Currently Obsessive

I went through a period of time last year when I became unhealthily obsessed with Giada DeLaurentiis and her show Everyday Italian. Even though I've made a few of her dishes, and they've all been delicious, I think my obsession actually sprang from how thin that woman is regardless of how many dishes she whips up containing entire vats of mascarpone cheese. My obsession has waned some, and recently there have been whole months at a time when I've resisted the urge to walk into Central Market and order pancetta just because it's something Giada would do. But for a while there—for months—I would walk through the door each night, kick off my shoes, throw Molly a bone and settle in to watch thirty minutes of Italian-cooking bliss. And one week I spent three lunch hours trying to track down one of her cookbooks—a cookbook I've cooked from ... once ... since then.

This is just kind of how I am: I discover something—a product, a TV show, a celebrity, a song—I use/watch/talk the hell out of it and then I'm pretty much over it. I always think back on my obsessions fondly—I'll still pick up a magazine if Giada is on the cover, I'll always think a little less of Oprah for bullying her on-air a few months ago and I still DVR the show (as well as Giada's Weekend Getaways) but my obsession morphed into something fairly normal.

The same goes for other things including Milo Ventimiglia (start lusting after teenagers when you are the same age as MY HUSBAND and you immediately get bumped down on my freebie list), Mandy Moore's Wild Hope album, Gilmore Girls, Googling photos of Jake and Reese, GAP clothes, Bath and Body Works products, Diet Dr. Pepper, the Freddie Prinze Jr. movie "Boys and Girls," Real Simple (turns out I like the paper the magazine is printed on better than the actual content of the magazine) and even eBay.

So, even though all of the following things are subject to fizzle in the coming months (days?), here is a list of things I'm currently—possibly just for the moment, even—obsessed with:

Top Chef: I just love this show. Perhaps it's because of this one particularly scruffy, cute contestant named Spike who constantly wears a fedora—even while cooking!—or perhaps it's because of all the edge-of-your-seat Quickfires or, most likely, it's because I can watch dishes (plural) being presented to the judges without recognizing a single ingredient, making me feel smarter at the end of an episode than at the beginning—something I can't say about too many of the other shows I watch. Except for The Hills which is nothing but brain food.

Old Navy: I can go years hating everything Old Navy stocks on their shelves. Once I walked into the massively big store in my city and immediately turned around and walked back out because the first thing I saw had a unicorn on it, and I just ... I couldn't go any further. But I've been in Old Navy quite a lot lately—ALTHOUGH NOT IF MY HUSBAND ASKS—and I love their jewelry, their t-shirts, their jeans, their dresses, their skirts. Should I go on? Should I say I also love their underwear? BECAUSE I DO!

This one particular song by The Weepies: Lately whenever I want to write something with a little substance, I turn on this song and feel instantly introspective. I listen to it on repeat if what I'm writing is especially lengthy, and Mike will walk through the living room, on his way to measure under our wet bar for the keg he'd like to put there, find me tapping away on my laptop and will say things like, "What is that crap you're listening to?" Or "Are you wallowing again?"

World Spins Madly On
Everything that I said I'd do
Like make the world brand new
And take the time for you
I just got lost and slept right through the dawn
And the world spins madly on

Greenz: Every now and again I get stuck on a restaurant or lunch spot, and I eat there for weeks and weeks while all of my co-workers and friends roll their eyes and refuse to eat with me until I branch out to somewhere other than Quiznos (which is the kick I was on before Greenz). Greenz is a great little salad/wrap place in Dallas, and I go there far too often and get the exact same thing. The cashier totally knows my order by heart but he never repeats it to me with any tone of judgment.

Letterpress stationary: About once a day—when I need a break from fixating about next week's One Tree Hill finale (Lucas, take Brooke to Vegas!) for instance—I search Etsy or Paper Source or other various online shops for letterpress stationary. I even find myself dumping things into random online shopping carts. I usually talk myself out of actually purchasing things, but I'm just obsessed with beautiful and authentic stationary. See, in our new house I have a room that's just mine. It's my writing room. My space. My haven. And it's totally disorganized and full of crap right now and I only go in there, as of now, to get dressed or to hide from Molly who has been such an asshole lately. When I finally organize it and get it just-so, I really do want to get lost for hours writing letters. And I envision all of those letters being written on letterpress stationary because it's just prettier than regular stationary.

Honorable mentions: Diet Cherry Sprite from Sonic. Clutch wallets. David Cook. Counting Crows. And Nars lip gloss.

So, what are you currently obsessed with?

Comments

[slynnro]

Everything. Since I can buy nothing. But mostly Anthropologie cookware and C9 workout gear at Target. And this Kooba bag I'm dying for.

[bethany actually]

Old Navy is currently on my "over it" list...but I love their mesh underwear! I recently bought several pairs because they were on clearance and cute and was greatly surprised when I loved them.

