Yes I went through them all (luckily before twitter took a fail whale for the worst this morning). And no I just couldn’t limit them to 10, so instead I picked 25 and the title “Top 10 Tuesday” is now completely misleading. Oh well. It’s my blog. Get over it.

03/25/08: When your sister says “There’s a man throwing up into a shopping cart in the middle of our street” just take her word for it and don’t look.

I actually remember this happening. I’m fairly certain I got completely disgusted, gagged, and immediately twittered.

03/27/08: Exchange of the night – Girl: “Oh she’s home doing something like … arts and crafts?” Boy: “All I do at home are farts and craps.”

I don’t remember WHO this was about, but I do remember I was at Fuji eating sushi with Sarah. This was apparently part of our classy conversation.

03/31/08: I now remember why I hate Jelly Belly mixed jellybean bags: I just ate one that tasted the way a dirty litterbox smells. SAD FACE.

I still haven’t touched a mix bag of Jelly Bellys since!

04/01/08: Weirdest conversation today: “J, I’ve a HUGE favor to ask: I need to borrow your giant lobster for a pitch.” “Have it. I hate that thing.”

What I work in Boston tourism. I have a lot of lobsters lying around. I can count 5 from where I’m sitting right now.

04/03/08: Word of the day: HOBO. Go forth and overuse it.

Still one of my favorite words. I called myself a hobo earlier.

04/07/08: Drunk twittering on a Monday seems offensive.

I wish I remembered where I was, but – hello? It’s me. This isn’t exactly a rarity.

04/10/08: My coworkers and I just had a 20 minute discussion about eggs. I had no idea there was so much to say about them.

I’m glad I don’t remember that conversation, though the thought of it still makes me laugh.

04/17/08: I’ve been walking around in a god damn see-through shirt all day. THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW “FRIENDS”.

After, I went to H&M and bought a flesh colored tank. Which I still layer under a lot of shirts. Quite possibly the best $7 I spent in 2008.

05/27/08: Good decision of the night? Buying a bottle of wine at the grocery store. Best decision of the night? Finishing it.

It was pinot grigio. And it was delicious.

06/25/08: Just overheard a coworker say “Mine start as bubbles under my skin. If I pop them they spread all over.” How about let’s NOT go there.

Yeah let’s STILL not go there.

07/18/08: Tried REALLY hard to take a disco nap. But I’m just too excited. FAIL.

Aw! Blogher!

7/18/08: “Twist my arm and a little booze will come out” – amber.

This was the where I debut the term “Muppet Face”!!

7/18/08: “I love everyone. It smells like garbage.” – me.

Garbage is still one of my favorite words.

07/29/08: so @pinkshoe just admitted to having a sex dream about Brian Griffin. Yes, THE DOG.

This was at Andy’s birthday at dbar for Showtune Tuesday. I cried I was laughing so hard.

08/04/08: Was just told “You look like a German baker. Pastry with sausage type.”

I do NOT remember why someone told me this. But I appreciate their …. honesty?

8/5/08: “These boys can’t handle a beaver with a kickstand” – mizery.

Post-SummerMash TechKaraoke at Jacques Caberet. Mizery gets me everytime. She’s a comedian, that one.

08/23/08: You know you’re all over the internet when making plans your friend says “I’ll send you a message to 1 of your 23 forms of electronic media”

Sums me up pretty well.

08/25/08: tearing around Pinehills Golf Course in a golf cart. immediately followed by 08/25/08: aaaaand my golf cart died. In the woods.

I’m a hot mess.

08/27/08: Just listened to someone who doesn’t understand Twitter try to describe it to her friend: “It’s like Facebook comments for cell phones.”

I love this stuff. I’ve heard a lot of “explanations” of Twitter, but this was by far the best.

09/16/08: is excited that my iPhone finally accepts that I have a dirty, swearing mouth.

YAY!

09/23/08: Been walking around in an old bathrobe & sweatpants. My sister just said “You look so ugly right now.” I’m so glad I have her …

My sister is my bestie.

10/10/08: “Jenny, you are GayBeard, scourge of the seas” – @pinkshoe

Need I say more? NEED I SAY MORE? Thanks Sarah :)

11/25/08: fruit loop!

Ahhh. Andrew enters my picture. We were at dbar for Showtune Tuesday and were going to do a loop around the bar to find the cute (gay) boys. An activity we then labeled “Fruit looping”. Later this evening Andrew’s coat got stolen. WITH ALL OF HIS KEYS (car, home, etc) IN IT.

12/01/08: I love when people jumble Facebook and Myspace and call it “MyFace” – as in “Are you on MyFace?”. Why yes, yes I am.

CLASSIC!!

12/21/08: “Come meet us at Tremont 647!” “Ok where is it?” “Um, really?”

This was honestly one of my best days of 2008. There was a group of 8 of us and we brunched for FOUR HOURS. It’s also the day we officially became an Urban Family.

2008 was a great year. 2009 will only be better.

Tomorrow is my 28th birthday and I think it’s only fair that I get to hijack my own Top 10 list and make it all about me this once. I have a really good feeling about 28. The last few months of 27 have been so amazing, I hope it’s only going to get better. So with that in mind, here are the Top 10 things I would like to do in 2009.

1) Travel. Yes travel. More. Much more. So far I have the plans laid out for a trip to London (May…ish), Chicago (July), LA (undetermined as of right now but maybe March), and probably Portland again (whenever Chris and Kerri feel like donating their futon!).

2) Spend More Time Outside. Hello, I’m Jenny and I’m a workaholic. Which means I’m chained to my desk and hardly ever use my lunch hour to just GO OUTSIDE. My weekend time is so precious I never get to do everything I’d like. And I never use my vacation time to just GO TO THE BEACH (a place I LOVE and wish I went more). No I really don’t use my vacation time. Mine expires on December 31st and I have SEVEN VACATION DAYS LEFT. I have a problem.

3) Get Back to Creating Art for FUN. I used to take thousands of photos, play around on canvas, and design for hours in Illustrator just because. Sometimes I would hang some of my stuff in my studio, other times I would just wipe it and start over because IT WAS FUN. And then somewhere along the line people started buying a piece here, a design there, and more and more and more and it stopped being fun. Well I stopped taking/creating/designing those kind of freelance projects a long time ago and I think it can be fun and for me again. (PS Don’t Google “Xacto Knife” looking for images. All you see is puncture wounds and blood. GROSS.)

4) Take More Risks In My Career. I am a serial worker. I stayed at my first job out of college for over 4 years. I’ve been at my current day job for nearly 3 years. And while it’s not exactly the right time to go out and look for new work, I’m sure there is plenty I can do with my time here that I’ve just never taken the time to propose. (More than once this year work has been taken away from outsourced external design agencies and given to me to do. I think that’s worth SOMETHING. And part of my job I can go AFTER.) Also? Like I just said, I cut out a lot of freelance, but I also started doing a LOT of other kinds of freelance. Freelance work that I LOVE. Freelance work that I didn’t realize I could even get paid for. I need to do that more.

5) Continue to Trim the Fat. A couple times a year I go through purges where I get rid of any extra THINGS I just don’t need: I get rid of old clothes I don’t wear, I clean up my hard drive, I go through collected paperwork. Over the past year or two I started evaluating friendships and relationships in the same way. I often mention my “Btree” friends (aka the Braintrees.) These people are some of my best friends in the entire world and I’ve known most of them for or close to 2 decades. I got lucky with them, but it also put me in the mindset that other friendships and relationships have the longevity and tight, family-like bond that we all have together. This is really just not the case. And it’s not to say I haven’t met and had friendships/relationships with people that haven’t meant something to me – but I only just learned that it’s not best for me to keep some people in my life so closely. Coincidentally, this seemed to have allowed me to see and brought me closer to ‘the good ones’.

6) Date More Wisely. This one goes along with the above. I need to be more aware of not only who I’m dating, but WHY I’m dating them. I’ve been single for a year now, and actively single and dating for several months now. And all I can say is YIKES. I’ve been on some trainwreck dates – like CAPITAL TRAIN, CAPITAL WRECK. And my problem again is that I sometimes try to be too positive about a situation. For example, I told my good friend Sarah about one date in particular and she stopped me and said “You don’t have to be that positive about that date. It sounds AWFUL.” On the flip side, I’ve been a little burned and I’m a little too quick to X someone – but in my defense after doing a little research on some potential dates, Sarah concluded that I am “shopping around the pound and what I need to do is visit the breeder.” Which, god love this girl, she always makes me laugh and knows what’s best for me (and trust me, some of these guys are just NOT it). So Bostonians, I know where to find the most fabulous gay men, the strongest tequila and soda, the best sushi around, and a delicious Sunday brunch – now where the hell are all the single straight guys hiding? HA. Email me. (Kidding! Sort of ….?)

7) Talk To More Strangers. We start our life being lectured to NOT do this, but I have met and become friends with some of the most incredible people by doing this (and that’s only a random sampling!). They make me want to meet more.

8) A New Home. I’m not sure what exactly this means for me. Will it be somewhere outside of Boston? Will it be in my most favorite neighborhood in Boston – the South End? I just know that I need to mix things up. I’ve been needing to for a while, but some good things happened at work and with friends and it was just easier to stick around than risk anything. But now I think it IS time to take those risks – I don’t have a boyfriend,husband, child or pet to consider! Now is the time to do it! WOO.

9) More Random Acts of Kindness. Over the past few months I’ve tried to make a more conscious effort to listen to what’s going on around me and do a nice deed or help someone out who needs it. Obviously I’m not going to tell you what those things are (it’s not really selfless if you go around saying “LISTEN TO WHAT I DID.”), but I want to do more of this. And I want to encourage my friends (both IRL and in Internet land) to do this more. It is the most rewarding new habit ever.

10) I’m stealing this from an article I read on the internet: Use this decade year to go to extremes. “Climb the tallest mountain you can find. Picnic at midnight. Learn to sail. Talk to strangers. Road trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Take a midnight drive to the beach -– then stick around for dawn. Take advantage of what you have: energy, idealism, enthusiasm, a willingness to experiment, a lack of encumbrances, a desire to learn and grow. Enjoy — and you’ll be better able to appreciate the next stage.”

What will YOU do?

This week’s Top 10 features a Guest Contributor – Peter Gem. Peter is a dear friend of mine and I’ve asked him to contribute to a series of upcoming Top 10s. Trust me, his taste is impeccable and I had to pass it on to all of you. (Though I had to reel him in a little. When you see some of his picks, you’ll see what I mean. And yes I hdid veto some of his choices and find more affordable options. I made sure to put a handful of items under $50 on the list!)

So today’s list to tackle: fabulous gifts to buy for a man in your life that he wouldn’t necessarily buy for himself. That’s not to say there are things on this list that a man wouldn’t buy himself – most men at one point or another buy, say, a pair of socks. But most men wouldn’t go out of their way to buy a fabulous pair of argyle cashmere socks. And that’s what this week’s edition is all about – making the ordinary, extraordinary.

So without further adieu, here is the list that Peter and I came up with:

1) Brooks Brothers Dress Socks. Peter and I agree, details count, so when you’re dressing up – don’t forget your feet. We can see those skanky socks under those great slacks. Peter’s favorite are the Argyle Cashmere socks (of course), but if the man in your life is a little more subdued that than, try the Merino Wool Mini Dot socks in solid black. *Bonus: These socks are on sale right now – Buy any 4 get 20% off; Buy any 6, get 25%!

2) Kenneth Cole Leather Belt. Everyone needs a great go-to black belt. It seems simple, but it really ties an outfit together. This Kenneth Cole Reaction belt is classic and can go with anything – and will for years to come.

3) ZIRH Shaving Products. Girls know that good beauty products are worth their weight in gold, but most of the guys I know could care less about what they put on their face. (No seriously, once I watched a guy friend wash his face with antibacterial DISH SOAP. I mean A+ for effort, but hello, your face is going to burn off.) Start with something simple like the Shave Cream. It smooths and calms the skin during and after shaving, and helps prevent razor drag and burn. $20 might seem pricey, but the cream is super concentrated and a 8.4 ounce jar will last up to 4 months!

4) Tiffany Cuff Links I adore a man in cuff links – who doesn’t really? And Tiffany? Classic, classic, classic. All of the linked cuff links are gorgeous, but I really adore these Paloma Picasso ones in particular.

5) Coach Water Buffalo Slim Billfold. If you are not familiar with Coach leather, you should be. Honestly, both Peter and I have owned several Coach leather products and, we agree, it is simply the best. The leather itself is so nice to the touch, it looks great when you buy it – and the best part? It gets better looking with age!

6) Burberry Giant Check Scarf. When you want a great dessert you go to Finale. When you want a great cashmere scarf you go Burberry. Peter and I loved the (sage) color twist of the classic Burberry pattern in this simply gorgeous Burberry scarf.

7) Laptop Bag. Peter went a little nuts here and recommended the $2,740 Louis Vuitton Briefcase Bequia, but for those of us who don’t have money trees in our backyard, may I suggest the slightly more affordable Jack Spade Drill Nylon Laptop Field Bag. It’s messenger style and big enough (with plenty of pockets!) to double as a carry-on for travel!

8) Calvin Klein Lush Bathrobe. There are few things better than snuggling up after a shower or just on a lazy afternoon in a robe. It makes me think of staying in a hotel. So buy one for your man (this one is 25% off!), get one for you to match, shut off your phones and take a faux-cation.

9) Ralph Lauren Deerskin Glove. These are fabulous: they look great and keep him warm all through the winter months. Plus they’re on sale – score!

10) J. Crew Cashmere Sweater. Clearly I love cashmere. I can’t get enough of it. And these sweaters will never go out of style. Best part? Select colors are now on sale as low as $69.99 – for cashmere!

Happy shopping! You’ve only got 8 days left!

If you’ve ever seen a picture of me (which, hello, you’re reading a blog called “AllEyesOnJenny”. Clearly you’ve seen me.), you know that I go for more of a natural look when it comes to make up. This is in part because I’m a simple girl at heart and also because half the time I honestly have no idea what I’m doing. The following products (and the way I use them) will pretty much prove that to you.

Before I start I want you to know, this is all I own for make up*. No exaggeration. This is a picture of me all “done up” for a black tie event a few weekends ago. I used everything, but only everything, I listed below. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.

1) Q-Tips Cotton Swabs. I love, love, love these things for applying or touching up make up. I use them for everything from smudging and softening my eyeliner to cleaning up any misplaced mascara. If you’re looking for a more dramatic look, get the top a little damp with water, rub on your favorite eye shadow and it creates a faux creme shadow (that lasts!). My favorite Q-tip trick? Dip them in the colors you are wearing on your eyes that night (each color on a different tip), wrap in a small piece of plastic wrap and tuck it into your purse for quick touch ups.

2) Almay Smart Shade Makeup. I’ve tried a few other “smart” make ups (“smart” being a liquid make up that starts off white and blends to match your skin tone) and honestly, the Almay is my favorite. The match is always perfect, it covers flawlessly AND it’s SPF 15!

3) MAC Studio Stick Concealer Every girl has got to have a good concealer stick. This works on everything from blemishes to annoying under eye circles. But! I only apply it AFTER my Almay Smart make up to keep me from overusing.

4) Physicians Formula Powder Palette. This is my go-to compact for so many reasons: 1.) it’s oil free! 2.) I have extremely sensitive skin and have never had a problem with this powder, ever. 3.) the compact itself is great – the powder and applicator are kept in separate compartments – which, this might be totally in my head, but just seems cleaner to me. And it had a good sized mirror. 4.) because it’s a mix of several different shades, they combine perfectly to fix any imperfections on my face (in my case, oh hai freckles and under-eye circles) and 5.) all those different shades mixed in there are the perfect touch up for make up all over your face. I always keep a few Q-tips in my purse in case I need to use the white as highlighter for my brow and cheek bones on the go!

5) Avon mark’s Instant Blush Tint. This stuff is by the newer Avon line mark. I can not get enough of their make up – it’s cheap and works just as good as the more expensive stuff (no seriously, I used another blush tint from Sephora for years that was 4 times as expensive and the mark tint works just as well, if not better).This is probably my favorite item in my make up bag. I know it’s technically “blush” but I use it all over: my cheeks, my lips, and sometimes even my eyes as a base. I use this constantly and I’m still working on my first tube of the stuff. Which I got last December. And it cost me SIX DOLLARS.

6) Almay Liquid Eyeliner. I draw a full line right on my top lash line from inside to outside and only go from the outer lash line to the middle on the bottom. Then I grab my trustee Qtip and smudge, smudge, smudge. Works every time.

7) MAC Eye Shadow Yeah this stuff is a it pricey as far as eye shadow goes (typically about $13-$14 for one color), but it goes on fabulously without using a lot. I find that if I use a cheaper brand, I have to use twice as much and the color still isn’t as brilliant as my MAC. I use 2 shades of MAC eye shadow – 3 if I’m feeling saucy. They go from a deep shimmery espresso brown to a bright highlighting white. I always wanted to learn a smokey eye. I tried to teach myself once with varying shades of gray. BIG MISTAKE. I never would have though in a million years to try BROWN. But do yourself a favor – go book yourself a session at the MAC counter. It will change your life. (Yes brown brings out blue eyes like nobody’s business.)

