Where to begin...

I was off from work today which was nice. My vacation and sick days are combined into 3.5 weeks worth of time for me to use at my disposal. Luckily for me (knock on wood) I don’t really get sick so I can manage to take a day to just do BS that I really don’t want to do but have to. Like…

Bathe my dog with this shampoo that I bought from TJ’s because I liked the bottle. It’s cute, and there are humans that don’t get baths as often as he does, so it stays it sits permanently in the shower.



Then we went to the vet to get his nails clipped and discuss his many health issues with a professional. He has chronic growing pains which are not abnormal in large dogs but his moaning can be excessive when he’s experiencing them. He gets it about once every 6 weeks for 5 days or so. And he has persistent allergies so sometimes he breaks out in rashes. They want to put him on a hypoallergenic diet but I just tell them to give me the prescription for his medicine so I can take it to Target and get it filled for $7. And to top it off he has an ear infection, but now I have all his medicine and he’s pretty much just sleeping through the pain. He’s very obedient and I’m proud of my dog-mom performance thus far.

Then I came home and cleaned. Cleanliness helps my mental health. I tried hard to not become a victim to the DVR but I failed. I wanted to listen to some shows I recorded in the background but I had to SIT DOWN AND WATCH True Life: I hate my face. I fast forwarded through the white girl a lot but the Indian-looking/Asian-ish girl had me freaking out. I definitely don’t think she has the body disorder, I think she’s just spoiled as hell. It was crazy. Meanwhile, I’ve been going sans eyeliner a lot lately and I’m liking it, especially for summer. I'm glad I like my face.


(I’m too lazy to use my real camera and transfer pics.. iPhone is easier)

I started going to O2 Fitness with some of my co-workers because they have group exercise classes that are really awesome. It was very difficult for me to transfer my membership from the Y to O2 because I feel like a portion of my money goes to some sort of goodness at the Y each month. At O2, however, there are a bunch of tanning-bed-burnt ladies with belly rings. And the office staff calls my phone too often trying to get me to buy a personal trainer for $300. BUT the classes are really good and it pushes me way harder than I would ever push myself AND I have good company which always makes working out so much easier. I’ll probably go back to the Y… I have 5 months to decide to do so before I would have to pay the application fee again. I mean, look at how pretty my walk is to and from my car each morning at the Y!





There is a really awesome bbq restaurant in Durham called The Q Shack. It’s the best and it always reminds me of my crazy childhood road trips to Texas. Anyway, they opened The Fish Shack next door in an old garage. It’s really open and airy and cuter than what this picture provides..



It’s great because they have things that you want to eat sometimes but can’t really find around here like fried crawfish tails and delicious po’ boys. And it’s like you’re sitting outside without really sitting outside.

The only fun thing I've bought lately is this winter bag from Lightyears that was on clearance for $10..

You Won't Find Moments in a Box

Last week had beautiful moments. I received a notice that I had a package, but that it had to be picked up from the post office so I knew it was from Paki. Shafaq sent me some wonderful things! The most wonderful part of all, though, was that it travelled 7,000 miles in a pillow case. I love that she packed it in a pillowcase and wrote my address on it with a Sharpie.



Shafaq sent scarves, bracelets, and some homemade cards. There was also a letter written on Hello Kitty stationary and she mostly wrote about how cute the stationary is. Love it! This is the pink scarf:



My afternoon was so sun shine-y and in the evening I met with my family to celebrate my Grandfather’s birthday at Tyler’s Taproom where I ate the most expensive boring salad ever.

I picked the best combination of movies this weekend. First, it was Food, Inc. and if you haven’t seen it you definitely need to watch it. I think I’m getting near the point in my life where I am ready to consider the environment and ethics in my buying. When you are broke it is really, really hard to be so conscious, but now I feel a responsibility because I am smart enough to understand the importance.

Ironically (ha!) here I am in Wal-Mart with a giant Twinkie. I will not take your carby, sugary treat, but I will take your picture, Sir!
This was pre-Food, Inc. I just don’t know how I feel about Wal-Mart. I am on a budget so I just have to make really conscious choices when I’m shopping there. I am ready to begin weaning it out of my life and start buying from the Farmer’s Market.



The next movie was Up In The Air and the reason why these were such a good combination is because the song that ends Food, Inc. is the song that begins Up In The Air. How ironic! Great movie.

I am so over the mat. I had this in my face today..



I did wonder over the One World Market and was entertained by all the fun things I could look at.



I love this piggy bank!



Today I organized my everyday makeup. It was in my makeup bag that kept getting stuck whenever I opened the drawer. Now I can see everything and I should have made this transition a long time ago

Nice Weekend

Yesterday was my cousin’s baby shower. She’s having a boy.



That is the only blurry iPhone pic I got because my favorite person, Gracie, always requests to use it for SpinArt creations. And she saves each and every one of them. I love it. She will close text messages and deny phone calls that interrupt her.



Gracie always looks like she just stepped out of a Gymboree catalog. She did my hair and makeup on her Nintendo DS dress-up game and then my Grandmother told me about the Wii she bought for herself because she is a hard-core Wii bowler. These are cute family moments that I am so thankful for.

