Even if you weren't a chorus geek in high school or really aren't that interested in music, it's worth checking out. My roommates and I grab some snacks and park ourselves in front of the TV each week - Tuesdays at 8 PM [Fox].
Not to spoil the episode for those of y'all who missed it, but [spoiler alert] last night's Valentine-themed show included retail store serenading, trips to the nurse's clinic, and a kiss-the-quarterback fundraising booth. Every episode will make you laugh out loud plus have you singing along to the catchy tunes.
And, in honor of the smash hit, Sephora has put together a fantastic assortment of pretty OPI nail polishes that give you an opportunity to let out your inner GLEEk, such as "Sue vs. Shue," "Miss Bossy Pants," and "Slushied."
Other sparkly colors include a teal-rific "Who Let the Dorks Out" and my personal fave, "Diva In Training," a flashy hot pink. Just another reason Sephora is the best makeup store in the world.
Well, at least for today. We're going back to the time of slap bracelets and overalls, when kids passed origami notes written with gel pens and wrote "I heart JTT" on their Lisa Frank folders. Long before the Jonas Brothers were around, we had major crushes on the Lawrence brothers, ate Dunk-a-Roos after school and spent all Friday night watching TGIF. Ready? Here we go.
Top 10 Things That Made the 90s Rad!
1. Awesome catchphrases like "da bomb," "whassup," "as if," "talk to the hand," and "psyche," were all that and a bag of chips. Let's raise the roof!
2. All the time we spent looking for Waldo & CarmenSan Diego. Do you remember desperately scanning pages of people at the fair or swimming at the beach, hoping to get a glimpse of that lanky fellow in the those black rimmed glasses and striped shirt? And what about watching Carmen's show on TV, where she jet setted around the world in her trench coat, daring kids to try and figure out her location? Both fun and frustrating at the same time.
3. Popping any Disney video in the VCR and singing along with every single word. Want to test if someone is really a 90s kid? Just invite them out to karaoke and request that they sing the following: Circle of Life, A Whole New World, Hakuna Matata, Beauty and the Beast. It's still fun to hear a cheesy Disney song from back in the day and break out into song, including hand motions ("over sideways and under on a magic carpet ride. A whole new wooorld!") Side note: Singing every single word can also be applied to the uber-catchy Fresh Prince theme song.
4. We wore our candy and ate it, too. Sugary, pastel bracelets and necklaces and ring pops were awesome! You could trade with friends and color coordinate with your butterfly hair clips. This is at least half of the reason why I developed an intense sugar tooth (and really sensitive teeth). Here's an advertising flashback to the gimmicks they used on us. And they worked.
5. The library was one of our BFFs. Long before the Kindle or Smart Phones, we had to read the old-fashioned way: by renting out huge stacks of The Babysitters Club, Goosebumps, and Sweet Valley Twins and reading them under our sheets with a flashlight when our parents thought we were sleeping. As if.
6. I racked up credit charges by playing Mall Madness, figured out who I would marry in a round of MASH, spruced up my jean jacket with my Bedazzler, whipped up a batch of inedible brownies in my Easy Bake Oven, fed and cleaned up after my Tamagotchi, and practiced my Picasso skills by painting plastic horse suncatchers. All in a 90s day's work, my friends.
7. What I (still) know about science I learned from TV. Thank you, Bill Nye the Science Guy and The Magic School Bus, for helping me successfully make it through basic level science classes and for making education entertaining. Along with the Speak and Spell, Brain Quest flashcards, and Scholastic Books. We owe you one.
8. Breakfast really was the most important meal of the day. So many cereal choices, so little time. Frosted Flakes, Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles, Rice Crispies, Cookie Crisp - the list goes on and on. If you were a cool 90s kid, you had the best cereal choices to offer your friends the morning after a sleepover. If you weren't, well, you probably didn't have too many sleepovers ... or friends. Unless you had a trampoline or big pool, in which case, you're back on cool kids list.
9. Boy bands + teen pop princesses + one hit wonders = a boombox full of awesome music. Hanson, Christina, N'Sync, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Britney, the 90s would not have been the same without you. They topped the MTV charts and their posters covered our bedroom walls. We listened to "MMMBop" on repeat on our Walkmans and swooned when hearing "I Want It That Way." And who could forget about hits like "Mambo No. 5," Ace of Base's "The Sign," "Blue (Da Ba De)," and "Ice Ice Baby."
10. TV shows were better then. C'mon - what kids these days watch can't compete with Fresh Prince, Saved By the Bell, Doug, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Boy Meets World, Recess, Full House, everything on Nick, Friends, Step by Step, All That. ABC's TGIF lineup was da bomb. The end.
True story. I am a barista-in-training by morning. And sometimes when
making drinks, like today, all of the coffee + cream doesnotquite make it into le coffee cup.
Well, actually it was lots of half + half if we're gettin' all specific. It looked more like this:
But about 8 inches higher and with more milk. Kind of like a creamy waterfall.
A surprise waterfall.
As in, SURPRISE the customer just handed you a reusable coffee cup and you thought it was empty, but wait that's not all. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what happened next. I lifted up said coffee mug to check what size it was (small or medium? I don't know, I don't know. We find out). This is due to the fact that A. I'm super duper new to being a coffee-maker and B. I wanted be sure I knew exactly how to ring it up.
I lifted the mug up and the sneaky half + half shot up into the air like fireworks on the 4th of July. If only Katy Perry had been DJing and could have played her song at that moment ... So much irony.
That's what I get for being an over-zealous coffee shop employee, I guess. A landslide of milk flooding the counter plus a sticky floor, empty cup, and an unhappy customer.
And that, my friends, is today's tip for how to spruce up your Monday.
