Gossip Gurllzz!

Hey Gurlll. Here is the Gossip of the day.

1. This animal on Gossip Girls is U-G-L-Y ugly. I don’t know what cage he escaped from but the fact the he was cast in a show and we are all supposed to BELIEVE he is attractive is very irksome. I mean I know actors are playing a part, like Dustin Hoffman playing an autistic nut in Rainman and that dude  that played a blind man in Ray but seriously HOW are we to believe that high schoolers would not taunt and ridicule this kid for his T-rex looks (no matter how much money his family has). This is why i do not watch this show.

 

2.  Our favorite Food Network munchkin had a Mini Munchkin !!  Giada De Laurentiis of Everyday Italian popped out a “Spigetti” loving spawn. Can’t wait to here this SoCal beast to serve up some Italian words like she is straight off the boat from Sicily.

 Did we know her husband was a clothing designer!? Interesting. Do we know his stuff? SHOULD WE!?

3. Join my movement to BAN CHILDREN ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION! I am starting the campaign on Amtrak. At least here we can designate a specific “children’s car.” I know what you are saying “why doesn’t she just sit in the quiet car?” Well you know what!? I don’t want to. I want to be able to text message and laugh out loud. I want to answer my cell phone and tell an inappropriate story about being really drunk and dancing all over Jour et Nuitand I DON’t want some kid screaming in the background of my call. Nor do I want to even HAVE to strain myself to give the mothers the evil look. I just want to stumble to the platform with my hangover and cell phone and ride the train silently smiling at stelar accomplishments of the weekend.

* (On my ride home I sat next to a charming (creepy) man with a laptop and GPS devise attached to his window. He was a pair of overalls shy of of total over the top but fully equipped with a Rail Road crossing bookmark, and conductors hat. He stopped the train attendant (is that what you call him?) EVERY TIME he walked by to ask him “hey do you know Jimmy from DC he works the Maine-Boston line?” (Eye roll) He looked my way OFTEN but I was smart with my book and headphones NOT to make eye contact. I did, however, look over as the train was nearing 150 mph. He was getting jumpy and would have jumped right out of his chair had he not been poised with his camera to take a picture of his computer screen when the train hit 150mph. SADLY it only hit 149 and while I he told his wife and me this was still “very fast” you could tell he was disappointed. 

This creepy train man is only one of the hundres of reasons kids should stay away from trains. I might start a kids only travel service much like CBS’s show Kid Nation. I will have Kid planes, Kid Resorts (Kids Med? Ritz Childon? Marrisnot?). Its going to be huge. So No more kids in the “Adult” car!! Separate Planes, Trains and Buses!~! Who is with me!!?

4. I had an amazing time in NYC. We hit some really hot spots resulting in an awesome recap brunch with Suri and Emme. NYC Rocks!

 

New York Rocks Grier’s Bachelorette.

So this past weekend, Coco, Rowen and I amtrakked it down to NYC for Grier’s bachelorette party. Now, Grier’s not really the bachelorette party type, so this was not to be a feather boa and lewd shaped balloon type fete.

The weekend basically broke down as follows:

70% eating

20% drinking

8% riding in hot, stale-smelling taxis

2% sleeping

So it only seems fair to focus, then, on what was imbibed.

Restaurants

Dos Caminos:the fresh made spicy guacamole is a delish, avocado fireball. Fan the flames with a pomegranate margarita with salt, and finish it off with:

the short-rib tacos. TO. DIE. FOR.

Essex:Chicken. apple. sausage.

OH MY GOD.

this looked amazing too.

And don’t forget 3 free drinks (mimosas or bloodies)!

but they just kept filling them up, so it was more like Bottomless Boozefest.

Best part? $16.

Vento Trattoria: a great place for to get your bachelorette on, Vento has amazing prix fixe dinner menus and Level V club downstairs.

Bars

Randolph: the only thing that could have made this dark, kind of creepy bar seem more like a fraternity house is if there was a bar in the basement where skinny underage girls were dancing and smoking cigarettes. oh, wait, that was what it was like. two thumbs down.

