Roll out those Crazy, Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer...

Do remember the 1¢ record clubs of yesteryear? As a kid, I thought it was the deal of a lifetime and managed to get my hands on loads of music for a penny, including hits by The Muppets. While I was away at summer camp, my parents got calls and letters from a collection agency asking for full payment! Got into a bit of trouble upon homecoming...guess they weren't really charging a penny afterall. Lesson learned: read the fine print!

Well spring is here and it is time to refresh your "musical wallpaper", as DJ Lucy Wrubel puts it, and get ready to make some great summer memories complete with soundtrack. DJ Lucy launched her very own Mix-of-the-Month in January and let me tell you it is MUY fabulosa. Most of us don't make the time to refresh our playlists much less stay current on new music. Subscribe to Mix of the Month and take pleasure in drafting off of Lucy's super chic musical intel...you don't need to tell anyone how you became so instantly hip or why your house is now the funnest place to be.

DJ LUCY WRUBEL // MIX OF THE MONTH

Here are the details and learn from me:

READ THE FINE PRINT!

$140 for the subscription, follow the link to iTunes,

preview and purchase the music from iTunes.

Get that? $140 to subscribe to her exclusive lists, then pay again for the music on iTunes.

This is not cheap...but oh honey, you will totally get what you are paying for!

Trust me~ you will look forward to it every month and your psyche will be refreshed not to having to listen to the same old stuff.

New music is good for your health. And did I mention her bonus lists? Check out her site.

Full disclosure~ I am related to Lucy! This is a shameless family promotion.

I hope you read that.

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Fun in the Sun

The air is green with pollen and spring has sprung as evidenced by the freckles coming back to my young one's face. Over spring break I discovered these fabulous Supergoop Sunscreen wipes that kids can effectively apply themselves! It worked all day in the doubly dangerous rays reflecting off the snow while we were skiing.

I even used it myself! It is a thin, clear solution that did not cause break outs and I could easily apply my make-up on top of it. I just stocked up for the summer on Amazon~ these wipes are perfect to send to camp!

Better yet: "Supergoop! takes seriously its commitment to formulating without parabens, petrochemicals, fragrances, and phthalates to provide consumers with an environment- and body-friendly choice for everyday UV protection."

www.supergoop.com

And for those areas that burn no matter what, you'll be glad to know the Zinka we grew up with is still available in a rainbow array of colors! Kids and adults alike enjoy a little face paint!

www.zinka.com

OH! I almost forgot! Here's another fun find for summer~ these great hair ties/ bracelets. Found them on Etsy for a fraction of the price and best colors ever. Enjoy!

Handmade Tie Dye Hair Ties Headbands and Bracelets by ManeMessage

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You've Got Mail

[By: Legally Blonde] My Mom sent me a big envelope full of letters, cards and the like that she found this week in a drawer. It's odd that all of this was together in a drawer in an antique table in her living room. And it's also odd that it was such a motley assortment of greetings. And that they dated back to when I was in high school. Birthday cards from friends I haven't seen in 25 years. Letters from my dear grandmother Peggy. A beautiful letter from my Daddy on my high school graduation, which I read out loud to my boys and Skip and wasn't through the first sentence when I started crying delicious tears of love and gratitude. I also vowed at that moment to forever write letters to those I love to encapsulate the memories and provide something to cherish long after an event or a time has passed.

And apparently, I've always had a knack for writing letters to people I care about. For in the same packet of mementos with letters from Peggy and Daddy were letters that I had written (although apparently had the good sense not to send) to the ones I loved in high school - that's right - FAN MAIL. To Rob Lowe, his little brother Chad, Tom Cruise and Scott Baio. All of these letters were encased in an envelope similar to that above - marked with a special "confidential" stamp and including the words sure to make any celebrity open a piece of mail, "Not just another fan letter!" Because indeed Rob's letter was not just any other fan letter, it was far greater and went something like this:

"Rob - Hey! What's (arrow pointing up)? I live in Dallas and go to Highland Park High School. I've been a big fan of yours since the Outsiders. Can't wait til Saint Elmo's Fire and Youngblood come out! I've heard rumors that you're coming to SMU. Is this true? If it is, I'd love to meet you. My dad is a professor there. If you're not going to SMU, please consider!! Please write amd tell me what your plans are and send me a photo. Stay cool!"

I'm not really sure how I was able to get Rob Lowe's address, but I think it was from Teen Beat magazine. Apparently I wasn't as lucky with Scott Baio, because I addressed his c/o CBS-TV. My favorite aspect of his envelope, as Walkoff pointed out, was the heart that I drew for the dot in the "i" in his last name. My letter to Scott, was much shorter - I essentially told him that I hadn't missed an episode of "Charles in Charge," hoped he would consider movies soon, and that I "just wanted to write to you and tell you how much I love you!" Such sweet words.

I'm pretty sure that my greatest star love was Chad Lowe. I think I still have every episode of "Spencer" on Beta tape. So I will leave you with my very personal "not just another fan letter" to Chad: "Hey Chad! What's up? I am ecstatic (great word isn't it) over your new hopeful Broadway career. See, my sister and brother-in-law are actors in N.Y.C! He is the lead in 'Sunday in the Park with George.' My sister is writing a movie, but there's no telling when it will be out! But I'll write and tell you so you can audition for it! I am simply crushed because Spencer was cancelled. I've memorized every show! Are these lines familiar? [and then I quote about 6 scenes from the show, example: 'See ya' in school...I'll bring a dipstick or something.'] Well now that you know what a great fan I am, I'd like to know more about you! [and then I asked the questions that will really allow you to get to know someone] Who is your favorite actor/actress? (Mine is you!) What is your favorite group? What is your favorite movie? (Mine - Oxford Blues, Beverly Hills Cop, Trading Places, Class, Outsiders). Are you planning on doing a movie? If so, have try-outs in Dallas! In the meantime, keep in touch! And send a pic of you to the address below. Stay cool and sexy!"

