karma police, arrest this man he talks in maths by shaynuh13 on Polyvore.com

Cartoon of the Day

Something for me to deeply meditate on while I'm drinking wine chez moi and listening to Lady Gaga.

Dior

I'm not exactly a connoisseur of haute couture...I only really splurge for it when it comes to perfume (Chanel Chanel Chanel). Or fake couture on Canal Street. About all I can afford on a federal government salary. But I do love indulging in the Vanity Fair ads and was flipping through this month's issue when I turned the page to come face-to-face with one of my absolute famous femmes:

Marion Cotillard (in Shanghai apparently). The woman is not only a picture of style and grace, but she is a remarkably talented actress. La Vie en Rose, in which she portrayed Edith Piaf, was positively flawless and one of my very favorite films. The music was fantastic, as the soundtrack was nothing but originally recorded Edith Piaf hits, and Cotillard was the first person to win an Academy Award for a French language performance (a much-deserved best actress- do youtube her acceptance speech because it was adorable!). Add it to your netflix list and you won't regret it!

Cork it

Since Easter, I've been able to drink, and boy have I caught up with all those great times I missed when I was on the wagon. All of the wonderful ladies in my life who have patiently waited for my return have filled up my weeknights and how I have missed them! I probably only had 2 glasses of wine each night- more than I should on a weeknight, but still not egregious given the circumstances of each evening. Now that it's out of my system, I need to find an equilibrium. I really don't need more than a glass and that's that. Unless my favorite divas have all flown in from their respective cities across the nation and we are attending a private dance party cohosted by Lady Gaga and Big 'n Rich (in which case I would be completely justified in drinking my body weight in champagne), there is no reason for the calories and the headache!

Tuesday was date night with Biscuit at Matchbox, one of our favorite spots downtown. Wednesday night was book club at Teri's lovely home in VA, and last night was Cork wine bar with my sister and Kathryn- two ladies I haven't seen enough of lately. Phew! Fantastic week of seeing my favorites, but alcohol really is a downer! I haven't made it to the gym since Tuesday and all I want to do is go home and sleep in my poodle pajamas.

With an eye towards equilibrium, I am still on the market for some legit wine education. I noticed that Cork- in my opinion the best wine bar in this city (in which there is many a wine bar)- offers wine education classes that look like they are schedule-friendly:

http://www.corkdc.com/mktclasses.html

I know enough to know what I like in a good bottle of wine, but I'd like to know more! I've had two trips through California's Napa and Sonoma Valleys, and lived in la France for two summers. I am long overdue in some wineducation for reals.

Book Review: Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

To steal from wikipedia...Franny and Zooey is J.D. Salinger's third book, published as such in 1961, its two parts having originally appeared as a short story and a novella in The New Yorker (love) in 1955 and 1957, respectively. Franny and Zooey, a sister and brother both in their twenties, are the two youngest members of the Glass family, a frequent focus of Salinger's writings. The action of both parts takes place over a long weekend in November 1955.

I waited quite a while after finishing this book to formally review it as I was interested in hearing what the other ladies thought. Our opinions were all over the map, but two things we agreed on: this was not as good as Catcher in the Rye, and it was so dialogue-heavy that it often read more like a play than a novel(la). Neither of these are criticism per se (after all, what book could compare to Catcher in the Rye?), and overall we enjoyed the read.

J.D. Salinger has a subtle, clever sense of humor that is sprinkled so smoothly throughout his storytelling - he is a true master at the art of delivery. The Glass family members showcased in this book- Franny and Zooey- display the usual Salinger-esque characteristics: overly-smart, withdrawn intellectuals who are essentially royalty in a society which they reject. Franny has borrowed a book from her college library which tells a tale of a Russian pilgrim who all too literally interprets the Bible's command to "pray without ceasing." She decides to devote her mind and spirit to perfecting the same end, eventually resulting in a complete meltdown at home. Zooey witnesses the episode and his dialogue sharing opinions with his mother makes up most of "Zooey." The entire family flaunts clever antics and humor throughout, and Zooey advocates his ultimate position(spoiler, kind of) that selfless prayer (and impliedly other acts of philanthropy) is, ironically, ultimately self-serving. A theme that is also revealed in my current read, The Fountainhead...

Salinger is brilliant and I only wish his strange reclusive lifestyle didn't require that he abandon all efforts to publish his works. No doubt someone discovered an attic of hidden masterpieces on the day he died (R.I.P. Salinger) which his eager readers will never see!

Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Yes you read correctly folks: this book was written by two women. Flaw number one. I can just picture two small town hermit cat ladies giggling over the utter silliness while still in full costume from a red hat society meeting. Not remotely funny! Nor was this book!

To quickly summarize: this novel is a compilation of letters to and from the protagonist, Juliet, a thirty-something single female who has, along with the rest of the characters, just survived World War II. She makes unexpected pen pals with the inhabitants of Guernsey, one of the few islands in the English Channel, as she learns their harrowing, tragic stories of survival during the German occupation. The island's inhabitants inadvertently formed a sort of literary society while hiding from the Germans. The formation of the society itself is alleged to be the result of a hysterical mistake which, come to find out, was not hysterical in the slightest. The first of many instances where the authors' (no doubt fervent red hat society elders) attempts at being clever were entirely disappointing.

First, the naivete of the characters was downright phony. Don't get me wrong- I have always been a sucker for a pen pal. The thought of a letter dropping into my lap from a stranger asking me to help him find a rare book sounds like an absolute dream. But these characters are so silly and adolescent- at the end of the day, it's a corny, whimsical story written by two women who lack the imagination to thoroughly develop even their main character. Take Juliet- typical mediocre protagonist who seemingly exists in a vacuum. Unlimited time, unlimited resources, and dragging us all through her journey in choosing between an obvious Mr. Right and an even more obvious Mr. Wrong (did I mention it was also predictable?). First sign I wouldn't like this book: the front cover flashes an endorsement by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love. Another phony read and subject to almost identical criticism (though I do appreciate the fact that she brought some international culture to readers who probably otherwise wouldn't have ventured there...).

Save your $10. Or, better yet, spend it on any Russian River Valley Pinot Noir- 2006 or 2007 will do 'ya. xo

Veeeeeno

First glass of wine in 40 days: bliss. 2006 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

To be followed next week by my previously identified French bottle at...chez moi.

End of Lent! Happy Easter all!

Two book reviews pending :)