Back in action & 2011 SAG Red Carpet

When someone close to you is sick your whole world literally stops spinning. Life has been passing me in slow motion during the last couple of weeks. While it has been a really tough time, I have found a lot of hope from the many acts of kindness by my dear friends. Mel, thank you for the beautiful spring tulips. They are filling my kitchen with light and happiness. Parents & friends (you know who you are), thank you for watching over our little angel while I was unavailable. And to my amazing husband, THANK YOU for cleaning our entire house right down to folding the baby clothes. You are so awesome.

This week I am focusing on getting back into routine. Thanks to the SAG awards last night I am having an easy time with my first blog post after a week MIA.

Best Dressed - Solids

Rosario Dawson is top on my list in a cream J Mendel dress that is so cool and refreshing. Her skin tone looks radiant and jewelry by Susie Fox & Neil Lane completes the look (check out her earrings). Tina Fey, thank you for reading my memo about red this season. You have never been hotter than in this Oscar de la Renta. Wow! Sarah Hyland also looked glam in an orange Max Mara Elegante. Lastly, Natalie Portman this is your year. You really know how to show off your belly (here in Azzaro). I can't wait to see what you wear on Oscar night!

   

Best Dressed - Prints

Claire Danes and Mila Kunis looked stunning in belted prints by Louis Vuitton and Alexander McQueen. I would buy both of these gowns if I could, esp. Mila's with the long train. I also think January Jones looked old-school glam in this Carolina Herrera print. January has such a classic look, I don't know if I could disagree with anything she wears.

  

Worst Dressed

I'm sorry Angie Harmon, but where did you think you were going last night? JustJared called you a vision, but I think your Monique Lhuillier looked overdone. Jenna Fischer, please fire your stylist. You looked way older than you are in this Fendi. Jane Lynch, this Ali Rahimi is a disaster. I would have preferred to see you in your Glee track suit. And Wynona, you are teen prom meets Wizard of Oz in this Alberta Ferretti.

   

Worst Dressed Continued

I don't think the following need any commentary other than "ew": Kim Kardashian in Marchesa, Melissa Leo in Randi Rahm and Jennifer Lawrence in Oscar de la Renta.

  

My Two Cents

I feel like Julie Bowen is going to get a lot of slack for wearing a jumpsuit (Catherine Malandrino). My opinion: I think she looked pretty hot for an on-screen mom of three. Work it Julie! Another not best or not worst is Jayma Mays. This Jenny Packham was a huge step up after her disaster at the Globes, but there is still room for improvement.

  

Best Day Ever

"Woof woof...look, it's snowing out again...woof woof woof".

I love snow. It's my favorite. It keeps those stupid squirrels away and its fun to jump in. I hope this snow is the soft fluffy kind. I don't really like the heavy wet kind. It sticks between my paws and makes them cold.

Did mom hear me? "Woof woof...mom look at the snow...woof woof."

Last time it snowed it was the best day ever. Dad was home and all of us went for a walk in the woods. I was on my leash the whole time, but it was still great. There was so much snow. 

One of the best things was that mom and dad put mini-mom in a crate for the walk. We couldn't even hear it. It was like old times. It was awesome.  

My favorite part of the day was when dad and I played 'snow balls'. Dad made a snow ball and then threw it in the air and I caught it with my face. I could play that game over and over. It was awesome.

 

I wish every day could be like that. Instead, it looks like I'm stuck inside listening to mini-mom scream at me.

"Ahhhhhhh....bluu....Ah!"

Does it really think it's going to scare me? I'm a dog and even I know that it's dumb to lick the floor.

I really hope it doesn't figure out how to get over here. If it pulls my hair one more time I swear I'm gonna lick it across the face. "Woof woof...stay away from me mini-mom...woof woof woof."

Well, I guess I better go back to sleep. If I can't go for a walk then I may as well dream about going for a walk...

Baby Proofing

Hello blogger friends, I'm sorry I've been MIA all week. A very close relative of mine has been ill and I have been staying with her to help nurse her back to health. I'll probably be there again next week so you may not hear alot from me for the next little while.

Anyway, now that I'm back home for the weekend let's get down to business. Madelyn is going to start crawling any day. Right now she can spin in a circle and crawl backwards but hasn't figured out forward motion. I know it will be any day, and, well, the house isn't ready for that at all. I want to do everything possible to keep my little angel safe. I thought I'd check out some websites to get some ideas about baby proofing (about.com and parenthood.com). OMG, the list is daunting! Thank God for playpens and dads!

