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	<title>Gail Werner Photography &#187; What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217;</title>
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		<title>What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217; Round-up: January 2012</title>
		<link>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-january-2012/</link>
		<comments>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-january-2012/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:23:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Werner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What I'm Lovin']]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=10145</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whew&#8230;seriously, what happened to January? Not that I&#8217;m sad to see one of the most drab months of the year go, just sayin&#8217;, February snuck up on me! So, a little late, but still worth a post, here&#8217;s January&#8217;s picks:
1) The Orphan Master&#8217;s Son by Adam Johnson: Whew&#8230;this book is a hard one to read. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/lovingjanuary.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10146" src="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/lovingjanuary.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="702" /></a>Whew&#8230;seriously, what happened to January? Not that I&#8217;m sad to see one of the most drab months of the year go, just sayin&#8217;, February snuck up on me! So, a little late, but still worth a post, here&#8217;s January&#8217;s picks:</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Orphan-Masters-Son-Novel/dp/0812992792" target="_blank"><strong>1) The Orphan Master&#8217;s Son by Adam Johnson:</strong></a></span> Whew&#8230;this book is a <em>hard</em> one to read. And yet, I still want to tell everyone I know to pick it up. It shares the story of a North Korean man and the trials he faces as he attempts to fight for his independence and that of the woman he loves. It&#8217;s such a complex story but a fascinating look into what life is like in North Korea, a country shrouded in secrecy. The author spent years working on it, and managed to make his own trip there for research. A book like this is the kind that makes you <em>so</em> grateful for the life you were born into. No matter what you or I are going through, we don&#8217;t live in a dictator state. <em>Be thankful for that.</em></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://store.philips.com/store/rpeusb2c/en_US/DisplayCategoryProductListPage/parentCategoryID.29996500/categoryID.30000700#" target="_blank"><strong>2) Sonicare Toothbrush:</strong></a></span> Nick&#8217;s mom gifted each couple one of these toothbrushes for Christmas after she fell in love with her own at her dentist&#8217;s recommendation. Not gonna lie&#8230;we both were skeptical. Like, could you REALLY tell that much difference? Well, after the first few uses, we were SOLD. I swear my teeth look whiter. My breath&#8217;s fresher. Orrrrr maybe my subconscious now just wants to be in a Sonicare commercial <img src='http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>3) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-The-Woods/dp/B006JVKV8K/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1328231536&amp;sr=1-1">Of Monsters and Men</a></strong></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wanderings-Of-An-Illustrative-Mind/dp/B006U8ZC1I/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1328231578&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank"><strong>Among Savages:</strong></a></span> 2012 has kicked off with some amazing new music and though it&#8217;s early, these acts have put out two of what I know will be my favorite albums of the year. I have a feeling you&#8217;ll be hearing more about both of them before too much longer. Discovering Of Monsters and Men filled me with that same sense of &#8220;<em>Who are these guys</em>?&#8221; that I felt when I first heard Mumford and Sons. And we all know what happened to them, right? <img src='http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8K9AZcSQJE" target="_blank"><strong>4) The Artist:</strong></a></span> When we went to see this, Nick had no clue the movie I was taking him to. As it started, I leaned in and whispered, &#8220;By the way, this is a silent movie!&#8221; He gave me this look like, &#8220;Are you kidding me?&#8221; And yet, we both walked out of &#8220;The Artist&#8221; feeling like we&#8217;d seen the best film we&#8217;d been to in years. Such a great story with a wonderful surprise ending. I highly recommend seeing it in the theater—it&#8217;s a movie that&#8217;s an experience, and I couldn&#8217;t imagine that feeling transitioning as well on TV.</p>
<p><strong>5) New pillows</strong>: And finally, the purchase of a set of new down pillows for our bedroom in January has <em>rocked my world</em>. I mean, how often do you buy pillows? Uhhh&#8230;if you&#8217;re like us, not very often. I&#8217;m embarrassed to say, but we&#8217;ve had our same set since we got married. Meaning that going from those flat-as-a-pancake numbers to these? <em>Like sleeping on a cloud.</em></p>
<p>See more of Gail&#8217;s work at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailwernerphoto.com" target="_blank">www.gailwernerphoto.com</a></span>. Become a fan of Gail&#8217;s work on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/gailwernerphoto" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span>. Follow Gail on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/gailwerner" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>.</p>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217; Round-up: December 2011</title>
		<link>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-december-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-december-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:14:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Werner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What I'm Lovin']]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=9775</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1) Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel: I first started using this stuff years ago, when one of my best friends fell for the scent and promptly introduced me to it. I rediscovered it holiday shopping this season at Sephora and every morning in the shower, fall in love all over again with its citrus-y smell. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/whatlovin_december.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9776" src="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/whatlovin_december.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="704" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/bath-products/bath-product-best-sellers/satsuma-shower-gel.aspx" target="_blank"><strong>1) Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel:</strong></a></span> I first started using this stuff years ago, when one of my best friends fell for the scent and promptly introduced me to it. I rediscovered it holiday shopping this season at Sephora and every morning in the shower, fall in love all over again with its citrus-y smell. Great way to wake up in the morning!</p>
