It’s been a fun (and lonely) week, a week filled with I miss yous, goodbyes, hellos and anticipation. It’s also been lovely spending time with myself, I have forgotten what it feels like to be alone. I still prefer the company of my man, but it’s good to know I’m not totally desperate without him.
The fact that my iPhone still works* even though the screen looks like a spider web.
*Note: I use the term “work” loosely – we all know AT&T’s service leaves much to be desired.
Deep conditioning my hair. Redken All Soft Heavy Cream is divine AND they don’t test on animals, so I can feel ok buying it.
Finding out the sex of Julia & Tommy’s baby – TOMORROW. I’m so excited I could cry. You’d think it was my own baby.
Soft tacos from Chipotle.
Hangtime with the cutest 18 month old ever, Charlotte.
Girls nights that turn into nights out with new coworkers.
Heart to hearts with my Dad.
Reading about all the shenanigans my friends will get into at SXSW.
Lauren beginning a search for a new work BFF:
“Need a new work BFF to start Monday, 3/15. Please send applications to lcarroll@socialvibe.com and don’t forget to include the following stats: – number of cats you own – number times per week you’re willing to eat at Chipotle – average number of times per day you refer to shoes, makeup and/or shopping in general. Writing samples will be helpful. Thanks and good luck.”
That’s it for now. It’s a short, one, I know – but I’ve got to get busy preparing for the weeks to come.
Aren’t Thursdays the BEST?! If you aren’t taking part in Things I Love Thursdays, it’s time to start. You don’t even need to be a blogger, or know how to use the internet for that matter. All you have to do is just make a quick list of things you love and are thankful for. It can be in a journal, a post-it, a tweet, a status update, even just a declaration to the person sitting next to you. You’d be surprised how positive-thinking can alter your mood for the better.
Here’s a list of things that are doing it for me this week. BTW – this is my 18th TiLT, which is amazing because 18 is my all-time favorite number. Hip Hip, Hooray!
Amusement park engagement shoot photos from 100 Layer Cake
The fruit leather fairy that visits the SocialVibe snack cabinets every night (aka Tam) ; my brother and his fiance Nadja visiting us in LA ; apple dumpling therapy (make these, and you will have a small glimpse of heaven) ; being a tourist in my own city – the planetarium at the griffith park observatory is awesome! ; board games like balderdash, which i need much more of in my life ; starting new books (On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition, by William Zissler) ; starting new chapters ; new beds that make my life approximately 143x better than it was before ; waking up sandwiched between two cats, everyday ; a rocking social calendar that includes dinner with Tracy and Matt tonight, lunch with Jacqueline on Saturday and Kara’s birthday party on Sunday ; oh and Clay and Molly hang-time somewhere in between all that ; putting all seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm on Netflix because Julian’s never seen a SINGLE episode!
the weather turning cold again so i can use my fireplace – DELICIOUS ; organizing my mini-office area ; free gift certificates in the mail ; errand-running boyfriends/fiances ; lunch with Micah who was in town from boulder ; extra-long naps on Sunday afternoons ; taunting Scout with the laser pointer ; bare fruits cinnamon apple chips – tasty AND the only ingredients are “organic apples, organic cinnamon.” Yes! ; wearing Julian’s clothes ; dental offices (esp. ones with 20 yr old wooden TV sets) ; watching Bula and Benny play-dogfight ; switching back to TweetDeck so I can actually SEE everyone’s tweets ; finishing a work project that has been plaguing me for months – FEELS SO GOOD ; holding hands ; buying little dresses for Julian’s CUTE new niece Eden ; gummy cola bottles ; Vampire Weekend’s new album, Contra ;
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
- Mohandas Gandhi
Ew! I almost let another Thursday slip past me without documenting my list of glorious things that I appreciate and looooove this week. All in all, I’ve had my mind and body busy with other shtuff so I haven’t been able to blog all week. Sad face. I know you’ll forgive me, because, not only is it the right thing to do but – well, you ain’t got no choice! Muah!
