Bring It On, 2Grand10! Bring It On!

We Want U...

...2 offer up an opinion!

Takin U Back is a monthly variety show hosted by Moi & RLD! It is a celebration of the music, the entertainment, the culture of a given year! Each month a group of performers are asked to base an act on a song, a TV show, a book, a hot topic- whatever they want as long as it comes from the year du jour! So far- we have gone back to such years as 1984, 1972, 1999 and relished the opportunity to rock out, laugh it up, and even have a think about the year that was!

Takin U Back now needs to do some advertising and here in NYC, at least, fledgling shows need a postcard that catches peoples eye and makes 'em wanna come play with us! After a delightful photo shoot with the great Anya Garrett, these are our top two pics!

Which one do you think captures the idea of the show but also your eye?! Or perhaps neither of these do?! (Luckily- we have 300 more to choose from)... Would you like one more if it was altered in some way?? Talk to me people! Postcards are ordered by the 1000 (so irritating) so we will be looking at these for some time! Thank U!!

Christmas '09, III: A Few Of My Favorite Things

But JUST a few... there is also the romantic reading from Doodle, the Bitch-ness from Sarah, the zebra trim cape from my Mom (which provided the bestest laugh of the holiday), the take home Starbuck's iced coffee cup from Nannyland, the salted caramel hot chocolate from Heather,

I could go on and on.... but any which way you list it- I am so thankful and so blessed!

Christmas '09, II: The Meat!

On Christmas Day, the 'rents and I had our second annual Casino Christmas! First, we went to church- where my Mom sang beautifully in the chorus! I hadn't been in this church since I made my Confirmation in it in 1990 so it was weird to be there but the organ player was the same so that made it feel like Catholic home. And I was pretty darn proud of my songbird Mama-

I even whooped! Amen!!

Then we brunched it up and opened presents at home- good stuff got by all! We also got to chat with the rest of the fam in Oregon! I got to be on the phone while the kiddos opened my gifties and that was very nice! Hershey had a good time with the paper and really,

just looked super pretty!

And then off we went to the Turning Stone, for the second year in a row! En route- we got to talk to my Grandfather in Florida and my Goddaughter in Cornwall which was so amazing! (We take that ability for granted so easily...) My Mom and I got some massages at the awesome spa and my Dad hit some golf balls. We all lost money in the casino and posed by the fountain!

It was then that we introduced the new element to our tradition- we ate, not at the buffet, but at the Brazilian Churrascaria. We thought it was a steak house- we were only sort of right! There was a delightful salad bar, great wine, family style sides and MEAT. No really- meat. Gauchos came to the table with 13 different types of meat once we let them know we were ready via the use of rocks. (Green on one side for- "Meat, please." Red on the other for- "Enough. What am I a fucking tiger?") Holy Meat, Santa. It was all delicious and so carnivorous and NOT for the vegetarians among us. 3 fish, one white meat and one other white meat and then all red from there! Most were too red for my Mom. It was delish nonetheless and we were simply

too full to lose another cent!

So, we went home and ate Christmas cookies.

Because you are never too full for Christmas cookies!

Christmas '09, I: The Christmas Sweater Party

The 'rents and I were invited to a Christmas Sweater Party at a friend o' the fam's home! The minute I heard there were prizes... well, I went a little nuts! And the madness was infectious! My Mom glued more crap to her sweater than anyone ever should (and yet still managed to look classy) but my Dad and I- well, can you say Over The Top?? My Mom created this awesome deer for Diamond Don's sweater out of some fur we got at Walmart. Not content with felt antlers- my Pops used power tools to attach REAL antlers to his sweater!

I opted to tell a story with mine... the Redneck Christmas Story! Complete with Baby Bejeezus in Nascar swaddling, Joseph offering tickets to the Gun Show and Mary tarted up a little! Oh, and the bright light of the Star of Budweiser! (That's a real can, people! Well, half a can!)

And though Kath got the birthday cake- Diamond Don & I tied for Funniest Sweaters! I kicked his ass in the tie breaking Dance Off (in other words- he didn't get up and I won) but by the end of the night- one antler had gone limp, his Christmas ball had fallen off and the wiring we cut out of a light up gift bag and tucked under his deer was starting to peek out making it look like a Terminated Deer that had been well, terminated... At that point- I gave him the prize anyway!

I can't wait to make a Redneck Easter Sweater!

(I didn't want our lovely faces to distract from our magical sweaters!)

The Part of The Baby Jesus Will be Played By...

...a chicken! (Which came first?)

...a s'more! (Toasty, chocolate-y Jesus!)

...a Rubber Duck! (This one is just Quackers!)

Thanks to Kerri Ann for sharing the link that had the link to these Nativity Delights!

Thanks to www.goingjesus.com/cavalcade for finding 'em to begin with!!

It's All in The Eyes!

So, if the swans had "bread or death" in their eyes...

Then this goat is totally saying, "how YOU doin?"

Me & Phoebe, circa '01

(or the year I was too busy smiling at the camera to notice the bird pecking her eye out!)

(OK- she still has both her eyes but this pic is pretty damning!)

Don't Hate. Inflate.

Blowin' it up in da 'hood!

7 Swans A' Swimming!

Well at least it started that way... Then word got out that there was bread and

all swan hell brooke loose!

There was a point when I started to get a little nervous... seriously.

Look at the look in their eyes!

Meditation on A Theme- TONIGHT!!

TONIGHT!

7PM @ The Center

Hosted by Robb Leigh Davis

with an awesome cast of peeps all who have spent some time Meditating on the following...

