Hello, friends! It’s that time of year – when I sit on my couch in my pjs giving my thumbs up or down on Hollywood glamour as if I were qualified to have an opinion on such matters.
Marley is busy tonight and was unwilling unable to help (though she did pipe in for a few on her way out the door) so to make up for her absence, I’ve decided to give this review in Gen Z speak. (For as long as I can manage, anyway.)
Glen Powell brought his parents instead of a date which is giving he needs a girlfriend vibes. He definitely has leading man engery and I volunteer as tribute to be his leading lady. 🌟🔥😃❤
Yes, you do get three pictures of Glen Powell. You’re welcome! (Marley said three pictures are not nearly enough. I concur!)
Kerry Washington is pretty in pink but that dress is definitely giving 1980’s prom. Flashback Queen! 👑🌟
Did Andrew Scott know he was coming to the Golden Globes because that monochrome suit is giving Easter egg energy. But I gotta say, even as a Pastel Prince, he slaps! 🐣💙 🔥
No hate to Glenn Close (because I love her so much), but this dress is giving 1983 Express clearance rack. Like, did she dig it out of the back of her closet or what? 💀✨
Anthony Ramos’s suit is straight up serving major Pee Wee Herman vibes. 🚲🧇✨
Demi Moore is giving Art Deco pleather couch. And it doesn’t look comfortable. Like, can she sit in that thing? But she looks gorgeous. Demi, girl. You are slaying it! 🔥✨
Timothy Chalamet out here serving major French waiter energy, like he’s already method-acting for his next role. 🥖🍷😂
Keira Knightley is giving 1960s velvet nightgown realness—like, it’s gorgeous but, are we at a red carpet or a retro sleepover? 😳✨
The Rock is definitely serving up hot and spicy main character energy. 🔥🌶♨
Ali Wong’s dress is giving me major conflict. Like, I want to love it but it’s giving crepe paper vibes. The black stockings are a nope. And those gloves? Double nope. I get the vision, but overall, it’s a meh from me. 💔👗
Angelina Jolie is somehow serving matronly and fire at the same time. (Definitely giving hot mama vibes. 🔥✨💖)
Zendaya is giving 1950’s Rita Hayworth Hollywood glam. Girl, that look is pure fire! 💄🔥✨
Miley Cyrus is straight-up serving rockstar total icon vibes. 🎸✨🔥
Tyler James Williams is giving 🔥🔥🔥
Marley’s commentary: Sir, where is your shirt? You left the house like that? That is dangerous. You know what you look like. Slut! It’s not fair to us with you walking around looking like that. How are we supposed to control ourselves? You are not going to make it home. (Translation – she’s a fan!)
Zoe Saldona having a hot girl moment with her leading lady energy. You are fire, girl. Slay! 🔥⚡
Jeremy Strong is giving Austin Powers meets Gucci Blossom. Yeah, baby! 🎩✨
Pass the Aqua Net. Nicole Kidman has big fake hair energy on full display. Does that wig come with a Bumpit? 👱♀️ (The dress is gorg, though!)
According to Marley, the shape of Cynthia Erivo’s dress is giving Liberty Bell and the pattern is giving couch.
And friends, I’m getting tired. This Gen Z speak is getting monotonous and my clever pithiness is running dry. I mean, how many times can you say, “It’s giving? or “It’s serving” Plus, Marley rolled her eyes at my descriptions and said she doesn’t know anyone who talks like that. (She has a lot of opinions for someone who refused to participate) So, in plain Gen X speak – if that stupid peplum shelf was removed from that dress it would be gorgeous, couch print or no couch print. (Though to me it’s giving more Spanish lace. Dammit – I can’t stop!)
(Also, I want those arms.)
Billy Crudup looks like he’s getting ready to audition for the new Colonel Sanders, and Naomi Watts’s dress is perfection until it gets to her knees. I’m trying to wrap my head around the pink disaster at the bottom of that dress. It’s causing confusion!😵🤷♀️
I don’t even know what to say about Ari Graynor’s dress except NO! (And that it is giving definite cat’s cradle vibes.) 😹
Is it just me or is Monica Barbaro’s dress completely seethrough and not seethrough at the same time? It’s kind of disorienting but also stunning. 🌟🌟
Quinta Bronson is crushing it with this super glam look. Gorgeous! The dress! The hair! I LOVE all of it!
To Ewon MacGregor I say, “Well, hello, Zaddy!” (And to his beautiful wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead, I say, you lucky B!)
Mindy Kaling looks fantastic, just stunning. She is glowing like a Golden Globe statue. A+++ 🏆🏆
Salma Hayek looks amazing in Gucci. Love her hair. The contrast of the green necklace is fab. She gets a triple 🔥🔥🔥
Welp, that does it for me. I hope this review was giving damn, she’s funny! 😉😂 I’d love to know what you think of my observations. Did I nail it or am I out of my mind?
Like all years, 2024 was filled with highs and lows. But overall, 2024 was a pretty good year for the Rosses. And it was definitely a good year for me. I spent a lot of time with family and friends, got a promotion (and a decent raise) at work and got to travel pretty extensively for both work and pleasure.
Work trips included Boston where I got to meet my online BFF, the fabulous Tina Drakakis in real life after 16 years of girl crushing her over the internet; Knoxville where I got to connect with amazing former work colleagues and friends; New York where Marley was able to tag along and I could show her my favorite US city, Oregon where I got to visit my dear friend Nancy, New Orleans where I got to eat my way through the city with one of my work besties, and Chicago where I got to bond with my amazing team.
Personal trips included a trip to San Francisco to visit Chandler, a trip to Michigan to visit my friend Jennifer and also go to my family lake house, and a trip to Southern Italy to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary with some of our best friends. (I might have buried the lead there, that trip to Italy was the trip of a lifetime.)
But as awesome and exciting as all that sounds (and it was!), most days were pretty um, what’s a nicer way to say mundane? – let’s say, ordinary. I woke up early, I worked out, I walked my dog Geordie, I worked from home, I cooked dinner, I cleaned up, sometimes I walked the dog again (the night walks are Marley’s job but 24-year-olds are often out and about), I watched TV with Dave, I practiced excellent skincare, and then got up the next day and did it all again.
Also during my mornings (most mornings, anyway), I’d write in my happiness journal. I’d sit down and reflect upon the day before and write down what I did that made me happy. Most days are filled with those ordinary things – walking Geordie, noticing the brilliance of the abundance of spring flowers, spending time with family and friends, good food (a lot of my happy moments are based on enjoying food with people I love), and music. Lots of music. These moments of reflection I’d try to focus on how extraordinary the ordinary can be.
Here are some of the moments that made me happy in 2024.
January 1 – Dave and I hiked Ensenol Canyon – 7.22 miles! The weather was perfect. What a beautiful day. It gives me hope for a beatiful year.
January 13 – I spent the day with my mom. We went to the Conejo Botanical Gardens and to lunch at Sharky’s – so healthy! – and then to a few thrift stores. It was a lovely day.
February 3 – DTLA with Marisa Hoff. Such a fun day getting out of the bubble. Got in so many steps, saw great art, had a yummy lunch, and enjoyed a lovely glass of wine in a hotel lobby bar – a win of a day!
February 11 – Super Bowl at the Hoff’s. There was a moment when I was remembering all the SB parties at Steve and Jennifer’s and just felt so happy and lucky to have these friends and these memories and just to be living this wonderful, crazy, messy life.
February 21 – It was so beautiful this morning. The day after the rain. So crisp. So clear. Cold, but invigorating. Clear blue sky. White puffy clouds. The kind of day that makes you happy to be alive.
March 8 – I met Tina Drakakis IRL, and it was everything I hoped it would be. It didn’t even feel like I was meeting her for the first time – it felt like we were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in forever catching up.
March 24 – I went to Buffalo Exchange with my mom and Ashley to sell Amanda’s clothes which was heartbreaking but I’m so glad I could help Ashley with that task that has been overwhelming her.
March 30 – New York! Marley is in NYC for the first time and I am so happy. We walked 34K steps and saw so many things. I have been looking forward to this trip for so long.
April 7 – What a fab day! Breakfast with Rita and Kate and then to TJ’s and cleaned the house while listening to a great book, then Writers’ Group at Julie’s. FUN & PRODUCTIVE! Full of people who fill my soul with happiness and love.
April 27 – Mera is here – yay! Lunch at the beach with Mera and dinner at my mom’s with Mera and Dale. Oh, how I treasure these lifelong friendships.
