the old guy should be proud! annabelle and i went looking at cars yesterday. why? you might ask. well, just for fun frankly. we've had our eye on the hyundai santa fe and the honda element. i think the element only looks good in orange but that's just me. i do have to say, for such a moderatly priced car, it's nice and functional looking, and we all know i like functionality. the car dealer helping us explained that "it's a car designed with generation Y in mind, like you". well, i'm glad to know that my generation has now been named, and labeled with a car.

in a few weeks you will know where i am and what i am doing!

ciao arthur & co. visit whenever you'd like. there will be smiles here waiting for you.

still raining, which means it might be a really good time to go for a run and get myself away from this computer. blech.

i get a lot of e-mail from people i assume to be somewhere in the 12-16 year of age range. i know i am not the best person to rant and rave and typing and spelling form (as i prefer lower case) but i promise you all of my typos are mistakes. i just don't know how i feel about this e-mail short hand....let me just give you a little demo. this is an example based on real e-mails...
"i really luv yr ductape stuf. can u pls send me sum free tape. im doing the same thing 2. heheheheh!!!1
THNX!!!!! so-and-so

ok, so that's a little harsh, but i just wanted to start getting this new language out there so the masses can start getting used to it.

if i get one more 'please help me' solicitation e-mail from some doctor in africa who has been sent away from his country and needs my bank account and routing number so i can help him wire money to the united states...i think i am going to scream.

now, i know everyone gets a few wrong number and solicitation phone calls every once in a while, but i swear to goodness that this house gets more wrong numbers than anyone. we even get salespeople calling for people who don't live here (and haven't lived here in the past 2 years. we also get a lot of calls for the taxi service, as we are just a few digits off, but i guess that's all fare game. i just got the best wrong number ever, which is why i am posting this...but first, my second favorite wrong number ever...
i picked up the ringing phone to hear:
"who is this? you just called me?"
"i'm sorry ma'am, i didn't just call you. i believe you have the wrong number. sorry."
"mmmm, mmmm, i know you just called me, because i just used my *69 and you are on the other end, so you musta just called me."
"i'm sorry ma'am, I didn't just call you."
"we'll someone in your house musta just called me."
....and it went on and on like this for a good couple of minues. she had the phone number right and everything, i guess she had caller id as well, but there was no way in the world that she could have just called, because i was watching a movie and no one else was home. but she was no longer concerned with finding the person who actually called her, she just wanted to convince me that i had rung her up just a few minutes ago. that's just weird...

but now for the wrong number of the day. i just picked up the phone, and before i could even say hello i heard:
"you better put that phone down and get your butt over here..and then a word or two i didn't pick up. i gently told her she had the wrong number, and she laughed and apologized, and we said our goodbyes.

here's my favorite ditty about how to wash a cat...don't worry it's just a joke. i believe the old guy sent this to me at one point. thanks man.

1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.
2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.
3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape).
CAUTION: Do not get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out for anything they can find. The cat will self-agitate and make ample suds. (Never mind the noises that come from your toilet, he is actually enjoying this.)
5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power-wash" and "rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.
6. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.
7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.
8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet, and run outside where he will dry himself.

Sincerely,
The Dog
>
>Posted for humour only, please don't do this or we will have PETA, the
>SPCA, and every other abbreviated organization angry with us!

want to procrastinate a bit? or just send someone a smile? i recommend swinging over to talking heads and playing around a bit.

ahhh. my alma maters are really coming through! yup, this one too, just scroll a bit to see that good 'ol orange panther paw. would you wear your mistress's son's high school hat?

ahhhh, i'm sure yale will include this in the next alumni notes.

i bought new shoes yesterday, and i am just so excited about them. i have wanted a good pair of red shoes for a long time now (years!) and these ones are made in portugal, so it was a no brainer. yay for red shoes from portugal. i wonder if the shoes speak portuguese?

teachers, please make note that this is not a good use for duct tape...especially if you want to keep your job.

i was very disappointed to notice a safety hazard on mtv's sorority life show. it appears that, in order to get a better view of the front seat occupants in the car, the mtv-ers have removed the headrests on the two front seats. yeah mtv, really, really smart idea.

let me tell you a little something. it's raining here. again.

congrats yale college and yale law graduates of 2003!

i love johnny knoxville

guess what? guess what? annabelle and i went to mohegan sun today and we came out ahead. way ahead! what a fun day. and then there was some running to the park and frisbee playing. it was actually a wee bit sunny here today too. wowzers, craps is now my game for life.

do you like cats? brian does. click here. you'll like it, i promise. i like it because it's like having a cat when you can't have a cat. i can make it meow and purr, can you?
oh, and for more info, just go here.

i sort of see a resemblance between ashon kutcher (now of mtv punk'd fame, and my brother. maybe it's just the mischevious antics...

