Dulce de Leche Caramels

I was cleaning out my pantry and found a little cellophane bag tied with red ribbon, full of red foil Rolos and homemade caramels. Cellophane bag + red foil Rolos means someone must have given this to me last Christmas. And because it also contains a weird Christmas broach, I can't imagine anyone who gave this to me actually knows me that well.

I assume the weird Christmas broach thing is why it ended up in the back of the pantry. I set out the bag for tossing, but then after taking Zyrtec AND Ambien I decided it was a good idea to try one of the caramels. Pretty much I hate caramels, so why I'd want to eat eight month old caramels made by someone with poor fashion taste, I have no idea. Drugs are bad, mmmkay?

I took a bite and suddenly the soft, rich flavor of dulce de leche is melting in my mouth and I don't care for caramel, but dulce de leche is like liquid gold with rubies mixed in. Simply wonderful. I remember my mom giving us a heaping teaspoon of homemade dulce de leche and nursing that spoon while we watched cartoons together at Christmastime. It's terribly sweet but also milky and warm and smooth with a slight maple-ish hint and by golly this piece of candy is pretty much the best thing I have put into my mouth all year, even counting Chuy's Boom Boom sauce. And I have no idea who gave them to me. (If I knew, I'd be shamelessly begging for more.)

I ate another one today. Eight months old be damned, they are delicious. If I die tomorrow, now you know why.

Gypsy Girl

I think I have as much fun planning a trip as I do actually being ON the trip. I have a box full of maps and train schedules and thanks to online airfare schedulers, I can happily spend hours going over options for flying into here, traveling here, seeing this, doing that, packing this, which of my backpacks/travel cases/shoulder bags would be best suited for that little adventure? I love the process of finding the perfect travel bag, the perfect walking shoes (stylish but not 'touristy'), the best tiny accessories for being able to cram 7 days worth of living into my smallest space possible. It's like a puzzle, and you never know which piece is going to complete the picture or jump the cliff.

When planning a trip, the potential for what you can make happen is thrilling to me. I could go anywhere! See anything! Pack anything! Any one of a number of things could go wrong! What if were stranded in the train station overnight, what would I do? What if my bag were stolen (or being held hostage by Customs *cough Ottawa*), what could I subsist on that could be carried with me for miles on foot? What if I got lost and didn't speak the language?

I'm a worst case scenario, best case adventure traveler. But give me a satchel and a camera, a map and the perfect pair of shoes, I'm thrilled to be on the ride.

Things I Love About Men

I have a subscription to Esquire magazine and each month they ask one women to share "10 Things You Don't Know About Women." These are some I liked.

1. We love the back of your neck, the shape of your head, and watching you shave.

Ooooh this reminds me of two things:

A. A guy in one of my 7:30 AM classes who had really beautiful tan skin, dark hair and green eyes. I was very attracted to him. His neck was amazing. I would sit behind him and didn't know his name for a long time, so my friend and I called him "Neck Boy." He got me to that class on time, though. I used to sit and fantasize about his neck. (Hey, it was a 7:30 AM class, anything that got me there was a good thing. And he actually asked me out. I think he could sense the drooling vibe coming from the seat behind him.)

B. Watching a guy shave is hot. Maybe because we don't do it? It's a bit of a mystery. Even if you're kinda ugly, you look hot shaving.

One more thing: I like it when I want to give a man a head massage. I guess we do love the shape of your head. And I get to touch your neck, too. So call me selfish, it just feels really good. But you have to have a touchable head and neck for me to offer.

2. How sexy you look unbathed at a campsite first thing in the morning is as important as how sexy you look in a tux.

Cologne is for boys. Real men smell vaguely of deodorant (Old Spice, please), skin and sweat. Confession: a guy gave me one of his t-shirts and didn't wash it first so it smelled just like the spicy, soapy, sweet scent of him and I put it on and inhaled deeply and it almost made me cry, I missed him so much. I think he knew that would happen, the sucker, that's why he didn't wash it first before he gave it to me. (Really, that’s kind of gross. But in this case he pulled it off.) I finally did wash it, but it’s still a “comfort” t-shirt. Men reading this: never underestimate the power of giving a woman a t-shirt that smells like you. I’d rather get that than jewelry or flowers ANY DAY.

However, I would substitute 'Hugo Boss suit' for 'tux.' You're not a waiter, right?

3. Laughter and listening: These are the two bridges.

Seriously.