My coworkers, snorting with laughter, helped me wipe/mop it up like the pros that they are. I will say this about Mr. Grumpy Reusable Cup - at least he tipped.
I've recently stumbled across Piperlime's newest ad campaign:
Let's get dressed!
Have you seen it? Such an interesting way to market their clothes + fashion. Basically, they're advocating that women everywhere put together outfits for day-to-day wear, over shlepping it in workout apparel or the like.
I thought it was only appropriate if I composed a short letter to the guilty items in my own closet.
So here goes:
Ahem. Dear Grey, Saggy Sweatpants,
Your services will no longer be required outside the comfort of my living room. To your friends, Mr. High School Class Shirt, and Mrs.Victoria Secret PINK PJs, take five [at the very least]. All Nike running shorts, you will only see the light of day when I'm running trails in the spring. Anything else that is old, stained, or could easily be mistaken for pajamas, you won't be going to get coffee, out shopping, or grabbing lunch. Let's refer to a musical classic to help us out here: So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye. Goodbyeee!
No hard feelings you'll get over it,
Lorin
P.S. Check out these additional snapshots for some inspiration.
Good afternoon! Hope you're having a splendid day.
Remember the show Full House? I'm totally a '90s kid so my sis & I watched it absolutely all the time. Well, Candance Cameron Bure who played DJ, the oldest of the Tanner girls, is all grown up and has just written an awesome new book about her journey to finding physical & spiritual health.
Thump thump. Thump thump. Hear that? It's the sound of these adorable sparkly clips approaching, and just in time to for V-day. Kudos to ban.do for letting us play dress-up with our shoes.
Wear your heart on your shoes. Or - say it with your hair. Ahh. Must I choose between the two?
And I have to mention the ever-lovely Diane Kruger who graced the cover of Glamour this month. Holy jumbalaya. She looks amazing. Her style is effortless but chic and eye-catching all rolled into one.
In other news: my roommates are still hilarious. Just a brief sampling of some things they've said over the past week:
"What do you mean you can't find the house? That's what you do.
That's your job. Your job consists of you driving around and finding people's
houses, for a living."
-CS to a delivery man who was over 11/2 + hours, um, "lost"
and
"No, no. You're no longer pregnant at this point. Girl, you're just holding
that baby hostage!"
-CM to our 9th mths pregnant friend who claims that by simply crossing
her legs, she will determine when her coming-any-minute baby will be born
Because He* lives,
Lorin
* "And so we know and rely on the love that God has for us."
I John 4:16
Being a bridesmaid is a wonderful, exciting experience. It's a time to reminisceon sweet + hilarious memories from the years past, gab about how adorable the future Mrs. will be with her Mr., get all dolled up, and share in the celebration of their new life together.
But for some, it's a time when the truth is revealed -
are you a bridesmaid-in-heaven ...
or a bridesmaid-zilla?
Obviously, the former is preferred by brides everywhere. Here are some important things to keep in mind as the big day approaches:
Do start hoarding $$ in a bridesmaid piggy bank, like this cute $7 one from Etsy. Set aside cash/part of each paycheck so you'll be good to go as expenses like the dress, shoes, plane ticket [for you out-of-towners], wedding gift, bachelorette party come rolling in.
If you're a LDB like me - that is, long distance bridesmaid, Don't forget to KIP! Yep, just like we wrote in our middle school yearbooks at the end of the year. It's so important to chat with the lovely bride to make sure you know A. when you're expected to be in her hometown B. how many inches your dress should be hemmed and C. which lucky cousin will be walking you down the aisle.
Do keep any and all [personal] complaints to yourself. The bride certainly does not need to hear your griping about how the yellow dress clashes with your skin tone. If you have a legit problem with something wedding-related, talk it over with the MOH. [Side note: If the bride-to-be asks y'all's opinion about something, give input! This is the time to put in your two cents]. Just a minor complaint? Write it in your diary. Or tell your mom.
Do join forces with the other 'maids. We're all on Team Bride. Make sure to email/text/Facebook the other ladies so everyone knows the details: who's throwing the bridal shower, what to bring to the bachelorette party, and what time to report to the church. You know, all the basic essentials.
Don't forget to ask what you can do. They don't call it brides-maid for nothing! Ha ha ha ... but seriously, it's all about helping the bride and groom in all pre and post wedding activities. The bride may not even have the time to ask so keep your eyes open for opportunities to pitch in. Roll up your sleeves and help fold those programs, or pick up flowers, or set up chairs, or set out the guest book. And don't forget to smile.
So Brooke Fraser, one of my fave singer/songwriters, has this beautiful song called "The Hymn." One of the verses goes a little something like this:
If I flee from greenest pastures/
Would you leave to look for me?
Forfeit glory to come after/
'Til I only dwell in Thee.
These precious words are a wonderful reflection of what King David writes in the beloved Psalm 23*, which my pastor calls the Sunny Psalms because of the overwhelming love radiating from the passage. David claims the Lord as his shepherd, knowing full well that we, like sheep, need guidance, direction, & nurturing from a loving Shepherd. Without it, we'd be absolutely lost, smack dab in the middle of our own lives, wandering with no sense of where to go and tragically lost among the other sheep.
*Check out how personalized this psalm is. Love it! Read it out loud & praise God for His enduring faithfulness:
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leadsme beside quiet waters,
he refreshesmy soul.
He guidesme along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfortme.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anointmy head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
[Psalm 23]
Want to hear something kind of awesome? God is there for us, not to necessarily make the grass any greener or the path any less bumpy, but to walk through this life with us, His sheep, through the low points, and to seek us when we stray, and bring us back into the safety of His arms.
