All the beautiful little tattooed, gum-chewing freaks are out

What better time than Valentine's Day for another edition of 'Holy Shit! I Love You!'

Here are some things I love-love-love (holy shit!)

Last Night -- We hit Xochitl, home of $5 Happy Hour Margaritas. They are very strong, absolutely delicious and served by a wonderful Australian bartender who not only knows his shit but also calls you 'madam'....and the only person who has ever called me that is my mom when she says I'm being a 'bossy little madam.'

After that, we headed to National Mechanics in Old City. This place might just be my favorite new bar. Not only does it have a killer location (built in 1837) but the bar also serves pineapple-jalapeno margaritas. They're yummy....but word of warning? Jalapeno tequila is not for the faint of heart or anyone whose stomach lining is made of anything other than cast iron.

While at National Mechanics, we stumbled upon The Olde City Sideshow -- A burlesque troupe of entertainers who swallowed swords, ate fire, walked on broken glass and knives, hammered nails into their nasal cavities and featured one incredibly bad-ass contortionist in a fabulous pink tutu.

She's standing barefoot on a stairway of knives while . I think this woman just became my hero.

Holy shit, it was a great night and if you're ever in the Philly area, be sure to check it all out.

McDonalds Iced Coffee -- It's no secret that I hate McDonalds. However, they've redeemed themselves somewhat with the introduction of their coffee beverages. Their french fries may barely be considered food and their salads may be pathetic, but damn it, their coffee is delicious. Don't get me wrong -- I still believe that McDonalds is an evil conglomerate (its mascot is a clown, for crying out loud! If that doesn't scream unholy and godless, I don't know what does), but thanks to their incredibly tasty (and affordable) iced coffee, I hate this corporation just a wee bit less.

Michael Jackson -- Say what you will about the guy, but the man's genius cannot be denied. I challenge anyone to listen to Billie Jean and not involuntarily shimmy their shoulders. One of his more underrated gems has to be In The Closet. Granted, the first 35 seconds are annoyingly over-dramatic in the vein of R. Kelly, but when the song picks up -- it kicks ass.

Persepolis



I've been wanting to read the graphic novel for a while but when I saw the film was on Starz this morning, I jumped at the opportunity to watch it. The animation is beautiful yet spare and the story is incredibly poignant. Much like anyone else who attended public school, I am woefully ignorant of the history of the Middle East and I've only ever thought of Iran's Islamic Revolution in incredibly simplistic terms -- a relatively modern nation one day and a theocracy the next. Idiotic, I know. Anyway, the film broke me of that wildly false notion, broke my heart, healed it again and basically wowed me. It's a brilliant little film and I highly recommend adding it to your NetFlix queue.

Happy Valentine's Day, guys! Hope you spend it with something/someone you love!

Holy Shit, I Love You Part II

Right now, I love:

Google: If Google was a pair of jeans, it would be that really comfy pair that you've had forever . You know, the ones that make your butt look great. If Google was a drink, it would be a cold beer on a sweltering day, a freshly brewed cup of coffee when you first get to work or a stiff cocktail on a Saturday night. If it was a person, it would be Ron Livingston:



Any excuse to post a picture. Man, he's attractive. You know, I'm almost glad that there's a zero percent chance of me ever meeting him because doing so would cause me to morph into the world's biggest idiot. I'd probably blush and make noises as opposed to cogent sentences.

Anyway, back to Google. I love the fact that it's easy to use, has super-cute personalized themes (Paul Frank, Betsey Johnson and Kate Spade!), allows me to stay connected at work despite the evil firewall and has a sweet feature that allows me to share all sorts of cool stuff. Check out the sidebar. Sharing is caring.

Ryan Adams: I've heard numerous accounts about what an asshole this guy is, but when you pen the most viscerally pretty and sad songs ever written? You can be an asshole of Limbaughian proportions and it's easily forgiven. Because I love you and want you be to happy, here is a whole mess of amazing Ryan Adams tracks for you to sample courtesy of The Hype Machine.

Illy Coffee: Everything else tastes like non-potable, muddy water in comparison. Or, better example? Remember that pipeline of shit that Andy Dufresne crawled through in The Shawshank Redemption? Yeah, that's what everything else tastes like in comparison to Illy coffee.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: Totally underrated with brilliant performances by both Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer and the best dialogue I've heard in a long time. For example:

Perry: My $2000 ceramic Vektor my mother got me as a special gift. You threw in the lake next to the car. What happens when they drag the lake? You think they'll find my pistol. Jesus. Look up "idiot" in the dictionary. You know what you'll find?
Harry: A picture of me?
Perry: No! The definition of the word idiot, which you fucking are!

NetFlix Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I mean, it got a standing O at Cannes! What else do you want?!

I Heart You: Funny, sassy and clever. If blogging was high school, I Heart You would be the really popular girl who also happened to be super down-to-earth and sweet.

And finally, on the opposite end of the spectrum -- Holy Shit, I'm Going Into Apoplexy

Fall's approaching and when you live in the mid-Atlantic states, this means a dip in temperature.

So obviously when you get home from work and wrench off the yoke of 'business casual', the first thing you want to put on is a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt you've had since 1998.

I'm set on the t-shirt (Javelin Yearbook represent!) but can't seem to find a pair of sweatpants that fit my garden-gnomesque proportions. Every pair I tried on today puddled around my ankles making me look (yet again) like a eight-year-old playing dress up.

Sweatpants Manufacturers (I'm looking at you, Victoria's Secret and American Eagle) -- please manufacture sweatpants in a Size 1 Short. Teeny girls deserve comfortable slackerwear too.

Holy Shit, I Love You! Part One

Yes, originally uploaded by CrissyAlright.

The first in a series of random things that I love. Holy shit.

+ The new issue of Nylon Magazine. It's the TV issue and I've gotta say it's probably my favorite one yet.
+ The new 90210. I'm excited for it...even if there isn't any Brenda-Kelly-Dylan drama afoot ("Brenda, I'm a Spring Princess!" "Kelly, I don't give a damn!")
+ C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve. It smells delicious and is Carrie Bradshaw approved.
+ Diet Coke.
+ Bobby Darin.
+ These giraffe-print Dr. Scholl slides. Totally cute, totally comfy and giraffe print is the new black. Trust the girl who lives in jeans and flip flops.
+ The music in Can't Hardly Wait. I would definitely buy a complete compilation -- Third Eye Blind, Sublime, Dire Straits (is there a clause in Ethan Embry's contract that requires all movies starring him to feature this song? He danced to it in Empire Records as well), Missy Elliot, Guns 'N Roses, Busta Rhymes, Barry Manilow Boyz II Men and Nazareth?! Come on -- that's a killer party mix.
+ Springfield Punx. Ever wondered what Tobias Funke would look like if he cameoed on The Simpsons? Check it out. Dean T. Fraser is a pretty talented guy.



The breakfast I had at the Nectar Coffee Shop on Madison Avenue in New York City. The coffee was the best I've ever had in my life (everything else tastes like muddy dish water in comparison), the bialy was delicious and the whole thing cost me less than $5! Holy shit, I loved it and will definitely be making a return visit.