Next Time:

Pinkberry! I’m dying to try it. Tasti D-Lite is so ‘07.

 

Heart Emma Watson.

We just wanted to give a squeal of delight for Emma Watson.

I was reading the newest Vanity Fair (a great issue about funny women in Hollywood – it’s a must read!) and I flipped past an adore pic of little miss Emma. My dream would be to hang out with Emma all day, eating Bernie Bots all favor beans, braiding hair, and swapping thoughts of the 7th Harry Potter book.

Now, If you are an avid celebrity blog reader you may have read a juicy tid-bit that Hermione and Harry were spotted cuddling at an London pub! GLEE!!! On VALENTINES DAY (heart Explosion!) I hadn’t been that excited since I found out Allie and Noah(The Notebook – we shouldn’t even have to tell you) were dating in real life! (Still devastated over their break-up).

Stay tuned for more Harry Potter shout outs. These adorable teens are worth weeding through the Brittney and Lindsay gossip Trash heap.

 

WestCoastApple loves the Big Apple.

Hello all heartshaped readers! I am finally back where I belong on the east coast–well even if just for a week.

While here I had the marvelous chance to visit the Big Apple, former residence of WestCoastApple and still the source of all things fabulous.

When I visit NYC, people always ask me “what did you do?”, “what museums did you visit?”, “what new restaurants did you try?” Please people. For me New York is about a few things only:

1. Visiting with MFF (most fabulous friend) “CW”.
2. Eating at all the SAME restaurants I used to eat at in order to recreate 2002.
3. Shopping. But not in unique hidden boutiques, its all about scouring all the chain stores with CW to see what they are doing these days.

Never mind that the above could occur in nearly any American city. New York is where its all happening! But CW can definitely thank 5 years of semi-maturity for earning her some meals at restaurants that WestCoastApple-5-years-ago would have been too nervous to eat at. Get this, in 2 days only, I branched out to the Saigon Grill (summer rolls, brown rice, and wine) and a Chinatown Beef Hand-Pulled Noodle shop. Both were delish and in return, CW brought me to a place that WestCoastApple-in-any-year would always rejoice in, SHAKE SHACK in Madison Square park. This is like an amazing roadside burger stand in the middle of NYC–tons of fun even in subzero temperatures (that if should go on record, WestCoastApple is no longer used to).

I also got to eat at MAX, a little Italian place in the East Village that has handmade pastas, great wine, and never disappoints to be crowded and fun. We woke up to toasted baguettes and Cafe Americano at Cafe Gitane. While shopping we hit up Rugby, Anthropologie, Club Monaco, Intermix (), JCrew (perhaps first time ever we walked out sans bags), Bloomingdales and more. Tons of fun. We walked right by BR ( again refer to Boring Republic post), where CW said “I hate those weird beads they have on everything.” Amen sister!

Lastly, a trip to New York for WestCoastApple would never be complete without the requisite sprint to some train or another. This week was no exception. Somehow there is always some LOST-type time warp between when you park your car (11:16, plenty of time til 11:32 train!!) to when you get to the station board (CRAP 11:28 and train is ALL ABOARD). This results in my taking my trying-to be-effortlessly-dressed-and-coiffed self and sprinting with heavy bag, ALWAYS to the GD LAST track of the station, then making that last mighty Rockyesque climb up the steps with suitcase slamming against my knee. I then collapse into the nearest seat, panting heavily, to realize I no longer look effortless, am out of shape, and I picked the car with either the smelly near-homeless man or the broken air conditioner. Then have small feeling of victory (I made it!) competing with feelings of athletic ineptness (yuck how am I sucking wind). Please note, same story always happens at end of trip, however add in NYC purchases and more frantic pace, and you have me wishing I had the beer that the guy in the next seat over is drinking.

Ah, east coast city life! Tomorrow, Boston!

 

tres comf.

Boston winters mean you are forced to sport a lot of heinous footwear. Uggs, Pumas you convince yourself are cute and “sporty” even though they never look exactly right with your jeans, and the odd suede loafer you pick up at an Ann Taylor Loft sale and hate yourself when you wear.