I'm pretty sure there are more treasures hidden in the house where I grew up. I hope so - because tonight I laughed and I cried and I just enjoyed all of these memories that weave together to make up a small, and sometimes embarrassing, but always distinct, part of my whole life.

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Yo no comprendo

[by Legally Blonde] Apologies: Being that one of my many new year's resolutions was to post on CFT more regularly, I don't understand why it's more than halfway through January and I'm posting for the first time. Although one reason for my delay in tackling all of my resolutions was the winter lockdown 2011 that hit Atlanta last week. Multiple days of snow and ice rendering school closed for an entire week, almost all roads unpassable for two days, and me at home eating and watching movies (interspersed with the occasional sled ride and snow ball fight) until I finally made it in to work on Friday. So now I've started in full force on my resolutions and my legs ache today from early AM boot camp to prove it.

And Post: The family went to an Atlanta Hawks game between Christmas and New Year's. As you can see from this picture, Skip scored some really good seats. We were about 6 rows from the court and had a fun night in the Hawks 103-93 win. But during the entire game - during the scoring and dancing and the high-fiving Harry Hawk, the seats directly in front of me were empty, save for a small TV turned to a Spanish soap opera. That my friends, I still do not understand.

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New Mantras

New Year~ New Mantras

A friend just emailed me about this fantastic website that sells affordable art. Thank you artist Mike Monteiro for these fantastic take aways. Viva 2011!

20x200 | Affordable Art Prints | Limited Edition Prints and Photographs | Jen Bekman Projects

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I Don't Do Bows

[By Legally Blonde] You remember the old Windex commercial - the one where the housecleaner states very proudly "But I don't do windows!" Well I don't do bows. Over the years, this has become my birthday and holiday signature. I probably don't even need to put a To/From sticker on the package because when presents are opened everyone knows the one without the bow is from me. Don't get me wrong - I love beautiful packages and appreciate the loving care that goes into each and every bow on packages I may receive - but you'll never find one on a gift that I wrap.

I rationalize my non-bow presents by thinking that bows usually get mushed or cause the gift opener delay in opening their package. But I'm not anti-bow - I simply have a bow-making complex. My mom makes the most gorgeous bows. These aren't stick on bows or curling ribbon bows or the ones where you pull both ends of the ribbon and a bow pops out. Her bows are full and round with multiple loops and drape beautifully over each package. The ribbon may wrap straight across the box or diagonally on the corners, but it always meets up with a huge bow.

I used to watch her make bows and she would try to teach me, but I could never make a good bow. They just never came out looking pretty - it looked more like a bow that would have been on top of Charlie Brown's sad little Christmas tree before it gets all fixed up. I try every now and again, but my presents always end up without a bow. And I'm OK with that, as long as the presents from my mom have great big, gorgeous bows on top!

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Are You Brave Enough to Let Me See Your Peacock?

[by chick] Years ago when I was first out of college an older woman gave me her favorite appetizer recipe for parties. As she passed me the hand-written index card she puffed up proudly and added in a hushed tone, “I actually gave you all the ingredients for this recipe since you live in another town.”

Apparently she and her friends had an unspoken habit of seeming like good friends who share recipes, but they would notoriously leave out one ingredient for fear their friends would make the dish dishier and show them up. Wow.

I wish I could say I was nosing around for recipes these days. I don’t have time to make the one I’ve got, and I’m desperately trying to spend more time exercising than eating. So do you know what I need more than recipes? MUSIC!

I am sick to death of my workout playlist. I am desperate for new tunes to get me going on the treadmill. I ask and ask and ask and find it hard to believe my friends don’t have more suggestions to offer. I post on facebook begging for ideas. I send emails. I ask in phone conversations. The best I get are some vague suggestions of artists like “Have you tried Black Eyed Peas?”…or “Nelly’s good!”

What gives? I need actual song titles ladies! I need playlists. Not sweeping genre suggestions or artists.

Could it be that withholding workout songs is our generation’s way of “leaving out an ingredient” so a woman’s friends aren’t dishier dishes in their little black dress?

I am left to my own devices, begging my 11-year old and her friends for song ideas. Clearly not viewing me as competition they are actually pretty helpful. They have introduced me to Taio Cruz and Katy Perry. When I tire of those tracks I scour Pandora channels and the Genius feature on iTunes to find similar songs. One of these late night musical odysseys led me to a Katy Perry title that caught my eye: Are You Brave Enough To Let Me See Your Peacock?

Are you kidding me? That is a song title? Those are lyrics? That is vile! Unimaginative. Debased. But fine, I’ll take it. Download.

Then of course comes the questioning judgment of iTunes, “Are you sure you want to buy this song?”

Yes dammit! It’s 1am and I am a 40 year old woman buying a Katy Perry song about “peacocks” because I am that desperate to find anything that will inspire my fanny to get on the treadmill tomorrow. Or at least the next day, or maybe even the end of the week would be a success.

So what do you say ladies? Help a girl out?

Please please please share some blood-thumping, heart-pumping, rock-your-socks off songs for my super tired workout playlist. Don’t leave out the secret ingredient. Stand strong. Be bold. Share your tunes. Let us have a peek behind the curtain of your workout playlist. What’s the word thunderbird…are you brave enough to let me see your peacock?

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