Prince Harry Coming to NY (Dlisted Style)

Dlisted posted a laughed-so-much-my-stomach-hurt write-up about Prince Harry (Prince Hot Ginge). Oh man, I could get busted for web surfing/blog posting during work, but this stuff must be shared.

Pull out your fire extinguishers and aim it my no-no, because I think it's about to explode. Prince Hot Ginge is cumming on the nape of my neck. Sorry, I'm jumping the ginge. Prince Hot Ginge is coming to AMERICA! Not only America, but New York City! We will be breathing the same air! Does that mean if I stuck my tongue into the NYC air and wriggle it around a bit, it will be like making out Hot Ginge?

The city should be put on high alert now, because a crazed ginge-hongray homo will be running through the streets dry humping anything with a fiery top hoping it's Hot Ginge. That's right. Keep your Pomeranian locked up. I can't be held responsible for my actions.

Prince Hot Ginge will be visiting NYC on official business! On May 30th, he will take part in The Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic on Governors Island. The proceeds from the match will go to Hot Ginge's charity for African orphans.

A polo match? That involves horsies, right? QUICK! We don't have much time. Print out one of Sarah Jessica Parker's headshots, cut out the eyes (this is important) and make it into a little mask. Then get me 2 pairs of these shoes. I already have the saddle (DON'T JUDGE). Then I'll have to find a way to slip Prince Hot Ginge's horse a GHB-laced sugar cube. When his horse passes out, I'll be standing there batting my lashes like I'm ready to ride!

Goodbye April

Looks like April showers will be carrying over into May, but that's ok I guess. As long as they don't stay for too long. In April, I went home for a week, got paid 3 times, celebrated my bf's bday, and enjoyed some very hot days. A pretty good month I would say!

(Image via sk8ordiehard)

Dumb-Dumb of the Week: Swine Flu

The dummy taking over the news this week is the Swine Flu pandemic spreading across the world. I've had every family member contact me to tell me to wash my hands and watch out for sick people. I won't lie, there was a man coughing in the subway and I was thinking about reporting him to the CDC, but then I was at my stop and decided to let him go free. Ok, not really, but I was a bit nervous. Isn't it crazy what the media can do? I'm not saying that this flu should be played down, but as long as people are cautious, seek medical assistance when needed, and stay away from the general public if they're sick...I believe we will all be fine.

A little song I conjured up for my non-friend the Swine Flu...
Shoo flu don't bother me, Shoo flu don't bother me, Shoo flu don't bother me, because I want to be healthy!

(Image via MedIll)

Heading to DC

One of my bestest friends, Susie B, lives in DC and I am going to make a trip this weekend to see her. Susie and I have been wonderful friends since high school, and I would be crazy homesick without her on the East Coast with me. Although it is not often, it's always refreshing and comforting to see her. See you tomorrow Sus!

(Image via erraticflow)

Atanas' Book Club

My friend Atanas is in a local book club with his friends where one of them chooses a book for the month, they all read it, and then they get together for food, drinks, and discussion of the book. There are some books he loathes and some he loves. After he reads the good ones, he passes them to me to read (this way I have a review of the book before I put time into reading it). I will say that he has yet to disappoint me.

Here are the books he has passed me thus far:
- Belle De Jour by Joseph Kessel
- Thinking Straight by Robin Reardon
- Middlesex by JefferyEugenides
- She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

Flower Hat

You guys know I like to dress up my pups....now what do you think of this flower head-thingy? I mean, that dog in the picture looks exactly like Sammy-dumplings. Ok, I'm kidding. I wouldn't put that on Sammy...or would I?

(Image via hatz4bratz)

Chicago Bound

I booked a trip to Chicago on a whim yesterday afternoon. I'm always checking flights to Chicago because 90% of my friends live there (many of whom I have not seen since graduation), and they're always pricey. However, this time I found a flight June 12-14 for $217 (tax included). I booked that baby as soon as my friends said "yes". Since most of my sorority sisters reside in Chicago, I will have the chance to see many of them. I cannot cannot cannot wait!

(Image via dm74)

A Sea of People

When the sun comes out and the heat is on, 20-something New Yorkers all head to Sheep's Meadow in Central Park to catch some rays, sneakily drink some wine, toss a few frisbees, and enjoy good company. My friends and I were no exception to these events on Saturday, and what a lovely time it was.

Where Did You Come From Little Guy?

