When Angella asks, Ali says yes.
you just can’t say no to someone as wizard as Angella (especially since she’s doing a guest post for me next week when i’m in St. Lucia). She loves RW&Co. and lancome hypnose. and starbucks lattes. as, of course, do i. only she likes the hazelnut ones, and if i’m flavoritizing mine, it’s gotta be gingerbread. mmm…gingerbread lattes. come back christmas. please. (oh, also, i make up words like flavoritizing. a lot)
anyhoo…I’m Ali. I spend my days working at a well-known children’s book publisher and i spend my evenings blogging over at Cheaper Than Therapy. I blog about my life, my work, my three kids, and my occasional brazilian waxes done by the lovely Argentina. I am an editor by trade…but use almost no capitalization in my posts. I eat cookie dough for dinner. I don’t drink out of anything but disposable containers. I lost my virginity on my wedding night. i like a lot of music you’ve probably never heard of. I have trouble falling asleep more often than not and i sing the words to Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” in my head instead of counting sheep. i love celebrity gossip, and even have my very own celebrity site called Juice: Entertainment News With Extra Pulp, where i am queen of the snark.
I pretend that i am both funny and fashionable. i am neither of these things.
and i am a guest post panicker. but since Thursdays are thursday thirteens over at Cheaper Than Therapy, i figure i’ll continue the tradition here at Angella’s and give you Ali’s official list of:
13 things that are Ali-approved
1. lululemon reverse grooves. these are magic pants, people. magic!
2. winsor pilates buns and thighs 20-minute dvd
3. the V-string. THIS is Victoria’s secret. and unfortunately, this is not MY body…
4. Chapstick medicated lip balm.
5. Pedro the Lion. i heart ALL David Bazan…but i love his Control album.
6. my Wii. i’m obsessed, people. obsessed. Super Mario Galaxy. Zelda. Tennis. Guitar Hero. (i’ve even been known to partake in a little high school musical karaoke…)
7. Rolling-up-the-rim-to-win. AND accepting free coffees from strangers…i’ve gotten three this month!
8. Anthropologie. yes, yes, i realize that Miss Metalia wrote about it first. but it’s THAT good. it deserves to be written about every day.
9. Smashbox foundation. they sell it at Shoppers Drug Mart, and it kicks MAC’s foundation’s tushie. (i would have used a different word there…but, it’s Angella’s site, yo. i’m keeping it clean)
10. skinny jeans.
11. ipod touch
12. Lost. seriously, each week i think it can’t get better…and that i can’t possibly have any more questions. and each week i’m shocked. How did Kate get Aaron? Why was Jack so awkward about it? Where’s Claire? i. must. know.
13. Chrismukah. no, my family didn’t invent this holiday, but we were celebrating long before Seth Cohen and Ryan Atwood were. and it’s the best holiday in the world. and not just because i score a new Coach bag every year.
well, there you have it. tongue kisses to all of you, and of course, to Angella, who i hope comes home tan and relaxed. come by and see me sometime, m’kay?
Wherein I Give Travel Agents a Run for Their Money
Date: Wednesday February 27, 2008Posted in: Uncategorized
Hey there.
I’m Metalia. I have a husband, toddler son and um, a gestating fetus (I’m due in June). We live in NY where I am accosted by deranged hobos on a near-daily basis. More on them in a minute. I love lip gloss, bad TV, good cheese, spotting men with handlebar mustaches, and tequila (when I’m not pregnant, that is).
Obviously, I’m here because the beautiful Angella has asked me to guest post for her while she’s off gallivanting in Mexico. And people, can I tell you something? Each and every time I’ve been asked to write a guest post, I have the same reaction: Flattered, I happily accept, only to sit there in a cold sweat when the time actually comes to WRITE said post (which, inevitably, is for someone I utterly adore).
I mean, if it was my own blog, I’d be telling you about my impending Big Haircut, soliciting advice on my next baking project, or posting the Reading Rainbow-style video I made about the Gossip Girl book I just read. (Um, don’t judge me. I do read other, less horrifically trashy literature, I promise.) But you’re Angella’s readers! Most of you don’t know me, so the above topics wouldn’t have worked here. The last one probably even frightens you a bit (and can I blame you? No).
And so here I sit, paralyzed with guest-posting block…which, by the way, is worse than sitting down to take a macroeconomics final in high school after going to bed at 3 in the morning because you made the brilliant decision to talk on the phone for five hours with that coolly aloof, Jordan Catalano-esque boy who called to discuss the always-fascinating subjects of his guitar and The Simpsons whilst you casually tried to work in topics from the list you’d prepared in your Leonardo DiCaprio-emblazoned daily planner JUST IN CASE he called and now here you sit without the faintest clue about the theory of dynamic stochastic equilibrium. (Not that I know what that’s like, or anything. I’ve just heard. From other people.) I mean, yeah, I totally bombed that final, but only my teacher Mr. Jacobs knew about that. (I still loathe you, Jacobs! I curse you, your halitosis and your hideous silk paisley shirts!) A guest post is something that many people see, and OH MAH GAHHH I CAN’T BREATHE WHAT IF I FAIL GUEST POSTING?
