Hey There, It's Christa!

Escape to the Farmer's Market

While I'm definitely looking forward to the day when Will and I have a proper house to call our own (I soooo can't wait to start growing flowers and my own fresh herbs), one of the perks of our particular apartment complex is that a farmer's market is right across the street most Saturdays and Sundays.

Now there are times when we haven't been quite so thrilled about the Farmer's Market (namely, because we have to remember to park a few blocks away instead of in our normal spot on Friday night—something we'd forgotten to do once, and it cost more than $350.00 to get our car back), but this morning, I was certainly glad it was there. Not only did they have the most amazing-looking green onions and farm-grown tomatoes (see pic below) that will make our Memorial Day weekend meals all the more special, but the lilacs smelled insanely good, which meant I had to bring some home.

The people-watching is always a hoot, too. I've learned that the must-have fashion accessory is the environmentally friendly canvas tote bag (most were boring, but one girl had a really cute flowered one that I would've loved carrying), and that the vendors couldn't be more proud of their home-grown handiwork. There were farmers proudly displaying the choicest cuts of steak and pork (no thanks for me), while others waved free samples of cheese in your face, which wasn't exactly sounding good at 10:00 a.m., but I appreciated their enthusiasm. And I'm super proud of myself because I not only resisted the buttery, sweet and salty deliciousness of the kettle corn, but I also passed up the opportunity to nosh on the most delicious spring rolls I may have ever tasted. Trust me, they're that good because people will wait in line for a good half hour to procure some—and that takes patience, a fruit of the spirit that I don't exactly have down pat.

But I must say that our apartment is smelling quite nice from the lilacs, and I don't have to feel guilty  about having kettle corn and spring rolls before lunch because, well, I didn't. So all in all, it's been a great Saturday morning at the Farmer's Market...

 

Spring Has Sprung...

Spring has finally sprung here in Minnesota, so I thought it was the perfect time to give my website (www.christabanister.com) a mini makeover with brighter colors and a new floral-y motif. I'm also loving the font they're using with all the headers. It's fun—and not in a scary Comic Sans sort of way.

Whatcha think?

Book Comment: Certain Girls

File Under: Successful Impulse Purchase

Normally, I'd never read the sequel to anything without at least perusing its predecessor, but I was desperate for something—anything semi-decent—to read while I was en route to Nashville recently.

So there I was at a bookstore in Chicago's Midway airport when I realized I'd already read every new magazine I'd even be remotely interested in, (even the gossip rags), so I shifted gears and started reading book jackets (even though I had plenty of tantalizing unread options at home) and eventually decided on Jennifer Weiner's Certain Girls.

For the record, it didn't take long for me to get sucked in to Cannie (the heroine from the much-ballyhooed Good in Bed) and her daughter Joy's respective worlds. Not only does Weiner keep things moving with a brisk yet inherently pleasing writing style, but I really developed an emotional resonance with these characters even though we actually share very little in common—a good sign of multi-dimensional character development, something that's often lacking in a lot of the women's fiction I've been reading lately.

And while my opinion may not count all that much given that I didn't read Cannie's first adventures in Good in Bed, I still have to adamantly disagree with many of the Amazon.com's contingency's views on the ending. QUASI-SPOILER ALERT: Yes, the loss of that particular character came completely out of the blue and was rather shocking (something I applaud because so many novels are way too predictable), but I thought it really worked well with the general framework of the rest of the story. And significant loss or not, somehow, I know that Cannie and Joy are going to be just fine. Heck, it will probably bring them even closer together as they move forward with the new little man now in their lives.

You'd Think I Was Back in the '90s...

The way I've been listening to Alanis, the Cranberries and Garbage lately, you'd think I was back in the '90s...

I'll be the first to admit that I get on strange musical kicks sometimes. Once, I actually listened to nothing but big band music for a month straight. And then there was my French music phase, thanks to watching Amelie. I guess I perpetually wanted to feel like I was dining in a French bistro...it was nice, even if I couldn't understand the lyrics.

In the middle of my Nashville era, I was consumed by all things Shania, and I happen to loathe country with a passion. And yes, for all the country purists out there, I'm fully aware that she's definitely more pop the country. But when I'm listening to a song titled "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" that's pure twang to me.

Thankfully, after all of that, listening to John Mayer's Room for Squares for a year straight in 2002 didn't seem all that weird.

And now, seven years later, I feel like I've exhausted the contents of my iPod. I'm already tired of the new U2 album. My old standbys of Keane, Coldplay, John Mayer, Josh Rouse, Radiohead, Ryan Adams, The Killers and the like have lulled me into musical complacency, so I've found myself re-embracing artists that are sooo '90s. Hey, it's better than listening to Top 40 radio, right?

I must say that listening to Alanis' Jagged Little Pill is a crazy jaunt down memory lane, that's for sure. Not only did I realize yet again how much her voice is such an acquired taste,(and my, does she cram a ton o' lyrics into her songs), but it got me thinking about high school. Yeah, high school, when my hair was in such a bad stage of growing out and all I could think about was Christian Laettner (my Duke University basketball crush that I admired the way girls swoon over Edward Cullen these days)and  plotting my escape from Wisconsin to the proverbial greener pastures.

