Blissful Bitch

Well, it’s the day after Valentine’s Day and I hope all of my readers had a good one. Weather single, dating or married it’s a day for pampering, and my favorite part of the holiday involves enjoying chocolate covered strawberries completely guilt-free, because it’s Valentine’s Day… everyone gets to eat chocolate. But, this year, fate had other things in mind for me, and chocolate didn’t come easy. It all started very early in the morning on Sunday. I woke up from a nightmare around 4 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep. You can guess my level of relief to have opened my eyes to find John and my dog soundly sleeping in my bed after fearing my life was about to come to an abrupt end once I got devoured by some sort of creature that was chasing me through the woods. Though my newfound reality was calming, I knew my day was off to a rough start, which typically means it remains rough throughout the course of the day.

Several hours later John and I were enjoying our morning coffee while watching Saturday night’s episode of Pit Boss that we recorded on our DVR. (Obviously the Olympics took over our Saturday night) Around 10:30 a.m. John and I were on the road to Nyack, N.Y. for our favorite Sunday brunch delight at La Fontana. Luckily, we managed to get there on time… (A feat that can be quite difficult when dealing with John.) Once there, like clockwork, as we rushed to get on line outside of the restaurant, they opened the doors for the first seating, so we avoided freezing our butts off as I assumed we would have to do. Inside, I bull-sh*tted the hostess into believing I had requested an upstairs table with a view of the Hudson River. To my surprise, she fell for it, removed the “reserved” sign on a downstairs table, and up we went. There’s nothing better than an outstanding brunch in a historic building with views of the Hudson River, and I was not about to compromise. Though the food was fantastic, I couldn’t help but dread the day we had in front of us, which involved working. No holiday should involve working, especially those that revolve around pink hearts and chocolate covered strawberries.

After about an hour of stuffing our faces with three rounds of plates each, John paid the bill and we were outta there. Trying to postpone the work I took the long way home, driving through the scenic town of Piermont, N.Y. and pointing out all the historic homes I love. At last we reached John’s parents house where his editing studio remains (it’s the last of things we have to move to our new house. It’s also the most difficult of things to move since it involves a number of monitors, computers and many wires… hence, it’s still at his parents.) For several hours we brainstormed and edited the first edition of Steppin Out Magazine’s weekly nightlife and entertainment news update which I host. It was fun, but by the time we were done, it was 3:30 p.m. Where had the day gone? After completing the update we ventured off to my parents house where I am dog/bird sitting while they are vacationing in sunny Flordia. Finally, we headed back to our home, but rest was not in the cards for us. Upon entering our house, a certain odor was immediately apparent which was a sign of what was to come after turning the corner past our family room couches – a present that our dog left on the floor for us as her spiteful way of thanking us for leaving her home alone for the beginning half of the day. Not exactly the chocolate covered strawberries I was hoping for!

Next, John insisted we construct the shelving units we just bought for our new walk-in closet – one of the many projects we’ve been putting off for months. Three shelving units and an injured foot later (don’t ask about the foot) it was 5:30 p.m. and I had less than one hour to shower and doll myself up for a romantic dinner out. I would have given anything at that point for a nice romantic dinner in, but I definitely didn’t feel like cooking, and I had a feeling John didn’t either. Come 6:30 p.m. we were pulling up to our dinner destination, Slattery’s in Piermont, N.Y. Though we had driven through the town earlier, we can’t get enough of it. There, we enjoyed some great food on a fixed four-course menu for the holiday, and were entertained by Frank Sinatra songs performed live by Frank Lanzana. Good stuff! Our appetizers were amazing, dinner (shrimp scampi for me and steak for John) was great as well. Let’s face it, after enough glasses of wine anything would have been great. After all that food it was questionable as to weather I could possibly fit another morsel of food in my belly, but after getting a dessert menu, which offered the option of the one item I had been waiting to get my hands on all day, chocolate covered strawberries, I knew I had to have them.

The moral of the story? Good things come to those who wait, and work! My version of “good things” happened to take the form of berries drenched chocolaty goodness!

Although it is but Feb. 5, I am in summer mode, fantasizing about the days when I can lay out and bask in the sun and not have to bundle up in my heavy Land’s End jacket before braving the freezing temperatures.  Yes, I love being from New Jersey, but I can’t stand the lingering winter months after the holiday season is over.  So, I am already scouting out my spring and summer wardrobe must-haves.  Totes are all the rage in warm temps.  Though they are big, they are perfect for storing the usual stash from a purse, plus a towel for any impromptu visits to the beach or pool.  I have a rather large collection of totes already, but why stop now?

I love this Gucci Tote, priced at $520, but is it practical for a visit to the beach?  Not unless you can afford to spill a little sun tan lotion on it and pick up a new one…

Check out this Forever 21 find, priced at just $1.50, or… my favorite…

This American Eagle Outfitters tote, priced at $19.50.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and for all you single ladies (without boyfriends/husbands) you kind of get off easy in that you don’t have to worry about getting a gift or a card, or making sure you look good for whatever plans you have.  Speaking as someone with a boyfriend on the other hand, Valentine’s Day can get stressful.  For instance, if you leave plans up to your man to create as a surprise, and then you have no idea where he may be taking you, and to do what.  Should you wear jeans or a dress?  Heals or flats?  I know it sounds petty, but you could be expecting five star and wind up at Applebees, so… I have been on a quest to find an outfit that can be worn at pretty much any location that wouldn’t cause heads to turn and whispering about the freak that just walked in completely over/under dressed.  This 2-in-1 ruffled-bottom dress is from Express and is that perfect ensemble!  It can be classy or casual depending on what accessories you sport with it.  I love the way it’s dressed in this photo.  The dress is priced at $79.50, which can be pricey if you were only going to wear it once, but given it’s potential, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to store it away in the closet for too long.  The skinny belt is $29.50. 

