"baby i was born this way"

it's heeeerrrrrree!  i heard "born this way" first thing this morning on my way to work.  i literally got chills as the music started.  the pulsating beat.  the vocals.  the anthemic message of self-love.  the infectious way it made me want to dance.  i admit that it took a couple listens to make me completely obsessed with it, but now i am.  totally & completely.  the count on my itunes is already at 42.  is that normal?  anyways, it's amazing!  the message is so empowering, and it's strange/lame/whatever, but i feel like this one song has already made me feel so much more comfortable in my own skin.

"i'm on the right track baby i was born this way!"

** rant warning **
a lot of people are claiming that gaga ripped off madonna's "express yourself".  yes, there are obvious similarities between the two, but it's definitely not a copycat version.  i actually think of it as an homage to madonna.  seriously, the song is unique enough to be viewed as it's own hit. and honestly, how many other artists have "paid tribute" to past artists or even just used the exact same music only with different lyrics (ahem- rihanna "sos", flo rida "right round", jay-z "young forever"... etc, etc.)?  so, even if "born this way" is similar to "express yourself", who really cares?  it's already #1 in 21 countries... guess not too many people care.

panera at home

i love panera.  especially their broccoli cheese soup.  and their strawberry + other fruit salad with poppyseed dressing.  and their sandwiches.  did i mention i love panera?  well, if i feel like it's a sandwich day i usually get the frontega chicken panini.  it's really good & all the flavors work really well together.  last night, i had a girl's dinner date with my l.a. bff and i decided to try my hand at recreating the panini with my wonderful panini press.  i looked up the ingredient list on panera and picked everything up on my way home from work.  it was super easy to make & they turned out great (in my opinion)!  i even made one for hubby when he got home from work (at 10pm!) & he loved it!  the only thing i'll try differently next time is to use a thinner bread because the ratio was a little off.  or maybe i didn't put enough stuff inside... hmmm.  either way, i will be making these again!

my ill-ratioed, yet delicious frontega chicken panini

"we are all born superstars"

lady gaga has released the album cover for her new single "born this way". she is looking fierce and channeling an alien-ish vibe (with the face & shoulder protrusions).  i think the simplicity is stunning!  the single release date has been bumped up to this friday, february 11... it's so sooooooon!!!

'bld'elicious

hubby wanted to take me on a date before he left for his business trip.  we usually do dinner dates at one of our usuals, but i wanted to switch it up.  i decided that we should go on a brunch date to a restaurant i've been dying to try for over a year.  i saw it on 'the best thing i ever ate' on food network and i knew i had to go.  the magical place i am talking about is bld restaurant.

we were lucky enough to get seated right away (it's a pretty packed place, especially for brunch).  the restaurant is what i would call 'upscale diner' style... very good vibes.  we both got mimosas with fresh-squeezed orange juice.  delish!  fresh-squeezed o.j. definitely made a difference in the mimosas. while sipping, i read over the menu to see what all there was, but honestly, i knew exactly what i was getting before we even got there.  blueberry ricotta pancakes.  hubby ordered the fried egg sandwich with fries. when my pancakes arrived, they smelled incredible and they were gigantic!  oh.my.god.  they were soooooooo good.  like amazing.  even life-changing.  i thought i would be able to eat both of them due to an insane krav maga morning session, but i couldn't even finish one.  i really tried though.  even thought about sitting there the rest of the afternoon just so i could finish them.  seriously, indescribably good. and the sandwich?  well, let's just say it was the best dadgum sandwich.  not the mention the fries were perfect. hubby ate every last bite, but not before i had to beg to try it.

so in summary, it was one of the best dates and probably the only one where we've walked away planning our next trip there.  i am still dreaming of the food... i feel a mild obsession coming on.  wait, i'm already obsessed.

cavill + wilde = epic

rumors are flying that the front-runner for the role of lois lane in the new superman movie is olivia wilde.  yessssssss!!!  unbelievably amazing!  i think she would be the perfect lois lane for snyder's vision of a modern superman. now, just picture it for a minute.  henry cavill & olivia wilde in a movie together.  as lovers.  the hotness of it is mind-blowing!  (i am not ashamed to admit that i have a huge girl-crush on her.)  so please, zack snyder / chris nolan, please cast olivia as lois and make ridiculously happy!

other actresses reportedly testing for the role are rachel mcadams, dianna agron, malin akerman, jessica biel, and kristen stewart.  mcadams is seriously being considered and i think she is a solid second choice for the role.  i'm not feeling glee's agron & don't really have an opinion for the other two.  and kristen stewart?  why in the world is she even being considered?  omg i will hate this movie forever if she is cast.  she is completely undeserving of sharing sexy screen time with henry.  (consciously stopping rant now.)

