One person's Broken Heart Can Be Another's Happy Ending

As a woman I think there's something in my DNA that like a homing device, leads me to the "Vows" section in the New York Sunday Times. A hopeless (or hopeful?) romantic, I love reading about these people with perfect lives, teeth and hair having found their soul mates and marrying in picture-perfect New York City-style.

But then I came across this story which seemed a little less fairy tale, and a bit more tabloid.

A story which starts, "Once upon a time there were two wealthy people, married with children, who became friends through their children, fell in love with each other and left their spouses," doesn't exactly scream happy ending. At least for the spouses left in the dust.

Times have certainly changed, no longer cloaked in shame, adultery is now happily shared with millions in the pages of one of the world's most popular newspapers.

Hey, as long as you two wacky kids are happy, I guess that's all that matters. That and having a really nice apartment in NYC to call home After you've broken the last one.

Cape Cod - Fashion Epicenter of the East Coast!

I was reading today about the 9 wardrobe essentials you must have to look like Kate Middleton, fiance of Britain's Prince William, and it got me thinking about the wardrobe essentials where I live - here in the 508. So after sitting at the Hot Chocolate Sparrow for three hours today and watching a lot of people coming and going, I came up with my winter version of the 9 things you need to fit in on Cape Cod in the winter.

1. Uggs. Clearly the ugliest footwear other than Crocs, they are de rigueur in a place that is cold, gray and damp about 8 months of the year.

2. Pajama pants. I thought this trend of sleepwear as day wear had passed, sadly penguins, polar bears and snow men dancing on fleece are still somehow deemed acceptable making me wonder just how hard is it to put clothes on?

3. Sweat pants on men. Now there's clothing that you've got on because you just came from the gym, and then there are pants that say you've just completely given up.

4. Slippers. See above.

5. Coats so large and poofy they need their own zip code. I have a coat I call, "Big Red," that makes me twice my size and causes me to knock down canned goods in the supermarket. But it's warm.

6. Birkenstocks with socks. I live in a very crunchy-granola part of Cape Cod. No matter what the weather there are folks who always wear these symbols of perpetual hippiedom. If it's cold, just add socks.

7. Sweatshirts with cats on them. Embroidered, silk screened or appliqued, it doesn't matter. I think these are assigned to women upon retirement.

8.Stretchy pants. Size, age and shape of the person contained in said pants is rarely considered in the choosing of the apparel, presenting a myriad of interesting views of the form beneath the Lycra. Just because something can be pulled on doesn't mean it should be.

9. We don't wear hats like the one above, oh no, we wear an assortment of knit caps that flatten our hair, fill it with static and cause us to look quite fetching when we get to our designation. I bet Kate Middleton and her little fascinator hats can't beat that!

Holiday Movies!

I am a sucker for two things - lists and Christmas movies. Okay, those and cheese, chocolate and kittens. This time of year I love to watch holiday movies, even if they're the really schlocky ones on "Lifetime." You know the ones - every movie features a single woman obsessed with her career living an empty, loveless life. Then, she travels to a small town to help a. orphaned children b. a business about to go under c. they've lost their Christmas spirit d. all of the above. Then she falls in love with the handsome local guy and her cold-hearted empty life is complete. Usually with a dog too.

But there are other Christmas movies I love as well. Here are the best of my best. Enjoy!

10. "Scrooged" starring Bill Murray and many others in a twist on the Dickens' classic.

9. "Christmas in Connecticut" Barbara Stanwyck stars as a writer who is kind of like the Martha Stewart of her time - but without Martha's mad skills.

8. "White Christmas" - Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, a classic

7. "A Christmas Story" - I just love Ralphie, his expletive spewing dad and his exasperated mother.

6. "The Bishop's Wife" - David Niven and Loretta Young, not to be confused with the horrible Whitney Houston version, "The Preacher's Wife."

5. "Miracle on 34th Street" Natalie Wood. Yes, I believe.

4. "Love Actually" - a perfect confection. I want Hugh Grant to be our president.

3."Elf" - Will Ferrell stars as a Elf out of water in New York City. A new classic. "Santa!!!!!!"

2. "It's a Wonderful Life" with James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore (yes, he's Drew's great-grandfather). A classic, and if you can get past the thought that the gorgeous Donna Reed's Mary Hatch would have ended up a spinster in Pottersville, it's flawless.

1. "Holiday" - photo above. Pitch perfect George Cukor film starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. It has a wonderful message about living the life you want to live - no matter what any one else thinks.