Above all else – the weather in LA lately! Think “the perfect week in Spring.” It’s so fantastic, I open my bedroom windows every morning and cherish the fact that I live in a place where you can wear tank tops in February. It could be a little warmer, but all in all, I’m stoked. It’s got me closing my eyes and trying to will Springtime to get here FASTER! Speaking of, I think I found my swimsuit for this year. Behold:
Some other stuff that is pretty incredible:
unexpected phone calls (a lot this week, actually); being able to spontaneously spend a night chatting and hanging out with my Step Mom who was in town on her way to Vegas for a wedding; getting super inspired; trying three new recipes this week and LOVING each and every one of them (Julian, too!); surprise love letters and boxes of Valentine’s Day chocolates; watching so many movies; real, Southern fried chicken (Honey Kettle in Culver City – I DIE); cute white puppies at work that look like stuffed animals; being inspired by Sara Janssen’s Simplify Saturday post and filling three trash bags with clothes I don’t wear, need or want; rearranging my bedroom (rearranging a room can make ANYTHING better!! Top 100 favorite things to do, easy.); finding out my brother and his fiance will be spending the weekend with me in LA (first time for him meeting Julian, eee!);
making the decision to step outside my comfort zone, challenge myself and trust in my abilities; the French windows in my apartment; Bath & Body Works room sprays; getting our invitations all designed & ordered (thank you, Danny!!!); window shopping for clothes online; when work orders groceries, and Wednesday lunch; boyfriends who do the dishes for you everyday; quick pump-me-up phone calls with my girlfriends; heightened excitement and anticipation over my friend Julia’s upcoming baby; seeing Julian after his first ever professional deep tissue massage – CUTE, and hilarious; this raincoat; perfecting the art of pancake-making (wipe the pan with an oil-soaked paper towel); a garage full of firewood for fires in my fireplace (it might be warm during the day, but it’s still cold at night! This is the desert, after all!); not caring about NY Fashion Week and being totally o.k. with that; helping a homeless man buy a large coffee instead of a small (I realize how trivial this sounds, but it still made me feel good);
This oldie-but-goodie music video from Julian’s BFF and Best Man, Marc Scibilia. This man is going to be famous. This song was from the Ron Paul Presidential campaign tour, which Marc played on. Video directed of course, by Julian. And yes – all those people playing instruments are Marc!
The Internet in 1969. Might be a fake, but if not, too funny!
This evening, I’m having a realization. And that realization is that I cannot watch my fiance’s live web casts without getting super distracted by his super chatty fans. I’m not sure what it is that is so interesting to me, but the fact that hundreds of people come to watch him and hear him take calls and talk about the weather and filmmaking is super entertaining to me. That being said, I am cutting myself off from watching his current web cast and focusing on writing this little diddy we like to call Things I Love Thursday. Because there are plenty of things to love about this week so far!
Among the greatness….
meeting Kristin Davis. And having her post our photo on her Fan page. I am fully willing to admit my geeky fandom!; frozen candy bars (why did I ever stop eating you? Anyone else remember frozen Snickers?!); finalizing our wedding guest list and rehearsal date/time (HALLELUJAH AGAIN!); baby mooses playing in a sprinkler. I die!! How could you ever kill one of these? They’re like puppies!; really, really hot showers on really, really cold mornings; maple & brown sugar oatmeal; the way Pepper sleeps on the pillow above my head like my guardian angel; speaking of bed, really crisp, clean sheets – I have a thing about bedding. I’m working on it.; “Look! A solar-powered garden!”; discovering my neighbor has a bunny hutch and feeding those cute buns carrots last night; my pink planner that Julian’s aunt Susan got me for Christmas, without it, I would be totally lost; strawberry soft-serve ice cream sundaes; weekends full of DVD marathons (Glee!); rainbows; friends who don’t make me feel like a Queeny bride, even if I kind of am acting like one; being really productive even when the internet goes down at work; starting the week off with an early morning teeth cleaning, having the dentist tell me my teeth are “picture perfect”; good talks with my guy; making lists of rules for a healthy marriage; driving an hour to get donuts only to go get cheese fries instead; apple-scented lotion my Momma made me at Thanksgiving, which makes my whole office smell like Candyland; neighbors who bring up fresh baked brownies, just for the heck of it; the way Julian makes coffee for me (perfect); turning lemons into lemonade; thinking about all the fun stuff my friends and family and I will get to do while we’re in Nashville for my wedding (Grand Ole Opry!); having a clean house (which is rare); finding out that the purple & gold rug I fell in love with months ago is still available in the store; listening to girls hyperventilating and crying while calling into Julian’s live web show (I’m evil); updating my Netflix queue to include all the Best Picture nominees; dreaming about chocolate frosted donuts, which for some reason I cannot stop thinking about lately!
And last but not least – this picture of a black squirrel chowing on a humongous pizza crust. I sent this to Julian and said “who does this remind you of?” Immediately he knew who I was talking about – Pepper, my black cat. She has the fluffiest tail and I always call her a black squirrel, despite having never seen one. So the fact that this exists makes me very excited. She even has the same MC Hammer/genie pants that Pepper has. I love this! Thank you, FB!
Three cheers for it being almost Friday! Here’s to an awesome weekend ahead of us!