After getting reacquainted with Alanis, I took the logical next step and started listening to a few more angry chicks like Shirley Manson from Garbage (the reason I had to have Doc Marten boots) and Delores O'Riordan, the frontwoman for the Cranberries. While I'm not only happy when it rains like Shirley, her songs perfectly captured the angst I had at that point in my life. Ditto for The Cranberries, who served up insanely catchy pop anthems with her trademark Irish lilt. The first time I heard the song "Zombie," I thought she was possessed or something. But that's only because I was exclusively listening to Amy Grant, dc talk and Michael W. Smith before...I doubt a voice like Delores' would've made it to Christian radio.

Tangents aside, however, going '90s has been a rather fun musical ride. While I'd never want to revisit the decade's fashion—or high school for that matter, that era brought a ton o' good things into my life...college (!!!), my first sip of a Starbucks caramel macchiato, "Friends" and yes, music from Alanis, Shirley and Delores.

All Things New

I'm hesitant to speak too quickly as it's been known to snow during the most random of times here in Minnesota, but I think, quick possibly, that Spring is here to stay. And I couldn't be happier.

There's just something about sunshine, warmth and being able to shed layers and layers of outerwear that can't help but put a smile on your face. And I'm very grateful for that because I've been a grumpy, grumpy bear during the long winter months...

But now that Spring is here, and the flowers are in full bloom, Minnesota isn't quite so bad. In fact, today's it's 74, sunny and there's no humidity in sight. Really, the only way the day could be more perfect is if I was hangin' with Will. And if a certain former Packer quarterback really and truly ends up playing for the team I've always dubbed the "Drag Queens," well, that means one more cool person will be living here, too. Though, for the record, I will never, never, never be sporting the purple and white. Or one of those hideous purple Viking crowns with the blonde braids hanging from it. As a native of the Cheesehead state, I just can't do it.

Beyond the trivalities of the NFL, the change in season has also revved up my creativity and energy level. I'm not only embracing my writing with new fervor, but I actually (gasp!) look forward to working out. Heck, I even got really excited about planting an herb and flower garden until I was forced to remind myself that we live in an apartment and don't have a yard. But one day, I will have a green thumb, and I can't wait.

So here's to Spring and all of its dewy newness...and may the snow stay far, far away until, say, December.

Book Comment: "I'll Have Who She's Having"

I first stumbled upon the work of California girls Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke via their fabulous blog Chicklitisnotdead.

As a huge fan of the genre (and an author of these romantic comedies in book form to boot), I'm glad someone shares that sentiment. And really, who can't love a site with the tagline of "two girls who believe that books with high fashion and happy endings never go out of style?"

After all, I am one of those girls, too.

So when I found out that Liz and Lisa also co-authored a book with the fun title of I'll Have Who She's Having (a fun twist on that oh-so-famous When Harry Met Sally catchphrase), I went over to Amazon.com and purchased it immediately.

And needless to say, I wasn't disappointed as I plowed through it in a couple of days. Not only do the authors maintain the snarky, laugh-out-loud sensibilities of their blog, but they successfully keep you hooked with chapter after chapter as they tell the story of two very different sisters.

Unlike so many books in this genre that resort to predictable stereotypes like the married girl being boring as all get out, while the single girl is fun, fancy free and a touch desperate, too, Liz and Lisa do a great job of avoiding clichés, while delivering the comedic goods. Switching POVs also allows you to get in the heads of both sisters, which provides a better understanding of who exactly these women are and what motivates them to behave the way they do. All in all, a pretty great read.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Can't wait for what's next, ladies!)

Seriously, Where Have All the Good Rom-Coms Gone?

This is a question I've been wanting to ask for a while...

My personal collection is stocked with the gems...You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, The Devil Wears Prada, My Best Friend's Wedding, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Notting Hill, Pretty Woman, While You Were Sleeping...you get the idea.

Now trust me, I don't expect cinematic greatness from your average rom-com. I mean, c'mon, I absolutely loved The Wedding Planner and it stars J.Lo.

But I'd argue that there was even a little something about The Wedding Planner that puts the recent stinky trifecta of Bride Wars, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past to shame. It's called comedy and romance, the very words that describe the genre itself and endeared it to a sap like me.

Matthew McConaughey had had a couple of great rom-com moments (namely in the aforementioned Wedding Planner and the first time he teamed up with Kate Hudson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Fool's Gold, on the other hand, was merely an excuse to let him and Kate spend 10 or so hours a day at the gym and tanning bed), but Ghosts is definitely not one of them. In fact, it'll make you forget the past you thought wanted to run from, and inspire you to find the theater's exit instead. Pronto.

Not only is he so unlikeable as yet another boy/man cad that you seriously wish he'd stumble off a cliff during his drunken stupor rather than reconcile with Jennifer Garner's character, but he's so unforgettable that you wonder if there was any reason (other than the paycheck) that drew him to a script that cast him in such a bad, predictable light. I mean, I'm sure he's got enough self awareness to know that he's not about to win an Oscar any time soon, but you think he'd want his work to challenge him a little, right?

Or at least to actually entertain his bevy of female fans?

Alas, the movie is just as flat and lame as the trailer would indicate, which still leaves The Holiday as the last rom-com I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. I hear there's a new Hugh Grant (!!!) on the way in December, but until then, my fingers are crossed that Sandra Bullock's return to rom-coms will deliver in The Proposal. Sigh.