* update: it's been confirmed that stewart was never offered the role... whew.

jgl love

the rumor has re-emerged that joseph gordon-levitt will reunite with christopher nolan to play a part in the dark knight rises.  sweet! this is getting so exciting!!  i loooove jgl... what an immensely talented actor! he was fantastic in inception (another film obsession of mine) and i am thrilled that he could be joining my beloved batman.

anyways, no news as to what role he might take on. previous rumors had jgl as the riddler, which nolan has said will not be a villain in his movies (maybe).  the web is abuzz with the idea of jgl reprising the role of the joker (due to his uncanny resemblance to heath ledger), but let's hope not.  that's a legacy that should be left as is.  besides, with the casting of tom hardy as bane & anne hathaway as selina kyle/catwoman, the dark knight rises already has two villains.  realistically speaking, jgl could potentially play the new da or assistant da, considering the deaths of harvey dent & rachel dawes in the dark knight.  other options include him playing a rising cop or a mobster. seriously, the possibilities are endless and he will no doubt be amazing as any character.  i just hope nolan will announce the role soon... i'm getting anxious.

for more jgl love

lovely mila

the ladies sure looked great at the sag awards last night!  there were a lot of blush tones, plunging necklines, bold colors, and flowy, floral prints.  my best dressed goes to mila kunis.  she wore a stunning crimson chiffon alexander mcqueen gown that i fell in love with the instant i saw it.  the gown was strapless and belted with a bold pattern.  mila complemented the dramatic gown with her soft, wavy hair and neutral makeup.  i loved her entire look!  sheer perfection!

my second favorite of the night was princess lea michele.  she wore a blush, caviar-beaded oscar de la renta gown with a deep plunging neckline.   (she is always wearing oscar!)  she also completed her look with tousled hair and neutral makeup.  i absolutely adored the gown, but there was something a little off about it on her.  it might have been the way the neckline sat or just how she was posing throughout the night. either way, she still looked great!

here's the rest of my best dressed list:

angie harmon in monique lhuillier 

hilary swank in versace

hot momma natalie portman in azzaro

heather morris in romona keveza

claire danes in louis vuitton

omg.omg.omg.omg.omg!

oooooomg!!  henry cavill has been cast as superman for the new superman movie.  *sigh*  be still, my beating heart.  i am seriously bouncing in my chair at work and smiling to myself while concealing squeals and giggles. but who is henry cavill you ask?

yup, this guy.  he is my male obsession!!!  i first saw him in the count of monte cristo in 2002 and fell in love.  for reasons besides henry, i have watched that movie more times than i can count.  but that's a story for another time because it truly is my favorite movie ever.  anyways, he laid low for awhile with small-ish parts in tristan + isolde and stardust.  and then, i found out he was in the showtime series the tudors.  man, oh man was i excited!  yet again, a story for another time (i'm trying to stay on topic here).

back to superman.  the reboot is going to be directed by zack snyder (300, watchmen) and will be produced by... wait for it... christopher nolan!  omg, seriously!  can this get any better??!?!  as for the movie, warner bros. has stated that they will attempt to give superman a modern feel and i think they cast the perfect superman for that.  not to mention, it's about time henry finally got his big break!  he was dubbed the "unluckiest man in hollywood" as he was chosen over for the roles of batman, james bond, edward cullen, and bryan singer's superman.  anyways, i can't wait to see what they come up with.  the targeted release date for the superman is december 2012.


between now and then, i have immortals to look forward to where henry is half-naked, sweaty & sexy, the greek warrior theseus.  i'm positive it will be better than lame-o clash of the titans and i only have to wait until november 11, 2011.


on a side note, superman is hubby's favorite superhero and i'm sure he's just tickled with excitement knowing that my henry will be donning the cape & shield (insert sarcastic glare).

for gratuitous henry pics

white by vera wang

i love vera wang.  i always dreamed of wearing a vera wang wedding gown. alas, i had to forego those dreams when i got married last year.  i was convinced decided that i would rather put the money towards our reception than my dress.  it was totally the right decision to make and even now, i am so in love with the dress that i wore... it was absolutely perfect for me!

but for all you lucky ladies & future brides-to-be, vera wang has designed a new, budget-friendly collection called white by vera wang.  the dresses will be sold at david's bridal and will all be under $1,400.  yes, vera wang for under $1,400.  (muffled sobbing)  images of the dresses were released this morning and they are gorgeous!!!  so elegant.  so feminine.  so ethereal.  absolute vera perfection!  although, i admit, some of the dresses resemble those of past jim hjelm collections.  but saying that francesca pitera's designs are another personal favorite, i'm definitely not complaining! anyways, the gowns will hit stores february 11.  buy one, be fabulous, and work that runway, errr, aisle.

the lyrics are here!

the lyrics for "born this way" were just released an hour ago by gagita herself. check 'em out!  the lyrics are inspirational & celebrate self-love & acceptance, just the way we were born. anyways, gaga is just a huge tease... i wanna hear the beat, dammit!  breathe... only two more weeks.  i know it's going to be amazing.

we are all born superstars.