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- Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush lip gloss in Strawberry Fizz and Passion Fruit Pop.
- Guilty pleasure TV. I’ve become obsessed with watching in horror and judgement, those who live in abject filth. It justifies my OCD like you wouldn’t believe! Hoarders can be intense and the stubborn/sick families have little time to receive help from eggshell walking “professionals”. I think the help they receive infuriates me even more. Clean House is way more entertaining and a bit silly. The people are blatantly told they live like pigs (aren’t always on the psychologically ill level), and in the long run, have little say in the improvements made to their hovel. Trish Suhr is my favorite of the cleaning team. She’s the organizing specialist and damn, I wish I had her job.
- I can milk a trial size for days, and I especially love the ones that come with a Sephora order. I always skip on the perfumes and go for skin treatments. My recent favorite is Per-fekt Eye Perfection Gel. It feels like cashmere around your eyes and just makes you look… better. Subtly and wonderfully better. At $45 for .3 oz, I’m agonizing over getting the full size. Then, there’s the Fusion beauty line. I was an addict to LipFusion Lip Plump for a while. The stuff is amazing and really works. Instead of just irritating your lips to plump them with a burning sensation, this contains micro marine collagen that is tiny enough to be absorbed by the skin and plumps with surrounding moisture. Well, I just tried LiftFusion Face Lift and it’s insanely good for tiny fine laugh lines. $140 for 1.7oz. Whoa.
- The Hurt Locker (edge of my seat the whole time), The Fantastic Mr. Fox (adorable, intricate, quirky), Black Dynamite (g-damn hilarious), and The Science of Sleep (weird. so. weird.). All watched this snowy weekend and all highly recommended.
- “It’s on like a prawn who yawns at dawn.”
- Cereal. I go through phases of not being able to get enough, could eat it at every meal, can I bathe in it? The type varies every time, rotating between Frosted Mini Wheats, Reeses Puffs, Cocoa Puffs, Apple Jacks, and currently Cocoa Pebbles.
- The Shiba Inu puppy cam is back up with new puppies! They were just born on January 16! Wait until they start jumping and playing!
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- After more than 3 months of only eating 30 grams of fat a day, my doctor had my cholesterol checked again. Son of a bitch! My numbers got higher!!! I lost almost 10 pounds for god’s sake! I barely ate any cheese! I did eat some delicious hot wings though. They’re my vice and damnit my doctor said I could indulge more than I had been! So, yeah… I get to start Lipitor this week. I’m 30 years old for crying out loud. Thanks mom and dad. While your genes have blessed me with exceptional looks and smarts, your high cholesterol can suck it!
- The redundancy of social media. I seriously had to sit for about an hour and assess who to follow and how, because things were getting out of control. Why be fan of something on Facebook and follow their Twitter if their updates only consist of new blog notifications, when I already subscribe on my Google Reader? I also don’t like my reader getting clogged with post-happy fools. Over 10 posts a day? I just don’t have the time.
- Martinis and the glasses they come in. I will make numerous blind judgements about pretension when I see someone drinking one.
padding around the house
We have a no-shoe policy in our apartment and leave them on a shoe rack in the hallway when we come home. We do have designated shoes for padding around the house. Socks always feel too thin to me. The bf wears a pair of Adidas slides and I had the same pair of black and white Adidas Adilettes for over half my life but they finally kicked the bucket this year (a testament to their quality). I really need a new pair. Love the old school logo.
Right now, I just wear my Havaianas Top flip flops but they lack a certain cozy factor.
Now I want (no, I NEED) a pair of warm fuzzy bunny slippers! Not those crap slippers you see everywhere that have that awkward thick foamy sole. I like the bottoms on these knit slippers but really like the lamby wool of the second pair! They have tails!
What do you pad around in?
Things I didn’t get but need to
I got a lot of wonderful things for Christmas from the lovely generous thoughtful people in my life but there are always things on a wishlist that still leave you wanting. Here are some things I didn’t get but still need or want to.
- Laptop bag. The one I have offers zero protection. It’s pretty much just a cheap nylon tote and it’s falling apart. White leather would be ideal but I know that’s just asking for disaster.
- The red PS cabinet from IKEA. I need this in my kitchen like whoa!
- Something really simple but I can NEVER find it – a fitted baby blue cotton cable knit button-up cardigan. I saw a girl with one on years ago. She was punky and had on the requisite studded belt and whatnot and it was adorable. Can’t get it out of my head but I can never find the right color or fit.
- A toaster. My grandmother used to make these weird sandwiches for me when I was a kid – summer sausage slices and bell pepper on toast. Seriously fantastic, reminds me of my childhood, and I’ve been craving them like crazy!
- That curling iron/flat iron combo I kept seeing on TV where you simply run it over your hair and it’s curled, kind of like curling ribbon on the edge of scissors. I’ve looked everywhere! It seems so much easier than a regular curling iron or hot rollers. (Yes, I have hot rollers and I’m not afraid to use them!)
- A haircut. I’ve been growing my hair out for over a year and just started growing my blunt bangs out a few months ago. It’s been a personal hell.
- This is so mundane (more mundane than a toaster), but I really need some larger pots for my houseplants. I know they’re rootbound and need more room! I guess it can wait until Spring.
- A chest of drawers. I can’t take these plastic bins in my closet for much longer!
- A chunky chain necklace. I had one a few years ago and misplaced it. It looked exactly like this darker one from Tiffany’s. (Photo via Modelizing, a great window display blog!)
What did Santa forget that’s still on your wishlist?
Happy New Year!
Hey there! Phew! The holidays are OVER! I hope everyone survived unscathed and is ready to take on this great new year!
My blog posts have been few and far between lately with all that’s been going on. Here’s what I’ve been up to this past month.
First off, if you didn’t know already, I am my mom’s primary caregiver. She has M.S. and I also help run my father’s construction company and take care of their home, the house I grew up in. So, not only did I have to get my own apartment ready for x-mas and keep the cheer alive there, I had to do it at my folks’ house as well. Taking care of two homes is exhausting enough as it is but during the holidays, I go into this insanely hyper-efficient Martha Stewart mode and it takes a toll on me once it’s all done.
So, yeah, I cleaned and decorated 2 places which meant that once I opened the storage closet, I had to organize that as well. I had to haul everything to my place and then haul it all back after I took it down (since we don’t have enough storage space).
I baked 7 dozen mini pecan tarts, 12 dozen oatmeal cookies and 6 pounds of fudge. That all went in a bunch of tins to give away. I don’t know how I managed to lose weight this month but I did. I guess running around like a maniac will do that to you.
I painted a blatant rip off of this painting by Hannah Stouffer, only I used oranges, reds and browns, which is now in our livingroom.
Then there was shopping… well planned out shopping spread out over 2 months so I wouldn’t be broke come Christmas. Since we were going up to NOVA the day after Christmas to see the bf’s family, I had to add them to the list as well. We had a really nice visit and I finally met his sister after a whole year! She’s awesome.
I got the bf a Navy issue peacoat and books, and treats and tshirts, some xbox thing, and more silly treats. He got me those flashy Onitsuka Tigers with the gold on them that I have been coveting for months as well as a Marimekko shower curtain and fabric panel I plan on stapling to a canvas. Oh, and he told his sister to get me this sweet sweet mounted deer head wall decal from Decor Designs on Etsy. The one I have is like the center one. It’s above a door so along with the painting, we’re getting a real ski lodge effect in there!
“Hetkiä/Moments” shower curtain
“Pelimanni” fabric panel designed by Iiro A. Ahokas
Since my mom can’t shop, I pick out things I want (which is sad and awesome at the same time) so, she hooked me up with a bunch of matching bra and panty sets which I was in desperate need of, a fresh bottle of Kenzo Amour, a handbag, and a few things I’ve mentioned already.
My father made us a round wood kitchen table. Six months in our apartment together and we were still eating on the sofa. My dad makes reproduction Chippendale style furniture and truly hates clean modern design so, he had to put his stank on the base, which really isn’t our thing but oh well, it’s a table and I’m thankful.
We ordered 2 of these chairs and just got them on Monday, from of all places Sears! Seriously, they have a line that’s attempting to compete with Ikea-style design. They’re completely awesome and we’re ordering 2 more this week. They go great in the living room as well so, we will probably keep 2 in there until we have people over for dinner.
It snowed about 10 inches the weekend before Christmas. So there were magical walks and lots of cozying up and staying in. I loved every minute of it!
my neighborhood
New Years Eve, we decided to keep it low key and avoid the insanity. I fixed a big steak dinner and we took a walk around our neighborhood with a giant mimosa in a plastic container and shared earbuds, listening to music and looking at Christmas lights. It was magical until we witnessed a 3 car accident right at the intersection we were about to cross. Luckily, the bf grabbed the back of my coat before I darted out. My hero!
This past week, I got a wild hair to tackle my parents’ basement, again, but way more seriously than I ever had before. I swear, my father should be on Hoarders. Only, he actually collects antiques with inherent value and they are over running my parents’ home. I have sorted, organized, wrapped and boxed tons of stuff in sturdy plastic boxes instead of the open dusty torn cardboard boxes everything was thrown in. Old toys, trains, antique tools, pottery, old kitchen gadgets, you name it. Then the closets down there needed to get cleaned out so I could get the boxes in there. Holy crap. I filled a huge trashcan in one afternoon and there have been two enormous car loads to the Goodwill truck this week already and it’s just Tuesday.
This Spring I plan to start painting the entire interior of my parents’ home and convince my father to redo the outdated bathrooms and replace my mom’s bedroom carpet with hardwood flooring. It WILL be done.
Oh, and have you seen the Valentine’s Day stuff in the stores already? OMG.
why?
Some shoe styles just elude me. I ranted about floppy shoe styles a while back and still can’t stand them.
Lately, I’ve been seeing a ton of shoes with things dragging on the ground. Big satin bows and suede fringes on shoes (some are really expensive) that will inevitably get destroyed. I don’t get it.
Christian Louboutin – not too bad but still, at that price point do you want delicate satin to look like total crap after one wear?
Paris Hilton – obviously a genius at work here
Roger Vivier – now these just kill me! Really?
Tight Times
Do you remember the show Reading Rainbow? One story has stuck with me since I was a child. It was called Tight Times. A family is going through financial troubles and the little boy finds a kitten outside and of course wants to keep it. Things are so rough that the parents get upset about having another mouth to feed but after everyone breaks down and starts crying, they figure that they indeed can spare a bit more to keep the kitty. (watch the episode here)
Everyone I know is having a hard time staying above water right now but still want to give those they love a meaningful gift, so here are some inexpensive but thoughtful suggestions to get your Christmas shopping done without breaking the bank!
I am a huge TJ Maxx fan. I honestly think you could get all your shopping done there. It’s full of practical luxuries, so cheap it can make your head spin at times. So here are some frugal gift suggestions that could be knocked out in a jiffy at everyone’s favorite discount store.
I recently purchased a small high quality wok great for quick side veggies for $4.50. This and a package of asian noodles, some sesame oil, a head of garlic and a small ginger root (picked up on your next grocery trip), all bundled together could get your favorite foodie inspired for around $10. You could do the same thing with a pasta strainer or large bowl, some interesting sauce, and a bag of fun pasta. A friend did this, with bottles of wine added, for everyone she knew one year and it was a huge hit. It also makes an excellent hostess gift for any parties you attend.
Another nice combo gift great for mom, grandma, or any lady friend is the fancy tea cup/tea package. There are tons of random patterns of china tea cup/saucer sets, mugs, tea pots, kettles, and a bevy of fancy flavored teas and cocoas available at ridiculously cheap prices. Pair some tea up with a thoughtfully picked out cup or pot, and maybe even a box of cookies, for a gift that should be well below $20.
Practical gifts like scarves and gloves can be boring unless chosen in fun colors that the recipients normally wouldn’t pick out for themselves, but will be excited to work into their wardrobe. There are tons of gorgeous Italian and Irish wool scarves available right now for both men and women at about $15.
Babies all the way to teens aren’t left out. For baby, there are adorable hats, pretty storage boxes for nurseries, a slew of cute onesies and clothing, soft blankets, toys for all ages, and classic books. For older kids there are small electronics like colorful ear phones (usually some from Skullcandy) , portable ipod speakers and cases, hip room decor like bright throws and mirrors, there are tights (usually from Betsey Johnson), fuzzy slippers, pajamas, and luxuriously packaged bath products (for anyone really), all hitting well below $20.
If any of the above suggestions don’t work for office pals, there are tons of stationary and desk organizing tools.
There are loads of beautifully designed hand soaps and towels both for kitchen and bath that would go well together.
There are name brand wallets, cosmetic bags, clutches, yoga accessories, men’s accessories, cook books, coffee table books, photo albums, handblown glass vases, picture frames like crazy, scented candles, kitchen tools, gourmet spices… all at inexpensive price points.
When it comes to presentation, I really can’t stand the suggestion of wrapping a gift up in an additional gift, like a jewelry box wrapped in a scarf. No, I’m not spending an extra chunk of change to wrap the originally intended present. Then there’s the ideas of painting or stamping your own paper. Please. The season is hectic enough.
For wrapping gifts, I usually hit the 50%-75% off sales after Christmas and stock up for the next year. Take advantage at the stores you shop at and ask for their complimentary boxes, especially for odd sized items. A well wrapped gift can make a small item pretty fantastic to open. If you need to stock up on gift wrapping supplies right now, I highly recommend the dollar store. They have tissue paper with designs and huge packs of solid colors, curling ribbon, rolls of wire edged fabric ribbon for luxurious bows, bags of traditional bows, tags, tape, gift bags and boxes of all sizes and the usual seasonal wrapping paper – all for $1. Sometimes just sticking with a solid red or white paper or the big rolls of brown craft paper will allow a $1 ornament to stand out as a gift tie-on. There are glitter snowflakes, large sequined balls, and other novelty ornaments. You can also check the craft section for bunches of berries, fake birds and raffia ribbon for a rustic look.
There’s no reason to go broke this holiday season! Have fun being a thoughtful smart shopper!
jobs
In the spirit of the Secret Society of List Addicts, I’ll share with you some jobs I’ve considered over the course of my life.
- Veterinarian – first job I said when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up… until we had to take the sick beagle to the vet and I saw how they took temperatures. I was done.
- Animal cop – maybe I’ve been watching too much Animal Planet but I think I would actually do better as a vigilante because the red tape of the job ticks me off.
Watch – The Sick Kitten
- Astrophysics – I adore math and thought I had the potential to be one of those math geniuses… until I had the worst physics teacher known to man in high school and was ruined on the physics side. The fact that almost everything in life can be explained with an elegant equation is something I can really sink my teeth into. My bf thinks I’m a freak. Let’s do this.
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Statistician – my psych major exposed me to data collection, manipulation, and analysis with delicious SPSS software, which pretty much taught me to never trust any stats you hear on the news. In all seriousness though, it’s a tangible and pretty reliable way to learn about the world.
CHECK! THIS! OUT! and THIS. (I promise, it’s worth your time.)
- Florist – super green thumb here, think I have a good aesthetic eye… currently working on bonsai, would love to learn Ikebana. Who wouldn’t love to play with flowers all day?
- Fleeting thoughts – architectural artist, cupcake baker (but Richmond already has a few), line cook (been there, done that for every station, miss it), blogger (yeah right), RN (horrible decision, bad school choice, dropped out), any type of psych research (will be trying to get my foot in the door eventually)…
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- When I was a kid, my mom let me build a terrarium in this gigantic round glass vase she had. It had tiny plastic deer, soft moss, mini trees, everything! We had to set it on the floor one day and I accidentally kicked it, and was ruined for terrariums ever since. I don’t think I could do anything too terrible to this tiny gem!
- I didn’t think the chrome look for nails was truly possible. Having tried every silver polish making the claim and being sorely disasppointed, Wendy B shared an out-of-the-box approach to getting cybertastic nails! The directory on the site will let you know who in your area provides the service. I’m definitely hitting up one of the Richmond locations soon!
This lace effect is killing me as well!
