in which we discuss emma, sunsets, and travis tritt.

Listening To: Sea King by Eisley

I am watching: last season's Project Runway (on mute). Christian Siriano had one of my favorite runway shows ever. Fierce.

Greetings cute blog readers. I had a great idea for today's post that literally went up in smoke, so I'll toss out some other topics instead.

Emma in Winter

Regency era, here we come! :) There were a few people up for reading Emma and I'm way excited. :) I'm going to go ahead and nab my copy soon so I can start reading. After I see how long the book is, and figure out how to break it, I'll set the first day for our awesomely-non-lecture-like-discussion. Let's put off talking about the first part until the first or second week of January? That way you can find a copy of the book once your finals are over and you can take your time reading the first bit. Like I said, I'll let you know specifics when I figure out how to break up the book (doesn't it have parts? No?). For those of you who've read it before, or already have the book, let me know your ideas for good stopping points (and whether you want to talk about it one day a week, one day every two weeks or whatever).

Designer Leopard Print

Have you seen the commercial for the designer snuggie? Did it make you smile as big as it made me smile? Of course the word "designer" is synonymous with "leopard print." I don't know about you, but when I think luxe, I think leopard. Pleather. Crushed velvet. The commercial is linked above, just in case you missed it. I also saw a commercial for this giant cupcake mold that makes me smile but I can't find the commercial online.

Grey's Anatomy reminds me of a Travis Tritt video.

Perhaps you didn't listen to country music in the 90's, so allow me to elaborate: Travis Tritt was (is?) a country music singer with several hit songs. One song was called "Anymore." The main lyric: "I'm tired of pretending I don't love you anymore." I think the song is kind of pretty but the video ... how do I describe the video?

I should pause here to tell you sometimes my heart is a big lump of ash. You might find the video sweet and, if you do, this is a good sign that you actually have a heart. One of my least favorite songs ever is the song "Christmas Shoes" by Newsong, and some people cry every time they hear it. I don't know what my problem is.

So. In the video, Tritt plays a war vet who has lost his legs in battle. His best friend is also a vet ... and I don't remember if he lost any body parts. No matter. He didn't want his wife to see him because he thought she wouldn't love him anymore. But Tritt's wife comes back to find him. They fall in love again. The end, yes? No. He did another song after that (don't remember the name) which continued the saga. This time, the wife is pregnant. She slips and falls on the boat dock, hitting her head, falling into the water. Tritt can't swim because of his leg(s?) so he's pulling himself along the boat dock trying to get to his wife, who is drowning. His best friend, Mac (why do I remember that?), has to jump in but it's too late. The wife dies. Tritt is left holding the baby.

And I know it should all make me sad but it's so soap opera over the top dramatic, it causes an adverse reaction. I don't watch Grey's anymore for the same reason. The plots in the commercials seem so over the top they're almost funny to me. Like tonight, I was watching Flashforward (which is losing momentum). The commercial for Grey's came on. All this dramatic foreboding music and then "IZZY'S BACK." And this is after Izzy died right? And that's after she made out with the ghost of her former boyfriend? And this is on a show where they routinely do surgeries on people who have four heads and an extra appendix and so on. I can't do it. I like my drama more subtle. It makes me sad because I thought the show had such smart writing during the first two seasons. (Callie was my favorite character. My friends tell me Callie is still bringing the snark, so that's a plus.) Still, when I try to watch Grey's, it reminds me of a Travis Tritt video.

(Oh my word there is a third video in the Travis Tritt Saga.)

Sometimes my dog sleeps on her back and it's so cute. My cousin, Michelle, thinks Biscuit looks like the bear on the Snuggle commercials.

I wanted to write about cookies.

Yesterday I was planning a Christmas party I'm so excited about*, which put me in a cookie baking mood. I thought it would be fun to share one of my most favorite cookie recipes on here. I documented the journey from my house to the store and everything. Then I put the cookies in the oven and smoke poured forth from that contraption like sea billows roll. It was like I had a tiny volcano in my kitchen. Or like the scene in Home Alone when Kevin finally goes to the basement and the furnace laughs at him. Remember? Anyway. I had to yank the cookies out and turn on the fans and open doors so the alarm didn't go off. Which made me mad, and zapped my cookie mood.

So I'm saving the cookie recipe for next week :) I'm glad too because, whilst fanning smoke away from the smoke detector with the latest issue of Vanity Fair, I had an epiphany. I thought you might be up for sharing your favorite cookie recipe too? Or just a recipe for something you like baking around the holidays?

So think about your most delicious baked treat. I'll wait to post my recipe next week and then, if you feel so inclined, you can include your cookie reicpe in the comments. I think it will be fun :)

BUT PLEASE NOTE: I am not so much Betty Crocker as Betty Crap-at-Cooking. I don't like to cook and I'm awful at it. I would rather listen to Tardy for the Party on repeat than cook. Baking is a little bit different, but just barely. You are loved and welcome on this blog regardless of your culinary prowess. Whether you're an incredible cook or just bought an apron b/c you thought it would look cute hanging in your kitchen *raises hand* you are welcome here. If your favorite cookie recipe is, "Peel the paper off the Oreo container. Consume." that's awesome. In fact, it probably means we're destined to be friends.

I am a little bit obsessed with sunsets.

I don't think they ever look the same, which is partially why I take so many pictures of them :) This one is my recent favorite. I wish every ending could be as pretty as a sunset.

How's your week going? Do you have a favorite commercial? Do you own a leopard print snuggie?

* Even though I'm fairly shy, and tend to avoid big groups of people, I love planning events. Especially parties. It is a mystery even to me.