<p><strong>2) Pistachios: </strong>I know, I know&#8230;why am I putting <em>nuts</em> on my lovin&#8217; list? Because these are my FAVORITE kind. And for some reason (I don&#8217;t know, are pistachios somehow seasonal?) they tend to resurface by the gross ton every holiday season. Whatever the reason, they&#8217;re one of my No. 1 snacks for December (along with <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-october-edition/" target="_blank">my beloved pomegranates</a></span>).</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.theblackkeys.com/product/el-camino-cd" target="_blank">3) Black Keys&#8217; El Camino:</a></span></strong> On any given day, you&#8217;d be more likely to hear Bon Iver playing from my laptop&#8217;s speakers, but there is something about these boys that just makes me want to put on a leather jacket (that I don&#8217;t own), head to some dive bar (that I never go to), grab a bottle of brew and hope they show up live to rock out in the flesh. Would love to see them in concert in 2012 and have had their latest, <em>El Camino</em>, playing non-stop this month. The video for &#8220;Lonely Boy&#8221; <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8" target="_blank">makes me want to dance just as much as this guy</a></span> (or blare it on my Shuffle while I run) but my fave track off the album is <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOJH7YQCcmo" target="_blank">Nova Baby</a></span>. SO GOOD.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Dictionary-Novel-David-Levithan/dp/0374193681" target="_blank"><strong>4) The Lover&#8217;s Dictionary by David Levithan</strong></a></span>: I&#8217;ve been telling everybody I know to read this book (by the genius who&#8217;s also behind the great <em>Nick and Norah&#8217;s Infinite Playlist</em>). A collection of short entries about love and the ups and downs of a relationship. I pulled a few of my favorites and included &#8216;em on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/242241488" target="_blank">my review over on Good Reads</a></span>. Great book to grab on to if you&#8217;re still trying to get something read in 2011!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-GW-10-Greenware-Nonstick-10-Piece/dp/B001NIZ7C4" target="_blank"><strong>5) Cuisinart Greenware:</strong></a></span> Nick and I were in <em>such</em> need of new pots and pans, as our college-era mish-mashed collection had run its course. I bookmarked this set of pans ages ago (after first seeing them on Young House Love) and my in-laws gifted me the set this year for Christmas. You know you&#8217;re getting old when a new set of kitchenware gets you THIS excited. Now who wants some eggs?</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/" target="_blank"><strong>6 ) PBS Masterpiece&#8217;s &#8220;Downton Abbey&#8221;</strong></a></span>: I&#8217;ve had friends and people I follow online praise this show for months now and during my leisurely month of December, I was able to get caught up with the first season on Netflix Instant. And OH MY STARS I AM NOW OBSESSED. From the clothes to the posh British accents to the overall look and feel of the Edwardian era this is one period piece that&#8217;s<em> to die for</em>. The second season starts up in January on PBS and I am giddy to find out the plotlines next in store for these new favorite characters of mine. Do yourself a favor and check it out — some seriously good TV, right there!</p>
<p>See more of Gail&#8217;s work at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailwernerphoto.com" target="_blank">www.gailwernerphoto.com</a></span>. Become a fan of Gail&#8217;s work on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/gailwernerphoto" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span>. Follow Gail on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/gailwerner" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>.</p>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217; Round-up: November 2011</title>
		<link>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-november-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-november-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:09:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Werner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What I'm Lovin']]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=9391</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1) A Very She &#38; Him Xmas: Every year, I always feel compelled to stock up on at least one new Xmas album. And friends, when it comes to Xmas music, well, I say ANYTHING GOES. But I was thrilled that one of my favorite duos in recent memory was putting out an album of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/whatlovinnov11.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9392" src="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/whatlovinnov11.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="644" /><u></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Very-She-Him-Christmas/dp/B005KJZDXK" target="_blank"><strong>1) A Very She &amp; Him Xmas:</strong></a></u> Every year, I always feel compelled to stock up on at least one new Xmas album. And friends, when it comes to Xmas music, well, I say ANYTHING GOES. But I was thrilled that one of my favorite duos in recent memory was putting out an album of holiday tunes. I&#8217;ve given it a few listens and expect to do so at least a few more times in these weeks leading up to Christmas. Zooey and M.Ward could sing me the phone book and I&#8217;d be happy, but I&#8217;m especially loving &#8220;The Christmas Waltz,&#8221; &#8220;Little Saint Nick,&#8221; and &#8220;Christmas Wish.&#8221; Perfect for the holidays (<u><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/favorite-christmas-music/" target="_blank">and head over here for a peek at some past favorite holiday music</a></u>)</p>
<p><u><a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/likecrazy/" target="_blank"><strong>2) Like Crazy:</strong></a></u> Oooh, I have SUCH a love-hate relationship with this film. I love it because these characters are SO believably in love. Which means, I hate it for the way it paints an all-too-real picture of the toll a long distance relationship can take on a couple. Not to mention an ending that felt like an abrupt slap in the face — and yet, still one of the better films I&#8217;ve seen this year. I also saw Breaking Dawn this month and well, you know, it was cheesy in the way ALL those films are and yet the ending scenes had a ring of believability to them that I was impressed by. Also, I would have shared a poster for that with you above but all I could find in a Google search was a plethora of creepy fan fiction versions &#8230;along with a lot of other weird Twilight stuff&#8230; I mean, <u><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_34xjap7f-u0/SwZYeWMSvJI/AAAAAAAAA7A/mmvrOilUR98/S1600-R/edward-renesme.jpg" target="_blank"> just look at this &#8212; SOMEBODY ACTUALLY TOOK THE TIME TO MAKE THAT IN PHOTOSHOP! </a></u>  <img src='http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fielding-Novel-Chad-Harbach/dp/0316126691" target="_blank"><strong>3) The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach</strong></a></u> I wrote an extensive review of this over on <u><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/206214246" target="_blank">my GoodReads profile</a></u>, but to paraphrase&#8230;. This is one of those novels where the characters don&#8217;t just live on the  page. They live WITH you. Here I was, book nowhere in sight, and yet I  still found myself at points of my day, wondering what Henry and  Schwartz and Pella were doing at that very moment. The hype for this  one? TOTALLY WORTH IT.</p>
<p><u><a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&amp;itemCount=80&amp;startValue=1&amp;selectedProductColor=&amp;sortby=&amp;id=21246582&amp;parentid=W_ACC_HATS&amp;sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority&amp;navCount=125&amp;navAction=jump&amp;color=&amp;pushId=W_ACC_HATS&amp;popId=WOMENS_ACCESSORIES&amp;prepushId=&amp;selectedProductSize=" target="_blank"><strong>4) UO Beanie</strong></a></u>: I picked this hat up before we left for our trip earlier this month and here&#8217;s why it quickly worked its way up to the favorite hat in a pile of &#8216;em I have at home—it&#8217;s got a cotton lining. Translation: NO MORE ITCHY HEAD. Worth the money for that alone but I also love the way it fits and how it&#8217;s got the perfect amount of slouch.</p>
