House Trends and Psycho Babble

After viewing a slew of open houses and houses on the parade of homes, the summer 2008 house trends according to Courtney are:

Contemporary Sinks:

I'm down with funky sinks. My first step toward having a cool sink in my house is HAVING a house..that has a bathroom..with room for a sink..other than that I'm set. I think I might get in on this market while it's hot and fanagle a hose that flows into a bronzed bucket affixed to a pedestal..but I digress.

Glass Tiles:

Glass tile backsplashes are all over the place. At around $15/sf you better like you some glass tiles, because it won't be coming cheap. These fictitious backsplashes will be installed in my fictitious bathroom. Maybe HGTV will build me a house..like a charity case kinda thing. "This poor girl has so many good ideas and she is forced into living in bland undergraduate housing, her glass tile backsplash needs are not being met... let's BUILD HER A HOUSE!"..i apologize..it's late

Aqua (ey) walls:

This color will literally make you a better person. This is only if it strikes the perfect balance between Tiffany blue and a more ocean aqua. If it falls anywhere else along this delicate balance, you will actually fall into depression. I will insist upon this color in my fictitious HGTV donated house.

Thanks HGTV!!!!

madeREALwell

Molly dear and I went to the Domain today and I had my first Madewell experience...a J Crew concept store. I about had a fit over the piles and piles of pseudo Euro inspired basics. After trying on the whole store, I got a basic comfy tee, the best fitting lightweight white hoody in existence, and a Blair Waldorf inspired headband. They only have ten locations so when I'm forced back to the tundra I'll be up a creek-no online shopping. My official campaign for said online shopping will commence ASAP-stay tuned....(I nominate Evans as a campaign manager) Thanks for shopping options Utah!!

Twinners

Whit and I were asked twice tonight if we are twins...honestly?

I am shocked that I could be mistaken for a 17 year old. I am clearly a mature 21. I can get into rated-R movies AND buy alcohol..gracious people...

MIA

Sorry I've been absent. I've been a little occupied:

That soda is diet though, I'm watching my girlish figure. I'll let you know when I can roll myself back up to Pro-rizzle.

Southbound 35

Round Rock tomorrow.....can't wait for food, family, and heat stroke!

Pa

Happy late father's day to my dad!!!

My dad is better than your dad because:
1. He has the best taste in music of anyone I know
2. He is hilarious and the life of any party
3. He was the best mayor pro-tem Round Rock ever saw
4. He literally knows everything-just ask him about trees on top of buildings
5. He has worked hard his entire life for everything he has
6. He is a great singer-with a little bribing we can get a little Randy Travis or MacArthur's Park out of him
7. He will still put on the Easter bear costume
8. He is almost as obsessed with the dogs as I am
9. He will still do anything and everything he can to embarrass me in public
10. He is selfless and we love him!

Spend your money honey

Three beauty items to consider splurging on:

Concealer:

I swear by MAC's potted concealer. It works wonders under tired eyes. Use it in small doses so you don't look like a wax figurine, and it will last you the better part of a year.

Rosebud Salve:

I, too, was a Burt's Bees girl. That is, until I discovered that my lips were ADDICTED to it. Stop using it for a few days, I dare you. Yeah, that lovely wax that moisturizes so well, also makes your lips flaky and foul if you stop using it. I ain't kiddin. I was instantly converted to Rosebud Salve. Hey, if I'm gonna spend over four dollars on chapstick, it better heal diaper rash and detergent burns too!

Eyeshadow:

The only reason to buy expensive eyeshadow is if you are A) doing something dramatic or B) using it daily. MAC's eyeshadows are highly pigmented, so the color will translate better on your eye than Maybelline's, for example. However, if you use mostly neutrals-stick with the grocery store. Also,I bought MAC carbon eyeshadow and an angled eyeliner brush when i was 16, and I just NOW bought my second carbon. No monthly eyeliner buying for me for the past 5 years..just throwin that out there.

MAC also has the Back-2-MAC program to recycle their products. Six empties=one free lipstick at a counter OR one free lipglass at a MAC store. I have definitely done my fair share in the green movement with this program alone-out of control. Not to make this post a MAC endorsement or anything-but free is FREE people!

I'm still big red

In high school, every time Ms. Reese would come out with a new movie, I would chop my hair and go blonde. Not kidding, not even a little bit.

Ahem...well the Witherspoon has almost made me do it again with this new little number...

But before every rash hair decision I have to remind myself that I am not, in fact, Reese Witherspoon, that my hair has faded to red, and that I would rather have long hair. Daily Reaffirmations...red, red, red...long, long, long.

(For heaven sake, ignore that face)

Sharp Dressed Man

In honor of the NBA finals, I've decided to shrewdly hide my feelings of the superior team under my diatribe on the goodness of a man in a blazer and jeans.

