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.  ;)

Lipsmack

I have been wanting to try the Eos Lip Balm ever since I saw this commercial (Yes, Eos, your marketing strategy worked!)

Buuuuut, I have a slight problem....  I am allergic to chapstick (and other lip-related products). It's a long and gross story as to how I learned this (definitely a developed allergy), but basically the stages are 1) Tingly   2) Swollen    3) Cracked and Oozy (attractive, I know)

I learned of this allergy about 5 years ago and have tried a couple different types/brands of chapstick to try and have had the same results with each one. 


I happened to spot the Eos egg at Rite-Aid the other day, and started looking at it.  Turns out it is 100% natural and 95% organic (the USDA even says so!).  So, I decided to give it a shot.

 I am THRILLED to report that it has been 20 minutes since I put it on, 

and there is no tingling!

Plus it has a strong peach flavor, and I love peach anything!

I am so excited that I have found a fun lip balm to use!  Good-bye Vaseline chapstick! (ok, maybe I'll keep the Vaseline as a back up.)

Horses vs Birds

No, I'm not trying to find a new pet.  I am talking about the Super Bowl. 

In case you don't watch / follow football, the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks are playing in it. 

If you do watch football, you may have already picked your favorite to win, and in case you hadn't made your mind up about the Seahawks, Richard Sherman's interview after the NFC Championship game probably helped you decide.

There was A LOT of talk immediately after the interview (a little over a week ago), and I have read both sides.  Being from Seattle, most of my friends are Seahawks fans and completely support Sherman. People outside of Seattle seemed to be less inclined to lean his way. 

I wanted to wait and collect my thoughts before I shared them with you. We were watching the game, and I thought the shove by Crabtree was a little out of line, but I understand it was right after they had lost a bid to the Super Bowl and emotions were high. I also understand that it may have been emotions that got the best of Sherman in his interview.

I don't agree with the level of professionalism he showed (especially since it seems to be a recurring theme with him and interviews), but I don't agree with the people that are resorting to racial slurs / insults.  He is intelligent (went to Stanford) and gives back to his community, and I feel that because of those attributes, his actions were out of line.  He is intelligent enough to know that he is a role model and that he is on a national (perhaps even international) stage, and should have chosen his words a little better. 

He has written an article entitled '10 Things I Learned After America Learned About Me' in which he acknowledges that he might not have handled it the best that he could have, and I respect him for that.  Hopefully he can take this as a learning experience, and be more aware of his emotions / interview answers next time.

Fight, FIght, Fight

The oldest piece of clothing I own is a t-shirt I bought my sophomore year of HIGH SCHOOL at cheer camp (I cheered off and on for 5 years in school).  Yes, it still fits (I stopped growing at 13) and yes, I still wear it from time to time.

After I put it on, I started thinking about high school and cheerleading and I was curious how much I remembered.  Turns out I still remember our school's fight song, and I still remember how to do the cheerleader's dance to it! (You want a cardio work out, try doing that dance a few times!)

I'm pretty sure I remember it through muscle memory (performing it several times a week for three years will do that), even though I haven't actually performed it in about 10 years (OMG - I graduated HS 10 years ago!).   I am pretty proud of myself to say the least - just don't ask me to do any of the kicks or jumps...

One Passion

Remember my thoughts on the idea of following your passion for a career?  

Well....... If I was to pick one career that involved several interests, it would be an archaeologist.


Let's take a look - I love to travel.  I love history, especially ancient history, and learning about different cultures.  I love puzzles and scavenger hunts and riddles.  If you think about it, archaeology is kind of like a scavenger hunt and sometimes it solves riddles!

I don't know a lot about the profession and the day-to-day aspect, but I know enough to think I would enjoy it.  I just wouldn't enjoy being away from home for long amounts of time (I assume all archaeology happens outside the U.S.).  I do think it would be fun to live abroad for some amount of time though. 