Okay, so this isn’t going to be the most full-of-life post I’ve ever written, because for the past four days I have felt like I could puke at any moment. Now that you’re completely grossed out, let me just assure you that I am absolutely 100% not pregnant, which seems to be everyone’s opinion when you say you feel nauseous. However, I haven’t felt much like spending time writing (outside of work- and volunteer-related duties), so please forgive me if this isn’t as flavorful or colorful as my posts usually are. Sometime soon, though, I do have to paint you all a hilarious picture of my night last night – it was super crazy and full of coincidences. Like, out of this world. Alright, on with the show!
Things I Love Thursday
- These bear cubs holding hands. I found this on FB’s blog, but it originally came from Cute Overload. It reminds me of how Scout & Pepper look like bear cubs when they stand up on their hind legs and put their paws on the wall or bathtub.
GOSH!
- Finding out one of my BFFs and bridesmaids (Julia) will not be leaving for Italy (Navy husband) until AFTER my wedding!
- This quote, and all of Van Gogh’s love quotes. The man was a lovesick fool, but you have to admire his way with words. And a paintbrush, I guess.
“I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”
-Vincent Van Gogh
- Surrendering myself to the stress of wedding planning and going to get a real, honest to goodness massage at a massage parlor (is that what you call them? Sounds kind of weird saying “parlor” for some reason, what is this, 1924?). I don’t know WHY I don’t go more often! Oh right, the cost. Well, it was worth it. I’ll say that much.
- Substituting meals with snacks all day – and hello, why did I ever stop eating grapefruit? It is nature’s candy!! I love grapefruit so much! No sugar, pls.
- Minimizing my social networking circle on Facebook – which I wrote about more in length about here.
- This sweet shower display that I found on WeddingBee:
- Spending an entire week with our good friend Tyler who was in town from Nashville filming with Julian – would have been even better if his lovely love fiance Kayla was here with him!
- Being old and going to bed before midnight on a Friday, and waking up before 9am on a Saturday.
- FINALLY booking a wedding venue (HALLELUJAH!), having a very productive meeting with our wonderful wedding planner (Nashville brides or brides-to-be – you must use Austin Floyd, the woman is a God send), getting one step closer to finalizing details like dress, food, cake, guestlist and invitations.
- Oscar the Grouch – he is just awesome. Sure he’s full of nasty comments, but you can’t help but love him. Especially his ratty hair and the fact that he lives in a trashcan. I think I remind myself of him in the mornings.
- Finding an ancient folder of pictures from when Scout was only about 4 months old. She’s about half the size she is now and looks anorexic! She is such a cute baby.
- Comments from readers! Cannot tell you how much I love these. This is in no way a plea for comments. But I really enjoy reading valuable feedback on something I wrote from people I know and don’t know. It’s really awesome.
- Groupon. Especially the little cat with a gold blingin’ “GROUPON” chain that gives tips for how to get the most from your deals. If you aren’t using Groupon yet, you must must must sign up. Everyday they send you a wildly good deal, straight to your inbox, but the trick is, you won’t get the deal unless enough people commit to buying it and “tip” the scale.
- I’m not one to publicly talk about underwear or lingerie, but I have to say, everything at eberjey is adorable.
- Finally watching Glee – I’m hooked, and I’m only two episodes in!
Also, I’d just like everyone reading this to know that right now I’m currently listening to my fiance outside screaming “Where you goooing? Bye byyyyyyyye!” like a mentally handicapped person. It’s for a sketch, but I’m sure all my neighbors are thinking he’s lost it and are praying we decide to move out of the neighborhood when we get married. Which we aren’t.
This week’s Things I Love Thursday is going to be a little more condensed, a little more rambley, with lots more tiny stuff. Kind of like a stream of consciousness, but with only stuff that is incredible. Sometimes it’s more fun to think about the little things that happen everyday in between the big stuff – the things you usually forget when you remember that you’re late on a bill or that you have a looming project deadline in front of you. Let me know if you hate this format and prefer the way I have been doing it. I love love love feedback (and e-mails!!), but chances are, I’ll just keep doing it the way I want anyway. Fair warning.