This will be my 3rd summer in NY and I'm thinking, "Where did the time go?" I moved in June of 2007, and within the first day, I noticed a little plant growing from the cement/brick wall of the patio at my old apartment in L.E.S. That little plant grew some leaves, got bigger, and became a tree! Well, that little guy is still there and still growing (at least I think it survived the winter....Courtney, Kat is it still there?) Nonetheless, it was such a great sight to see. Our own little piece of nature growing right out of the wall. I just hope we have him for yet another summer.

(Above photo taken last summer.)

Songs I Love: New Slang

"This song is like when a good mood makes a bed inside of your ear." - YouTube user kmkfiction2 commenting on New Slang by The Shins.

Now this is not a new song to me, it's actually one of my favorite songs of all-time (all 24 years of my life so far, that is). I first heard it when watching Garden State (I love love love this movie). When Natalie Portman's character said, "you've gotta hear this one song, it'll change your life I swear", I was thinking JUST that...all within a few seconds of hearing the song. Actually, if I had a soundtrack to my life, I think it would sound a lot like Garden State. Listening to it makes me want to sit back, relax, and take a deep breath.

A few more songs I adore from Garden State:
Caring is Creepy - The Shins
Coldplay - Don't Panic
Frou Frou - Let Go
Simon and Garfunkel - Only Living Boy in New York
One of These Things - Nick Drake
Iron and Wine - Such Great Heights

Yard Sale Chic: Hammer Time

I bought this pair of 90s harem pants from Salvation Army for a lovely $2.00. So fun and so comfy. I love it!

Little 500

(Above: Just one dirty pool in the lawn of a frat house, with my friends happily swimming in the brown water.)
(Above: No biggie, just a duck and frog mowing the lawn and playing golf)
(Above: A photo from freshman year with my lovely Alpha Chi's on our first Little 500)

Little 500... "World's Best College Weekend".

This weekend is yet another year of the infamous men's and women's bike races deemed "The World's Best College Weekend" and is known as Little 500. To those of us who did not dedicate an entire year of intense training and hard work with the goal of winning the title; we drank and partied all week long. This is no joke people. Starting the Sunday before the race (which is always the following Saturday) we drank morning, noon, and night. If we even went to class that week, we went drunk or with intentions of drinking right after. There were large concerts in the lawns of frat houses, slip n slides at dorms, skipping class and having cookouts in the middle of the day, Swamp Water (Pi Kapps!!), themed parties, happy hours.....oh the memories.

I'm glad that I can look back at those 4 wonderful years at IU and say that I had a hell of a good time.

Dumb-Dumb of the Week: President of Iran

Diplomats have walked out of a UN anti-racism conference during a speech by the Iranian president in which he described Israel as "totally racist".

The above is an excerpt from an online article on BBC News which describes the most recent absurdness from Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mr. Ahmadinejad was being the cocky, irrational, a-hole he normally is, when he decided to berate Israel over their relationship with Palestine at a recent UN conference. This conference was supposed to be a step towards peace and equality, but this speech proved that Iran (or at least their leadership) is not ready to stop the hatred.

All I want to say is, "Mr. Ahmadinejad....you are a barbaric IIIDIOT!"

Sunday Funday - Brooklyn Style

My lovely friends, Courtney and Megan, and I had a lovely Sunday in Park Slope this past Sunday. We went for lunch at Barrio (yummy!) then stopped at the local flea market to check out some treasures. I debated picking up some artwork, but I decided to forgo the art. Next stop, was Sweet Melissa where I indulged in a passion fruit tartlet (my fav!) Then our final stop was the grocery to get stuff to make a lovely vegetarian dinner. The weather turned out to be pretty nice despite the forecast, which only lead to a better day.

Our Menu:

APPS:
- Vegetable summer rolls (cucumber, red pepper, cilantro, pickled radish) with peanut sauce

ENTREE:
- Sweet potato/coconut polenta with sauteed veggies (broccoli, sugar snap peas, shitake mushrooms)

(Above photo: Vegetarian enchilada and rice from Barrio....soooo good!)

Greens

My parents have always made sure I ate my greens, and I thank them for that. Being at home, I actually realized how much and how often I eat green veggies/herbs. Looks like rabbit food, but tastes delicious!

Above photo features mint leaves, thai basil, green onions, and some salad greens.

Songs I Love: Tuesday Afternoon

I love a song that moves me. You know, when you get a wave of emotions just by hearing the song. My song of choice right now is an old song turned new again thanks to a recent Visa commercial... Tuesday Afternoon by Moody Blues.