Why didn't I choose that as a career path you ask, refer to reason #2 in my original post.  There are too many unknowns for me with archaeology - are you always digging/searching? If not, what do you do when you're not?  Do you work for a company as a full time employee or are do you work on a contract basis?

I am happy with my chosen career path but like to think about other things.  They always say the grass is greener on the other side, but I think I'll water my grass. 

Literary Pleasure

I  am not much of a reader, but I would like to be. I have found lists of inspirational and life-changing books, because that's one of my favorite types - the ones that have a passage, or moment/story line that just makes you put the book down, sit back, and go 'Huh.' (I also like historical books though I have not read any non-fiction in my post-high school life).

Currently I am reading 'Howard's End' by E. M. Forster, and I am enjoying it.  It's not historical, and so far, has not had one of those 'huh' moments, but it is a good story. I don't know if it's a book I will save and remember forever, but it's been enjoyable.

I also want to read some of the classics and highs school-classics. I feel like there is a reason those books have attained the status they have, and I have not read a lot of them. A few are Catcher in the Rye, Charlotte's Web, The Things They Carried, Charles Dickens, and more that I cannot think of right now.

I think next on the list is going to be The Giver by Lois Lowry. My 6th grade teacher read it to us, but I want to read it for myself. Especially since I recently heard the movie is being made.  =)

Beauty Salon

Yesterday was kind of busy after work because we went to a friend's house for dinner, and before that I wanted to cut my hair. Yes, I cut my own hair. No, I am not a beautician.

I am very particular about my hair cuts because I have a lot of hair, and it's really thick.  My mom cut my hair for years, but she is a couple states away now. Any time I have gone to a salon, I haven't been happy.  So, my solution was to start giving myself hair cuts.

Up until yesterday, I had just been doing maintenance - trimming dead ends, shortening my layers a little - but yesterday I decided to CUT my hair.  This was my inspiration:

Here's how I did it:

Freshly washed and ready to go!

I sectioned my hair in half because I wanted to keep my layers, and would use the top portion to cut those after I cut my base length.

My base length!

 After I cut my base, I started working my way up my head to create my layers.  I brought the section down, cut it a little shorter than my base, and then started defining the layers more.  I don't like stacked/shelf-looking layers. I like them to be scattered and varying lengths, so I just start trimming different portions.

This is for my top section - and usually the way that I trim my hair.  I gather the section of hair that I want to cut/trim, and pull it straight up. I trim a little, and then let it fall down into place so that I can evaluate. If I want to trim more, I just repeat, or I will grab smaller sections/pieces to trim.

This is the final product! This isn't styled (no straightener or product), just me and my hair.

 And this is how much hair I cut off! Might not seem like much, but it definitely feels like it.

I love the look of long, flowing hair, but I don't think it's for me.  I like quick hair-do's, wearing my hair wavy, and my hair is just too thick to do those with long hair.  I'll keep experimenting with lengths and styles though, because I tend to get bored with my hair.  Who knows - maybe coloring is in my future!

Westsiiiiide

According to the fabulous world of online quizzes, I belong on the West Coast. 

A couple weeks ago I took the quiz that tells you which region of the country you most speak like.  {Take it here}   My results were Reno, Modesto, and Vegas.  I have never been to Nevada, let alone live there, and I have only been to San Diego for a couple days.


Today I took a quiz that determines 'What City You Should Really Live In' and got LA.  {Take it here}   Apparently that is because I like the sun and yoga.


Maybe my results are what you get when you live in NC for several years, Dallas for a couple, and Seattle for several.  I've never had the urge to go to California, but now I am kind of curious!  I love the Carolinas, but it seems that Cali is just my cup of tea....

Because, you know, you should determine your life choices on internet quizzes!

Follow your Passion?