<p><u><a href="https://www.lindtusa.com/product-exec/product_id/353/category_id/5/nm/A_Touch_of_Sea_Salt_Bar" target="_blank"><strong>5) Sea salt chocolate: </strong></a></u> Oh Lord, I should not have &#8220;discovered&#8221; this in a month where the holidays are impending because I don&#8217;t think I can&#8217;t stop the addiction! I&#8217;d had (and loved) sea salt caramels before, but combining sea salt with one of my favorite loves (dark chocolate) ..well, that&#8217;s just a match made in heaven! I&#8217;ve gone through two bars of these in November alone&#8230;so I think I need to get my addiction under control before my waistline tells me otherwise!</p>
<p>See more of Gail&#8217;s work at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailwernerphoto.com" target="_blank">www.gailwernerphoto.com</a></span>. Become a fan of Gail&#8217;s work on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/gailwernerphoto" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span>. Follow Gail on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/gailwerner" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>.</p>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<title>What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217; Round-up: October 2011</title>
		<link>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-october-2011-2/</link>
		<comments>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-october-2011-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:37:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Werner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What I'm Lovin']]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=9133</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1) Season 2 of &#8220;The Walking Dead&#8221;: Nick and I came late to &#8220;The Walking Dead&#8221; fanwagon, having jumped aboard when we saw the first season (which is only six episodes) over the summer. Season 2 started earlier this month and while the pacing of these first few episodes has been uneven, there&#8217;s been enough [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/whatlovinoctober11.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9134" src="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/whatlovinoctober11.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="644" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead" target="_blank"><strong>1) Season 2 of &#8220;The Walking Dead&#8221;</strong></a></span>: Nick and I came late to &#8220;The Walking Dead&#8221; fanwagon, having jumped aboard when we saw the first season (which is only six episodes) over the summer. Season 2 started earlier this month and while the pacing of these first few episodes has been uneven, there&#8217;s been enough plot twists to keep us hanging on. I know&#8230;.it&#8217;s ZOMBIES. And I&#8217;d normally say pass to that, but a good story is a good story and it&#8217;s one of those shows Nick and I like to watch together. Plus, I&#8217;ve loved the show&#8217;s lead actor, Andrew Lincoln, ever since <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd_fcyg1Fdk" target="_blank">that cue card scene in &#8220;Love Actually.&#8221;</a></span> Yeah, go on&#8230;. take 2 minutes to rewatch that gem and then remember December is right around the corner, giving you the perfect excuse to fall in love with that movie all over again.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/moneyball/" target="_blank"><strong>2) Moneyball: </strong></a></span>Between loving this film as much as I did and my growing obsession with &#8220;Friday Night Lights,&#8221; it&#8217;s become apparent to me that I&#8217;m happy to watch well-made shows or films about sports. I just, you know, don&#8217;t really watch much <em>actual </em>sports. &#8220;Moneyball&#8221; is based on the book by Michael Lewis (who is a journalistic genius) and details how the Oakland A&#8217;s turned a losing franchise into a winning franchise in the early 2000s not with the help of money but with the use of a complicated statistical formula that leveled the playing field. Brad is great in it, especially. Like, Oscar nomination great, for sure.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/CamelBak-0-5-Liter-Insulated-Stainless-Better/dp/B0026IZOP0" target="_blank"><strong>3) My Camelback steel canteen—BOTH of them</strong></a></span>: I am ADDICTED to water. Which, for health purposes, is a pretty nice addiction to have. But it also means I feel lost like a baby without a pacifier if I don&#8217;t have one of my Camelbak water bottles with me. These have been my go-to water bottles for three years&#8217; running now and I fully realized the height of my obsession when, earlier this month, I thought I&#8217;d lost one of &#8216;em (one stays at home, the other follows me at all times, from the office to the car and even out while I&#8217;m running errands). These water bottles are the BEST at keeping water at a perfect temperature. Who cares they&#8217;re like adult sippy cups? I say, use whatever helps you drink the most H20 and these are my FAVE!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/" target="_blank"><strong>4) Pinterest</strong></a></span>: OK, so, I&#8217;ve been on Pinterest for a while now. But I couldn&#8217;t really say I was a huge fan of the site&#8230;or, actually, it was just I didn&#8217;t make time to hang out there. Cue the month of October and a few brides who&#8217;ve ignited the love affair. Because man oh man&#8230;I am ADDICTED now! If you&#8217;re hooked too, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/gailwerner/" target="_blank">friend me</a></span> and we&#8217;ll keep the madness of sharing all that good stuff going, eh? <img src='http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Circus-Erin-Morgenstern/dp/0385534639" target="_blank"><strong>5) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern</strong></a></span>: This book brought with it a LOT of buzz in the publishing industry. And I was eager to dig in based on all the wonderful reviews I read about it. Truth be told, this wasn&#8217;t the kind of read that kept me up all night. Or, when I wasn&#8217;t reading it, made me feel remorse for not having it in hand. BUT, it was a fun read, one that takes you into the magical world of two illusionists who, in a battle of wits with one another, end up falling in love. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/201424057" target="_blank">You can read a full review over on my GoodReads profile</a></span>. Would make a great pick if you&#8217;re traveling during the upcoming holiday season. (And full disclosure: The author creates one of my favorite romantic gestures ever and it involves a boat made of books&#8230;I&#8217;ll leave it at that!)</p>
<p>I FORGOT TO MENTION ALL THE AMAZING NEW MUSIC I&#8217;VE BEEN LOVING IN OCTOBER!!! New Ryan Adams, Coldplay and Florence and the Machine have kept my ears VERY happy this month too!</p>
<p>See more of Gail&#8217;s work at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailwernerphoto.com" target="_blank">www.gailwernerphoto.com</a></span>. Become a fan of Gail&#8217;s work on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/gailwernerphoto" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span>. Follow Gail on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/gaillwerner" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>.</p>
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		<title>What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217; Round-up: September 2011</title>
