Table Topic Tuesdays: Eye Candy

I love my husband. Like, he is the apple of my eye, lights my fire, pushes my buttons...oh wait. Anyhoo, he is my dream guy. Having said that, I'm not dead. I have eyes and don't mind when they fall on attractive bits of manflesh.

So when Shannon posted the topic for this week's Table Topic Tuesday, I felt it my DUTY to list my top producers of testosterone. Not for me, mind you, but for you. Because I'm a giver. Enjoy.

Alexander Skarsgaard (aka Eric Northman on True Blood): Sure the character plays into this a little, he's a sexy, badass vampire, but he's also one fine looking man.



Clive Owen: He has the gruff Englishman thing going on that is darn near irresistible. And look at those blue eyes! Swoon.



Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock): Seriously? Seriously. Behold:



Chris Evans: Hi Chris! (she titters behind a coy smile)



Tom Hardy: Tom is a recent add to my hunk stable. Have you seen Inception yet? See it, if for nothing else than to see this man. That face belongs atop a statue to a Greek god.



So who's your top five bits of eye candy?

Table Topics Tuesday: Bitter Pill

 Is it harder to be honest or kind?

I am an innately bad liar. Always have been. As a child, my mom could always tell. It might have been the way I stumbled over the words. Or how I giggled. Or it might have been the fact that I flushed from chest to cheeks. Whatever the case, I am terrible at it. Age and time have not improved this skill. To this day, I can not lie to bosses, husband, friends, parents, ANYONE. Even over the phone. It is my Achilles Heel.

But what that means is that I am not good at false praise. If someone asks me how something looks and I honestly don't think it looks good, I am powerless to resist telling them the truth. I try to be as kind as I possibly can. It is not my intention to be hurtful, although unfortunately, I imagine sometimes that is the result. I always make the effort to say the nice thing. I will skirt the issue rather than be mean. But I can't/won't lie.

Yeah, I'm popular.

But I am a glass half full kind of gal. I'd like to think there is an upside. And that is that when I say something, people believe it.

Or they hate me and stomp off calling me a heartless bitch. But that's the half empty side, and we're not thinking like that today. So let's go with they appreciate my candor. Yep, that's the thing.

Now go visit Shannon to see what everyone is talking about!

Table Topics Tuesday: Dream Vacation

It's been a long time since I've been on a real vacation. Which isn't to say that I haven't traveled, but a real vacation for me is one that involves a passport. My last real vacation was in fall of 2006 when I went to Playa del Carmen with my best friend and one of my oldest and dearest friends. We had a great time, despite the fact that I got sunburned so badly on the first day that I was unable to expose my skin to the sun for the rest of the trip. This meant snorkeling in full clothing. Hiding under umbrellas with SPF 3000. And lets just say that mixing one measly beer and sun poisoning gets you some quality time with el dios porcelano. Whatev. Despite this, it was an amazing trip and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

But that's not my dream vacation right now.

Right now, my dream vacation is Ireland. I have been to pretty much every other western European country. And who could possibly resist the accent? It's so dreamy.

I want to sleep in a castle.

Enjoy a pint in a pub.

Kiss the Blarney Stone.

Stare down the Cliffs of Insanity.

That's really not so much to ask for, is it? *cough* Fifth anniversary. *cough*

Visit Shannon to see what everyone else is chatting about!

Table Topics Tuesday: Inked

When I was in college I contemplated getting a tattoo. I wanted three dolphins, circling tail to nose, on my lower back. I honestly can't say now exactly what it was that stopped me. I had many friends who had or were getting tattoos and I have no religious bans, so it certainly wasn't because of a perceived stigma. Maybe it was the cost, I was a poor college student, after all. Whatever the reason, I didn't do it.

Realizing now what a cliche that was, and inappropriate for me now, I'm really glad I didn't get it done. Some part of me must have realized that dolphins, while a beautiful and majestic animal, would not be a lifelong passion and I would not be happy having them on my body forever.

After that rebellious phase, I abandoned the idea of a tattoo. There was not a single image or text that I could imagine imprinting on my body that I was reasonably confident I would still like in 10, 20 or 30 years. Never during that time did I feel that tattoos were a bad thing, they just weren't for me.