has anyone else seen the ads for MAXIM haircolor for men? i think the idea and the ads are hilarious. i also think there is a bit of a disparity between the advertising and the probably audience. anyhow, i'm just glad to know that MAXIM mag is so thoughtful as to create an opportunity for men to easily do their own highlighted tips. whew, i was worried and always felt bad for those poor guys who had to go to the salon to get their hair colored.

since when did jennifer love hewitt become a good enough singer to make it into the kiis fm wango tango show this year?

kelly clarkson is growing and growing on me. e! just showed a clip of 'kelly on her weight' in which she said that she is not going to fall into the hollywood image trap of changing her weight of her look. she said something like 'i know how i look, and i'm not going to change. i'm a real person.' you go girl! (as my mom would say). we'll see how long it lasts, but props to her for setting a standard for herself. i also like her new song...maybe i should join the fan club.

she also wasn't afraid to announce her weight on tv, 125 pounds, and i think it's good she's going against that annoying taboo of hiding your weight. it's such an arbitrary number, since we are all different heights, and some people have much bigger (therefor weightier) brains. just kidding.

that's it. now i am ready to play craps.

finally, some pics of the dog carrier, with the pup included. i didn't think the pup would be this big, but it turns out it's a perfect fit and that this teacup poodles loves his carrier. and his owner does too, and is picking up a new one in camel and burgundy for her sister!

on the pop culture tv note...i was crushed with the season finale of mtv's real world/road rules battle of the sexes show, not only because the women lost, but because it meant the end of the my favorite daily entertainment. the kicker of the mtv shows is that each episode is played once in the series prime time slot, and then at least 5 other times in that week. and then the longer the series runds, the more re-run episodes a week. for some reason the real world - road rules battle of the sexes challenges entertained me so much while i would work every day. it's so much easier to duct tape with the tv going.
i didn't think anything could replace my favorite brain numbing show (barring the required daily dose of surprise by design and tnt reruns of law and order and nypd blue...
but luckily mtv has come through again with...
surf girls, a sufer girl contest / real tv show following 16 surfer girl contestants (ages 17-23ish) as they vie for one bid to some pro surfer competition, prevent themselves from being sent home and try to overcome the intense emotional experience of the 6 week episode. well, let me just tell you that i can't wait to see the third episode! it's hilarious and goofy and these girls are an interesting mix. that's all i will say about that. but it's just one of those things that i can watch and watch and watch...it also is giving me a bit more indepth knowledge about women's surfing...which is building upon my extensive surfing knowledge built upon the facts i learned from watching blue crush. more to come, but watch mtv monday at 10.30 for the show.

how come mario lopez (my favorite saved by the bellactor) only appears in vh1's i love the 80's series for the year 1985? frankly, i think he is a great force on the reminiscing team, but why does he only remember things from 1985? i think i need to investigate. btw, i think i have seen every episode (except '89) at least twice.

oh dear goodness! the world is such an amazing place and people have way too much free time on their hands. mr. squirrel sent me a link to this fantastic page documenting peep research. peep research you ask? yes! i answer, research on those fun, puffy little easter marshmallow baby birdlike/chicklike/bunnylike animals we all like (or dislike) so much. really, it's worth the trip, and it's worth lots of procrastination time.
the following is my favorite quote about all the subjects that undergo testing: "Before any testing begins, all peep subjects are thoroughly examined and sign a disclosure form explaining the potential risks of their volunteer service." see...now you have to visit.

word of the day: bowdlerize. sadly, most of the words in their definition are too big as well.

it's quite cold here tongiht. the jeepie thermometer checked in at 48 degrees on the ride home, ick. isn't it may?

annika sorenstam...because "you da woman!".

dear old guy the link is permanantly in the right hand menu of this blog, under the press section. it will always be there, as will all other online vanessa jean press articles.

this memorial day three-day weekend is host to yale university commencement activities. congrats to all the grads, and yay for all the celebrating in store for us.

yay, i just signed up for a 10 mile race this october in beautiful mystic, ct. a friend passed the info my way and now we are excited to have something to train for together, yay. only once before have i run 10 miles at one time, and that was a mother's day gift probably about 3 years back when i was in incredibly better than now. well, much training to do, and i am quite excited for it, yay!

it's still rainy and gloomy here. sniff, i think at this point it is just making me tired. oh well, i got to work on a nifty new 'mini maron' bag. it's pink with a white rose and has purple and white ribbon handles. it's a little easter-sunday-ish, but it's cute. oh, i'm tired tired tired. i don't think my nutella diet is helping too much with that either. arg... i had so many things to report on from the day, and i just can't remember a thing right now.

it's raining here again today. although rainy days are a bit gloomy, there are some reasons why they are great. my personal favorite is that thai food tastes a whole lot better when it's dreary out...hence my stop at the thai taste cart on my way home from errands today. the other reason i like dreary days is because they keep me motivated to stay inside and keep working.

just a question...is it normal to cry at least once during each episode of surprise by design?

as i hoped, the kitchen cabinet has some insider posts about the yale law school 'explosion' today. click here and here for their firsthand perspectives.

more brilliant reporting brought to us by msn, what would i do without knowing What's a homemaker worth? The shocking truth.