Today was beautiful and warm, and I discovered that I do not like papayas. They're bitter and I can't get over the rotten-fish-egg-looking seeds in the middle. However, I still appreciate papaya fragranced air fresheners.

Busy, Inspired, Frustrated...

Tuesday was not a very good day for me, so after work I went to Sephora (for one thing only) and discovered the wonderfulness of the budget-friendly Sephora product line. I had never really taken the time to look into their line of products because I was just straight in for my necessary Benefit products and straight out, so as not to be tempted by anything. I almost bought Benefit’s Coralista..



..which is so pretty on, but I put it back and got a Sephora blush that is similar.

I also got a matte lipstick because I am tired of my lips being the same color as my face. My eczema (Nerd Flag waves high) won’t allow me to wear glosses and things but a matte lipstick is perfect for me because it lasts longer, and I can put my special chap stick over it.

I also got my favorite concealer, Boi-ing by Benefit, which is what I initially went in for. It’s the best and well worth $18 because I use it every day and it’s not cakey or oily and provides perfect coverage.

But my favorite thing that I got was this Eyelash comb..



I almost got the cheaper one for $6 but I’m really glad I got this one because the comb on it is amazing. And I didn’t have an eyelash comb before.

Okay, rewind to Monday. My lease on my apartment is up here in a short time and I’m on the fence about moving/where I want to move to. Apartment hunting went from “Oh, this is fun..” to “I hate my life” in about 2 seconds flat. I am really frightened by reviews that I read online and just overall very frustrated with this whole process.

And I made pickles this week, too. They’ll be ready in 2 weeks and hopefully I will have found a wonderful place to live by then!

Becoming healthier..

I’ve eliminated so much craziness from my diet and I’ve been going to the gym in the mornings, and even swimming laps some afternoons.

I’m having fun with it! I downloaded the MyFitnessPal App on my phone and it is beyond amazing. It’s basically a diary of what you eat but it’s so easy to use. They have a huuuuuuuuge database and you can just type in some key words from what you ate and scroll through to find the brand, or exact kind, and change the serving size. And it provides you with a Nutrient Summary that tells you how much of your recommended daily vitamins you have received from what you ate, as well as calories, fat grams, carbs, cholesterol…. All that. And it saves your foods so it just becomes easier and easier to use.



On Monday I went with my cousin, Jessica, to see Dear John and it was so sad it made my stomach hurt. I had to hide behind my scarf. It’s a love story based on a book so it comes with the territory. I did appreciate how it exemplified the way 9/11 affected young people in particular.

So considering that I could probably get away with wearing my pajamas to work, even the slightest opportunity to wear a hat and scarf gets me excited. I do need a haircut but hey, I’m tryin’..

Happy

Here’s some more of my apartment. I’ve just recently gotten around to organizing and decorating. I’m on a super tight budget.



This is the computer nook and that wire mess behind my laptop is probably a fire hazard and might blow up but whatever. So much crazy shit gets thrown in here..



This is my living room with an exhausted Ebi. I am not crazy about the picture but it keeps the wall from being bare for now. I got the futon from Target for $160 and the black tables (there’s another small one) also from Target for $40 for the set.



I love these little red tables. They came from TJ Maxx and were $50 for both. Those little drawers are perfect for storing tiny things I would otherwise lose.



I throw all my hats here (for right now).



This is my favorite one. It’s not very structured so it fits my head perfectly and it’s so comfortable over my ears. I usually have difficulty with hats and ears because I’m a baby about the way it feels. I found this one in a Delia’s catalog years ago and then went to the store and paid like $28 for it. I’m glad I did.



It’s so much easier to take quick pictures with my iPhone and email them to myself but then you can’t see my face.

Tonight my aunts and mom and some of their cousins met for dinner at Satisfactions in Brightleaf Square. I was happy to go. I love to hear them tell stories about their childhood and how cool of a Dad my Grandfather was to them. They had a freaking pony! Their childhood seems so beautiful and I’m happy that they had the experiences they tell about. As kids they went to the grocery store as a family and it was a really big deal that they got dressed up for, and the guys that did the bagging went to school with them and they were always rushing to do their bagging. My mom and her sisters were some hotties. And Sears had a candy bar! And the Carolina Theatre downtown was the place to be. It all just seems so cute. I mean, they had a pony!

March 10 would have been Gpa’s 90th birthday, and I’ve proposed that we all go out for dinner that evening because he always talked about living to be 90. I think it will be full of wonderful stories.

The Mat

This is my life for an hour each week. I'm surprised that I don't mind it that much. This laundromat is always so quiet and empty when I go either Monday-day or Tuesday-evening. I could buy a W/D but that would involve me having to pay a fat amount, and then move them, and move them again one day. And I wouldn't be able to complete all laundry in such little time while reading the Independent.

I didn't know about this until today but Jessica Simpson has a new reality show starting March 15 on VH1. She is traveling the world to meet women, study local fashions, dietary trends, and beauty regimes. I'm goofy excited.

