Oh snap.. its July?! That means..

..its my birthday month (Q Day lands July 29th aka the big 2-6).

Now there's one thing that I love just as much as birthday presents.. and that's BIRTHDAY COUPONS!!

So far, its July 2nd and I've already gotten.. (all of which I have to use during this month only)

• $5.00 coupon from DSW Shoes (must spend $19.99- talk about stingy bday coup!)
• $10.00 coupon from Victoria's Secret (must use Angels Credit Card)
• One free entree from Fiorella's in Newton
• $10.00 coupon from Lemon Tree Paperie

A few freebies that I THINK should get sent to me in the month of July:

Mac Lipglass

Vineyard Vines Tote
A Day where Cesar Milan (aka Dog Whisperer) comes to the apartment and turns Rocco & Lexie into the most well behaved Mutts on the planet! *btw if i don't call you for awhile, its because lil Lex chewed up my phone charger. But it could have been worse- it could have been my hair iron.
The lead singer of Fall Out Boy (i dont even know his name) to sing in a small concert in my backyard.. LOL cos I think he's dreamy. And last but not least.. CENTRAL AIR to be put in every single room I step foot in during the summertime. In my apartment, at my office, everywhere.
Hmmm there's still 29 days left in the month. It could totally happen.

Pajamagram Blogamagram Contest!

After I mentioned how much I loved my Pajamagram gift for my love of TBS' My Boys, I got a delightful surprise! Pajamagram told me they'd send a lucky JQ Lounge reader their very own pajamagram! How many times can I say Pajamagram in a blog post? I should probably add that to my spell checker now..

anyhoo, so here it goes.. a fun Thursday Blog Contest for you. Just answer the question by leaving a comment and you will be in the running for this fabulous prize!
Tiki Pajamagram will be PERFECT for the summer weather!

I'll pick a winner on Sunday, with the results Monday morning!

QUESTION: Who would you rather be stuck on a 8 hr plane ride sitting next to:

Dina Lohan, of the new hit "Livin' Lohan'

OR

Denise Richards, of the other summer blockbuster "Its Complicated"

?????

I'm sorry I've left you with such a tough question!!
(but i thought it was a pretty easy choice)

Meet the Press

Woo hoo! My first 'blog interview'... ever!

Check it out over at Blue Orchid Blog.. Thanks again Liene!! And for any more press inquiries, please contact my publicist, Dina Lohan. hardy har har har

Happy Friday! And enjoy your long long weekend

Happy Mother's Day!

rit graduation in '04. wicked smaht
smaht enough to be looking off in space during this pic!

BUI is a serious offense..

JQ Lounge correspondant Lisa W sent me the most ridiculously fabulous article.. on Drunk Internet Shopping. BUI (buying under the influence) as they like to call it! I love how Lisa said "This was very JQ Lounge-esque". HA that made my day.

involves people (mostly women) getting real wasted, blacking out and going on online retail benders, typically blowing hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars on clothes and shoes and rings and crap. The weirdest thing was, most of them don't regret it. In fact, one woman referred to this kind of sloppy shopping as "the only thing you can do after a few drinks and not have any regrets." This is presumably because you can return most purchases. But what if you're a cheapo drunk shopper and you buy things on sale? Then you're just screwed? The terror. [source]

I admit I've hit Sephora.com and splurged on a few goodies after a couple glasses of wine. You don't get the guilty "hmmmm I won't be getting paid til next week" butterflies in the stomach. And all you have to do is shut the MacBook if the hubs walks into the room so he can't see what's going on. But now that I think about it.. iridescent purple eyeshadow and bright pink lip gloss is something I probably would've ordered only when I was buzzed..

I KNOW a few of the JQ Loungers have done this... so spill!!!!! I'm such a nosy neighbor..

I found my identical voice twin

One of my fave bloggers, Allie of My Wardrobe Today, was on BlogTalkRadio for the subject of keeping a loyal readership. Bloggers will totally appreciate the great tips she gives!

But that's not all.. when I clicked on the podcast, all of a sudden I heard myself talking and giving the interview. I didn't remember doing that at all- but then I realized it must have been my VOICE TWIN. Sarah Conley, the chick interviewing Allie, pretty much has the exact same voice and accent as moi. Too funny and ridiculous. For the 2 people.. alright 1 person.. out there who are probably interested in hearing my voicetwin's voice.. click here!!

