I've Taken Possession...

Of my new Jetta!! yay! And yes, it looks exactly like the old one...just silver! It's going to take some getting used to having a different color car, but all in all, I love it and am excited that it's a bit zippier than the old one!

Vroom Vroom!

Kitty post

A quick hello from Butch...and a desperate plea from Sundance to get her out of jail.... jk!!

Belated Sat night post: Happy Birthday Shaina!

Shaina had a little soiree at The Well on Saturday night to celebrate her 30th birthday....And Tami had a little pre-party at her house before hand with some friends...6 people to be exact. The intention was to bring the west side people together so we could cab it to Hollywood so no one would have to worry about driving home. (Chris was not joining us as he was still driving back from being out of town with his brother and friend Patrick.)

So at the house, we all start having a drink or two...just to relax, etc. Then we decided to have a few shots...Okay okay - it was my idea but it sounded like a good idea at the time! well, I went a bit overboard and was pretty wasted by the time we arrived at the bar. After nearly tackling the birthday girl and giving her a hug, I did what any other normal drunk person would do...I went to the bar and ordered another shot. woohoo! It turned into quite the night and then I fell asleep on the couch after the cake cutting. (Speaking of that, Sage and I made another themed-cake but it didn't quite turn out how we wanted it to. It was supposed to be an old-fashioned TV but Sage said the wood-paneling for the outside would take too long so we should just do gray...well, I wasn't sure and it turns out that my uncertainty was warranted. The cake looked really weird as we were making it, but we salvaged it the best we could and it still tasted great! In the photo to the right, I think Sage is looking at me like "whoa- you're wasted.")

Sage and Jeff drove me home and delivered me to my sleeping, sober husband. But I didn't get sick or anything...I just don't remember taking some of the photos that have appeared from that night nor do I remember meeting someone I apparently am on a tracking board with for work...he emailed me Monday to say hi and how funny it was to run into each other. ?!%#%?? oops.

Anyways, Chris and I decided that the basic problem is that I enjoy the act of drinking...which is not a problem with beer or wine b/c it's easy to sip and I know how much I can handle...but when I switch over to hard alcohol...I really haven't learned that the same policy is not in effect. But ya know, I'm only 28 years old, right? riiiiight.

:) oh yeah- and I lost my credit card at the bar too. Go Tami!!

SAG awards- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Last night was the Annual SAG Awards, an affair that the actors typically say is much more fun for them than other award shows...namely b/c they're all actors and they're honoring each other. Whatever.

My favorite moment of the night was Meryl Streep winning and coming up to receive her award in black pants, her hair in a ponytail with a barrette and saying "I didn't even buy a dress!!" You know for sure that she wasn't expecting to win and that's always a fun time to watch someone be so pleased and genuinely excited.

Now for the fashion....here are some of my favorites.....One of my favorites for sure was Kate Winslet- I think for one reason, she's a curvy woman and wearing this dress to accentuate them is marvelous! show it off and give other women with some hips the courage to do so!! Though admittedly, this straight-on camera angle is not the best... (and p.s.her boobs also looked great)



Now a lot of people say that Claire Danes is a bit mannish...how can anyone think that looking at her in this number? I love her and think she is stunning!

Okay, Marissa's dress was great...but I thought she needed earrings.


I thought Emily Blunt's dress was gorgeous, but her hair was decidedly plain and didn't work with the dress....and no jewelry? why? i don't get it....






And here are some that I thought just missed the mark...Marcia Cross' dress didn't seem to go with her coloring....Teri Hatcher's seemed to be too much material for her, no?
I didn't like Eva Longoria's look at all...there's too much frilly stuff happening (there's a ton on the back you don't see here). America's dress I actually am on the fence about... What do you guys think? Jenna Fischer's dress seems to be ill-fitting and her chest is accentuated in a strange way








Angelina's dress is something I'm definitely on the fence about....it looked comfortable and actually relatively elegant when she was walking....but now seeing photos of it, kind of drab, no?

And Mickey Rourke continues to wear the most hideous tuxes out there...no big surprise

Some bad news....

So this came as a big surprise on Wednesday to us...but Hilton Hotels is moving its headquarters from Beverly Hills to the Washington D.C. area. Obviously, no, we will not be relocating, even if that is an option for Chris, which hasn't been determined yet. They don't announce which jobs will be eligible for that until February, but again it's a moot point.

Check out the story here.

Anyways, so Chris is looking for a new job as we speak, though he will still continue to work at Hilton until the move (probably not for 6 months) or until he finds something new. A lot is up in the air, so we're just putting good vibes (and resumes) out there til we figure it out.

