Mindy Kaling: On High School

I love these quotes about high school, cherry-picked from Mindy Kaling's amahzing (RIP Happy Endings! Not related to Kaling but I thought I should mention it because it still makes me sad) book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? which, admittedly, is the question I asked myself most in high school, and almost-most today. Clearly, I am much improved.

Maurice Sendak: Chicken Soup with Rest

Acclaimed author and all-around incredible person, Maurice Sendak, passed away at age 83 today. I can only assume that he's In the Night Kitchen now, dreaming and going on adventures with his dog Jennie and all his other friends who passed away before him. What a happy reunion they're having today.

Numerous blogs have covered his death with videos and tributes and quotes. Here are the links to the ones that have helped me remember this humble truth-teller today:

Maurice Sendak, Author of Splendid Nightmares, Dies at 83, NY Times

Bill Moyers: My Time with Maurice Sendak, HuffPo

Wild Things: Drawings, Quotes, and Memories from Maurice Sendak, Gawker

Remembering Maurice Sendak, ThinkProgress

'Where the Wild Things Are' Author Maurice Sendak Has Died at 83, /Film

Safe journey, Maurice. I hope there is a hot bowl of soup waiting for you when you arrive.

Artful Stew: ENGAGED!!

OMGosh the ring!! Isn't it beautiful?

Since most of my readers are my good friends, you probably already know that your very own Artful Stew got engaged last week!!!

Isn't it exciting!?

I couldn't be happier. My fiance is the most wonderful man in the world. So wonderful that he's the one who bought me my Harry Potter ebook collection the day it was released as my early birthday present! It doesn't get any better than that! We're not sure when or where the wedding will be yet, but we're thrilled that we're going to spend the rest of our lives together. Also, saying "my fiance" is a ton of fun!

He proposed at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens on the first seventy-degree day in NYC. Absolutely perfect. Here are some flower photos to show you how lovely it was:

We spent all last week eating at wonderful restaurants around the city - seven places we had never tried before - including DB Bistro Moderne (using a gift card), Eataly, Chikalicious, Locanda Verde, Buvette, Ciano, Northern Spy Co (best kale salad!), the Spotted Pig, and our favorite place to celebrate, Harry's Cafe and Steak. Unfortunately, our favorite waiter wasn't there to share the news, but we're going to email him and make sure we return on a day he's working so we can celebrate with him. After all, he's been there for most of our anniversary and birthday dinners! Plus, we got some engagement cupcakes from Magnolia, just for good measure.

Below are some fun food photos, too. Enjoy!

Delicious chicken and fancy fries at DB Bistro

Desserts from Locanda Verde

Formerly a sundae at Harry's

His burger and my salad at the Spotted Pig

OMGosh engagement cupcakes!

Need a Nap?

This interactive version of Van Gogh's "Starry Night" should put you to bed while giving you some interesting dreams.


Starry Night (interactive animation) from Petros Vrellis on Vimeo.


[via Neatorama]

Stephen Colbert's Northwestern Graduation Speech

Stephen Colbert went to Northwestern (like my sister!), and for his 25th anniversary of his (almost) graduation, he gave this very inspiring, very funny speech.

HP7:P2 Trailer Oot!!

The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 trailer is oot! (I like saying oot instead of out because Canadians are funny. They are also irrelevant to this post.) Wow. It really looks incredible. Watch it!

Badass Apple HD trailer available here. Actually, yeah just go to the Apple trailer because it's way better than my embed.

SPOILER(S) ALERT! (my thoughts, feelings, reactions)

I love all the glimpses at the Snape memories. They look off-kilter, a little disturbing, but also beautiful and nostalgic - and that's from about five frames alone!

That "Harry throwing himself and Voldy off the tower" thing seems a bit odd, but maybe it will work in context?

Love the hint at the Bellatrix vs. Molly duel!

Everybody's dying!!! I feel like they show a ton of the deaths in this trailer, but really you'd only know who/what is going on if you've read the books so it's not really that spoiler-y. (Of course me talking about it is, though, but if you didn't want spoilers you shouldn't have kept reading!)

On that note - Freeeeeeeeddddd!!

Overall the look feels nostalgic (I can't believe it's almost over!) and magical (Wands! Pretty floating things! Dragons!) like always, but also super gritty, action-packed, and dramatic to show that we're not just dealing with Harry Potter anymore - now we've got Harry F**king Potter.

And I'm ready to join the fight.

The Mountain

Ah, the perfect, relaxing end to a really fantastic week:

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Isn't April lovely?

["The Mountain" by filmmaker Terje Sorgierd, via Neatorama]

Sick People Run the World?

Is it sad that this USA Today article makes me feel like I'm not living up to my sick-person-who-survived potential? Clearly, I should have sold 1,000,007 scripts by now!

Can you have survival guilt when only you were the one who might have died?

Just saying!

Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones are BFFS!

Look at Amy and Rashida being BFF in this Elle article! The article's too short for my taste, but it does give a good glimpse of how being friends in the comedy business is awesome, and that lady comics can be (surprise!) normal, happy people with normal, happy friends having fun together and putting on one of the funniest shows on TV.

Just like me someday I hope probably maybe OK!

[I felt like posting something super happy after my tirade. Don't get me wrong, I'm sticking with my tirade, but it's too hard to just be mad at the world, you know? I've got dreams to

2010 Reflections: Love

3. This is the first year that the BF and I have lived together. It's better than I ever could have imagined, and I can't wait to have our first whole year together. We even got a new loveseat and bookcase to celebrate! I'm very much looking forward to some New Year's Day Ektorp assembly celebrations.