May 8 – I’m listening to Tom Lake by Ann Patchett and I just love how she writes about the small moments that make a life – nothing and everything all at once.
May 10 – My first concert of the year. Sam Hunt and Jake Owen and Niko Moon and it was so great – back in the pit, singing my lungs out, and dancing, dancing, dancing. To quote my favorite Jake Owen song, we really were shining like lighters in the dark in the middle of a rock show. 😉
May 20 – I volunteered for the Ronnie James Dio Cancer Foundation event and had a great time as always. Watching super fans geek out (hey – I get it!) just fills my heart with such joy.
June 6 – In NOLA. Dinner at Peche. Fun at Lucy’s Surf Bar. Just being at this amazing conference with work friends at this fab city is so fun. Also posted a good pic of me and got a sweet text about it that made me smile.
June 18 – I walked Geordie for his night walk and saw a father and son running in tandem and then loop around a tree. As soon as they looped, they started racing. Watching them really brought me so much joy.
June 29 – I talked to Pat and it made my heart so happy. He sounds great. Happy. Healthy. Funny as ever. It was so good to hear his voice.
July 7 – Concerts in the Park. Fantastic Diamond. Kim and Rita came and we had yummy food and I saw many neighborhood friends. True suburban bliss.
July 12 – Kim and I went to Laurel’s for a Summer Friday HH swim. So fabulous. Summer Fridays are my favorite.
August 3 – A perfect lake day. Beautiful weather. Kayak ride. Floating. Boat ride. Lounging on the deck reading a good book. Cards at night. Best day ever.
August 29 – Writer’s Group at Rina’s. As always, these women fill my heart with happiness and my soul with creativity.
September 10 – I heard a song today that made me say wow and songs that make me say wow always make me happy. Music that gives you all the feels is everything!
September 12 – My happy moment was hugging Arlyne in the kitchen of this beautiful home in Sorrento where we are staying and saying, “We’re here!” Also, Larry had charcuterie and spritzes waiting when we arrived in the house. What a wonderful start to the trip!
Southern Italy with fabulous friends – the trip of a lifetime! (Picking out just 4 pictures was nearly impossible!)
October 12 – Chandler and I spent the day together. We rented e-bikes and walked around Ventura, Carpenteria, and Ojai. It was so great to spend time with him one on one. A perfect day.
October 18 – On my morning walk the moon was still so bright and huge because it was low in the sky. I texted pictures to Chandler and Rita, and then later on the walk, I saw a man get in his car, see the moon, get out of his car, and take a picture of it. It made my heart so happy to see that.
Good morning, Bella. My photos of you never do you justice.
October 19 – There was a remembrance at the beach for Amanda. It was so nice to see her friends come together and show her so much love.
November 1 – Dave and I saw Inhaler last night and OMG. They. Were. Amazing. New band obsession. So fucking good!
November 6 – That fucker won the election again. He is a stain on America that cannot be washed away. No happiness today, however, I am so grateful for friends who send funny memes and words of encouragement and share their tears, all of it.
November 17 – In Palm Desert. I think my happy moment today was sitting by the pool with a good book and a Piña Colada. That’s pretty hard to beat.
November 21 – I helped Marley edit her college essays and it makes me so happy that she wants this so badly. I hope she gets into a school where she wants to go. I’m so excited for this next chapter for her.
November 27 – We just had the best night last night. We had cheese fondue and everyone helped with dinner and helped clean up and we had such a great conversation. At one point, I was so happy and also so sad at the passing of time I almost cried.
December 31 – I sat in my office for a bit in my cozy chair with a glass of wine, and read this book and reflected on 2024. Overall, it was a very good year. Looking forward to what is to come in 2025.
What are you still doing here? This blog post is so long. I haven’t written in so long, I’ve forgotten how to edit. (Oh, who am I kidding – I’ve never known how to edit.) But seriously, if you are still here, thank you for the indulgence. It is appreciated more than you know. I hope you have been able to find some time to reflect on this past year (if that’s your jam) and maybe even set an intention for the new one (again, if that’s something you like to do).
Wishing all of us a 2025 where we find the extraordinary in the ordinary. ♥♥♥
Hello, Friends! Awards season has finally come to an end with the one that everyone waits for – the Academy Awards. I was especially excited to watch this year because my husband and I did something we haven’t done in a very long time – actually watched the movies! You know, I have to say, it does make watching the awards shows more enjoyable when you have something invested in it. 😉
And the show could not have been timed better. I have two solid months of work travel – 10 trips in 9 weeks, gone 31 out of 61 days and this is one of the weekends I happen to be home. Yay! (Yes, sadly, my work trips often spill into the weekends.)
Marley, however, was busy. She did look at the Google doc I popped this into to make a few comments. But she told me she wasn’t really feeling it. I get it. Honestly, other than a few duds and a few wows, most of the dresses while pretty, were just kind of mid.
For me the highlights of the show were Billy Eilish’s performance (so good!), Ryan Gosling’s performance (so fun!), the writers’ acceptance speeches, Jimmy Kimmel reading whatshisname’s mean “truth” (so funny!), and Emma Stone’s acceptance speech/being flustered over her ripped dress (so adorable). But enough of all that – one to the dresses.
Erika Alexander
Charlene- Um, are we being punked? Why would you take this beautiful white gown and throw a tulle chenille apron over it?! WHHYYY?!?!?! Does she have a five-year-old daughter who designed this dress?
Marley- Yeah I really think this is so awful, she likely was dressed in it to garner more publicity. Because come on, who would design this for any reason other than for it to get spoken about as one of the worst dresses.
Marlee Matlin
Charlene – While Marlee’s haircut is a 10 (I might or might not have this identical haircut but with bangs) this dress is an over-the-top Jersey mother-of-the-groom gown and just too sparkly and frilly in all the wrong ways for me.
Marley – As the supreme Marley, I think she would represent us better than a dress like this. I reiterate a below statement about women above 45 are not allowed to have nice dresses. It’s so frustrating!
Charlene – Oh, Marley. You have no idea how frustrating everything is for women over 45. Just you wait!
Leah Lewis
Charlene – I think Leah Lewis (who I had to look up, BTW) thinks she is at an ice skating competition rather than the Oscars. (But holy moly – her legs? Wowza. I’d like the name of her trainer, please.)
(Marley was not feeling it last night. I can’t believe she had no comment on this one!)
Ariana Grande
Charlene – This dress would be lovely without that puffy wrap situation in a Pepto Bismol bridesmaid sort of way. I mean, even her shoes are dyed to match the dress – just like a bridesmaid. She was the musical guest on SNL the night before so maybe jetlag clouded her rational decision making skills.
Marley – Yeah, this is absolutely awful. It seems like a duvet just fluffed around her with a sheet underneath it.
Sandra Hüller
Charlene – The wings on this dress look like cat eye glasses and I have to say, I am not a fan. I guess overexaggerated clothing was hot on the runway this season, but kookoo crazy runway fashion is just silly. I’d hate to be the one sitting next to her at the show. She might take their eye out with those wingsn. (I will give her bonus points however, for having cateye eyeliner to match her dress.)
Marley: I would be scared that she might fly away. Maybe she’s cosplaying as the bat that started the pandemic?
Eva Longoria
Charlene – Now this is how you do an exaggerated off-the-shoulder. Perfection. And her necklace is just spectacular!
Marley – No comment
Jacqueline Stewart
Charlene – I think this dress is very pretty and flattering and that necklace is spectacular.
Emma Stone
Charlene – And yet, I do not like Emma Stone’s dress at all. That peplum is way too much. (Was it leftover from her movie Poor Things?) However, her necklace is also spectacular.
Marley – I don’t know why so many dresses do this at the waist!! It just is such a strange shape and I would be so sad if I was styled in something like this.
Lupita Nyong’o
Charlene – And while this isn’t quite a peplum, it’s peplum adjacent and I think it’s gorgeous.
Julianne Hough
Charlene – These are PANTS! And I think they are fabulous! (Also, A+ haircut!)
Marley – I hate everything about this, she looks like this one scene in Family Guy where a character has “Legs that go all the way up” (google it, you’ll know what I’m talking about).
Brittany Snow
Charlene – Love the color and simplicity of this dress
Marley: It’s very safe and I like it!
Rita Moreno
Charlene – When I am 92 I want to look exactly like this! Fabulous!
America Ferrera
Charlene – Hi, Barbie! This dress is a 12/10! (Also, 10/10 for that bob I love so much!)
Marley: The shape is amazing, I think she’s best dressed of the night.