8) Avon mark Make It Big Lash Plumping Mascara. I know, I know. Again with the mark. But I really do love this stuff. I can not stand a mascara that gets goopy or thick or smudges to the touch. This Avon mark stuff does none of the above. And again, it’s SIX BUCKS.

9) Cotton Squares.I like using new cosmetic cotton squares every time I apply make up instead of using and reusing the ones that come with my make up for a couple of reasons: 1) I have extremely sensitive skin and this is easier than constantly cleaning the ones I have 2) I’m a little OCD about what I put near my face and a used compact puff caked with old make up just grosses me out.

10) MAC LipGlass. When it comes to lip gloss, you have sticky girls and non-sticky girls. I am a sticky girl. In fact, the stickier the better. This MAC LipGlass seals in any color I put underneath (see Avon mark blush tint!) and keeps my lips shiny and smooth all night. (And now my trashy side: Wet ‘n’ Wild makes a glassy gloss that is pretty much identical to MAC’s LipGlass for about $12 cheaper!)

*Ok it’s not all I own. The truth of the matter is I’m a lip gloss JUNKIE. That deserves to be in all caps because it is painfully true. I have not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but SIX different glosses on me right now. At work. Who needs six glosses at work? This gal riiiiight here. You all can shut up now.

Ok, what’s in YOUR make up bag?

1. Go-to pair of jeans. For me it happens to be Banana Republic dark wash, skinny jeans. Throw these babies on with a festive top and pair with a fabulous pair of heels or tuck them into a sexy boot and you are good to go.

2. Ceramic 1″ Ionic Flat Iron.I use this not only to smooth my hair out for a sleek look, but in 20 minutes I can have a head full of fancy waves too! This baby does double duty!

3. Paper Source rubber stamps. I picked up a bunch of these stamps and a few different color ink pads last year and who knew they would come in handy so often. Pick up some sheets of colored paper or have some plain old craft paper on hand and you have unlimited options! Make gift tags or customized holiday cards in an instant!

4. OPI’s Baby It’s Coal Outside. I love this shade of charcoal gray. It has just a hint of sparkle, but not in a trashy way. And gray goes with everything. I do occasionally mix it up and wear my favorite new shade of red (OPI’s A Ruby For Rudolph), but this shade works with everything. And it’s dark so it’s easy to touch up (you know me, I use a Sharpie for a quick fix!)

5. Georges Duboeuf’s Julienas. At no more than $11.99 a bottle, pick up a few to have on hand for that last minute hostess gift. Sarah and I attended a Georges Duboeuf tasting a couple of weeks ago, and this wine was our favorite of the 10 we tasted!

6. A “Say Something” piece of jewelry. I have to credit Sarah for teaching me that term, but it’s true – every gal (or guy) needs one fabulous piece of go-to jewelry to spruce up and add a little sparkle to any outfit.

7. Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas. This is my favorite holiday album – it’s poppy, it’s got some classics and it also has the best holiday song of all time: All I Want for Christmas is You. Pop this holiday crowd pleaser in anywhere, anytime.

8. Cheese. Just like it’s always a good idea to have a bottle of wine on hand, it’s an even better idea to always have some cheese on hand. It only takes a minute to cut some up and arrange on a platter to bring anywhere or host a quick get together. I linked to Manchego because it’s my favorite party cheese, though Brie is a close second!

9.) Scratch Tickets. I always stock up on $5 and $10 scratch tickets in the holiday season to have on hand for that person who you didn’t think would get you a gift, but totally did. Or for that Secret Santa exchange that you totally forgot about (oops!). Pop a couple of these babies in an envelope, use one of your Paper Source rubber stamps and Voila! instant gift. And you don’t look like a fool. (Best of all – if you don’t give them out, you get to scratch them yourself! My sister and I won $600 one year!)

10. Body Shop Vitamin C Energizing Face Spritz. If there is anytime of year we all get worn out and exhausted, it’s the holiday season. The shopping, the parties, the planning, and wrapping, and AH! It’s insanity and all that can take a toll on you. This face spritz is a dream in a bottle. Spray a little on before you go out and your face instantly looks better and brighter and you feel better and brighter (and not all Raggedy Anne like). I keep a bottle in my refrigerator and in my car (it’s cold enough!) to give me that extra blast of refreshment. (Year round, pack this in your travel bags and give your face a spritz after a long plane, train or car ride!)

Your turn: what are your Holiday Season must haves?! Make your own list and link me!