Well Played, Mindy Kaling

Thank you, Mindy Kaling, for proving that you don't need to be a CW starlet to rock a Herve Leger bandage dress:
Do you think if I suck up enough, she'll update Things I Bought That I Love? The color is super flattering, her beachy-wavy hair makes the dress appropriate for a daytime event, and, hey, it's Herve Leger. Of course she looks like a bombshell.

And of course I could never afford one of his dresses, even when they're on super deep discount at The Outnet. But that doesn't mean I can't fantasy shop! So here are my top 3 faves:
Turquoise Cross-Strap Bandage Dress, $540.

Peach Two-Tone Bandage Dress, $646

Cranberry Contrast-Insert Bandage Dress, $636

Blogiversary!

For some reason I was convinced that February 10th was the big day, but when I check today I saw the truth: Oh My God, Where Did You Get That was born a bouncing baby girl on February 8th, 2008-- which makes today our blogiversary. I still have the yellow legal pad on which Danielle and I brainstormed possible blog names, and some of our rejects are cracking me up. For example, the titles inspired by J.Lo (Don't Be Fooled by the Rocks That I Got) and Miley Cyrus (My Best Friend Leslie Said...) are pretty embarrassing, but also reveal a lot about what sort of music Danielle and I blasted during dance parties. I also like "Our empty, consumer-driven lives," and "We may be broke but we look fabulous." When we started ruling titles out, it came down to OMG or "The Style Section," although now I see that there is a blogspot with that name, although it hasn't been updated since January 24th, 2008. But it's probably good we didn't go with that, because the NYT Style Section has gotten increasingly annoying in the last year, with all this talk of "recessionistas" and how hard it is to live in Manhattan when you're making less than 5 million dollars.

Anyway, we posted 175 times in the last 12 months, which is about every other day. There were busy months and slow months, but thanks for coming by and checking us out anyway. We started with just a handful of readers (pretty much just the contributers, really) and now get around 200-250 people a day, which is mostly thanks to being part of J.Crew Aficionada's blogroll. This is how warm and fuzzy I feel towards J.Crew Aficionada:

J.Crew Cashmere Dog Sweater, $59.99

And here are some more random pieces that sum up how I feel about spending a full year blogging about online shopping:

Catherine Malandrino Chiffon Tank Dress, $620


Quartz Pinata in gold, $135 (I've always dreamed of adding a shiny gold pinata to my Cinco de Mayo parties)

Prada Metallic East-West Tote, $1,760

Bandolino's "Shari" Slingback Pump, $51.75, at Macy's (I love that suede flower!)

Alice + Olivia Asymmetrical Ruffle Skirt, $220

Modcloth's What a Wonderful Coat, $107.99

Hygge and West Gold Dot Ring, $25 (originally $50, on sale until 2/14)

Again, thank you to all our readers, especially those of you who make my day by leaving comments! Also, thank you to my fellow contributers: Danielle, Alex, Andrea and Emily. And thanks to Mindy Kaling, for being our inspiration.

Gifts for dudes who did you a favor, or boyfriends

As a perpetual singleton, I happily enjoy the lack of stress over Valentine's Day. I don't need to drop hints about jewelry, I don't have to leave reminders about dinner reservations, I don't have to buy a new outfit, I don't have to get anything waxed, and I don't have to buy some confusing guy a gift. But maybe some of you do! And I know that my lovely and gracious friend Ali owes some dude a thank you gift, so this post is doing double duty. All I know about the person Ali is beholden to is that he's 23 or 24, he likes to travel, and he's a douche. Her words, not mine.

My first idea for Ali's friend, or your gentleman caller, would be a sweet Puma messenger bag, or maybe a weekend bag. This shoulder bag, $60, is in bold but guy-friendly colors, with a classic shape and style. Or, if he works out a lot and is always leaving gross gym clothes on the floor, get him this black and silver medium bag, $21. It has a bigass silver Puma on it!


I don't want to make gross generalizations, but all 24 year old douches love to drink, and all boys love gadgets. So check out the Bar Gadget Kit from Crate and Barrel, $29.95. The disc thing has recipes for classic cocktails, there's a corkscrew, foil cutter, wine stopper, and some other things that I don't know what they do. What the hell is a jigger? Let him figure it out!