Emily Blunt & John Krasinsky
Charlene: – I have to be honest, that little sequin-y situation on the skirt part of Emily’s dress looks like the outline of tighty whitey underwear. Or a diaper. It’s weird. The dress would be better without it. (Less is more, people!) I was also incredibly distracted by the fact that the tank straps hover above her shoulders rather than rest on them. Again, weird. But also, these two do look stunning in their tanned twinningness.
Marley: I really don’t understand the G-String boning on the dress, nor do I like the overall rigidness of it. The all white is also kind of off putting to me, have never been a fan.
Anya Taylor-Joy
Charlene – This dress is an art deco masterpiece. Favorite dress of the night.
Marley – More like silver peacock in my opinion.
Issa Rae
Charlene – Stunning. (And I love her top knot) She looks amazingly gorgeous!
Marley – I do finally like one of her dresses, it’s actually a gorgeous emerald green.
Hailee Steinfeld
Charlene – This dress is very feminine and flowy. I like it but it’s also giving me some serious prom vibes.
Marley – Yeah I feel like this is something closer to a Greek God and Goddess themed prom but it still works.
Cynthia Erivo
Charlene – Green leather fabulousness. I would actually like this dress more without the shawl – I think the color and fit and flow of the dress are simply amazing
Marley I would highly enjoy it without the cape shawl, dresses really don’t need to have all this random stuff to be pretty!
Jodie Foster
Charlene – I have to admit I don’t love this dress in this photo, but I thought it looked so pretty on TV. I love the neckline – so original. Her arms look fantastic and her hair and make-up are perfection. I thought she looked so pretty.
Marley – I didn’t see the dress on TV so I have to say in pictures this dress doesn’t seem great. I think stylists are too boring on women over like 45.
That’s it for the dresses. And, now for some eye candy, my friends…
Matt Bomer
Charlene – Matt Bomer in a classic tux. Sure, there is nothing spectacular about Matt Bomer’s suit except for the fact that Matt Bomer is wearing it.
Ryan Gosling
Charlene – He definitely Kenough!
Dwayne Johnson
Charlene – I feel like his pants can’t quite contain his legs. (And I’m here for it.)
Bradley Cooper
Charlene – I’m not sure I’m loving Bradley’s blue button tux is for me. (It might be better if I took it off of him. 😉) Add a captain’s hat and you might mistake him for the lead singer of a Yacht Rock band.
(Marley was definitely checked out last night because I really was expecting an “Ew, Mom” with this one!)
Chris Hemsworth
Charlene – Did I save the best for last? I’ll let you decide.
And just like the 2024 awards season, that is a wrap, my friends. I hope you were at least somewhat entertained as we judged the choices of people so much more glamorous than us! Let us know what we got right, what we got wrong, and what we missed.
Well, I have to be honest. Last night’s Emmys took me by surprise! As everyone knows (or should know!), The Emmys come on in September when the new broadcast network TV season starts. But due to the writers’ strike it was postponed. (And if I’m honest with y’all, I didn’t even remember it didn’t happen last year.)
I was at my writers’ group vision board party yesterday and had to rush my poor friend Rina out who hadn’t even started gluing her visions so I could get this written for you. MLK Day is intended to be a day of service and I would like to say that Marley and I spent the evening of MLK Day in service to you, but I don’t think that’s exactly how the holiday was intended. (Still, I hope you know, we do this for you!) 😉
And so (in service to you), here is our 2024 Emmys Red Carpet Review.
Quinta Brunson
Charlene: I love Quinta Brunson and her Golden Globes dresss was spectacular. But this dress? This dress looks like it could be super cute (it even looks like it may have pockets!) but this wrinkled look (which, I guess was intentional?) does not work for me. Was the stylist who dressed her for the Globes sick? Did her sick stylist’s assistant roll the dress up in a ball and shove it in the trunk of her car and show up late to Quinta’s house without a steamer and because Quinta is a kind and benevolent person and promised to wear the dress (and had no other options because her sick stylist’s stupid assistant was so late) held her head high and put the damn wrinkled thing on. I really don’t know how else to explain it.
Marley: Quinta, did you oversleep in your dress before showing up for the awards tonight?
Jennifer Coolidge
Marley: I very much do not like the neckline or sleeves of this dress, and the fabric, and the pattern. I know Jennifer can do better than that.
Charlene: I don’t love the sleeves but I do like the rest of the dress. I like the way it flows and think Jennifer looks beautiful
Ayo Edebiri
Marley: Her dress looks like one of those big punching balloons that’s been deflated and had the top cut off. I think it would be so much prettier if it didn’t have such a strange shape!
Charlene: Even pockets can’t save the strange shape of this dress.
Suki Waterhouse
Charlene: I am all for being sexy when you’re pregnant (though, I certainly, was not!) but this dress is just weird. I read that this dress had to be tailored to fit her baby bump which means it was originally intended for someone who is not pregnant. Spoiler alert: I wouldn’t like it that way either. It looks like an arpon on a poofy skirt. This one is a big thumbs down for me.
Marley: I really don’t understand what’s going on, nor do I like it.
Donald Glover
Marley: I personally love seeing men wear something more than a plain suit, but I’m not a huge fan of that jacket.
Charlene: I also like seeing men mix it up a bit. The suit is fine but those ballet slippers are not working for me.
Ariana DeBose
Marley: I really enjoy seeing something a little different than a dress and this two piece is a stunning change. And this picture in general she just looks stunning.
Charlene: What Marley said.
Rachel Brosnahan
Marley: I love this dress, the color, the amazing corset-like top. Likely my favorite dress of the night.
Charlene: This is not my favorite dress of the night. There is something about the metal hooks I just don’t like. There is too much going on in this dress for me.
Selena Gomez
Charlene: Love this dress. (Especially after that toy soldier debacle from the Golden Globes.) Selena looks fabulous.
Marley: Selena looks so beautiful, and I think that shade of red is the perfect color for her.
Update/Edit: Okay, Marley and I have had a conversation about this dress and decided that we don’t like it afterall. In fact, we both kind of hate it. Marley thinks it looks like a pantsuit. I think it needs a full skirt. We both think Selena looks so pretty which fooled us into thinking into thinking we liked the dress, when in fact, we do not!
Jessica Chastain
Marley: I love the color so much but I feel like this dress would be so much prettier without that tinsel hanging off, I think I saw that stuff in my 50% Christmas section at work.
Charlene: I am the exact opposite of Marley (once again!). I love everything about this dress except the highlighter green color. The tinsel fringe at the bottom is fabulous!
Sarah Snook
Marley: Every red carpet somebody has to have a drapery-chic dress, I think she’s our culprit this time around. The waist up is great!
Charlene: Marley is wrong. This dress is fab. I love the color and the cut.
Ellen Pompeo
Charlene: Um, I’m confused as to what’s going on here.
Marley: Obsessed with the waitress cosplay!
Jenna Ortega
Charlene: This dress looks incredibly stiff and uncomfortable. (Look, I know no one is dress for comfort here, but this looks especiallly scratchy.) It also looks like when she sits down it’s just going to poof right up and you really are going to be able to see her underwear which you can kind of maybe almost see with the sheerness of the skirt.
Marley: I know some people are going to be obsessed with this but all I can think of is lampshade chic.
Taraji P. Henson
Charlene: I love everything about this dress – the color, the cutout at the top, the train, and yes, even the slit. A+++
Marley: That color is beautiful on her! I also think the leg slit is the perfect height, if you’re going to do a leg slit, it needs to be a slit.
Laverne Cox
Charlene: I love the little wings in the bodice of this dress. I’m not sure I love the pleather fabric of this dress and I don’t think many people could pull this dress of but Lavern looks fab!
Marley: I do think it looks a bit like a duct tape dress we’d see in 2014 on the top, the shape is stunning and she looks drop dead gorgeous.
Ali Wong
Charlene: Did her designer just find scraps of material from three other dresses and sew them together to create this, because that is really the only way to describe what’s going on here.
Marley: I don’t know why somebody would make her wear this dress.
Charlie Puth
Marley: Pants that go nearly to his chest and a bathrobe on top?
Chalene: The shirt is kind of pajama-y as well! And yes, he absolutely stole those pants from Ed Grimley.
Janelle James
Charlene: Gorgeous! Ava Coleman would be obsessed with this dress!
Marley: I think the simplicity is refreshing – it might be the first time I actually like the shoulder accents on a dress.
Hannah Waddingham
Marley: I much preferred her Golden Globes look, I abhor the bottom of this dress. I will never understand why designers ruin perfectly good garments with some weird shit below the knees.