*for those of you too lazy to click on the link, pretty much over the years people have fondly commented on my accent as sounding like its:

• from the South
• Cali
• Minnesota
• straight up Valley Girl

** I somehow don't have a Boston accent.. I did when I lived in the city, but dropped it when I moved to the suburbs in 6th grade

Anyone else ever get called out on having a random accent?

Viva la Mexico!!

Oh Mexico.. it seems like yesterday I was lying by the pool drinking a Miami Vice (half pina colada/half strawberry daiquiri).. but now i'm in this cold new england early spring consisting of 60 degrees and windy. The trip was amazing, it was so much fun going with a bunch of friends, because as much as a vacation getaway with the hubs is fabulous- its nice to have other people around. The boys can run off and go jet skiing, while the girls can sit by the pool and work on their tans. We stayed at the Reef Club in Cozumel, and somehow got upgraded to their 5star Aura resort, which made us feel like a bunch of A-listers (that sometimes do lifetime movies and make random commercial in Tokyo..)Most of the days consisted of lying next to the pool, eating yummy food, drinking lots of drinks, playing rounds of ping pong, making up pool drinking games, and usually passing out by 9pm.. We rented a Jeep Wrangler to take a trip around the island, and found a lot of beautiful deserted beaches and small tiki shacks filled with Coronas, Tequila and Dos Equis.. The waves were huge and we got to play like little kids at the beach, breaking out the boogie boards and getting devoured by the waves (i think i still have sand in my eyes).how funny is this picture [below]?! I feel like if there were an OC esque show based in Boston, this would be the cover of the DVD!
One day we even went snorkeling! This is huge for me, considering the last time was 16 years ago and I went in Disney's Typhoon Lagoon "swim with the fishies" pool and made a huge scene because I screamed my brains out through the snorkel (apparently I don't like seeing fish when I'm underwater). When the boat dropped all the people off in the water this time, it was hilarious b/c it totally reminded me of Titanic. All the girls were screaming looking for someone they knew. I still spazzed out a little when I saw the fish swimming underwater, but then one of them came RIGHT UP TO ME and looked me in the eye so at that point, I screamed, swam over to Gus and jumped on his shoulders and he had to swim with me clasping to him the rest of the time! We got a hilarious pic of us underwater from the boat crew, but I gotta scan that in (and justify paying $12 for my thighs looking huge underwater!)
Got a lot of cool pics, heres a taste of the trip. OH BTW, if you ever go on a group vacation with friends, be prepared to get asked if you are swingers by about 90% of your bartenders!!!! Like I would share the hubs with anyone.. they would get a knuckle sandwich and leg sweep from me. Although there WAS a clothing optional rooftop bar we checked out later on in the week (while we kept our clothes on, the only nudes we saw were this old couple that hogged the hot tub) Don't worry no one wanted to go in after they got out!

gus doing pilates on the beach. unfortunately I passed on this and drank cervezas insteadthe entire time I had planned on getting a group shot of us holding an issue of The Improper Bostonian (so they'd put us in their next issue), but of course that never happened so I figured I'd take one at the airport, which i obviously can't submit now, so i should get some sort of use out of it!

Take Me Away!

Note: this post title shall be sang in the tune of Natasha Bedingfield's song that seems to be used in about 6 different commercials for shows that are returning with new episodes after the writers strike! Anyone else notice that?!

The JQ Lounge will be on a much needed vacation for the next week! Please feel free to check out all the fabulous blogs located to your right.. I think I've figured out how to tvo the Office next week, but seriously.. only I would book a vacation the week that all my favorite shows come back. oh well, nothing a pina colada can't help!

I wonder if Jay Z and Beyonce will be married by the time I get back?!

Bye for now :)

Wish I could rock a Bob

I saw this picture of Shanna Moakler on ShopStyle.com & right away started thinking I should break out the scissors and snip away to get this look. Unfortch, my hair is way too thick to pull this off (and I'm a lazy bum when it comes to blowdrying it with a round brush).
My short haired fascination started way back in the 90's when Valerie Malone showed up on 90210 as the Walsh's bad girl cousin.

Then there was Rachel Leigh Cook in the Baby Sitters Club (omg i was OBSESSED with those books!!!) I'd probably read them now if they were in front of me.