This one is not a Valentine's Day gift, but it is a classic thank you gift: baskets of food! I'm a huge fan of Hickory Farms-- for Christmas, I got a box with the beef summer sausage and smoked cheddar cheese, and I was in heaven. I wish I had jumped when they had all their gift sets on sale in January. But this Cheese Ball Combo Gift Box is a good deal at $17.50, and comes with a nice assortment of yummy foods. Also, who doesn't love popcorn tins? My family used to get one of those three-kind tins (caramel, cheese and butter!) every Christmas, but we must have had some sort of falling out with whoever gave it because my life has been Popcorn Facotry free for the last few years. I'm tempted to buy this tin myself-- it's $9.99, because the tin commerates some NHL game between the Red Wings and Blackhawks that took place on January 1st. Does this mean that this popcorn is a month old?

Or you could go with the Mindy Kaling approved option, Snookies! By the way, I totally just went through all 30 entries tagged "Food" on Things I've Bought That I Love-- what a chore. Just kidding, of course! I sort of want to sit down and reread the entire archives, like a book. An internet book on things to buy and love. Anyway, back to Snookies, which Mindy claims are the best cookies ever. You can send someone a box of 18 cookies with 1/2 gallon of milk (on ice!) for $31.45.

I've brought up boy moccasins before, but I'm telling you: they're a thing. Target has some cheap ones with a suede upper and fleece lining, for $16.99.


I always think Moleskine notebooks make good gifts, especially the city guides. Part guidebook, part notebook, but with the classic, quality Moleskine cover and paper. This gift is especially good for guys who think all of their thoughts are really deep, and should be preserved for future generations. The Washington, DC book is $16.95.

Big, glossy coffee table books are great gifts, except for people who move frequently (nobody likes packing or shipping coffee table books). I have The Travel Book, by Lonely Planet, $31.50, and it's awesome. There's a two-page spread on every single country in the world: a big, beautiful photo, plus a sidebar with fun and useful facts. It'll make you want to roam the world.

Best, Meh, and Worst: The Golden Globes

I love the Golden Globes -- so much more relaxed than the Oscars, so much more legitimate than the SAG Awards. All the talent is drunk, and they have to hire tuxedoed men to escort tipsy actresses in heels up the marble stairs to the stage. There are no masturbatory film industry montages and no awkward, he's-usually-so-funny hosts (I'm looking at you, Jon Stewart).

I'm in a particularly good mood this year since Slumdog Millionaire swept (seriously, go see it), Kate Winslet won Best Actress AND Best Supporting Actress, and Mickey Rourke's cracked-out acceptance speech made me laugh, so, without further ado, I give you the best, worst, and should-have-been-better moments from this year's Golden Globe fashions.
Click on any picture to enlarge.

Best:

Kate Winslet
Good Goddamn, Kate. Sleek, polished, understated, and fierce in a very "Oh this old thing? I just threw it on" sort of way. She looks like a goddess.

Salma Hayek
It seems like it would be in poor taste to make a joke about Salma's (sigh) Golden Globes, but seriously, her curves won't quit. She's also one of the only people on the planet who can pull off this particular neutral.

Mary Louise Parker
The color is electrifying, she's well-styled, and the shape actually makes her look like she's got curves. A+.

Christina Hendricks
Everyone's favorite naughty secretary brings it. The structural neckline works in a really unusual way with her curves, and having skin and hair that perfect makes basic black look new and different.

Anna Paquin
I know there will be those who disagree with me on this, and I'll be the first to say that I don't like her blonde, but I'm having a love affair with the draping and the color of this dress. I probably would have worn a necklace with it, though.

Madeline Zima
The little girl from The Nanny grew up HOT. Unusual color -- there were a lot of dark jewel tones and neutrals on the red carpet this year -- and she looks like she just loves wearing this pretty Grecian dress.

Honorable Mention: Mindy Kaling
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fabulous Ms. Kaling, looking lovely in this understated toga-style number. Stay pretty, Mindy!


