to her in kind of a freaky, have-a-baby-soon way. She is very nice. She likes my husband. Her birthday is on Valentine's day. She makes friends with every single person who ever lived and lives to make people happy.

Merry Christmas, Julie, and cheers to the end of a Very Long Year. Clink.

All photos courtesy of Julie's very own facebook page, which I stalk, but not enough to be one of her Top Five Stalkers.

i have music

So there's this band I like, called The Rocket Summer. The band is actually just one guy called Bryce Avary who records almost all the instruments/vocals on his albums, but then takes a band with him on tour, so he can switch around to all the different instruments throughout the performance.

He is a musical genius and gives the greatest concerts you will ever hear. This is not an exaggeration. Last year The Rocket Summer played in Salt Lake ON MY BIRTHDAY SEPTEMBER 19. Look how excited we were about it!

Possibly the ugliest face I've ever made in my life. Captures the moment, regardless.

Then my mom got me a Rocket Summer sweatshirt and I felt really awesome about it, so I made another ugly face, because I'm so so good at making ugly faces. Clearly. But it's a kick-ah sweatshirt and totally hardcore, which justifies the gangsta face.I even took a Rocket Summer t-shirt with me to England and I wore it when I hung out by replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship with some really hot red sunglasses. I have an international affection, Bryce. Aren't I awesome?And check this out you twits-- @therocketsummer follows ME on twitter. Yes it's really Bryce Avary. Yes, he's got 18,000 followers. Yes, he only follows 1,200. Pretty good ratio, yeah?? So yeah, I can directly tweet Bryce if I want. Shrug hair toss cigarette tap.Anyway, my fanaticism wouldn't mean anything (and probably still doesn't mean anything to anyone else but whatever this is my blog read it) if it weren't for the music music music doo doo doooooooo. So I created a little playlist for you, starting with one of the brandest new songs that's been released in preparation for the new album which will be released February 23, 2010.

Get excited. I am.

happiness and cheer

Dear Santa Claus,

How have you been? Did you have a nice summer? How is your wife? I have been extra good this year, so I have a long list of presents that I want. Please note the size and color of each item, and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself: just send money. How about tens and twenties?

All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.

This is my first Christmas as a real Grown Up. I've spent the last few weeks making lists of people I needed/wanted to buy gifts for, and then actually getting and making them, and then addressing Christmas cards, and thinking about in-laws and extended family, and signing everything "Love, Emily & Ames". That's my favorite part about this Grown Up Christmas-- the "Emily & Ames" part. But also, in being Grown Up, I don't even really have a Christmas Wish List.

I'll pause while you gasp.











I know, right? I have a theory about this-- I think I have been overwhelmed by gifts this year, with the getting married and all. And we even continue to receive wedding gifts. We got one today in fact, no lie. Also there was that time when we went a little crazy with my summer bonus a few months ago, so I mean, there's not much that I really want. I like pretty things. Easy.

Actually I lied. I wish for my orders from Amazon and Barnes & Noble to get here on time like whoa.

In the meantime, look what we have, where we can put any of those items from my non-existent wish list!
I have my very own Christmas tree in our very own house which we bought together, in the spirt of Charlie Brown! Look at how darling and sparse and skinny it is! All it needed was a little love, and a $10 gold star from Target that I'm actually obsessed with, and now it's the Perfect Tree. Also I made this tree skirt:
Weren't we cute when we were eight years old?I don't start my new job till January 4, so I fully plan on sitting in this living room watching LOST on Netflix for two full weeks, in view of this Christmas tree.

ChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmas.

head pretties

I was speaking with one of the owners of the theater the other day about how I love headbands. To be honest, that's a bit of an understatement. I mentioned how I have approximately 40 headbands-- I mean, give or take. She said to me, "That sounds like an obsession!" but I insisted that many of them have been gifts, especially in the last year or so. Then she said, "Oh, well then it's a collection." She did that face she does when she's sounding teasing, but insistent. But my point:

I have a collection of 40+ headbands
(give or take but mostly give)

You know how people sometimes have their "thing"? Like, Julie has belts, and my sister has cool/weird necklaces, and my mom has bracelets. Headbands are kind of My Thing, to say the least, along with cardigans (which will be a different blog post entirely). Sometimes I walk into stores and my thought process is literally, "HEADBANDS HEADBANDS HEADBANDS HEADBANDS HEADBANDS" and then I go try them all on every single one. I am a Headband Connoisseur.

I received seven headbands for my birthday this year (three with feathers, two with bows, one with both). If you think I'm hard to buy for, you're wrong. I told Ames I wasn't going to buy any more for myself ever again, but have bought four more since then. I have a bin in my linen closet to hold them all. Ames teased me, but it's better than having them scattered around the house, wouldn't you say?

I think the fondness began early, owing to my mom's self-proclaimed inability to "do hair." Thus, as a two year old:

I'm the stylin' one on the left

Ta da! An easy and adorable (if I do say so) quick-fix. And the thing for bows on headbands certainly continues (16 in my collection) :

The Greatest Bow Headband to Exist while drinking a Diet Coke (surprise!) in Paris, France

(Eiffel Tower to my left, not pictured)

One of the greatest things about headbands is the grand variety-- a headband for any occasion!

