Recently

Listening to:

✨Chappell Roan

Yes, yes I've finally stopped living under a fucking rock. I have to give Nicole all the credit because it was back in May when she texted me "Have you heard of Chappell Roan?". I am embarrassed to admit that I had not. Then I went over to her house for a lil dinner party days later and all that was playing was Chappell. So I made a mental note (and an actual note because I can't remember shit) to follow up with her when I was ready to move on from TTPD. Sorry not sorry that TTPD had me in a chokehold for months. I couldn't listen to anything else. I TRIED and I'd get half a song in and boom I was down bad crying at the gym...yet again. But then in July I watched/listened to the music video for Casual. Nicole started it and Casual completed my transformation into a Midwest Princess. I immediately bought The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. It is a perfect album. Chef's kiss. No notes. I listened to that sucker on repeat for a month. That was until...

(I also have listened to School Nights and while it is good, it doesn't come close to Midwest Princess in production, lyricism, and musicality. Also I read on a reddit post someone called it "cursive" singing which is a perfect way to describe it. Very Billie Eilish. Very one-note. Very fine. I, too, am glad she found her own voice.)

I heard you like magic

I got a wand and a rabbit

-Red Wine Supernova

Knee deep in the passenger seat and you're eating me out

Is it casual now?

-Casual

It's comical, bridges you burn

Karma's real, hope it's your turn

-My Kink Is Karma

New crush, high school love again

The rush of slumber party kissing

I'd love if you knew you were on my mind

Constant like cicadas in the summertime

-Naked in Manhattan

I want this like a cigarette

Can we drag it out and never quit?

-Guilty Pleasure

And when you wake up next to him in the middle of the night

With your head in your hands, you're nothing more than his wife

And when you think about me, all of those years ago

You're standing face to face with "I told you so"

-Good Luck, Babe!

✨Sabrina Carpenter

I've been a Sabrina fan since her Girl Meets World days. She was easily the stand out on that show with her sharp tongue and Shawn-like tendencies. I've kept up with her here and there since the show went off the air with new music she'd release but wasn't necessarily wowed. However, I did really enjoy some of her Christmas songs. I saw her pal around with Taylor as an opener on various dates for The Eras Tour. I was always like good for you girl! I was happy to see all of her success when the world lost it over Espresso, albeit not for me. But then Please, Please, Please was released and again was hooked by the music video. Are yinz watching music videos still? You should. Because I am and it can totally change the way I feel about a song. PPP was added to my rotation immediately. It wasn't but a few weeks later that her whole ass album was released along with, you guessed it, another music video - this time for Taste. Oh I was HOOKED. Then I gave the rest of the album an ol' once over and that girl didn't miss, well except for Espresso, but I think I'm the only one who doesn't like that song. And who the fuck am I? An almost 40 year old cat lady. A nobody! So I don't even count. I just switch out Busy Woman (her bonus track) for Espresso and VOILA an A+ album. I love that it's a perfect mix of pop, 90s R&B, and country. You'd never think those three stylings would work but boy do they! Her country adjacent songs are what I was hoping to hear from Kacey's latest album - but nope. I'm still bitter over the let down Deeper Well is. Ok back to Sabrina, she also worked with some of Taylor's faves, so no wonder I dig it so much. 

Well, I have a fun idea, babe, maybe just stay inside

I know you're cravin' fresh air, but the ceiling fan is so nice

And we could live so happily if no one knows that you're with me

-Please Please Please

We were goin' right, then you took a left
Left me with a lot of shit to second-guess
Guess I'll waste another year wondering if
If that was casual, then I'm an idiot

-Sharpest Took

You're so sad there's no communication
But, baby, you put us in this situation
And I promise the mushrooms aren't changing your life

Well, you cracked the car and abandoned the wreckage
Fuck with my head like it's some kind of fetish

-Dumb & Poetic

This boy doesn't even know the difference between "there", "their", and "they are"

-Slim Pickins

You don't have to lie to girls

If they like you, they'll just lie to themselves

We love to mistake butterflies for cardiac arrest

-Lie to Girls

So much to shave and lipstick to reapply
Maybe for you, though, I could accommodate

-Busy Woman

Both of these women have unleashed their clever ass lyrics, unapologetic sexuality, and beautiful voices into the world with these two banger albums and I am so here of it. 