Katie Holmes- her hair looks SO CUTE and totally polishes her look!Jennifer Anistons hair looks perfect any length any style.. but she rocked the shortness for a brief period of time.Did I ever mention my past semi obsession with Catherine Zeta Jones? Sure she's an egotistical snob in pretty much all of her interviews, but she's just the prettiest vision ever! I actually got bangs right after I saw her in The Terminal (but once again I was too afraid to cut the hair short)

BUT something tells me it'd probably take me longer to blow dry a short hair do because I'd actually have to use a round brush so my hair doesn't flip out..

would you rock a bob?

The Post-it Always Sticks Twice

SO.. I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was going to order some designer post-its that were featured in In Style Magazine. Me being the baller that I am opted for 2 packages b/c I thought it would be fun to actually give one to a JQ Lounge Reader. But how do you pick such a lucky girl?

Beats me! I figured in honor of the SATC movie coming out soon, I'd ask of you..What's your favorite Sex & The City episode OR What's your favorite SATC Quote (or BOTH).. I have a couple in mind and will pick someone at the end of Wednesday. And i'm just a big dork who gets happy when I hear any references to Carrie and the girls.

Who buys designer post-its?! haha they are VERY cute though.

Highlight of my weekend

After feeling like absolute crap for the last week and a half, I decided to lighten up and grab some highlights, hoping that means summer will be just around the corner. And Happy St Patty's Day!

Woo Hoo for Avenue JQ

Ordered some sweet ass tickets to the Broadway play Avenue Q for next weekend! I figured the best way to break the hubs into going to a play is to pick the one that has to do with wicked puppets. Anyone see it?

And on a sour sore tooth note.. I think I've got myself a dry socket! I thought it was normal to have a huge pain in my lower left tooth 24/7 keeping me up at night for 6 days after elective oral surgery, but apparently I can go to the dentist and have it diagnosed and healed? What an awesome country we live in!

And I might have developed a minor Donna Martin-esque dependency on painkillers. Boo hoo, I'm already out of percocets. Now I know how Dr. House feels about his vicodin.

update: no dry socket. i'm just a big wimp. but i got more treats ;)
updated update: it turns out it WAS a drysocket, and I'm still in pain 9 days later. sweet!

Beep Beep! Whose got the keys to my..

Bought a new car over the weekend (well.. new to me)! While it was sad to say goodbye to the Kia Sportage I bought when I was broke right out of college... I practically chucked my old keys at the dealer! The new JQ mobile is a '05 VW Passat Wagon. Gus joked that it was a MILF mobile, but I like to think of it as a Soccer Mom luxury vehicle (HA). Leather heated seats and a sunroof was basically all I told the dealer I wanted in a car. Yay! Too bad its raining and I have the day off. Sounds like it'll be a gym, window shopping and movie day for moi.

Enjoy your holiday, and take a 2 hr lunch if your stuck in the office today.

Lauren is 25 and Neal is 128!

With a couple birthdays to celebrate last night, the RBC took in a dueling piano show at Jake Ivory's in Boston (right next to Fenway Park). Awesome time! But I'm surprised I had my voice this morning, because our table was the loudest one there. The pianists sang a lot of fun songs, and even got some Rap ones in there (Flo-rida!!). I blame lots of Champagne and raspberry stolis for waking me up at 6am and not letting me fall back asleep this morning. Oh well, SO worth it. The title of this post is what the teleprompter at the bar said in honor of the two birthdays, not sure how they got the 1 before the 28, but nonetheless our table cracked up every time it popped up. Neal, you don't look a day over 95! UPDATE: picture is posted!Neal with his great granddaughter Jenny!The Birthday Girl!Not sure why my eyes look batshit crazy in this picture! But I love it..

Football Sunday turned into 90210 Sunday

What an awesome way to start this sports free day! I found two back to back episodes of 90210 playing on SoapNet *8am-10*. I haven't watched an ep of 90210 in like 6 years.. and its just as fun and dramatic and awesome as I remember! Besides the hair and some of the outfits and those damn circle sunglasses every guy seemed to wear, this show is totally not dated at all. Dated- is when you watch an episode of Save by the Bell and think to yourself.. did I really take that show seriously at one point? No.. 90210 hit about every topic and situation imaginable.

In just 2 hrs I've dealt with...
- being a freshman at college
- sorority and fraternity life
- a carjacking
- a whirlwind romance with Stuart
- Jim Walsh getting a raise. go dad!
- dating my RA who doesn't want anyone to know (scandalous!)
- an apartment meeting at the beach house b/c david won't clean up after himself (how much do you love how every color of my apartment is a different pastel!)
- a coffee and intervention at the Peach Pit, i don't think I've ever seen Nat in other clothes
- John Sears pursuing me after telling Dylan we should see other people
- purchasing a Porsche
- Porsche getting carjacked

What an awesome way to start a Sunday..

I never puked my heart out, and I'm very proud of that

Finishing that 5K was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I ate more fettuccine alfredo, and drank less water than I have in my entire life. People always talk about triumphs of the human spirit. Well today I had a triumph of the human body. That's why everybody was applauding for me at the end. My guts, my heart and well I eventually puked my guts out. I never puked my heart out, and I am very proud of that.

That quote was by Michael Scott from The Office. And on that note, I'm proud to say that exposedNYC has bestowed upon me. wait for it.I'm shocked, I'm stoked, I'm psyched and I'm totally missing new episodes of the office (due to researching about 50 Office Quotes on wikipedia this morning to find that gem of a quote above). Thank you, Miss Exposed!

I would like to pass this on to... R from Married Not Buried. She's been doing such an awesome job making all of these treats and goodies for her friend's upcoming bridal shower & bachelorette party and sharing the pics with us!

blogger U

I wonder what it would have been like if blogging was the cool thing to do back in college. I, myself, started blogging a few months after I graduated... hhhhmmmmmm

Yay! college was fun, it would have been cool to document it
Nay.. college was FUN, it wouldn't have been cool for future employers to see said documentation

Yay! I actually would have had so much free time to blog since going to bed at 2am was considered very very early
Nay.. it would've taken away from my Instant Messenger convos, I usually had about 15 going at once.

Yay! Sorority drama = I would have been like Gossip Girl outing half the doushebag girls in the sorority. Don't get me wrong, the other half of the ZTA's immediately became my best friends and partners in crime (some featured in the picture above when we road tripped it to Panama City, Florida)... but come on, if it wasn't a sorority, I would have told a few of the girls they were hella lame.. and lacking in personality.
Nay.. Gossip Girl is anonymous. I am way too loud to try and pull that off.

Yay! The Gusman. Our college story is pretty funny. I'll dabble in it sometime. I've never laughed so much than when we started dating (end of our sophomore year).
Nay.. ESPECIALLY when we broke up for a few months junior year at RIT. All and all the best thing we could've done to have a future together.. but lets just say, it was like when Ross and Rachel broke up considering we all shared the same friends. WE WERE ON A BREAK (okay ross..) It would have made for some classic posts nonetheless..

Yay! College Life Crisis. SO MUCH BETTER than a quarter life crisis. because you have no responsibilities (what the hell is a utility bill and/or car insurance?!?)and you can go to a bar every day of the week and not be judged. (and your body can handle going to a bar every day) Now i go out for 2 nights in a row on the weekend, and it takes me 4 days to get rid of my headache!
Nay.. Being broke.. brokeness doesn't make for good blogging in my case (or good makeup!)

If you had a chance to go back.. would you have blogged during college?

I obviously would have, who am I kidding!

Surprise! [insert cookie]

So after reading up on We are not Martha earlier this week, I was SO motivated to bake some Surprise cookies. When looking up the recipe for the exact measurements, I came across a slightly different variation that surprises you with peanut butter in the middle instead of marsh mellows. Either way you prefer, Surprise cookies are amazing!

Click here for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise cookie recipe.

Why I am not a Newscaster..

This lady on the Home Shopping Network could NOT stop cracking up on air when a viewer asked her to say hello to her dog, Abby. The more I watch this host lady, the more I think she is my long lost aunt. I have to be related to her somehow. This totally would have happened to me. omg. watch the whole thing... the viewer talking about nothing. this lady trying to be patient with her without just blatantly laughing at her. and then she just loses it. i'm tearing up laughing just typing this while its on in the background.

Campaign Trail Never Sounded So Sassy!

Move over Bush Twins, cos the hippest daughter in politics is John McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain. She ever has her own blog, McCainBlogette.com. Her blogs mostly cover the campaign trail, with mentions of makeup, playlists, & funny stories thrown into the mix. She's loud and outgoing.. How do I become a blogette?!