Oscar Nominations: What's the buzz?

Let's start with the biggest award first (and I'm not going over everything...just the main categories)

BEST PICTURE
BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ** this by far has the biggest edge and is the sexy choice this year

comments: It's a real shame that Warner Bros didn't run a stronger Oscar campaign for DARK KNIGHT this year b/c it should have been nominated 100% over MILK or BB. I am not surprised that either did get the nom, considering the marketing of BB and the political climate this year for MILK. However, it's a huge disappointment that it wasn't nominated and the Academy voters should be ashamed of themselves...or at least feel stupid.

BEST ACTOR
Richard Jenkins
Frank Langella
Sean Penn*
Brad Pitt
Mickey Rourke * I think Mickey or Sean certainly have the advantage going into the voting...though the fact that Jenkins received a nom shows that a lot of people paid attention to his performance. He's an amazing actor and I think he certainly deserved this nom.

Comments: Leo gets snubbed...again. I haven't seen REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, so I cannot comment on whether he deserved it or not, but like Matt Damon, the academy is not yet willing to acknowledge/reward his performances yet.

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway
Angelina Jolie
Melissa Leo
Meryl Streep
Kate Winslet ** Kate has to be the favorite this year as she has been nominated so many times and yet is still statueless. My money is on her and I hope she wins.

Comments: The fact that Angelina got nominated really irritates me...I felt like her performance in THE CHANGELING was very "Oscar-like" but seemed very ordinary to me at the same time. Melissa Leo's nomination is very surprising and does again make you wonder if people want to honor her. Anne Hathaway could be a contender but I think she's too young and has yet to prove herself. (Hilary Swank's win could negate this thinking but that was SUCH an outstanding performance it's a different story)

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle f0r SLUMDOG ** obvious favorite in this category...though Gus is beloved in Hollywood and could be the surprise winner
Steven Daldry for THE READER
David Fincher for BB
Ron Howard for FROST
Gus Van Sant for MILK

Comments: It's a big shame that Chris Nolan didn't get nominated and I wish that the academy voters had not simply put the best picture directors up....Gus Van Sant's direction of MILK is not nearly as big an accomplishment as DARK KNIGHT - no way no how. And neither is Steven Daldry's direction compared with Nolan's....loved loved the movie but it's not as big an achievement in filmmaking as the others are.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin
Robert Downey Jr
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Heath Ledger ** the obvious favorite and sentimental vote will be for Heath.
Michael Shannon

Comments: Quite a surprise in this category...Robert Downey's nom is hilarious and nice to see that the Academy can honor a comedy like TROPIC THUNDER. Surprised that Josh Brolin got a nomination for a role that I thought was just okay. Michael Shannon is the other big news...one that makes you stop and think...if he got enough attention for a nomination, then maybe people really loved it...but in the end, I think it will be Heath.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams
Penelope Cruise * this is a tough category to predict but I'm guessing Penelope will finally get awarded a statue from the Academy for her fearless and powerful performance...
Viola Davis
Taraji P. Henson
Marisa Tomei*

Comments: Marisa Tomei is back at the big show again with a very courageous performance that could upset Penelope Cruz...but I wonder if the stodgier Academy voters won't want to reward something quite so riske.

And to end, here's a little video for people that didn't like BENJAMIN BUTTON....and I must say as time has worn on, I've grown less fond of it....and I didn't start out loving it so you can imagine where I am at now.

The Curious Case of Forrest Gump - watch more funny videos

President Obama...how sweet it is!!

All I can post is YAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Car Madness!

Well as a few know, Chris and I recently found ourselves at an interesting intersection concerning our vehicles...his is dying and needs to be replaced asap and my lease is coming to end in about 3 weeks. So yes, we needed two new cars at the same time- something no one ever tries to accomplish but that's the way it goes...lucky for us, it's a pretty good time to be a buyer in the automobile world.

Our first stop was the VW dealership b/c frankly - I looooove my Jetta and pretty much want the same thing again. The sales guy was great and very little back and forth was required to get them to come down to my asking price...we had to push a smidge but they were trying to hit a certain number of cars for their weeked and he was like- great, done!

Second stop was for Chris...which has been a bit more difficult b/c Chris wasn't entirely sure of what he wanted except that it was most likely going to be an SUV (so we'd have a bigger car for trips now and family-purposes later) and we wanted it cheap. We spent about 4 hours with the Toyota people haggling until they were so desperate to give us the car and keep us from walking out that they came down to what we said we wanted in the beginning. So Chris got a 2006 Toyota 4Runner that looks brand new and has great mileage...AND he gets to stay in the Toyota family. He loves the cars.

