Oh, Serena, clashing plaids? What has Gossip Girl come to? I'm even feeling sorry for Chuck.

If you've been avoiding switching to compact florescents anywhere but in the garage because their light tends to be blue and weird, I've been really impressed with the 75 watt equivalent Feit Electric bulbs I got for about $1 for 4 at Longs (some kind of PG&E subsidy). They don't have that unsettling delay before lighting that older bulbs had--instead they start up immediately, but a little dimmer and gradually increase to full brightness over the next few minutes. It's kind of like having a gradual alarm clock light without the insane expense. The light quality is warm and good for reading. I've put them in my living room and bedside lamps and they're working really well. Best of all, they're small so they don't stick out over the top of the lampshade. Check 'em out.

I'm all atwitter over the amazing deal I got on my second Rebecca Minkoff Mini Nikki in Dusty. If you dare gaze upon the wretched excess, the album is here.

Saturday night I watched Giant on tv... yes, a classic movie on regular ol' tv, on a channel that anyone still using an antenna could get. At about the point where Rock Hudson shoots Elizabeth Taylor's horse, I decided that I wanted popcorn. Let's reflect: I've survived without a microwave since July 2007. However, I have a jar of corn kernels and oil and butter. I put kernels and oil in one of my outstanding Calphalon pans, put the heat on medium, and lo and behold, within about five minutes I had popcorn. Drizzle on some Irish unsalted butter and sprinkle on some sea salt (paradoxical, but there you go), and I had a bowl of the best damn popcorn I think I've ever had. Way better than the movie itself which was kind of a disappointment. (And still don't really get how the Levi's 501 "Travis" ads from the 80's tie in.)

Other tv stuff: So upset that the chef from Absinthe in SF was the first to be booted from Top Chef. We did an event for a client at Absinthe a while back, and while they're better known locally for their bartenders than their food, I thought they did a fantastic job with our menu, and people still talk about that party.

Also watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta. (Why? I have no idea.) DeShawn's husband Eric is the nicest person on Earth. Have to say I kinda like NeNe. Kim is just a freaking disaster (who the hell buys one Louis Vuitton bag for an 11 year old, let alone two??), and while I started out liking Sheree, she's rapidly wearing out her welcome.

Other current trash tv viewing includes Stylista. I feel really bad for Anne Slowey; at this point she has to be wondering how she got stuck with this merry band of half-wits.

My other regular viewing these days is The Wire on DVD, so cut me some slack. That show takes concentration, not to mention the ritual sacrifice of small furry animals to the writer's uncanny genius at the conclusion of each brilliant episode. Gossip Girl is on hold until I can get caught up on the current season, and Mad Men is sadly done 'til next season.