Wild Pink Leopard and Zebra Print Bachelorette Nails!

One of my best friends is getting married in two weeks, so for her bachelorette nails, I decided to go as stereotypical as possible: neon pink with black leopard spots and zebra stripes. Full-on bridal, "girl power" insanity. Fortunately, my friend is not at all like this. We ended up doing a "Murder Mystery at the MET" Scavenger hunt as our main activity so... yeah, not quite a wild, animal print bunch, which is why I thought it'd be so fun(ny). What do you think?

Beach Ball Nails!

Here are my awesome beach ball-slash-abstract-because-they-don't-super-look-like-beach ball nails! I did these to celebrate our good friends Max & Jess' wedding! The first photo is in front of my shower curtain because it's fanciful. The second photo is where they were married - overlooking the mighty Pacific Ocean! Beautiful! Like out of a flippin' magazine!

Baby Nails for Shira & Adam & Ezra!

My friends Shira and Adam had their first baby in June. His name is Ezra and he's adorable. Moreover, he's the first baby my husband and I ever held (at least that I remember). He's too cute, so I did these polka dot, footprint, and otter nails to celebrate his arrival. Why an otter? Adam loves them and surely Ezra will, too.

Moon & Constellations Nails

I did these super cool moon and constellation nails before my friend Abbie - who works at NASA - came to NYC for a visit. Aren't they baller? Dippers Big and Little on the index and pinky nails, with Cassiopeia and Orion on the middle nails.

Blue Mountain Ranch nails!

BMR nails to celebrate our wonderful trip to Blue Mountain Ranch summer camp. Send all your kids there! Oh, and yellow part represents "A Mountain Made of Gold" for "Friendship is a mountain made of gold that cannot be bought or sold." Seriously, people, send your kids to BMR!

Watch my friend Caitlin in "The Knick"!

The other channel we got for free for a weekend was Cinemax, to promote their new show The Knick. The show is pretty grisly (early 20th century surgery, so, you know), but my friend Caitlin plays one of the nurses in the first two episodes (and has a pretty epic scene at the beginning of the second one). So if you can watch those first two episodes, you totally should! Just not while you're eating.

36 Hours in San Antonio If You're From There

My friend Shira wrote this great piece of fiction for The Hairpin, "36 Hours from San Antonio If You're From There." You should read it! It's funny/sad, like all visits to your hometown.

'The Giver' First Trailer!

My friend wrote the adaptation of the mind-blowingly-good and dystopian-future-before-it-was-cool-exploring The Giver. I'm super pumped to go see it. Now you can be, too, because the trailer is below! Bonus: Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep!

How 'Friends' Made the Greatest Romantic Pairing Ever...

... Or at least until that point in TV history. Also, spoiler alert: it's Monica and Chandler! Duh! If you thought it was Ross and Rachel, you can officially stop reading this blog because you do not know me at all (although bravo for reading 1700+ posts before finding that out!). Continuing Vulture's 1998 series, Friends writer Scott Silveri discusses how he and his (now wife) Shana Goldberg-Meehan wrote the incredible London episode wherein we discover the two totally did it, as well as how the writers approached the relationship as the complete opposite of Ross and Rachel's amped-up-all-the-time drama.

My favorite quote (re: wanting the hook-up to be a surprise):

"The only real debate was around just how we'd get Monica and Chandler there that morning, how many crumbs to drop to lead the audience and the characters to the moment, all in hopes that the fact that they ended up in bed that morning wouldn't feel unmotivated and false.” In earlier scenes at the rehearsal dinner, Chandler had tried to talk a drunk Monica out of her funk over having no boyfriend, and a drunk party guest mistaking her for Ross’ mother. "Who wouldn't want you?" he asked. Says Silveri, “[We were] basically shooting for the spot between, 'This stinks, that never would have happened!'; and, 'This stinks, I saw that coming.' More of a delighted, 'That is surprising but also very satisfying and organic. It might not stink!'"

It might not stink LIKE A FOX!

Anyway, you should read the whole thing because it's great. Then go ahead and re-watch all of the major Monica and Chandler episodes. I know you have the DVDs. Or at least got one of them off of Netflix once and then "lost" it. Enjoy!

'Friends' Quiz!

Vulture has a fun, quick Friends famous line quiz. I got 9/10 right, and I think the one I got wrong was totally reasonable, considering it was from a later season and the freeze frame has zero context clues.

Enjoy!

Comfort In, Dump Out

This is seriously the simplest, easiest, best advice I've heard when you're put into a situation where someone you know/love is going through a traumatic or painful life event. Seriously. Read it. Live it. I think most people inherently know this, but it's so much better seeing it all laid out and explained so simply. It just makes sense!

[via The Hairpin]

The Artful Bachelorette!

Want the classiest, most fun, and - dare I say - educational Bachelorette Party ever? Throw an The Artful Bachelorette! I had mine yesterday evening and had an absolute BLAST!

