Wednesday is "New Year's is actually on Thursday" Day

Okay, so first of all, you're probably wondering what the heck kind of title you're reading, unless of course you follow the Ruby Turtle Hippie Times. And that's because the author of said times is your guest blogger today!!!! My name is Samantha. Emily and I met while in college at OU. We're proud alumni of Sigma Phi Lambda, PLBD, connoisseurs of buckets of tea and lovers of broadway, shoes and most recently Edward. Oh yeah, and we happen to be great friends. I mean hello she was in my wedding people. That is commitment.

I first owe my apologies to Emily because I forgot to post yesterday. For some reason, at work yesterday I kept thinking it was Tuesday. So obviously, it wasn't time for my educational post.

Now for the newcomers, I write featured posts Wednesdays and Fridays. On Wednesday as I mentioned before, it is educational. And this is my first time ever to miss a Wednesday as well as my first time to guest blog. So imagine the bittersweetness of this moment. It really isn't quite as tragic as I make it sound. But I'm from the South and we love a good tragedy in the South. So let's just roll with it okay?

Okay so today in true educational form, I'll be educating you on what else?

NEW YEARS DAY

• New Year's Day is the first day of the new year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1,as it was also in ancient Rome (though other dates were also used in Rome).
  
• January 1 marks the end of a period of remembrance of a particular passing year, especially on radio, television, and in newspapers, which usually starts right after Christmas Day. Publications often have year-end articles that review the changes during the previous year. Common topics include politics, natural disasters, music and the arts, and the listing of significant individuals who died during the past year.
• This day is traditionally a religious feast, but since the 1900s has become an occasion for celebration the night of December 31, called New Year's Eve.
• It is considered to be a sign of good luck to be kissed at the stroke of midnight at the start of the new year.
• It is also customary to make New Year's resolutions, which individuals hope to fulfill in the coming year. The most popular resolutions in the western world include to quit smoking, stop excessive drinking of alcohol, lose weight, and get physically fit. I myself have resolved to lose weight and look smokin' for a particular wedding that is set for the summer.
• The Rose Bowl Parade can be viewed on New Years Day as well as multiple bowl games. I'll be watching both.
• New Year's is also the beginning of multiple bowl games, most notably the national championship, where our alma mater, The University of Oklahoma Sooners will face the University of Florida's Gators. GO BIG RED! Beat the Gators!!
  

Well kids that's education and that's my post. Happy New Year!!!

My new resolution.

So, with New Year's lurking around the corner, most people are probably taking this time to think about resolutions. They are making decisions to change something about themselves in the coming year, beginning on 01/01/09 and last for 365.24 days after that.

Not I.

I am going to use this opportunity to take a snapshot in time of the things that sum up my life right now and see how those change throughout the year and then ultimately at the year's end. Kind of a micro-level time capsule.

I will post the list either on New Year's or the Eve, depending on how lazy I get between now and then and when I am around fast internet access. But I wanted to put it out there now, because I would like your input.

What are some things that make you think of me - in this moment? Not the Emily you remember from high school or something stupid I did at that one party at that one fraternity house or even things you think I have coming for me in the future.

I'm not expecting many responses, since it's the holidays after all. But if there's something that should go in my personal time capsule, let me know. I'll even give you a head start:

• Headbands with bows
• Caffeine-free
• Loves Edward Cullen

XOXO - I need you!

I am going into serious Gossip GIrl withdrawals. I need my weekly dose of Blair, Chuck, man bangs and Dorota. Not to mention my weekly snark from Daily Intel's coverage of "The Greatest Show of Our Time". Luckily, Gossip Girl's return to glory is just over a week away. In the meantime, I've been filling my need for media consumption in various forms, from the high-brow to the basest of interests.

Listening to: my old school Blair Waldorf playlist (told you I was having withdrawals; Lil Wayne, Bare cast album; Girl Talk

Reading: Serena, by Ron Rash; Entertainment Weekly; LJ posts from oxymoronassoc; and no, I swear I didn't finish rereading the Twilight series. okay, I lied.

Watching: Dexter (Season 1); College Football bowl games; The Dark Knight and various other findings from the local video store

When did Christmas get so close?!

I apologize for my sub-par blog posts lately. It's just that there's been a whirlwind of activity leading up to the holidays and just no time to get my thoughts in order.

I do think there are a few important things to point out, though.

1. I am at my mom's in Tennessee for the first stop on my Christmas vacation. Then I'm off to Paris after Christmas.
2. You know that earlier post -- the one about what I wanted for Christmas? Well, I got my #1. Sort of. Mom got me an Edward action figure. Oh heck yes. It's quite possibly the nerdiest thing ever, but too funny at the same time.
3. Speaking of Twilight, I am currently in the game room watching my bootleg DVD of it with my mom and stepdad. I don't think either of them will like it -- Mom, because it's "scary" and Monty because it's a teenage love story. Oh well.
4. I might actually have New Year's plans that involve me being in Norman. Nothing's finalized yet, so I won't get my hopes up too high, but Jordan and I have a plan in the works.
5. There are two things here that get a lot more of a workout when I'm home than otherwise -- my dog, Bridget, and the piano. I have probably spent 5 hours on the keyboard already, and nearly as much playing with the pup. Oh, how I love vacations.