Libster turns one!!

Libby Rotzang, Sharon and Rich's daughter, had her first birthday party today. (Well the kids party - there's an adult version at the end of the month too. Apparently it's a big deal in Russian culture, so they do a big event for the parents and friends, etc. )

So the party was at this cute indoor gym/playhouse called "Under the Sea" and it was so cute! They had everything themed with a Mermaid (including one of the employees that dressed up as her) and a pretty cake. Check it out! Sage and I were having a lot of fun playing with Libby, especially in the bouncy house thing.



Here are some more photos of the party!

Go Red Wings!!

Yay Hockey!! I love going to see live hockey games, but have no real affliation with a team...I mean, Go Boston Bruins and all that, but in truth the NHL means little to me personally. And so that makes me the perfect date for any friend that does have a team, b/c I'm totally willing to root for them! Sage invited me to the Red Wings vs. LA Kings game last night and Detroit whooped their butts. We had great seats about 6 rows up from the ice and behind one of the goals...and it just reminded me how much easier it is to follow hockey when you are that close to the ice. On TV and from the upper suites, it's too easy to get distracted. Anyways- yeah- we got to see a ton of fights and it was fun!

I think this photos is of a fight....










And this was after a Red Wings goal...they're all huddled and hugging like guys are allowed to do in sports and stuff!

In Honor of Hump Day...

Okay I stole that line from the person that sent this link to me, but it's very appropriate.

Click here to check out a super hilarious video* by Durex, yes the condom company - super funny.

**this video may contain explicit and adult content that is inappropriate for viewers under the age of 18.... ;)

GG Wrap-Up

At the Golden Globes last night, there were really only 3 (maybe 4) big surprises in terms of wins and I must say there were only a few hideous dresses....but it was still a really fun show and it's nice to have them back this year. So to the wrap-up....

Awards first- Fashion second.

Kate Winslet - Looking gorgeous and winning BOTH awards she was up for. Virtually unheard of!! It's about time this screen goddess was awarded for all her talents and amazing performances. I thought her speeches could have been a bit better but she did seem genuinely shocked and moved, and she is just so darn likeable. (especially compared with Angelina, who looked miserable and pissed off during Kate's speech, as well as denying Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet, which is just rude)








Another surprise win was for Mickey Rourke...now although this is a big comeback story for him and a lot of people have been talking about Mickey, I think a majority of people believed Sean Penn had the award locked up (and people think the same so far for Oscar) for playing Harvey Milk. Mickey showed up in appropriately bizarre clothing and gave a nice speech - I was happy for him. THE WRESTLER is definitely worth seeing, btw.


Beating out the favored Anne Hathaway for her role in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, was Sally Hawkins - an apparently anorexic actress from England - for her performance in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, another Mike Leigh movie that didn't really play in US theaters. It was disturbing seeing how thin her arms were! EEK!

Now I wouldn't necessarily call this a big surprise for the night because it was a category I doubt a lot of people were paying much attention to, but Colin Farrell's win for IN BRUGES seemed to catch him by surprise. It's a shame that he didn't clean himself up a bit and deliver an eloquent speech considering it's been rumored he and his agents are trying to clean up his image a bit so that the majority of the public doesn't seem him as quite the dirty, bad boy that he has been in previous years...especially since it's affecting his ability to get roles.


Obviously SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was the big winner of the night with Best Picture, Best Director, Screenplay, Score, etc etc. I was sad that FROST/NIXON didn't win anything, but considering this is an international group voting AND it seems that SLUMDOG has all the momentum, I am not surprised. Besides, F/N isn't as sexy a choice either, which is understandable.
30 ROCK and Tina Fey won - yay! I just started watching this show and am really enjoying it...plus who doesn't love Tina Fey?!
For a complete list of winners, click here.

FASHION!!

The worst first....Renee Zellweger! oof - what was she thinking?!


Next up...Drew Barrymore's hair...Yikes! Plus she and Jessica Lange were acting really weird and I would normally suspect drug use, but isn't Drew totally clean now?!! Wha happened?

Other dresses that were just bad or in some cases hideous...see below...












There were certainly others that I was not a huge fan of (Evan Rachel Wood, America Ferrera and Blake Lively), and others that I was on the fence with (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz) but there were (as always!) some real stunners...here are some of my favorites...