Boston summers, on the other hand, are for tripping down Newbury, clutching an iced coffee and sporting flip-flops, Jack Rogers and cute strappy sandals like these.

But, before that delightful time commeth, there is the dreaded transition season.

Fear not. For there is French Sole. These ballet flats will have you skipping, twirling and pirouetting all over the Hub in comfort and Grace Kellyesque elegance (rumor has it she wore these shoes herself).

Our friend K in NYC turned us on to this amazing brand, and we will never look back. Our favorite styles are the Passport (shown above in black) and the Pax.  These flats come up higher across the toes. This means less toe-cleave (we don’t miss it) and much less rubbing/pain around the big toe knuckle (we really don’t miss it). So toss aside your Tory Burch torture devices and slip into a pair of these beauties.

* Notes:

• if the website does  not have your size, check Saks, Zappos.com and Jildorshoes.com. You can also call the store in NYC (212) 737-2859).
• make sure to check for the FSNY stamp inside the shoe, there are evil imposter brands out there.

 

Leather Trade

I need these.

So as HSR readers know I was in Colorado this weekend. Instantly upon arriving in this state a New Englander like myself becomes enraged with jealousy. Now, I love my Red Sox baseball hat and ballet flats (see Harlows Patently Nessacary post) , I would not trade these for the world, but being in Colorado makes my inner Cowgirl desperately wish she could Cowboy suit up 365 days a year. What made me the most jealous was not necessarily the true rough rides around but the clear out of towners who had done an amazing job of making the key purchases to play the part. How awesome would it be to wear these kickin’ boots instead of traditional NE winter wears like Pumas, Merrills and horrible Uggs.

So, let me tell you a story. My friend “T” arrives at the airport with the most perfect pair of cowboy boots. We are talking, perfect toe, good click of the heel and the perfect amount of leather detail. Where. Did. You. Get. Those. Are the only words my brain can fire out. Luckily, this is the best part of the story, T made her perfect boot purchase in Manhattan and ON SALE. Searle, a NYC boutique, had these amazing hand crafted wonders on sale for $69.99. I could not believe it, especially after an apres ski trip through Vail Village confirmed that these exact boots were being sold at “Bust Out Retail” for around $600.00.

So immediately upon returning to the condo and stripping off ski boots and layers I ran to my laptop to check out the Searle website. T was in fact correct, her perfect boot was found with a simple click on the SALE link. Intriguingly the same boots were now $99.99?!
Alright, totally still affordable and amazing. So today at work, I look at the same link. The boots have been bumped again to $129.99. Excuse me. Is this Ebay!! When were stores allowed to put something on sale and then bump the sale price UP? I understand we are not talking about Banana Republic who puts their $125.00 slacks on sale and then quickly lowers the price to $19.99. But seriously!! Who does that, raises the price after teasing with an amazing sale?!

I know what you are saying….Just buy them already!!! But here is the catch. They do not have my size and I am very doubtful that a size 10 just won’t fit my foot long, size 11 foot.

So the only logical answer is…..spend my entire lunch hour calling every Searle in NYC demanding a stock check on size 11.

 

Drunk Dialing – Texting Behavior

Greetings from the Rockies!!

Just want to contribute a blurb about an A-MAZING new slang being blasted by 20-somethings all over Manhattan. I am traveling this weekend, and naturally traveling with 5 girls leads to gossip, trash-talk and a general comparison on the philosophies of dating in these crazy times. While my attitude is always “play it cool” it is not uncommon to come across a girl who feels that the opposite approach, constant harassing and texting, is the preferable method of bait and catch.

So to describe a particular female behavior that includes, 8 or more texts in one evening to one male and more than 5 calls to same said male is perfectly coined as – “Blow Torching” – This is the perfect description of what the it feels like to watch a female friend constantly toil over her Razor or Blackberry struggling with T9. She might as well be actually holding a blow torch in the guys face and asking him “Is this too hot!??”