Raccoon Mario Squee

Could this little guy be any cuter! Unfortunately he is sold out, but there are plenty of other cuties to choose from at michellerheaume:

CeeVee

Are you sick and tired of the drudgery of finding a new job? Bored with typing the same old information via emails and sending faxes? Isn't that technology just so 2001?

Voila! Along comes www.ceevee.com to make your life a little bit easier. A website developed to help worker's get back on their feet, with a useful little tool called the "Interwebs..." I mean "Internet..."

The website is clutter free and user friendly, along with being absolutely useful. You input your education and work history, along with other relevant information you deem necessary, and tada! It turns the information into a specialized "CV" website you can send to prospective employers. How fun!

Here is an example of my resume:

Yeah, when you get that new awesome job you can throw some love my way ;)

One about Cats

Here at Cats and Cheese, I try not to talk about cats too much, lest I sound like a crazy cat lady (which would be quite easy, just ask my co-workers). But as of late, I've found a new blog about a cat, and I just had to share: OMGKitty!

OMGKitty! follows the life and antics of Katamari, the "cutest scottish fold cat in all of Brooklyn." This blog has caught my attention and now I'm hooked. Katamari's Mom, A.V. Phibes, has kept an online journal of Katamari since she decided to get a cat for her apartment a few years ago. Nowadays, Katamari may look familiar because this Halloween, she blew up the internet as the cat in a lobster suit, pictured here:

OMGKitty! The blog is accurately named, because that's all I think anytime I see a new picture of Katamari. I have even bought cat toys based on recommendations that Katamari has liked, and my cat has in turn liked very much. If you want a fill of a cute cat in brooklyn with folded ears, I suggest following Katamari ASAP. Especially if you want to see her dressed up like a spider....

Television Without Pity

Well, now that I've had a bit of a rest from this blog, I am jumping back in the swing of things to recommend one of my favorite websites: Television Without Pity



If you have ever watched a TV show and thought to yourself "Yeah right, that would never happen in real life!" or "This storyline makes absolutely no sense at all" (ahem Grey's Anatomy) then this website is for you. Most prime time television shows now have their own recaps, and different authors write about each series episodes with wry humor and insightful meanderings. I have been reading TV show recaps off this website since before they were bought by Bravo, and the site has improved vastly over the years. The sheer number of articles that are written each week is amazing, and each separate writer gives their own take on the show, whether it is believable and portrayed well or if that episode jumped the shark. They now include Movies Without Pity and multiple video blogs, my favorite being Trailers Without Pity. It is also a good past time at work when and if you have free time to read websites at your leisure.

Pizzeria Mozza

Last weekend my husband, my mom and I traveled to LA for my sister's (and future husband's) wedding shower. The weekend was great and the shower was fantastic! I think it was the best wedding shower (especially for a couple) that I have ever been to!

On Saturday, we also threw them a delicious pre-wedding dinner at Pizzeria Mozza. For those of you who have never heard of this place, it is hand's down one of the best places I have ever eaten at in my life. One thing is for sure, Mario Batali sure knows his food.



The restaurant is family style, which means you put your order in (since this was a private party, we did this ahead of time) and they just bring out food for everyone to share. We started with some delicious appetizers of Fried Squash Blossoms, Bruschetta, a prosciutto plate and a small salad, then moved onto the most delicious caprese salad I have ever tasted.



The cheese was a burrata instead of mozzarella, and boy did it makes a difference. Then onto the copious amounts of pizza - 4 different kinds to be exact - yum!



As for dessert, I don't think the restaurant should be allowed to serve it anymore, as it is probably the most addicting dessert of all time. Butterscotch Budino, foreign to me before the night, has quickly overtaken molten lava cake as my favorite dessert.



Overall, even though I love Mario Batali's east coast pizzeria Otto, I think Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles takes the cake! (or dare I say Budino???)

Scene Unseen Movie Reviews

Alright, so I haven't been posting for awhile but I plan to make it a more regular endeavor....