[Sarah]

Currently:
Kitchen gadgets (which surprises me)
Scrabble on facebook
Frozen Yogurt
Barnes and Noble

[Kitty]

I'm currently obsessing on Calvin Klein's Euphoria perfume, Shinseido lipstick and Firefly reruns and playing lots and lots of Audiosurf. For music, I've been listening to a lot of Rehab and IAMX.

[Wickedly Scarlett]

I go through the obsession phase quite frequently as well--I've decided to think of it as the mark of a passionate individual rather than admitting to a short attention span.

Right now I'm obsessed with Twitter (just discovered it, and can't get enough of it), The Tudors (spend many evenings up late researching the cast--although maybe this shouldn't count due to my long-lasting obsession with that era in British history), and Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Jello Pudding (it's really quite decadent--although I think the diet aspect is greatly reduced when I eat 3 cups in one sitting).

[Cass]

I think every women goes through a Giada Crush phase....I still get sucked into her clevage....my husband caught me one day and he's like "are you looking at how great her boobs are even though she's itty bitty and makes all this yummy pasta?" and I said "yeah, I really am".

I'm obsessed with:
- Pandora.com
- Smith & Hawkin
- Onesie's I just can't get enough of these little guys.
- The calendar. I check the date at least 100 times a day.

[merrymishaps]

Have you gotten the new Weepies album? It's on repeat in my car (though the entire album, not just one song!)

Other than that...

- I used to have a lipgloss/lipstick problem -- I'd buy them all the time, but rarely wear anything other than chapstick. I seem to have kicked that habit.

- Running skirts are replacing all my shorts. I don't think I have enough yet, heh!

- Ballet flats in fun colors (I owe Flickr a couple pictures!)

- Sephora (where I redeem all my Discover cashback rewards). Though I really don't buy too much otherwise.

[jonniker]

Wait wait wait ... Spike? Seriously? I can't STAND the guy. Can't stand him! Want him gone! GONE!

Stephanie's my contestant. I'm rooting for her to go all the way. And if it can't be Stephanie, I'll take Richard, who is a little too weepy and soft for his own good, but slightly charming nonetheless.

[Nicole]

Hm, current obsessions? Drinking water by the liter, Boar's Head deli sandwiches, comedy clubs, American Idol (but only because of David Cook!), anything coconut scented, New York and Company, Borders, picture frame shopping, black and white prints and reading the Harry Potter series. Man, when I look at my list, I feel kind of dorky.

Cute new header, btw.

[Jess]

I'm currently obsessed with weddings. What can I say?

Also, Torsten is the same way as you with the obsession that fizzles out after a few months. He is particularly like that with restaurants.

[anne]

Those aiscs you have on the corner - I am pretty sure you can get a cheaper pair, likely the older model, at a Sports Authority. I have gone through a dozen or so pairs over the years and have found some good styles at like half that cost. Hope that helps!

[rebecca]

Sex:the Revolution on VH1; my fake Dolce and Gabbanna sunglasses; cupcake baking; iced tea; chicken biscuits; online window shopping at fabulous plus size designer stores; and pink lip gloss.
i totally do the obsessing thing. I once spent weeks thinking of nothing but Spike from Buffy. googling him, doing online quizzes. not when i was 15. I was 24.

[Kristie]

My list changes often, too! Right now I'm obsessing over my house. New furniture and paint and improvements I can do. I have bought books and gathered millions of those little paper paint color swatches and reading about home improvement project on the internet. I'm a tad obsessed.

[Jen]

My obsessions currently include:
Getting flurries from the local ice cream shop (it's summer, baby!), Target (always), Pirate's Booty, and painting my nails with the perfect shade of pink polish.
Hmm...two out of four have to do with food. Seems one of my upcoming obsessions should be with the GYM.

[ali]

you must have loved it when lucas told psawyer that he hated her and wished she'd never come back!!

i get obsessed easily. right now i'm obsessed with the show rent-a-goalie. and its star. mmm...christopher bolton. yum

[lissa]

I think I have an addictive personality for a couple of weeks and then like you it wains and i move on to the next thing.

Currently in my obsessive basket are:

1. Magic in the Air by Badly Drawn Boy (I can listen to this for hours.)

2. Gravity by Sarah Bareilles

3. A new career... perhaps graphic design.

4. The TV show Bones on Fox! I think it has to do with David Boreanaz.

[chirky]

I was considering whether I should go to Greenz this Friday - I have never been there. What do you recommend?

[britt]

i totally have an obsessive personality. when i see something i want, i have to have it...no matter what! crazy, huh? i'm trying very hard to tone this down though. it's hard work but it's exhausting always being obsessed over something.
p.s. i love giada too!

[Mr. E]

Hi -- so, I was referred to this site a while ago by my wife (aka Princess Nebraska) and I check in every now and then, mainly to lurk. But I couldn't help but notice that all of your comments were of a distinctly female opinion, so I thought I'd offer my own obsession list, for whatever it's worth...

1. Top Chef. I too love this show. Yet every time I watch it, I find myself snarfing down like 3 bowls of raisin bran during the final 30 minutes. I'm not sure what it is about Top Chef that triggers a raisin bran craving; whatever the reason is, I'm powerless to stop it.