		<link>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-september-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-september-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:24:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Werner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What I'm Lovin']]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=8373</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1) &#8220;Drive&#8221;: After Nick and I saw this new flick in the theater earlier this month, I posted to Twitter: &#8220;Pretty in Pink&#8221; + &#8220;Scarface&#8221;=&#8221;Drive.&#8221; It was a 1980s look and feel with a bunch of gore but, most importantly, RYAN GOSLING. Friends, that name right there is really all you need to get me [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/WhatLovin_Sept.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8374" title="WhatLovin_Sept" src="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/WhatLovin_Sept.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="588" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.drive-movie.com/" target="_blank"><strong>1) &#8220;Drive&#8221;:</strong></a></span> After Nick and I saw this new flick in the theater earlier this month, I posted to Twitter: &#8220;Pretty in Pink&#8221; + &#8220;Scarface&#8221;=&#8221;Drive.&#8221; It was a 1980s look and feel with a bunch of gore but, most importantly, RYAN GOSLING. Friends, that name right there is really all you need to get me to the theater. And believe it or not, hot as he is, I love Ryan most because of what a phenomenal actor he is. He&#8217;s got mystery and, in this film, he&#8217;s got it in spades. Can make for a great date flick&#8230;as long as you have the stomach for a head bashing or two.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.nbc.com/friday-night-lights/" target="_blank"><strong>2) &#8220;Friday Night Lights&#8221;, the TV series:</strong></a></span> Wayyyy back when, in a land we shall call 2006, I started to watch this new show on NBC called &#8220;Friday Night Lights&#8221;. Then NBC moved it. Then it went off NBC. And that&#8217;s about when I lost touch with &#8216;ol FNL. Cue this year, the end of its final season, everybody and their brother&#8217;s tweets about how great a series it was and then, seeing the fella who plays Landry (Jesse Plemons) playing in a band when I was out in LA last month, and I knew I needed to get Nick and I back on the band wagon. We&#8217;ve spent so many nights this month curled under a blanket with the laptop after dinner, catching up on this show. Never mind the fact my husband has taken to ending his emails, &#8220;Clear minds, full hearts, can&#8217;t lose!&#8221; If you&#8217;re a FNL fan, you get it. And if you&#8217;re not, well, trust me, you should be already.</p>
<p><strong>3) Green smoothies:</strong> I&#8217;ve been a pretty big fan of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://melissajill.com/blog.cfm?postID=370&amp;green-breakfast" target="_blank">Melissa Jill&#8217;s green smoothie</a></span> for some time now. But lately, my new favorite green concoction is a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://pancakesandfrenchfries.com/2011/05/super-healthy-smoothie/" target="_blank">recipe</a></span> I snagged off Jules of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://pancakesandfrenchfries.com/" target="_blank">Pancakes and French Fries</a></span> (which happens to be one of my favorite non-photographer blogs—check her out&#8230;she&#8217;s funny and smart and about as down-to-earth as you can get). I know, I know..these drinks are GREEN. Ewwww&#8230;.except, I&#8217;m all about being green. It&#8217;s like, I feel healthier just taking a whiff of this stuff. The fact I like the taste too? Even better!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Civility-Novel-Amor-Towles/dp/0670022691" target="_blank"><strong>4) &#8220;Rules of Civility&#8221; by Amor Towles</strong></a></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Language-Flowers-Novel-Vanessa-Diffenbaugh/dp/034552554X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1316722906&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank"><strong>&#8220;The Language of Flowers&#8221; by Vanessa Diffenbaugh</strong></a></span>: I&#8217;ve had a good run in recent weeks of digging in to some wonderful books and these two quickly rise to the top for some of my favorite books in 2011. What &#8220;Rules&#8221; has going for it is an incredible time period (1930s NYC&#8230;in the words of Liz Lemon, &#8216;I want to go to there&#8217;) and a spunky female protagonist, Katy Kontent, whose wit keeps the pages turning. <u><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/193318025" target="_blank">A full review for &#8220;Rules&#8221; is up on my GoodReads page</a></u>. As for &#8220;Language,&#8221; I loved the uniqueness of this story—a down-and-out foster kid, Victoria has a way with flowers, understanding how they &#8220;speak&#8221; to people through the lost art of deciphering the Victorian message of flowers. The author is a foster mom herself, so I loved seeing how her life influenced her to pen this amazing debut novel. <u><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/203553620" target="_blank">A full review for &#8220;Language&#8221; is up on my GoodReads page</a></u>.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Love-Limited-Deluxe/dp/B005EHNMWM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1316722123&amp;sr=8-2" target="_blank"><strong>5) Wilco&#8217;s &#8220;The Whole Love&#8221;:</strong></a></span> I&#8217;ll be honest and say that &#8220;The Whole Love&#8221; is not my FAVORITE Wilco album, even if it is their newest release. No, for that, I turn to &#8220;Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,&#8221; which, truly is in, like, my Top 10 Favorite Albums of All Time. Like, my college experience set to an album. So if you&#8217;ve never heard of Wilco, start there. <u><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVC1k9x2Ryw" target="_blank">Specifically, with this song</a></u>. But, any Wilco album is heads above what passes for music in a lot of genres out there today, so I&#8217;ll take &#8220;The Whole Love&#8221; and I&#8217;ll keep letting it grow on me. The stand-out track for me on this newest from Mr. Tweedy and his bandmates is &#8220;Open Mind.&#8221; The lyrics to that song? SO SO SOOOOOO SWOONWORTHY. Take 3 minutes and fall in love with me:</p>
<div align=center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lxFwVK98WjY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>See more of Gail&#8217;s work at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailwernerphoto.com" target="_blank">www.gailwernerphoto.com</a></span>. Become a fan of Gail&#8217;s work on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/gailwernerphoto" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span>. Follow Gail on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/gaillwerner" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>.</p>
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		<title>What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217; Round-up: August 2011</title>
		<link>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-august-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-august-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:48:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Werner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What I'm Lovin']]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=7988</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1) Better Oats&#8217; RAW Pure &#38; Simple Oatmeal: Here&#8217;s the thing—I love oatmeal. But I hate making it. My husband can attest that when milk and the boiling of it are involved, I inevitably scorch the heck out of the pan. Soooo, I took a liking some time ago to Kashi Instant Oatmeal. But THEN, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/What-Loving_August.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7989" title="What Loving_August" src="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/What-Loving_August.