In need of coffee

This morning an egg I made turned out like a turtle...



Turtles always remind me of my Grandfather. He loved turtles here on Earth. I have a turtle pendant that I wear sometimes that I got when he passed away. And so this day got off to a pretty sweet start..

Until this afternoon when the GPS lady in my car almost made me cry and I couldn't help but call her a bitch. This technology in my car is too much for me. I really need to read the Manual.

After an extremely busy day at work, I wanted to find the nearest Starbucks or coffee shop to stop by on my way to my easy little part-time job that is pretty much the equivalent of hanging out at a Country Club. So, instead of looking at the dangerous, distracting GPS on my iPhone, I decide that I would try to use the "Turn-by-turn directions" that live in the speakers of my car. The only problem was that I didn't remember exactly what I was supposed to say and so a battle ensued...

Me: Phone
Speakers: Say a command
Me: Directions
Speakers: Text. Message.
Me: No
Speakers: I'm sorry, I didn't get that. Can you please repeat.
Me: Directions
Speakers: Text. Message.
Me: No

(back back back back out of the program to the main screen or whatever)

Me: Phone
Speakers: Say a command
Me: Directions
Speakers: Line in. Say a command
Me: DIRECTIONS!!!!
Speakers: Line in
Me: I don't understand! Why won't you work
Speakers: I'm sorry I didn't get that...

(back back back back back)

Me: Phone!!
Speakers: Say a command
Me: Oh! Services
Speakers: Services. Say a city and state or say 'search near me'
Me: Search near me
Speakers: Cary, North Carolina
Me: What? No!
Speakers: I'm sorry...
Me: UUGGGHHH!!! (back back back back back)

Me: Phone
Speakers: Say a command
Me: Services
Speakers: Say a city and state or say 'search near me'
Me: Search near me
Speakers: Please wait while I calculate your location........ Okay, Got it. Say the name of a business or say a type of business
Me: Starbucks
Speakers: Cars...
Me: What? (tiny tear of frustrtion actually developing) I just want some coffeeeeeeee!!!

So I stopped at a convenient store and got a canned Starbucks coffee and it was delicious and the perfect little afternoon spirit-lifter, AND easy to obtain.



I wish I had a picture to show you that I was cute today but I don't. I can, however, tell you that (taking note from Julie, as usual) I wore this tank from Charlotte Russe. It was $12 and had a comfortable fit. I think I might go back and get a different color. I wore it under an Army green sweater with dark Gap jeans and bronze/gold flats.



I am off from work tomorrow and that is so wonderful. I have a great day planned that includes delicious morning coffee, walking Ebi, beginning my Christmas ornaments, and Amy Sedaris book signing in the evening. I'm so excited!

Halloween - Santa spilled his wine on my feet later that night

I don't know if it was laziness or itimidation, but I didn't dress up for Halloween this year. I wanted to be an Owl, but I wanted to wear makeup instead of a mask and that was just too daunting of a task for me at the last minute. So I had too much fun doing everyone's makeup, appreciating cute treats, and taking my neice trick-or-treating.



My cousin prepared lots of cute, festive foods and it just confirmed for me that I am actually going to bake for real this Christmas!

These were Nutter Butter cookies..



Delicious, pumpkin cupcakes. Some with icing, some without..



Under, you can see "eyes" (little biscuits with olives). That was cute.

One aunt wanted to be a Farmer, but in my desperate attempt to play with makeup, I suggested we turn that into "a farmer-lady who can't stop dying her hair or get off the Wet n' Wild makeup aisle in Wal-Mart". She ditched the straw hat, grabbed a random wig, and tons of unnecessary blue eyeshadow and pillows-for-stuffing later, a makeup-loving Farmer was born..



Another aunt wanted to be some girl from Bones, or CSI, or Criminal Minds. I don't really know the show, but I knew who she was talking about...



My mom was a Vampire. I used a black liquid liner to draw spiderwebs by her eyes...



And my neice, as always, was a Princess!



Waaaaaay later at a bar in Raleigh, Santa spilled his wine on my feet. He appologized and I was so nice about it that he wrote my name on the Nice list. I saw some awful costumes. Lots of Snookies. I didn't see anything that I really loved and appreciated.

Don't make her mad!

My friend Jamie don't take nothin' from nobody. That's why I'm listening to her and updating this crap-blog. She has been yelling at me every day to do so. This very blog will always stay alive. We have so many memories together. So here you go...

I have decided to enhance my clothing situation. Just because my closet situation is suffering-to-the-max doesn't mean my clothing situation needs to continue to suffer like that. And when I say suffering, I mean "a shit-ton of clothes exposed because there are serious closet-space issues but I have so adorably decorated the ends of the racks with my scarves". On the day that this picture was taken it looked like a Good Will thrift store in the bedroom because I had to move everything out of the way for the painters. Usually the racks are hidden behind doors so it's not AS BAD.



Here are some things I've obtained..