- Back in the day, I used to want to be covered in tattoos. I had big serious painful gorgeous plans. Then… I changed my mind. Imagine that. I still managed to get two. One is an Olivia pin up girl on my stomach in flesh tones which is finally fading away after 12 years. The coloring I wanted was so light that no one could make it stick. It would heal and when it peeled, the ink came right out with it. So yeah, over 8 hours of pain for nothing. I couldn’t take it anymore and went to the renowned but expensive Timothy Hoyer (when he was still in RVA and had Alive Gallery). He made it happen in no time. The other tattoo is peonies at the top of my back (done by one of my best friends Scott at True Tattoo). I have been wanting to add a slew of exotic flowers and ivy to my back with a bit curling down my shoulders and up my neck but I vacillate between being ready to make the appointment or totally bailing and making an appointment for laser removal. That’s no way to be when you’re about to permanently mark yourself. Either way… the point of this whole revealing rant was to show you this neat thing I found. It’s some application that will add ivy to your pictures. I haven’t tried it yet but here you go. If only tattoos were that easy.
one day maybe
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Oh! I love me some CERN and they just started the Large Hadron Collider, had some first collisions and Earth didn’t explode! Here are some pics right before they got to banging those atoms! Oh, and I really want a print of particle tracks for my wall. Geek! Anyone know where I could get that done?
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She’s been blogging for 3 years but I just discovered Kristopher Dukes and I think I’ve found my personal style idol/hero. She hates patterned clothing, loves nude heels, loves simple elegant clothing and sticks with what works, is a product fiend, appreciates well designed luxury, wreaks of sex, called satin elastic ankle pants a year ago, and she is unapologetically superficial in a brutally honest (and sometimes offensive) way. Obviously she has a much larger well-earned income than myself but it’s fun to live vicariously through others sometimes and it’s nice to read down to earth, quick-witted critiques on so many glamorous things I would love to have. Her post format is great – a particular thing broken down into what she already has, what she would rather have, and what she hates. Love it.
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- I looked at my Google Reader the other day and was wondering why the heck I was subscribing to blogs that I couldn’t relate to in any way whatsoever. I’m not going to name names but my life isn’t sparkly and full of rainbows and unicorns. I don’t wear hot pink, nor do I have a constant positive spin on life. I also don’t like wondering where the hell a 25 year-old is getting all that damned mysterious money to waste on total crap. All that being said… I do like a good voyeuristic romp once in a while so I will probably revisit these blogs every blue moon. I just don’t want to see them or the tweets every day. Because I’m going to vomit.
- My hair is taking forever to grow out from my scene boy cut. It’s finally past my shoulders but it’s all sorts of crazy layers and then I gave up on the blunt bangs and they’re growing out at well. So how to you begin to take care of split ends when it’s a mess? I guess I’m going to have to get out the tiny scissors.
I wish
sequins
Holiday season is upon us and that means everything in the stores has a thick crust of sequins on it. I would like someone to tell me how all these things are going to wear over time because I have experienced nothing but heartbreak. (We aren’t even going to talk about glitter because if you own it, you deserve to suffer the consequences. In the early 90s, my bff bought a pair of fuchsia glitter Doc Martens and they started looking pretty rough rather quickly.)
Sequins are made of fragile plastic with a metallic paint coating that rubs off and eventually looks worn out. They are also prone to cracking in half and falling off. Then there are the ones that are glued on. You can spot a missing or misaligned sequin a mile away. At least I can, but I may have a mild case of OCD.
If you must wear them… there are good sequins and bad sequins.
GOOD SEQUINS
Not much can happen to this embellished tank. You still have to carefully hand wash it in cold water and it won’t last forever but you still have a chance.
To avoid looking like a Miss America contestant, sequined dresses should be short and to the point. This dress will also require special care but with no belt to rub, cap sleeves, each sequin neatly lined up (not shingled) and tightly secured, and being all one subtle color, this would work well. Minimal accessories needed.
Other good sequins can be found as a light mist on something sheer, a pair of panties you don’t plan on keeping on for very long, and as the most delicate of details that makes something plain very special.
BAD SEQUINS
You know how your shoes wear, so what’s going to happen at the bends of these Converse? They’re part of the fabric so you can’t even sew on new ones to repair!
These sequined leggings are almost $350 at Saks. What is your ass and the backs of your knees going to look like after a while? Like a worn out Las Vegas hooker, that’s what. $350 at Saks or $20 at F21… they’re both going to look like hell after a few wears.
More bad sequins – on jeans but at least they would be easy to remove when they go bust, on handbags (those giant sequin bags and tiny 80s prom clutches), those hoodies everyone got obsessed with (my hoodies earn their keep), and anything else tight that would bend harshly with your body, and doesn’t respect your hard earned cash.
So ladies, you may want to spare yourself the trouble and financial waste and just put on a sparkly cuff bracelet instead!
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