ponder this photo

Halloween was laid-back and fun. There were way fewer trick-or-treaters this year than last year, so we're now saddled with an obnoxious surplus of cavity-inducing, ass-swelling candy. While we figure out what to do with it, besides eat way too much of it, I think I'm just going to ponder this photo, and wonder how the heck our dogs got to be so darn cute.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!
Luv,
Guitar Hero


and Ash

pumpkins

I feel like I could collapse at any moment, I'm so tired. Stupid allergies. Stupid fires. (Clearly, the petulant phase of feeling sickly is in full effect.)

Let's talk Halloween instead. I don't have a costume or costume idea for all the parties tomorrow night. Our house isn't decorated even a little, which is a shame because Mac and I have a huge collection of awesome Halloween decorations. It's all happening during this exceptionally busy time, and it's been hard to get into the spirit.

What we do have, however, is pumpkins.


These are the results of a little pumpkin-carving party on Wednesday. I did the Jack Skellington & Spider pumpkins, which means they're sitting on our front porch right now.

So there's that.

it will be GLORIOUS

WELL. Okay. Hi! It's been awhile. Let's see here...

Halloween was fun! We got the house decorated at the last minute and I carved two pumpkins. We went to three parties, I stole my friend Amanda's idea and went as Little Dead Riding Hood and no, you may not see pictures. (Corpse Dinah = not pretty.) My friend Anna came over on Halloween night and we gave out tons of candy while drinking wine, talking about boys and playing the American Idol Scene It game. (Except really, we were just singing karaoke into the toy mic. Did I mention the wine?) Overall: Fun holiday!

Next up: Thanksgiving! I've already bought too much crap. I'm just so excited!! We're going to have a full house this year, dinner for 9 or 10, AND my sister and her husband are coming out from Minnesota. YAY!! We're going to drink some of the delicious wine we've picked up in Napa & Australia, eat copious amounts of turkey and bread and gravy and mashed potatoes, and it will be GLORIOUS.

On a somewhat unrelated note, mAc and I have come to realize that the A-list of people we hang out with in LA, the ones we call most often, the ones who call us most often, the ones most likely to show up at movies & parties? Actually are the A-List: Allistair, Amanda, Alf & Anna. It may look suspiciously like we just can't be bothered to move farther down the address book when making plans. In reality, however, they really are just the coolest people ever. Trust me.

What else can I tell you? Work is kicking my ass, and that is enough on that topic. I'm toying with the idea of ballet classes. I know, what the hell? I'm also thinking about starting running. You can stop laughing aaaaaany minute now.

I guess I will just leave you with one of the prettiest pictures I've ever seen. Our friends Sarah & Ben in Australia got married last month, and they just sent out their photos. The photographers were absolutely fantastic, and this is only one of many fabulous shots they got.

Aren't they a pretty couple?

"My girl-crush thinks I'm gay."

Or, non-sequitur bullets for the blogger on the go.

1) My darling friend Loren, whose quote headlines this list, does not have a blog but she totally should.

2) Fall is the best season EVER. I love autumn the best because:

• The weather cools off enough for cute jackets and boots.
• New fall TV.
• The best films, usually for Academy consideration, are released in the fall. (Best year ever: 1999)
• I look hot in orange.
• When it starts to rain, I want to bake things and stay home and hunker down with a warm throw and a Twin Peaks marathon.
• The air smells better, like mountains and leaves and bonfires and homecoming football games.

And the absolute best thing about the fall:

• Halloween.

3) Speaking of Halloween, the new decorations at Illuminations are awesome.

4) Last night, I put away more things around the house, including a bunch of dishes and things in our new sideboard that mAc put together. Which means our new soup tureen has a home.

5) I can't believe that I have a SOUP TUREEN in my SIDEBOARD.

6) Do you even know what a sideboard is? It's a little buffet/dresser type thing that goes in the dining room. It's part of the dining set we just bought. A set, as in table, sideboard and matching chairs.

7) Note to self: more rock shows. Less Ikea.

8) Veronica Mars, aka the BEST TV SHOW EVER, starts its second season tonight. Do yourself a favor, and set up your TiVO. I know, I know, it's on UPN, but trust me. It rocks. If not me, then trust Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith and Damon Lindelof. They love it too.

9) I actually met Kristin Veitch (from the link above) when we were in Hawaii. She was super nice, and I'm bummed that we didn't get to chat more and geek out over favorite shows like Veronica Mars and Lost and Arrested Development. The woman's got taste.

10) I don't have ten things for this list. It just seemed like I should end on a nice round number.

11) No, wait! Yes I do--I've been meaning to say this for ages, but if you live in SoCal and are looking for a good stylist, go to Frenchy's in Burbank, ask for Petrina, tell her Dinah sent you. She is the best, and keeps my hair looking all kinds of pretty. (The stray hair in the bangs is totally my fault.)