Meh:

Freida Pinto
Oh, Freida. I spent about two-thirds of Slumdog Millionaire wondering what genetic accident made her as stunning as she is, and nothing she wears, no matter how bad, is going to overshadow her beauty (just look at that smile). All the same, this is... not great. The color looks great on her, but I can't figure out the cut at all. Do better at the Oscars, Freida.

January Jones
Another instance of great color, bad cut. This particular sky blue couldn't be any more perfect on her, but the shoulder strap is weird and the dress as a whole doesn't look like it fits her correctly.

Angelina Jolie
This isn't bad, it's just boring. Angie, you're probably the most beautiful woman in the world. Were you just not trying?

Drew Barrymore
Pretty dress, Drew, but... what happened with the hair? Did you take a convertible to the red carpet?

Amanda Seyfried
A prime example of how not to do neutrals. In the thumbnail of this picture on my desktop, I actually can't tell where her skin ends and the fabric begins.


Worst:

Renee Zelleweger
What the fuck is this dress? Her bra/undershirt/thing is crooked, the cutaway shoulders look like she tore them on a doorframe, and the skirt doesn't fit. Combine that with that horrible hair and how strung out she looked when she was presenting and you've got... well, I don't even know. It's just bad. Also, she's making a fairly normal face in this picture, but in most of the other pictures from tonight she's making this truly bizarre, overly pleased-with-herself, on-some-serious-medication face. It's not pretty.

Olivia Wilde
I didn't actually know who Olivia Wilde was until just now, when I looked her up on Wikipedia. Turns out she joined the cast of House well after I stopped watching it. I will say that after seeing her in this dress, I never want to see her act in anything, ever. This thing could kindly be described as a chenille nightmare. It's a Barbie dress made out of grandma's bedspread. Also, girl needs to eat a Twinkie or three, because she's looking like she's about ready to take a bite out of the photographer.

Beyonce/Sasha Fierce
I have to say, I'm a little disappointed that Sasha Fierce didn't show up on the red carpet, because she would have been more likely to wear something that fit. This is too tight on the top -- she's holding her arms like she's worried her boobs are about to pop out, which seems to be a legitimate fear. There's extra fabric around her waist and the dress is lumpy over her hips. And did I mention the fabric is hideous?

Debra Messing
Wow. The top is fine, but from the hips down... wow. There's some awkward fabric bunching over her crotch and all that pleating along the bottom just looks straight up messy. Yuck.

Cameron Diaz
Man, I hate Cameron "Jokerface" Diaz. There's some quality about her that I can't quite put my finger on that makes me wish she'd just drop off the face of the planet. It might be different if she EVER looked good, but sadly, this... thing she's wearing is pretty typical, as is the poor styling. As Michael Kors would say, this dress is a whole lotta look, and she is not the person to pull it off. There are pleats and ties and bows in places where such things ought not to be, it's puffing out in odd ways, and I can't imagine what her left boob could possibly have done to deserve the treatment it's getting here. Go away, Cameron.

Clodhoppers from Dylan's Candy Bar

I have some amazing news, you guys: Mindy Kaling has returned to blogging! She has a new web address and layout (which I'm disappointed in, because we picked the layout of this blog not only because it's clean and classic, but because it's exactly the same as TIBTIL), but it's the same hilarious shopping-related prose as ever. Check out the new Things I've Bought That I Love and then go buy something totally fucking dope.

In one of the last entries about sour candies on the old blog, Mindy mentioned the amazing Dylan's Candy Bar. This New York institution is perfectly located across the street from Bloomingdale's and down the block from Serendipity, and is basically the FAO Schwartz of sugar. My sister visited me this weekend, so we braved the screaming hordes of children to get some awesome candy. There were all the basics: chocolate covered raisins, all sorts of gummy worms, caramels and licorice and whatnot. And then there were clodhoppers. I've never heard of clodhoppers until this weekend, but they're now my craving of choice.

