What I Love Wednesday- May 8

Finally, it's Spring! Yesterday, I sat out in the sun for a bit with no sleeves, sandals, and capris. And then realized that I needed to paint my toe nails for the first time in months.

Today for What I Love, I am concentrating on smells.
Sense of smell is so powerful.
It amazes me how certain smells can bring back memories of things long forgotten.


~ My #1 favorite smell ever?
Clean sheets.
Oh, how I love the smell of freshly clean sheets, right out of the dryer.
Sadly, I suck at changing sheets often enough. I'm lazy.
But when I wash them, I use a fabric softener that smells good, usually Snuggle Wild Orchid and Vanilla. I don't use that natural dye and perfume free stuff.
Dryer sheet? Try 3.

~ Another smell that makes me happy is a candle from Yankee Candle.

As a whole, I love most of the scented candles they offer, although some don't smell much when lit.
But my absolute favorite is their Blueberry Muffin.When I burn those candles, it really smells like I have muffins baking in the oven.
I first got one years ago and loved it.
And then, as normally happens when I find something I love, they discontinued it.
Last year when I was in there scouting for new scents, I told the girls at the counter how much I loved the Blueberry Muffin scent and they agreed that their Blueberry and Blueberry Scone scents were just not the same.

Then one of them made my day... my year.
Yankee likes to re-release a few old favorites that have been discontinued and they were about to release my favorite again for a short time.
I had them hold 4 of the large jars for me the next week when they came in.
And I use them sparingly. I'm scared I'll run out.

~The smell of coconut is a huge love of mine.
Whenever I smell coconut, I think of Pina Colodas. And that makes me think of my favorite place, Hilton Head Island. Being on HHI is where I am most at peace.
Lip balm, candles, drinks... anything coconut makes me breathe deep and relax.
Oddly, I hate eating actual coconut.
I hate Mounds and Almond Joys and I never like Hostess Snowballs.
Coconut or German Chocolate Cake? About the only times I will turn down cake. Ever.

And just about anything baking the oven: lasagna, dressing, casseroles, cakes, pies, etc.

How about you?
Any smells that you love or bring back good memories?

What I Love Wednesday- Mia 2

Happy Wednesday! And wow, it's almost May! Button's birthday is one week from today, May 1. Time to get my rear to the store and see about some cake mix. (If I don't do it now, I will be asking my husband to go to the store Tuesday night.) I'm thinking multicolored cupcakes with different colors of icing and sprinkles. 

Yum, cupcakes.

Anyway, have you heard of Clarisonic? It's a handheld, cordless face scrubber/buffer/exfoliater. And I finally bought one last week.

I say 'finally' because when I first heard of them, I couldn't see paying that much for a face scrubber. I have hands and a washcloth. But I sort of suck at washing my face like I should. And it pays the price.

Old Man Winter really did a number on my skin this year and it's in bad shape. Plus, I am getting older so my skin isn't snapping back like it used to.

Due to the horrible dryness and overall ick factor of my face, I finally ordered one last week. And lest me tell you, I love it.

Just one week and I can feel the difference.

I got the smaller Clarisonic, the Mia 2.

And I got mine online at Sephora so I had no idea it came in that many colors.

(It helped that I got 15% off with a code.)

I got that light blue one, on the left.

It's pretty neat. 

Charge it for 24 hours before initial use.

Wet face or brush, apply cleanser, and scrub.

20 seconds on forehead

20 seconds on nose and chin

10 seconds on each cheek

It does all the work for you.

It scrubs and beeps to tell you when to change areas.

And when the minute is over, it shuts itself off.

LOVE IT.

I can already tell that my face is more hydrated. And there are less patches of dry skin.

I do want to get another brush. They have several but I want that deep pore cleansing one. I could possibly store spare change or mints in my pores at the moment. 

Do you have a Clarisonic?

Music for my Soul

Back in early 2009, I was engaged and starting posting with other brides-to-be on The Knot. And since I was going to be a June bride, I mostly posted on the June 2010 board.

(If you are getting married, check out The Knot. There are tons of boards to choose from and you don't have to stay on one or the other. There are month boards which in my eyes were wonderful since you can talk to all sorts of people getting married the same month that you are getting married.)