As a somewhat-recent graduate, I have seen countless articles about following your passion to find a job, and there is the old saying that if you 'find a job you love, you will never work a day in your life.' I think that's great in theory, but it just doesn't sit right with me for a couple reasons:

1. There are very few things that I would consider a passion of mine (Only 2 come to mind at the moment)

        I have several interests and can find entertainment / good in almost anything, but I wouldn't consider myself passionate about them. One of them being traveling - I love to see new places, learn about history, and experience new things. I also love to have place to call home, and having a day-to-day routine.  I don't think I could travel ALL the time.

2. I am too practical.

         As much as I would love to be care-free and truly a 'roll with the punches' type person, I need to have stability and a steady income.  To follow your passion may mean searching for profitable outcome of that passion, and the searching is just not something I am up for.  It's the same reason I'm not much of a sales person - I want to go to work, do the absolute best that I can while I am there, and know what that effort is worth at the end of the day (I don't think my worth is determined by my paycheck - please don't read it that way).   I like being able to plan my spending and plan ahead for big expenditures (like for traveling!).


I want to keep my passions as something extra - something to enjoy when not working.  I heard someone say one time that Americans generally 'live to work' meaning that we focus so much on going to work and working in general, and that Europeans generally 'work to live' meaning that work for them is a means to enjoy their life. They don't see that their career defines them, but rather allows them the financial ability to pursue their passions and spend their leisure time however they see fit.

That is how I want to model my career / life - my job doesn't define me, but rather gives me the opportunity to travel and explore and learn and anything else that catches my attention!

Tea of the Bubble sort

I love bubble tea!!

Have you ever had it?  It looks like this:

Some are made with tea, some are made with flavored milk, but my favorite is made with fresh fruit!

What are the black dots at the bottom you ask (if you have not had it. If you have, you know what that awesomeness is!)?  Those are the bubbles aka tapioca balls.  That is the staple of bubble tea, except some places also offer coconut rather than tapioca.


I don't remember how it happened, but I was talking to people at work one day last week and come to find out one of my co-workers' family owns an Asian-food store that sells the tapioca balls.  She brought me a bag and we made our own over the weekend!

I have never made smoothies before, so I wasn't sure what the ingredients needed were, so we used strawberries, blueberries, fruit juice, and ice.  All you have to do is boil the tapioca balls for a few minutes and add them to your glass!

I think we are going to try a smoothie with yogurt and fruit next time to give it a little more substance. I will be sure to take pictures to show you!

Get Real

This week Real Simple is having their inaugural 'Get Real on the Internet Week'.  It's all about being who you really are - good, bad, and ugly.

They are encouraging people to not just post their triumphs or zen moments or perfect dinner, but to also show your crazy hair day or that it took 3 tries before you were able to make that perfect dinner.

I think it is awesome and I am totally on board!  That is what I am trying to do with this blog, after all.  So, I am going to try and post at least once each of the remaining days this week (I missed Monday, so I will do two posts on one day).

Stay tuned!

One of my faves...

   

 

Pasta!

Remember when I said that one of my life step-ups this year was to start eating better?  Well, I made pasta sauce last night BY MYSELF     and           IT WAS GOOD!   {Insert applause, please}


I love marinara / red sauce on pasta, but the Mr. prefers white / creamy sauces.  My brilliant idea - make a creamy red sauce!  Apparently all you have to do is add cream and some cheese, if you'd like.  Nonetheless, I bought tomato sauce (ok, so it wasn't completely homemade sauce) and cream, and then just added the necessary spices to my minced onions and garlic.  The end result was pretty darn good!  I think I could have added cream cheese instead of heavy cream, so maybe we will try that next time.



On a related note - I figured out why I don't like cooking.  I don't like to sit there and 'supervise' the food.  I want to either throw it in a crock pot or casserole dish and come back when its done, or be constantly doing something (as was the case last night).  At first I was getting the sauce to where I wanted it taste wise, and then while that was simmering, I had to get the noodles and the broccoli going (separately, don't worry).   I meant to cut up some cherry tomatoes and yellow bell pepper that we had, but I ran out of time we were hungry.  So we are going to save those and use them on our pita pizzas on Sunday!

