Mumford and Sons--Little Lion Man

These guys are VH-1's "You Oughta Know" artists, and after hearing the song this morning, I gotta say, I'm a little obsessed. I think this is going to be one of those songs I love so much I'm going to listen to it, like, fifty times every day until Friday. And does anybody else get a Ricky Gervais vibe from the lead singer or is it just me?

Down at the Waterfront

Taken at the Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park 7/30/10

Tampa Museum of Art and fountains

UT Minarets

Hope Comes in the Strangest Packages...

For the most part, I've adopted a "whatever happens, happens" mentality when it comes to the topic of marriage and if I'll ever get married. However, there are still some moments when I'll turn into a total girl and freak out about dying alone. And then I learned that Peter Pan got married.

I'm not talking about J.M. Barrie's Pan. No, I'm referencing Tampa's Peter Pan, a man who dresses up as his namesake and makes appearances at clubs and parties around town. As far as I know, he doesn't get paid for these appearances; it's just something he does because he loves it.

I remember when I first found out about Peter. A few friends, a roommate and I were sitting around the apartment eating pizza after a night out when he came up in conversation. I forget who, exactly, brought him up, but I do remember the rest of us had no idea who he was, so, curious, we immediately took to the internet. It wasn't long before we found ourselves crammed in my tiny bedroom, huddled around the computer screen, staring agog at his website.

"Oh my god, that's his real hair!"

"I can't believe he's in his fifties!"

We were captivated. The guy was...colorful, to say the least. His costume arsenal could rival any Hollywood production's. He even had modified versions of the Peter Pan costume so that they would be work-appropriate (his day job is a computer programmer). But what really got us, what we found especially hilarious, was the section of the website dedicated to "looking for his Tinkerbell," and was, essentially, a personals ad he had typed up. After all, what woman in her right mind would go for a man in his fifties who dressed up as Peter Pan?

Turned out there was at least one, because last March, Peter Pan and his Tink tied the knot at the Bay Area Renaissance Festival (BARF--does anybody else find this as funny as I do?). I recently spotted them at a club this past weekend. A small crowd was gathered around them, and they posed for pictures and signed autographs, celebrities in their own right. They looked happy. They looked in love. And I was strangely comforted, because if a 56 year-old Peter Pan can find the love of his life, then the rest of us definitely have a fighting chance.

P.S. If you're curious, you can see his wedding pics and videos here, here and here.

West Side Ballin'

If you remember (which you probably don't), I mentioned that some friends of mine were planning to move to Pasadena. Well, sadly, they made the move July 4th weekend, but yours truly is currently conspiring with them about an October trip out West. Both Meagan's and my birthdays are in October, so I thought, why not fly out and celebrate together? There's no better way to celebrate the year of one's birth than with a trip cross-country, am I right or am I right?

Naturally, this trip will be epic. I mean, the three of us are ballers. We always managed to party it up right in Tallahassee, so I know that whatever we end up doing out West will be legen...wait for it...DARY. Since every legendary experience needs a soundtrack, I have taken it upon myself to create one for our upcoming shenanigans this fall. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my West Side Ballin' playlist:

I know very few of these songs are about California, and most of them don't even mention the state or L.A., but that's just how we do. We're too cool for school and themed soundtracks.

October 2010: there will be a gangsta party all up in the...whatever area code Pasadena is. Buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life, peeps!

Another Great Sale Find!

I guess a good thing about the economy being in the toilet are all the sales that are going on. Retailers want your hard-earned money, and they're willing to drop prices to get it. Earlier this evening, my friend Kathy and I made a beeline for BCBG Max Azria at Westshore Plaza Mall when we saw signs boasting a half-off sale. To be honest, I still wasn't expecting to be able to afford anything, even if it was half-off, so imagine my delight when I saw that this baby wasn't only on sale, it was apparently on clearance since the price I paid was more than 50% off the original price:

How fierce is this ring? Next to shoes, cocktail rings are my second-favorite accessory, and when I found that this sassy little snake fit my finger perfectly AND was on sale at an affordable price, I knew it was meant to be. I think I'll take him out tomorrow when Ali and I meet for lunch and go to the bookstore. I should be able to pull it off if I keep the rest of my outfit neutral.

What are some of your favorite sale finds?