12) How cute is our dog?

*mwah*

Super Secret Spy Style

The Mission: To recreate Sydney Bristow's first and most timeless spy look from Alias Season 1, Episode 1: black pants, black turtleneck, black coat, black toque, black gloves, black shit-kicking boots, a truckload of black eyeliner and one very, very bright red wig.

How hard should this be? One would think that, of everything on this list, that neon red wig would be the trickiest to find, right? It has to be a certain length, not too curly, and come without bangs if at all possible.

mAc found the wig first.

The rest of the ensemble was a little trickier. I had the boots, the coat and the eyeliner, so I needed the pants, the turtleneck, the hat and the gloves.

I went to no less than 8 stores to assemble these 4 things. I'd hit 4 stores before finding even one thing. And don't even start with the, "Oh, did you check____?" Because yeah. I did.

What was amazing was how these very basic items turned out to be so, so specific. For example, I already owned black pants and was in fact wearing them while I shopped. But their dressy, flow-y crepe-y style was just too dressy for an outfit that needs to convey that I could totally pound your ass if need be. I needed a more jeans-like cut and eventually found it. In velvet. As for black turtlenecks, there were plenty--with cowl necks, 3/4 sleeves, little green flecks or a nice crocheted cuff detail. All features that I'm sure are lovely for any other purpose, but it's impossible to get into super secret spy character in puffed sleeves.

Which got me thinking--how exactly does Sydney Bristow create her outfits? Being a spy, does she order her black spy-wear in bulk? Is she at target.com with a shopping cart that says, "Black knit skull cap, Qty 10"?

I doubt it. I'm thinking that somewhere in the CIA there sits a super secret style maven in a tastefully decorated office figuring this shit out. Named Stuart.

Stuart is the one who knows where to find that perfect blue rubber tank dress for "Slutty Barbie" Spy, or the silk kimono for "Geisha Spy" or even your basic all-black ensemble for "Classic Spy." Stuart's the one running all over town assembling this stuff, only you know that when he buys pants in bulk they are Prada, sweetie. Nothing's too good for the girl who kicks a little terrorist/arms dealer/drug smuggler butt, is it?

Stuart is also the one that works with Marshall on all of the high-tech accessories. Like Marshall is going to know what Chanel sunglasses are this season or last? Please. "Alright Marshall, these new Dior frames are hot hot HOT, come in a fierce titanium metal and can hold a camera, a laser and a lockpick. Do not let me catch you destroying them like you did with the Guccis I gave you last week, mmmkay doll? Now beat it toots, I have Donatella on the phone trying to talk me into the most ridiculous dress. All feathers, sweetie. I'm so sure."

Rad.

I'm totally psyched to finally have my blog up and running, by the way, although not nearly as psyched as you are, you lucky reader, you.

It's almost Halloween, which has me all kinds of giddy. I finally figured out a costume last night, which means I have today to pull the whole thing together. Not that it's all that original or exciting, but it was my idea alone AND it entails buying a new wig, so big fun.

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I don't remember my exact reaction the first time I realized what was going on with Halloween as a kid, but I'm sure it was something along the lines of, "You mean I get to dress up in a costume? And wear it in public? AND eat tons of candy! Kick ass!" Even Christmas could not compete, as the joys of receiving a(nother) Cabbage Patch doll and putting on a velvet dress pales compared to traipsing around the neighborhood dressed as Princess Leia/Strawberry Shortcake/the Statue of Liberty, then eating my weight in candy until I either a) barfed, b) made my teeth fall out, c) got the sugar-crashing shakes or, one year, d) all of the above. Ah, to be a kid again.

And let's not forget the tricks! A couple weeks ago when I was in Minnesota, where the trees were adorned in all their colorful autumn finery, I saw one particularly spectacular tree fully decked out... in toilet paper. Meeeemories, like the corner of my mind...

Now, of course, I am an adult and yet not above all of this nonsense even a little tiny bit. The fiancee and I have lined up a couple parties (i.e. "costume-wearing/drinking opportunities) for Saturday. On Sunday we're hosting a horror movie marathon, featuring Alien, The Thing, American Werewolf in London, and yes, oodles and gobs of candy.

Before I wrap up, I had to share this. My darling friend Amanda is a funeral director, recently licensed. This was in my inbox this morning:
"On my way to my first SOLO DIRECTING service yesterday (which went swimmingly, if swimmingly means really sad and I had to pull over to get it together for a second on my way back to the office, sans Mrs. L), I'm driving Mrs. L over to the crematory and Oingo Boingo's classic "Dead Man's Party" came on. It was rad."