Scout hissing at Julian while he’s trying to get her out from under the bed – hilarious because she NEVER hisses!; girly smelling air fresheners in our office; my Mom getting one step closer to finally launching her online store; fiances who do the dishes for you; Trader Joe’s massive bags of frozen chicken breasts for only $7; Corner Bakery’s pesto cavatappi with red pepper flakes on really crummy weather days (the ultimate high-calorie comfort food); soft lighting in the office instead of fluorescent (SUCH AN IMPROVEMENT); going to sleep before midnight and not waking up to feeling like a zombie; having a wood-burning fireplace; mentally decorating our future newlywed lovenest; collecting inspirational photos of my wedding day; thinking about things to add to our wedding registry (so far my favorite part about planning a wedding. Everyone should get married, if not for the love and commitment part, but for the registry and free gifts part); asking all of our siblings (ten total) to be our bridesmaids and groomsmen; my sister’s reaction to me asking her to be (one of) my Maid of Honor(s); friends who are enthusiastic and willing to help me plan!; perusing Craigslist in search of bargains; coming closer to finishing The Pioneer Woman’s love story with Marlboro Man, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels; “Queen Scooba”; The way Julian looks like a 7 year old playing video games when he’s sitting on the floor working in front of his 42″ TV/monitor; mason jar lanterns and centerpieces;
Breakfast for lunch (Egg-in-a-Hole, to be exact, best breakfast ever, especially when paired with turkey bacon and gallons of coffee), which is way better than lunch for breakfast; finally watching movies I should have watched years ago (Lord of the Rings, Philadelphia); calling everything ‘my precious’; taking all my covers from the bed to the couch; Victoria’s Secret yoga pants; free wedding cakes (thank you, Nicole!!!!); pyrrha jewelry, who is opening a store in West Hollywood in March. Most incredible vintage-looking jewelry cast from 19th century wax seals AND they support local animal rescue farm Animal Acres. Perfection. Thanks to my Aunt Jenny for turning me onto them!; reminiscing about the days of middle school fashion, buying L.E.I.s and shopping at 5-7-9 and Uptons; rumors that Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston are getting back together – even the more “legitimate” tabloids like Us Weekly are saying it’s true. Not going to lie, I really want it to be; yukon gold mashed potatoes from Tender Greens; helping find a home for a girl kitten that a coworker’s friend found in the rain in a parking lot on Thursday (congrats to Stacey and Clement on your new calico kitty!); realizing I know all the words to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Fishin’ In The Dark; people who help me relax when inside I feel like I’m filling up with hot steam and am about to explode; finding out that my neighbor’s Mom is a big fan of my blog - HI CLAY’S MOM! Mrs. Morrison is it?
MY FRIENDS. My friends, my friends, my friends. And my family. You cannot put a price on having people around you who love you, care about you, and want the best for you. There are a handful of people in my life that I thank God for everyday and honestly do not know what I’d do without.
And, everyone in the world needs to watch this video. Especially if you’re having a “blah” day and could use a little joy in your life.
My favorite parts are as follows:
the orangutan somersaulting
the orangutan feeding Roscoe bananas with his mouth
the orangutan wearing a life vest in the swimming pool
the orangutan spinning around in circles
when the orangutan falls flat on his back, just for the fun of it.
Greetings readers. I’m slacking pretty hard on the Things I Love Thursday, aren’t I? Yet I have more love worthy things in my life than ever before. What gives? I know you forgive me! Let’s get this party started.
Wedding planning, and not hating it. For the first few weeks after I was engaged, I was kind of sick of people asking me “So, have you set a date? Where will it be? What kind of theme are you thinking?” etc. I looked at wedding magazines and went to theknot.com once or twice, but I was pretty overwhelmed and underenthused. There is just so much to figure out and decide on, and I personally hate making decisions (though I’m pretty stubborn… figure that one out.) Something finally clicked this week, though, and I’ve been in crazy wedding planning mode! We’ve set our date (May 8, 2010), which is not far away at all, so there is much to be done. I’m making lists, brainstorming, delegating, daydreaming, etc. I can’t wait for this day to be here – it will truly be the best ever. We’re making it very personalized and not super conventional. I’m going to try to spare my blog readers the details of wedding planning because I realize it isn’t of interest to most (I mean, I didn’t even glance at this stuff til I was actually engaged). Instead, I might post that stuff on our wedding website, which is in the process of being launched. We bought the domain this week and it is perfect… something we can use even when we’re celebrating our 5 year anniversary and start having kids!
Rain-rain-rain-rain! We’re in the midst of a torrential downpour in Los Angeles at the moment, and I’m lalalaloving it. It rains maybe less than ten times a year in LA, and almost always in the winter. Everyone is whining about awful the weather is, but I think it makes for great coziness. The constant trickling outside makes me super relaxed and I always fall asleep so easily. Last Sunday for example, I took the best nap ever with Scout after having brunch with Heather, and it was heavenly. I don’t think I’ve slept that hard in months. The rain DOES make it harder to get out of bed in the morning, though – a small price to pay.