The main reason I loved The Knot? I met some really great gals in my wedding month. I still haven't met any of them in person since we were spread out from California to New York, but I still talk to a few of the regularly. I love my June girls and I do keep up with quite a few of them on FB.

It was wonderful being able to talk to other ladies who were all going through the same thing. At the time, none of my friends were getting married and most people get tired of hearing about your wedding planning and listening to you stress over the linens. Other brides typically don't get tired of it and will be there to talk to, day or night. WARNING: If you are an "entitled' bride, I would advise not posting unless you like to have internet strangers tear you apart.)

ANYWAY, the reason for this post was to highlight a musician that I discovered while being on The Knot. One day we were talking about music that we loved and someone mentioned Jem.  (My first thought was "Jem and the Holograms? Yeah, I watched that years ago".)

Jem is a female musician/singer from Wales and she has a beautiful voice. I liked her so much that I ended up choosing one of her songs for our wedding video. (The kids adore her. They get so excited when I play any of her songs in the car.)

She hasn't had a new album out since 2008 but from her FB page, I gather there is a new album coming out this year. YAY!

Below are a few of her songs that I love. (One of them was used in the first Sex and the City movie, which I discovered yesterday on You Tube. See, I still haven't watched the movie so I had no idea.)

The video gets a little blurry at time and jumpy. Not sure if that 

was the point or what. But listen to the song, don't mind the images.

(This song was in Sex and the City.)

Jem- It's Amazing

I never watched Gossip Girl so I have no idea 

when this song was used. But I like it.

Jem- Crazy

I love the CD version because she plays the piano in the beginning.

Jem- Down To Earth

Totally low budget video and I love it.

Jem- They

I love her voice. And some of her songs will stay with you for a long time. And since they lack the sexual crap and swearing that most pop music has these days, they are kid friendly.

What I Love Wednesday

I love a lot of stuff. And since Wednesday is a TV love day due to Criminal Minds and CSI being on, I have decided to make all Wednesdays about what I love.

International Delights Hershey's Chocolate Caramel Creamer

Best ever. I am a snob when it comes to creamer. I won't use anything else which sucks due to this being harder to find than most creamers. Around my area, only Cub and I believe Byerly's carries this particular flavor. I actually emailed them and asked which stores carried it. (They actually emailed back a list of stores that stock it. YAY!)

It's wonderful. Both myself and my BFF have been using this for years. When her Walmart is out of it, I hear about it on the phone that day. (You know, I think a Walmart near me carries this one, too.)

Origami Owl Living Locket

 

A friend of mine from high school posted her locket in her photos on FB one day and I blame her for my obsession with this locket. I just loved the idea.

They have a number of chains, lockets, and charms. There are also dangles that you can add to the chain and stamped blanks to put inside as a background.

The lockets come in different sizes and colors, although right now it's just gold, rose gold, and silver. I do believe that they have chocolate brown and black lockets coming out April 22. 

Here are my 7 charms out of the locket:

Clockwise from far left:
My birthstone (circle shape), my husband's birthstone (heart shaped), a karma circle (because I truly believe in it), a palm tree for my favorite vacation spot in SC, a dog bone for my Georgia Bulldogs, Button's birthstone female child, and Peanut's birthstone female child.

Giuseppi's Famous Skinny Stix

Hand tossed dough rolled thin, rubbed with garlic and butter, 

topped with mozzarella and provolone

It doesn't look like much in the photo, I know. But this is honestly my most favorite food. Ever. And I can only have it 1-2 times a year when we go to Hilton Head Island, SC. (Yes, we try to get an order multiple times in our week on the island. I'll swim off the fat.)

I have taken no less than 6 people to that island in the past 10 years. Each one of the tried the Skinny Stix thinking, "I'll eat them to shut her up".

Well, guess what? They would rip off your arm and beat you with it to get more of them. One year, I took a friend who wasn't able to go back the next year. We sent him a pic of the Skinny Stix when we stopped in and I got a response saying "f*** you. That's cruel."

I dip them in ranch and make really obscene noises at the table. It's that good.


I must stop looking at the Skinny Stix pic. I'm starving.
  

Never too much nail polish!

I have had an addiction to nail polish since I was little.
And as I've gotten older, that addiction has turned into an obsession.