For the last 9 months or so, I have become a die-hard fan of a very creative Podcast whose platform is all about movie reviews.


www.sceneunseenpodcast.com

The idea is simple; two guys who work in the film industry review a new release, but with a catch! One has seen it, the other hasn't. Chris, the "scene" reviewer, has seen the movie and can talk about the plot, storyline, cinematic achievements, director, actors, etc. Jimmy, the "unseen" reviewer comments on whether he would rather see the film or not, based on marketing, buzz, the actors, director etc. They are very knowledgeable about the film industry and have some great sparring sessions, since differing opinions are on par for these guys! They also have DVD recommendations based on the genre of movie they are reviewing, and the recommendations are a great way to amp up on some interesting movies you may otherwise not have known about. Their new website also has great posts relating to the film industry or other interesting stuff they've seen on the interwebs. It's a unique way to decide whether you would rather be a "scene" or "unseen" for the film yourself!

Ms. Pac-Man in the Big City

Ms. Pac-Man in the Big City

I recently came across this video and thought I should share. Very creative use of Ms. Pac-man and the ghosties. As one Youtube poster said "This is what awesome is made of." Enjoy!

Reading is great for the mind

It seems everywhere you go everyone and everything is either blaming the economy or blaming the environment for their troubles. From housing to fast food, everything seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Somebody has to come up with a solution somehow! I have found a great website to help alleviate costs and reduce your carbon footprint, even by just a bit!



This is an incredible website where members can swap books (and DVD's and CD's) with each other... for free*. All you have to do is sign up, add available books to your bookshelf and once you successfully send out a book to another member, you get a credit for a book of your choice! If you don't have any books to post, you can add money manually, but how many people have tons of books lying around that they don't know what to do with or are just collecting dust? This helps reduce your waste as the books you send and receive are being "recycled."

There are a few caveats to the website, as you have to print out the address label, mark the books sent and received, and add postage (but it's media mail, so most of the time the postage costs less than $2.50). You are also subject to only selecting books that other members have posted, so it's not the same selection as Amazon, but the more people who join and add books, means there will be more selection! It is such an incredible deal that I have been using the site for over a year now, and have been extremely happy with it.

www.paperbackswap.com

*There is the cost of postage to send books out, but using stamps feels like it's free!

Things that DO NOT make me happy

So I have a love hate relationship with Paige Premium Denim. I love their jeans because they are very comfortable and make my legs look nice. What I don't like about them is that I have purchased two separate pairs of their product and both times the jeans have gotten a hole in them within 6 months. This time, it took less than one month!



Look PPD, I know you are trying to sell a look and lifestyle with your product line, but come on. I am a slender young woman who just wants to be able to wear the $150+ pair of jeans she just bought for more than a few weeks before they decide to give up and a hole forms right in the nether regions where you absolutely do not want a hole to form. I love you but I don't think I will be purchasing another pair from you.

Harumph.

The Soup

If you know me, I watch a lot of television because of the most wonderful invention in the whole world; Tivo. One of my favorite shows to watch on a weekly basis is the hilarious "The Soup" with Joel Mchale.


I have been watching this show on and off since it used to be named "Talk Soup" with Jon Hendersen, but I have been watching it religiously since I started using Tivo. I love how great Joel Mchale is with any quip on reality shows and contests that are on television these days, because honestly, the people on many of these shows are just ridiculous. I personally try to watch as little reality TV as I can, but like to know the antics aren't going unnoticed (and un-ridiculed). I assume that many people feel this way and a show made entirely to poke fun at ridiculous story lines and "reality stars" makes my weekend that much better.

Word of the Day

I am someone who really enjoys learning; some might call me an "educatophile." Since I clearly just made this work up, I think my vocabulary might need some help. Getting some help from The Dictionary does not sound all that fun. But, an easy way way to do this is to subscribe to Merriam Webster's "Word of the Day". Here is an example for today's word:

trepid

The Word of the Day for December 29, 2008 is:

trepid • \TREP-id\ • adjective

: timorous, fearful

Example Sentence:

After dark, the less trepid among us would venture as far as the front porch of the empty house, where the smallest creak would send us screaming.