I love this dark purple color. This is the direction my new lady-like lifestyle is going in. I'm trying to stop sitting indian style or on one leg in regular chairs but I'm having difficulty with that. I am doing better with nail polish and makeup except for the mornings where I remove the polish on my car ride to work. One day this week I didn't have enough on the single soaked cotton ball I so naively grabbed on the way out the door and had to spend the rest of the day with half painted nails.



This leopard tank is a copy of Julie's. It was on sale for $12.58 at Target and I was considerably lucky since the only one left was in my size. You have to be careful with this becuase it can be way low-cut in some sittings and expose your boobs like a mo-fo.



I went back after buying the leopard tank and loving it and got this gray one for $8.58 or something like that. I'm not even going to tell you where I took this picture but I think you know. I debated this flowy black sweater/cover-up that everyone is wearing these days, but I like it. I have to be careful with them so I don't look sloppy because I think that might be easy to do with these. This one was $10.99 at TJ Maxx.



These both came from TJ Maxx. They require some ironing and I'm not up for that right now so I'll show you better later.



This glittery tank and black sweater came from the Clearance rack at Target. (I've dug up my real camera so I can stop holding my iPhone up in the bathroom mirror.)

Other BS I've done is turn these sturdy Staples Copy Paper boxes into storage containers..





And of course Ebi is in my face wanting to participate in this little afternoon project. I am starting to think he is part deer because his legs are unusually long.



I will never entertain that idea again with cheap wrapping paper. It was hell.

At night time when I can't fall asleep right away I curl up in my bed and watch makeup videos. My favorite to watch are from Kandee The Makeup Artist. She is so nice and explains everything so well and you can clearly see what she is doing. You need to watch all her stuff and go play in your bathroom mirror like I do. She wears a TON of makeup sometimes, but it's fun to watch and learn from. Just YouTube Kandee Johnson and visit her blog.

Pretty Awesome Birthday Week

Monday night I met a BFF to see Eat Pray Love at 10:10 pm. This was the only time we could both go. We got ready for bed BEFORE the movie. This was quite strategic because the hairs and faces were already clean and all we had to do after the movie was go home, kick off the flip flops, and climb into bed. It hurt a little bit waking up Tuesday morning but who cares because it was my birthday!

Tuesday, my birthday, was a pretty awesome day. My mom showed up after work with the best thing on earth – Lemon Passion Cake. It is so delicious and I don’t even want to know the kilograms of sugar and butter involved in it’s making..



And rain boots after I expressed concern about having to walk to work in the rain!



I was the recipient of a phone call marathon and enjoyed a wonderful sushi dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant, Mt. Fuji in Brightleaf Square. I had fun with eye shadows in my new makeup mirror. This thing provides such great lighting but there is so much geometry involved in taking pictures in it. Anyway, what I’m getting at is that I have learned that wearing lip color does SO MUCH for my face.



Wednesday after work I stopped by Old Navy and bought these flats for $9.99. They are so comfortable, match a lot of things I have, and will get worn the hell out.



Then I recovered from staying up so late Monday and Tuesday by watching tv and sleeping.

Thursday evening I met another BFF for a post-birthday dinner at Pei Wei Asian Diner.

At Target on Friday I found this bag that was $26.99 for $6.74. It’s big enough for my notebooks..



This morning I had such a fun Saturday morning clean up, then I went to Burlington Coat Factory with my mom. I was so skeptical at first but I could get down with some things in there. It’s so cheap. I got these flats..



And these, which I am going to LOVE this Fall..





I love dark purple. And the flower and small wedge.

Next week I will be a normal adult and partake in after-work activities such as trips to the gym, preparing dinner, and taking Ebi to the dog park. I will still study Big Brother, though.

Loved

I’m so glad that so many people care about how my first day at my new job went. And that they are happy that I am now free from the burdens that plagued me before. I feel like I need to do a conference call tonight and tell everyone that my first day was wonderful and that I think I am going to be very happy in my new environment.
I get to wear flats, “ballet slippers,” and things of that sort to work now. Right up my alley. Today I wore black pants and Vans and it was too hot for this.



I don’t know why I own these? I mean, I bought them for myself but I think I should have opted for a more feminine black flat sneaker shoe. So, any time I can get my money’s worth out of these I’ll take it. I remembered seeing people in jeans and flats when I interviewed but I wanted to be safe and wait until I was “invited” to. You never know how strict the rules can be in a lab and these were a good choice in case because they cover the whole foot.

Tonight I am going to see Eat Pray Love with my soul-mate/old-work-BFF. We have been anticipating this forever. I wasn’t able to finish the book first. I only made it into Bali (Love). Julia Roberts probably plays this “self discovery” role so well.

And just to balance all that black with something pretty here are some flowers. They were $1.00 because no one wanted to take them and their green dye home.

Let the celebrations begin!

I have a lot to celebrate. Thursday was my last day at my former job. Celebration-worthy event #1 – Check! My BFF from there brought me this pretty cake..



It was Oreo. If an Oreo were a cake, it would be this. We were so sad because we were each the best thing about the other’s workday, and you rarely ever get to work alongside someone so amazing. I tasted but didn’t do any emotional eating with this cake. I made all of my Co-workers eat eat eat.