I love drawing and so rarely get an opportunity to do it, especially in a fun, relaxed, friend-filled environment! The addition of a super sexy male model (when in a normal figure drawing class it's usually a gross fit-flabby dude in his 60s) and the topless uber-sexy waiter who refilled our drinks (and our charcoal pencils) sent the night right over the edge of casual fun into (classy) raucousness!

The whole team was so great at making everyone feel comfortable (one of the main reasons was they seemed super comfortable with each other and the situation altogether, which really helps) and running a smooth class. I feel like my friends and I bonded in a whole new way, and really made memories that will last a lifetime!

I (like the NY Times, New York Weddings, and Time Out New York) LOVE it. Highly recommend The Artful Bachelorette for anyone's bachelorette (or fun, crazy birthday!) party!

PS. The funniest part? My fiance is the one who discovered it! Best FH ever? Yes, definitely!
PPS. The "what a weird coincidence this must be fate" moment? The fact that it's called the Artful Bachelorette and I'm Artful Stew! What a weird coincidence, it MUST BE FATE!

Apologizing, Ask Amy

Amy's advice here is heartfelt, a little heartbreaking, and utterly true. Apologizing is a difficult skill that takes humility, vulnerability, and courage to learn.



I wish someone had given me great advice on such a difficult subject in frank and honest terms like this when I was younger, but I'll gladly take it now, too!

[via Videogum]

Deer and Dog are Friends

Or: Let Those Animals Feel Their Feelings!

PBS has a new documentary called, "Animal Odd Couples" which uses the instances of cross-species friendships (i.e. ____ and Dog are Friends) to explore the complex, emotional connections animals can make. The clip below is about a dog and deer, Kate and Pip:



You can watch the full episode here.

[via HuffPo TV]

Fish and Dog are Friends!

This is the biggest gap in genetic relationship we've had so far on "___ and Dog are Friends" but, hey, friends are friends! Sasha the dog and Fishy the fish (name approximation) are breaking all kinds of boundaries over here. I recommend watching without the sound on, because the guys in the background are kind of annoying.



Cutest fish I've ever seen!

[via Neatorama]

Lamb and Dog are Friends!

Part A Million of my ongoing series about dogs being friends with other species...



Too cute!!

[via A Place to Love Dogs]

Lion and Bunny are Friends!

I really hope they place the cub with its other kind before the day comes when Simba realizes that bunnies = food and not just snuggle buddies.



In the meantime, though, they're so cute! Look at them press into each other's fur! Soft upon softer!

[via Neatorama]

Brendan Hurley, of The Colbert Report: Coolest Prop Master Ever!

Hey, I know this guy!

My friend (and one of the hardest-working people I know) just got this awesome write-up in Martha Stewart Living!

He's a wonderful, incredibly talented guy, and I'm so happy he's gotten this great recognition for all the excellent work he does.

Go, Brendan!

We'll Miss You, Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs passed away this evening after a long fight with pancreatic cancer. He was a young man who worked hard and accomplished much. His will to live was stronger than most, but even someone with immense will, talent, drive, and fortune cannot best death forever, even when it strikes too young.

Despite issues I've had with the Apple company, Steve Jobs was a man whose achievements are immeasurable, beyond innovations in computers, phones, and the way that we interact with the world, he also helped create and fund Pixar, one of the most important cultural icons of our time. He was both a profoundly scientific and creative man, a rare combination. I wish he had gotten a chance to show us more of what was in that brilliant mind of his.

He also understood the importance of giving back to the community. After his liver transplant three years ago (around the same time I had my kidney transplant), Steve fought hard to improve access to transplants among all patients in California and across the country. He knew that, as a wealthy man with the ability to move across states easily, he could register in a state where he would have better access to a transplant. He also knew that was unfair to others. Instead of simply being grateful for his good fortune, he decided to give back by asking for policy changes that would increase access to transplants for all patients, not just those wealthy and well enough to travel.

If you'd like to read more, Gawker has a round-up of heartfelt thoughts and reactions to Steve Jobs' passing.

We'll miss you, Steve. You (and I'm sure you knew this) will not be forgotten. I hope you are resting peacefully now. You deserve it.

Unemployment Greeting Cards

Wow, these unemployment cards are even sadder than being unemployed. The only good that can come of this is that someone is being employed to write these in the first place. Although, from what little experience I've had in the greeting card business, they're probably an underemployed freelancer. Where are those greeting cards, am I right?

"I'm sorry you're working two part-time jobs and still don't have enough money to pay for Pop Tarts..."

Oh, wait, there's one more good thing that can come of this: unemployment greeting card money. You lose your job. Your friends/parents/cat lady down the street each send you $20. Now you're like, "What job?" You're making bank!

[ABC news article via Gawker. Also worth it to go to the Hallmark site just to look at these cards and cry a little. They're so terrible.]