4. You are not the only ones who wish we would stop rambling on about our problems and just make out.

I know how to let a man know I want him to kiss me, I just don’t often get the chance. More often I get the swoopers, they just go for it, and I'm not always prepared. I want the slow burn, where you just know he wants to, and you give him the signal, and…yeah. Like that. It seems often either the slow burn or the opportunity to give the signal eludes me. We are so fast fast fast, everything has to happen now now now. Sometimes I talk too much out of nervousness. But sometimes, I don’t want to talk at all. Just lie still together. Or, as this woman said, just make out. Can’t we shut up and slow down, just a bit, and enjoy the slow burn moments? Please?

5. We love it when you pick us up at the airport.

I think it’s that moment of anticipation of knowing someone is happy to see you. And realizing you're happy to see them.

6. Let us catch you looking at us.

If we like you, it makes us want to throw ourselves at you. Even if we look away shyly,we know what we are thinking.

7. Soft and slow is always the way to go.

Ummm…yeah. Well, maybe not always, but enough.

8. We are all about our necks. Feel free to spend as much time there as you wish.

What is it with women and necks? I don’t know. Sometimes it’s embarrassing how easy women are to please. When it happens, we don’t forget. D.M., Thanksgiving weekend, 3:00 AM, 100 mph down the barren Nevada desert highway, more stars than I have ever seen in my life, the hand he’s not using to drive is playing with my hair, a stray thumb lightly caressing the side of my neck while I doze in and out beside him. We just don’t forget.

9. That thing you do when you hold your arm out so we can go in a door ahead of you—that's good.

I think I like this because it’s less formal than having the door properly opened for you, but still good manners. I like a guy who, without having to think about it, is polite and respectful and this gesture bespeaks that almost perfectly. He’s not making a show out of doing it, it’s just the way he is. Very charming.

10. Please don't be thrown by the fact we have careers and homes and are independent women; we still need you very much for your love, for your humor, for the way you look at things differently, and for your loving arms around us.

Seriously.

Squirrel

So, it turns out I'm kind of an awesome wildlife photographer. Who knew? Thanks, squirrel, for being a poser and making it so easy. And for being so darn cute.

(Want to see more recent pics? Click on 'My Photos' to the right.)

Talents They Don't Cover on Career Day

The entire text of an e-mail I received today from a friend:

"So our newest employee, Julie, informed us today on the way to lunch that she feels her writing talents are best suited for the adult market."

Best e-mail of the week, hands down. On a related note, I feel my photographic talents are best-suited for being a Playboy Bunny.* These moments of self-awareness sometimes just happen.

(*Or maybe I've been watching too much The Girls Next Door lately.)

Napping

For some reason, I suddenly feel like taking a really looong, warm, cozy nap. Not sure why.

(Special thanks to Lauren T. for sending me this pic. I love Lauren T.!)

(P.S. John and I are obvs. meant to be in love because, no lie, I own that same leopard print rug.)

Hibidy

This post is about something Hibidy loves but might not remember so I am posting it for her.

Hibidy and I have few musical overlaps: country, Spanish pop music, and classical are about it. (Our first friend date was at the San Antonio symphony and then the Taco Cabana on Broadway afterward. But I think I went out to a club after that with Kim. I'm sort of a friend date player. Taco Cabana on Broadway is also where I went with J. after seeing his band play and I was wearing leather pants and the cute but lower-cut-than-I-realized white shirt and I wouldn't hug him because he was all sweaty from performing.)

So one day Hibidy and I are driving someplace together and not talking, not because we were irritated with each other but because we spent a lot of time together relatively speaking so sometimes we don't talk in the car. And a country song comes on about a guy chewing out another guy for cheating but also hey, thanks for being a jerk because now I'm dating your girlfriend and Hibidy breaks the car silence by saying, "I like songs where a man gets mad at another man for not being nice." And in country music, there really is a genre of songs that falls into this category but I never would have been astute enough to identify it as such so succinctly. And I don't know if I even said anything in return, but it still cracks me up and whenever I hear such songs, I always think of Hibidy.

I love Hibidy!

Movies vs. Books

Some of my favorite movies are the movies I don't actually enjoy watching. High Fidelity, for instance. Could this movie be any slower? I can only watch it in 20 minute increments. It usually takes me a full week to get through. But if anyone asked, it's one of my favorite movies. Great topical execution.

I loved the movie V for Vendetta, but I love more remembering how I felt watching it than actually watching it. So I'll probably never see the whole thing again. Ditto Lord of the Rings (the first one). Just about the only movies I see repeatedly are the ones I think are very mediocre. Rewatching them requires no emotional involvement on my part. It's just noise and cute boys.