Just last week, Mr. Bryant was photographed in this get-up. This is most likely due to the fact that he is a self-important girly man, or perhaps he just likes to wear heels. Hey, no judgement here.

Strangely enough, Mr. Pierce was photographed in this get-up (minus the nice white man inside) at the same event. I do love me a man in a blazer and jeans. My, my, what class. I rest my case.

Champion Feet

I love me a good weekend sale. So do my feet.

I picked up these diddies at Payless for next to nothing....



....and these four inchers at Nordstrom shortly thereafter..I like balance. The color looks very questionable in this picture, as does the hole in the heel, but I assure you (Daniel), they are very cute.


I'm down with the gladiator trend, unless it spreads to clothing..gold helmets..loin cloths...at which point I would have to draw the line.

Save your money honey

Three beauty items that you should NOT splurge on:

Mascara:

If it ain't broke..don't fix it. And Maybelline Great Lash ain't broken. Every time I've spent more than four dollars on mascara, I have been disappointed. I know there are probably big fans of DiorShow and MAC mascara out there, but I'll save my twenty bucks to go toward something useful like twenty diet cokes from Sonic during happy hour.

Hairspray:

I was once convinced to spend an embarrassing amount of money on hairspray by an unnamed assailant. That purchase was an immediate regret and made me miss me four dollar aerosol. I was expecting gold dust to be misted on my head for the amount of money I spent. Oy vey, in conclusion, stick to the grocery store on this one.

Shaving Cream:

Don't even buy it, not kidding. Use your conditioner, it makes your legs softer than mr. satin care ever could. Of course, I'm making the assumption that you wash your hair on this one, but let's just go with it. Save your money for InStyle at the check-out.

Friday Music

I bought Marc Cohn's greatest hits a while ago and I recommend that you all do the same ASAP. It is partly nostalgic for me...dad always played a mix of marc cohn, david wilcox, steely dan, and shawn colvin among others..on sunday afternoons. "True companion" is mine..don't you dare take it..."and "lost you in the canyon" was always on repeat in our house...i can't pick favorites because every single song is great. The B & N's music offerings are usually out of control expensive...but you can get it for just over 8 bucks there... for18 songs people..come on!

Cheer up emo kids

Someone needs to get these kids a curling iron...and to steal their shared eyeliner..it ain't right.

That poor, poor child.

Get to the gym

The argument over miss carrie's eating..or noneating...habits is irrelevant in my mind, because her video for "wasted" gets me to the gym every time...keep on keepin' on carrie...eat those cheese cubes when you're about to faint though please.

Also kicking my butt to the gym these days is miss cameron...out of control that woman.P.S. you can buy a great knockoff of these jeans here...thanks rie

Maybe I can burn off some of my all you can eat Olive Garden salad and breadsticks today. Cross your fingers....

Weekly Rant

Those that facebook stalk (this naturally does not include myself) may have noticed a recent disturbing trend. In far too many cases, upon finishing a "random's" wedding pictures, the very next pictures tagged are from their prom. SERIOUSLY? You did absolutely nothing picture worthy in between your prom and your wedding? Maybe there should be some livin' in between the two...or more than a few months time, whichever comes first. I'm just sayin.....

Back me up here

I was flipping through J. Crew the other day and came across Mallory from Real World Paris modeling their entire new swim line. Unfortunately, everyone I know apparently had lives during that season (unlike myself) and won't back me up. She was my favorite though..unlike the trashy trash they have now. OH, and retro is back! See more here.

Oh Amy

Amy Grant has been a mainstay in my music library ever since the days of dancing half nekkid as a three year old to Emmanuel in the living room. (Access to this vault of Courtney home videos is strictly prohibited..for the most part). Emmanuel is now one of my ringtones and promotes many of the same moves that I busted in the past. Christmas isn't Christmas without a tender Tennessee Christmas and Breath of Heaven....I had Heart in Motion on cassette tapes..but quickly upgraded to a CD when House of Love came out... and even a tape of all of her music videos, which was on repeat in the Nielson household for the better part of five years. And then, that blessed day occurred when her House of Love tour came through Austin, and I got to experience El Shaddai in all of it's glory with Care, Cath, and Laur(yn)...or was it Kendyl?.ha. The most classic Amy story of all is when Jenny Stein and Becky were messing with me as a young impressionable youth, and asked me what my favorite music was...I naturally responded Amy Grant...and they yelled Amy Grant rocks! back at me...it took me a few years to understand their mocking tone...but, don't worry, it is still repeated by my siblings EVERY time Amy is brought up.

Things came full circle when Amy sang with little Dave Barnes on "I have and I always Will" on Chasing Mississippi. I even got him to do a little El Shaddai performance for me at a show last year. Baby Baby is on my new sweet playlist at the bottom of the page... so go listen to some classic Amy.