Happy Birthday to Britney Spears, Lucy Liu, and ME! Although I don’t really plan on celebrating this year, I still thought I’d pull a Maria, and share my Birthday wish list. Based on my selections, you are probably envisioning me as a cross-dressing grandpa who likes to take photos and stare at manatees. You are basically correct!
1. Anthropologie Tick-Tock Cardigan. I actually almost bought this for myself, but the only size left was too big on me. I wear a lot of cardigans, and lately I’ve been trying to diversify so my cardigan collection doesn’t look Mr. Roger’s (who, by the way, wrote 200 songs during his career!). This cardigan actually (sometime during the last half an hour?!) just sold out, but there’s another cardigan that is identical. (Albeit, a different name and more expensive.) Anthropologie, $60 before…but now $118
2. I like boat shoes, because I think they are funny and make me feel like an old, grumpy man. I own a pair of blue patent boat shoes, but they aren’t the best quality, and they’re falling apart. These Sperry Top-Siders are more durable than my last pair, and they’re red! 6pm, $44.85
3. KIVA gift certificates! KIVA gift certificates are perfect for holiday gifts (or birthday gifts). You can designate the amount (as little as $25!), and the recipient gets to pick who to fund. Kiva
4. Every Monday is more pleasant with Gossip Girl. Anticipation builds up throughout the Monday workday, and I leave work in a better mood. I usually don’t have the patience to endure spoiled rich kid drama, but Gossip Girl is different. The dialogue is hilarious and charming, which I discuss to great deal on gmail with my friends- concurrently, while watching the show. And all of us are no longer in high school or college. Amazon, $36.99
5. Even though I’m not in NYC, I am fairly well versed in New York happenings. My homepage is the NY Times, and I read New York Magazine and Gawker daily. I also like drinking tea and reading the New Yorker. New Yorker subscription for me (please)! Subscribe here, $39.95
6. I don’t know much about SLR cameras, and don’t really own a camera (other than a camera I got 8 years ago), but I’ve been dreaming about getting an SLR for a long time. I really enjoy taking photographs, and I’m excited to think of all the adventures I could document with a fun camera. I’ll probably end up buying one for myself soon. Birthday/Christmas present for myself? Sounds okay to me. Canon Rebel XSi w/ lens, $639
7. I don’t know how I picked it up, but “good grief” is definitely part of my daily vocabulary. This scarf is ideal for my neck. Fred Flare, $24
8. The most pleasant thing that I have inherited from the previous tenant (sorry! not the mix cd with Limp Bizzzkit!), is a catalog subscription to Williams-Sonoma. Ha! The most recent catalog advertises a wonderful 3-D BEAR CAKE PAN. When I went to investigate it online, I noticed an even more wonderful surprise. A GIANT 3-D CUPCAKE PAN. Instead of filling the icing mold with cake batter, you can pack ICE CREAM in the mold, thus resulting in a GIANT. ICE CREAM. CUPCAKE. Note the picture above! Magical. Williams-Sonoma, $36
9. A MELODICA! Aka the most glorious, dazzling instrument other than the ukulele. It is like playing a keyboard, and tooting a kazoo, AT THE SAME TIME. Try to fathom THAT! Musician’s Friend, $35
10. I love manatees. I have even discussed my attraction to manatees before. On the WWF website, you can even adopt a manatee! If you choose the $50 or $100 option, the WWF will give you a plush manatee! Not so fond of manatees? Whale shark fan, perhaps? There are over 90 species you choose to adopt. WWF, $25/$50/$100
11. I like pens, stationery, and crafting send-worthy letters. I have been dreaming about getting a WAX STAMP for a long time, because when I think of wax stamps, I think of Thomas Jefferson and his tight glasses. I always thought that using wax stamps would be difficult, but then I noticed that Paper Source sells wax sticks that can be used like glue sticks! You just have to squirt a puddle of wax, and stamp! Paper Source, $6.80 for the wax, $9 for the seal
12. Argyle socks! My favorite! I have a hard time finding ones that I like (preferably blue and green), so I had to settle for the weird color assortment above. Joy of Socks (heehee), $7.50
Note: The middle picture is the cake my friends made me last year. A glowing T-Money cake. No, I do not know how I received that nickname. The candles make the cake worthy of a being in a Darkness music video. Below is a picture of the cake, unlit.
Upon seeing a tiny <insert ANYTHING>, only those with the coldest of hearts can squash a visceral response of…”aww.” Accompanied with the occasional shoulder shrug, of course. It is possible, however, that my heart is too warm. If I see almost anything that I can fit in my pocket or coin pouch, I succumb to the magnetizing cuteness force. Kind of like emf, the topic in physics class (that I especially despised). To my moderate embarrassment, my weak little heart melts into a Capri Sun-puddle. In my college bedroom, I maintained a small collection of worldly tiny acquisitions on my windowsill. A green alien (evanston, summer 2006). A heavy pig flashlight (japan, fall 2007). A pink cat rested on a longevity peach bun (ithaca, spring 2006). I’ve taken excellent care of my tiny treasures. Except the alien. He disappeared during my last move. The following is a list of twenty-two lovely things that are tiny enough to fit in your pocket (or other small places). Even pockets of Cheap Monday jeans, which I’ve included in the wee graphic above. I’m hardly a jean snob, but there are several pairs (Cheap Monday, Levi, Forever 21) that I wear more than others (Rich and Skinny = BLEH).
ANYWAYS, since I am excessively chatty, this post is too overwhelming without a click through. Click for the rest of this post! (more…)