Ate: August's Finer Things Club meet-up was at Chuan Fu in Winter Park. It went exactly how they always do - we laughed a lot, we ate a lot, and as per usual Rob was late and ordered enough food for all of Orlando. The only difference is now he looks like he is about to start a cult. 

Read: Quite the variety as of late. 

I absolutely love Rainbow Rowell (I mean, Dustin won't let me live down the time I met her at the Orlando Public Library and nerdily said "I've read all of your books.") and was super excited when she announced Slow Dance earlier this year. She's been focusing on graphic novels and comics in recent years so it was extra exciting that a new adult fiction book was on the horizon. Of course I read it within a week of its release. It's a second chance romance, will they/won't they that flashes back to high school and college moments to understand how these two characters are in their 30s and not together. It was no my favorite of hers but still solid as hell and really enjoyable. 

Anna Tendler's Men Have Called Her Crazy is another I've been waiting months and months for. It's a modern day Girl, Interrupted of sorts; where she recounts her stay at a psychiatric hospital and in doing so looks back on the ding dong men she has encountered throughout her life. I enjoyed this book immensely as I am such a champion of mental health and it's worth a read just in that regard. However, I would be lying if I said I was super disappointed that her ex-husband (you know, the one that left her for Olivia Munn) did not get a single chapter and barely a mention at all. This huge part of her life seems pretty pivotal to the whole theme of the book. It left me wondering why she chose this. Did she sign an NDA in the divorce? Was it just too soon to really delve into? Or maybe she just didn't want to give him any more attention.

I have had Crescent City on my Kindle for at least six months. I started to read it and was overwhelmed within the first few pages so I told myself some other time. Then my co-worker started reading it at the urging of her cousin and flew through the 800+ page book and told me I better try it again. FINE. So I have. I'm about 20% in and I'm enjoying it a lot. However, the first part of the book was A LOT in different ways and then just gut punched me. So I was honestly a little annoyed. But this is the same author of the ACOTAR series ,which I loved, so I am trusting all things will come together. I mean, I still have like 600 pages to go. HA! Many of my fellow ACOTAR girlies have said they love the Crescent City series even more so. I will report back once I'm finished. 

Watched: More lovely British shows. I just can't ever get enough. Extraordinary is so clever and hilarious. It follows a 20 something woman who has yet to get her superpower in a world where just about everyone has one. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is based on the book (although I never read the book and now that I saw the show probably never will) of the same name. It's a quick (only 6 ep) mystery/thriller about a teenage girl investigating a murder of another teenage girl. 

    

And circling back to music videos, it was thanks to Sabrina Carpenter's Taste video that I finally watched Death Becomes Her. This camp classic from 1992 has always been on my radar but for some sad reason I had never had a chance to watch it. So I found it on Amazon and enjoyed it quite a lot. The casting is superb and the themes are ever so relevant as many scramble toward botox and surgeries to keep up their youthful appearance while unfortunately, a lot of the time, to their own detriment. But we all have to do what makes us feel the best and if it's drinking an ancient potion so you can battle it out with your sworn nemesis in a mansion - so be it!

 

The DeJesus Wedding

I have been looking forward to this day almost as much as the bride and groom. I remember when they were dating and I remember when they got engaged a year and a half ago and when they set a date and when she found her dress. I remember it all. It all feels like such a whirlwind. 

I could barely focus at work last Thursday morning. All I kept thinking about was it's WEDDING DAY! I left work at noon and grabbed some lunch on my way home. I ate and did some things around the house before starting to get ready. It takes me like a whole 5 minutes to do my makeup and a solid 12 for my hair. I was dressed and ready at 2pm. We weren't even going to leave until 3pm. But the thing is (the thing ALWAYS is) I rather be early than late. Dustin got ready even faster. He cleans up real nice. I haven't seen him in fancy schmancy clothes since since the last wedding we attended years ago. I love seeing him in a tie. I know he hates it but he was a good sport for this wedding. He originally was going to wear clothes he already had but at the last minute he went crazy and bought a new shirt, pants, and tie without me asking him to. Also he just so happened to match my dress with his tie. #promcouple Maybe he doesn't hate it after all. 