I will let you know more about my cooking adventures (good and bad), and please offer any suggestions! I'm thinking about getting a cookbook to look for inspiration - sometimes the websites can be overwhelming.  =/

HL & BC

Have you heard the news about Hobby Lobby trying to get around the free-birth-control through insurance part of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare)?  If not, here are a couple links:

CNN

NY Times


If you would rather not read the article, basically Hobby Lobby is claiming that providing certain birth control free of charge to their employees (through the company's insurance, per the ACA) violates their religious beliefs.

All I have to say is that companies cannot have religious beliefs! 

I know the issue of birth control is personal and some religious sects have very specific beliefs about it, but that is not what I am having the problem with. 

I have a problem with the argument that a company, a corporation with roughly 500 stores, can have beliefs or feelings or opinions of any sort.  A corporation is a profit machine - it is designed to be independent of its owners and its own entity, but that does not mean it acts as a person.  When someone commits insider trading or embezzlement, they don't say "Oh, the company was in on it. Just look on the hard drive - it proves the company knew what I was doing and didn't stop me." NO!!  The person is held accountable.

I digress....    I think if Hobby Lobby doesn't want to outright pay for birth control, they should cancel whatever coverage they have now and give all of their employees an HSA (or the like) or don't offer insurance at all and pay the penalty.

I think their argument is ridiculous (and same goes for any other company making the same claim) and I am hoping the Supreme Court agrees.

Hugs!

I'm not much of a hugger.  I am happy to reciprocate, but I hardly initiate. Before you think that I am unfriendly and cold, please view the following comic:

http://themetapicture.com/how-to-interact-with-the-introverted/


I am also not someone that puts stock in horoscopes, personality tests, etc, but I do think they are fun sometimes.  I am a nurture (vs nature) believer and think that most of your personality/interests/views are shaped by your upbringing rather than determined by your birth month, birth order or your favorite color.  I think every person is a complex individual and is more than what one of these 'tests' say.

With that, I do think it is important to know what those many facets of yourself are, and then allow that understanding to help you through life.

I am an introvert.  Many of the attributes described in the cartoon I knew about myself (my personal bubble, preferring to not interject myself into conversations or situations without being invited), but I just thought it was who I was - I didn't know there was a name for it!

Some people don't like labels (we will talk about stereotypes/using labels at another time), but I think sometimes they are useful.  Being able to say 'I'm introverted' may somewhat explain why I act the way I do in social situations.

Being an introvert is only part of who I am, and it is not even necessarily a big part, but it makes me feel better that I am not weird and cold-hearted and boring, but just have a different preference.

New Year. New Start.

The new year is here!


I am not one to make resolutions, but I am ready to step up and make some improvements to parts of my life.

One of those being this blog. The first time around, it was fake - and by fake, I mean that I was trying to be one of those really cool blog people that inspired people and made them think and so on and so forth.....      This time around, "shit's go'n get real" (I warn you now about my randomness).  This is going to be about me - my opinions, insights, musings, and general observations.  If people read/enjoy it, great!  And if not, then it will be my digital journal.

Another step-up (not the movie) is that I am going to start cooking.  I do not like cooking, but I have come to realize the benefits of cooking your own meals, and cooking food that actually nourishes your body.  My primary motivation is my face acne. I don't have severe acne, but it is constant and has been constant since I was 12.  I have tried several types of face wash and facial routines and figured out that it all starts with what is going in my body, because it is coming out on my face.

The final one (I don't want to overwhelm myself from the get-go) is that I want to spend less time with meaningless activities - online games (*cough* Candy Crush), pointless TV (aka Millionaire Matchmaker) - and actually do something.   I can read, crochet, write!, make something or a bunch of other things that have an actual outcome when I am done.



So, here is to a new year and all the joy, turmoil, challenges, and triumphs that come with it!