My collection, or stash as we call it in the nail world, has grown.
And don't side-eye me. You might have 6 closets full of shoes or handbags.
I have an entire wall of polish. (Yes, I said wall. I have them in acrylic displays. It's art.)

Polish, compared to most other things, is a cheap accessory. Polishes that I have come across can range anywhere from $.99- $20. (Chanel polish is pretty pricey. But still cheaper than their handbags and shoes.)

You can change your nail color everyday.
And there are so many different polish finishes and types: cremes, shimmers, duochromes, jellies, crellies, glitter top coats, and glitter bombs, etc.

Also, these days you can do SO much to your nails with nail art: stamping, stickers, water marbling, and sponging just to name a few. Below is a collage I made of some of the nail art and manicures that I have done in the last year:

Click on the photo to view and see them better

Favorite color polish? Blue. I have many, many blues. Lights blues, bright blues, neon blues, baby blues, shimmery blues, blue cremes, blue glitter... lots of blues.

Favorite big polish companies?
China Glaze, Zoya, Barry M., a-england, OPI

The latest thing is indie polish companies. Normal people making polishes at home and selling them on Etsy and in other online shops.

I am one of those indie companies.

Last March, I opened an Etsy store and started selling polishes.
And it's been a fun ride.
Don't get me wrong, it's not easy. And it's not a quick money maker.

To make your own polishes, you have to buy a lot of glitter and colorants. And then you have to test everything you buy in the nail polishes bases that you usually have to buy in bulk. And with all that you pay out to do research and development, it can be a long time before you see an actual profit.

For me to put out one new polish, the testing usually goes on for at least a month.
Why so long?

Because glitter comes in many forms. Not all glitters are created equal. Some glitters start bleeding in polish base within a few minutes of mixing them. Some glitters can take a week or longer to start the bleeding process.

Some glitter will bleed for a short time and then stop, fully retaining their original color. Some glitters will bleed so badly that you are left with nothing but silver.

Some glitters actually start melting in polish base. They become nasty blobs of plastic. And some of them can curl or bend, making it look terrible on your nails.

Over the last year, the indie polish market has BOOMED. But like glitter, not all indie polish companies are created equal. Some have rushed and bought some glitter one day, thrown it in base the next day, and then sold it online the day after that. That's never a good thing. Those indie makers give the other indie makers, the ones that test everything for months, a bad name.

If you find an indie polish company on Etsy, make sure to check their sales numbers and feedback. The sales can tell you how long they have been in business and the feedback will usually tell you if people are happy with their polishes.

Also, GOOGLE is your friend. Just search for that indie company and include the words 'swatch' or 'reviews' in your search. There are literally thousands of nail polish blogs now and a lot of them scoop up new indie polishes by the dozens. And most of them give you an honest opinion.

A couple of my favorite indie polish companies:
Elevation Polish and Indigo Bananas

Elevation Polish is owned and operated by a local gal, Lulu. And when I say local, I mean she lives a few blocks from me. When we realized that we were both in Minnesota and just down the road from each other, we started meeting for coffee to talk shop. And she has a BEAUTIFUL blue polish that I adore.

Indie polish companies usually have restocks a few times a month. Since it's usually one person making everything, they cannot keep the shops stocked for long periods of time. Everything sells out quickly. So if you find one and the store is closed or empty, check back later. Also follow their blogs or FB pages to get updates about when restocks will take place.

Shameless plug for my own indie brand polish:
And if you happen to want to see what I have concocted, head over to my Etsy shop, Red Carpet Lacquer. I also have a FB page and a blog for the polish so you can check those out and follow if you feel the urge. I also have a Twitter page for the shop.
If you get the urge to buy anything, use coupon code NEPTUNE14 at checkout to receive 10% off of your entire order.

Now, if you'll excuse me, my naked nails need something to wake them up. And with the current weather, pastels aren't going to cut it. I think I need a dose of bright and happy.

Newest Song Obsessions

I get hooked on songs. 

They get stuck in my brain for days and I walk around with a constant soundtrack running through my head. It's awesome and annoying at the same time.

Right now there are 3 constantly swirling around in my head.