Why I Hate Annie

I'm talking about both the musical and the comic strip, of course, not an actual person named Annie. I'm not a mean girl like that, even though I do have my bitchy moments (don't we all?). So far, my sister and my friends Ali and Arleen have had to sit through my anti-Annie tirade, and I thought, why stop with just them? Why not bring the three other people who read this blog into my ranting and raving? So without further ado, I present: Why I Hate Annie

I was first introduced to the ear-raping that is Annie the Musical (the original movie version with Carol Burnett) when I was a kid, playing at a friend of a friend's house. I don't remember much about that day except the house we were all at had wood floors, I think we were swimming in a pool at one point, and my extreme dislike of the movie. Later in life, when I was a senior in high school, I had to sit through a live performance, which didn't change my attitude in any way, shape or form. Folks, I loathe this musical. This musical makes me want to stick burning hot needles in my eyes and then rinse them out with vinegar and/or lemon juice. Why do I hate it so? There are a few reasons.

1. Everybody yells. The kids yell. The grown-ups yell. The musical numbers are yelling SET TO MUSIC. I think even the dog barks at one point! Tell me, how is being yelled at for two hours enjoyable? I find it all so obnoxious that I am unsympathetic to the plight of the orphan kids, unmoved at the relationship Annie develops with Daddy Warbucks and apathetic when the evil orphanage lady and her partner in crime get their just desserts at the end. I don't even remember what their just desserts were exactly, I just remember praising the Lord when the musical finally ended and stopped its assault on my eardrums. Don't believe me? Watch this scene from the movie and you tell me that you don't want to punch every single kid by the time it's finished.

2. The music sucks. I'm sorry, but it does. "The sun'll come out/Tomorrow/Bet your bottom dollar/That tomorrow/There'll be sun." I mean, seriously, what the fuck?

3. Daddy Warbucks freaks me out. The fact that he's bald and she calls him "Daddy" is what gives me the willies. Bald men in general don't freak me out, but for some reason Daddy Warbucks' lack of hair is creepy as hell. And the whole "Daddy" thing. Look, I know he and Annie end up developing a father-daughter relationship and he ends up adopting her at the end, but Daddy? It would be different if he adopted her as a baby and she grew up calling him that, but girlfriend is, like, ten years old or something when he decides to adopt her, and the fact that she calls him "Daddy" is a little child pedophile-y.

4. How does Annie have a pet dog? Seriously! If the orphanage she is at is run by an evil woman who rules with an iron fist, how can Annie have a pet dog? Does the dog hide behind a dumpster or something outside and she sneaks him scraps of food throughout the day? Doesn't make sense.

5. Annie's hair is creepy. For real. The girl is a white ginger, yet she is sporting an afro that looks similar in texture to African-American hair. That just ain't natural.

My hatred of Annie doesn't end with the musical. Oh no, I've got beef with the comic strip as well, but it's really with only one factor: Annie's eyes. It wasn't enough for the creator to create a white ginger girl with a creepy afro; apparently it was also necessary she not have pupils. I would have LOVED to have been in the creator's head when he was drawing her. Did he stop, sit back, survey his work, and think, "Red hair. Afro. Whites for eyes. PERFECT! My work here is done"? I mean, really? She didn't strike him as looking disturbing and unnatural?

Now, it's not fair of me to pick through all of Annie's flaws without at least admitting one good thing that came from the franchise: Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life. While the musical's version makes me want to put a gun in my mouth, if it never existed, then Jay-Z couldn't have used the chorus and beat to make his kick-ass song. But that is the ONLY good thing to come from Annie and her annoying friends. Rest assured, if you ever try to make me sit through that musical or its soundtrack, I will not hesitate to give you a hard knock life. And by that I mean I will punch you in the face.

Awesome Fashion Find!

After happy hour earlier today, some friends of mine and I decided to hit up International Plaza and do a little window shopping. We're all on a budget so none of us were looking to purchase anything in particular, but I ended up buying these sweet Hot Gossip shoes for five dollars:

Let me reiterate: FIVE. DOLLARS. Cinco dolares. Where did I get such an awesome deal? The Row. The boutique is going out of business, which is sad for them, but if you're a broke ass biatch like me, it's awesome. All clothing was 70% off, and red-line items were five bucks. It was serendipitous we wandered in, because now I can wear these shoes all up in da club on Thursday.

Not sure when The Row's doors will close for good, so if you live in the bay area and are looking for some goodies that won't break the bank, hit up the boutique at International Plaza ASAP!