2. House Hunters on HGTV. It's like crack, only you can record it so you can get the 'high' over and over and over.

3. Sunglasses. The bigger, the better. The cheaper the better, too. The last time I saw my parents I wore a pair that made my dad remark (really, he did) "Hey, Grandmaster Flash wants his glasses back..."

4. Birds. Not to tilt my hand too far in the nerd direction but... well, I'll just leave it at birds.

5. The weather. Is that lame? Probably. But I once spent a semester in grad school recording the weather.com 10-day forecast onto a spreadsheet so I could statistically analyze the accuracy throughout the forecast, just for fun. (Results: 3-day, not bad. 10-day, bad).
I still check it every day, but I've stepped down from the 'recording it on a spreadsheet' ledge, for my sanity and for the sake of those around me. Still.. hurricane season's starting up, and it might be a good one...

[JennyL]

This is a fun topic! My usual obsessions are around tv shows. Over the years it's been "The New Adventures of Superman", to "Party of Five", to most recently "Veronica Mars" (we're talking blogs, youtube videos, cast interviews, anything!)...and now...

it's The Office. BIG TIME. I obsessively check tv blogs, and cast blogs throughout the day. Discuss and speculate with the few people that I will (1) listen to me and (2) wont judge my obsession. I have to watch all cast appearances (Leno! Conan! Ellen!), and all movies that contain main cast members. I also look for paparazzi photos of the cast (John Krasinski and Rashida Jones - are you together or not?!)..etc etc. (OMG season finale tomorrow night - I'm so nervous/excited!)

I love that you google (and admit to it!) Reese and Jake...I must confess I was googling pics of John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston yesterday! And, last thing - have you seen "Chef Biography" on Giada? So interesting. Love her too - but have you noticed her hands? She's got some serious man hands. :)

[Christina]

Im in my 4th year of a love affair with Oregon Chai. I drink it almost every day.
I get obsessed with tv shows. I tivo them and save them until I know I can watch the entire thing alone.
Mr clean magic erasers (actually i have a thing for cleaning products in general) I am always looking for more things to clean with them.
Music- I will get a favorite cd and listen to it like an 8th grader. over and over...
Coach bags. I stalk the website waiting for the next new line.

[Cheri]

In no particular order:
Chai tea lattes
ONE TREE HILL (duh) which, by the way, none of my non-internet friends watch!! NONE of them! That's just wrong.
I, too, used to obsess over Giada and her perfect teeth and the way she'll be talking completely "American" until she says something like....MOZARELLA and suddenly she's straight off a plane from Italy where she's lived her entire life never having spoken a word of English.
I love that show Ace of Cakes. Not enough to Tivo it (yet) but MY GOD what they can do with cake now....it always makes me want to go into cake decorating.
I am completely obsessed with these glasses, I want them more than....well....more than anything else that I can think of!! http://www.shop.com/77626351-96962926-p.shtml?sourceid=13&field_28483725=0

[danielle-lee]

First off, I LOVE that song! Why aren't we friends??? ;)
Okay, my obsessions right now:

Sephora, Barnes & Noble (or really, any bookstore for that matter), creme brulee, and this great little store called The Funky Monkey in Keller. Must.refrain.from.going.every.day.

BTW, will you be at the ladies night on Saturday? If so, can't wait to meet you!

[JuJuBee]

I first heard that song while jogging with my husband's ipod in my ears. I instantly loved it, though not exactly running music, I play it at least once a day.

[Miranda]

I wasn't going to say anything, but I agree with jonniker. Can't stand Spike. I'm a Richard fan. I liked him from the start, but after the challenge with the kid helpers, when he was like, "Makes me want to go home and make babies" with that goofy grin of his I totally started rooting for him.

I also like Ace of Cakes on the Food Network. Actually, those 2 shows are the only cooking shows my husband will watch with me.

Another tv obsession is Law and Order: SVU, and I don't think that one will ever end. Among non-tv obsessions I'd list Baskin Robbins sundaes, iced tea lemonade or iced chai (tastes like pumpkin pie filling!) from Starbucks and the Brand New CD "The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me". That last one, too, might never go away.

[Betsy]

Oh my goodness, I have been OBSESSED with The Weepies "The World Spins Madly On" since it aired on an episode of "The Riches" in season one. It is so simple and perfect and I am absolutely in love with it.

Other current obsessions: Taylor Swift, Ben Jelen, hummus, OPI Nail Envy, kelly green anything, Burt's Beeswax lip balm, Cairn Terriers and working on my new blog.

[Kristabella]

You like Spike? I don't know if we can be friends. He's far too douchey for my taste. And that STRAW BASEBALL HAT? So, so fugly.

This season blows compared to past seasons, which makes me sad since they are in my city this year!

[Camels & Chocolate]

The new Cheerio's Oats and Crunch cereal
Seriously, I eat it for like two meals a day.

David Cook from American Idol

Summer dresses (though that's an ongoing obsession, nothing new)

Taylor Swift

LOST (and about 10 other TV shows)