Cool things (to love!) lately...

iTunes find: Listen to"You, the Night & Candlelight" by Dave Barnes. Original songs plus a sweet remix of "My Girl." It's short, but will leave you wanting more Barnes' music magic.

Cafe oh yay: Check out Circa in West Seattle. Cozy atmosphere? Check. Cheap prices? Check. The best sandwich I've ever tasted (Brie with bacon and fig aioli...trust me!)? Check.

Cause: Habitat for Humanity. If you're from Champions Centre, join us with the Justice Project on the 3rd Saturday of each month to work giving a home...not just a house...to someone in our community.

Chocolate cool: Chocolove candy bars come with a love poem inside (collective "Aww..." required). I recommend "Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate." So buy one for your sweetie. Or for yourself. Because they're just stinkin' good (and you can find them at Target, too!).

Coffee crush: Grab a tall, 1 pump cinnamon dolce mocha at Starbucks. Chocolate + cinnamon + coffee = True love. :)

Chick flick: "Confessions of a Shopaholic" is simple, pure fun. Go with your girls (spare your boyfriend or husband!) if you want to bond over beautiful clothes, crazy comedic moments and a love story.

Chick lit: "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" by Sloane Crosley. It's a collection of essays that will make you laugh. And if you like the movie, check out the Confessions of a Shopaholic series...there's definitely some hilarity there that can't translate to the screen.

Blog: The Recessionista is pretty much perfect for right now. Also, reading people's "25 things" lists on Facebook...you learn things about people you wouldn't normally guess. Some serious, some funny, but all interesting...because they reflect the lives of people you care about.

Bible story you should know (but maybe you don't): David, Nabal and Abigail (I Samuel 25). Great lessons about relationships...thanks, PK.

Cheap night in: Haven't tried this yet, but saw a Redbox nearby and had to look it up. Movie rentals for $1 per night.

Cheap day out: Head to Green Lake on a sunny day and just take a walk, run, or (dare I say it?) skate around. It's a good place to people watch, talk with friends, get some exercise or just enjoy Northwest weather.

Confessions of a traveler: Rent a car with GPS in unfamiliar locales. It may have changed my life. The one I had in L.A. gave these soothing, reaffirming dings when my driver chose the right moves...it was like winning points on a video game (not that I'm familiar with those, Mom). :)

Cool things lately...

I have a confession--I have not been good at keeping up my blog lately. I do think it’s a bit funny that my “Cool things of the week” postings have morphed into “Cool things of the month” and now “Cool things lately”.

Oh well. I will not live ashamed … or deprive loyal readers of reading about some of the things I’ve loved lately. So here goes:

Celeb crush - Jeff Dye: (Sigh) Not only is he adorable, but he’s also hilarious. And that, my friends, is a deadly combination. If you didn’t get to see him on Last Comic Standing, check out this clip.

On a more serious note, going to his comedy show with some amazing friends may have been the highlight of last week—all of the comedians we saw with him were fairly clean and provided some much-needed laughs for my friends and me.

Musician – Rob Blackledge: Thanks to Pandora, I discovered the musical stylings of Rob Blackledge. He’s kind of like a cross between Justin Timberlake and John Legend …high voice, but smooth piano guy stylings. Love.


Night out – BJ's with Anthem girls: Get your friends. Go to Southcenter. And check out BJ's restaurant. It’s got your basic American grub (fried and cheap), but save room for a pizookie. Wow. It’s basically a blend of chocolate chewy goodness (translation: a warm chocolate chip cookie that melts in your mouth) with vanilla ice cream. And if you’re not a chocolate chick (or guy), you can order other flavors.

• Volunteer day: Facepainting foster kids: Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to help at a Justice Project event providing school supplies for foster kids. It was about 95 degrees and we were all scorching in the sun, but seeing their mile-wide smiles after I painted their faces was priceless. So cute!
  
  

Girl power moment: Repainting my bedroom and bathroom (in greens) and reaffixing shelves to the wall. Me + power tools + paint. Wow. :)

Cheap chic shopping finds:
Jewelry from XXI Forever at Southcenter.

Yes, you will have to brave the crowds of 14-year-old shrieking (or angst-ridden teens. But necklaces for $6.80? I'm in! Don't expect diamonds or high quality, but if you're just looking for trendy cute pieces that won't break the bank, this is the place!

• New-to-me restaurant: Check out Cafe Divino in North Tacoma. It's a cozy cool place that's perfect for "ladies who lunch" (grab your friends, sisters, mothers and go) or a great date off the beaten path (guys, I promise it's not too girly!).
  
  
• Quirky Olympic sport: Racewalking. Oh. My. Word. My sis and I were channel surfing and happened to see one of these racewalking competitions in process (kind of like this, but minus the background music. And picture a whole pack of these people walking in sync together). Hilarious!
  
  Can you imagine the post-competition interview? "Yes, Bob Costas, I train every weekday by walking from Macy's to JP Penney...it's about 2K...brutal stuff. What was that? No, I'm not gay. But the hip action I've perfected in my training has helped me to become a stellar salsa dancer. And yes, I do wear shirts with ruffles." :)

Cool Things of the Week

New Tacoma Hotspot: Hello, Cupcake! (No, that's not a corny pick up line for 75 year olds, but an AMAZING cupcake bakery near UW Tacoma).

Quote: "Love outside the lines."

Work Perk: Yay for Labor Day off!

Chick Flick: Becoming Jane - Okay, I saw this a few weeks ago, but I hadn't blogged about it yet. It's great...but be prepared because it's also kind of sad.


Cheap Eats: Check out the Olive Garden's Never-Ending Pasta Bowls (though I can't usually finish one!). At $8.95 (including soup and salad), it's a steal. And you've gotta have a Bellini Iced Tea
(iced tea with a bit of peach/raspberry syrup) just for me. :)


Cheesy (But Fun!) Day Out: Monday mini golf with the gang