Clodhoppers are basically graham cracker clusters covered with your fudge of choice (I loved dark chocolate, my sister preferred vanilla, and I'm dying to try cookies n' cream). Sounds simple, but the combination of the two tastes and textures are practically magic. You can buy this lame painter's can of clodhoppers online for $14, but I'm dying to go back to the Upper East Side and just grabbing the big container off the wall and then eating nothing but clodhoppers for the rest of my life.

Happy Birthday Mindy Kaling!

Today, June 24th, is a very special day. Today is the day when Mindy Kaling, our idol, muse, and imaginary best friend, was born. I celebrated in a style that I think Mindy would appreciate (or possibly find creepy):
It's true, Martha Stewart I am not. But my sloppy decorating skills aside, this cake was delicious and everyone enjoyed it almost as much as we enjoy Mindy's blog. Also, I thought it was extremely auspicious that facebook group "Mindy Kaling fills my abyss of terrifying emptiness" reached 100 members just a few days ago, after I harangued and pressured and bribed pretty much everyone I know and a few people I didn't. If you're in the group, and you're in NY, and you have my number, there is a slice of cake with your name on it waiting for you in my apartment... wait a second. I just checked the group so I could post a link, and someone quit the group! We're back down to 99 members! Ya'll better come over quick before I eat the rest of that cake in bed while crying myself to sleep.

Anyway, back to Mindy: I already made a post on my top 10 favorite entries, so I think I'm going to top off this post with some YouTube love:

Seahorses... on furniture!

So, two orders of business. First, somehow our Mindy Kaling Appreciation Facebook group (the spark that lit the bonfire of materialism that is this blog) has somehow managed to go down in group members. I suspect that the Angela Kinsey fans have turned violent and are killing off our members so their appreciation group can be larger. We cannot let this stand! You may think, "What does it matter if you used to have 91 members and now you have 88?" I'll tell you why it matters: because I made a blood vow to bake a cake when our group reaches 100 members, and every time I go to the grocery I'm like, "Mmm, funfetti cake mix, one day you will be mine." So would it be inappropriate for me to ask you to join, if you haven't already? Also, I'm not sure if everyone is aware of this, but if you've ever laughed out loud at something Mindy wrote in her blog, you are legally obligated to join her Facebook group. Do you really want to break the law?

Ok, secondly, I want this dresser so bad it hurts:
I know, I know, this dresser would look freaking ridiculous in my tiny New York apartment. And it's like 900 bucks. Damn you, Pottery Barn, and your lust-inducing beach house furniture! This Nautical Entryway Cabinet is $899, and I will make it mine one day.

Breaking News!

It's been a long, cold February, but Mindy Kaling has finally updated her blog, Things I've Bought That I Love. If this blog has a mother, it's TIBTIL. Well, maybe a more accurate analogy is that this blog is like the child with a slutty single mom who doesn't want to tell us who the father is, and she's like, "Uh, your dad is Bob Barker" so we spend our whole lives plotting ways to get on The Price is Right so we can finally met our father, and finally he has to take out a restraining order and we end up in padded rooms mumbling about Showcase Showdown. (Note: this was a plotline on How I Met Your Mother, except that Barney ended up going on the show and making his "dad" very proud, and it was all very heartwarming.)

But anyway, Mindy Kaling's latest post, on lip gloss, was worth the wait. She's so right
about lipstick aging you, and I can't wait to go to the Carol's Daughter store in Fort Greene to get some lip gloss!

Also, can I say that I think it's criminal that Mindy Kaling isn't featured in Vanity Fair's Women in Comedy issue? I love Jenna Fischer to death, but Mindy Kaling is 50 times funnier! She writes and acts and does stand-up and writes a hilarious blog! Mindy Kaling is a comedy goddess, and she's left out in favor of Sandra Bernhardt? Whatever, Vanity Fair. I want Mindy Kaling to blog about this egregious oversight and then maybe Vanity Fair will make a Mindy Kaling in Comedy issue to right this wrong. Keep your fingers crossed.

In order to celebrate Mindy Kaling in our own small way, may I present...