Charlene: While I would have preferred that the dress simply continued with the beading to the floor I still love this dress. Possibly my favorite of the night. Hannah looks stunning and sexy AF and my god, I really do want her arms!
Abby Elliott
Charlene: I HATE this neckline. It’s just weird and dumb. This one is a nope for me.
Marley: I love the neckline but I’m a little scared if she bent over a little too much she’d get impaled.
Issa Rae
Charlene: When you watched Issa walk in this dress, it kind of flowed in this cool way but when you see her standing in it she looks like like a sheep dog. (But a beautiful sheep dog!)
Marley: Her red carpet dresses have always been, and continue to be, wildly confusing.
Reece Feldman
Charlene: I had to look up who Reece Feldman is and apparently he is some sort of TikTok star. I’ll just add this as my list of reasons to refuse to download the TikTok app.
Marley: I fear he’s going to step on his scarf and end up choking himself.
Aubrey Plaza
Marley: My Mom and I stared at this for a solid couple of minutes trying to figure out what was going on. Sadly, we never found an answer.
Charlene: My friend Laurel texted me that she wanted an entire essay on Aubre Plaza’s dress, but as Marley said, we could not figure out what was happening with this dress, so I have no words. Marley did say the top of the dress looked like a Post-It note. But Aubrey, Post-It notes are self-adhesive. There is no need for the pin!
Tawny Cypress
Marley: This is totally something I could see myself wearing, which is very rare. It gives very much New Year’s eve party vibes, however.
Charlene: I could see myself wearing this dress too! Stay out of my closet, Marley.
Camilla Morrone
Marley: I think this is also one of my top dresses of the night, her figure looks amazing and that dress is just perfect for her.
Charlene: 100% agree with Marley. This dress is just stunning.
Theo James
Marley: I have no idea who this man is, but I very much would like to now.
Charlene: You would have hated his character on White Lotus, Marley. But yes, Theo is looking very fine!
Dionne Harmon
Marley: The flowers remind me of those tissue paper flowers your kids probably gave you (and we made you) for Mother’s Day in elementary school.
Charlene: I did not know who Dionne Harmon was but I put this dress in because I knew Marley would hate it even though I love it. I love the gray gradients and the pink poofy flowers. I think it is feminine and pretty. (BTW, Dionne Harmon is an executive producer and president of Jesse Collins Entertainment which means she is a badass!)
Alex Borstein
Marley: I think the look is insane but I’m kind of obsessed with it. It’s giving Hunger Games District 1 energy, Effie Trinket vibes if you will.
Charlene: I also think the look is insane but I am definitely not obsessed with it. Did Moira Rose wear that to her The Crows Have Eyes premiere?
Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson
Marley: I want her top ASAP, it is very much something I need in my closet. And Rob looks like such a gentleman, they’re both so cute.
Charlene: They are so cute. I’m not sure I love the black and white contrast of this outfit. I would prefer a simple black skirt.
Carol Burnett and Joan Collins
I would just like to end this post by bowing down to these two queens. These women are both 90. NINETY! (90!!!) Both women presented and they were both sharp as a tack. Carol is still a comedic genius and Joan is still a fabulous glamour-puss. BTW, Joan’s husband is 32 years her junior! (You go, Cougar Joan, you go!)
Well, that’s what we have for you, friends. What did we get right, what did we get wrong and what did we miss? We’d love to hear your comments.
Hello, Friends! It’s that time of year again, where my daughter Marley and I sit home unshowered in our plaid pajama bottoms and cozy fuzzy tops and judge the glamorous people for their stylist’s fashion choices. Enjoy!
Margot Robbie
Me: Pretty in pink perfection
Marley: I don’t think Barbie would ever wear a shawl that looks that cheap.
Julia Garner
Marley: I think the top half is like if you had to wear overalls to a sweet sixteen.
Me: I too, am not a fan of the overall-type top half of this dress.
Rosamund Pike
Me: The dress is gorgeous. This 50’s fit and flare style is my favorite to wear (acentuates the good parts and hides the bad) and I think this dress is just stunning. Rosamund Pike has no bad parts to hide. except for that funeral veil. That thing has got to go.
Marley: I think she looks like if the Queen of Hearts had an emo phase – we’ve all been there.
Helen Mirren
Me: I always say that I want to look like Helen Mirren when I am her age. I think she is just stunning. However, I have to say, I am not a fan of this look. Her hair is too severe, that lavendar is too juvenile, and those sleeves are just no. Sorry, my beautiful Helen, this look is just not for me.
Marley: That jacket just eats her up and I think she would look so much better without it. I can barely tell where the jacket stops and the dress begins.
Brie Larson
Me: Now this shade of lavendar works. This dress is very Elizabeth Zott and I think Brie knocked it out of the park. (Sorry, KTP #IYKYK)
Marley: Brie Larsen is absolutely perfect in every way, I think she wins the best dressed of the night.
Taylor Swift
Me: Times Person of the Year wears the Golden Globes Dress of the Year. Taylor wins again.
Marley: I begrudgingly like this dress, that is all I will say.
Oprah Winfrey
Me: Oprah looks fantastic but I am honestly now wowed by this dress. It’s fine. Very pretty. Nothing spectacular or offensive. (I believe this is what the kids call mid.)
Marley: Very accurate use of the word mid! I like the depth the texture adds, but it really is just alright.
Emma Stone
Me: I think this dress is just gorgeous but I also think that Emma is too pale for the color and it washes her out. But it truly is such a gorgeous dress.
Marley: I love the color and how it makes the dress almost disappear against her skin, it makes everything so uniform.
Heidi Klum
Me: While this dress is a lot and I am usually not a fan of Heidi’s runway looks, I think this dress is beautiful though I would like it a lot more without the Angelina Jolie leg slit. The red satin fabric is just stunning.
Marley: I personally love the leg slit, and Heidi is usually my favorite for Halloween looks, this is in my top three of the night.
Billie Elish
Me: Just no. I’m not saying that Billie Elish has to be a glamour-puss. I know that’s not her vibe. But this school marm meets David Burne big suit meets whatever is going on on her head is just not for me.
Marley: I am obsessed with her hair and this is something I can totally see myself wearing to a red carpet. Billie has always chosen looks that hide her body to avoid comments on it and I think it allows her to have more fun and experiment more with fashion.
Kate Beckinsale
Me: This dress looks like Barbarella dressing up to go to the ball. The only things missing are her space age gun and her go-go boots.
Marley: I hate that thing on her shoulder. I hate the way the dress is really a romper (that more looks like a sparkly diaper). I hate that the romper is then covered with this ugly, cheap looking tulle. I hate this so much, sorry Kate.
Issa Rae
Me: Art Deco spectacularlessness! 1,000% yes!
Marley: I love the color and it’s so nice to see something truly unique.
Selena Gomez
Me: I love Selena Gomez and am a huge fan of Only Murders in the Building but I’m sorry, girlfriend. This dress looks like an asymetrical ballerina toy soldier. It’s a no for me.
Marley: She looks so uncomfortable in this dress and I feel as though she will never be able to sit down in it.
Reece Witherspoon
Me: Well, if it was 1983 and I was at my high school prom, I would love this dress, but it’s not, so I don’t. I mean seriously, did she jump in the Back to the Future DeLoreon and shop off the rack at Windsor Fashion for this dress?
Marley: Does her stylist just not like her?
Natasha Lyonne
Me: I don’t understand the Batman ear situation going on here. Is she trying to keep people from hugging her? Because if they do, they may become impaled on those things.
Marley: Maybe she’s trying to keep birds from perching on her shoulders? Or it’s where the heads of her fellow nominees will go, to show her domination?
Ayo Edebiri
Me: This is elegant simplicity at its finest. The cut, the length, the train, the shoes, and the back that you cannot see in this photo. Perfection! And if you did not see her acceptance speech, do yourself a favor and watch it here. Because, #1, she is freaking adorable and #2 she thanked her manager and agent’s assistants. And as a former entertainment industry assitant, I thank you, Ayo. I thank you.
Marley: I think the dress is just a little too boxy and the train seems like an afterthought. Not a huge fan.
Marley: Quinta wins second best dressed for the night, and if anybody else but Brie Larsen was wearing her dress it would be Quinta that is #1.
John Krasinsky
Me: #1 His reds do not match. #2 Uh sir, my champagne glass is empty. Can you please refill it?
Marley: This is why we don’t let men dress themselves.
Trevor Noah
Me: Yes, please. More of this!
Marley: I wish men tried more, but then we would have maroon on red so maybe the simple look is best.