I'll be back with a real blog post soon. Promise! And it will be BEFORE Christmas -- which just happens to be four days away. Whoa.

Can it just be Christmas yet?

We're obviously working very hard. Clearly, Christmas break needs to get here soon.

In case you were wondering, here's what we're discussing.

Also... this makes me smile:

Gabriella Van der Vyer

Some really fun things have happened in the last 24 hours, y'all.

Let's begin with the scene I caused in the middle of our Christmas party last night. Even though I had it set to be recorded, I really wanted to see the announcement of the Heisman winner live. So we paused our revelries to watch the last 10 minutes, and boy was it worth it. We're all in silence as the envelope is opened, followed by a lot of screams and cheers coming from yours truly after the name Sam Bradford was announced. Everyone kind of stared at me like I had gone crazy, but I wasn't worried.

There aren't a whole lot of details to share about the party otherwise. I mean, it was full of baked goods, wine and champagne, and "put your chin on the table." Yeah, that about sums it up. We might have even watched part of Elf sometime in there.

Today was Christmas shopping day with Justin and Jericho. We met up this afternoon in Chinatown and set off on a knock-off expedition. Sadly, their 9-room purse emporium had been shut down since last weekend (oopsy!), so we had to settle for following enthusiastic salesmen/women into nondescript storefronts. The decision had been made well in advance that we were absolutely not climbing into any vans.

With a little background knowlege on good fakes and a lot of bargaining skills, we ended up hitting the jackpot. I got a very good-looking Chanel 2.55 bag that I will proudly be rocking this holiday. Hmm, I probably shouldn't have announced that it's fake on the internet. Oh well, I'm not concerned. I really wanted to find some black Ray-Ban Wayfarers, but I had no luck there. I even busted out a photo of Rob Pattinson at the MTV Movie Awards on my phone to show the salespeople.

Speaking of RPattz, there was another great purchase I made in Chinatown: High School Musical 3, Australia, oh and TWILIGHT on DVD. Too bad it won't let me fast forward, because if so I'd be watching the baseball scene over and over and over again. And that part where he's rocking the Wayfarers in the parking lot. But I digress...

Our next adventure took us beyond Chinatown down to the Young Designers Showcase in SoHo. This is basically a bunch of trunk shows piled into one gymnasium-style room. The talent in this place was sensational, and they made everything from hand-stitched pillows to crazy "Project Runway" style fashion to the most gorgeous jewelry I've ever seen to really random crap. I picked up a few Christmas gifts, along with a great hat/headband type thing for myself that I simply fell in love with and could not pass up.

Around this point in time is when Justin and Jericho revealed to me that they (along with our friend Christa) had decided yesterday that we needed alter egos. These characters are the much wealthier, highly entitled and somewhat snooty versions of ourselves that can be implemented when shopping at high-end realtors. (Or whenever the mood strikes, really.) Their names are Kennedy Vaughn, Duncan McDougal and Anastasia Beaverhausen - yes, it is a Will & Grace reference. Now, my first name was chosen for me during an earlier discussion from which I was absent. They picked Gabriella because, "It just sounds bad ass. It suits you." After a little research and brainstorming, Gabriella No-Last-Name became Gabriella Van der Vyer. I know, you're jealous of how awesome we are.

So Kennedy, Duncan, Gabriella and our friend who doesn't have an alter ego then went for dinner at Little Italy. And by dinner, I of course mean some random pasta dish and lots of sangria. Gotta go big or go home.

There was one final stop on this holiday express, and that was the Union Square Holiday Market, which is basically tents set up around the square where they sell all kinds of crazy crap. Some of it is quite strange, and some of it is straight up awesome. Since we had already done considerable damage to our pocketbooks at this point, we didn't spend quite as much time here, but it was still a lot of fun to peruse.

Now I'm kicked back, blogging, Facebooking and watching Twilight in the comfort of my apartment that happens to smell like Henri Bendel's "Holiday" and "Winter Spruce" candles, aka the best scents in the world. I'm also fantasizing about the fact that only four days of work stand between me and kicking off my winter holiday.

All I want for Christmas...

I feel like since Christmas is just over two weeks away, I should probably fill you guys in on my wish list. I mean, that way you have time to scour the stores to find the best deals. Here are my top three Christmas wishes:

3.




















2.















1.



















Thanks in advance. I mean, I have been so good this year. And just remember:

I've regressed to 7th grade.