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="700" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.betteroats.com/brands.php" target="_blank"><strong>1) Better Oats&#8217; RAW Pure &amp; Simple Oatmeal:</strong></a></span> Here&#8217;s the thing—I love oatmeal. But I hate making it. My husband can attest that when milk and the boiling of it are involved, I inevitably scorch the heck out of the pan. Soooo, I took a liking some time ago to Kashi Instant Oatmeal. But THEN, on a recent shopping expedition to Meijer this month, I spotted this new brand on the shelves. And people, I <em>cannot believe it&#8217;s instant</em> as it tastes exactly like it&#8217;s homemade. The best part? There&#8217;s not an speck of anything artificial about it! Just oats and some flax. Pour a little honey and some walnuts on top and I have a breakfast that&#8217;s healthy for me in five minutes. Love starting my day that way!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005I0DI38/ref=dm_ty_alb" target="_blank"><strong>2) Bombay Bicycle Club&#8217;s &#8220;A Different Kind of Fix&#8221;:</strong></a></span> I first heard of this band when one of their songs appeared on the Twilight Eclipse soundtrack (which, side tangent, aren&#8217;t those the BEST soundtracks?!). Ever since, I&#8217;ve become a big fan of these baby-faced boys and I was giddy waiting on this new album of theirs to drop this week after having sampled a few of the tracks. &#8220;A Different Kind of Fix&#8221; happens to feature what—for me—has been the song of the summer. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20IYjKbcqP0" target="_blank">Listen to &#8220;Shuffle&#8221; and then see if YOU can get that piano loop out of your head—it&#8217;s so infectious! </a></span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Rip-Tide/dp/B005HFUQAM/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1314735737&amp;sr=301-1" target="_blank"><strong>3) Beirut&#8217;s &#8220;The Rip Tide&#8221;:</strong></a></span> Ahh&#8230;this band!! I cannot say in enough words how much I love it, but when I hear their frontman, Zach Condon, sing, it&#8217;s like a little part of me melts inside. His voice is SO distinct! Add those horns and accordions this band is known for, and you have a sound that just mesmerizes me. So many songs I love on this latest effort of theirs, but give <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub_m2iGf0xc" target="_blank">&#8220;Santa Fe&#8221;</a></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzORRh6lzg4" target="_blank">&#8220;East Harlem&#8221;</a></span> a whirl and then see if you&#8217;re not convinced to buy the whole album.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.fossil.com/en_US/shop/women/watches/trend_watches/bridgette_white_mop_dial_watch-am4305p.html?parent_category_rn=30009&amp;departmentCategoryId=30000&amp;N=0&amp;Va=1000&amp;Ns=p_wsc0|0||p_weight|0&amp;pn=c&amp;rec=3&amp;imagePath=AM4305" target="_blank"><strong>4) My new Fossil watch: </strong></a></span>One look at the Bridgette in the Fossil catalog that landed in my mailbox in August and I was a smitten kitten. Somehow, this year, I became a watch person again, after not having worn one for years. Which meant, for a while there, I was pilfing my husband&#8217;s watch to keep time at weddings. This style has the perfect blend of modern and masculine that I tend to lean toward for accessories and I&#8217;ve already gotten so many compliments (Bonus? The dials glow-in-the-dark!)</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crazystupidlove.warnerbros.com/index.html" target="_blank"><strong>5) Crazy, Stupid, Love</strong></a></span>: OK, so this film came out at the tail end of July. Which means I didn&#8217;t have time to squeeze it in last month&#8217;s &#8220;What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217;&#8221; installment. But that&#8217;s OK, because, basically, I&#8217;ve been loving this movie since I first saw stills of Ryan Gosling in a suit filming it over a year ago <img src='http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  Oh man&#8230;how good was this movie?! You know if you saw it. And if you didn&#8217;t, well, it involves a sweet storyline between Steve Carrell and Julianne Moore. And lots of Ryan Gosling. His abs in particular. WHY HAVEN&#8217;T YOU SEEN IT ALREADY?!!!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://thehelpmovie.com/us/" target="_blank"><strong>6) The Help:</strong></a></span> Is it or is it not the Summer of Emma Stone? You can&#8217;t escape that girl at the cinema, but if she keeps turning in performances like she did in &#8220;The Help,&#8221; I&#8217;ll be OK with that! I was torn going into this film because I&#8217;d loved the book SO much when I read it a few years ago for a book club pick and the trailer? Well, it totally made it look like a chick flick (I was left thinking, &#8220;Where&#8217;s the meat of this story?&#8221;) But then, the film itself did NOT disappoint. Matter of fact, I was left teary-eyed in more than one spot! Wonderful performances from an all-star cast &#8212; I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer get Oscar nods for their portrayals of Aibileen and Minny. Great pick to take your mom or grandma to!</p>
<p>See more of Gail&#8217;s work at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailwernerphoto.com" target="_blank">www.gailwernerphoto.com</a></span>. Become a fan of Gail&#8217;s work on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/gailwernerphoto" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span>. Follow Gail on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/gaillwerner" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>.</p>
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		<title>What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217; Round-Up: July 2011</title>
		<link>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-july-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-july-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:53:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Werner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What I'm Lovin']]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=7597</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1) Beginners: Okay you guys, this movie? It&#8217;s such a must-see. Because honest to God, as much as I love Daisy, in the first five minutes of this film, I fell in love with this dog, Arthur. I love movies that are equal parts quirk and stellar storytelling. Throw the amazing acting talent of (a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/whatlovin_july11.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7598" title="whatlovin_july11" src="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/whatlovin_july11.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="845" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXUFUp6vsxg" target="_blank"><strong>1) Beginners:</strong></a></span> Okay you guys, this movie? It&#8217;s such a must-see. Because honest to God, as much as I love Daisy, in the first five minutes of this film, I fell in love with this dog, Arthur. I love movies that are equal parts quirk and stellar storytelling. Throw the amazing acting talent of (a VERY cute) Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer in there and you have that kind of artsy flick that everybody who sees it has to talk about (kind of like I&#8217;m doing here!)</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Year-We-Left-Home-Novel/dp/1439175888" target="_blank"><strong>2) The Year We Left Home</strong></a></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Stone-Abraham-Verghese/dp/0375714367/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311371540&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank"><strong>Cutting for Stone</strong></a></span>: Lots of traveling in July meant I had a lot of time to read. These two novels were both VERY different, but I&#8217;m better off for having picked them up. Jean Thompson&#8217;s &#8220;The Year We Left Home&#8221; was one of those books that felt so true &#8212; a family saga that covers 30 years in the lives of the Erickson family— that, as I got lost in the stories of these characters, I felt like, I KNOW THESE PEOPLE! &#8220;Cutting for Stone&#8221; was a novel that took me outside of my literary comfort zone (to a medical hospital and the lives of two twins growing up in a war-torn Ethiopia) but I have so much admiration for the author—a surgeon himself—that I found the story to be incredibly inspiring. A bit of a slog at parts, but with an ending that totally packed a punch and left me in tears (which, for me, is always the hallmark of a good book&#8211;I guess I&#8217;m just drawn to emotional storylines!)</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cults/dp/B0052BDVTY/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311371587&amp;sr=301-1" target="_blank"><strong>3) Cults</strong></a></span>: Now that I finally have an iPod again (YEAH!!!!!!!!) I can listen to my own tunes in the car. The new Cults album was one I hadn&#8217;t had time to really review because I got my hands on it right about the time I had my first iPod stolen. Now that it&#8217;s back, it&#8217;s been in heavy rotation because it&#8217;s that perfect blend of breezy, indie &#8217;60s rock that is an awesome soundtrack for summer. Pretty sure I have <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcId8t9c4cc" target="_blank">&#8220;You Know What I Mean&#8221;</a></span> memorized by this point!</p>
