Movie Page: Jennifer Aniston in 'Cake'

Have you heard about Jennifer Aniston's Oscar-worthy performance in the new film Cake? The film is about Claire Simmons, a woman dealing with chronic pain and grappling with the suicide of a young woman from her therapy group (played by Anna Kendrick). It originally premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and supposedly, Jennifer knocks it out of the park. 

Personally, I've always been a champion of Jennifer's acting skills. Yes, I loved her in Friends, but I was equally impressed by her work in films like The Good Girl and Friends with Money, too. I think she excels at deeper roles and I'm excited to see her do something different than anything she's ever done. 

It's scheduled to hit theaters everywhere in December and January. What do you think? Will you watch it?

(Image 1, 2)

The weekend is here!

Happy Friday, dear readers! What do you have planned for the next couple of days? I'm so excited because my friend Shalah is coming to town. Remember: She's the one who gave me cooking lessons and got married in Ireland, too? :) Here, to get your weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Reading Rainbow redo (donate now!).

Such a pretty beach towel.

Amy Poehler's favorite rom-com.

Live vicariously.

Smoked s'mores in a jar. Yum.

Love this pretty maxi dress.

Summer alfresco dining ideas.

DIY confetti poppers.

A rosé hibiscus spritzer.

Looking forward to seeing this film.

A sweet look at summer so far.

(Image via I Dream Of...)

TV sitcom floor plans

How cool are these designs from Etsy artist Inaki Aliste Lizarralde? He goes inside the homes of our most beloved sitcom characters—like Monica and Rachel on Friends—to provide detailed layouts of their fictional apartments. I love how New York-sized most of these places actually look (especially Seinfeld). Plus, according to Lizarralde, the famous Friends' roommates were quite short on closet space. :)

Check out more images from different shows here, and visit Lizarralde's Etsy shop here.

So clever!

(Floor plans via Business Insider; Image 1, 2 and 3)

Finding the calm

What do you do to add peaceful moments for yourself into your day, your week, or your month? After reading this thoughtful post by Megan Gilger over at The Fresh Exchange, I realized: Finding the calm is something I need to start prioritizing...now.

I actually used to be very good at squeezing in time that was just for me. In fact, I cherished it, and put it at the top on my list of things to do. Now, I'm on a mission to get back to this ideal—even if it is only for 22 minutes a day (the length of an episode of Friends, my favorite TV show) or 90 minutes a weekend (the length of time necessary to get a manicure/pedicure and maybe a 10-minute massage if I splurge!) or eight hours a month (the length of time to take a break—from speaking English, at least—and brush up on my French).

Anyways, the point is that it all starts with finding the calm—and doing the things you need to do to "repair yourself", as Megan describes. Good advice, don't you think?

(Image via Pinterest)

The weekend is here!

My darling readers, happy Friday! There's nothing better than a short, four-day week. What do you have planned for the weekend? Matt and I are hosting game night at our place—we're excited to welcome friends to Brooklyn, and embrace our competitive side. :) Wishing you a wonderfully relaxing weekend ahead. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

For the love of mustard.

A lovely dress for spring.

J'adore Carla Bruni.

Kitchen light.

A creative way to recline.

Color-blocked stationery.

An oh-so-New York movie.

Soda collection.

DIY photoshoot tips.

Polka dots.

A super-food salad. 

(Image via I Dream Of)

David Schwimmer on Broadway

 

Those who read this blog know: I'm a huge fan of a show called Friends. :) That's why, this past weekend, it was a delight to catch David Schwimmer on Broadway in Detroit. I've always known that David got his start on stage, but seeing him in this show, I was quite impressed. It didn't hurt that he was supported by such a rock star cast. Amy Ryan, Darren Pettie, Sarah Sokolovic—all were great! The show's run at Playwrights Horizons was just extended so get your tickets now. 

Any other Friends fans out there? More Friends here, here and here.

(Image 1, 2, and 3)

Sweet treats

 

Last week, I blogged about starting a letter chain with friends. Oh, the delight of getting snail mail! :) This week, I'm taking it a step further after learning about Biscuiteers, a charming bakery in London that, with just a click, enables you to send one-of-a-kind "pressies" to your friends. Choose from an extensive array of occasions to toast— the Queen's Jubilee, the one-year anniversary of the Royal Wedding or, my personal favorite, a trip to Paris. From there, you can select the day you want your package of sugary confections delivered, and that's it!

The best part? I checked—international delivery is available from Biscuiteers. But if you need a state-side option, I fully recommend these two bakeries here and here.

(Images via Biscuiteers and A Girl, A Style) 

Snail mail

I'm so inspired by the creativity of Emma Robertson and her lovely blog. Recently, she invited six of her friends to participate in a snail mail extravaganza! The rules: each person has to mail something special to everyone else that's a part of the chain. In Emma's case, she's sending all six friends pretty paper, a hand-stamped story she wrote herself, a personal note, and more. What a clever idea, and an amazing tradition to start. There's nothing better than getting actual mail — what a great way to ensure that it happens more often.

What do you think? Would you be game to start a letter writing group with your friends?

For one-of-a-kind greeting cards, shop here and here.

(Image via Emma Dime)

Ross and Rachel through the years

Longtime readers of my blog already know this — I'm a huge Friends fan. Last week, Jennifer Aniston achieved a major career milestone: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During an interview about her success, she talked about her most famous role — playing Rachel — and the fate of her character's marriage to Ross. "They're absolutely, 100 percent together," she said speaking about the current status of TV's most beloved couple, eight years since we last saw them. "They have more kids!" Read the rest of her interview about this (and a possible Friends movie) here.

Tell me — were you a Friends fan? What are your thoughts on a movie version of the show?

(Images via I'll Blog There For You and Bravo) 

The weekend is here!

Happy Friday my dear readers! How was your week? Mine went by slowly, mostly because I was counting the minutes until my best friend Shannon arrived in town. This weekend, we're celebrating a huge occasion for her — the big 3-0! Friends-lover that she is, I thought the photos above were the perfect way to kick off her birthday celebration tonight. Tell me — what did you do to toast a birthday milestone like this? Would love to hear your stories! Here, to get your weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

We are so good together. 

Italian living.

Go red! 

Cutie pie. 

Treat yo'self! 

Friday thoughts.

What birds do.  

Dinner in Paris.

More maps!

Your inner parrot.

The weekend is here!

My darling readers, I'm so thrilled that the weekend has arrived! What do you have planned for the next couple of days? One of my good friends from Boston just re-located to New York so we are going out this weekend to celebrate her change of address. Tonight also marks my friend Lisa's birthday and she is toasting the occasion by hosting a swanky rooftop bash. Lots to look forward to over the next couple of days! :) Also, a quick update — I'm taking a week off from my blog. I have a few exciting projects in the works and, as a result, need some extra time off to get everything done. But rest assured, you can expect lots of fun updates when I return October 17. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend! Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Dancing in Lanvin.

Pink house.

Season of s'mores!

A note to mom.

Wear red in Paris.

Change the weather.

Top five favorite movies.

By design.

Perfect coupling - at last!

Go-to chic.

A cat cafe.

An old school tribute to apple cider.

Food as art. 

A walk in the park.

The doggy dash.

Blue shoes!

(Image via The Bean and the Bear)

Yellow peephole frame on Friends

Ever since I moved to New York, I've been on the hunt for a funky picture frame to mimic this design idea from Friends. Well, now it looks like I can own the real thing. Such a simple way to make looking through the peep hole on your apartment door more exciting!