My new girly office with Lauren. Yesterday, Alex surprised me by asking me to swap desks with him at work. Alex sits in a two-person office with my work BFF, Lauren, who agrees with me on my “fluorescent-lights-are-the-devil” stance, so when he asked, I wasted no time moving myself in. Spending most of my day writing, being in a quiet office is a HUGE improvement to sitting in a bullpen full of loud men with their dogs. The ambiance is very nice, I might add… pretty white lamps on our desks, a tropical tree with Christmas tree, things that actually smell nice, etc. My mood and my productivity are both flying high right now. As far as why Alex wanted to move, I’m still not sure, but I think it’s a guy thing. It’s easier to watch funny videos and talk about sports with other males when you’re a few feet away instead of 20 feet away behind a closed door.
This hallway.
Neighbors who are awesome and have dinner dates with you. And give you cookies. You can’t put a price on good neighbors, seriously. I am mostly blessed in the neighborhood department, but I’m especially thankful for Clay & Molly, the newlywed couple from Alabama that moved in downstairs last summer. They’re both funny and very generous (Molly gave me the most beautiful flowers in an antique bottle for our engagement, and makes GREAT cookies), but they are also really fun to talk to. Clay and Julian have the whole ‘working with cameras’ thing in common, and Molly and I both love to cook and can relate about girl stuff. Last night we had the most fabulous dinner at home and then watched Man on Wire. I’ve never had neighbors as an adult that I can hang out with on a regular basis, and it’s pretty awesome. Except when you’re running late, because you can’t use the “oh man, traffic was a nightmare” excuse.
Purple. And gold. Recently, I’ve become really fond of these two colors. I still won’t wear much gold jewelry, but I’m loving it in home decor and art and things of that nature. When I was a kid, I hated the color purple. I loved pink (surprise, surprise), but I thought purple was kind of oogalay. I sometimes wear purple on my eyes because it brings out green eyes, and it looks pretty good against my skin tone, but I don’t own many purple clothes. That might need to change. I can’t wait to find new ways to use both of these colors a lot more in my life. I think the two of these colors together especially look so, so pretty. That reminds me, I saw a purple & gold rug at Target a while back that would be PERFECT in my apartment!! Wedding registry!
These floral boots from Free People. I want!! What’s with all the 90s comeback styles? I would have hated these boots five years ago – HATED. Now I think they’re the cutest things in the world.
Also:
high wirewalking (I am amazed by Man on Wire, a must-watch. Plus, Phillipe’s life in France looks excruciatingly blissful.); dreaming up new careers for Barbie and what she’d look like (Tech Startup Barbie, Blogger Barbie, Gamer Barbie); “Honey, don’t call my cat an It.”; smoking bans in outdoor restaurants in LA, yes!; listening to 90s R&B on the radio while driving to work…; Martha Stewart’s black bean tostadas – SERIOUSLY HEAVEN ON EARTH; in fact, Martha Stewart in general; “Aroma – you know, as in “look at that aroma”; layers and layers of blankets on the bed; the fact that when Julian mocks me it makes me laugh instead of get angry; writing my to-do lists in notebooks instead of using the computer, God knows I need less computer in my life; getting rid of cable TV; finally caving and watching Lord of the Rings trilogy; making plans to make a cat face out of Christmas lights on the wall of our office;
And that’s about enough for now. Until next time! Toodles!
Has it really only been a week since my last Things I Love Thursday? And yet it feels like Christmas is approaching with rapid speed. I’d like to reverse, that, please – slow down the holiday cheer express and speed up the workday. Yeah, that sounds perfect.
Here’s a little list of things that are making me grin from ear to ear this week.
THINGS I LOVE THURSDAY!
- First things first, planning our Spring trip to Paris and Berlin. I’m not sure how much detail I’m allowed to give, so I’ll keep it brief: WE’RE GOING TO PARIS AND BERLIN IN MAY. We = me and Julian. If you know me, you know that I have a mild obsession with France and all things Parisian, so the thought of frolicking through the city in the Spring while the gardens are in bloom and the sidewalk cafes are ripe for sitting on sipping coffee and eating crepes is UNBELIEVABLY EXHILARATING. This will be my first time in both cities. I dusted off my French language books last night and have already begun making a list of things I want to see/eat/feel/hear/experience. If you have any recommendations, share them please! Warning: this might be all I talk about for the next six months.
