No more UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATERS

by Brittany Geragotelis

Don't get me wrong...I enjoy a good ugly Christmas sweater as much as the next guy. They make perfect white elephant gift exchange presents, and they're fun to wear ironically. For an hour or two. But lets be honest, you can't really wear them the rest of the year...or in public.

This doesn't mean the holiday sweater should be counted out completely though. In fact, there are some REALLY awesome sweaters out there that you might actually be happy to receive from your Great Aunt Ida. Here's are a round-up of ones that I loved, which will make sweater-wearing both fun and fashionable! No ugliness necessary.

BUY THEM HERE: Trés Cool, $22.80; Holy Chic, $15.99; I'm Trouble, $29.95; Swag, $22.80

BUY THEM HERE: Heart, $24.80; Love, $34.90; Je T'aime, $27.80; Smooch, $10

BUY THEM HERE: Cool Cat, $13.80; Owl, $10; Foxy, $19.80; Black Sheep, $29.80

BUY THEM HERE: Red Christmas, $10; Sequin Bow, $39.90; Snowflake, $10; Smiley Face, $22.80

BUY THEM HERE: Zipper, $22.80; Studded, $22.80; Lace, $5; Cape, $15

BUY THEM HERE: Mercy, $22.80; Last Place, $13.90; Lost & Found, $22.80

BUY THEM HERE: Crosses & Arrows, $10; Stars, $29.95; Diamonds & Triangles, $37.80; X, $29.95

BUY THEM HERE: Barcode, $22.80; Shining Star, $27.80; Zig-Zag, $29.95; Stitches, $19.80

BUY THEM HERE: Panther, $29.95; T-Rex, $22.80; Panda, $22.80; Kitty, $34.90

Stay warm and happy holidays!!!

5x5,
B.

Going to the chapel and we're....

by Brittany Geragotelis

Get your mind out of the wedded bliss gutter! No, I'm not announcing my engagement online....but I do have a bit of a wedding announcement.

I was talking with my mom the other day on the phone and our convo went a little something like this:

Mom: "Did you hear what they're going to start selling at Costco?"

(NOTE: My mom and I are both huge nerds when it comes to Costco. Going to the warehouse is an exciting event for us, and I have fond memories of going there as a kid and eating my Costco hotdog piled high with onions from the little cranking machine it popped out of. MMmmmm. If only they were gluten-free!)

Me: "No, what?"

Mom: "Wedding dresses!"

Me: "Who would EVER buy their wedding dress from Costco? I mean, yeah, it's pretty much the best store ever, but the last place I'd buy my wedding dress from would be Costco. What, are you supposed to buy a pack of five dresses, one for each of your future weddings? That doesn't seem like it would be a good omen for your marriage."

Mom: "They showed pictures of them on the news the other day and they were actually kind of pretty."

photo credit: Costco

Me: "Still, beautiful or not, what are you supposed to say when people ask you where you got your beautiful dress? Do you lie and tell them something completely different, but then do you really want anything about your wedding to be a lie (again with the bad mojo)? Or do you tell them the truth and wait for people to start whispering about how you bought your wedding dress and your gallon-sized jar of jalepeno's in the same trip to the store?"

Mom: "Well, you won't have to worry about buying your dress at Costco, because I'm still making your wedding dress, right?"

Me: "Yes, Mom. When I get engaged and am planning my wedding—not that it's in the near future—you will be making my wedding dress."

Mom: "You know, the women in our family hit menopause early. Your eggs might already be drying up."

Me: "Sure. Thanks, Mom. Good to know."

(NOTE: Okay, so the menopause/eggs comment was a whole other conversation, but you can see how some of our talks go. Love you, Mom!)

Anyway, how do you feel about the news that Costco might start selling wedding dresses? Would you ever buy your own wedding dress at a store like this?

5x5,
B.

DELETE—The sales rack at Bloomingdales

by Brittany Geragotelis

Once a week, my guest blogger (who shall remain nameless...okay, not nameless...let's call her Ms. Sassy Pants. Sassy for short) stops by to share all the things in her life that deserve a big, fat DELETE. Anyhoo, her majesty is back and giving us some tips to surviving a trip to Bloomingdales—on a big sales day. Check out what she had to say and then come up with a few DELETE's of your own.

This weekend I decided to catch up on a few errands and participate in some retail therapy. The sun was shining, the streets were clear and the City was quiet. It was the beginning of a beautiful Sunday afternoon—or so I thought. In actuality, I'd stepped into my worst nightmare: a sale at Bloomingdales.

Watching women sift through garments on a sale rack is like watching starving rats fighting for the last piece of cheese. It's not to be entered into lightly, and in most instances should be considered a full-contact sport. But no worries, I was totally prepared. I had armed myself with not one, but TWO large coffees, sprinkled in some intolerance, a dash of PMS and a pepper of common sense; everything I needed to ward off a day full of DELETES.

