Extreme Home Makeover: Queens Edition

As many of you know, I moved into my very own, big girl apartment this past week! And I am in love with it! So, after a long weekend of cleaning, arranging, and decorating, I'd like to show the results in before/after format.

Bedroom: The guy who lived here before didn't so much decorate. Here's what I've done with the room so far, minus the curtain, which I haven't put up yet. It's better than what he had, which was a blanket thumbtacked to the wall:
Before:

After:


Living Room/Study: Now, I used the term "study" because that's what I turned it into. The previous tenant probably referred to it as, "Where I piled all my crap."
Before:


After:


Kitchen: Ok, the kitchen doesn't look that different. But I have bobbleheads!
Before:


After:

Because my life is consumed with moving and LSAT class...

...So You Think You Can Dance is apparently the only thing that gets me through the week*. I swear that this isn't becoming a SYTYCD blog, but as I sit on my empty mattress in my completely packed up room, waiting for the movers to arrive, all I can really do is re-watch my favorite dances on youtube to avoid thinking about how much I'm going to miss the Upper East Side.

So, here is this week's installment of "Why I love Jeannine." She may not be the best technically (Kayla or Melissa), but girl's got PERSONALITY. This dance is hot. If she's not in the top 4, I'll boycott the show. And by boycott, I mean, um, still watch religiously but shake my fist in anger every once in awhile?



*Other than my awesome boyfriend**
**Footnote requested by said awesome boyfriend

My summer obsession

So, last summer I became unapologetically obsessed with "So You Think You Can Dance" (is anyone surprised?). Mia Michaels (one of the choreographers) has always been hit or miss for me, but I was blown away by her, and, of course, the dancers last night with a piece that represented the devastation of addiction. Don't get me wrong, I still love Jeannine and Phillip, but, for me, this was the best dance of the season so far.

If you don't watch this show, WATCH THIS SHOW. Hailey and I have perfected the ability to watch the entire show in less than 45 minutes, so it's not even a time commitment. And it doesn't make you feel dirty when you watch it, like Dance Your Ass Off or NYC Prep. Or, you know, Daisy of Love...but that one is totally worth it.

Happy Birthday America: You're fat.

I don't usually soap-box about these things, but I find it completely unacceptable that I live in a state that is ranked 37th in adult obesity (not great, but not horrible) but 18th in overweight and obese children. We as a society can continue to create and watch shows such as "The Biggest Loser," "Dance Your Ass Off," and "More to Love," we can continue to poke fun at the dangerous direction our nation is heading, but we CANNOT ignore the health threat this poses to those who can't make educated choices. If an adult wants to have an extra piece of cake or an extra bucket of fried chicken, that is their prerogative. But the idea that these habits are being passed on to children without the OPTION of fresh fruits and vegetables is, I believe, a national tragedy.

This is not an aesthetic issue, it's a health issue. It's not just that future generations will look like the human beings in Wall-E...it's that those people attached to their motorized chairs will also have heart disease and type II diabetes by the time they are 20. It's not a future that I want to imagine.

I realize that I am either preaching to the crowd or to those who won't have to worry about teaching their children proper dietary habits for many years to come, but I just needed to vent. Sadly, beyond teaching our own children (or children with whom we have regular contact) healthy habits, there doesn't seem like there is much we can do individually to solve this problem. Unless someone wants to help me green light a "Dance Your Ass Off: Children's Edition." Something makes me think that Fox would pick it up.