Though many people thought UGG boots were just here for a season or two, it’s been over five years since they’ve hit American feet in a big way, and new styles and colors keep on comin!  Check out this ad from Bloomingdales!  I’m diggin the lime green.  Perfect for spring!

Nothing makes me feel better inside than doing good for people or animals in need.  When I first heard of mother nature taking her wrath out on Haiti, I knew I wanted to help out in any way I could.  Charities and individuals across the globe have been doing their parts to help relief the situation, and what’s most needed at this time is money, health/medical supplies and clothing.  So, last night I dug around my closet for clothing I no longer wear, and brought a large bag to an American Red Cross drop off point in Park Ridge, NJ.  There are drop off points popping up everywhere, and there have been countless “text messaging” services developed, whereby you can send a text to a specific number and $5 or $10 will automatically be donated to Haiti.  This amount will appear on your phone bill as an additional cost.  There’s no better time than now people!

If you’re into shopping for the season ahead, or for up and coming vacations, a maxi dress just might be on the top of your list.  If not, then it should be.  Flattering on most, and comfortable for all, maxi dresses are a spring/summer must have!  Take this Tory Burch “Martin” Silk Maxi Dress as shown on Bloomingdales.com. 

Priced at $450, it’s a great colorful dress sure to put you in a good mood upon slipping it on.  But, if you can’t afford it, or would prefer to avoid spending that much on a single clothing item.. try this Halter Bra top maxi dress from Victoriassecret.com. 

Everything is  right with this bold and bright dress, which is priced at $108.  Worn with a great pair of wedge sandals, this dress makes the perfect fresh look for the day, or perfectly done up for an evening out.   

If you’re like me and you love to shop for trendy outfits that are bound to be in style for a year or less, one of my favorite stops is FOREVER 21, as if you couldn’t tell from previous posts.  They are head on with the latest fashion from clothes to accessories, and best of all, bargain prices will afford you fuller shopping bags!  And that’s the name of the game when it comes to trendy fashion, because who can afford to blow upwards of $200 on an article of clothing that will be so last week, in, well… a week!  And if you can afford it.. screw you … Give me some money!

Last night Dr. Mehmet Oz, aka “Dr. Oz” appeared on the evening news on Fox 5 to give his top five tips for a healthy 2010.  In order they are:

1. Eat 100 calories fewer than you usually do
2. Celebrate with your diet buddy
3. Engage in rigorous physical activity for 30 minutes a day
4. Sleep at least seven hours a night
5. Floss daily

“The Dr. Oz Show” airs on Fox 5 weekdays at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Dr. Oz is Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University.

I don’t know about you but these health tips seem like common sense.  Obviously people in America know that exercise of just about any magnitude, rigorous or not, is healthy and should be a part of everyone’s daily routine.  The problem is that many of us are over worked and underpaid, leaving us very little time to hit the gym and hardly enough money to afford a membership.  Next, he says to cut 100 calories out of our regular daily diets. I have a few questions for ya… How many of us truly count every single calorie we ingest?  I believe that those who choose to eat healthy, shouldn’t necessarily have to count them.  Just know that choosing an apple as a snack is a far better choice than say a chocolate bar.  Grilled chicken and a salad is healthier than a cheese steak sandwich.  Common sense people!  You don’t have to hear it from Dr. Oz… And lastly, anyone who has visited a dentist already knows that we are suppose to floss daily, on top of brushing our teeth.  A toothbrush just doesn’t do the trick, and if you don’t floss you’re most likely going to develop a happy little health issue called gingivitis, which causes bad breath, gum issues and even tooth loss, among other things.

The moral of the story?  GET WITH THE PROGRAM PEOPLE!  You only get one life… why not make it a healthy one?!

It’s winter and the holidays are about to be officially over! And for those of us blessed enough to live in the north-east of America, where frigid temperatures will continue rearing their ugly heads for another, hmm, two months or so, the winter is just plain depressing!  At least I think so anyway.  As the wind is blowing freezing blusters in my face, drying out my skin while simultaneously turning my nose red, all I can think about is lathering sun screen all over myself as I lie in the Florida sun.  That brings me to my next point… Snow birds.  I can’t wait to be one of these cleaver winter escape artists by leaving Jersey immediately following New Years, destination Boca, and not returning until Easter.  Month after month, I will bask in the sun, enjoy the fruits of my labor from my balcony overlooking the intracoastal while sipping wine, dining out and shopping at Mizner’s Plaza Real.  John, my other half, will be indefinitely fishing for Peacock Bass and Barracudas from dawn to dusk, happy as a pig in sh*t, until it’s time to take me to dinner and dance the night away. The good life!  I can’t wait for those days!

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