Man, this is macroeconomics all over again.
Well, as has been made abundantly clear by the fabulous guest posters before me, Angella is all kinds of awesome. In addition to her kindness, her beautiful heartfelt posts, and our mutual love of Flight of the Conchords, she’s just so darn helpful. Whether it’s teaching me to how to make videos (so that I can now subject the internet at large to my karaoke stylings), assisting me in setting up my “real” website, or serving as the Mr. Miyagi to my camera-clueless Daniel-san, she’s always jumped in to help me out with my creative endeavors. And I love her for it.
So, now that I’m here, I got to thinking…what could I do to thank her for all that? My creative skills are no match for hers; in fact, I’m fairly certain I hit my peak during my (mercifully brief) stint as a door-to-door puffy paint t-shirt artist when I was 9. (I WISH I WAS JOKING.)
And then it came to me. Angella and I have talked a few times about how she’s never been to New York City and has always wanted to visit. Inasmuch as I’ve lived in and around NYC since I was 19, I decided I was going to take this guest posting opportunity to write a mini-tour guide specifically for Angella, should she ever make her way down here. (It shall also serve as a not-so-subtle hint that she SHOULD come visit, and soon.) I mean sure, she could consult a real guidebook or travel agent, but are they going to warn you about the hobos, Angella? ARE THEY?
The Five Things Angella Must See/Do/Eat In NYC
Mmm, Chocolate
Angella is a fan of chocolate, so she has to visit Serendipity while here. Not only is it the home of a heavenly drink called Frrrozen Hot Chocolate and every delicious cake and sundae treat imaginable, but she can also try their $25,000 chocolate sundae. You know, if she’s being budget-oriented. Plus, it’s down the street from a huge candy store, so she can pick up some yummy treats for her equally delicious kids.
The Shopping
Naturally, I could go on and on about my favorite stores here (which tend to be small, boutique-type places, as opposed to the big department stores) but that’s a post in and of itself. Since I’m limiting myself, I’ll recommend the following:
Angella has definitely read posts written by me and one Miss Heather B. wherein we wax poetic about our love for the clothes and accessories at Anthropologie. I know they ship to Canada, but you have to go to an Anthropologie store to truly experience The Awesome. I think I speak for both Heather and myself when I tell you it is worth all the hype, and also that you have not LIVED until you’ve visited their gargantuan store in New York’s Rockefeller Center.
Century 21 is another fabulous store; it bills itself as “New York’s best-kept shopping secret”, but it’s sort of hard to believe when you’re getting repeatedly elbowed in the eyeball by a busload of stretch denim-clad grannies all determined to get the last $10 Polo sweater for their grandson. (Note to the grannies: You don’t stand a CHANCE against me, old biddies! I live in The Bronx, yo! I fight dirty!) The crowds, however, shouldn’t deter Angella,because the deals (for her, Honey and the kids) are unbelievable.
Picture This
A photographer as incredibly talented as Angella MUST make her way to Central Park. The tree-lined paths, the statues, the gardens…she’ll be in heaven.
The Obvious
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, FAO Schwarz, Fifth Avenue, Grand Central Terminal…they’re popular for a reason. So go. (Although this seems like a good a time as any to confess that I’ve lived here for nearly ten years and have NEVER BEEN TO THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. There, I said it.)
The True City Experience
For this, Angella must ride the subway. Those of you who read my blog know of my long and illustrious history with this mode of transportation, and the myriad colorful characters who I encounter there. Like the fragrant hobo who demanded to pet my coat, the stripping homeless man, or the one who sings in falsetto about his training to be a nun/can he have some money for a sticky bun. There are also scary teenagers, break dancing children (yes, IN THE SUBWAY CARS), and the occasional lady of the night…out during the day.
Of course there are more mainstream people who take the subway too, but looks can be deceiving. Take, for instance, the woman I saw yesterday. She seemed fairly normal, and was attempting to talk to her friend across the aisle. But she was a loud talker, you see, and apparently did not mind sharing with the entire subway car that her “lady garden [was] in DIRE need of pruning.” Before I had time to recover (from that information in general as well as the use of the phrase “lady garden”), the train doors opened, and in came a three-man mariachi band, playing guitars, and passing around a comically large hat for loose change.
(Do you see why I never take cabs? The subway is so much more entertaining.)
Angella, I hope you’re enjoying your time in Mexico. Once you’ve returned, and are ready for a colder, louder, and smellier (but still somehow awesome) vacation experience, come visit NYC. I’ll be waiting with open arms, and some pepper spray for you to carry around. You know, just in case the hobos are getting feisty.