yes, this is how those annoying and unproductive urbal myths get started, but it's always worth a try. mr. squirrel sent me the following information on how to cut down on telemarketing calls. does anyone know if this is legit?
...Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the other end?
This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone.
This technique is used to determine the best time of day for a "real" sales person to call back and get someone at home.
What you can do after answering, if you notice there is no one there, is to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times, as quickly as possible.
This confuses the machine that dialed the call and it kicks your number out of their system."

well, anything that confuses a machine is good with me. my other favorite for messing with unsolicited friends...for any mail you receive which includes a self addressed postage paid envelope...tear up the credit card/long distance phone service/life insurance offer, stuff it back in their postage paid envelope and mail it back to them. they pay the postage, the usps gets the business, and hopefully it annoys someone on the other end.

i'm watching news about the recent explosion at yale law school this afternoon. i hope everyone is safe and sound.

you can always be sure i am working really really hard if the template is changing. actually, i'm waiting for a phone call and so there's no point to get to the studio yet. it's also a rainy day, which means the kind of day when it feels really good to just curl up on the sofa and watch a movie.

ladies and gents...this is what happens to your blog when you mess around with the color in the template and you don't actually know what you are doing. sorry if it's too ugly to bear, i will fix it after a good night's rest.

there's nothing quite like blogging with arthur in bed. no, no that is not dirty, i promise. i'm just lucky enough to be taking care of annabelle mathey's brand new baby...arthur! ok, ok arthur also happens to be a brand spankin' new laptop, but since we broke it the first time around somewhere near the yale network, i get to keep it here with me, safe and sound. yippeeee.

if new york times writes about blogging...you know it's just got to be the hippest thing in town. ok, ok so that's not true at all, it just means that now the new york times is writing about it and now it will become a lame and silly trend..oh wait... read here and here although the first one is definately more amusing. i'm just going to make an off-the-cuff observation here since myslef and all the fellows on my super blog list seem to have to same opinion...based on my assesment of their content...why in the world would you write such personal stuff?!. hello!!! i know that the internet might feel like a safe, insular and anonymous place...but come on, use a little common sense. obviously people are going to read it, and YES, you will be found out...so why write stuff that will get you in so much trouble...or why not just make yourself completely anonymous (or anonymouse as mr. squirrel might right. well, that's enough ranting from me. ciao.

i will write more about this later!

holy begeebers! when in the world did this Clever (and Weird) Uses for Duct Tape from good housekeeping-online-sort of come up? yippeeee!

(left)well, ain't she a little cutey pie. this custom darcy has an avocado body and aqua trim...accented with a cute white and yellow flower picture. the tie was handselected to match the body design!
(center) just dashing! this custom order darcy features a navy body and yellow trim, accented with a pierced-on yellow flower. too cute (yes, that flower can be added to any bag!)
(right) inspired by the necktie! this custom darcy sports a pretty princess pink body with white trim. the incredible plaid necktie was the inspiration for this baby...and just look at her go!

custom darcy $40 includes magnetic snap closure and interior pocket. also available with flap...customorder@vanessajean.com...dare to dream! you can create your original darcy bag (or any bag)...check you vanessa jean dot com for inspiring ideas or just send an e-mail!

well...it's time for the

custom darcy!

you can view this spicy and functional bag on the website here but if you want something a little bit hotter, check out these custom order darcy bags!. these are just a few of the custom order darcy bags handmade within the past few months. remind me to put up the vegetable inspired darcy with a tomato and green pepper on the front! happy customers are either inspired by the idea of the bag and go from there (you pick the colors and i'll pick a matching necktie) or else you might be inspired by a special necktie and want to make a bag...well...just e-mail customorder@vanessajean.com and we will see what we can do for you! (that's the royal we, it's really just me and my shadow). so, browse away, and don't forget to smile!

movies to see...

(updated since 5.20.03)
1. y tu mama tambien fantastic. just finished watching it, so great.
2. igby goes down all-star cast. catcher in the rye esque meandering. love it!
3. rabbit proof fence
4. dangerous lives of alter boys
5. love liza
6. baraka excellent. fantastic. loved it. only i wish there were headers explaining where all the scenes were from.
7. talk to her
8. following
8. bowling for columbine - still haven't seen it, when will it come out on video?
9. roger and me
10. jackass the movie fantastic. now i must rent the dvd with 5 extra hours of footage. five extra hours is a hoax, it's just the usual commentary plus footage that is original to the vhs. what a con.
11. bread and tulips (translated from italian, french?) tried tried tried but i was just too tired and couldn't do the subtitles
12. italian for beginners again, it's hard to read subtitles if you're distracted. will try again...someday.
13. six degrees of separation
14. novocaine steve martin fan or not, this is a fantastic thriller, and so good to see mr. martin out of his usual role.
15. a guy thing a silly romantic comedy? yes! but i've wanted to see it forever and it didn't let me down. well, maybe the kiss at the end could have been better, but it was a good flick.