Most recent song obsession #1- Cuckoo by Adam Lambert: I know her was on American Idol but I don't watch that show. (Okay, I used to watch at the beginning to make fun of people.) If Adam Lambert had not guest starred on the Season 3 Halloween episode of Pretty Little Liars, I may never have heard this song. And that would be sad.

I love the beat of this song. Oddly, it reminds me of being at the skating rink as a kid. Good times.

Most recent song obsession #2- Trespassing by Adam Lambert:

Same as above on this one. This song was also in the PLL Halloween episode.

And for some reason, it reminds me of pep rallies. I guess it's the chanting-type beat.

Most recent song obsession #3- Lucky Strike by Maroon 5:

See, I love Maroon 5. I had 14 of their songs from 4 albums already. And when they put out a song that's catchy and makes it hard to stand still, I am all over it. (I like some of the slower songs but not all. I am usually more into fast moving songs that I can dance to. In my car.)

Sorry there's not an actual video for each song. 

Do they make those anymore since MTV doesn't play them? 

Do artists still spend the money to make videos since there's nowhere to watch them?

What about you? Any song obsessions?

We Musn't Dwell. No. Not Today.

Not on Rex Manning Day!

 That's right, Empire Records fans. It's April 8th, officially Rex Manning Day!

In honor of this special day, here is Rex's cheese-tastic video for Say No More!

And for anyone interested in nail polish, I am restocking my Etsy shop today! 

Use discount code REXYSEXY at checkout to get 10% off of your order! 

Discount Code good from Monday, April 8- Sunday, April 14!

Discount code must be used when checking out. 

Discounts will not be added to already placed orders.

Things I Love, Part 2

 The Things I Love post today features things that make my life easier.

Easy Lunchboxes

Pic taken from Easy Lunchboxes Products page

I found these through Pinterest. And I love them.

They are dishwasher safe and microwave safe, although I never put them in the dishwasher. Any sort of plastic containers that I have ever had get wonky after too many trips through the dishwasher. Usually, the lids end up shrinking slightly and it's a pain to get the lids to fit after awhile. I cannot bring myself to try it with these because I love them.

I originally bought these for the kids lunches during the summer at day camp. But I quickly realized that we could really use these on road trips. I would save us from having to stop at fast food places to get food and be a lot quicker than sit-down restaurants. Not to mention, a lot cheaper.

In the beginning, there were 4 lid colors (red, orange, green, and blue). Now they have added bright colors (pink, purple, yellow, and teal).

We did buy each kid a little cooler bag and they work wonderfully. There is enough room in the bags to put an Easy Lunchbox, their water bottles, napkins, and any utensil they might need with room to spare. On days they need them, we also add a little ice pack from Target to keep the food cold. (You could easily use a cooler you already have or get one from Walmart or Target.)

And the best thing, to me, is the site has a Yummy Lunch Ideas page that has tons of photos of what sorts of lunches you could pack in these containers. (The list is growing the more people buy them and upload their own photos.) And if that's not enough, search Pinterest. You'll find plenty of ideas.

And it's not just kids lunches being featured. A lot of adults are taking these to work.

I only took a few pics of lunches that I made for the kids this past summer. And they eat at school during the year so I have not been able to get really creative yet.

1st pic: Classic turkey and cheese on half a hoagie roll, grapes, raspberries, and a pickle.

2nd pic: Cheese sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread cut into a star (use a cookie cutter), grapes, celery with reduced-fat cream cheese, pretzel sticks, and a little sweet treat.

3rd pic: Whole grain pita filled with shredded chicken, grapes, strawberries, celery with peanut butter and yogurt covered raisins, and a box of raisins.

I made a sandwich one day and used a big cookie cutter to make the sandwich flower shaped. Sadly, I didn't think to take a photo of it before sending it off to camp.

I usually make the lunches at night so it's less work in the mornings when we might be hurried.

With the little compartments, there is no need for plastic baggies and anything slightly wet doesn't get to the food that are dry. One idea that I haven't been able to try yet is using those silicon muffin cups to make more divided spaces. Those would be great for lunches without sandwiches, like crackers and cheeses.



Zicam

I woke up Tuesday morning with an irritated throat and my left nostril plugged up. Yay. My colds always start with the throat and progress from there.

