EAZY DUZ IT

Guess who rolled into her hometown to surprise her Ma and Pa for Thanksgiving? Miss Lacey! I was the only person in Pennsylvania who knew, and I picked her up at the airport Thursday evening, with a bottle of champagne and Parliament Lights in tow. Obviously. From there, we drove to Somerset for the big moment. Her mom had a priceless look of shock and happiness on her face. One of the first things she said {I think} was, "Why didn't you tell me? I would have made food." Well, Ma that wasn't the idea! Then we headed for the shed, where her Pa was hanging. Pa Rayman: {insert a sort of scream} "Is this, like, an in and out kind of thing?" Lacey: "Dad, no! I'm here for 10 days!"

Drinking Blue Moon and Sam Adams Winter at Maggie Mae's.

This is my birthday gift from Miss Lacey. Yes, that is an Eazy-E tote bag from a vintage shop in Ocean Beach San Diego. This is unimaginable epic. Gimme that nut!

Popping the strawberry champagne for the four of us. 

I finally had the chance to meet Lacey's cousin, Whitney. She rides horses, so I automatically love her.

Last drink at Maggie's was tequila shots. Why? Because we were heading to hip-hop night at a hotel in Somerset. Lacey warned me ahead of time that we were about to enter Wigga 101. She was spot on. I wish I took photographs of some of the events that took place in this establishment. But maybe it's better that I didn't. There was lots of dancing, lots of drinking, lots of wtf? moments. 

Oh, and the best and sweetest part of the night ~ Lacey's mom drove us and picked us up, so we "could get shitfaced." It was like high school all over again. And then we crawled into bed with Reggie, an amazing Ragdoll cat, who is like a giant, loving marshmallow of a creature. Heavenly.

Dallas anyone?

This stunning black-and-gold 80s cocktail dress from Recovered Vintage and modeled by shop owner, Misty, now belongs to me. The photo was taken by her 10-year-old, Alex. How sweet! I hope I can look as rocking as Misty does. And perchance have a New Year's date to wear it for? {Doubtful}

I haven't tried it on yet, but once I do, I plan on getting Jodi to take photographs. I may even wear my new Kat Von D Underage Red lipstick. Hot. Stay tuned.

I love/adore/worship etsy shop owners who send their treasures wrapped so beautifully. And with flower seeds! ~ Seriously, the sweetness touches me. In her note {clearly handmade}, Misty wrote, "I enclosed a bit of Texas for you!" The Texas Bluebonnet is the state flower, according to the package. I can't wait for this; they look so pretty!

Sequins detail. A bit Michael Jackson-esque? Love.

12 days of my birthday

This year, my birthday will be pretty low-key. I went to San Francisco as a birthday present to myself, and the actual day of my birth, I will be at work. It's a Monday. A Thursday for me, but still. I haven't been anticipating much. My 30th last year was a big one, and 31 seems pretty uninspiring. To my delight and surprise, Miss Jodi Beth kicked off the November festivities last night. Lisa was house/Wylie-sitting again for her aunt, and we decided to have Italian Night. Delicious tortellini made by Lisa and olive oil bread. And Malbec. Jodi couldn't wait any longer to give me gifts, and they were perfect and sweet. A photograph from an "Alice in Wonderland" book and the DVD of "Les Triplettes De Belleville." I love thoughtful gifts; it means so much to me, and I never forget them. Merci** Jodie and Lisa. Love you girls. Xo.

Yes, this is an Elvis T-shirt. Shout-out to my PapaBear. Love you, Dad.

Oh! My nose!

I have a habit of naming my dresses. Or, they come into their names based on comments made about them. Remember Creamsicle? My most recent Twitch piece came to me already named! And it was a good one ~ not that I would ever doubt Ms. Robyn Sears. 

Say hello to the "Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!" Since I got the dress and wore it today, I have had a hankering for a serious "Brady Bunch" marathon. I watched that show religiously after school for about 5 years. 

Favorite episodes:

1. Sorry, Right Number: Mike installs a pay telephone in the house to teach his children a lesson in fiscal responsibility, but it almost backfires on him. 

2. The Possible Dream: Thanks to Cindy, Marcia's diary gets mixed in with books for a charity drive, leading the family on a search for the book. The reason for the frantic search: Marcia's worried that someone will find out she has a crush on Desi Arnaz Jr.

3. Jan's Aunt Jenny: Jan worries about her future appearance when Carol's aunt Jenny - who looked like Jan as a child - comes to visit. In the subplot, Mike fixes an old phonograph discovered after cleaning out the attic (where Aunt Jenny's picture was actually found, as well).

4. The Fender Benders: Carol is involved in a minor parking-lot accident. After both parties initially agree to pay for their own damages, the other driver later files a lawsuit against Carol, claiming the accident was the result of her reckless driving and that he was injured as a result.

5. Hawaii Bound: Mike is sent to Hawaii to check on a construction project, and his firm allows him to take his whole family and Alice along. There, Bobby discovers an ancient tiki, which seems to bring bad luck ... starting with Greg getting into a serious surfing accident.

6. Amateur Nite: The kids appear on a television talent show to raise funds for Mike and Carol's anniversary gift. This was the result of Jan's misunderstanding the price for the engraving of a tray the kids had intended to give their parents (it was 85 cents per letter, not for the entire engraving).

Who doesn't love the Bradys? And who has a favorite episode to add? And who wants to have a dress-up "Brady Bunch"-thon? I call Marcia!

That bird is so dangerous, that bird is a bad bird!

On the ferryboat ride to Alcatraz Island, my team {Lacey, Rob, JKel and Matt} and I were greeted by amazing seabirds who flew alongside the ferry the entire trip. One was a real attention whore and basically eyed us up for a good 5 minutes. So, what did we do? We serenaded him, of course. We changed up some lyrics from Akon's "Dangerous," and had ourselves a perfect anthem for the rest of the day.

Adventure time!

I am at Pittsburgh International... again. And this is where I am headed. Yes, San Francisco. For the first time. To be joined by my main posse ~ Lacey, Rob and Jennifer Kelly. I delightfully overpacked. Tons of fancy dresses and tights. And I am guessing tons more fancy dresses will be bought by the Bay. Let's just say, I am extraordinarily happy right now. And it feels good.

Of the Oceans Deep

My wonderful friend, Jodi Beth, has an etsy shop open for business. It is called Of the Oceans Deep! The shop is a brand-new venture, and she has listed some amazing vintage tops and dresses for the classy ladies. One of which is partially handmade and an homage to bicycle girls! Rise up in fists. Jodi is working on many more handmade projects and artwork. So expect great things to come.

Oh yeah, she used me as her model. And made me look flawless. Here's to Jodi's new venture, and many more delightful photo shoots involving the Pennsylvania seasons. I think late fall/early winter just got a little more magical...