It's no secret that I'm kind of a beauty product whore. I have boxes and boxes of pricey half-used hair and makeup products that I've only used a few times before finding some sparkly new product that I'd rather try instead.

Right now, my shower has three shampoos, three conditioners and four different body washes in it (all of these are mine, not Rob's), plus some random exfoliants.

Anyway, it's no surprise that I love the Sephora Spy feature on Jezebel, wherein a long-time Sephora employee gives the scoop on what works and what doesn't. This week, she dives into loads of important issues, including oil cleansing (I'm already a fan! I recommend DHC Deep Cleasing Oil for anyone who wants to give it a go) and the great Bare Minerals controversy...skin savior or overhyped product? (I've never tried it, because I don't do powders, so I can't weigh in). Anyway, if you're a product ho like me, you should check it out.

Admittedly, I don't know too much about the new governor of New York, but from what I'm reading, I'm loving him! He's just getting everything out in the open before anyone can dig up the dirt. I can appreciate that.

My new favorite blog

I just can't get enough. I don't know how I didn't stumble across this sooner!

A New Definition

Google Narcissism: ego-surfing on Google.

Want to see a classic example? Check out the latest post on our friend ShannanB's blog at MommyBits.

The offender appears to be a publicist at a large New York PR agency. You would think she would know better than to stir the pot with one of the most influential online networks on the Web--the mom bloggers.

Check it out and share your thoughts. I think ShannanB raises some really great questions.

A shout out to a culinary marvel

This marvel I'm speaking of is the "grit." Those of you who know me well are aware that I'm a huge fan of this traditional southern delicacy. I was introduced by my grandmother to this delicious treat at a young age and still eat them very regularly--sometimes plain, sometimes with butter, sometimes with cheese, and on the rare occasion, with shrimp. I actually cook instant grits for breakfast at work and eat them at my desk in the morning.

Because I so love grits and their many applications, I was thrilled with this article in Restaurants & Institutions (a trade magazine for restaurant operators in the know) about how grits are becoming chic from coast to coast, dispelling the myth that it's some sort of low-grade redneck dish.

So, I recommend that all of you go out and make some shrimp and grits. It's a delicacy that deserves a place on every dinner table. Here's a good recipe to get started, from the queen of southern cooking herself, Paula Deen. (I never said this particular recipe was healthy).

Dear Jeff "Doc" Jensen,

I'm tired, cause it's 7:30 in the morning, but so far I've been in a pretty good mood because I got up and went to the gym and treated myself to Starbucks. And then, when I got home, I was even more happy to see that you had a new column up on the EW site about tonight's "Lost," sure to be filled with all kinds of Lostie goodness.

Why then--in your opening sentence even--must you depress me so?

At exactly the 30-minute mark in tonight's episode, the strike-shortened fourth season of Lost will reach its halfway mark. At the 31-minute mark, we'll have seen more Lost this year than we will see for the rest of the year. And by the 60-minute mark, we'll have just six more episodes of Lost left until the show waddles into its cave for another nine-month nap.

Thanks, Jeff. Now I want to crawl back into bed.

Best,

Loree Stark

Another Fallen Symbol of Purity

Is nothing sacred? We have come to expect this behavior from pop princesses, misguided child stars, over-pampered heiresses... but aging 60s symbols of goodness? The world is becoming a dark, dark place.

The series finale of "The Wire" aired last night, and Gawker has a great roundup of stories for fans.

Yeah, Happy Monday

Another day, another story about a poor person who returns an ass-ton of cash. As you may remember, I was in a curmudgeonly mood at the start of the new year and blogged about a similar story.

Well, I'm no less curmudgeonly today, I guess. A refresher course for why these stories piss me off: To be delighted at this story, we have to embrace the notion that the majority of those less fortunate A) have a less strict moral code than the rest of us, thus making them more predisposed to running off with someone else's money, and B) are more likely to be dumbasses that pocket thousands upon thousands of dollars without a thought to when someone will come looking for it.

Yes, I'm happy the woman returned the money. It's clearly the right thing to do. And it's great that she got a cash reward for her efforts. But let's not insult her by saying that it's "newsworthy" that she didn't turn to a life of crime when presented with the option.

If I were the God of All Media, here's the story I'd pump out for the masses to see: A service piece on why skittish old people should start getting more comfortable with banks. Because having $30,000 hanging out in envelopes is not a good idea.

This news makes me happy!

I heart Friday Night Lights, and if Hollywood insider/blogger Nikki Finke is right, it's coming back! Although I'm not sure how I feel about this NBC/DirecTV deal. If it airs only on DirecTV, I'm kind of screwed, but it sounds like NBC will also be distributing it some form. Hopefully more details and an official confirmation from NBC will soon follow.

Also, I'm obviously in a bloggy mood.

Ikea is coming! Ikea is coming!

Next week!

I'm nothing if not critical, but I actually think the linked article does a decent job explaining the Ikea hype. My favorite part, though, is that they interviewed a local native of Sweden to have her talk about the awesome-ness of Ikea. Now, I understand the the company is Swedish, and they serve fast-food version of Swedish cuisine there, but... really... I don't think anyone goes to Ikea with the intent of bringing authentic Swedish design into their home. It's just cheap modern furniture, people.

Nevertheless... many Billy bookcases and cheap hot dogs are in my future!

I'm not going to lie, folks.

I'm tempted.

Another Celebrity Endorsement

I don't know if this one can be topped.

Thank you Rob Bricken

I'll admit it. I don't get about 60% of the stuff on your blog. About 20% of the stuff I do get makes me laugh -- like really laugh, not chuckle. But this post falls into the other 20% -- filed under "what kind of RSS feed do you have set up to find this stuff."

Spellbinding. Really.

Amazing -- with or without volume

Since it's making its way around the sports networks and Internet like wildfire, chances are you've caught a glimpse of the amazing rant from Michigan Women's Head Basketball Coach Kevin Borseth.

I actually saw it yesterday in a loud sports bar on a muted TV. I had no idea what he was saying, but it was still one of the most amazing TV spectacles I've ever seen. This morning, I googled the guy to see what it was about... expecting something very serious. I was mildly amused to hear so much passion over offensive rebounds.

Also, could be one of the greatest press conference entrances of all time. Well done Kevin Borseth. Well done.

I don't know if I can get that worked up about anything. I wish I could though.