But in the last few years I have begun to get that urge again. I don't necessarily have an image in mind. If anything, it would likely be an abstract form. A collection of shapes.

Unfortunately, Neil is very much against this idea. He has no tattoos, no plans to get one, and is not at all enthused about his wife having one. Since this is not something I feel strongly about, I don't plan to fight him on it. But if I had led a different life, if I had walked a different path, I might have done something like this:



or maybe this:



If you were to get a tattoo right now, what would it be? 


Visit Shannon to see what everyone else is chatting about!

Table Topics Tuesday: SHOPPING!

If you could win unlimited shopping from one store, which one would it be?

This is a tough one for me, because there isn't really a store that I normally visit that sells everything I would want for a truly uninhibited shopping spree.

However, there is one that sells everything I could possibly dream of, and then some, that I have never actually bought anything from: Neiman Marcus. When I was a kid, we got the Neiman Marcus catalog every year. I don't know why, we didn't order anything. We were more of a Spiegel family than Neiman Marcus, but somehow we were on the list. We would pore through the pages, dreaming about the wonderful things that we would order, if money were no object.

They have clothes and dresses. The most gorgeous dresses. They have shoes. The most fantastic high heel, flat, espadrille, wedge, strappy shoes. They have fab handbags. They have the most wonderful housewares and furniture. 80 bojillion threadcount sheets.  And if I had thousands of dollars at my disposal, I would be shopping there in an instant. I would buy an entirely new wardrobe and totally refurnish the house.

And hey, they have free shipping!

Head on over to Shannon's to see what everyone else is talking about.

Table Topics Tuesday

I'm one of those people that doesn't eat leftovers. Even if I LOVED the meal, I just can't bring myself to eat the same stuff two days in a row. So the idea of eating only one meal for the rest of my life is a pretty bleak one. I thrive on variety.

But if I had to. If there were no other options. I think it would be the Mediterranean Salad like the one they serve at Noodles and Company. It's lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, feta, cavatappi noodles and shrimp, all tossed in a greek-style spicy yogurt dressing with lemon and garlic.

Yum, right? I love salad. I love pasta. This dish mixes the two. It's got a little tangy and a little salty. There's cheese. There are olives. What's not to love?

If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?





This post is in no way sponsored or paid for by Noodles and Company. However, if they would like to thank me for it with a Mediterranean Salad, or, you know, a Blogher 2010 sponsorship, I wouldn't turn it down. :)

Table Topics Tuesday: Table For Four

Since I was about 18, I have been working on a list of people I would invite to a fantastic backyard barbecue that I would host at my fantastic mansion with its Olympic-sized pool and Versailles-worthy gardens. Of course it would be catered. Sha. The list has grown and shrunk over the years. People work their way into my affections and just as easily out of it. They are celebrities after all.

There are a few that seem so interesting, though, and have stayed on the list for so long, that I would rather have a more intimate experience with them. Get your mind out of the gutter, not that kind of intimate. A quiet dinner, just my three besties and me.

Mae West. Yes, she's dead, but this is a fantasy, so the normal laws of nature don't apply. (I'm also a size 4 in this dinner fantasy.) She just seems like such a saucy, feisty broad. And she is so totally a BROAD. I can only imagine that things would not get boring with her around.



Cary Grant. Also dead. I seem to have a fascination with the classics. He was such a handsome, funny, charming, man's man. I have watched and rewatched his movies. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.



The last would have to be a man, to round out the table. I've often thought I would like to meet Cher, but I just don't think she and Mae would get along, plus, you know, she's a woman, so we'll have to save her for another dinner. So my pick would be:

Will Smith. He's alive! And therefore the only one that maybe could actually happen. I love his rags to riches story. And despite his fame and wealth he seems to be a "regular" guy. Sure he hangs out with Tom Cruise and David Beckham, but whatever, he's cool. Plus, his love affair with Jada is so beautiful.



What three famous people would you invite to dinner?

This has been a part of the always fabulous Shannon's: