Weekend Fun

I Need To Make a Ceremonial Sacrifice

So, I've been restless as of late. I want change - but small change this time. So, being the 20 something girl that I am, I figured the easiest way to do this through my appearance. And this being a holiday weekend, there are sales galore - so armed with the majority of two paychecks, I headed out to some fine retail establishments.

I was home an hour later. Empty handed and slightly depressed.

For starters, I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for - I figured I would walk into a store and find the perfect item. Because this happens all the time, right?! It never happens to me. Never. I always have to hunt and dig for everything. Except pants. I can always find those right off the bat because I try to always buy the same cut. I know what work and what doesn't, so it is an absolute waste of my time to even attempt skinny leg jeans - no matter how cute they look on the hanger and on the size 0 sales girls. I have thighs and a butt - they aren't made for me. Nonetheless, in general I try to dress in simple clothes that fit and look like I haven't put too much effort into getting ready. Basically, that I naturally look awesome. Because of this, my wardrobe consists mainly of solid neutral colors. And green. Based on this description, you would think that I could find a lot. I mean, basics never go out of style, right?

Second problem: all of the clothes out there SUCK right now. I'm sorry but the fashion designers and buyers out there must be smoking crack! I went in one store and was immediately rushed back to the late 80s with all the neon colors on black and graffiti fonts. I'm sorry, but I lived through the 80s the first time around, I made some bad fashion decisions then (i.e. hammer pants and shoulder pads) and don't care to repeat them again. Thanks anyway. When I'm not wearing basics, I lean more towards the hippie/bohemian look. I could find nothing that fit this criteria. Not even at the stores that have that as their typical style. WTF?!

So, after all of this, I decided that I would just get some new pants and find something deep in my closet to wear - a revival so to speak. Ha. The Shopping Gods yet again thwarted my plans. I learned a long time ago, that American Eagle is basically the only place (around here) that makes pants that look good on me. And they carry short sizes which is always a plus! So, I be-bopped my way into American Eagle, confident that this shopping trip would not be a bust, grabbed 2 pairs of jeans to try on, and headed for the fitting room. I always try on the size I think I wear, and one size smaller - because that's always a confidence booster to fit into the smaller of the two pairs and at this point, I really needed that boost. So, I pull on the pair that i is the size I think I need and they're a little too big. Score! So I grab the smaller pair and. . . can't get them above my butt!! FAIL! So I put my clothes back on and headed home to mope and eat ice cream.

Oh. And to drive the point home even further, I Like Big Butts was playing on the radio the whole way home. Thank you Shopping Gods - you made my day.

The Good and the Bad

So. It's the Thursday evening before a glorious 3 day weekend and where am I? Sitting on my front porch, watching the sunset, listening to good music, and chilling. And trying to come up with something more interesting than how great it feels out here to blog about.

Seriously though, it feels great out here.

One of things that I've learned to appreciate in these past few months is the fact that I'm not accountable to anyone other than myself. That sounds terrible, but let me explain. If I want to eat nothing but humus and carrot cake for dinner, I can. If I don't feel like doing the dishes for a few days, I don't have to do them. If I want to spend a good 2 hrs. doing nothing but dancing around my living room and acting like a damn fool, I can. It's a freedom that I've never experienced before and I like it.

For the most part.

The flip side of this coin is that if I need something from another room and am too lazy to go get it, there's not anyone to get it - I have to do it myself. If I forgot to get my shirt out of the dryer, I can't ask someone to please get it for me - I have to run and grab it and pray that the neighbors are not looking in my windows. If I've had a terrible day at work and just need a hug, I have to call someone - its not readily available when I walk in the door (though, puppy kisses are). Don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful support network, but they don't live with me. And I kinda miss the all of the warm fuzzies that come with living with someone.

Sometimes.

I think this is just one of those things that I'll adjust to over time. Until then, I'll keep my phone near by and warn everyone that's on my speed dial.

Moving On

Now that life is starting to settle back down, I need to get back to my self-improvement project - a.k.a. The List.

Obviously some of my items need to be changed because involve Mark, and well, its just not feasible to do things like #65 "clean out Mark's studio" or #57 "take Mark on 6 dates." So, over the next few days I will come up with new items for those that are no longer applicable.

For July, I'm setting a goal of completing at least 3 items off the list. I'm not going to decide which ones I'm gonna do in advance, but I know that one of them will be #6 "read 3 books in a month."

I've been reading Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay for what seems like forever! Don't get me wrong, the book is interesting and I've learned a lot of cool, new, completely useless bits of information, but it's also a really slow read. I'm ready for something new and exciting. My goal is read a lot over my 3 day weekend. Hopefully outside so I can accomplish 2 goals as the same time - finish this book and get some sun on my vampiric skin. Seriously, my tummy glows in the dark. It's sad.

Naked

Isn't it funny that we are so attached to piece of technology that wasn't even that widely used 10 yrs. ago?! Of course, I'm referring to cell phones. People existed for centuries without them and now I can't even make it 30 minutes without knowing the exact location of mine. It's really kinda sad.

My phone is an extension of me. Kinda. Its a major part of my life that's for sure. It stores all sorts of information. I don't have a nice fancy smart phone - I have a Samsung Juke. That's right. I have a wee phone. It's so wee that it fits in a pack of cigarettes. Nonetheless, it doesn't do much, but what it does do, I can't live without. I left my phone at home this morning as I made my usual mad dash out of the house, and I feel absolutely naked. I'm terrified that something is gonna happen and someone is gonna need to get in touch with me and they won't be able to. . . and I'm gonna miss something important. Terrified. Nevermind that I can be reached on my office phone. I don't have my cell phone and therefore cannot be reached.

And I'm neurotic. It's now a quarter til 10 and I've caught myself checking the clock every 4 minutes for the past hour like an impatient child on a road trip "Is it time yet? What about now?" I'm just waiting til its 11 so I can take my lunch break and go home and fetch my phone. And my license. And my debit card. And my lighter.

Yep. That's how big of a hurry I was in this morning. I forgot my cell phone and my lighter. What was the rush? Nothing special. I was just running late.

Normally, as I'm walking out of the house, I go over my "essentials checklist" - lighter, lip gloss, cigarettes, phone, keys. If I have those 5 things, then I can survive anywhere. Iraq, work, the Gobi desert, anywhere. I can cope with out money - there's always free food and/or spare change to be found somewhere. I don't need my sunglasses - I just prefer them - but I can cope without them. But let me leave the house without some form of Burt's Bees waxy goodness, and I will go insane trying to keep my lips moist. Its not pretty. No smokes? I will get desperate. Coming up with elaborate bartering systems just to bum from someone, when really, all I have to do is ask. . . yeah, I know, I'm addicted and I need to quit again. I will but not right now.

So, that's what I'm dealing with today - separation anxiety from my cellphone. And in all honesty, we're only going to be separate for 3.25 hrs. - its not even all day.

I have issues.

Will I?

I'm trying to get back into the groove of blogging about something other than my day to day life. While I know its terribly exciting and y'all all wish you were me, I think its time to change pace. So, here's a meme that's been floating around blogoshpere (or at least the sphere that I read).

. . . I can't . . .

walk past a reflective surface without looking at myself

stand for it to be quite when I'm home alone

turn down food when it's offered to me

. . . I can . . .

wiggle my eyes - really fast

give really good hugs

listen when you need an ear

. . . I won't . . .

allow myself to be a doormat again

eat bananas - ever

take my friends and family for granted

. . . I will . . .

speak my mind

love my dog like my own child

try to find something positive in every situation

greet everyone with a smile

. . . I shouldn't . . .

worry about my appearance so much

stress about things I cannot control

be having this much fun

. . . I should . . .

learn how to cook

make a 5 year plan

wake up earlier

What about you? What should or shouldn't you be doing?

The Birthday Presents

So. Here are the wonderful birthday presents that I created for Ashley and Heather. I found some really cheap blank wooden plaques at Michael's and decided I had to do something with them. Then I discovered the best thing in the world - latex paint samples by Glidden! Ok. So maybe they aren't the best thing in the world - but they're pretty freakin' awesome! (and no, they did not pay me to say that).

Nonetheless, I made Ashley's purple and with a sewing theme for her to hang in her sewing room.

And Heather's are blue with umbrellas.

And then I made some for myself, that are green with mustaches. Upon further thought, I stuck them on Etsy to see if they would sell. If these sell, then I have plans to do more and with different silhouettes. So, if you like them, please buy them! Or if you want some but want a different silhouette, just let me know and I'll be glad to make them for you!