I am such a girl

So I'm watching t.v. this morning and I see this commercial for PetSmart Puppy Center. It's a couple with a bulldog who bring home a new bulldog puppy and introduce her to their dog as "her new sister". The older dog kind of looks at the puppy and cocks her head. Then she pushes the toy she was playing with over to the puppy. I swear to you my heart just clenched. And I'm not even a dog person!

Oh to Elle with it

So I'm in the bookstore looking for something to read and I hit upon Elle magazine. The cover screams "Fall Fashion: What's Chic Now 150+ Wearable Ideas". So I'm thinking great, I'll get some ideas of what to add to my wardrobe this season, but there's a catch. Turns out on almost every page under many items are the words, "price upon request". Um, what?! No price tag? This can mean only one thing. I can't afford it. If you're going to go to the trouble of publishing a fashion magazine perhaps you'd like to fill it with things people can actually afford to buy.

Lost weekend

I know, I know I've been missing all weekend. I've been hard at work on designing a new website. Check back soon for more info on that. In the meantime let's catch up on what's happening out in the world:

- Debbie Harry channels an angry Hillary Clinton, maybe it's the (ugh) injections?
- Fat Britney pole dances...seriously drop the Cheetos and no one gets hurt
- Paris Hilton joins the cast of a musical. Note to self: You CAN'T SING!
- Lindsay Lohan's movie blows
- Usher dumped at the altar

Oh and I saw No Reservations this weekend with Aaron Eckhart and Catherine Zeta Jones. Abigail Breslin will make you cry and cry. Even the Fashion Guy loved it. I highly recommend it!

Who do you dress for?

It's an argument as old as the chicken or the egg. Who do women dress for? Men? Each other? Themselves? Many will claim to dress for themselves. Well I say you may pick the colors because you like them, but you pick the shapes to enhance your good features and attract attention. Any kind of attention.

I was delighted this morning to receive my WhoWhatWearDaily.com e-mail wherein a random guy is corralled and asked to discuss 4 women's outfits. I give him major snaps for honesty.

"Do I wanna have sex with these girls?” The answer? Yes. All of them."

He then goes on to admit that he has no idea what is in or out of style. I know I've always wondered what guys thought of our outfits, with the help of this feature I'm beginning to understand.

Is Will Smith drinking the Kool-Aid?

SF Chronicle reported yesterday that Will Smith shared some life wisdom he gathered at Tom Cruise's knee. During the Beckham's welcome shindig Will told the crowd that "Tom said to me the most important decision you'll ever make in your life is the groups you choose to be a part of." Since Scientology head David Miscavige appeared to be using the occasion to size up the room for new recruits, I'm asking myself is Will Smith drinking the Kool-Aid?

Jail house rock

Seems our little fugitive from justice, Lindsay Lohan, has run afoul of the law again. Last night she was booked for speeding in Santa Monica. She was also charged with DUI and possession. Bloggers are reporting that LaLohan had a pocketful of cocaine which was discovered at the police station. I guess this time it really wasn't Samantha Ronson's.

All I can say is I knew that alcohol monitoring device on her leg was a fake. The report says that her blood alcohol level was .12 or .13, and that it was the speeding and not the bracelet that got her in dutch with the cops. She was even driving on a suspended license (have you learned nothing from Paris?!)

I'm wondering if Calum Best who dumped Lindsay for being "boring after rehab" will be giving a reunion a second thought. This girl is still Party Central.

OF NOTE: Lindsay's attorney has released a statement this morning that she has relapsed, but is now under medical care.

Starbucks is psyching you out

It was reported today that Starbucks, the worlds largest specialty coffee company is raising prices. Each cup of coffee or iced drink will now cost you 9 cents more starting July 31st. Not 10 cents more. Oh no, you would notice that. They are only raising it a measly 9 cents. It's the same psychology that prices things $19.99, not $20.00. Now I understand that gas is expensive, making milk more expensive. However, raising the price of your morning latte by 3% seems a little harsh from a company that posted an 18% profit in the second quarter.

Maybe it's time to listen to all those financial advisors and start brewing your own cuppa java at home.

