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I’m not a huge celebrity fanatic (nor am I a huge VMA fan) but I love Jay-Z and Beyonce as a couple ever since Bonnie and Clyde. And now they have a baby on the way it makes me love them even more! I’m so excited to see Beyonce kill it as the most gorgeous pregnant celeb ever, I mean look at the outfit she pulled off last night while dancing and singing her butt off. And I think everyone is waiting to see what kind of killer superstar those two produce!

via ahhhhh

I’m still in a funk and this gray, rainy, pre-hurricane (post-earthquake) weather isn’t helping. But what would help? What are the best defunkifying remedies? If I had to guess, other than pictures that make you smile, I’d have to say sock monkeys! I’ve never had one, and I’m pretty sure one of my good friends is scared of them, but they’re undeniably cute and look seriously cuddlely.

via bippity boppity boo

After a depressing Bears loss last night I woke up feeling very tired and kind of crappy. The solution? Finding a picture that I can’t help but smile at. Who could deny these adorable leggy babies?!

via escapade

I just finished a book and before I start a new one I think I need to find a place to set up a Nestrest so I can hide away in a tree and escape. How awesome are these?

I love that they describe Nestrest as an over-sized bird’s nest. Let’s get a few of these set up in Central Park ASAP — I think we could all use a hideaway.

I absolutely love these time lapse images of Manhattan. However, the number of people and cars are a bit frightening and and solidify my stance on never venturing to Times Square!

I never thought I would jump on the spiked shoe bandwagon until I ran into these Sam Edelman Adena loafers and bought these Lorelai sandals for the wedding I’m going to this weekend. They are both so much fun but not so over the top that they’re unwearable. Ok, the loafers may be a bit over the top but they’d work perfectly with any simple little dress or jeans and a tee (this is how I convince myself something is a reasonable purchase). As for the nude sandals they couldn’t look cuter with my dress and they add just the right amount of flare. Plus, no jewelry required when wearing these puppies!

Much like Grace from Design*Sponge, I love adding a ‘y’ to the end of words when I need to describe something simply and accurately, chocolate-y, hipster-y and designer-y. And also like Grace I love the new line of temporary tattoos designed by swissmiss, Tattly. They’re simple, quirky and just trendy enough that you’ll be ready for a new one by the time your first tattoo fades. My favorites are the tiny microphone Speak Up and the Instant Camera.

I’m not sure how I’ve gone this long without sharing this amazing video (my brother emailed it to me in April 2009) but the time has come. As I am product of my mother, I have a love for all things Jim Henson and The Muppets (see here, here and here) and this Cookie Monster appearance on NPR is no exception. If you can watch it and not laugh out loud, you are probably dead — I’d be worried if I were you!

I did my first ever spray tan yesterday and am pleased to announce not only do I not look orange but I also don’t look like I miraculously went on a Caribbean cruise over the weekend — it looks surprisingly natural! Gotham Tan does in-home spray tanning with their special pop-up tent. All you have to do is show up, bare all and wait until the next day to shower to see your perfected glow. It’s definitely something I would do again and something I think is worth trying — clearly it’s a lot healthier than indoor fake and bake!

In the ongoing search for summer appropriate clothes that still hide my third-grade-esque legs (discussed here), I purchased this versatile, light and airy maxi dress from Zara and can’t wait to wear it. It has pockets, it’s actually the perfect length for flats or heels (which never happens to this 5’3” girl) and it can go from a walk in the park to something a little more special with a belt or jewelry. Perfection in maxi dress form!