James Marsden
Me: And also more of this!
Marley: I would want him in my jury pool!
Timothée Chalamet
Me: All I can say about this look is, it is very Timothée Chalamet. And for him, it works.
Marley: I love the jacket and the lack of tie, this is how more men should be dressing in my opinion.
Hannah Waddingham
Me: Va-va-voom! To be honest, this dress isn’t my style, but also, my girl Hannah definitely pulls it off. I mean she is so damn sexy. Can I just say the elephant in the room? Hannah Wadingham does not have the body of the “typical Hollywood actress.” And how fabulous. She is tall. She is curvy. She is fit. (I would kill for her arms.) And she is sexy AF. I love her so much.
Marley: I want to look exactly like her when I grow up. I mean, she looks like Marilyn Monroe! I am also obsessed with that dress and wish I had the hips to pull it off.
Kristen Wiig
Me: This dress confuses me.
Marley: I could see myself wearing it but I think it isn’t the right fit for a red carpet.
Jennifer Lopez
Me: to be honest, I think the dress itself is kind of boring. And that wrap is just too much. It looks like it was stolen from a Rose Parade float.
Marley: Please. Stop. Adding. Oversized. Flowers. To. The. ARMS! Either have normal sleeves or just show your arms!!!!! God she’s too pretty to be in a dress like that.
Gillian Anderson
Me: This dress would be just a typical pretty dress that looks like a wedding dress, TBH, but zoom in, my friends, and you will see that she has vaginas stiched into the fabric. Fabulous! A+++
Marley: My only complaint is that the stitching on her dress was also in white and not a more bold color.
Well, my friends. That’s a wrap (and not the kind with Rose Parade flowers!). What did you think? What did we get right (other than everything) and what did we get wrong (other than nothing!)? And what looks did we miss? See you back here in two months for the Academy Awards Red Carpet with (almost) all of the same people and new looks to praise or pan.
Photos lifted from here. (Thank you so much, People Magazine!)
I hate to start a blog post like that. You know me. I’m always happy. I have a positive attitude. The forever optimist who sees the glass half full. One of my best friends calls me Pollyanna. But it’s true, I’m done with 2023. It was a terrible year for our family.
On October 12 my niece Amanda died after a painful battle with cancer. She was 32 and a bright and beautiful star, full of life until the very end. How do you wrap your head around that? You don’t. How do you move on? By getting out of bed when it is the very last thing you want to do and putting one foot in front of the other and remembering that happiness does come after loss even if that day is not today or the next day or the next. Eventually bits of joy will start to seep through.
Amanda was someone who attracted positivity. Light. Joy. Amanda would not want us to live a half life. And so we much choose to live a full life. Our best life. To seek the light.
I have a happiness journal that I write in daily. (Or try my best to.) Every year the same things make me happy – hugging the peole I love, spending time with family and friends, music, reading with my dog on my lap, sharing a funny joke with a friend. Most days in my journal are filled with simple moments. A reminder that joy can be found in the ordinary. That laughter can sneak in even on the most difficult days.
Here are some of the things that made me happy during this most difficult year.
January 6 – We took dinner to my mom’s to see her and Amanda before they leave for Sacramento. We played Six-Card Flip and I really am so grateful to have family so close by.
January 16 – We were off for MLK Day and we did vision boards at Laurel’s for five hours and it was heavenly.
January 24 – We are in St. Kitts! Work bucket list item! It is so beautiful here. I saw Angelia. Oh yes! I am so happy!
February 3 – Walking by Sumac, I heard the music from the morning assembly and it made me so nostalgic. I really did love that school and am so glad my kids went there.
February 10 – Writers’ Group was just me, Rina and Kim. We went to Tequila Amores, had too many margaritas, still did our writing prompt, and my heart was so happy to be in a neighborhood restaurant with my awesome writer friends. Also, Rina misheard the writing prompt and it was 100! The prompt was, “Is there something your family only eats on the weekends and what makes it special.” She heard, “Do you let others define you?” We laughed so hard!
February 15 – On my dog walk this morning it was a bit windy (and cold!) and the wind made the cherry blossoms fly off the trees and dance in the sky. It was so beautiful to watch them rain down – almost like snow.
March 9 – I am visiting Jennifer in St. George. Sitting on her back porch and talking for hours (over two bottles of wine) made me realize how much I miss her. It was so great to be with her and really did make me so happy.
The view from my friend Jennifer’s porch is spectacular
March 24 – Home at last after so much travel. Dave and I watched a romcom and I drank 3/4 bottle of wine. I went to bed at 8:00 and slept almost 11 hours and it was fantastic.
March 27 – I had no video calls and didn’t shower or wear make-up and honestly, that made me so happy! Also, I got to watch Chandler give his presentation for his NASA internship on Zoom. What a proud mama moment!
April 2 – I walked around Westlake with Rita and Arlyne and then we had lunch and played Rummy Tile at Stonehaus. It was a beautiful day. Chilly, but gorgeous. These lifelong friendships bring me such joy.
April 11 – Working on a puzzle with Chandler. Having Marley sit on the couch and do her taxes while I work in the kitchen. These little moments with my kids are what make me happy.
April 30 – For the first time in 10 years (other than the pandemic) we are not at Stagecoach. But they live streamed it on Amazon Prime and we watched it at Rita’s and wore our cowboy hats and drank tequila and ate and danced and still had so much fun.
May 8 – I was walking Geordie in the park and saw a boy, his dad, and his grandfather playing soccer and it just made me so happy. I’ll never stop saying it – I love living in this beautiful Shangrila.
May 20 – I went to the Strawberry Festival with Mom and Amanda and then had dinner at Mom’s with Dena and Emme. It was great to see old friends and even more great to see Amanda enjoying her day.
My selfie skills are substantially subpar!
June 20 – Rita took me roller skating for my birthday. Roller skating! It was so, so fun! I do so love to skate.
June 21 – Marley is 23! Her presence on this earth makes me happy. She is such a cool human. I can’t believe I made her.
June 28 – Park City is so beautiful! We went on a hike and had dinner with Preston and Lexi. It was so great to catch up with them. Just lovely.
July 2 – We blew off a hike and did mostly nothing but walk to Main Street and then to dinner and it was just what we needed. A pefect last day to our Park City vacation.
Our Park City vacation was just amazing
July 20 – I took Amanda to group therapy and she treated me to lunch and we went thrifting. We had such a lovely time. We were in Ventura and the weather was perfect and it was just a good and perfect day.
August 8 – I got my inbox down to zero. Zero! It has been an overcrowded hot mess all year – at one point hovering near 1,000 and today I cleaned out every last email. Success!
August 19 – I saw the Barbie movie with Marisa and Jessica and that is some wonderful girl power stuff right there! We wore pink and had dinner at the bar at Paul Martin’s and wine in the theater and it was a perfect night.
Pretty in Pink
August 27 - Beach Day in St. Pete’s with Danielle and Angelina. Floating in the gulf with a noodle in the warm clear water is just sublime. Then we listened to live music at a restaurant called the Salty Nun. Could you ask for a more perfect day?
Living the dream in St. Pete’s
September 4 – BBQ at Arlyne’s. The usual crowd. I am so happy and blessed to be part of this wonderful friend group.
September 24 – I had a clothing exchange and it was so great to give away so much stuff (and get a few things in return). Best of all – we filled my car with bags and bags for the battered women’s thrift store. I hope they make tons of money from it!
Photo bomb courtesy of Kim Prince!
September 30 – I’m in Nashville staying at Cheryl’s and it is so great to see her. We went to The Listening Room and then onto Broadway and had a blast!
October 4 – Marley is going to San Diego tomorrow with her friend Lexi to see All American Rejects and it brings back such memories of the trips to San Diego that Rita and I used to take in our 20s. I’m so happy that she is living her best 23-year-old life.
October 12 – Amanda died today. My only happiness is that she is no longer in pain.
Our beautiful Amanda and her dog Spirit. Our lives will never be the same.
October 13 – This morning I asked Tammy to send me a dragonfly if Amanda is with her and she did. A dragonfly flew over my head at 2PM. I know that Amanda is with her mother and brings me such comfort and joy.
November 4 – AKPsi reunion. It was so great to see everyone. My happy moment was dancing to New Order and Flock of Seagulls with Steve Miller. Wow! So fun! Dancing to 80’s music – now that is my happy place.
November 12 – Today was Amanda’s celebration of life. It was at the beach and we all wore bright colors and played music per her request. My heart is broken but I did find joy in watching everyone dance, being with family, and seeing so much love pouring out for Amanda. So much love.
