I have a confession to make


. . . I really, really love Lynyrd Skynyrd.

I abhor the Confederate flag, would rather be in a room with 25 convicted felons than 25 die-hard Skynyrd fans (though it's quite possible there'd be some overlap), and adore Neil Young just as much as I do Lynyrd Skynyrd. I've even had the harrowing experience of a Skynyrd concert, where most attendees were Bud-guzzling, mulleted men draped in oversized Dixie flags. Nevertheless, I can't help it . . . maybe it's my Georgia upbringing, maybe it's the appreciation for southern rock instilled in me by my parents . . . but I think these good ol' southern boys are genius:


And DAMN did Lee Dewyze do Skynyrd some justice last night on American Idol! When he announced that his personal song choice was "Simple Man," my respect for Lee soared. Who would have thought a mainstream-ish midwesterner would be so awesome as to choose one of the greatest songs ever? As soon as he started talking about it, I knew I was gonna love it. And he was brilliant. Convicted, honest, and pure . . . it was amazing. Even if you don't watch Idol, go to youtube pronto and look up Lee's renditions of both Simple Man and Hallelujah (Simon's choice for Lee).

Speaking of which. When Simon chose Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah for Lee to sing, I was like awww man! for real?? I mean it's probably the most covered song in the world (watch out--Miley Cyrus might be next), and we've already heard the dang song this very season (though Tim's version was forgettable). But I guess the smack-talkin' Brit knows what's up, cause Lee ROCKED IT OUT. Seriously, I got the chills. And then immediately watched it again. The choir and the horns helped make the performance killer, no doubt, but Lee himself was on his A-game. INCREDIBLE!

I'm a total convert now. (Though I haven't gotten over my love for Andrew Garcia).

Other things I'm excited about this week:

*My amazing package to Micaela (I'm pretty proud of myself for this one)
*Cosmos, Cupcakes, and Couture (Ummmm OMG! SATC 2 party this Thursday night--with passes for the premiere, $500 to Tiffany's, and Jimmy Choos up for grabs!)

(I kinda want this for my living room)

*the Grey's Anatomy season finale (I'm a little embarrassed that 1/2 of my excitement this week is about tv)

We're halfway through the week! Hope yours has been a good one so far. :)