I am mad that I got a cold in the first place. I am usually so careful with germs and washing my hands, especially when I go out in public.

This is the first time I've had a cold in about a year. (I say 'about' due to not being able to remember when I last had one. I know I didn't get one this past fall or summer and I don't recall being sick all last winter.

At the first sign of a cold, my husband and I BOTH start the Zicam and Airborne regimens. Some people say that Zicam doesn't work. Maybe not for them, but it works wonders for me.

For those of you that haven't heard of this, I'll explain briefly. It can shorten a cold if taken at the first sign of a cold and then every 3 hours until symptoms disappear.

I prefer the chewable Zicam:

To me, they are least icky tasting.

I tried the nose swabs and really didn't like the feeling.

I tried the oral mist and it didn't appeal to me at all.

Then I tried the melts:

The one pictured above is the best tasting, at least to me.
I first tried the cherry flavored but I just can't eat cherry flavored chalk.
(You cannot drink anything for 15 minutes after taking Zicam. So tasting chalk with a cherry twist for more than a minute is just excruciating.)


I know that they work for me. When I get a cold, I usually hang onto it for almost 2 weeks. One summer, I had a cold for 3 weeks straight and I wanted to die. I think I went through 5 big boxes of tissue. It was a nightmare. Plus, being sick in the summer is 10 times worse than being sick in the winter.

Since I started using Zicam when I do get a cold, mine are usually gone within 5 days. And that's the whole cold... even the last little bit of it when you are feeling better but still snotty.

I started taking Zicam this time 2 minutes after my feet hit the floor. My throat is already feeling better and the massive amounts of mucus are already coming out. I coughed a few times this morning upon waking and I swear, it felt like the last few days of a cold, not the 3rd.


Alas, no matter how well the Zicam works, my nose is still going to look like it got a chemical peel for a few days thanks to the constant nose blowing. I don't care if that tissue is dripping with lotion... it will still be a sight. (Yes, I try putting Vaseline on my nose in between but when you are using a tissue every minute or 2, that Vaseline stands no chance.)

Things I LOVE, Part 1

Okay, so I have some obsessions.
I have a lot of obsessions.
I get obsessed with things that make my life easier/better.

For the first Things I LOVE post, here are the current obsessions:

Thermos 16-oz. Stainless King Tumbler

Seriously. The best travel coffee mug ever. (And I've tried a lot. I've Googled a lot.) This thing is making my life so much better. It keeps coffee HOT, not warm, for hours! Yes. Even when the mug is sitting out in 50 degree weather in the garage three hours later, it's still hot. Still trying to get used to that. With my old mug, 3 hours later the coffee was lukewarm, at best. I could take a swig and it was okay. With this one? You forget and take a big swig and scald the back of your throat.

~ It's cool to the touch no matter how hot the coffee or tea is inside. Love that.
~ It is leak proof. As in, once I closed the lid I shook the hell out of it upside down and not a DROP came out. Woot! Perfect for mixing your sugar/creamer/whatever up after it sits a little while.
~ The lid comes apart...into 4 pieces! YAY! No more hard to clean lids that get that nasty, gunky coffee build up over time. LOVE that.

The only downfall anyone talks about is that the finish can peel off over time. (Yeah, keep dropping it from a moving car, letting your kid used it as a toy, and shove it into a backpack on a commute and see what finish wouldn't peel off.) If that's the WORST thing about this mug, that's totally fine. I don't really care what it looks like. I care that it keeps my happy juice HOT.

PSYCH on USA

Yes, that's Shawn and Gus as part of Tears for Fears and Michael Jackson. You can watch the performance here. This was the "America Duos" episode (an homage to American Idol).

The show is so well written, the cast is wonderful (they ad lib a lot), and the guest stars have been fantastic.
Tim Curry, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Cheech Marin, Carey Elwes, Wayne Brady, James Brolin, Louis Gossett Jr., Danny Glover, C, Thomas Howell, Ed Lover, Jane Lynch, Ralph Macchio, Malcom McDowell, Robert Patrick, Jaleel White, Mekhi Phifer, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jason Priestly, Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachel Leigh Cook, Jonathon Silverman, George Takei, William Shatner, Curt Smith (Tears for Fears)... the list goes on and on and on.