- Living on a budget. Saving money is very important, children. Duh. It’s also very addicting. I won’t get ahead of myself because I’ve only just begun on my most recent dolla-saving journey, but every time I’ve become a tightwad in the past, I’ve found myself strangely obsessed with frugality. There is something exciting about watching every penny and seeing how much you are saving. It’s almost like a game – “can I live off of $20 in groceries this week?” I love the feeling you get when you transfer a big chunk of money into the savings account, or the statements when you see how much it is growing, or even find a super-saving coupon. Am I the only weird one, here? I find comfort in community.
- Making sweet & sour chicken from scratch. And not screwing it up! This is one of Julian’s favorite dishes, so I knew that it would make him super happy if I made it, and even happier if I made it well. I used this recipe and have made it twice since we got back into town. He loves it and I love it! Though I can feel myself reverting back into vegetarianism a little at a time (I was vegetarian/sometimes-vegan for three years until I met him, and even still don’t eat beef or pork.) For now, I’m just choosing more and more vegetarian options. It’s tough though, when your boyfriend is a meat-lover. At least I can take comfort in buying organic, free-range chicken.
- Flickr’s favorite button. I’m a retard (in the most politically correct use of the word, I promise) for only getting into Flickr now instead of years ago like everyone else. My account has been pretty dead for, well, since I created it over three years ago, but recently I discovered the “favorite” button and now I’m just having the best time ever collecting the most beautiful photos in the pool.
This is what my room looks like, but with a bigger bed. Yeah, I wish.
- Adding an extra layer to my bed. Sometime over the last week, it got cold in LA. Like, really cold. For LA, at least. It was in the 30s a few nights ago, and despite having heat in my apartment (which I am blessed to have), I was frozen solid. My heater is in the living room at the opposite end of my apartment, so hardly any heat makes it to my bedroom. I found a solution, though – adding more blankets to my bed. Blankets are heaven sent, for real. I have a super-soft ivory quilted blanket I bought at Target a few years back for like, $20, and the fact that it has remained soft to this day is a miracle. I layered it in between my sheets and duvet and my toes are no longer blue in the mornings. HALLELUJAH! I love bedding.
- Having a clean car. With all my preaching about consumerism and giving back/helping others, I’m ashamed to admit I have a brand new car. Well, it’s a year and a half old, but I bought it new, and it’s the first new car I’ve ever owned (my parents are firm believers in “drive it ’til it dies.” I only bought it new because I plan on having it for a very long time (like, when I have kids), which is why I bought a Honda, because those suckas last forever and a day and are VERY cheap to fix if broken. Moving on, my pretty new car is filthy dirty 95% of the time. Despite having a garage in the great-garageless town of LA, I usually park behind my house (I’m lazy) underneath some evil trees that drop leaves on my car every night. As a result, my car is very, very dirty. And then there’s the inside. Full of empty Starbucks cups, old bulletins from church, half-full bags of cashews, bobby pins, granola crumbs, bottles of lotion that are on the verge of exploding from the heat, receipts, more receipts, cat litter (don’t ask), at least twenty SocialVibe Pink Balls, etc. etc. etc. At least there isn’t (much) old food in there. Saturday I decided enough was enough and I hauled my darling car down to the car wash at the end of my block (which makes having this dirty a car even more of a disgrace) and washed it myself in one of those little bays (far too embarrassed to take it to be washed by someone else). I spent about $6 when it should have been $3 because apparently I am slow. Then I vacuumed the inside…. wow. I even refilled my windshield wiper fluid, which had been empty for about two months (you could barely see out of the window). At the end of the day, my car was clean, I was a mess, and all were happy. Driving is much more enjoyable now. Good thing I’m getting a bicycle for Christmas.
- Christmas baking. This past Saturday, I decided it was time to begin the baking of the Christmas treats. Now that I have someone wonderful to eat all my sugary snacks (someone who doesn’t gain weight, nonetheless), baking is so much more fun! I borrowed recipes from Amy and made peppermint bark and peanut butter balls. They turned out fabulous and weren’t hard to make at all (the bark is truly foolproof), the only sad thing is that they were entirely gone 24 hours later. I took the first batch to a holiday party with coworkers that night and the rest to church on Sunday where they were having a ‘world market’ type fair to help charitable organizations. I put the treats with the free coffee and they were gone in the blink of an eye. I have a few more recipes up my sleeve, and hopefully this time I’ll remember to take pictures!
Not my picture.
- Making gifts rather than buying gifts. Not only is it eco-friendly, but it’s FUN. Sure I’ve only made one so far, and I’m almost positive that I WILL be resorting to buying some gifts this year (there are only 15 days left until Christmas, after all), but I’m going to be as crafty as possible. And for those gifts that I DO have to buy, there are always gifts that give back.