November 20 – I was driving to the office and stopped at the light at Kanan (the forever light) and the dude in front of me was rocking out in his car. I love that. You go, dude! Feel that music!
December 3 – Rita and Dale and I went to see Pinky Patel and she was hilarious. Her story about going from 9-5 worker to stand up comedian makes me so happy. What a treat to spend the evening laughing with two of my best friends.
December 10 – We went to brunch at Dena and Chris’s new house and it was so nice! We played games that were so FUN! (Even Dave enjoyed it – HA!) There were moments meloncholy because of missing Dad and Amanda but being with my family makes my heart happy.
December 15 – U2 at the Sphere was everything and more. We were THISCLOSE to the band. What an experience. We probably couldn’t afford this trip but we also couldn’t afford not to go. Being in the pit at a U2 concert = bucket list item.
December 24 – We had Christmas Eve fondue. No longer just the four of us. We invited my mom and Tracy was here and it was just lovely. I adore having smart, kind, funny adult children.
Whew! That was a lot. (And trust me – I cut about half of the moments I had bookmarked!) And this is why I write these moments down – to remind myself that happiness does worm its way in to the monotony of ordinary days and the sadness of a broken heart if you let it.
I hope you have set aside some time to reflect on some of your happy moments of 2023. I’d love to hear them.
My sister hates country music. So did our dad. My kids hate it too. I get it. I used to hate it as well. It used to literally make me angry when it came on. That twang. Ugh. Like nails on a chalkboard.
But a trip to Stagecoach 10 years ago for a friend’s milestone birthday (it’s none of your business which milestone) changed everything.
And now?
I fucking love it!
My bestie and me at our first Stagecoach
If I’m turthful, I will admit that I like what is called New Country, which is really pop country. That good ol’ boys 90’s country as they call it is still not for me. But artists like Sam Hunt, Cole Swindell, The Chicks, and my very favorite Old Dominion make my heart happy. And yes, I even like more classically bent good ol’ boy country rock like Eric Church and Luke Combs. And oh how I hate to admit it – I do love Morgan Wallen. (Look, he’s a hot mess of a hillbilly redneck, but that dude can write a song.) I’m excited about new artists like Morgan Wade (I saw her the first time she came to California!), Parker McCollum, and Lily Rose.
I think what I like most about country music is the lyrics. The stories they tell. Can the lyrics be simplistic? They can be. But that is the true beauty of them. (Less, is so often, so much more.) And the play on words in a country song? Oh my goodness, the play on words is enough to make this writer’s heart swoon. Country songs can be so very clever, my friends.
I walk every morning and usually listen to a book or a podcast, but yesterday I was out of books (I borrow from the library) and I didn’t feel like listening to a podcast. It was Friday – who needs the stress of learning something new or the discomfort of digging deep from the self-help podcast I lean toward on a beautiful Friday morning – so I listened to country music instead. (The Country Heat playlist on Amazon music if you’re interested.) Ashley McBryde’s song “Leave a Light on in the Kitchen” came on. I’d heard the song before, but I’d never really listened to it. The simple story of advice from her mother that shaped her daily rituals and into the human she has become.
It brought me to tears.
Yes, there I was, walking my dog on a beautiful Friday morning, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, it wasn’t too hot yet, and tears were streaming down my face because of the simple beauty of McBryde’s lyrics.
“Leave a Light on in the Kitchen”
… Always check the door ‘fore you lay down Keep a glass of water by the bed A dose of local honey Will keep your nose from runnin’ Little things like that she’s always said
… Never back up farther than you have to Pray for those that don’t have a prayer
… Honey, trust yourself You better love yourself ‘Cause ’til you do you ain’t no good for anybody else And honey, boys are dumb But you’re gonna to find you one Love him hard, bless your heart When you need someone to listen That’s why I leave the light on in the kitchen
… Pancakes just taste better after midnight When you make friends always be color blind Your freckles make you pretty There’s more to life than being skinny If you feel fat, it’s mostly in your mind
… So Honey, trust yourself You better love yourself ‘Cause ’til you do you ain’t no good to anybody else Honey, boys are dumb But you’re gonna to find you one Love him hard, bless your heart When you need someone to listen That’s why I leave the light on in the kitchen
… Honey, trust yourself Laugh at yourself If something tries to hold you back Get up and give it hell And for heaven’s sake always have a place Where you can do some cryin’ and some bitchin’ And always leave a light on in the kitchen
I don’t know what it is about the lyrics that made me so emotional. But that’s the beauty of music -of any art, really- isn’t it? That connection. That something that speaks directly to you.
That punch in the gut, as my friend Kim Tracy Prince would call it.
When you think of the core meaning of the song – a mother instructing her child on how to live her best life by trusting herself, loving hard, (and drinking water) – I mean, how simply beautiful is that?
My sister won’t like the song because Ashley McBryde does have a serious twang. But that’s okay. She may convert one day. (Or maybe she won’t.) Either way, whenever she needs some cryin’ and some bitchin’ I’ll have a light on for my sister in the kitchen.
Once again, the Oscars have come at an unfortunate time for me. I had the double whammy of coming home from a long weekend getaway at my girlfriend’s house in the beautiful St. George, UT (landed at Burbank Airport at 1:00 PM) and hosting a virtual trivia event for work at 5:00 PM. Sure, I was home between 2:00 and 5:00 – prime Red Carpet time, but between preparing for my work event and preparing for the week, sadly there was no Red Carpet for me. (But that’s what pictures on the internet are for.)
But before my trip, Marley promised me that she would stay home and we would eat pizza and drink margaritas and watch the awards while scouring the internet for Red Carpet pictures. And so we did.
And so, from my comfy couch, while consuming more calories during the Oscar broadcast than these ladies did the entire previous week, I present to you, Marley and Charlene’s Snarky Red Carpet Review.
Do we want to start with the good news or the bad news? Who are we kidding? Let’s start with the bad news.
This dress is very bad news…
Allison Williams
Me: What the heck is going on with this dress?! It doesn’t look like it fits well – it almost looks baggy, the cape is hideous, and that fur on the bottom is just no, no, no!
Marley: I think without the awful fabric swallowing her body, it would have been beautiful. But instead the dress is ruined by those feathers and weird cape shawl.
Me: Sigh. I mean Nicole always looks beautiful, but from her overly casual extensioned hair to her just plain ugly dress, I’m going to call this a no.
Jessie Buckley
Marley: Everything about thai dress is terrible. It reminds me of one of those cheap Halloween table cloths
Me: In a word: hideous. But also, I have more words. It looks like a 1980’s Cinderella wedding dress dyed purple and black. Even without those awful balloon sleeves this dress would be terrible.
Florence Pugh
Marley: Marley She looks like she’s wearing crumpled bed sheets with some booty shorts and a sports bra.
Me: I don’t know what it looks like other than one big ol’ mess. It looks like she is as bad at picking stylists as she is at picking movie rolls. (If you were unfortunate enough to see Don’t Worry Darling, you know what I’m talking about.) And what is with that hair? Are her bangs created from the end of her ponytail? Thumbs down on everything about this look. I don’t even like her shoes.
And please, don’t for a second think it’s just the women we were snarky to. The men have to own up to their fashion mistakes as well.
Alyson Sandro and Barry Keoghan
Marley: Who is that?
Me: He’s an Irish actor and (searching the internet) that’s his wife. She is an orthodontist.
Marley: She’s an orthodontist? Lucky patients! The buttons on that suit look like bleached buttholes. You would think his wife is the famous one. She looks stunning.
Me: She does look stunning. Not a fan of his suit. Also, should it concern me that you know what bleached buttholes look like?
Dwayne Johnson
Marley: It looks like he bought it off Fashion Nova
Me: What is Fashion Nova?
Marley: It’s cheap fast fashion clothing with a lot of satin.
Me: Well, someone needs to tell The Rock that fast fashion is incredibly bad for the environment and that jacket is bad for my eyes. He looks like the maître d’ at a bad Vegas review show.
And now for the very good news, we are on to the good dresses. That’s right – there were not a lot of terrible dresses. And while terrible dresses do make for a funnier and snarkier post, if you know me at all, you know that I really am all about spreading joy and positivity. (Though admittedly, Marley – not so much!) And so, on to the very good news.
Cara Delevingne
Me: I think this is everyone’s favorite dress. It has everything – the gorgeous, rich color, the beautiful fabric and the way it drapes just perfectly, the Angelia Jolie slit – it’s all around fab.
Marley: That would have been the best dress of the night if it didn’t have that stupid bow.
