jamie ann

Thursday night, I arrived back in Chicago to a message that my dad was back in the hospital. He had a heart attack and would be having surgery on Friday.

On Saturday, my actual birthday, I got into a knock down, drag out argument with my mother. It wasn’t pretty and resulted with her shutting off my phone and taking me off our family plan so I have no phone for a few days. Plus, I woke up completely sick so my plans were completely thrown out the window.

(There will be a post on the crazy that is my mother soon. Hi mom, make sure you check back for that!)

BUT my birthday was not a complete train wreck.

Tuesday night when I was in LA, I was able to have dinner with Katelin. I wish we lived closer because I love hanging out with her. It was great being able to catch up!

(LA post to come and dude, it was AWESOME)

Friday night was my birthday celebration/quinceanera (as Nic and I were calling it) with a few fantastic friends. We went to The 44th Ward Dinner Party and got our grilled cheese on. Then headed over to Halsted’s Bar and Grill where we ate some of the Swirlz Cupcakes that I had picked up earlier in the day.

I highly recommend cupcakes in bars. The whole night was low key and just what I needed. I really do have some pretty awesome friends.

Saturday, my dad was able to come home from the hospital and that was probably the best birthday present I could ask for. But also, that morning my doorbell rang and I ran down to see I had a flower delivery from my friends at Nintendo! (I’m a Nintendo brand enthusiast) My favorite color and a gorgeous arrangement. It was the first time I’ve ever been sent flowers too so that was pretty exciting.

And to wrap up my birthday weekend, I discovered Mad Men season three was on sale at Target for only $18 so I treated myself to that. In a few days, I’ll be having a Don Draper marathon!

So that was my birthday weekend. Some bad: dad sick, crazy mother and no phone. Some good: cupcakes, friends, Mad Men and pretty flowers. I can’t complain.

How was your weekend?

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Here’s to another year older, hopefully a little wiser and a hell of a lot more fun.

Do Epic Shit.

I’ve been pretty busy the past week and I’ll be out of town for the next few days. Don’t worry, you know where to find me while I’m gone.

Currently digging these things:

• Californication
• my new purple flats
• getting mail, especially if it’s pretty Etsy stuff
• Literacy and Longing in LA
• spring finally making it’s debut in Chicago (we had a little setback this past weekend but we’re on the right track)
• dinner with friends on Friday night at 44th Ward Dinner Party
• Vinny Chase (catching up on the last season of Entourage)
• finally using my Groupon for a dozen cupcakes from Swirlz for my birthday this weekend

Yes, my birthday is Saturday. Sigh. It will be the 5th anniversary of my 21st birthday.

Feel free to send me love notes, pretty things and hugs & kisses to help ease the pain of getting older.

I have a tumblr. It can be found here if you want to follow it or whatever.

I kind of forget it exists sometimes but I dig it because I can post all the pretty images I come across.

Like these:

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Do you tumble?

Dear Zooey,

Can I just say how much I absolutely adore you?  And by absolutely adore, I really mean totally hate. But somehow, still absolutely adore.

How do you do it? I mean really. You’re making it hard for the rest of us girls here.

With your big blue eyes and hair that always manages to be perfectly ringleted. Your ridiculously, amazing collection of dresses. For most girls that would be enough. But no, not for you.

Then add in a lovely singing voice. Plus, you’re in my favorite movies like Almost Famous and get to make out with JGL. Oh and you’re one half of the super indie rock mega couple and shacking up with Ben Gibbard.

Seriously?

SERIOUSLY.

So instead of hating, I’d like to be your new best friend. Can we go shopping for pretty dresses? Can your hair stylist hook me up? Maybe some of your adorable glow will cast itself off onto those around you. I can use some adorable myself and you’re just being greedy.

Please share the love with the rest of us. Or at least me. Forget about all those other broads.

Your new BFF,

Jamie Lovely

P.S. She & Him Volume Two is fantastic. I managed to acquire it today.

P.P.S. You can listen to the album on NPR here.

Just because it’s Friday and it’s Gaga.

The video for Telephone featuring some broad named Beyonce dropped yesterday.

Definitely no Bad Romance but I still dig it.

How very Tarantino, right?

When I started my blog and trying to name it I was all, hmm… what words do I like? Lovely? Um, sure. That’s my blog name. Cool.

I never expected the audience and the opportunity that it could possibly bring (and really? Saying my blog is called Oh! How Lovely! sounds silly when all I do is talk about nail polish and babes) plus I have slight design ADD so I decided it was time for a little change here at the House of Lovely.

I present Lovely: Version 2.0

If you click on through, you’ll see I have a new blog design. It’s a little cleaner, not as pink and cutesy but still pretty. I’ve also renamed my blog and added a sassy tagline.