Mindy Kaling's Top 10 Best Blog Entries:
11. Summer 2007 Cute Awards: "I almost want to say mean things about Justin Timberlake, his reign as Prime Minister of Cool has been too unsullied. I get that a guy can sing in perfect falsetto, hip-hop dance and play the piano at the same time. But he does it in a fucking three piece suit. I'm worried a little about Justin though. What if he gets assassinated? He's got to be the plummest target to al-Qaeda type terrorists. Certain people, like Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Simon, Oprah, JT...these are national treasures. Anyway, I hope he lives to be on the Summer Cute Awards 2008."

10. Adorable Guys Rock Purple: "My friend Vali is famously a total jerk no one likes, but he wears this one pink shirt and all of a sudden all is forgiven."

9. All About Grandmothers: "I have given my grandmother "Pride & Prejudice" in every conceivable form there is: book, unabridged book, audio tape, DVD starring Colin Firth, DVD starring Keira Knightley, novelization of the Keira Knightley movie. Well no, I didn't give her that. But I would if it existed."

8. Oh my god you guys (Golden Globes update): "People yell "Big smile Jennifer!" and it's like they're shouting nonsense words at this stony-faced Aztec princess. Her husband/handler Marc Anthony just looked so Rats of Nimh compared to her."

7. Strike!: "Remember radio comedies during the Depression? I don't, I'm not even sure the radio was invented then, but I'm pretty sure it was. And what would those sockless Depression-era Americans have done without the bathtub song stylings of Radio Joe or whatever? I'm like those guys. This country was founded on debt. We need debt to thrive and stuff (This is my cursory understanding of what debt is from my high school Econ class)."

6. The Conair Handheld Steamer: "I'm leaving for New York tomorrow and wasn't going to bring my favorite yellow silk BeBe dress (yeah, I shop at bebe sometimes. Me and a bunch of 14 year old girls, and young Persian moms!) but thanks to my little steamer, I can totally throw the dress in my carry-on, let it get all wrinkly and gross, then steam the shit out of it in New York, put on jeans, lip gloss, my tunic, some heels, and be at Da Silvano...in like 20 minutes. Drunk in 35! Yaaaayy!!!"

5. American Apparel Cotton Spandex Jersey Boy Brief: "Sunday Morning Fantasy #27 looks like this: Park Slope, Brooklyn. I am reading the Times Book Review and eating granola and fruit in these underwear and a tank top at my kitchen table with Pharell, my boyfriend. We argue whether George Saunders is funnier in fiction or non-fiction (I say fiction, by a factor of 10. Pharrell disagrees, he loves his journalism.). The arguing really begins to escalate until our good friend Ryan McGinley arrives and persuades us to go to BAM with him. Both Ryan and Pharrell agree that my underwear is adorable."

4. The Arcade Fire at the Hollywood Bowl: "How fucking cool am I for going to this concert? First of all, every single acquaintance, friend, co-worker, foe, or guy I've ever dated or had a crush on was at this concert. Gene, who was also there, aptly said "I have never seen so many white people in one place at one time". It would add that the audience could also have passed as the International Urban Outfitters Salespeople Convention."

3. Christian Louboutin: "f I am going to spend more than $500 on a pair of shoes, you better believe it's gonna be a fucking extension of my womanhood. And you guys, they are. They frickin are. With their signature fuck-me red insoles and whimsical styles, you can tell a Louboutin from the rest of the designer bunch."

2. Silver Lake: "See, now I feel myself growing scared. Will a mean/brilliant dude from Vice Magazine mock this? Is Echo Park actually "Williamsburg west"? Or Glendale? Oh god. Sometimes I'm more scared of mean verbose hipsters than I am of like, Muslim fundamentalists."

1. Things that I will buy that I will love: New York edition: "Now I feel incredibly guilty for having spent so much money. I better go work on my spec screenplay, the third installment of the "Ghostbusters" movies - with a girl-power update, starring Amy Poehler, Zooey Deschanel, Amber Tamblyn and myself - called "I Ain't Afraid A'No Ghost". I need to sit in a diner and write all afternoon. So I go to Veselka."

I basically just picked this list at random, since every single entry is good enough to be on a Best Of Mindy Kaling list. But if I missed one of your favorites, ("crazy magic god powder", anyone?) list it in the comments.

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