And yes, that is 3 members of The Breakfast Club with Anthony Micheal Hall appearing this season. Now they just need Emilio and we're good.

And tomorrow night? The homage to CLUE! Guest starring Lesley Ann Warren (Miss Scarlet), Martin Mull (Colonel Mustard),  and Christopher Lloyd (Prof. Plum). Too bad Tim Curry played Nigel St. Nigel in "American Duos". He would be great in this episode.
And for the "100 Clues" episode, the fans get to vote for the ending.

I love this show due to their interactions with fans. In February, they had a Psych Slumber Party on USA. It started at midnight EST and ran until 6 am. It was 7 episodes, very little commercials, and Twitter was blowing UP for about 24 hours.

James Roday (Shawn on the show) is a huge Twin Peaks fan so they let him do the "Dual Spires" episode as an homage. And WOW the amount of Twin Peaks stars that were in that episode: Dana Ashbrook, Robyn Lively, Sherilyn Fenn, Lenny von Dohlen, Ray Wise, Sheryl Lee, even Catherine E. Couslon (aka, The Log Lady).
It was brilliantly done. I even have a board on Pinterest dedicated to the show.

And me being an 80's fan, there are SO many references in the show that make me laugh hysterically.

The writing is great, the actors are so talented, and the theme song is so catchy, it gets in your mind for days. (I assigned it as a ringtone when my husband calls. You can hear it and watch a montage of clips here.)
And what show do you know changes the theme song at times for the theme of the episode? It's been in Spanish twice now, Curt Smith from Tears for Fears sang his version, the Boyz II Men a capella version has been on the show twice, there was a Bollywood style, a Christmas-y jingle at least 3 times for the holiday episodes, and of course, the Twin Peaks/Dual Spires version. (I cannot find Curt Smith's version, or the Dual Spires version on their own so if you watch this video on YouTube, you can hear all of the variations from the first 5 seasons.)

It's USA Networks longest running show to date. We know they get at least one more, season 8. Here's hoping they get to 9!

Sorry, I think I went off on a Psych tangent. That happens!

Confession: I can't stop watching PLL

Yes, I am in my early 30's. Yes, I know that Pretty Little Liars on ABC Family is a show designed for teens. Yes, I know that some people are rolling their eyes at me for loving this show.

So what?  It's my TV and I'll watch what I want to.

It all started back in the Fall of 2010.  Pretty Little Liars (PLL from here on out) was in its first season and starting to gather fans. I was NOT a regular watcher of ABC Family back then since it was geared towards teens. (Although, if they were showing a Harry Potter marathon weekend, I was right there watching.)

One day, I was alone in the house and bored out of my mind. I was flipping through the channels and landed on PLL.  I watched a few minutes just to get a sense of what it was.  I think it was the 2nd episode.  (Each season is 22-23 episodes long and there is a break in the middle. So that premiere season, the show started in June 2010 and in August, they had a mid-season finale.  When this happens, ABC Family will do a marathon showing all of the episodes leading up to that nights new one.)

So, I watched that episode. And then the next one. And the next one. Yes, I got hooked. So hooked that I had to find the Pilot episode so that I could figure out what happened that night Ali went missing. (At least, what the writers WANT you to know happened.)

I was hooked. And then I got my husband hooked along with me.

Because here's the thing:  That show is NOT just for teens. Some of the things that they deal with are far more mature than most teens that I know. As the writers like to say, it's Hitchcock for teens.
Proof? Click here.
Or be lazy and read this:
~ PLL Season 3 Finale, ‘A dAngerous gAme,’ Becomes
   1st Series in TV History to Amass Over 1 Million Total Airtime Tweets;
~ Tuesday’s #1 “Most Social” TV Series Each Week Throughout the Season
~ Finale Is Tuesday’s #1 TV Telecast for 11th Consecutive Week in Females 12-34
   Cable TV’s #1 Telecast in Women 18-34 and Women 18-49
~Wraps as ABC Family’s Most-Watched Original Series Installment Ever in
   18-34s
~Surges by 1 Million Total Viewers Based on Full Week of Viewing and
  Adds 1.3 Million Additional Views Via VOD and Online

You see those ages, right?  Females, 12-34? Women, 18-34? Women, 18-49?