Sick dog

Ebi has been sick, moaning, and groaning since the middle of the night last night and he definitely slept in the bed with me last night. He was pitiful and snuggled up close and then he hated me for pouring Pepto Bismol down his throat. He’s doing better now.



I bought him some discounted Valentine bears today because he likes to tear stuff up. Two-for-one deal! Just a little snip of the scissors and we have a toy to destroy now and one to destroy later.

Getting it together

I like my home so much better now. I did some organizing today..

I had some giant Rubbermaid containers full of craziness that were just sitting out and I had to look at it every day and it was making me so sad to have to see that old, tired, dirty plastic. Every. Single. Day.

I have a sort-of extra room (because I moved my bed into the sunroom where it’s brighter & open with a giant window) so now there is nothing in the actual bedroom except for a bookshelf and now my old TV. The floor hasn't always been full of shit and crazy like this but when I started pulling things out this is what I started with this morning..



In my closet I did have my shoes thrown up here (where my jeans are now neatly folded) and it was a mess.



I did have all of my pants hanging up so this cleared up a lot of space.

It was impossible to keep my shoes organized before because they were everywhere on top of each other. The shoes that I wear most are now stored here. We will see how this works out for me. I like it so far, and I don't have to stretch like a maniac to reach them. I do need a foot stool though.



My bike was in the extra room leaning against the wall and I played with the idea of hanging it from the ceiling because I had seen that done before but I don’t trust the sheetrock and I don’t really think I can go putting holes in the ceiling AND I don’t even know how to begin to tackle that project so the bike is now comfortably stored in the pantry-thing.



It’s now accompanied by the vacuum, ugly plastic giant container, and broom, and stuff. I like it so much better in there.

This shelf on my book case is intriguing. Are those Spanish translators next to philosophies next to the Holy Bible next to Genome next to Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl next to Ellen Degeneres next to mindless chick reads next to Harry Potter next to Amy Sedaris, PostSecret, and Jessica Simpson’s “I Do”? Why yes, yes it is…



Pretty flowers...



Here is part of the cleaner, more organized room. I’m putting my desk in there within the next few days. I have a giant table one from Julie packed up and I am ready to have myself a work area!

Snow slumber

This weekend was amazing because it snowed and I didn’t have to go to work on Saturday, and I updated everything (iPhone, Flickr, iTunes). Since my work schedule is Tues-Sat I never get to have Saturdays off and it makes me a little jealous of people with traditional weekends. Sometimes.

We got about 6 inches of snow. I took Ebi to the fenced in playground in my complex for him to go crazy and bury his face in the snow, and eat it, and chase it, and bark at it.

Sunday we ventured out on very icy roads to go to the grocery store.



I have been all up in Flickr this weekend. Now that I have the Flickr app on my phone (not sure why I hadn’t already downloaded it), I can upload pictures easier since I mostly use my phone. And since I updated the software on my phone the camera is much faster and clearer and captures my beast-dog running...


I’m embarrassed that I had not already downloaded these upgrades. Shame.

Photos on Flickr make me crazy for wanting to take more pictures, wear brighter colors, and explore.

Okay ... Breathe.

I know that football is a big deal this weekend or next but I’ve never been able to get into it. The only reason why I care about college basketball is probably because I have emotions involved. UNC’s my school. I love my school. Love=emotions=support.

This season at the games I’ve been to they’ve played a version of this video (I say version because the new one I’ve been seeing has Sean May and Tyler Hansbrough in it.. which results in the Dome erupting into insane applause) and it touches that part of my heart where I’m so proud to be a Tarheel.



I’ve been fortunate enough to go to 2 games so far this season. They’ve both been huge surprises.. As in, I get a phone call at work telling me that’s what I’m doing that night. The first one was against Albany. It was a rush to get there so we ate a bullshit dinner of popcorn and ice cream cookie sandwich.





The second game I went to was against Wake Forest and we don’t want to talk about that. We lost and then I lost my car.

Christmas Indulgences

I received so many wonderful Christmas gifts.. a North Face jacket and NF fleece to wear under. A beautiful little Asian dining set.



Sephora gift card, PJs, scarves, lotions, candles, lottery tickets that won me $5.

Christmas Eve night I drove myself to the church play that my dad’s kids were in. I had to work until 4:30 and then I had to leave home by 6pm to make it there in time. So I had 1 hour to shower, wash my hair, wrap some gifts, and iron my pants. I didn’t end up washing my hair but that was okay because I had to stop on the side of the road to put some transmission fluid in my car on the way. I was kind of lost and I almost cried but it was Christmas and I was on my way to a function so I kept my shit together. I made it in time, go me! When I got home tonight that red bad boy was smokin’ but I will worry about that craziness tomorrow.

This is (from left) my dad’s wife, my dad, their kids, me, and my dad’s parents. You can’t even tell I had to be a mechanic less than 30 minutes earlier.



Today I went to my grandparent’s house. The older I get the more I appreciate these types of traditions.



Whatever this peanut butter chocolate powdered sugary chex concoction my cousin sent me home with is- and this hoodie from my grandmother- and good company – and some Holiday beverages :) have made my Christmas evening quite delightful. I will clean this wrapping paper mess up later when I worry about my smoking car.