While navigating a department store there are five unspoken rules that need to be followed. Any violation of these rules will result in being escorted from the premises. Well, not really, but you WILL get a big fat DELETE.

ONE: If someone is positioned in front of a sales rack, has gotten there first, and has begun to dig through it, you must wait at least 30 seconds to approach the same rack. Failure to adhere to this rule could cost you a limb or an eyeball (whichever you prefer). Do you really think you can get away with barging in? Go ahead and take your chances…DELETE!

TWO: Closely following rule number one, do NOT invade someone’s personal space while they are shopping. If ANY part of your body is touching me or I can smell your pits…DELETE!

THREE: This goes out to the “fragrance” girls: Do I look like I want a sample? Do I give off the aura of a filthy wench that needs just a little spritz of eau de whatever, to turn me into a lovely princess? Because that is going to solve all my worldly troubles…DELETE!

FOUR: Don’t bring your pet into the store...unless it’s your boyfriend or husband…DELETE!

FIVE: Overly-aggressive salespeople…be wary. They can sense a weak will like bees can sense fear. Unless I ask for help...you best steer clear! DELETE!

So, it's safe to say that Ms. Sassy Pants certainly wears the pants when it comes to strategic shopping. Arm yourself, have fun and at the first sign of trouble, all you have to do is DELETE! See you next week!

5x5,

B.

DELETE—Food shopping in NYC

by Brittany Geragotelis

Once a week, my guest blogger (who shall remain nameless...okay, not nameless...let's call her Ms. Sassy Pants. Sassy for short) stops by to share all the things in her life that deserve a big, fat DELETE. Anyhoo, her majesty is back and wondering why going to the store is such a pain in her ass. Check out what she had to say and then come up with a few DELETE's of your own.

If there's one thing I hate more than people, it's food shopping…or Facebook…but we can address that another week. If you haven’t had the pleasure of navigating the isles of the New York City “grocery store,” let me tell you kiddies—it’s chock full of DELETES. The food stores here are about the size of a newsstand on steroids. Sprinkle in some lovely New Yorkers and you can see where this is going.

So, let’s start with the cart. You know, the one that has the handicapped wheel. The one that insists on bearing right, when with all your might you're trying to navigate forward (hmmm this is sounding strangely like my last relationship). Now, some genius has decided to create the mini-cart (which I never approved by the way). These mini-carts were designed so that you could pull them behind you like luggage. But in the hands of an elderly couple or a 5-year-old, they can become deadly weapons. One word…DELETE!

Next, we have the infamous Sunday circular. You know, the one that lists all the specials for the week. Unfortunately all the bargain shoppers feel it necessary to stand in the middle of the aisle—the aisle, I might add, which is so small that you’d be lucky to fit two starving supermodels down it side by side. So, the bargain shoppers stand there, holding the paper, arms fully extended, eying their next coveted item. You just can’t get away from these people. They're everywhere! Standing in front of the cheese counter; the meat counter; the cleaning supplies. For the love of God it’s an epidemic! So, imagine what it's like for me to navigate around little Miss Super Saver while I'm trying to get to the ice cream. I’m on a mission here, Missy. Move your ass before it gets DELETED.

And finally, you have to love the check out. Here are a few items that made the list this week, which most certainly deserve a big fat DELETE:

The woman in front of you who price-checks every item she has. Hey, buddy, maybe you should apply for a job since you seem to like playing cashier for the day…DELETE.

People who bring 10 items to the 8 items or less lane. I don't care who you are, you’re not that special and yes the rules apply to you, too…DELETE.

Parents who let their kids scream for candy and hang off the cart like monkeys. Give them the bleeping candy and let us wait in peace…DELETE.

The guy you're stuck behind in line who doesn’t have enough money to pay. Really? Weren’t you the one reading the circular a few minutes ago? I would've thought you'd be better prepared…DELETE.

The Chatty Kathy. You know who I’m talking about. She thinks everyone's her best friend and wants to chat it up with the cashier, you and the kids hanging off the cart. Zip the lip, lady. And oh yeah, forgot to tell you…DELETE!

So until next time…shop in peace and let’s see what we can cook up for next week. Who would you DELETE during your grocery store visit? Leave your comments above!

5x5,

B

A "BIG" weekend!

by Brittany Geragotelis

I just LOVE three-day weekends....having that extra day to kick back and chillax, really sends my happiness meter sky-rocketing! Friday afternoon, I took off with Matt to escape the big city and spent a few relaxing days at his parent's house in MD. Every time I go there, I come back so much calmer, reinvigorated and in better spirits than when I got there. This trip was no different...and man did I need it!