Pizzeria Delfina

I had a chance this evening to have dinner at the Pizzeria Delfina. This sister restaurant to Delfina opened to wide acclaim in summer 2005 and has had long lines out front ever since. I've been curious to try the place, but they don't take reservations so you either have to be very patient or luck into a table. I was the latter. Got lucky and found an open table on the sidewalk outside. As it was a gorgeous day, I was pretty happy.

I ordered the white corn appetizer. Sweet corn bathed in butter and pepper. It was one cob chopped into 4 pieces. Delicious subtle flavor. For my pizza I chose margherita. The blistered crust tasted of cornmeal or saltines. The pizza itself was pretty flavorless. That stuck me as odd since it had buffalo mozzarella melted on top and looked to have been drizzled with olive oil. While I enjoyed the atmosphere, I'm not sure I'd head back for the pizza.

It's Friday - must be happy hour!

They're forecasting a hot, sunny weekend here in San Francisco. I thought that called for a summer cooler. Here's my latest pink drink:

Pink Lemonade

1 jigger Level Vodka
2 jiggers Odwalla pomegranate lemonade
1 jigger tonic or seltzer water

stir in some ice, pour into a highball and garnish with a spring of fresh mint or drop in a paper umbrella and enjoy!

What I'm loving for Fall

Seems the retail world has decided that summer is over. Fall fashions are beginning to appear. Here are my thoughts...

I love

- origami folded clothes: Chaiken dresses, pleated skirt fronts and white blouses
- plaid fitted dresses, very film noir
- longer length pencil skirts, for that naughty, haughty vibe
- a beautiful clutch, like this Stuart Weitzman Optic
- Monroe bag by Zambos & Siega
- elegant belted cocktail dresses
- large gold hoop earrings

I hate

- jersey dresses, especially the metallic ones
- open toed lace-up shoes
- colored jeans, 80's flashback!
- anything prep school, too Harry Potter

Lindsay LoJack

I try not to give into schadenfreude too often, but hearing that Lindsay Lohan is out of rehab and back on the party circuit I've just got too. Seems her first stop after leaving rehab was, you guessed it, Pure nightclub in Las Vegas. Now for those worried fans out there, I want to reassure you that she was wearing an alcohol monitoring bracelet. According to Dlisted.com it was working out pretty good, right up until she started asking around where she could score some ecstasy. Yup, our little Lindsay hasn't changed a bit. I'm wondering if there might be a better solution in a nose ring that detects cocaine or perhaps a full face mask ala Hannibal Lechter.

When she was young she seemed like a sweet kid, funny and talented. This downward spiral is getting hard to watch. Somebody please help this girl!

Sudachi

Polk Village has been going thorough more gentrification and recently spawned a new sushi restaurant. Sudachi (Japanese for lime) moved in next to the Galaxy and after a quick peek at the menu I hit it with my girlfriends for happy hour.

We indulged in shochu cocktails and loads of raw fish. I had a plum ginger mojito which was much less sweet and much more refreshing than you would think. We ordered the potato croquettes to start and then a salad of baby greens. We also tried several of the nigiri, and even had a "meat" sushi with filet mignon on top. I'm not a big seafood lover, so I was grateful to find the salad and something on the menu for carnivores. The dishes are small, but deceiving. They will definitely fill you up. Happy hour lasts nightly until 7 p.m. and they always have a featured cocktail. The night we were there it was the Tokyo Rose.

The chef stopped by our table with his own quirky amuse bouche, boiled peanuts. He seemed to really take pride in his food. Our waiter was a bit stressed and a couple of times mistook our requests, but we worked it all out in the end. Grace, the hostess, is a delightful woman who takes extra care to see that you're enjoying your meal. She even hugged us all on the way out. That's not something that happens every day!

Monday Monday

Have you ever just had one of those days? I sure did today. I woke, had my coffee and stubbed my toe. Went into the bathroom to discover that my shower rod had imploded, no shower. Bad hair day, understatement of the year. Looked out my window to see a woman letting her young son pee on my tree, seriously.

Oh, and my computer has brain-freeze. I know my posting has been sporadic the past couple of days. Here's why. Last weekend I updated my computer software and guess what, it now locks up my computer every time I've been online for more than 10 minutes. I know there are people working on the problem, but when you're as attached to your computer as I am (e-mail addict, blogger, businesswoman) you need it to work!