(In case you are somehow unaware, Marley hates bows)
Me: You are wrong. It is the best dress of the night. The dress is gorgeous. Even the bow.
Halle Bailey
While this dress is maybe a little bit on the nightgowny side, I think the look is overall, incredibly pretty. The hair, the makeup, the jewelry, the fairy princess dress – I give this look a 10/10.
Michelle Yeoh
Me: I think this dress is very pretty. I love the way it flows and Michelle looks stunning. I’m so glad she won the Oscar. This woman is 60 years old, friends. Definitely not “past her prime.”
Salma Hayek
Me: Wowza! I love the color of this dress. It looks like actual fire. 🔥🔥🔥
Marley: I usually don’t like the sparkly dresses, but she looks really pretty.
Mindy Kaling
Marley: She looks amazing. So many women are wearing white tonight like they are all getting married. I still don’t understand the wedding dress theme but this is one of my favorite dresses.
Me: Agree. She looks absolutely stunning.
Also – did you notice that during the awards she came out in this exact same dress but in black? So basically, stars are just like us, because when I find something I like, I tend to buy one in every color.
Tems
Marley: You know I don’t like that headpiece but the rest of the dress is stunning. She wins for wedding dress of the night.
Me: I also don’t know how I feel about that headpiece situation but the dress is indeed stunning.
Kate Hudson
Marley: I think that’s really pretty. I mean, to be honest, the sequins do make it look a little cheap in my opinion, but the shape is really pretty.
Me: To be honest, I’m a bit conflicted about this dress. The sequins are a little too big and disco-bally and the ruffly cold shoulder is a litte too ruffly, but I don’t know. Somehow it works. And yes, as always, she does look really pretty.
Angela Bassett
Me: I think this dress is really pretty. I love the color.
Marley: No. That dress is not good. The color is pretty but I hate the shape.
Me: She looks gorgeous
Marley: she does
And because I am all about spreading joy and positivity, I will leave you this this photo…
Girl Power
I mean, look at these two. These are two powerful, beautiful, badass women in their 60s, who in this youth-obsessed industry (and youth-obsessed country and culture) just won their first Oscars. If that’s not beautiful, I don’t know what is.
Okay, friends. Let us know – what did we get right, what did we get wrong, and what did we miss?
Also, P.S. – Marley and I did not review Jamie Lee Curtis’s dress, but we both thought she looked amazing!
“Do you want me to record the Golden Globes for you?” my husband asked me yesterday afternoon.
“The Golden Globes are back?” I answered. “I had no idea. Sure. Thank you. When are they on? Sunday?”
“Tonight?! On a Tuesday?! Why???”
Look, if you are a regular reader of my red carpet report (which is basically the only time I ever write a blog post anymore and seriously question myself everytime I do it), you know that I am often caught unaware of when awards shows are happening. But, I’m quite positive that the Globes have always been a Sunday event. What happened? Did they get a weekday discount on the Beverly Hilton ballroom?
Also, can I be honest? While watching the show, I wasn’t really that inspired. Most of the dresses were pretty but not amazing and the most of ones that weren’t great weren’t actually terrible. Tuesdays in general are kind of meh and so is this review.
But I rallied (as I do) to write this post for the 3 people who tell me they look forward to it every year. And, like every year, instead of writing it on the night of the awards like a professional, I get up at o’dark thirty the next morning (that would be today) and give my suburbanite comments on haute couture as if I know what I’m talking about. (Because I do.) Marley rallied as well because she is a good daughter.
And so, without further ado (aka me blathering on about why I am once again unprepared and unqualified to write this blog post), my 2023 Golden Globes Red Carpet Review…
We’ll start with the nopes.
Selena Gomez
Me: Selena Gomez is 30 and this dress is too matronly. It looks like it was made for 50-something-year old trying to hide her upper-arm jiggle. (And if there’s something I know about, it’s being a 50-something-year old trying to hide upper arm jiggle.) Take away those purple sleeves and this dress is a win. They have got to go.
Marley: I will forever never understand why puffy sleeves are a thing. They don’t look good.
Jessica Chastain
Me I feel like I should like this dress but I don’t. The whole spider webby thing maybe. She looks gorgeous as always but I have to vote no on this one.
Marley: Is it a spider web or diamond bullseye?
Sepideh Moafi
Me: That flower has got to go and that Angelina Jolie high leg slit is so 2000 and whatever year that was.
Michelle Williams
Me: This dress is just one big ol’ ruffly mess. It’s a nope.
Julia Garner
Me: Again with the ruffles. If this dress had just flowed elegantly down to the floor it would have been a 10/10 but that weird bottom ruins it for me. (I was so happy that Julia won the GG for Ozark though. Ruth Langmore will forever be one of my favorite TV characters.)
Jenny Ortega
Me: It’s like Stevie Nicks’ designer added pleats, changed the color, and forgot the middle of one of her outfits. (BTW, in the 70’s when disco inspired fashion was a thing, I had a Danskin leotard and wrap skirt in this exact color.)
Marley: Slave Princess Leia but make it red carpet.
Stephanie Hsu
Me: I am conflicted by this dress as well. I want to love it. I think I would love it if it had a black underlay and you couldn’t see through to her bodysuit, which makes me sound like a modest old lady and this dress upsets me because it proves I am officially over.
Claire Danes
Me: This is another dress I can’t figure out if I like or not. There really is something about it that is so pretty but also it looks like the chenille bedspread in my grandmother’s lake cabin.
Marley: Lamp shade couture.
Lest you think the women are the only ones who need to fire their designers, let me present you with this…
Adam Scott
Me: WTF, is going on there, Adam? I dig the color but that weird tie has got to go.
Marley: I think he looks like a little flower boy who is wearing a suit he’ll laugh at in 20 years.
Donald Glover
Me: Why???
Marley: Donald looks like he just woke up and was thrown into a car so he wouldn’t be late for the event.
Gentlemen, if you’d like to mix it up a bit, and don’t want to wear a basic tuxedo and still look daper, may I present this:
Andrew Garfield
Me: Andrew looks great in this burnt orange suit. Love!
Marley: It’s nice to see something that isn’t a black suit and I think he looks like a fancy scooby-doo.
Jeremy Pope
Me: Jeremy is looking fine in this leather suit. That necklace if bold and fabulous. I love it.
Marley: Leather on leather usually is tacky but he really pulls it off.
Matt Bomer
Me: Matt Bomer in a burgandy velvet tux = 100.
Here are my faves:
Angela Bassett
Me: In a word: Stunning. In more words: Angela Bassett is 64 years old and has obviously sold her soul to the devil. My question is, can she give me his number?
Marley: Amazing. Stunning. 11/10.
Jennifer Hudsom
Me: Love the sparkly gold bricks and the diamond-shaped neckline. Fab!
Letitia Wright
Me: This is my favorite dress of the night. So simple, but also elegant and very different. I LOVE it.
Marley: I really hate this dress. I feel awful saying it but it really looks like a pad after your first day of a heavy flow. I don’t see the vision.
Me: Marley is 100% wrong and frankly I am disappointed in her not seeing the vision. She is a lover of modern art and if this were on a canvas at a museum she would find it as breathtaking as it is. (Though, to be fair, I am not a lover of modern art and if I saw this on a canvas in a museum, I would think it looked like a pretty blob of orange paint. Go figure.) But also, this dress is gorgeous.
Salma Hayek
Me: Why do I love Salma Hayek’s dress and dislike Jessica Chastain’s dress when the concept if very similar. I do not know. What I do know is that this dress is stunning.
Margot Robbie
Me: This is how you mix up the bottom of a dress. I find Margot Robbie very pretty in pink.
Marley: I feel like she can do so much better than this dress.
Me: Perhaps, but I still like it!
Ana de Armas
Me: I think this dress is very unique and beautiful.
Marley: Her silhouette is amazing in this but I hate the trend of square necklines, they’re so ugly.
Me: Marley is incorrect about square necklines. They accentuate the collarbone and hide the armpit-bar-overhang-flab. Not that I would know anything about that. (Spoiler alert: I know everything about that.)
Marley’s favorites:
Anya Taylor-Joy
Marley: I love the two piece and I think the yellow looks great on her, big fan.
Me: While I love dresses that are simply elegant and I don’t mind a two-piece ensemble, something about this just doesn’t work for me. I think the bandeau is too narrow, maybe. Do not love.
Daisy Edgar
Marley: I love this and if I was famous I’d wear it on a red carpet, the top piece especially is amazing.