Other random things that are awesome:
pretty notebooks (with Paris on the cover, of course, given to me by my girl Cesca) full of all kinds of lists, doodles and creative ideas; free lunch at work on Wednesdays; drinking warm water (not cold water); USAA’s annual dividend deposit (I love waking up $73 richer than I was the night before); watching Julian roll around on the floor like a toddler; “Never park drunk, that’s my advice.”; hearing great GREAT GREAT news from one of my best friends; looking down at the cat food bowls to find that Julian put a leftover bowl of broccoli next to their food dish (he doesn’t know cats); having an abnormally large excess of creative energy; RSVPing for orientation to tutor homeless kids downtown (more on this later, hopefully); “Won’t you guide mein sleigh tonight? Rudy…”; sweater boots; white Christmas lights; Blissfully Domestic; Craigslist; Jay-Z’s new album; MOM: “What’s going on over there?” JULIAN: “Oh, those are fountains.”; Tuesday phone dates with Katie; “I love ramen noodles. I want to get endorsed by ramen noodles. Do they have a website?”; Christmas trees in the lobby at work; heavy rain in LA, followed by very clear days; when people find my accidental wittiness, loudmouth and ill-timed remarks charming and funny; even better, when people actually like reading my blog and leave me awesome comments. What a reward.
Oh my, am I ever in a frenzy. I leave on a week-long trip to Nashville and Virginia on Saturday morning, and have been driving myself up the wall with work- and home-related tasks in preparation. It’ll be worth it though, as it is not only the first time the Julian Monster will be meeting my wonderfully delicious family, but it will be the very first time I’ll have headed back to Virginia for Thanksgiving since I made my move to LA three and a half years ago! My how the time flies. I presume all the leaves will have fallen by then, but I’m excited about being in my home state during fall nonetheless.
I didn’t have a ton of time to prepare this week, so pardon me if it’s not up to your expectations… to make up for it, I promise a week of blogging updates from home – with photos, since Julian is teaching me how to use his uber-fancy camera!
THINGS I LOVE THURSDAY!
- Six month anniversary celebrations. Gigantic hot pink and red peonies. Yellow Mary Janes. Shiny gold and pink belt. My (and his) favorite perfume. Pink cards with sweet messages on them. Deeeelicious food. Banana creme pie. A Christmas Carol in 3D with jingle bells on our wrists. Fake snow. A handsome man by my side. Our six month anniversary was a dream come true, as is the rest of our time together… *blush*
- The Pioneer Woman. I can’t believe I have been living this long without The Pioneer Woman in my life. I’ve brushed elbows with her by making her apple tart (which we devoured in its entirety in a single night), but I chalked it up to just another recipe blog and that was that. Boy was I wrong! I’ve spent literally hours reading her hilarious and detailed accounts of transitioning from life as a “black heel wearing city girl” to that of the rancher wife of a cowboy in the Mid West. The woman can write, not to mention, cook. I’d say she’s after my own heart. DEFINITELY a new favorite blog of mine. The cherry on top is that she’s got a new cookbook out, something I simply MUST add to my collection.
- Irregular Choice shoes. These aren’t your average run-of-the-mill pumps and wedges. They’re colorful, wacky, and cleverly themed shoes that will make your heart go thump-thump and your wallet go empty. Not that I would actually consider wearing these (I promise), but the Miaow shoe below is an wonderful example of what you can find at this UK-based shoe shop.
- Baby Red Pandas playing… Tarantino-style. Best animals EVAR!
- Speaking on the panel for Girls in Tech LA event “The Impact of Tech on Good & Green” – and not totally bombing. I was so nervous, as it was only my second time ever speaking on a panel, but if you know me, you know I love to talk – so I had no problem babbling about using social media tools for good, and apparently I made sense! Plus, I met so many awesome women who are making a difference in the world! My fellow panelists, and moderator Siel of GreenLAGirl.com, are amazing and definitely worth checking out: Sandra at orGLAMic.com and Tracy from YourDailyThread.com.
- Hearing Julian tell Scout how much he loves her and that she is the first cat he’s ever loved. And seeing the look on her face when he’s holding her. SO cute. Buddies.
- Advance Christmas preparations. I’ve hung Christmas light on my balcony, downloaded a classical Christmas album, and already began making my Christmas gifts. A month and a half before December 25, and I’m already off to a good start for my favorite holiday!
Whoop whoop! Are you pumped? It’s time for another one of my lovely lists of things that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside – you know, like I just ate a huge piece of moist chocolate cake. Because maybe I did. I’ve been looking forward to this all week long… I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and that you find a few minutes today to make a list of the things that are making you happy as a clam. Can’t think of anything? How tragic. Time to make some changes?