Celebration #2 – haircut! It was SOOO long…



And a major pain in the ass so I just pretty much wore a BUN every day. How awful. This is after..



I have a neat flat iron that can also produce wavey waves..



Friday was a glorious day and I even stood at the DMV for 2 hours so you know it was awesome. Celebration #3 – Patio table I’ve been wanting for 50% off! It was the display and the only one left so I bought it up without any regard for how we were going to get home. I knew it wouldn’t fit in my tiny little car so I called my mom to come rescue us.



And now for the most amazing grown-up lady, early birthday present EVER. Something really awesome to Celebrate #4 – Makeup mirror and stool. I had been sitting on the counter every day to put my makeup on in the medicine cabinet mirror.



But this small little improvement has opened up my entire world! I sat up last night until 3am practicing/playing in the beautiful and helpful glowing light. I am going to be able to learn and do things that I wasn’t able to do before. Here I was practicing with dark/smoky eyes. I am going to want to spend so much money now…

No more sulking!

I start my new job on August 16, the day before my birthday, and I am certain that my entire life is going to be happier now. Where you work has that kind of effect on you.

This summer is flying by. I finally replaced my iPhone with a 3GS. My old one is in such terrible condition and I have been really embarrassed by it because I never treat electronics like this. I dropped it in the grocery store one day (not its first fall) and it hit right on the corner and shattered. I carried it around in all of its scotch-taped glory for 5 months. The guy at the Apple store swore to me that a computer geek will buy it for $100 and put a new screen on it but I don’t think that he knows that it actually squeals instead of vibrating.



My dog already ate the $30 ear phones that my new phone came with. He rarely chews things up, but when he does it’s always something that will just tear up your entire day.



I am ready for Fall. It’s the best time of year and everything is always right with the world during that time. It is just so beautiful and cool like life is set to a John Mayer soundtrack. I got a $19 dress from the freaking Junior’s section of Macy’s that I can wear as we transition into Fall..



Although it’s not even that bad here, my mom would fuss about my posture in this picture. She is 5’10” and wears it proudly and always talks to me about my shoulders being back. She is right and I am working on it.

I always have intentions of not spending money when I go shopping with Jamie but I know it’s not going to happen so I set myself a $40 or $50 limit. I do really good. I never spend more than $35. Like Friday when I got the dress, some earrings, and a 20 eye shadow collection all for just $33. I should have known better about the eye shadow, though. It made my eyes itchy and I’m trying to think of something better to do with it instead of throwing it away. It’s pretty, but toxic.



We went in every store trying to find a necklace for Jamie to wear with a dress. We found nothing but back home in my apartment we discovered a perfect match in the form of a bronzey-golden, ribboned, and beaded necklace. Problem solved. For free.



A couple weeks ago I found this Tiki planter for cheap. He is supposed to be outside with a flower in him but he is a giant candle holder instead.

Of Books and Sunshine

This has often been my view the past few days.



I’m pretty sure that everyone has heard of Eat Pray Love by now. I had seen the book before but never picked it up until I saw the preview for the movie and I knew instantly that I had to both read the book and see the movie. It’s wonderful and beautifully written and helps you create a very content and easy feeling as you read the author’s description of her life and journey. It’s especially great for outdoorsy summer reading.

This morning I got this dress for $12 in TJ Maxx.



I contemplated over it for 20 whole minutes and text this picture to a friend for approval/disapproval. It’s too mother-f’in hot and this girl doesn’t really do shorts so I need some serious alternatives to pants and jeans.

Then, at home I baked cupcakes and cookies like a mom with triplets in 2nd grade whose birthday is tomorrow. The cupcakes are lemon with lemon icing and I only baked them because lemon cake is my favorite and I wanted one cupcake but now I have 20 something cupcakes so I’ll probably dump them at work. The cookies are part of a birthday tradition for this kid that works at the dealership I used to work at.



I’ve been waving my dork flag high lately. I saw Toy Story 3 this weekend and it was so emotional. I was really nervous when they were about to fall in that fire pit and they just held hands and braced for it. And a few weeks ago I went to the Backstreet Boys concert and wore glow sticks on my wrists. When Jamie found out they were coming she jumped on it with the quickness and got tickets early so we had 5th row seats. I mean look at how close we were…



A decade later they were still bustin’ smooth choreographed moves



And they changed clothes a lot into winter velvets and scarves like they didn’t know it was June and HOT.



Brian was always my favorite BSB and when it started to rain I tried to tie my mop atop my head and he offered me his hat. I haven’t been able to tell anyone this out loud in words because I KNOW how ridiculous it sounds. I am glad that Jamie was there to witness his nice gesture to me because she is quite possible the only individual that I know that will ever appreciate such an occurrence. I felt appreciated as a 12 year old fan and less remorseful over all the allowance money I spent at the time on their merchandise because they are so nice.



BSB Brian’s family sat behind us and his wife was so nice and normal. I could tell his kid has never been rained on before because he freaked out and had to go inside as soon as he got a little wet. Like, We gotta go. Right now. My plaid shorts are going to be ruined and my hair gel is going to get in my eyes. So they left.