<p><strong>4) Popsicles:</strong> With this INSANE heat wave pretty much everyone i know has been under (Indiana is on track to have both the driest and (fourth) hottest July in history), I&#8217;ve been obsessed with these cool treats. Nick and I&#8217;s favorite at the moment are those Minute Maid juice bars. You know the ones? I couldn&#8217;t find a photo of &#8216;em online to post here, but maybe that&#8217;s because my husband and I ate them all! haha</p>
<p><strong>5) Maxi Dresses</strong>: This is the first year I&#8217;ve ever bought a maxi dress and it was a super cheap version at H&amp;M for $17. Then I wore it once, looked in the mirror, and asked it, &#8220;WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?&#8221; Seriously, those women in the &#8217;70s? They knew what they were doing donning these suppppeerrr comfy dresses all the time. I loved my first maxi dress so much that I splurged on a GORGEOUS maxi dress I found at a boutique shop in Asheville. I fell for it and it fell for me (and the store owner walked by and told me, &#8220;You must buy that dress!&#8221; and really, why do you need another reason? <img src='http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  )</p>
<p>See more of Gail&#8217;s work at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailwernerphoto.com" target="_blank">www.gailwernerphoto.com</a></span>. Become a fan of Gail&#8217;s work on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/gailwernerphoto" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span>. Follow Gail on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/gaillwerner" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>.</p>
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		<title>What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217; Round-Up: June 2011</title>
		<link>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-june-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-june-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:17:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Werner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What I'm Lovin']]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=7272</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
1) My Ray Ban aviators: So technically I bought these at the end of May, but it&#8217;s really been the month of June I&#8217;ve gotten to break them in. I have coveted a pair of Ray Bans for so long (like, before I had my driver&#8217;s license long) and could never justify buying them because [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/whatlovin.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7273" title="whatlovin" src="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/whatlovin.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="700" /></a></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.ray-ban.com/usa/sunstore?promotion_id=100&amp;cm_mmc=google-semsearch-_-brand-trademark-_-ray-ban-_-[ray%20ban]" target="_blank"><strong>1) My Ray Ban aviators:</strong></a></span> So technically I bought these at the end of May, but it&#8217;s really been the month of June I&#8217;ve gotten to break them in. I have coveted a pair of Ray Bans for so long (like, before I had my driver&#8217;s license long) and could never justify buying them because I am ALWAYS loosing my sunglasses. So last year, I told myself if I could hold on to my pair of Target cheapies for the whole year, then I could splurge on a pair of Ray Bans. WELL DONE GAIL! The fact these babies come in a uber-protective carrying case makes me feel a little easier about treating them with kid gloves. Hey, for some women it&#8217;s a Coach purse. For me, a pair of Ray Bans. I guess I&#8217;m trying to channel my inner Top Gun.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYRWfS2s2v4" target="_blank"><strong>2) Woody Allen&#8217;s &#8220;Midnight in Paris&#8221;:</strong></a></span> The first few minutes of this film? It&#8217;s like Woody Allen is giving The City of Light a big &#8216;ol French kiss. It&#8217;s beautiful! All the iconic imagery you&#8217;d expect and it makes me want to go back so so bad! What of the rest of the movie? Well, I pretty much fell in love with the plot line, one in which the charming Owen Wilson finds himself nursing a case of writer&#8217;s block by paying a visit to the legends of the inspiring Lost Generation before him (and, speaking of, 1920s Paris? If I could teleport back to one era, I think it&#8217;d be that too&#8230;<em>but</em> since that concept of &#8220;The past always seems greater than the present&#8221; is kind of what the movie is all about, I&#8217;ll say I like living in 2011 just fine&#8230;) At any rate, go see it—classic Woody Allen (and all that historical name-dropping? Will raise your IQ a bit!)!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.20x200.com/" target="_blank"><strong>3) 20&#215;200:</strong></a></span> As I&#8217;m decorating our living room, I&#8217;ve been on the look-out for some new art. I <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.20x200.com/art/2011/04/in-the-library.html" target="_blank"> fell in LOVE with this print</a></span> from 20&#215;200 and snatched it up right away. (It&#8217;s perfect for this book-loving girl, right?) Some of my readers are probably already familiar with 20&#215;200, but just in case, I thought I&#8217;d share the site because it&#8217;s such a great place to find awesome AFFORDABLE art. Their slogan? &#8220;Live with art. It&#8217;s good for you.&#8221; LOVE IT!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Daphne-Du-Maurier/dp/0380778556" target="_blank"><strong>4) <em>Rebecca </em>by Daphne Du Marier:</strong></a></span> This is one of those classics I can&#8217;t believe it took me this long to read. I mean, the plot just pulls you along (and everywhere I turned there was another positive review). I was reading this same version of the novel as you see above and Nick was all, &#8220;Uhh&#8230;is that, like, a Danielle Steele novel or something?&#8221; And I&#8217;ll admit, the mass market paperback certainly makes it look like some tawdry romance! By way of reply, I had to tell him, &#8220;No, Nick, it&#8217;s actually a suspense thriller set on the grounds of a 1930s English estate where the upper-crust Max de Winter can&#8217;t seem to shake the ghost of his late wife, Rebecca, but he&#8217;s remarried this young, naive narrator to help try&#8230;&#8221; kind of summary. MAJOR plot twists galore and, for those who&#8217;ve read it, you&#8217;ll join me in reciting its opening line: &#8220;Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.&#8221;</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/06/09/136855313/first-listen-bon-iver-bon-iver" target="_blank"><strong>5) Bon Iver&#8217;s &#8220;Bon Iver&#8221;:</strong></a></span> Oooohhhh Internet. I joked on Twitter that I was so in love with this new album of Bon Iver (Justin Vernon)&#8217;s, that I was ready to off and elope with it. Nick joins me in being a big fan of this moody musician but this second album—which has a lot of new sounds from the first (more techno, experimentation)—is still growing on my husband, whereas I&#8217;m ready to stand on the street corner and sell you copies. We&#8217;re seeing him perform in Indy next month and I CANNOT WAIT!</p>