I'm not sure what YOUR plans included, but mine seemed to revolve around SHOPPING! Part of the reason we went home this weekend was so that I could use a birthday gift certificate for PAC SUN at the mall (they don't have the store here in the city) and pick up some ZAZZ (a generic brand of seltzer that also isn't available in the city and is about half the price of the stuff in the stores here). What actually ended up happening though, was that we started off our Saturday at COSTCO (one of my fave stores!), and proceeded to go on a major shopping spree!

After buying a bunch of household essentials at Costco, we went home and dropped off our loot and headed back out to the mall, my first stop being at Pac Sun, where I needed to buy a pair of jean shorts (my zeros from last summer no longer fit me; thanks Mother Nature, for letting me get old and sending my metabolism into a tailspin). I walked out of there with two pairs of shorts and a pair of jeans! I love this store, because they have jeans for short people like me. And they always fit me better.

Then, I wandered into H&M (I know we have them here in the city, but I went in because, well, we were already there), and ended up buying another pair of jeans! They're thinner than most of the jeans I own and I got them from the kids section, so they were pretty affordable (although now that I'm wearing them today, I'm realizing I should have bought them a size bigger....sooo tight!). Then I stopped by PAYLESS (I also had a birthday gift card for this store) and looked over the selection they had in my size. That's when I saw this super-fabulous pair of ALICE + OLIVIA high-heeled booties. I have to state here that I've never owned a pair of shoes with more than an inch-high heel....I have trouble walking in them. These shoes that I bought are at least 6 inches high! I just HAD to have them. I still can't walk in them and they're totally not practical here in the NY, but THEY'RE SO BEAUTIFUL! And I'm not even a shoe person....

Then, we went over to OLD NAVY, where I took out the credit card again for a new swimsuit (brown with polka dots and ruffles), a summertime beach tank and a light sweater tank cover-up. Lastly, we rounded out our shopping extravaganza with a stop at TARGET (also one of my favorite stores), where I picked up a few more apartment things, including a folding table for when we cook and need the extra counter space and good-smelling stuff (Glade, perfume beads, etc).

photo credit: NewLine/SATC2

Other things I did this weekend? I saw Sex and the City 2 (freaking awesome!), finished editing my first draft of Painless and sent it off to agent #1 for a first-look (cross your fingers) and finished reading the book, The Duff (didn't rock my world, but was entertaining). Posts will be coming over the next couple of days regarding all of these, so stay tuned!

You guys do anything fun this weekend? Tell me all about it in the comments below!

:)

Brittany

A perfect Saturday

by Brittany Geragotelis

I'm sitting here, watching my favorite Saturday morning show, Tori & Dean. It's rainy outside and my cat, Cohen (named after Seth Cohen from "The O.C."), is sitting on my chest as I write.

This is actually a pretty typical position for us to be in. Every time I lay down on my couch to write, Cohen jumps up and either stands or lays down on my chest--right in front of my computer screen (check out the picture here). It's like his equivalent of laying down on a newspaper or magazine that you're trying to read. How do cats know exactly when is the worst possible time to try and bond? And it's not even like he wants cuddle with me when I'm just sitting here watching TV. It's always when I need my hands free to do work. I wonder if he's trying to sabatage me. He's probably like, "Oh, yeah? If you're going to leave me all day while you're at work, then I'm going to keep you from doing what you need to do. So there."

Like I said, I'm watching Tori and writing and drinking my coffee and eating my breakfast (at 2:30pm). This show just makes me laugh so much. I love how Dean and Tori are always joking about sex...the joke being that Dean always wants it and Tori's a busy mom. It's such a funny look at the difference between guys and girls. There was also a really fun part in the show where Tori wanders into an Antique Mall and proceeds to buy a ton of ridiculous stuff. Who really needs a glass rooster cookie jar? Come on, Tori, you've got so much more style than that!

photo credit: Costco

Speaking of shopping, I spent my morning at my favorite store: Costco. I'm serious! I swear, Costco is like Disneyland for adults (although I am a huge fan of Disney in a totally different way). The place is HUGE and they've got everything there! And everything's SUPERsized. I felt like I was in that TV game show called, "Supermarket Sweep", running through the big warehouse and pulling things into my cart that I want. 10 pounds of cheese? Sure. A monster bag of Trail Mix? Of course. A four-pack of Sparkling Apple Cider? Make that two. I just love that store! The only problem is that when you walk out, you realize you've just spent $267.

But it's totally worth it.

Now I've gotta wrap up this blog and head out to meet my beau, at the movies. We're gonna watch Clash of the Titans in 3D! Half-naked Gods throwing around their tridents? Sounds like the perfect way to end my Saturday!

5x5,
B.