(Image via wpm)

Weardrobe

A former co-worker lead me to Weardrobe.com, via her awesome fashion blog What I Wore. Weardrobe is a sort of networking site for fashion (Who's Wearing What). Basically, Weardrobers post photos of their own outfits online, tag their clothing items, write descriptions on what lead them to this outfit (or whatever else they want to say), and you can friend others and comment on their outfits. It also functions as a virtual closet where you can see which clothing items you have worn with what outfits. To make it even better, there are weekly contests where you can win store gift cards. It is a VERY cool site, and I am already addicted.

You can find me under my username Nam Phuong (my Vietnamese name).

Happy Friday!

I wasn't even at work Monday and this week was STILL slow as molasses. I'm just glad that it's Friday and the sun is shining. Oh happy day!

(Image via Emily Sutherland)

My Dog Wears Sunglasses at Night (Part Deux)

I can't help it!

"Let's Go To The Movies!"

One thing that I do not do enough of, but wish I could do more often is watch movies; whether it be at a movie theater or at home. In NY, I only pop in a movie if I'm home on a weekend (which is rare) or if I have a day off from work (which is also rare). However, when I was at home, movies and eating were just about 80% of my week. This is the list of movies I was able to watch (some old, some new).

1.) Marley and Me (I cried and cried and cried, but it was good.)

2.) The Golden Child (This is an old school Eddie Murphy movie that I loved when I was younger.)

3.) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (The BF and I attempted to have an Indiana Jones marathon, but I fell asleep after the first one.)

4.) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (I didn't hear the best review of this latest Indiana Jones movie, but I must say that I really liked it (and I have a crush on Shia))

5.) Troop Beverly Hills (One of my fav movies even til this day...Beverly Hills what a thrill!)

6.) The Lake House (Another movie with Sandra and Keanu, and although I don't care for them when they do their own movies, I always like what they do together.)

7.) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Don't laugh people, this is an awesome movie! The creator of James Bond wrote this book also, and Dick Van Dyke is an amazing actor/singer/dancer.)

8.) Spy Kids 2 and the Island of Lost Dreams (It's directed by Robert Rodriguez, so you know it has a great plot and some good action.)

9.) Journey to the Center of the Earth (Interesting story, good graphics, an overall fun movie to watch).

As you can see from my movie selections, I am a sucker for nostalgia (especially when I go home). Not only do I like to watch old movies, I like to reminisce with old friends, whip out the old photo albums, and pretend like I never grew up (thanks for babying me all week mom!).

(Image via Starz)

Yard Sale Chic: Grandma's Shoes

It was a MUST to hit up my local Salvation Army while I was at home. I always find awesome little treasures, many of which could be found in an L.E.S. vintage shop and sold for 50x more than I paid. A few of my fav pick-ups were 3 pairs of old "grandma" shoes. They are fun, comfy, and oh-so cheap.

- Taupe flats $2.50
- Pastel boat shoes $1.75
- Taupe/Greyish oxfords $2.50

3 pairs of shoes for a whopping $6.75!

Life Is Good

(Above: My fav dessert from my former work place (Cork n Cleaver) called Mud Pie)
(Above: My parents always prepare my fav meals and this is one of them...bun thit nuong)
(Above: Rob and I at dinner with my fam)
(Above: Out to sushi with my aunt and cousins....I'm still dreaming about the Golden Roll)
(Above: My aunt Lien and uncle James)
(Above: My family and I at dinner)

I had a perfect week at home in Indiana. I was able to see many dear friends, be with my family, play with my dogs, and have my boyfriend take part in all those things. I could not ask for a better vacation, and I honestly mean that. Sure, I like the beach, sunshine, hot weather, dancing, and drinking....but I would rather spend what little time I have with my loved ones. Here are just a few pics of my fav parts of the week.

Dumb-Dumb of the Week: Fart Stabbing

So a man in Waco (Wacko), TX had a knife thrown at him by a "friend" after he ripped a juicy (and apparently smelly) fart in a hotel room. The knife went into the man's leg, of which he took out and stabbed his friend in the chest. Now, I empathize with others when I smell a toot, because I hope that people will forgive me when I do the same. Why in the world would you start chucking knives at friends because of a little stink? I can only imagine what happens when one of the drunkards accidentally wets the bed after a night of heavy drinking.... WAR!

(Image via stockphoto)

PB and Jelly? or Jam? or Preserves?