I found out online that the show was developed based off a series of books by Sara Shepard. So, being an avid reader, I loaded them onto my Kindle and away I went reading about the girls. In the beginning, there were only 8 books and I knew that I could read them before the second half of the season aired in January 2011. But my thoughts on those books are for a different day, a different post.

The TV series was developed by I. Marlene King and I have to say, I am enjoying HER version of events much more than the books. Following Marlene on Twitter is amusing. She posts clues, or misdirects, when she can or wants to. I admire her as a writer and a person from what I have seen her say and Tweet.

And after each episode, I read the weekly recaps by Heather Hogan at AfterEllen.com and Jacob Clifton at Television Without Pity. Warning: You CANNOT just read their recaps and understand the show. They usually put their own spin on the dialogue and events which in my opinion, makes them funny as heck. If you only read those recaps, you're only learning about 3% of what the show is actually about.

But since this a mystery show, there are tons of questions that pop up each week, each season, and when some of the questions don't get answered quickly (or at all), it leaves me feeling wounded. I like answers. I don't expect them RIGHT NOW but over time, you have to have them.

WARNING: RANT AHEAD
I was a HUGE fan of Heroes on NBC when it first aired. I made it through the first few seasons and then I couldn't take the unanswered questions or the GIANT loophole in the writing. (In the future, Peter WOULDN'T HAVE A SCAR. He saved the cheerleader and was impervious to wounds just like Claire.) The biggest writing blunder really angered a lot of us fans. I posted with some great people on a Heroes Forum on Myspace and we were ALL so angry at the oversight by the 11+ writers on that show. And since so many other questions went unanswered, I couldn't handle watching it anymore.

I pray that this doesn't happen with PLL. I truly enjoy the show and don't want to lose my interest due to questions from season 1 NOT being answered by the end of season 3, which aired this past Tuesday, March 19. In the season 3 finale, I felt let down. I was only shocked by one moment and was then weighted down with even more questions.

I am doing this part of the post for myself, more than anything. Here, I will keep a running list of the most important questions that I want an answer to sometime soon. If they get answered, I will update the post to show this has happened.

Unanswered Questions as of the Season 3 Finale of PLL:

1) Who pushed Ian off of the bell tower? S1, Ep 22
2) DID Ian die from being pushed, or was he actually shot in the head like we were lead to believe when his body was FINALLY found, even though A wrote the "suicide note"? S2, E 4
3) WHY was Maya's death not A-related? What possible sense does it make for her random stalker to be her killer when every other dead person has SOMETHING to do with A? (I have really strong feeling about this one. I don't like the randomness since she was discovered in almost the EXACT way that Ali's body was discovered AND she was also Emily's love interest, like Ali.) S2, Ep 12
4) Why was Jenna in Jason's house, alone, and who set the fire that almost killed her? Was the fire meant for Jason? S2, Ep 23
5) Who tried to run Caleb's mom off the road... in CALIFORNIA? S3, Ep 4
6) Why in the WORLD was Toby trying to turn Lucas into roadkill if in fact Toby is NOT evil? Was Toby just trying to scare him off? S3, Ep14 
7) Who was the Queen of Hearts in the Halloween episode that attacked Spencer and then got taken down by Paige? S3, Ep13
8) The girls went to the Halloween Store and got a hold of the credit card numbers used to purchase Queen of Hearts costumes. It was said then they would have Caleb track them down and figure out who bought them. What happened with that? S3, Ep 20
9) The day Mona was locked up in Radley in the 2nd season finale, a person with a Red Coat visited her and Mona said, "I did everything you asked me to". But in the finale for season 3, she told the girls that she had never seen Red Coats face and that it was in Radley that she gained a partner. Huh? If she was already taking orders from Red Coat BEFORE getting tossed in the Nut House, then how did she just gain Red Coat as a partner during her 7 month stay? Is Mona lying, as per usual? And was Red Coat wearing a mask during the visit? Really? A mask wearing individual walked into to see a new patient? S3, Ep 24

Not episode or season specific:

~Where in the heck does A get all of this money?  The gadgets, cars, airline ticket to CA, money for   booze (to drink or put all over Jason's front porch)?
~Which brings me to, A must be over the age of 21 with the amount of alcohol he/she imbibes legally in airports and liquor stores. Right?