Shall we do the introductions first? I think so, too. So, hello, there. I’m Jennie of She Likes Purple and, yes, I do like purple, but I also like champagne and ignoring the laundry and devoting entire Sundays to perusing our local Super Target. I am newly married and a mama to one ridiculously spoiled and self-absorbed vizsla. Oh, and I’ve been spending most of my recent time counting down the minutes until I’m reunited with Pam and Jim. And you? Your name? Blog? Favorite pizza toppings? Maybe what you’re reading these days?
So, when Angella asked me to guest post while she’s sunbathing in Mexico, I instantly said yes. (OK, I instantly envied her, but I said yes shortly thereafter.) See, you’re most likely reading this because you’ll agree with me when I say Angella is one of the kindest and coolest bloggers you’ll ever interact with, and when she asks you to do something, you do it. I was confident in my “yes” response for about 15 seconds–until Angella sent out an e-mail listing the line-up of guest posters covering for her this week. I must say, nothing says intimidating like being grouped with this one and that one. After some panicked breathing and copious margarita drinking, I talked myself off the blogging ledge and focused instead on what I should post about.
(If any of my readers are visiting I can almost hear the chants of: “Please don’t talk about Veronica Mars. Please don’t talk about Veronica Mars.” And for Angella’s sake, I won’t.)
When I was single, in college, I began talking to a man online who seemed witty and smart and who was, according to the pictures he sent me, attractive, too. But when he asked me to meet him for lunch, I froze. I couldn’t do it. I never talked to him again.
About a month ago a blogger who I have great respect for (and whose Etsy shop I frequent far too often for my bank account’s liking) e-mailed me to tell me she was going to be in my area soon. She asked if I wanted to get lunch. And of course I wanted to meet her, so I said yes, even though I was ridiculously nervous immediately afterward (apparently this is shaping into one long post about my nerves; bear with me). See, before this weekend I had never met up with someone in person who I had originally met on the Internet. Call it nerves (again) or call it not believing in my ability to small talk or call it knowing I can’t eat a meal without dropping something on myself, but I’ve always avoided it. And for a while you can go about this blogging thing without meeting anyone. But almost a year after I began blogging I just couldn’t pass up the chance to meet Bethany in person–or her daughter and husband.
Bethany and I met this past Sunday at a little cafe in a nearby city and from there we spent some time in a local Barnes & Noble. I had to remind myself (THREE SEPARATE TIMES) that I hadn’t met her before. By the end of the afternoon it felt as if it was just something we sometimes do–get together to talk about blogging, books, jobs, traveling, etc. We were friends before we ever walked in to that restaurant and the friendship translated so fluidly and easily from online to off.
I imagine this is what BlogHer will be like, only magnified. Meeting friends for the first time with the friendship already tightly in place. There are so many of you out there (reading this or not) who I consider a true friend and, yet, we’ve never met. We’ve shared secrets, we’ve talked–for hours–about One Tree Hill, we’ve bonded over this or that life experience and we’ve spent endless hours discussing shoes. But, oddly, we’ve never shared a cocktail, a coffee, a chick-flick. In a way it’s incredibly strange and in a way it’s incredibly sad (there are so many of you I’d really love to have that cocktail with), but in the biggest way it’s just so cool.
For years I made friendships in school, in my sorority, at work, through other friends, but all those environments are geographically limited. When I began pecking out thoughts on an open forum an instant and vast community formed. A community that covers an entire country, stretching from one coast to another. It’s magical really, how my life is now filled with people I’ve never actually met but people I can’t quite imagine living without. And it’s worth getting over your nerves to solidify the bonds. Because really we’re all–large blog, small blog, a few page fews, a few thousand page views–just one small click away from becoming friends.
I hope to meet you sometime–at BlogHer or a local cafe–and, really, I mean that.
(Especially you, Angella.)
::
Edited to add this:
Bethany, Annalie, Me and Kristie
I have a severe case of the after-Christmas-blahs.
It happens every year. I know it is coming and I expect it. The days leading up to Christmas are special, magical and full of anticipation. Christmas arrives and it is all that you hoped it would be.
Then it is over.
There is a lull that happens and you do not know quite what to do with yourself.
I thought that I would do a Year In Review Post. At first I was just planning to do photos, but then I had a grand idea. I would include links! And blurbs! And videos!
I got about one-third of the way through and came to a startling realization.
Hi!
I’m not asking you to leave a comment (Shocking, I know).
If you are reading this, please click this link:
Pretty please.
I’M BEGGING YOU!
But? If you’re feeling generous?
What do you think?
You guys are awesome.
Love,
Angella
Edited to add:
This is why I want you to click. Again, SAJ rocks for promoting me! I highly doubt I would actually win, but I’d like to give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe I will win! All you have to do is click on it, and that counts as an entry. So click away! Click, click, click!
You guys rock too.
Besides the winning thing…this may also turn into a new hobby. Because I have so much free time 