Emma teaching Madelyn to crawl

0-3 months

• Safe crib. check.
• Safe playpen. check.
• Install and use a safety belt's on changing table, swing, bouncy chair, high chair. check.
• Place a rug under the changing table and crib, which will offer some cushion in case of a fall. check.
• Keep nightlights at least three feet away from the crib, bedding, and draperies to prevent fire. check.
• Set your water heater to 120 degrees F or below. Did you know: At 130 degrees F, it only takes 30 seconds for a serious burn to occur and at 140 degrees F, it takes just five seconds. Oops...forgot that one.
• Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home, with detectors outside every bedroom door as well. Check your smoke detector’s battery twice a year ("change your clock, change your battery"). check.
• Take a baby first aid course to learn infant CPR. check.

4-12 months

• Keep coins, small toys, nail scissors, and balloons -- any item that is small enough to fit inside a cardboard toilet paper roll -- out of infant's reach. I think we need to crawl around the house to check this one...
• Remove mobiles and other hanging toys from the crib as soon as baby can reach up and touch them. Is this really necessary? We lowered the crib so she can't touch them instead.
• Shorten drapery and blind cords. check.
• Remove the plastic end caps on doorstops, or replace the stops with a one-piece design. Add to the list.
• Drill breathing holes into any trunk you are using as a toy box in case a child gets trapped inside. (And install safety hinges, or buy one with a removable lid to prevent pinched fingers.) We don't have a toy box. check.
• Lock any potentially dangerous substance in an upper-level cabinet. This includes alcoholic beverages, household cleaning formulas, laundry supplies, medications (including nonprescription varieties like vitamins or Advil), paint, kerosene, gasoline, charcoal, lighter fluid, bug spray, pesticides, and fertilizers. Huge TO DO item.
• Place houseplants out of baby's reach; know the names of all plants in case a child eats one of them. I only have one plant, this should be easy...actually does anyone want a plant?
• Keep a bottle of Ipecac and activated charcoal in your home, but use only when instructed by a medical professional. Okay...what's this for?
• Cover every electrical outlet in your home with a child/tamper-resistant outlet cover (the plastic plugs are easy to pry out). Also make sure power strips/powerbars are covered with a safety device. We did this when she was 2 weeks old, but we need to double check the entire house.
• Install ground fault circuit interrupters on outlets near sinks and bathtubs since they stop the electrical current when an appliance gets wet. Say what? Dad job!
• Place screened barriers around fireplaces, radiators, and portable space heaters. Gas heat, check.
• Install hardware-mounted safety gates at the top and bottom of stairways with two or more steps. Pressure-mounted models may not be strong enough. Huge TO DO item - need to find a custom company for our open concept stairs.
• Pad the edges of coffee tables and brick or tile fireplaces. Hmm....what happened to baby learning the hard way?
• Remove the crib bumper pad as soon as your infant can get up on all fours since baby may use it as a step to climb out. 8 months and she still can't do that...will keep on our radar.
• Position audio/video equipment so baby cannot pull televisions or stereos off furniture. Dad item.
• Keep appliance cords wrapped short so children cannot pull coffee makers, toasters, and other appliances. check.
• Secure bookshelves, entertainment centers, and bureaus to walls since they can topple onto children who use furniture to pull up and stand. Dad item.
• Install locking latches on all appliances that open and close (oven, fridge, dishwasher). Install knob covers to prevent a child from turning on burners and a stove guard to protect hands. Always keep pot handles turned inward while cooking. Huge TO DO item.
• Install latches to the insides of drawers and cabinets. Use knob latches on doors with knobs, if necessary. If you have an irregular cabinet and you can’t find a latch that fits, consider emptying the cabinet or making it a spot for toys and other safe objects. Keep poisons and chemicals completely out of a baby’s reach and locked away. Huge TO DO item.
• Put all vases and other dangerous decorations out of the reach of children. It may be tempting to leave some items out in order to “teach” your child about off-limits objects, but it’s safer (and less frustrating) in the long run to just remove them. Mom item.
• Buy electrical cord bundlers and secure cords to furniture so that they cannot be pulled. Buy cord shorteners for cords that babies can frequently reach (such as a baby monitor near a changing table). Watch teething babies very carefully, since cords are a tempting treat. Make sure all electrical cords are free of breaks, kinks and holes. Add to the list.
• Buy and install door alarm system for front, back and sliding doors. Dad item.
• Check all windows to make sure guards are on. Dad item.
• Buy and install toilet lid locks on all toilets. Dad item.
• Baby proof my purse. Make it a habit to keep purse elevated away from baby, and always hang car keys (ew germs) away from baby's reach. Mom item.
• Kitchen: Get down on the floor and check for items regularly. Keep the floor swept and vacuumed and make sure any pasta or other spills are cleaned up immediately. Keep pet food and bowls inaccessible to children. Hmmm...what should we do about Mason's food?