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

www.meditationonatheme.com

I have a lot of opinions on this theme...

the shopping, the crowds, the travel disasters, the chaos, the stress, the lights, the smell of Christmas trees, childhood ornaments on my grown up tree, the displays, the postage, the shenanigans, the carols, the cookies,

the wrapping paper, the heartache, the joy...

A LOT of meditations, really!

Which will I choose for my performance tonight?

Well- you have to come see, of course!

See you there then!

(RLD chose the Peanuts to illustrate all the PR about tonight so I couldn't resist adding

these two myself!, I have always liked Lucy....)

This is Me...

...at Panera. At 8AM. Killing time....

Hamptons Nannyland has painters in house today doing some work

(that means paint fumes, dumb painter talk, cigarette fumes, Rush super loud on BYOB(oombox), and me, at Panera at 8AM, killing time....)

PS... I am out of coffee.

PSS... when you order stuff at Panera, you have to give your name. We come here a LOT as it is one of A's favorites. The lady who is always here when we come thinks my name is Nancy. (Well, she know it isn't Nancy but since she can't recall my real name- we go thru the Nancy thing EVERY time!). Thus- who does Nancy need to sleep with to get a free refill??

Just Fantastic!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor U.S. Speedskating

Welcome To The Slope, NY Times! Slippery Enough For You?

The New York Times published their Annual Gift Giving Guides this year with an added guide. In addition to the usual For Him, For Her, For Tweens Guides, they included a Gift Guide "Of Color"! That's right! Finally- you can get your yellow, black and brown friends something they want instead of the usual crap you get for the whites in your life!

Now if only I knew what to get my pals in wheelchairs....

PS.... Dear NY Times- Can I get Baby Jamz for my nephew?? He's just a regular peach color?

PPSS... I like Carol's Daughter Body Butters which are located only in the Of Color guide and not in say, the Cosmetic Enhancement guide with the other lotions and potions. Should I not use it? Can I get my colored friends a Baby G watch? It looks cool but it is not in the Of Color guide?

Gift Guides Located Here: www.nytimes.com

Commentary on said Gift Guide (by someone other than me)

Located Here: www.politicsdaily.com

Happy National Cupcake Day!!!

Monday

my life is slipping away one vicodin induced nap after another marked by the passing of law & orders....

More In My Astoria Series....

Bright Lights, (not as) Big City!

Street Corner Santas

I guess I aint the only one shopping at As(postrophe)Toria market this year!

Walking in Astoria...

I find all sorts of things whilst meandering in my 'hood.... the lovely yellow footed planter that now houses hens&chicks in my living room, the broken down doll abandoned on the sidewalk, birds in cages hanging outside of the window (just mean, really)...

This yard on 27th St makes perfect sense to me- plenty of gnomes, a stone turtle, the baby Jesus (and a bird cage sans bird)!!

This one- not so much..... An homage to the sacrificial lamb, perhaps?

It's Finally Upright!!

I had some troubles keeping the tree straight up and down! It toppled more than once- several times more than once! Annoying!! But finally- it is delicious! I napped by it's pretty, pretty lights just this afternoon... I just love Christmas lights and my tree!

For Jason!

Today...

...I just spent $27.95 to Express Mail the papers that are the official Beginning of the End of my Mirage. They have to issue something still but these papers beget that one and then it is 6 weeks and one day 'til the official end.

I am celebrating with Haagen Dazs' Limited Edition flavor- Peppermint Bark. I suggest you also raise a spoon of this shit because it is GOOD!

And darlings, we are worth it!

Whilst driving East...

...I passed this driving advertisement for Atlantis Marine World...

PS... it's not a real shark or a real man! Just FYI!

www.atlantismarineworld.com

(You can swim with sharks there! We have done it. It's cool. On the LIE? It's just weird!)

Photo Shoot Sunday...

Thank God for the calendar because someone needs to cut down on the Ring Dings!

YIKES!

But there is something about a 15+ year friendship that is just so adorable...

(More pics to come as we are trying to create promo stuff for our newest venture together and I like to get a lot of opinions first!!)

Greatest. Thing. Ever!

"People drop a lot of stuff to celebrate New Year's Eve. Times Square in New York City has "the ball" and communities all over the U.S. drop uniquely local items like a giant peach in Georgia or a big cheese in Wisconsin.

Perhaps the best, or at least cutest anyway, drop occurs in Bethlehem, Pa. That's where they ring in the New Year by dropping a 25-foot tall bright yellow PEEPS Chick. Just Born, the company that makes the marshmallow awesomeness, is based in the o' little town of Bethlehem so it's a truly local celebration.

The PEEPS drop is part of the First Night Bethlehem celebration, but this year it's also the grand finale of the first ever Peeps Fest. Peeps Fest is a two day event starting on Dec. 30th that features family activities like glass blowing demonstrations, family photos, factory tours

and the PEEPS olympics."

www.christmascity.org/peeps

Il Burlesque a New York da Oltremoda

I am huge in Italy!! See if you can find my sassy alter-ego, Bella DaBalls in this Italian TV special!

Molto impertinente! Molto calda! Piacere, mio bello!

Oh, OK- One More...

I kinda wish I still had this dress....

Me & Jeff

circa '76

But just for the record- in my family, sometimes the girls wore the sporting equipment!

Of course, the girls also got hockey pucks hit at them when they dressed like this but

that probably should be kept IN the family!

She shoots, she scores!! (She gets hit by a puck!)

Me, circa '75

Duck This!!

In the continuing saga of me and my bro...

Us & some ducks in our driveway. 1981

(My Mother called this one "4 Ducks"!)

And The Award Goes To....

Me & My Bro (clearly sharing hair spray)

Post-Athletic Banquet 1990

with our cheerleading/golf awards

(you can guess who earned which!)