To combat all this awfulness I did what anyone would do. I baked orange cranberry scones for breakfast tomorrow. All I can say is I hope that tomorrow is a better day. Sigh...

Yippi-kay-ay!

Now I'm guessing that most of you saw Live Free Die Hard over the 4th of July weekend. I know it's been out for a while, but I'm just getting around to seeing it. I still have bad memories from Die Hard 3, so I wasn't sure if this one would please me or just make me despair. I'm glad to say I enjoyed it. In fact, I'd suggest that they retitle it Die Hard: The Apology as it almost makes up for 3. Almost

To start with they've brought on Timothy Olyphant as the villain, love him. In this movie he's an evil computer genius out to bring down the U.S. government by crashing all computer networks. You guessed it, this is actually a very complex bank robbery. I guess the writers figure don't mess with the tried and true. John McClane even says at one point, "It's always about the money". Die Hard's formula is still the same, the little guy saving the day. Here it's analog vs. digital. John McClane is old school, so the trick is to see what he can do without using computers. The stunt with the helicopter and the fire hydrant is not to be believed.

The movie also has a great cameo by Kevin Smith. He plays the Warlock, a dorky computer geek who refers to his Mom's basement as "command central". I also think the guy from District B13 is in here doing those amazingly acrobatic stunts that Hollywood is currently so enamored of. The rest of the time it's just crash things, dodge things, blow shit up. You gotta love it!

License to wed

You've heard about skydiving weddings, adventure weddings, even underwater weddings. Everyone's trying to one up each other with their clever connubial plans. Hell, even I once flew to Vegas and was married by Elvis.

Well, in Portland at Voodoo Donuts you can order up a minister and breakfast for you and 10 friends. Found The One at the bar the night before? Well for a mere $175 the fine folks at Voodoo will legally bind you to your beloved and shower you in fair trade coffee and carbs. Sounds like a hoot!

Fear schmear

Gnightgirl over at This Just In had a great post up today. It shows her having a 4-wheel adventure and asks her readers

What's on your list of yet-unconquered fears and/or dreams, big or small?

It's an interesting question. When I turned 27 I dared myself to start doing one thing a year I was afraid of. That led to a couple of tattoos, learning to ride a motorcycle and bungee jumping off a bridge in Nanaimo, British Columbia. You could hear me scream all the way back in the States on that last one.

Anyway, I think that pushing yourself gives you not just a thrill, but a level of confidence it's hard to find any other way. What have you done that conquered your fear?

Lust items

I received my Crate & Barrel catalog in the mail today and found an entire page full of Fall lust items. First an adorable Marimekko umbrella with a black and white pattern like puddles after the rain. Add to it the Palazzo black and white patent leather tote worn with a funky raincoat and some bright colored wellies, and you're a perfect Girl About Town for Fall.

Ana Mandara

Sometimes to really discover your City you have to look through someone else's eyes. I had friends in town recently who invited us to dinner. They suggested a restaurant I'd never heard of, a Vietnamese place in Ghiradelli Square called Ana Mandara. Now being San Franciscan and somewhat jaded, I thought how good could it be?

We started with cocktails in the upstairs bar. To my delight I discovered a small outdoor terrace up there where you could sip your libations when the weather is nice. The bartender was attentive and skilled with the drinks. I had a buddha's hand cosmopolitan which was the perfect contrast of sweet and sour. Dinner started with a small salad of organic baby greens and ginger vinagrette. All the entrees have names and my salad was called, "Asleep in the petals". It was followed by the "Storm clouds brewing", rare roasted duck with daikon cake and baby bok choy sauce. It was so delicious I literally cleaned that plate. The sauce was salty and a bit spicy. Absolutely one of the best things I've ever tasted.

I'd highly recommend the restaurant to anyone looking for a good meal in San Francisco. The staff is friendly, the room has a view of the Bay and is beautifully appointed, and the food is terrific. Just be aware that they say dress is "casual", but I'd argue it's say it's more semi-casual. You won't look right in jeans, I know, that's what I wore! Bon appetit.