I think my mind is rebelling against adulthood by making me think like a 14-year-old schoolgirl. That's the only explanation I can come up with for some of my recent interests. I mean, Jonas Brothers... really?

And Twilight. Why do I love it so much? It's embarrassing, really. But, my friends are enablers to my addiction, so at least I'm not in it alone. I really shouldn't have downloaded the soundtrack, though. I had no idea Rob Pattinson could sing, and now I'm even more infatuated. Sick.

At least Zac Efron isn't the background for my work computer anymore.

The Boys Are Back

I realize that it's nearly 4 a.m. and I have to be up before 8 tomorrow and I should be sleeping. But I had to write this post while I'm still excited about it. Tonight, as I mentioned, some friends and I saw the midnight premiere of High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

Well, to be honest, it turned into a 1 a.m. screening, because they had problems with the film. We were sitting there for an hour and a half (at least) with a ton of impatient AMDA youngsters and Jonas-Brothers-psycho high schoolers who were more than ready to get their fill of Zac Efron. And the complaints let loose. We were afraid that it wasn't going to happen, which would've been highly disappointing. Rooms nearly left when we were informed that the new showtime was 1:00 a.m.

However, we were convinced to stay by an enticing offer. (Okay, being real, Kieley and Ashley were convinced to stay; Rena and I weren't going anywhere without seeing HSM3 first. I mean, we were already there way past my normal hour to be out and about during the week, so we might as well hang around and see the movie we'd made plans to see.) We got free movie passes, that can be used at any time for any movie, because of the inconvenience of waiting. And they gave us all a free drink and a free bag of popcorn. Not too shabby. Plus, we got to enjoy the amazing movie. I think I liked it more than the first one, even!

So, it looks like I'll be viewing Twilight from the cushy seats at the AMC on 84th. For free. And it seems to me that I'll be using some iTunes gift cards I've gotten in the mail to purchase a certain movie soundtrack tomorrow.

P.S. I predict that at least a couple of the songs and a ton of the choreography that I saw tonight (er, this morning) will show up in a Scandals show or two at OU this spring. Right?

P.P.S. The song title that is the title of this post was my favorite scene from the movie. So cute.

I love Jesus, but I drink a little.

For Sam, every Wednesday is educational day. For Team Spice Up Your Life, Sunday is the weekly roundup. For me, Fridays are going to be my day to wrap everything up in a nice little package to tell you how things are going for me. (We'll see exactly how long I keep this up.) But here's round one of "yet to be titled series of posts" - suggestions welcome.

I have...
25 days until I leave for the City. And while that sounds like an eternity to me at first glance, upon closer examination it is coming up crazy soon. Heck yes.

I want...
to go on a shopping binge at Sephora, really badly. That store could be my budgetary downfall, if there were one nearby. I'd go online, but it's just not the same as gliding into the glistening glory of beauty supplies that lies within those black and white walls.

I need...
to find an apartment. And to figure out how to get my stuff moved up there. And to finish going through all my junk. Blah, logistics bore me.

I'm obsessing over...
Edward Cullen. If you need to ask, you wouldn't understand. But Jes sure does! :)

I dislike...
the fact that even though I'm in the South, people have no manners here. Rude treatment in New York, I'll slough off. But these people in Tennessee could use a lesson or two from a Yellow Rose of Texas.

I'm reading...
Lamb, by Christopher Moore, at the suggestion of one Mr. Jordan Carlton. And I'm finishing a book that was a gift from Sarah, called What Would Audrey Do? It's delightful - naturally so, since it's all about Audrey Hepburn.

I'm watching...
TV on DVD. All my shows are over for the season, so until the new Project Runway kicks off, I'm making do with Will & Grace, Sex & the City, Grey's Anatomy and The OC.

I'm listening to...
MIA, Katy Perry and Lupe's disks on repeat. And it wouldn't be summertime if I wasn't blasting 3EB's Out of the Vein. But my current favorite track is "Your Love" by The Outfield. It's exceptionally 80s-esque and full of happiness. Katy Perry even did a cover/remix, but I'm digging the original still.

I'm Googling/YouTubing/StumbleUponing...
This cracks me up every time. It's an oldie, but a goodie. Enjoy.



I'm remembering...
Some great inside jokes from the past couple of years by reading my Wall-To-Wall on FB with various people. I have to include a handful, just to see who remembers them:
PATNB. TDB. Toast! Jorge. Barbie on ice. Man-giggle. PeterAnswers. McEngineer. "You KNOW I'll win." 1,2,3 and A-Z. Sister Fact.

I love...
sitting at the piano, playing my showtunes. It's still the best part of my days this summer. I've pretty much mastered my favorites from Chicago, Spring Awakening, Rent, Wicked and Camp by now. If only I could memorize them.

I'm thankful for...
the gorgeous weather we've been having.

Well that was fun! Look for round 2 next week! And don't forget to help me think of a name for this new ritual. Loves it and you.