- Classical music. First of all, I’m not a musician. Save for the year of piano lessons from the old lady with two smelly dogs and a solitary piano recital where I butchered Chopin, I’ve had minimal experience with a musical instrument. I’ve always WANTED to learn to play piano again (especially since my Dad is an incredible pianist so chances are it’s in my blood), but it’s one of those things I don’t currently have time for. The point is, I’m not sure where this came from, but sometime on Monday I decided tuning into one of those Classical music radio channels on iTunes was a splendid idea. And what do you know, it was! At first it made me feel fancy, like I needed to be having a dinner party complete with expensive china, pearl earrings and coy looks, or perhaps reading a classic novel in front of the blazing fireplace while discussing current events with my boyfriend who is smoking a cigar nearby. Then I was reminded of the smell of my grandparents car – leather seats and lipstick. Eventually the shock of “wow, I’m really listening to classical music” passed, I began to find it extreeemely relaxing and the most perfect thing to keep my creative juices flowing and my heart rate low while having a busy day at work. I’ve even managed to find the local LA classical station, 91.5, and have been listening to the radio in my car for the first time in a la-ong time. It sure helps to calm me down when idiots in Ferraris on Santa Monica Blvd think they own the road and that cutting me off is not only perfectly normal, but completely called for. Try it! See if listening to this bewitching music makes you as oozy-goozy happy as it makes me.
- This awesome gold leaf project. This tutorial outlines how to transform river rocks into a beautiful little artistic knick-knack using a few sheets of gold leaf, some double-sided sticky film and a pair of scissors, but it’s got me thinking about other things I could make (i.e., Christmas gifts?) in a similar fashion.
- Volunteering. I’m not sure what it is, but every time I volunteer – whether it be at a shelter, for a friend, or at church – I feel awesome. I’m not trying to get all goody-two-shoes on you, either. It might just be the enthusiasm in whoever it is you’re helping’s voice, or the fact that they are truly grateful and thankful to have you spare just a few hours of your time to make someone’s life easier just for a little while. My former pessimistic self used to think that the joy one feels from giving meant that it was no more than a selfish act disguised in generosity. I realize now that theory is total bunk. Giving feels good because giving is good. If I could, I would give everything up and move some place to permanently help people in need all the time. I can’t think of anything more rewarding than using your time and energy to brighten someone’s day, provide for someone less fortunate, or teach someone a useful skill. Though it is sometimes a challenge, my world always looks and feels better when I greet every person with love and every situation with a smile and a willing attitude. If you get a minute, please read these 5 Steps To Be Selfless When It’s Really Hard. I challenge you to make a shift and think of others before you think of yourself, and watch how it transforms your mood. Keep in mind – I am NOT preaching or saying that I do this all the time… God knows I have just as hard a time keeping my ego in check as anyone else.
- Mothers who quilt. I’m not sure if it’s because she has less kids at home to take care of (though more pets than she ever had kids), or if it’s just the female seamstress gene that seems to run in my family snapping into place, but my Mom has been on a serious quilting kick these past few weeks. My grandmother (her mother) is an amazing, incredible, simply wonderful quilter and clothing-maker and always has been, so it’s no wonder that seems to have passed onto my Mom, who is devouring fabric the same way she has devoured books for as long as I can remember (the woman can plow through a pile of library books in just a few days time). Her latest conquest can be seen below, but her newest project full of pastel paisley prints is going to be totally awesome, especially because she’s generously decided to gift it upon ME! I know she has great taste, and her quilts are always super comfortable and well-made, plus she’s using organic cotton and bamboo for the batting, so I know it’ll be Earth-friendly as well. I can’t WAIT to use it. Mom, I love you. Thank you!
Her most recent completed quilt.
Some of the gawjus fabrics she’s using in my quilt.
Other bits & pieces:
cats who sleep on the back of the couches cutely; upcoming road trips; tea, tea tea; black bean hummus tartines; when my boyfriend gets a new “toy” (camera equipment) and invites his friends over to play (so cute); six month anniversary celebrations (I love you, J-Monster); planning all the fabulous ways I’m going to decorate my apartment; when my Mom makes up new online acronyms (TDF = too die for); looking back at the last five years of my life not with regret but with appreciation for the lessons I’ve learned and ways I have been able to grow; libraries, even though it’s been a while since I’ve been, free books = awesome; people who care enough to ask; spontaneous chats with my Dad; quiet time; design work by Jennifer Daniels (this wallpaper for example, is awesome, though the image below hits a little too close to home.)
And I end with a quote…. have a fantastic weekend!
“Don’t let today’s disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow’s dreams.”
-Unknown
