Project Time!

I know I haven't delivered on the last project yet...  I decided to wait to put together our binder until I can go through and organize our papers and office boxes.  That may be my task on Saturday. 

Buuuut I did complete a project last weekend that I have wanted to do for awhile... 

I went to Walmart and got a couple paint sample-strips and dry erase markers. I then went to the Dollar Store and got an 11 x 14 frame. When I got home I trimmed the strips a little and cut off the 2 darkest colors, then glued the strips onto printer paper and put it in the frame. 

I did write the days of the week in pen and put those in the frame as well, but the month and numbers are written with the dry erase marker! 

Right now it is just a general calendar (plaque of my awesomeness) hanging in our kitchen, but we may use it for meal planning or bills or something useful. 

I got the idea from Pinterest and just put it together as it made sense to do. I don't know what paint colors I chose - I just picked ones that looked pretty next to each other.  :) 

New Primer

There was a little rumor floating around Pinterest and magazines about a wonderful primer that you would never have found.....

Monistat Chafing Relief Gel!

Have you heard about this?  I first read about it on Pinterest, and then in Glamour, and both sources said that the gel is the exact same formula as Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. 

Since I had some of the Smashbox primer left from the wedding (and I really liked it), I decided to try the gel and make the comparison.

If I hadn't known better, I wouldn't have known there was a difference!  They feel the exact same, my makeup goes on great with both, neither have any kind of flaking/clumping, or a heavy feeling! 

I am extremely happy I tried it and have found a cheaper alternative for my primer (money saved is money spent elsewhere!)  =).

Stella & Dot

I have been a little MIA lately, and I apologize.

I have immersed myself this week in Stella & Dot because I signed up to be a stylist last weekend!!  I first heard about / saw their site a little after I graduated college, and have been going back and forth about being a stylist since then. I finally took the plunge and am so excited!

I got my samples and starter kit today, so I am officially ready to hit the ground running!


Stella & Dot is a jewelry and accessories company, structured similar to Pampered Chef in that the way items are sold are through trunk shows, most held at someone's home. Guests at a trunk show get to try on the different items, mix and match and just have fun with their friends shopping for jewelry!


Since most of my friends and family live in different states, I really have to get myself out there and put my sorority recruiting skills to work! =)  I am already brainstorming ways to meet new people in addition to people that I know through work.


I promise I won't start to slack off!  So many new things are happening - cooking, decorating, moving (soon), and of course Stella & Dot!

Family, Not Love

Arizona has been in the news this week regarding SB 1062, a bill that would allow businesses to refuse service to gay people because of their 'sincerely held religious beliefs.'

Today I read an article talking about an interview with Bill Donohue, the Catholic League President, with Chris Cuomo on CNN (I also watched the full interview). I am not going to touch on the Arizona bill (because it is blatant discrimination), but something that Donohue said struck a nerve.

He said that marriage is not about love, but is about family and has historically been based on duty and commitment.

Now I don't know about you, but when Mike and I first wanted to get married, it was because we loved each other.  From that love and because of that love, we made a commitment to each other.  Our marriage is not about family (though our families are amazing and get along splendidly) or procreation because we don't want children.  To us, our family is complete with the two of us and our 2 dogs.

I am pretty sure that the woman who cannot carry a child or the man that had testicular cancer and a subsequent orchiectomy would argue that their marriages are not based on having a family either.


Society changes and with that, history changes.  Clinging to what used to be or what traditionally has been prevents us from knowing what could be.  Every person is different, every couple is different, and every marriage is different.  Let's embrace that and celebrate it and learn from it rather than define it as 'not natural' or 'weird' and let's change the course of history.

Project time!

Now that I have created a couple habits that are in line with my current goals (1.  blogging every couple days, 2.  cleaning one room/part of the house every day), I think it is time to tackle some smaller projects to add on to these.   Let's be honest, there is always something you can pick-up / clean, so I think there is still time in my day to do small tasks or projects in addition to that.

First up is a household binder.  I want to put all our important documents in one place and protect them. Things like our birth certificates, insurance policies, 401(k) statements, and other good / need-to-have documents.

I have heard that it is best to keep this kind of thing in a safety deposit box or safe, in case a) your house is ruined by fire/flood/tornado or b) your house gets broken into.   I wonder if scanning or taking pictures and uploading them to a cloud service like Box.com would be sufficient.  I know it is important to keep original government documents (birth certificate / passport / SSC) in a safe place, but I think simply making a copy of the other stuff is ok.