Did you know?

Don't be afraid to use "trepid." After all, it has been in the English language for more than 350 years -- longer, by 30 years, than its antonym "intrepid." "Trepid" (from Latin "trepidus," meaning "alarmed" or "agitated") isn't used as much as "intrepid," but it can be a good word at times. Bill Kaufman, for example, found a use for it in a May 7, 2000 Newsday article, in which an aquarium volunteer is "asked if she is perhaps a little trepid about swimming with sharks in a 12-foot deep, 120,000 gallon tank." (Her fearless reply: "Not really.") The more intrepid among you might even consider using "trepidate" for "to tremble with fear" and "trepidant," meaning "timid" or "trembling." These are uncommon words, granted, but they haven't breathed their last.

The great thing about this site is you can easily subscribe and they send a new word to your inbox everyday. It's like in the movie Clueless where Alicia Silverstone is decides to help people so she gives Brittany Murphy a makeover, asks her to read one non-school book a week and look up one vocabulary word a day to try use it in a sentence. I believe the word in the movie was "Sporadic." This is even better than looking it up yourself because you can just check your email in the morning and have a new word to use that day! All your office mates will think you are getting smarter all the time, which in reality, you actually are!

I think since I have been home more recently, due to the weather and lack of 9-5 job, I have been giving food more thought. I have been cooking and baking and even making my very own hot chocolate recipes! I try to be healthy and eat only things that are good for me, but sometimes I crave something that I feel may be a sneaky trick the Devil pulled in order to get us to drink his blood:


I swear, this stuff is like crack. They must put so many chemicals in here you don't even want to know. How do they get it to continually be mixed? If you make chocolate milk at home, and it sits around for a few minutes, the chocolate syrup inevitably ends up separating from the milk and you have to re-stir it to get it chocolatey again. Once in a while a craving hits me so hard it's all I can think about. A few months ago walking home from class I popped into a drugstore to buy one and all that was left was Strawberry milk. Who even likes that stuff? Why do they stock it? I have never met one person in my life who admits they drink it. And don't even get me started on the Banana milk. Anyway, this irritated me to no end and I had to go to 3 different CVS's in order to find one that still had the chocolate variety available. To manke things even worse than being addicted to chocolatey crap, I think they changed the recipe as the containers that have plastic wrap around the outside of the cap taste different then the other containers that only have a tinfoil wrapping over the mouth. Ugh! I can't even get my fix anymore. Oh well, I guess Fleur De Sel will have to make up for it.

Ever since I was little, my first love has always been chocolate ice cream. Especially Haagen-Dazs Chocolate - I just can't get enough of the stuff. I could eat it everyday and never get sick of it (and have almost done that in the past!) I love the creamy texture and delicious chocolate taste that other ice creams just can't get quite right. Honestly, if I was ever on death row I think my last meal would include an entire bucket of Haagen-Dazs Chocolate (the big one, no mamby pamby small one for me). While perusing the frozen section of the grocery store, I ran across a new flavor Haagen-Dazs was selling: Fleur De Sel


I thought to myself "Well, this sounds odd yet interesting" so I decided to give it a whirl. To my great surprise, this may be my new favorite ice cream of all time. I know!! It is caramel ice cream with swirls of caramel and chocolate covered caramel chunks surrounded by the ever-so-slight hint of salt. It is the exact right combination of all the flavors and even the salt doesn't taste weird in the ice cream. Haaggen-Dazs, I hate to say it, but you may have a lifelong Chocolate snob turned Fleur De Sel addict on your hands. What is the next flavor you will unwittingly unleash upon my tastebuds? We may not know for awhile, but keep 'em coming!