The wedding was in Tavares which is a good hour from our house. I was worried about traffic and tractors and potholes slowing us down so we left at 3 and got there BEFORE 4pm. I know. I KNOW. I have a problem being way too early. It's just something that's woven into every cell of my body. #sorrynotsorry

We drove by the venue and it was just a cup-de-sac with no parking lot. As we were looking for parking we saw a sneak peek of Antonia as she was out taking pictures. I almost started crying already. Dustin's like "Hold it together. We haven't even parked the car." We finally found some street parking and sat in the car for 35 min. 

The venue was even more beautiful in person. I loved that it was surrounded by water. Also the weather could not have been more perfect. It was sunny with a nice cool breeze. Just two days prior we were all melting to death and then they get married and it's perfect out. The ceremony was to start at 5pm so Dustin and I took our seats at 4:30pm and talked with some of my friends/co-workers. 

I loved the elegant double staircase with the beautiful lake views. I legit thought I was on the Titanic. It was that kind of elegance. Victor Newman style.

I really love how they asked for a technology-free ceremony. No phones out taking pictures or video. Just everyone in the moment. I turned my phone completely off so I wouldn't even have the urge to whip it out. 

The boys came out and I could just see it on Ed's face. He was just so excited. And then Antonia came down the aisle with her dad. Oh man it was intense. I held it together for awhile but when they started reading their vows that they wrote by themselves I lost my shit. Just tears flowing down my face like a damn river. I kept using the sleeve of my sweater to dab my face dry. And just like that it was done. They were Mr. and Mrs. DeJesus. 

We all went outside for cocktail hour. I tried the "mocktail" which was put apple and cinnamon goodness without alcohol! So my jam! I got Dustin a Sprite and we were content. The wait staff brought around all sorts of little goodies (flat bread pizza bites, stuffed peppers) but my favorite were the bacon wrapped tater-tots. Yeah, you read that right. Jealous? You should be because they were from another planet. I still stay awake at night day dreaming of when he (as in that tater tot) will meet again.

Once Ed and Antonia were done taking photos we moved the party upstairs for dinner. What up table 6! We had a lovely little salad to start. Every other table got bread too but not us. I kept looking longingly at the oil and butter on the table going to waste. Then I whispered to Dustin "Where is our bread?!". He rolled his eyes and kept watching his Pens game. The main course was delicious. I loved that it had two meats, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I typically hate wedding food. It's usually from some shit catering company no one has ever heard of and is bland at best. Other than our own Olive Garden catered wedding and of course the breakfast buffet served at the Fidak wedding this was my favorite wedding meal. High five guys for getting some damn good food! During the whole meal I kept talking about the bread. I could not let it go. I love me some bread. Get off my back! But seriously WHERE WAS OUR BREAD? I can't remember if it was Jessica or Casey but one of them asked the waitress for bread and she said it went to another table my accident. I was gutted. After we had finished our meal Casey noticed a basket of bread on the serving table next to us. She grabbed it and gave it to me. I ate three pieces and used that butter that Richard thought was white chocolate (still dying over that). I even made Dustin take a picture of me with this damn bread and the following day it inspired this meme made by my husband. 

We finally got to go congratulate the newlyweds as everyone was finishing up their food. They were just glowing. I couldn't get over Antonia's dress. I had seen it in pictures but they never do a dress like this justice. I loved the layering in the front. It added a little pizazz. 

I also took a stroll by the dessert table so I could not only take a peek but take some photos. Their wedding planner got closer to the table the longer I was over there. I think she was making sure I didn't grab a donut before it was time. Just taking some photos ok?! But let me just say that bundt cake was top notch. 

With everyone's bellies full the lights dimmed and the music filled the room. The party was just getting started. There were a lot of dancers on that dance floor and half of them came from Table 6. I'm not a dancer by any means. The most you'll see me do is my patented shoulder-dance mixed in with some super white-girl-mom action. It's not pretty. But I loved watching everyone else go out there and all dance in unison or as couples. It was all really fun. I legit had one of the most fun nights of 2017. My cheeks hurt from laughing so much. My eyes stung from crying. What an evening. 

Congratulations you two. You guys have something special. More than special. It's that sappy once-in-a-lifetime bullshit that other people pretend barf over. But not me. Nope I'm a hopeless romantic through and through. I love all that love shit and I love you guys.