Stay tuned for the finished project!

Deja Vu

Have you ever had that feeling that you have seen this movie before, but you're not quite sure how it goes?

That is definitely the feeling I am having right now in the book that I am reading.  I finished Howard's End (and learned that Anthony Hopkins stars in a movie adaptation!), and never had that Aha! moment.  I did enjoy the book at the end and understood why it is seen as a classic.


Now I am reading 'The Eight'.  It is somewhat-historical mystery novel.  I distinctly remember that I bought it one time at an airport (that really does not narrow it down), and that is where my memory stops. Now that I am reading it, there are parts that I feel like I remember, and I am guessing certain later parts of the story (waiting to be proven if accurate), but there are other parts that are brand new to me and are keeping me engrossed.

I am about half way through the book and I am about 80% sure that I did read it before, but since I don't remember how the story unfolds and certainly not how it ends, I am going to keep going.  Maybe I should start saving books that I read so that I will know....

Inspiration

Sunday was Mike's first day of not smoking.  Today is his 5th and he is doing great - no cigarettes since Saturday night!

I think it is such an accomplishment for him to be able to do that (he has smoked for 10+ years), and he has inspired me to be better. After all, it was one of my goals to start doing more, and I think I have done pretty well so far - I am reading more and blogging more - but now I think it is time to step it up a notch.

I am going to stop being lazy and stop using it as an excuse / crutch.  I am going to set an alarm for myself at let's say 8:30pm, and I will get up and do something.  We are going to start with housework - whether it is laundry, cleaning the bathroom, organizing the closet - and when that is done (our house is only so big, and there are only 2 of us), we will start with other projects.  Maybe I will crochet a blanket, or work on a photo album project I have been wanting to do.

Mike hasn't made a big deal about quitting, and hasn't complained or made excuses or anything like that.  He made up his mind to do something, and he is doing it. It has made me admire, respect, and love him so much more for it! I hope to have the same determination and follow-through in my decision.

TV Time

Mike and I have cable, but all we really watch is sports and movies.  I watch 'Friends' when I get home from work until Mike does, and then we either find a game to watch or a movie if there are no suitable sports options (he picks the sport, or I pick the movie).

With that being said, there are a lot of announcers / commentators that we regularly listen to - I can think of 3 pairs of announcers for pro football alone, not to mention college football, college basketball, hockey, and other sports that we don't watch as often.

I have decided my favorite is the hockey announcer!  I don't know his name, but he has a distinctive voice and a lot of excitement!  That's what makes him my favorite - he tries to describe everything that goes on, and his octave/speed/volume all change based on what is happening on the ice.


So imagine my surprise and delight when I got home from work today, turned on the Olympics (when they are on, we are watching them unless it is repeat coverage), and found that it was the U.S. hockey team playing and my favorite announcer was there and in action!  Come to find out, it is the women's hockey team playing (and handily beating Switzerland) but he is still animated and still excited about the action!

I love the Olympics!

Now What?

Have you seen the SNL skit from last week or 2 weeks ago, '28 Reasons to Hug a Black Guy Today'?

I understand that SNL is all about comedy and satire, that it is not an educational program or one that inspires people to be better citizens, but come on! 

We all know that slavery happened, and that it was a horrible horrible thing.  Can the effects of that time still be seen today - absolutely!  (Slavery may have ended 140 years ago, but segregation didn't and racism still hasn't).

So, rather than aiming to fuel the racial divide, why don't you do something about it? Why can't you use your national presence and influence to promote change?

If you don't want to be a positive force on TV, then let's think of a better way to celebrate/honor Black History Month than reiterating something that no one today has any control over.

It's that time again....

Time for a new tattoo!  

Or 2...

Mike and I have been planning on getting complimentary tattoos for a while, and now that we are married, it just makes sense.  That's #1

And by complimentary I mean, they are the same 'style' but are not matching (no, we are not getting each other's names).


I have been tossing around the idea for #2 for a couple years (probably right after I got my last one), and have decided that I do want it.  I want to get an owl to represent my love of learning and continuous pursuit of knowledge. 

Now I am on the search for a picture of an owl that I like.  I don't want one that is intimidating, but rather looks inquisitive.  Something perhaps like this:

Or like this - looking off into the distance.... 

I also need to decide on a place.  I usually pick my place first (I have 5 tattoos) because I only get them in places that can be covered up easily (I like to look professional at work).

I am certainly having a hoot of a time with this.  ;)