Veronica Mars Movie- Let's make it happen!

I woke up to EXCITING news.

I am a HUGE fan of the TV show, Veronica Mars.  Seriously, one of the best shows ever.  The cast was great, the writing was great, and it's such a quotable show.

And how adorable is Kristin Bell?  Did you ever see her on Ellen?  The video Dax shot of her and the sloth?  Loved it.

Fans of the TV show have been fuming for years that the WB canceled the show.  WB was doing a lot of that back then.

And since then, we fans (Marshmallows) have been eagerly awaiting a Veronica Mars movie.

After YEARS of waiting, it may be happening!!  But the fans MUST rally and support it.

IF Rob Thomas can come up with 2 million dollars to make the movie, WB will put the movie into production and pay for the marketing, promotion, and distribution.  YAY!

Yes, it's a lot of money.  But in just the last 4 hours since it was announced, they have already raised $860,209.  WHOA!

They have 30 days to hit 2 million.  If they go over 2 million, that's even better.  ALL of the money raised goes towards the movie (location, editing, special effects, etc).  So the more money, the better.

At this rate, I see the goal being hit within a day or two!  There are so many Marshmallows out there willing to do what they can to make this happen.

To donate, simply go to the Kickstarter Page and give what you can!

I am SO excited.  I miss the show and the way it went off the air, things were left unsettled.  It's time for closure.

Update: As of  March 30, the project as raised $4,310,177! 
And there's still 13 days to go!

Obsession, Part 1: Wipeout!

The Obsession posts will be ongoing posts, making their way onto the blog when I can write about them.

I am a little late to the game(show) on this one, I know.  I rarely watch ABC so I didn't know much about it.  But thanks to Wipeout Fridays on TruTV, I have been able to see what some people make such a fuss about this show.

I LOVE IT.

Seriously.  The people that go on this show are nuts.  Basically, you willingly go onto a game show and get the crap beaten out of yourself, all to try and win $50,000.

I would never be a contestant.  No way.  For one thing, I've watched enough episodes to know that I like my body in one piece.  Second, I couldn't go on it due to having lower back problems.  I would end up paralyzed.

The show starts with 24 contestants and they get narrowed down to 12 after they go through the Qualifier Course.  (Just a heads up, little to no one EVER makes it through that course without wiping out.  The first obstacle is usually designed to knock you out of your shoes (which has happened on numerous occasions).

After that, the 12 get reduced down to 6.  And depending on the week, the 6 get whittled down to 3-4.  The 3 or 4 final contestants get to go to the Wipeout Zone, where the winner wins $50,000.

Throughout the show, the commentary is performed by John Anderson (watched him for years on SportsCenter on ESPN) and John Henson (the first host of Talk Soup on E!).  And on the field talking to the contestants and adding commentary is Jill Wagner (remember the "You gotta put Mercury on your list" girl?).  Jill was there for the first 4 seasons and then for season 5, the field commentary was done by Vanessa Lachey.  For season 6, Jill is BACK!  I really liked Vanessa but I MISSED Jill.

I see a lot of painful looking falls on this show but the worst has to be the "scorpion".  Seriously, bodies aren't supposed to bend that way.  Watch this VIDEO and pay attention about 15-17 seconds in and see if if doesn't make you cringe.  Ouch.

But since it's not MY body getting bent backwards, it's really therapeutic.  Does that make me a sadist?

Also, those obstacles?  They are thought up and TESTED.  Yes, there is a group of people that work for Wipeout called the Black and Blue Crew.  (I am going to assume that you can figure out why they have that name.)  They test these obstacles for months sometimes to make sure they are contestant ready/safe.  Last week, they were testing in 34 degree weather at around 1am.  Yuck!

Wipeout is filming season 6 now and is due to air on ABC this summer, early June I believe.  But you can catch TONS of reruns on TruTV on Friday and Saturday nights.  And, TBS just started airing reruns as well, Monday through Friday at 2:00pm EST.

So, if you're having a bad day or trying to find a little bit of sanity that you thought was gone, tune into Wipeout and get a dose of therapy.

It's time for my therapy.