Red on the carpet at the Globes

From gowns to shoes to accessories, Red was everywhere on the carpet at the 2011 Golden Globes. I am in awe of these beautiful stars. How do they pull off such a challenging colour to wear?

Red wasn't the only primary colour on the scene, the stars were also shining in emerald, peach and navy. Unfortunately there were also some celebs who tried too hard. In these cases (see bottom), the extra stitching, netting and embellishments were just too much.

BEST DRESSED

Natalie, you won it all. You are absolutely glowing in this Viktor & Rolf satin floor length gown. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the red rose embellishment and red hot heels. What a perfect dress to show off your baby bump! (I probably love this the most because it reminds me of when I was pregnant at Neil and Jen's wedding, only 5 days before Madelyn was born...such happy memories).

HOTTEST IN RED

Every blog is buzzing about who was the lady in red. I have to hand it to January, I can't get enough of you in this risky Versace. Only January can pull that off. I love the plunging neckline, cutouts, dramatic lips and silky hair. Stunning. Sofia Vergara and Christina Hendricks, you are my runners up in Vera Wang and Romona Keveza. Way to flaunt your stuff!
  

PRETTY PEACHY

Emma Stone stepped up her image while Claire Danes stole my heart, both in sophisticated Calvin Klein. Claire, your hair also looked amazing btw.
 

SEXY NAVY

Amy Adams looked stunning in this teal Marchesa gown and romantic up-do. And Tina Fey, HUGE improvement from the 2010 Globes.

GLITZY GREY

My favorite on-screen mom, Julie Bowen, looked amazing and toned in Maz Azria Atelier. Love the silhouette.


SOPHISTICATED SHOULDERS

Anne Hathaway and Leighton Meester were fashion forward in Giorgio Armani Privé and Burberry Prorsum. These gowns grew on me as the night went on. My only complaint for Anne was that her back sheer didn't seem like the exact right tint of nude. Anyone agree?
 

EMERALD BEAUTIES

Elizabeth Moss (Donna Karan), Mila Kunis (Vera Wang) and Catherine Zeta Jones (Monique Lhuillier) were my favorites in green. Although I'm not crazy about the mid-section on Moss's gown, I really like how she's up'd her glam over the years. I do realize that Angie also wore Emerald but I have her listed below.
 

NOT WORST DRESSED...BUT WORST HAIR

Angie, Angie, Angie, why would you ruin this great Versace by forgetting to get your hair done for the Globes? It instantly reminded me of Victoria Newman. If you didn't want to put it up that's fine, but at least pin up the side or do something with your bang area. Shesh. And Sandra, I know you've had a hard year, but why let it show with such messy hair. You could have looked so great in your Jenny Packham. Were you just trying to lay low in case you ran into ScarJo on the carpet?

WASHED OUT NUDES

Scarlet, you could have done better than this Elie Saab dress. You are recently single, you should be strutting your stuff. Nicole, you were way too boring in this cream Prada. You and Keith just don't match. And what's with the black/blue ring? On the other hand, Dianna Agron looked very pretty in this J. Mendel, but I'm still not crazy about beige for the Globes.

  

WORST DRESSED

Michelle Williams, sorry but this Valentino does not do it for you. I know it's love it or hate it, so I hate it. It has the wrong shape and the print is hideous. You're a pretty girl, you can do better.


And Christina Aguilera and J-Low, both in Zuhair Murad, what were you thinking? Christina, everything but your hair is wrong, and JLo, who let you out of the house with silver eyeshadow and this chinatown shall? Yuck.
 

Lastly, Jayma Mays, can you please EAT SOMETHING? You are scray skinny in your Alberta Ferretti, it's falling off of you! And please, just because Red is the IT colour, don't wear it on your lips if it doesn't look good on you. What happened since last year? You were so pretty in your Badgley Mischka Couture. Gain 10 lbs and get back to last years style.

2011 Globes

2010 Globes

Lemon filled Cupcakes

Yum. I have made variations of this Lemon cake recipe from Gourmet on Epicurious three times in the past month and it has been a hit each time. Yesterday, I brought a cupcake version to my breastfeeding cafe group and one of the mom's asked me if I was a professional baker. What a huge compliment!

So, if you happen to be stuck indoors on one of these snowy winter days, and your baby is sleeping, and your husband is away or preoccupied, and you have 4 hours to kill, try giving this recipe a try. Bonus: it's made with gluten free flour (which helps balance out the many cups of sugar involved) :)

For cupcakes, use a pastry bag to fill cupcakes with Lemon Curd after cooled. Top with icing, sprinkles and leftover Lemon Curd. Delicious.

(not sure why this is sideways...oh computers...)