Love is in the air

I saw my first blogger proposal this weekend. Dlisted.com published a lovely proposal from Chris to Amy on his site on 7/7/07. Now I'm not Amy, but I'm telling her girl you need to say "YES!!!"

I don't know if you've been paying attention, but People magazine online has been doing a feature for a while about real people's weddings and proposals. I'd nominate this one. Having proposed to Fashion Guy myself, I'm rooting for you Chris!

What do you think his Purpleness smells like?

Today is 7/7/07. A propitious day, Eva Longoria is getting married (as are about a million other couples), babies are being born, and Prince, my hometown rock star, is launching his first perfume today. Our friends at SocialiteLife.com posted the story yesterday about 3121, a perfume designed by Prince to help 7 charities raise money. He's holding an online auction today, and a concert tonight to debut his fragrance collection and donating 7% of all sales to the 7 worthy organizations.

I love that this scent is born out of a sense of philanthropy. However, I find myself asking, what does it smell like? Well according to the Revelations press release it's:

a white floral scent that opens with a refreshing sparkle of crisp bergamot, opulent jasmine and gardenia. Orange flower and muguet sensually intertwine with tuberose and ylang ylang, creating a subtle, mysterious blend; evolving into notes of patchouli and creamy sandalwood. Precious cedarwood and luxurious musks complement this sexy scent with an almost surreal draw that tugs at all senses for total captivation.

Total captivation you say? I'm in!

Let your Mac Book travel in style

With a GYMSPacific laptop sleeve. Cheeky designs include the Sukie series. A motel, a liquor store and a peanut factory rendered with cartoony delight. Eye candy for the hipster Mac owner. Personally I'm partial to the poppy series. Their bright colors are just the thing for toting your computer on the plane, to the park or just into your local Starbucks.

Even better, E-bags.com is offering $10 off your $35 order. Check it out!

I'm sorry, what?

Lindsay Lohan, the H. Ross Perot of rehab ("I'm in, I'm out, I'm in...") has been hitting the Malibu beach this week celebrating both her 21st birthday and that of our Country. She's apparently renting Courtney Cox's house to throw her parties. Um, what? Why would Courtney Cox give Lindsay Lohan the run of her Malibu abode? It's not like she needs the money and you know you're going to have to have everything steam cleaned after LiLo and White Oprah depart, so what gives? And another thing, if the paparazzi know where to find Lindsay, how come they get so few pictures of Courtney and her family? Hmmm...

Happy 4th of July!

While I sit here typing fireworks are going off over head. It's the first clear 4th of July in San Francisco in a couple of years, so great viewing. I don't know what it is about Americans that we find blowing things up patriotic, but I love it.

What not to put on your iPod for tomorrow's BBQ

I came across this hilarious post today over at I'm Not Obsessed today. The Top 10 worst songs of all time according to Rolling Stone readers are:

1. The Black Eyed Peas - My Humps
2. Los Del Rio - Macarena
3. Baha Men - Who Let The Dogs Out
4. Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
5. Nickelback - Photograph
6. Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5
7. James Blunt - You’re Beautiful
8. The Spice Girls - Wannabe
9. Sisqo - The Thong Song
10. Cher - Believe

I would definitely move that Celine Dion song to #1 and add Michael Jackson's Beat It. You should stop by InO just to see the Fergie vs. Alanis version of My Humps.

Those lazy, hazy, CRAZY days of summer

I grew up in Minnesota, so I have fond memories of the State Fair. Where I come from it is an annual tradition to carve Princess Kay of the Milky Way into a large block of butter. Yup, I'm not kidding. In the Land O' Lakes it was every little girl's dream to be immortalized in butter. So when I saw this USA Today article on the Wisconsin man who carved Mount Rushmore from a 700 pound block of cheddar I just had to smile. This must be a Midwestern thing. The article says that Cheez-Its commissioned the piece and is sending it on a tour of the United States. It will end it's tour in Oklahoma where it will be cubed and a fed to people as a snack. You've just gotta love edible art!

Money quote of the day

From our brilliant friends at Jossip.com

Free at last, Paris confesses to Larry King that getting strip-searched was the most “humiliating experience of her life.” Clearly, she’s forgotten about the sex tape scandal, the leaked Valtrex prescriptions, and sleeping with Jack Osbourne.

~ Intern Joseph