Intense Christmas Carol party headband
(curls not included)

9th grade competitive Irish dancer headband

Honeymoon in Disneyland wedding Minnie Mouse ears with a veil headband

Waiting on the plane for four hours to leave New York City awesome head wrapping headband
(featuring Anna Mortimer)

Look how cute Ames Bell is headband

Happy New Year/We threw a party and people came headband
(featuring Julie Garbutt)

Allow me to introduce a few of my recent favorites from my expanding collection:

Feathers are rarely a bad idea headband

Bejeweled headband

My middle name is Rosie the Riveter headband

I feel like a Who in Whoville would wear this oversized bow headband

THE BEST PART IS: I have never spent more than $7 on a headband in my life.

GOOD FOR: Dressing up/down an outfit, cuteifying dirty/gross hair, making a ponytail more interesting, pushing bangs off your face, accenting how cute your bangs are, conversation starters, making yourself look younger in headshots (truth), collecting something inexpensive but awesome.

HEADBANDS TO AVOID: Anything more than $10 because why are you spending that much?, anything over-the-top that makes you look like a poser, anything that looks like it should be drawn onto a Peanuts character.

black friday

We ventured out yesterday afternoon on Black Friday, not so much to participate in any kind of deals, but to get a Christmas tree stand (with a Home Depot gift card that we got as a wedding gift, so we were actually spending someone else's money!). Kind of boring, unless you're a newlywed girl who is preparing for Christmas for the first time, in which case you get real jazzed about things like Christmas tree stands and strings of lights and darling ceramic bird ornaments for $0.99 at Target.

Anyway, there is something to be said about the gross consumerism of Black Friday-- being around the crazies grappling at everything they can get their thrifty hands on, shoving past people to see exactly which DVDs are on sale for $3.99 (even if you're not interested in actually buying them), and reveling in the spirit of a Capitalist Christmas (we'll wait to acknowledge the religious aspect-- you know, the important part-- for December 1st).

Here are some materialistic highlights of the day:

1. 50% - 70% off EVERYTHING at Aeropostale
This is not an exaggeration. Everything in the store was literally 50% - 70% off. Usually I have a hard time finding clothes for myself in Aeropostale these days (in spite of my 7th grade allegiance, since I basically limited myself to Aero and Old Navy for a whole year), but Ames is nice and tall and slim, which is just about right for the cut of Aero clothes. Also they have cute jewelry and bags and smells and my friend Tanner works there, so we bounced in on a whim.

Result:

actual images unavailable due to a network connection failure at aeropostale.com
corduroy pants for Ames / grey & silver striped leggings for me = 50% off

I can't speak for Ames's pants, but these striped leggings are not only adorable and affordable, but they look fantastic with cranberry colored knit boots and a dark gray striped boyfriend cardigan.

2. Lunchtime
Five Guys wasn't having any kind of deal, but it didn't keep the lines from going out the door! Can you imagine what it must have been like at In-N-Out? I don't even want to know. There wasn't a table to be hand, particularly when other customers heartlessly vultured tables from under us as we stood there awkwardly, food in hand, looking pathetic and helpless. Since Black Friday is all about dog-eat-dog, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Maybe those same customers will be a little less cut-throat come December 1st, when Christmas starts to focus on The True Meaning of Christmas a little more.

Result:
bacon cheeseburgers, soda and cajun-flavored fries

Just as delicious and fresh as any other burger I might have had yesterday from any other establishment to ensure fresh and delicious flavor. No free refills for us, however, since we finally just took our bag of food to the mall food court where we were immediately able to find a table. Thanks for nothing, other Five Guys patrons!


3. Forever 21 never fails
I know I promised that I wouldn't provide myself with any more headbands for my collection, and I already have a large selection of cardigans to wear on a daily basis, but what could I do when faced with unbearable cuteness? Anyone else would have done the same, I defy you to tell me they wouldn't have, regardless of sales not applicable to these specific items (though I applaud my friend Julie for her efforts to advertise Black Friday promos on her first full day of work).

Result:
photos to come later, due to lack of time at work to post

I've looked at this cardigan a few times and have talked myself out of it in the past, but there comes a time when I just have to give in after a while. And are you KIDDING ME about that headband?!?!!? RIGHT??!!


4. Adam Lambert is for MY entertainment
For curiosity's sake, we wound up at Target, mostly in search of a Christmas tree topper (found one, didn't get it, going back for it eventually). We already have a pretty TV, and I already have three pairs of boots from Target (don't worry about it) and aside from The Dark Knight, I didn't care to spend money on DVDs for the sake of a good deal. We couldn't pass up some music, however, regardless of a recently controversial performance.

Result:

I don't care what you say, this man has a voice that is not to be believed. And the album cover looks like freakin' Xanadu. XANADU, you guys. $10 for more eyeliner than you've ever seen on a man and that screaming voice is more than a deal, if you ask me (which you did, since you're reading my blog).


Conclusion: A successful Black Friday. Saw some friends, ate some food, spent some dollars. And I'm looking forward to listening to Adam Lambert while we set up our Christmas tree while wearing striped leggings and corduroys and cardigans and a headband (for me, not for Ames).