<p>See more of Gail&#8217;s work at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailwernerphoto.com" target="_blank">www.gailwernerphoto.com</a></span>. Become a fan of Gail&#8217;s work on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/gailwernerphoto" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span>. Follow Gail on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/gaillwerner" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>.</p>
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		<title>What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217; Round-Up: May 2011</title>
		<link>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-may-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-may-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:06:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Werner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What I'm Lovin']]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=6750</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So, I&#8217;m posting this on Wednesday, June 1. But since this is a holiday week and your Tuesday felt like your Monday, then your Wednesday should feel like a Tuesday, right? In which case, well, it&#8217;s still May 31  
1) Cherry Pie Lara Bars: With this being a heavy month for shooting, I&#8217;ve been [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/lovingmay.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6751" title="lovingmay" src="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/lovingmay.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="700" /></a>So, I&#8217;m posting this on Wednesday, June 1. But since this is a holiday week and your Tuesday felt like your Monday, then your Wednesday should feel like a Tuesday, right? In which case, well, it&#8217;s still May 31 <img src='http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Larabar-Fruit-Cherry-1-7-Ounce-16-Count/dp/B000ENWSBW" target="_blank"><strong>1) Cherry Pie Lara Bars: </strong></a></span>With this being a heavy month for shooting, I&#8217;ve been constantly on the go and I like to always carry a protein bar with me so I&#8217;m never long without something to eat in a pinch. Right now, the cherry pie variety of Lara Bars is ROCKING MY WORLD. Just the right bit of tart to satisfy my sweet tootth and the perfect thing to have on me to avoid LBSFOs (what <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.betsykingphoto.com/">my pal Betsy</a></span> has dubbed &#8220;low blood sugar freak outs&#8221; &#8212; when I get one of those, watch out world!)</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Extremely-Incredibly-Close-Jonathan-Safran/dp/0618329706" target="_blank"><strong>2) Jonathan Safran Foer&#8217;s &#8220;Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close&#8221;</strong></a></span>: Friends, it&#8217;s been TEN YEARS since 9/11. How is that possible, right? There are people who think we&#8217;re still not far enough removed from the events of that day to write about them. I&#8217;m glad Jonathan is not one of those people. This book is so uniquely written (the hallmark of a Foer novel) but unwrap the layers of its quirk and you have an unbelievably beautiful, haunting tribute to that disaster. I finished it sad but also in awe of what an incredibly talented writer this guy truly is.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.bridesmaidsmovie.com/" target="_blank"><strong>3) &#8220;Bridesmaids&#8221;:</strong></a></span> Goodness gracious this movie made me last so hard I was doing that move where you have to slap your leg because you can&#8217;t catch your breath. If you&#8217;ve not seen it,  you really should, because Kristen Wiig is the best thing to happen to physical comedy since Lucille Ball. And for those who have, who&#8217;s joining me in wanting a pink-beret-wearing puppy dog as a party favor? <img src='http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation/" target="_blank"><strong>4) &#8220;Parks and Recreation&#8221;:</strong></a></span> Watching this month&#8217;s season finale of the third season, Nick and I couldn&#8217;t help but agree that &#8220;Parks and Rec&#8221; (along with &#8220;Modern Family&#8221;) is (as Rob Lowe&#8217;s character Chris Traeger would say) <em>literally </em>the best comedy on network television right now. I just love Amy Poehler and how smart she&#8217;s made this show (which has come a long way since its first few episodes as an &#8220;Office&#8221; wannabe). This season&#8217;s chemistry between Amy&#8217;s character, Leslie Knoppe, and Adam Scott&#8217;s Ben Wyatt reminded me of those golden days of Jim and Pam.  If you&#8217;ve never watched a season, I highly recommend it. And if you&#8217;re a P&amp;R lover like I am, well, you already know the hilarity of which I speak.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://usa.hunter-boot.com/1/Welcome-To-The-Home-Of-Hunter-Wellies.aspx" target="_blank"><strong>5) My Hunter Wellies:</strong></a></span> We were so deluged with rain in April that I broke down toward the end of the month and bought a pair of these rain boots. Another occasion where I wanted to invest in what I know will be a staple in my closet. Already, these guys have NOT disappointed me as I&#8217;ve worn them on three of my shoots this month. Perfect for mud and tall grasses where critters may be hiding (but into which I ask my clients to venture into anyway <img src='http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' />  ) I&#8217;ve spent so many years dodging puddles, that it&#8217;s been such a fun surprise to splash through them for a change!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Codes-Keys-Death-Cab-Cutie/dp/B004OAPF6Q" target="_blank"><strong>6) Death Cab for Cutie&#8217;s &#8220;Codes and Keys&#8221;:</strong></a></span> I&#8217;ve been a fan of Death Cab since waaayyyy back when. Like, from-those-times-they played-at-the-Bait-Shop-on-The-O.C.-circa-2003 when (remember how GOOD that show was back in the day?). All this to say that Ben Gibbard and the other gents in the band do not disappoint with this newest project of theirs — the album is SOOO great. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHFbeGfT_B8" target="_blank">I&#8217;m pretty much obsessed with the title track of it. </a></span>If you&#8217;re looking for new music to play with the windows down in the car this summer, give this one a go.</p>
<p>See more of Gail&#8217;s work at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailwernerphoto.com" target="_blank">www.gailwernerphoto.com</a></span>. Become a fan of Gail&#8217;s work on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/gailwernerphoto" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span>. Follow Gail on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/gaillwerner" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>.</p>
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		<title>What I&#8217;m Lovin&#8217; Round-up: April 2011</title>
		<link>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-april-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://gailwernerblog.com/what-im-lovin-round-up-april-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:55:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Werner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What I'm Lovin']]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=6208</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Another great month of good finds to love!
1) New music from two new acts, The Belle Brigade and James Vincent  McMorrow: I know it&#8217;s early in the year to say this, but I really believe these two new artists will make their way onto my annual Top 10 Favorite Music Finds for the year. The [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/What-Im-Lovin-April.jpg"></a><a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/What-Im-Lovin-April1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6218" title="What I'm Lovin' April" src="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/What-Im-Lovin-April1.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="800" /></a><br />
Another great month of good finds to love!</p>
<p><strong>1) New music from two new acts, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004V7BYVC/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&amp;pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&amp;pf_rd_t=201&amp;pf_rd_i=B004OKFIPY&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_r=0RA3JW2ZC1X2H3SZD5YA" target="_blank">The Belle Brigade</a></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Early-In-The-Morning/dp/B004J5366M/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1303621390&amp;sr=301-1" target="_blank">James Vincent  McMorrow</a></span></strong>: I know it&#8217;s early in the year to say this, but I really believe these two new artists will make their way onto my annual Top 10 Favorite Music Finds for the year. The Belle Brigade gained a lot of buzz after performing at SXSW and the comparisons made to their sound—one part Paul Simon, one part Fleetwood Mac— are pretty dead on. (Fave tracks of theirs: Sweet Louise, Lucky Guy and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkrC33xnw54" target="_blank">Losers </a></span>(a song that has been on repeat in my playlist since I found it!) As for James, his voice is kind of the Irish answer to Bon Iver. Add to that inspirations for his music that are some of my favorite writers (F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck) and no wonder he&#8217;s tops in my book! (Fave tracks from him: If I Had a Boat, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR3HRMO7nZg" target="_blank">We Don&#8217;t Eat</a></span>).</p>
<p><strong>2) <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/cefische" target="_blank">Courtney Fischer Jewelry</a></span> and Indy&#8217;s <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.homespunindy.com/" target="_blank">Homespun</a></span> store:</strong> Earlier this month I had a wonderful Saturday afternoon spent traipsing around the capital with some of my dearest friends, eating brunch, gabbing away and shopping our little hearts&#8217; content. We tucked into Homespun and were giddy at how adorable and awesome it is. The perfect answer for when you&#8217;re needing a cool gift for a friend—just check out some of the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.nealtaflinger.com/blog/" target="_blank">featured artists </a></span>whose work is for sale in the store. Speaking of those artists, Courtney&#8217;s jewelry at Homespun attracted me like a moth to a flame. I snatched up these medallion earrings in mustard yellow (my FAVE color) and have been wearing &#8216;em non-stop ever since!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.hgtv.com/secrets-from-a-stylist/show/index.html" target="_blank"><strong>3) HGTV&#8217;s &#8220;Secrets from a Stylist&#8221;</strong></a></span>: I have a confession to make: Nick and I have cable TV again. Through no initiation of our own, our Comcast cable provider recently sent us these two digital converters that were required for their new Xfinity service. The night Nick hooked them up, he started yelling at me in the den, &#8220;GAIL!GAIL!GAIL! WE HAVE HGTV! AND THE HISTORY CHANNEL!!&#8221; You would have thought he&#8217;d put himself in a time machine and just discovered the Santa of his youth. I&#8217;ve been good at staying away from cable but I must admit, HGTV has sucked me in. And no show more than &#8220;Secrets from a Stylist.&#8221; The show is built around Emily Henderson (who, if I&#8217;d had HGTV last year, I would have been rooting for her to win their DesignStar contest) and her attempts to make over people&#8217;s living rooms. I confess I watch just as much to see her sweet wardrobe as I do her mad style. I kind of have a new girl crush on her. I mean, just spend five minutes on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.stylebyemilyhenderson.com/" target="_blank">her blog </a></span>and you&#8217;ll see why (<u><a href="http://www.stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/we-were-all-kids-once-but-not-like-this-oh-no-not-like-this.html" target="_blank">And seriously, read this post of hers&#8230;I died laughing—it&#8217;s SO true!</a></u>).</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paris-Wife-Novel-Paula-McLain/dp/0345521307/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1303622272&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank"><strong>4) The Paris Wife by Paula McLain:</strong></a></span> I took a lot (and I mean, A LOT) of time to read in April and so I have two awesome books up for ya! This first one shares the story of Ernest Hemingway&#8217;s first wife, Hadley, and the ups and downs of their relationship as they try to make 1920s Paris their home with the rest of the Lost Generation that landed there. I am a SUCKER for well-told historical fiction and McLain has definitely done her homework with this one. Would be a great summer or book club read for any of you fellow bibliophiles.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bossypants-Tina-Fey/dp/0316056863/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1303622339&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank"><strong>5) Bossypants by Tina Fey:</strong></a></span> I&#8217;m telling you what, if you need an instant (and I mean instant) pick-me-up to your day, take 10 minutes and read a chapter of Tina&#8217;s new book. It&#8217;s chock full of essays about her life in improv, writing for SNL and giving birth both to 30 Rock and her daughter, Alice. I didn&#8217;t want it to come to an end, I loved it so much. Here&#8217;s hoping Tina corners a new market with her humor and writes a second best-seller soon!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.waterforelephants.com/" target="_blank"><strong>6) Water for Elephants:</strong></a></span> Friends, no exaggeration here, I&#8217;ve been stalking this movie since paparazzi shots of them filming it last spring first hit the Interweb! I read Sara Gruen&#8217;s novel about three years ago — back then, I would have been all &#8220;Rob who?&#8221; but now, after seeing this, I couldn&#8217;t picture a better cast. Everything about this movie is beautiful—from the circus setting to Reese&#8217;s wardrobe to Rob&#8217;s cheekbones (especially Rob&#8217;s cheekbones!) Add Christop Noth as the overbearing, creeptastic ringmaster, August, and it&#8217;s a total must-see! (and despite having read a few critical reviews, I must say, I loved it! Definitely worth a trip to the cinema!)</p>
<p>See more of Gail&#8217;s work at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.gailwernerphoto.com" target="_blank">www.gailwernerphoto.com</a></span>. Become a fan of Gail&#8217;s work on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/gailwernerphoto" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span>. Follow Gail on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/gaillwerner" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span>.<a href="http://gailwernerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/What-Im-Lovin-April.jpg"><br />
</a></p>
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