Christmas Shopping

As hard as I try to slow time down, it never seems to work and the holiday season is upon on us once again. In order to help with the inevitable shopping that accompanies the holidays, here is a great website with deals for retailer's online websites.

If you are thinking of making an online purchse, just go to this website and type in the retailer's website. Retailmenot.com will give you any coupons they know of (free shipping, extra $10 off, etc.) to help with your online purchase. And all free for the consumer. Geinus!

Slinky

So about once a week or once every two weeks I check out www.icanhascheezburger.com and see what adorable cat pictures with funny sayings they have up. This visit was an unusal one; this video made me almost pee my pants, so enjoy!

So clearly I have gone off topic for a few weeks and thought I should get back to the roots, aka cats and cheese (my favorite things!). I found this great website if you have any questions or concerns about your cat, but may not be able to run out to a bookstore or call your vet.

I had a problem with my kitty and her naturally nocturnal behavior. She would run and meow at all hours of the night and my husband was about done with her. Since it was creating some problems with our relationship, I did some internet research to see what I could find. The site really does have a wealth of information on cat behavior as well as tips and suggestions for food and traveling with a kitty. She has since calmed down and we are all much happier at night :)

BCBG Max Azria

There is no doubt about it, I love dresses. They are the most versatile and easiest outfits for women to wear. A dress is an entire outfit with one piece of clothing! Add some tights, and it's winter ready. Add some leggings or a pair of skinny pants and you become very hipster. Basically I love dresses and wish I could wear them everyday....

Welcome to BCBG - my new favorite dress store. I have had a few BCBG dresses over the years, but I have recently discovered they are my favorite. They have everything from fancy to casual and shoes and accessories to match. Yesterday, when i was hanging out with my favorite fashionista and her friend, our "stylist" for the day, I purchased this:



It is great! I tried it on with a few pairs of shoes (they all went with it) and a few purses (they allwent with it too!) The colors are perfect and it drapes just right. Now I just need an excuse to wear it.... BCBG I love you!

L'Occitane

My skin gets really dry especially in the winter. I have tried almost every lotion/cream out there all the way from the drugstore brands to the expensive ones, and I absolutely love L'Occitane Ultra Rich Face Cream with Shea Butter. It leaves my skin really soft and hydrated, and makes putting makeup on that much smoother. It even has a nice soft scent that smells great before bedtime. I have to say, this face cream really makes me happy!

Stiletto Shoes

Anyone who has ever met me knows that I love shoes. I think it's all thanks to one Miss Carrie Bradshaw and her worship of the Manolo. Ever since I started watching SaTC, my appreciation of shoes has escalated to a level 3 threat... or what I like to call a Code Orange. Code Orange means that your closet if full to the brim of whatever item you love (albeit handbags, belts, scarves, etc.) but yet you still crave the newest and nicest styles of the season. Recently, on a walk up Madison Avenue, I ran across these glorious YSL pumps: 

Since I clearly don't live in a world where I can afford these shoes, I happened to see a pretty good imitation at Aldo:

Now, of course they aren't quite as fab, but they may make it into my next purchase scheme to overload my closet into a Code Red situation (so named because my husband's face turns red when he realizes I bought more shoes....)

Equinox Gym

For the first time since college, I have been frequenting a gym. I am not known for being a gym rat, in fact, it's so much better (and free) to run outside, right? True, but with winter coming up, that pretty much puts the kabosh on most outside activity. Cut to Equinox Gym, opening right across the street from my apartment.

OMG, this gym is awesome. It is 5 floors, fully stocked, completely clean, and has state of the art equipment. I haven't been to a gym in so long, I couldn't believe the treadmills had their own TV's! Apparently, this is common place now, but I had no idea. Since joining, I have gone everyday, and my husband has come along just as many times too. So far, I have been feeling better about working different muscle groups and getting some cardio worksouts in as well. As I've heard a million times in the media, working out makes you feel better, and so far it has certainly been keeping my spirits up.