So yes, new name but still just as a lovely. And I’m still keeping @JamieLovely as my twitter name. I’m the original Lovely, dudes. Some things just won’t change.

I’m still tweaking a few things on the sidebars and pages but I’m kind of in love. Many, many thanks to Splendid Sparrow for a great experience. I couldn’t be happier with my new look!

What do you think? Love it or hate it?

Spill.

In case you somehow missed it, last night was the 2010 Academy Awards. I’ve seen all of like, one movie nominated (Up in the Air) but really, I totally wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity for some snarky commentary via twitter. Don’t follow me yet? DO IT.

So instead of writing a big long post, I’m just reposting my tweets because I’m awesome (lazy) like that.

• Anna Kendrick is gorgeous. I LOVE HER DRESS.
• DUDE. ZAC EFRON IS SUCH A FREAKING BABE.
• I would do bad, bad things to him, I can’t even lie.  #callmezac
• SJP got some Queen Amidala Star Wars hair going on. Not feeling it.
• I definitely wasn’t planning on live tweeting the #oscars. It’s just that I have Very Important Things to say.
• @elysa Kraft. But I’m really digging Amy’s Kitchen mac and cheese right now! (mac and cheese talk break!)
• Why is Miley Cyrus there? I can’t stand this bitch. And she needs to stop slouching. YOU’RE ON THE OSCARS RED CARPET.
• Not interested in Taylor Lautner when I have to see his face, hear him talk or see him with a shirt on.
• RT @tomandlorenzo MERYL STREEP IN CHRIS MARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! #PROJECTRUNWAY #OSCARS
• Gabby is so cute with her posing up there.
• NPH OMG
• I would really like a sparkly dress, please.
• Amanda Seyfried is gorgeous. Miley makes me stabby. STOP TALKING.
• RDJ. Another babe.
• I want to go watch Ferris Bueller now.
• The top and bottom of Zoe Saldana’s dress don’t look like they go together.
• I love that Kanye has now been made into a verb. That broad in purple totally Kanyed that dude.
• Rachel McAdams = STUNNING.
• I type with purpose.
• What a fierce bitch. She totally knows it too. (re: costume designer’s win)
• STOP SLOUCHING KSTEW. (Her dress is so pretty though)
• MY BB ZAC OMG.
• Elizabeth Banks dress is ridic. I’m in love.
• More babes. Less boring.
• A suited up Bradley Cooper is the best kind of Bradley Cooper.

The summary for the tl;dr crowd: Babes. Sparkles. Stop slouching. Who invited the Disney kids? Boring. And apparently I have no comments on the actually awards because I just don’t care. Now can someone just let me write for Gawker now or something, please?

Best dressed? Worst dressed? Did you actually watch the movies unlike me and think the awards we’re given out to the right people?

DO TELL.

P.S. I would also like this dress.

P.P.S. And this one:

P.P.P.S. But mainly this one as long as I don’t have to have Cameron Diaz’s face:

It seems so many people around me are making big changes in their life. One of my favorite Chicago friends is leaving tonight and moving Pittsburgh. She’s getting married to an amazing guy this summer and they are getting ready to purchase a home.

My sister is moving across the country tomorrow. Co-habitation with her boyfriend in a brand new city, one she’s never even been to.  Getting ready to take the special effects and make up world by storm.

Friends trying so hard to start a family. And now soon there will be twin babies around for Auntie Lovely to spoil. Etsy, look out. I’m coming for you.

Marriage. Home buying. Living with boyfriends. Cross country moves.  Babies. It’s sometimes kind of hard to believe we are getting to that stage.

And then there is me.

Me with my Peter Pan Syndrome. Trying so hard to stop time in it’s tracks. Fighting the thought of growing up and trying to be 21 eternally.

But it hits.

I want to do amazing things too. I’m ready for it to be my turn to Do Epic Shit.

I’m not saying I’m going to settle down right now. I won’t be eloping to Vegas with the next guy I meet. I mean, unless it’s RPattz or maybe even Zac Efron. But that’s besides the point! Maybe I’ll move to a new city. Or return to school for real this time. Or maybe I’ll go the freelance route. Who knows.

It will come though. I just gotta keep moving. Learning. Working. Trying. Meeting. Writing. Traveling. Loving. Fighting. Doing.

But what I do know is, I won’t ever give up my Neverland ways completely. Every birthday will still be the [insert number] anniversary of my 21st birthday. I’ll still have ice cream for dinner. I’ll always be down for sleepovers with friends. I’ll continue to make forts out of blankets. And Disney World will still always be one of my favorite places on earth.

I welcome change but somethings just have to stay the same.