SAG Awards - AKA the MAG (as in Magnificent) or the BAG (as in Bag it!)

Well, well. Despite feeling under the weather (what exactly does that mean. Aren't we always sort of under the weather? Or, I guess we are all more in the weather? I don't know. I'm obviously delirious), I finally am doing the SAG posty post.

Thanks so much to any and all who are reading. I really do appreciate it.

ONTO Snarkdom!

We'll start with the good ones again, k? There were only a handful of dresses that stood out in the pretty department for me. However, there were quite the LARGE field of dresses of the majorly UGH variety this time. Or maybe I'm just getting nastier with age, which is entirely possible. I will have you know I actually deleted quite a few that were on my worst-dressed list - like Amy Adams, Claire Danes and Cate Blanchette - they made most other best-dressed lists, but I simply did not like their dresses AT ALL. However, they were beat out by the utter sea of terribleness that graced the SAG red carpet!

Here we go.

The best best best best BEST of the night was again Lupita Nyong'o (and it's something that I can spell that now without even having to look it up):

Everything with this look is so gorgeous and pretty and THAT COLOR on her beautiful skin. Hair, makeup, jewelry, the fit of the dress! So flawless. And she won for her category and I'm really happy for her. 

Second place for me goes to Anna Gunn from Breaking Bad (one of the best TV series ever). Such a lovely color for her and it flattered her and brought out her pretty eyes. She tends to wear blush/skin tone dresses and can look washed out (which I thought was the case at the Golden Globes). This is just a pretty look all the way from head to toe and I love her loosy-goosy hair, the earrings and the clutch! I like when looks aren't too matchy matchy.

 

Next up? Jennifer Garner. While this is not the most exciting look or dress, she just looks so chic and demure and the dress fits her perfectly. Remember, too, this lady's had babies! She looks lovely.

Honorable mentions for me are: Elizabeth Moss, Gretchen Mol and Kelly Osbourne!

Not wild about the red color on her, but everything else is great here. 

This is different and I think it fits her perfectly. Some didn't like the t-shirty look, but I thought it was interesting and certainly flatters her perfect figure. Her hair, makeup and shoes are also just spot-on. Nothing wrong going on here.

 

Kelly! Looking faboo! This Zac Posen gown accentuated her in all the right places. Beautiful.

But honey? It's time to lose the silly pinky-lavender hair. Ok? 

I'm glad we had this talk. 

Now, onto the W   I   D   E field of Huhs? I shake my head at a lot of these and the others? Speechless. But I'll do my best for you, my 2 or 3 readers!! 

First up, the winner of the Oh No She DI-INT Award of the Evening: Mariah Carey.

Five words for Mimi:

FOR THE LOVE OF PETE.

This woman has millions upon millions upon MILLIONS of dollars. Why? WHY? WHYYYYY? The entire get-up is trashy and gross and the leather glove things? Ridiculous. I guess they were fishnet hose, too, as if she wasn't already street-walkery enough looking.

Mayim Bialik. Girl, I understand that your religion dictates that you cover your arms and look respectful and demure. But honestly? Why do you need to look like THIS? Honey. I know you also have a few dollars in the bank. Please find someone who will help you. This is just a big ugly lavender tablecloth with a modified ceremonial funeral scarf for a top. NO. And then there's the hair and the makeup and oh, boy. Please just find someone to help. 

Rose Leslie is next. Bra, anyone? WTF? Is this some sort of dare?

OK. Julie Bowen. AGAIN. This looks like a costume gone bad to me. Cowboy polyester play-time meets orange Madonna corset on top. I will say that at least she's gotten rid of the bows, bustles, gee-gaws, folds, shoulder pads and poufy princessy crap. So, there's that. But I really don't like the colors. The bottom would be okay with something else edgy on top, in my opinion. Which is redundant. 

Amanda Peet. Okie dokie. Ummmm, now....what? We've got the puffy striped sleeves, a shiny-patterned vest looking thing over that and then a different shiny-patterned skirt that is tea-length. Clunky gross shoes, bad hair, no jewelry (which is a blessing) and hardly-there makeup. This is decidedly NOT an awards-show type of get-up. I don't know where a person might wear this. Amish prom perhaps?

Kerry, sweetie. No. No no no no no. Not ever.

Oh, for Pete's SAKE again. Sarah Paulson. That hair? Princess dress? You are not 12 years old. Please, gurrrl. Yeesh.

And here Julia Roberts in her new role as Pepto-Gumby! In theaters this summer!

And last, but of course, never least is Sandra Bullock. She's wearing some upholstery fabric that they had left over from re-doing the curtains on a cruise ship. More than anything, this is just disappointing because up until the Golden Globes (which were also a miss for me) she has been looking beyond beautiful. This dress is just weird and the bottom is weird and it looks like it just might fall off at any second! Plus, either do the high-low thing, the slit or the weird bow thingy at the waist. One of those elements would be plenty. Simplicity is always best. CoCo Chanel advised that "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off."  I think the same goes for design - don't make it over-complicated or it just is a big fail.

So, that's it! That's what all two of you have been waiting for! Woot woot!

Hope it was satisfyingly snarky!

Ciao for today.

Bear Surprises Film Crew

For your viewing pleasure:

Recipe request-ipeee!

Hi Kids,

Again, sorry about being remiss in my SAG awards ranty post. I had an unexpected evening out yesterday and then a busy day today. Last night walked over to a local Thai restaurant and had the MOST delicious meal. Shrimp stir fry in a ginger spicy sauce. It was beyond fresh and lovely with lots of shrimp, scallions, onion, mushrooms, green pepper and red pepper. It was nummy. The restaurant is called The Thai Place and here's a link to their website.

Right next door to The Thai Place is our little local movie theater, Salem Cinema, and we saw American Hustle. It was EXCELLENT! Everyone in the movie was stellar, and I just can't say enough about Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper. Really a great, great movie. Top rating in my book!

Anywho, so I didn't get home until late and that was that. Today, had to go do lots of emails, return phone calls and then the requisite shopping before the snowstorm. It's the funniest phenomenon here in New England. Each time there's a snowstorm, people here immediately flock to the store for bread, milk, eggs, toilet paper and bottled water. It's a thing with people here. Of course, coming from Michigan I feel that everyone here is silly and ridiculous, but there ya go. Wherever you go, there you are (which I find rather obvious, no?).

In any case, I went to the grocery store with my friend because I was car-less yesterday and early today as my car was in the fixit shop getting some final work done. $1400 later, my car is again in tip-top condition. Mind you, I've been very neglectful of my fabulous little car, so that was a well-deserved $1400 fix. Get this - I've got a 2002 Volkswagen Passat and it's only got 45,000 miles on it! I know! That's nothing. And in all the years I've had my wonderful car, I have only put about $1000 into it. Really - that's nothing considering the car is 12 years old already.

So that brings me to about an hour ago and here I am. Exciting life, right? I'm sure you're just madly jealous of the fame and glory.

Annnnnnyway, one of my nice, faithful readers has requested recipes for the goodies I mentioned in yesterday's post, and asked for the cabbage soup in particular, so here goes:

Cabbage Soup (be warned I don't really measure things when I cook!)

You'll need:
Two large cans of diced tomatoes (I think they're 28 oz each)
Two full cans of water (using the tomato cans)
3 vegetable or chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 large head of cabbage, cut into bite-sized chunks
Medium/large vidalia onion, chopped
3 large carrots, sliced however you like
3 stalks celery, sliced however you like
1 large leek cut into rounds (I love leeks but they aren't essential)
Garlic powder (a tablespoon or more) or 2 cloves minced fresh garlic

Celery seed (about a tablespoon or more)

Seasoned salt (Lawry's is the best) to taste

If you like spicy (like I do), I also add some cayenne powder, red pepper flakes and 8-10 squirts of tabasco to the soup.

I also had about a cup of red wine that was a little past the drinking stage, so I added that, too.

You can also add cubed potatoes to this to make it heartier if you like.

Basically just plop it all in a big stew pot or even a crock pot and let it cook and cook until everything is tender.

You could really add any vegetable to this if you want - kale, spinach, beans of almost any sort. It's good and hearty and tomato-y!

Ok. Tomorrow I have a snow day - we're supposed to get dumped with something like 6-10 inches and even more in some isolated areas, so no more excuses about the lack of SAG award snark!

That's all I gots for today. Hope you're all safe and warm wherever you may be.

I will leave you to contemplate the bevy of baby woodchucks that I saw this summer near my favorite Salem beach:

Ciao for now.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

So, I hope you had a nice weekend! Mine was pretty fun, actually. Went out with two of my favorite people on Friday evening (calm down, they are women friends) and we had a lovely dinner at a restaurant in Salem, MA called the Naumkeag Ordinary.

Odd name to those that don't live around here, I realize. The Naumkeag tribe were the Native Americans who inhabited this area originally. If you're interested, here's a short blurb on the Naumkeag people.

Annnyway, the food there is delicious and flavorful and it's just a really cozy little restaurant. I've been there three times now and have had three great meals! Yaay for that! Here's a link to their menu, if you're interested - I had the Arugula Salad (to die for and it was HUGE) and then had the Salmon in Beurre Blanc. I do like me a good Beurre Blanc. Yumm.

Friday was also my Mom's un-birthday. She is not liking the age she is, so that's too bad, but anyway, Happy Birthday to my Momma!

After we had dinner we decided to get our drink on (I make it sound like I'm some big partier! Hah!), so we ended up going to another bar/restaurant place downtown and ended up staying for a few hours! There were mens there and one of my friends, who shall remain nameless, but you know who you are (!) was a bit flirty shall we say and so he and his friends ended up at our table! They were nice guys and it was just a really pleasant evening overall.

I've also been enjoying the cooking again as part of this wonderful thing that it is to feel okay! So, I've been cooking up a storm recently! Some of the things I've made recently: pasta puttanesca (so good), mushroom crust quiche with kale, tomatoes, onion, gruyere and parmesan cheese (SO good), zucchini latkes, and cabbage soup with garlic, onion, celery and carrots. I do love me a good cabbage soup.

After a pretty good snowstorm last week, it's all pretty much melted and has been rather pleasant in the temperature department, so I was able to get out on some good walks last week. Four walks! It's such a gift in the winters here when we get these moderate weather periods. So lovely.

So, next up, I'm gonna do my "homework" and do a post on the SAG awards. I never did get to see the entire broadcast, but I've seen my good share of the dresses recently. Or not dresses, as it were. Did you see the ugly jumpsuit that Julia Roberts wore? Holy mother of UGLY! You have to see it:

Sorta like a pink Gumby! 

Okay. More snarky comments to follow as I gather photos and my wits. Ciao for now.

Oh, one more thing. Here's your deep thought for today - sent to me from my most excellent friend, Hank: 

A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

Lazy Sunday and Online Dating

I realize I've been a bit of a lazy bones about actually writing something for this here blog, but I just really seem to be finding so many great videos or jokes or even that poem that I want to share!

For instance, this one of Christopher Walken dancing:

He's just so darn terrific!

Anyway, I sadly missed 99% of the SAG Awards last night and then spaced out and missed the re-broadcast, as well. Poo. I do love me some award shows. 

I did manage to see a few dresses thanks to a Facebook friend who I know via my best friend's blog, Bye Bye, Pie  - which is hilarious and great and if you haven't read it, you totally should!

Anyway, I'll see if I can find a re-rebroadcast of the SAG Awards so that I can look at dresses and do some critiquing of my own. I will say, however, that that beautiful Lupita Nyong'o looked gorgeous gorgeous again (and Emma Thompson is so funny!):

That is one gorgeous dress.

Ok. Now onto another subject. I've been man-shopping lately. I'm on a few of those online dating websites and MAN, can I just say, what a field of...umm...interesting, weird, oookie and shudder-worthy guys out there. Oy to the vey.

And a lot of times, it's not really even the guys that are so shudder-worthy, but their profiles - the things they are writing about and the (non)words they are using and the misspellings and grammatical errors and misuse or NON-use of punctuation.

For instance, if you like DINING out (as in eating in a restaurant), it's not spelled dinning. Not ever.

Now, really. If you're not even going to spend five minutes to write something correctly, how can I expect you to be a decent guy? If your life is so busy and crazy and out of control that you cannot use spellcheck on this fairly important representation of yourself, then how can I expect that you are going to spend any time paying attention to a new relationship?

And, guys. Please don't talk about being sensual and long, deep kisses and caresses and massaging me in your profile. It's CREEPY! We are ON the online dating site because we want a relationship of sorts and if I met you in person, honestly, would the first thing you say about yourself be that you are sensual and want to be intimate with a woman? No, you might save that for at least the second date, for the LOVE of PETE! 

And, also, dudes? SMILE in your pictures and at least HAVE pictures on your profile and please, only current ones! I would not consider even emailing someone who, again, is so lazy that they can't take 2 minutes to upload a picture. Or if the picture is from 1970. Really? That's just weird. 

JEEZ!

And another little bitty bit of advice? NO. MORE. SELFIES. OF. YOU. IN. YOUR. BATHROOM. 

That is just plain gross. 

And this is the final one. And this is essential. Unless it's a picture of you at the beach or on a boat or otherwise doing something summery and hot that might involve water? PUT. YOUR. SHIRT. ON.

I do not, ever, ever, ever want to see your stomach and chest and a hint of your nether-region unless we have been dating for quite some time and it's time to take it to the next...ahem...level, shall we say? 

Ok. End of rant. 

I'ma go shop for some guys now. Lord give me strength...