Sunday, March 7, 2010

At the Moment: 10 Guilty Pleasures

The term “guilty pleasure” seems like a contradiction to me because if something is devilishly joyful then why should we feel guilt? What is the definition of a guilty pleasure anyway? Is it something that we enjoy so much that we become braggarts? Is it something that we covet so much that we turn it into an addiction? Or is it something that we engage in but fear others may find it lowbrow or taboo? I do not know about you but my guilty pleasures encompass all of the above! Here are 10 of mine (in alphabetical order):

1. “All I Want For Christmas Is You”: If I were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one CD, it would be Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas” album for the sole purpose of “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” I love, love, love this song and do in fact play it year round. You can ask any of my friends who have been in my house or car during the winter or summer months – January, June, you name it, it will be played. This song is so cheerful, so loving – how could you not want someone to sing (or even say) this to you? I am actually smiling as I am listing to it now. :-) Click here for the goodness.

2. American Express Platinum Card: The rules of the Total Money Makeover instruct me not to use my credit card, and I follow that rule 99.7% of the time, I really truly do, but when I go to a fancy dinner I use my American Express card because I do not like to carry that much cash with me. But if I may, the American Express Platinum Card is pretty. Plain and simple. It is fun to use for show. :-) But in all seriousness, it keeps you responsible because you have to pay it off in full, and even more impressively, it has the Platinum Card Concierge service that handles restaurant reservations, assistance in travel planning, and gifts; and the representatives even provide their last names. That is how committed it is to customer service! Oh, and its Departures magazine is filled with gorgeous pictures and worthwhile lifestyle and travel information. Plus you gain access to several airport lounges around the world.

3. Dairy Queen Butterscotch dip cone: I had a butterscotch dip cone in 2009 and the last time before that was 1989. It was as heavenly as I remembered: the sweetness of butter, the honey-like color, the rich and smooth texture of the hard shell. It also reminded me of my childhood and middle school because if we had perfect attendance for a number of consecutive days (I forget how many) we were rewarded with the privilege of having an off-campus lunch and Dairy Queen was right around the corner from school. I often think about it since there is a Dairy Queen only a few blocks away from my house and there are Dairy Queens all over Minneapolis but I have will power, darn it. Thank goodness!

4. Doritos Nacho Cheese: If Jerry McGuire had Dorothy Boyd at “hello,” you could have me at “Doritos Nacho Cheese.” Is it me or is it impossible to eat only one Dorito? I love Doritos Nacho Cheese so much that I actually cannot have them in my house because I will eat the entire bag in one sitting. In fact, that has actually happened. The first time I went to the house of life-long friend Tali Light, I sat on that purple sectional in the living room watching TV and before I knew it, I ate her entire bag of full-sized Doritos Nacho Cheese. Oops.

5. Louis Vuitton: I have learned over the years that consumers are the true owners of a brand’s identity, but to be fair, a company has some control over its brand. Some choose to dilute their brands with sales to gain short-term market share or revenue, and others never discount their brands to maintain “brand integrity” (thank you very much, Louis Vuitton St. Louis Store Manager Debbie Stueckel). I have yet to ever experience a sale at Louis Vuitton; in fact, its prices have only gone up in the recent years. I LoVe Louis Vuitton as much as I love the four aforementioned guilty pleasures and as much as I love the subsequent five. Even if you buy something outside of its Monogram collection, it will still have a dominant presence on your accessory wall. The Kiowa tote that I use for traveling is amazing.

6. MICHELIN (Michelin) starred restaurants: This is my most recent guilty pleasure and it is challenging for me to talk about because I really am ignorant to the methodologies in reviewing restaurants and I am not a foodie by any means. But, I love first-time experiences and the Michelin starred restaurants on the San Francisco and New York City lists are meant to be enjoyed with those you love. My first experience was in 2009 at the French Laundry. Being there had fulfilled my America dining experience but it reminded me of when I finally saw Whitney Houston live in 1999 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. My expectations were so high that I was nervous and skeptical. But the result was euphoric. I will be in New York City in two weeks and have the opportunity to experience Rouge Tomate, and in a few months I will be in San Francisco again and hopefully get the chance to dine at Coi (pronounced “kwah”). I am determined to eat my way through their lists.

7. Target Merona 3-pack socks: Last year in an effort to be more efficient and take out the guess work in matching my black dress socks, I threw away all of my dress socks and started over with socks that were striped, in an argyle pattern, or a colorful solid. But I did end up with one solid black pair of socks by default because they came in a 3-pack with some other styles. The Merona socks by Target are ridiculously inexpensive but stylish enough to pair with your Valentino suit.

8. “Sister Act 2”: As side from Lauryn Hill and Tanya Blount’s melodic rendition of His Eye is on the Sparrow and even Ms. Hill’s “Joyful Joyful,” I did not realize I had a strong affection for this movie. However, I blame my NYU roommate, Saurabh Monga, on this guilty pleasure because it was his video that we watched over and over again. Also, when I lived in St. Louis there were numerous weekend afternoons that I would lie on the sofa and watch “Sister Act 2” in its entirety. Who knew?!

9. Slatkin & Co. Bamboo & Jasmine candle: It saddens me that I am allergic to most fragrances but I could burn this candle in my house forever. It has a luxuriously fresh, welcoming scent that is above the rest and its simple packaging is so velvety. I have given this candle as gifts to many and in turn they have gifted it, as well.

10. Whitney Houston: I fell in love with her back in 1985 when I was 10 years old and still love her. To this day, it is not uncommon for me to listen to all her albums on shuffle, on repeat, on my iPod throughout the weekend. We all can read about her history but none of that affects me nor do I find any of it that interesting actually. By no means does it adulterate my adoration for her. My top 10 songs of hers are:

“All the Man That I Need”
“A Song for You”
“The Greatest Love of All”
“I Didn’t Know My Own Strength”
“I Have Nothing”
“I Will Always Love You”
“One Moment in Time”
“Try It On My Own”
“Until You Come Back”
“You Light Up My Life”

And of course, her rendition of The Star Spangled Banner is brill.

1 comment:

  1. This may be my favorite post yet! I even had Mariah in the background as I read :) LOVE IT

    ReplyDelete