A movie I love is one I'll probably never see again.

The exact opposite is true for books.

Juicy

A friend first turned me on to Juicy Couture perfume. I bought the purse compact the last time I was in Vegas. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't like the smell of Juicy. Fresh and cute.

I also picked up these knee-length 'Juicy Angel' skate socks. Skate socks are fun with short skirts or short shorts. Holly Madison of The Girls Next Door (basically the most awesome girly show on tv right now) sells a three pack of pink/white/black skate socks I keep meaning to pick up. But honestly? I don't wear short skirts or short shorts often enough to justify more than my Juicys. And let's face it, I am in fact an angel.

And the clothing Juicy is known for: hoodies and yoga pants. Hoodies in general are the perfect investment. (In San Antonio, an array of hoodies doubles as my winter coat.) Combined with yoga pants, it's hard to want to ever wear jeans again. Comfy, cozy, soft, easy to throw on and off, easily worn to the grocery store, the movies, a casual dinner with friends, or just lounging around the house. Darker combos can be dressed up with fancy chanclas (gold, silver or my Marciano jeweled ones come to mind) or dressed down with plain, dark colored ones. Pink suits look cute with ballet flats or simple tennies. The only time they aren't great is the mid-summer months, but luckily there are nine other months in the year that are perfect for hoodies. And what girl doesn't look cute in a hoodie? It just works on everyone. Juicy track suits come in a couple of different fabrics, but in my opinion, go velour or go home. (But don't pay full price for one.) My chocolate brown hoodie/yoga pants velour track suit just might be what I am buried in someday.

http://www.juicycouture.com/

Mariska Hargitay

A woman I admire: Mariska Hargitay. As a result of her lead role on Law and Order: SVU, Mariska has become involved with sexual assult prevention and counseling. She's a certified rape counselor and began the Joyful Heart Foundation to assist with therapy for sexual assault victims.

She's a beautiful woman who has earned awards for her portrayal of a police officer who investigates sexual assault crimes. And that could have been the end of her story. But she took the opportunity to educate herself about sexual crime and the ways in which she could help those who have been affected by it. She saw a need and she filled it. She inspires me to seek out ways to be of service to those around me. We see needs all the time; what do we do about it?

Also, and this is the selfish part of me, she got married and had a son later in life than most. So she gives me hope that it is not too late for me, either. And reminds me there are lots of meaningful things I can do in my community, no matter what my first job is.

www.mariska.com
www.joyfulheartfoundation.org

Scarlett Johansson Photo Shoot

Is it wrong how much I wish I were the one in this photo instead of Scarlett Johansson??

Five things about this photo:

1. The textures are gorgeous: the velvet, sheepskin, satin and lacquer all draw the eye to different focal points, creating visual tension. Normally the eye is drawn to faces, but there are so many wonderful competing elements, the face isn't necessarily the focal point of the photo. And she is just barely enough not looking at the camera. I love experimenting with photos that make the face secondary, so I am enthralled with how the photog pulled this off.

2. Red velvet skirts are often a bad idea, but it works here. 

3. The hard table, rather than a couch, is an unexpected element that adds a momentary pause of contemplation. Why is she on a table? It's a great way to make you linger that one moment longer, even if you only notice on a subconscious level something is not quite right.

4. ScarJo is thin, but not skinny. And this photo would not work with a model who had the body of a 12 year old boy. Hooray for using a girl with curves!

5. Normally I hate Louis Vuitton bags. I feel the only people who buy them are people who don't have the good sense to know they all look fake, even when they're real, and use magazine pages, not their eye, to choose their accessories. But this one...I have to confess I love. The sheepskin and hardware combo make this bag. Obviously a winter bag and it's August so that's the last thing on my mind, but if I had the money to spend on this, it'd actually tempt me.

Terminology: Dream Climber

The term 'Dream Climber': a guy who is nicer to you in a dream than he is in real life and you wake up and have all of these affectionate and/or romantic feelings for him for no reason other than your dream. And then when you see him, you feel all giggly and stupid and embarrassed inside because he's a dream climber and doesn't know it. Especially if you liked it.

Usage:

You: "I don't know what I'll do when I have to see [Josh] again-- I had a dream we were making out and it's all I'll be able to think about..."
Your Friend: "Ooohhh a dream climber!"

Note: the reverse is also possible. You get pissed at him for something he did in a dream, and you're still pissed when you see him again in real life.