The fact that he gave me tickets for a romantic trip to Paris this year has me a little more excited than usual for the New Year, as well! He's the best!!

The Good Side of Life

This mini-documentary, "Alice Dancing under the Gallows" is incredible. It really made me happy, and I hope it makes you happy, too. Sometimes it all is about perspective...

I Want to Bike to There

How does this super awesome bike-desk designed by Rizki Tarisa not exist yet? You bike, you power your laptop, and you save the environment at the same time? Yes, please!

I know that, if produced, it will cost the same as the downpayment on a house, but I'm super willing to spend for that kind of awesomeness.

Readers, this is my version of iPad lust.

Happy Two Year Annivesary!

To me and my boyfriend. We did it! Hugs all around!

[This post has more tags than words!]

New Life Goal: Mayor of a Canadian City

I want to be her sixty-six years from now!



Many thanks to HowStuffWorks for finding this delightfully Canadian clip - seriously, how Canadian is it? It's got hockey, nice people, compliments on winter headgear, and even some strange Canadafied version of bowling.

For some reference, here is where Missassauga (The Mississippi of Canada... because of the S's, not because of anything else at all) is.

If Canada was slightly warmer, I'd move there right now.

Muppets: More Relevant than Ever

The Muppets - revamped for all of us crazy internet clickers!

Their new spot (the follow-up to the Bohemian Rhapsody music video) plays off of the "Fail" trend (meme?), poor internet spelling, immediate gratification, and everyone's inner pyromaniac.

The result? Pure Muppety genius. I love the Muppets so much it hurts sometimes - mainly the times when I think 'If only I went to puppetry school and could do that myself...' Then I think "do they have puppetry schools anymore?" and then I think "Probably in New Hampshire or some hippy town/state" and then I think about how cold is up there, but that there's probably a program similar at one of the UC-s or Claremont Colleges because they're all Muppet-loving hippies out there, and then I think about all of the other things I could have majored in in college and cry myself to sleep at night dreaming of all that lost potential. Then I wake up and remember I have a great job and can watch clips of the Muppets online. Also, one day I'm going to get one of the FAO Schwarz Muppets [Note to Boyfriend and/or parents: birthday present hint!] and play with it and pretend I'm on Sesame Street teaching some kids to read in a funny voice.

Anyway, enjoy the video!

State of the Union 2010

Before everybody comes over and rains on my parade with their spin and "he did too much but not enough," I'm just going to come out and say it - that was a great State of the Union address.

He discussed and elaborated on everything I wanted him to. He made proposals which I found strong. He was tough on his adversaries and his predecessor, but still found the moral high ground to admit his own setbacks. He called on the Democrats to (for Jeebus' sake) get things done (HEALTHCARE PLEASE!). He called on the Republicans to stop blocking every piece of legislation that comes through the door. He called on Congress to man up. He even knocked the Supreme Court for being corporatist d-bags. And all the while, he still talked about how he and Congress could work together to make America better for us now and for generations to come.

Because while our President may not be perfect, he's trying so hard to make things better for all of us and you just know that he will not give up until he does; that's why I admire the guy.

Well, that and because the looks exchanged between him and Michelle tonight made me blush by just how crazy in love with each other they are. They nearly beat me and my bf for Best Couple Ever (nearly!).

So just take a night, America, to lay down your critical, cynical arms, and embrace the fact that this is our guy and we can get it right just this once. Please. For me?

A Sad Day

I'm sorry I haven't been posting the past few days. We all lost a great man, though some of you may not know much about him. Here's just a little bit...

A Few Words about Henry S. Miller, Jr.

He did much more than any amount of articles could explain, but this was a nice start. He even made the front page of the Dallas Morning News.

He was a much-loved son, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and man, and he will be missed.

You Know You Want It

Everyone, deep down, wants, for just one day, to star in their very own in-life musical. Don't agree?

Just imagine you're walking down the street and someone just starts singing for you, about you, and then everyone in all the shops and offices and street cars (yes, street cars exist again suddenly!) start singing for/about you and then BAM now you're this amazing singer and dancer and everyone's happy just for you and some hot guy is singing about how he's in love with you (if only you'd notice him!) and people pick you up and toss you and catch you and it's incredible.

I'm not saying I want to be in a musical (though that would be fun, too, you know, if I was talented), I just want to live one for one glorious day (birthday present, hint...?).

It's Go Time

Last night I dreamt I was in a war zone.

It started off simply enough, I was Trudy from Mad Med and Pete the d-bag had made us buy these new contacts. So, since they were stolen from the eyes of Colombians, the Colombians came and kidnapped us from our house (Dallas house, not Mad Men NYC house) and started a war on eyes with the U.S. We escaped with our eyes, just barely, but by then I was me again, and I had met up with some U.S. rebels and we were fleeing towards who knew where. We may have been off to my old high school as refuge, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, the enemy had set off some wicked shrapnel bombs. I don't even know if these things exist, but they're bombs that, when they land, just shoot off shrapnel everywhere, and there were thousands of these things going off in the area. We tried to dodge as much as we could, but after walking for about a mile or so after the first wave, I realized I had a horrible pain in my shoulder. That's when everyone saw that I had flimsy, burning tin-foil plastered to my shoulder. At that point, they peeled it off, which felt more pleasant, but a lot wetter and sun-burny, than a Band-Aid.

While we were trying to find an appropriate bandage (I am immunosuppressed after all, can't have a giant open wound!), we were ambushed first by bees, then by the enemy, and then by British soldiers sent to help. We went with them, and then I woke up.

So, President Obama, where's my Purple Heart?

I Want More

My Life. My Dreams. My Lamp. Pixar.