Me: I have to disagree with Marley again. While I do think the corsety top is very pretty, I don’ like how the skirt fluffs out below the hips. It’s almost as if her skirt is falling off. I’d like this dress more if it either hugged her body completely or fluffed out at the waist. Everyone knows that a full skirt is meant to hide the hips. (That is why it is my go-to style.) You can’t have it both ways. (Says me, the fashion expert.)
Lily James
Marley: I love this dress, she looks so beautiful and I really like how the two pieces connect.
Me: There is too much going on here. Disagree.
And that, my friends, is what we call in Hollywood (and 30 miles from Hollywood), a wrap. This snarky suburbanite with opinions about things she has no business having opinions about has got to get herself to work. (Which means I need to take a quick shower and become Zoom presentable in about 30 minutes.)
I’d love to know your thoughts. Did I get it right or miss the mark? (But only tell me if you think I got it right.) 😉
And just like that (as Carrie Bradshaw would say), 2022 is check, done. And once again, I wonder, how did another year go by so fast? At the beginning of every new year I like to sit down with my happiness journal and reflect upon the year before (and bore y’all with a blog post about my year).
But also, I sometimes marvel at how much I actually did do in a year. This year we went to our family lake house in Michigan. I did my best to make the most of business travel. I went to concerts again. I gathered with loved ones at two family weddings. As I read my happiness journal I’ll read an entry from April or May and think to myself, that was last spring? It feels like that just happened a few weeks ago. So maybe the years do go by a bit more slowly than it can feel. Which is definitely a good thing.
My stepdad died on July 5th. That was a rough transition, I know, but how do you transition to something like that? Losing him was a rough transition. We are still transitioning. My dad gone just two-and-a-half years ago and my step-dad gone six months ago – it can feel like too much. Too, too much.
And that is why I continue to keep my happiness journal – to remind myself of the little moments that do make me happy when it gets to be too much. Or when one day blurs into the next. Or when I’m really, really happy and want to hold onto that memory.
Like every year, there are things entered into my journal repeatedly – a greatest hits, if you will – daily dog walks, listening to good music, time spent with friends, hugging the people I love, pizza ordered after a busy work day, the enjoyment of good food and wine. You could look at this two ways – my life is pretty mundane and I do the same things over and over again. Or, I’m so lucky to live this life where I get to do the things that make me happy over and over again. If you know me even a little bit, you know which way I lean.
And so, here are some of my favorite happy memories from 2022.
January 3 – Chandler went on the night time dog walk with me before he went home to San Diego. I loved getting that last bit of one on one time with him. The night was cold and crisp and it made my heart so happy.
January 25 – The RV is set up at Rincon for Amanda and the sunset was beautiful and when I was hugging Amanda and went to release she pulled me tighter. I love her hugs so much. Being with Mom, Bill, Tracie, Amanda, Richard, and Amanda’s friend Summer at the beach in January is just amazing.
Sunset at Rincon
February 3 – Some days are so, just, boring and normal. What made me happy? I don’t know. My dog walk. Leftovers for dinner.A quick call from Chandler. A good show on Hulu. The blessings of an ordinary day.
February 20 – We had breakfast at Mom and Bill’s – waffles, bacon, eggs, and fruit. So delicious. (And I let myself have an extra half-waffle. So good!) We need to cherish these times we spend with them and I do!
February 24 – Dave said to me, “No matter how bad a day I’m having, you can still make me laugh.”
March 6 – At dinner, which was delicious, by the way – hamburgers on brioche buns and oven-baked fries, I called Dave a man-baby and he made T-Rex arms and said, “I can’t reach. I’m a baby,” and Marley and I laughed so hard. Laughter + good food = happiness.
March 17 – Rita and I went to see Jon Pardi and he was so good and we were right up front and the energy from the concert was amazing. Nothing makes me happier.
Jon Pardi
March 24 – On my walk today I saw a woman walking with her baby in a front carrier and she stopped at a flowering bush so they could enjoy the flowers. It brought me such happiness and nostalgia of showing my babies the wonders of this beautiful world.
March 26 – Writers’ Group. Small tonight – Julie, Shauna, Kim, and me. But so great. Julie is fucking killing it and it makes me so happy for her. You go, my friend. You go!
April 3 – I was kind to myself and instead of working (on a Sunday) I took Geordie for a long walk. The weather was perfect and there were spring flowers everywhere. What a wonderful, beautiful place to live.
Flowers from a neighborhood walk
April 29 – That feeling – that rush – of being back at Stagecoach. Stepping into the pit just as Jordan Davis hit the stage – there is nothing like it!
Back in the pit at Stagecoach
May 15 – We brought Mexican food to my mom’s for her birthday and Marley gave her the most heartfelt card and it makes me so happy that my kids express their feelings so eloquently.
May 30 – All four of us went to drop Chandler off at LAX for his internship in Austria. We ate lunch at the LAX In-n-Out and watched the planes land. I love when the four of us are together. I am so excited for Chandler’s adventure.
June 4 – I went on a hike with Rita at the Victory trailhead and we got lost and came out at the Las Virgenes trailhead. It was equal parts mortifying and hilarious. Dave rescued us. We had breakfast burritos at a cafe by the trailhead and it ended up being awesome.
Getting lost in the trails
June 21 – My baby girl is 22 today. I remember my 22nd birthday – We had a pool party at my mom’s and I wore my pink dress from Mexico and drank Coronas. It just goes too fast.
July 16 – Therese brought dinner to my mom’s and it was nice to be with family and I am so happy there are so many people who love my mom.
July 22 – The minute Matt Ramsey started singing my heart exploded with joy. Back in the pit at an Old Dominion concert – my heart is happy and full.
Brad Tursi and Matt Ramsey of Old Dominion doing what they do best.
August 13 – We’re back in Michigan. It’s cool but the lake is beautiful. I’m glad to be here with my mom in her Michigan home.
August 19 – OH. MY. GAWD. Old Dominion did a pop up show and we made it in! What are the odds that they’d be in Michigan when I am?! Seeing them in a tiny club was AMAZING!
August 23 – I feel sad that I have not been keeping up with this journal at the lake. But my happy moments have been floating, morning walks, drives on country roads, and just spending time in this beautiful place.
Scenes from our workation in White Lake, Michigan
August 28 – I met a cousin of Bill’s today and she said, “I know who you are. I read your book and I loved it!” It makes me so happy that Laney brought a moment of joy to someone’s life. I also spent time with Bill’s Uncle Mike and he is such a lovely man.
September 12 – Chandler called from Berlin and at one point in the call we were all in the kitchen on speaker joking about some trendy club in Berlin and it was so great. It felt like we were all together at our happy best.
September 21 – Chandler called from Italy and it always makes me so happy to hear his voice. Plus, Marley and I sat for a few minutes in the kitchen and chatted before she went to school. Having adult children is such a blessing and a delight.
October 1 – Birthday dinner with Rhiannon. My sister is turning 40 and it makes me so happy to be with her.
My beautiful baby sister Rhiannon turns 40!
October 8 – Ashlea and David’s wedding was so lovely. I loved their vows and feld so honored to witness them.
My cousin Ashlea and her husband David
November 5 – I got to hang out with Pat and Jennifer in NYC and it was so FUN! What a gorgeous day. The weather was perfect and people were everywhere outside enjoying it. It was a perfect New York day.
November 20 – Chris and Dena got married and it made me so happy to share their day and be with my family.
My brother Christopher and his beautiful bride Dena
November 24 – Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for my family and for this life that I have in my little suburban shangri-la. I think my happy moment was our big breakfast together before the Thanksgiving feast.
November 27 – My heart is full of love and happiness – we had a playgroup mom’s reunion and ten of us were there. It was so wonderful to catch up with these amazing women. I am so blessed to know them and have experienced early motherhood with them. I don’t know how I would have gotten through those early mothering years without them.
Playgroup Reunion – these ladies are so amazing!
December 16 – We went to Arlyne’s for charcuterie and had such a great time. I almost didn’t go – why? Too busy, too many calories, blah, blah, blah. I’m so glad we did. We really had so much fun. It felt grown-up and sophisticated and just wonderful to be with friends.
December 24 – Cheese fondue with the family. The four of us in the kitchen. Good wine. My favorite people. Christmas joy.
I know. That was long. I’m a terrible editor. And believe it or not, I chopped what I wanted to use in half. (You’re welcome!) If you’re still reading this, thank you for sticking with me. I do so love looking back on my year (even the hard ones) and thank you for your indulgence. Wishing you some time for reflection on 2022 and a 2023 full of happy moments both big and small.
Charlene Ross 