I've always wondered what the difference between jelly, jam, and preserves. Thanks to Food Network, I've learned the following about peanut butter's best bud:

Jelly is made from fruit juice.
Jam is made from fruit solids.
Preserves are made from the entire fruit.

Now don't ask me if I think they taste different, because personally, I think they taste pretty much the same. However, I will say I enjoy actual fruit pieces in my spread.

(Image via foodmusings)

Good Stuff Maya

Maya Angelou was asked on an Oprah Show appearance on her thoughts about growing older, and this is what she said (another inspirational email from m aunty)....

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow."

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."

"I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life."

"I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'"

"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance."

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher 's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back."

"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision."

"I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one."

"I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back."

"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Dumb-Dumb of the Week: Plane Snatcher

A man by the name of Adam Dylan Leon (also known as Yavuz Berke in his native Turkey....how he became known as Adam Dylan Leon is a mind boggler to me) was arrested after he stole a plane during a flight lesson in Canada and was later found in Missouri. Adam's intention was to get the Air Force to follow him on his flight of craziness and to gun him down. Basically, Adam wanted to die. I'm not a proponent for suicide, but I think there are other ("easier") ways of committing suicide than stealing a plane and banking on the Air Force to shoot you down. Well, they never shot him down, so what did he do instead? He landed the plane on a dirt road, hitched a ride and got $2 for some food, went to a store, sat down with his Gatorade, and waited for the police to come. Now isn't that silly?

Home Sweet Home

I came back home to the Fort last Saturday, and I will be here until Monday the 13th. It has been so very nice to be with my family (despite having to get some major dental work done). My parents are making me all of my favorite foods, I'm seeing many of my good friends, and I am attempting to hit up every thrift store in the area (my fav type of shopping).

(For me) a week at home with those I love is better than any tropical vacation.

(Image via Polaroid Love)

Songs I Love: I'm In Miami B!tch

In memory of the Ultra Music Conference this past week in Miami. I have dedicated my "Songs I Love" segment to "I'm in Miami B!tch" by LMFAO. Those guys (Redfoo and Sky Blu) aren't just badass songsters, they are business men who decided "Hey, why don't we make a catchy song, then make tshirts based off that song, and then sell them for $40?" You can only imagine how many people had on the "I'm in Miami B!tch" tees and tanks at the festival (and I won't lie...I was tempted to buy one myself).

As for the youtube vid, I found 2 scrawny tween boys who remade the video, and I decided to post it instead of the original....just because those boys are so adorable.

**Oh, and I can't forget to mention how DEAD SEXY the guys of LMFAO are. So sexy I would make out with them (sorry Roberto, I still love you!).

I Must Have These!

I'm in the market for new glasses, and I'm thinking of going a bit edgy with my next pair. I found these amazingly geek-chic glasses called SUPER (CICCIO), by RETROSUPERFUTURE®. They are apparently sold at Barneys, Oak, and a few other places in NY, so I will be on hunt for them. I really MUST HAVE these glasses, but like a pair of jeans, you should try them on before buying them (not to mention the pair I like - Jacquard - are not sold online).

WTF Are You Wearing? (Ultra Edition)

I spent last weekend in Miami laying in the sun, partying, and attending the Ultra Music Conference. Like any music festival, people pay lots of money to attend, which means they are true fans of the genre. Super fans = super crazy outfits to fit the the theme of the festival. Let's take Bonaroo for example....You would expect to see a lot of dreads, tie-dye tees, hippie/laid back attire.

Well Ultra was no exception when it came to choice of outfits. People busted out their rave clothes from the 90s/early millennium and came out to Ultra in full bloom. I'm talking pacifiers, bead bracelets, wide pants, colored fishnets, furry boots, platform shoes, and just sooo much more. With that said, I tried to take pictures of as many Ultra outfits as I could. Enjoy your blast from the raving past.

Fine Eats (Diner Style)

My bf and I love this diner in Fairlawn, NJ called Gotham Diner (or something like that). The decor is not old and outdated (like most diners in NJ); rather, it is newly renovated with subway signs and pictures of Manhattan both old and new. The menu is extensive as any diner, but what is nice about Gotham is the variety of fresh items they have (such as make your own salad) and their delicious adult beverage choices. My fav part is their large variety of gelatos (my fav is Apple Pie...with real applie pie chunks). Oh, and I can't forget the prices....CHEAP!

(Photo above: "Make your own salad" - mixed greens, goat cheese, corn, roasted peppers, beets, walnuts, grilled salmon, and honey balsamic dressing - $.)