junk

go. here. now.

2011-06-22T22:56:00.003-04:00

http://kindredly.blogspot.com

Pod-a-roo

2011-05-12T10:49:00.000-04:00

My co-worker has recently turned me on to Podcasts. I've had an iPod for a million years, and I've yet to download my first podcast. Truthfully, I had no clue what they were and didn't care.

There is a WORLD of knowledge in this podcast thing...for instance, some of my recent downloads...

Does your dog really love you?..well, if you're a dog lover and have dogs and treat them like they are humans, you might not want to listen to this podcast. It's 40 minutes of two people, who sound like they are pretty indifferent to all animals, talking about how dogs really don't understand love. So, you're telling me when Marley-the-Beagle comes over and lays his head on my shoulder that he's not saying "Mommy, hold me please..I wuv you"? Because he is. He loves the shit out of me.

(that podcast can be found under Stuff You Should Know - Stuff To Blow Your Mind)

How Does Cremation Work?...uh..yeah, I don't know. It's interesting? Actually, it is very interesting because I've always wondered what they did with the bones. Truly, the whole deal is pretty gross, and apparently, families have the option to come watch. Didn't know that. Won't be partaking in that when the time comes.

This podcast stuck with me so much that I dreamed last night that I was a courier who had to deliver a dead body. It was terrifying.

(this one found under Stuff You Should Know)

What's the Scoop on Lady Poop?...it speaks for itself.

(this is found under Stuff Mom Never Told You)

Some fun ones I haven't listened to yet, but sound amazing...All of these are found in Stuff You Should Know.

How Deja Vu Works
Do animals have a sixth sense?
Can you control your dreams? Because if so, Alexander Skarsgard will star in mine every night.
How Body Dysmorphic Disorder works.
How do dogs perceive time? aka can I leave them overnight without feeling guilty?
What is a hangover, really? I think I've had enough of these to have an idea...
How food cravings work
How Tourette Syndrome works
What makes a serial killer?
How Traffic works
Why ticks suck
How Antiques work
Do you stay conscious after being decapitated? just wondering.

Have you guys jumped on the podcast bandwagon? I'm interested in hearing what some of your favorite ones are. Do tell...

Starbucks, it's not you, it's me

2011-05-09T10:46:00.034-04:00

It's funny that one of my Anon commenters recently PISSED me off with the the comment about living outside of my means. While I want people to comment on my blog, I'd rather people who do not know me lay off leaving insulting comments behind the safety of anonymity. Either way, the comment came at the best time. In living within our means and making more of them, the husband and I have implemented some money saving ideas. Everyone would like to have a little more money in their bank account, and every time I swipe my debit card, I cringe a little. I thought it might be fun to blog our ideas as we go and watch our savings build.

We're taking a few tips from this article on Dumb Little Man. We don't believe in completely depriving ourselves of fun, so we're implementing some of these easy adjustments to our daily spending. Don't worry, I'm not going Extreme Couponing crazy on this (although, if someone could give me a crash course that doesn't look more exhausting than my 8 hour work day, I'm game).

First up: Making my own coffee

You may remember the post when I was de-scaling my Keurig and discovering cheddar cheese popcorn?

After that project, the Keurig was never the same. I couldn't get the vinegar taste out of the coffee, and I tried EVERYTHING Google suggested. Over the course of the last month and a half, I've spent too much money on lattes, and decided it was time to start making my own again.

really, I'm sorry...

I remember a friend telling me that Bed Bath and Beyond replaced her Keurig when it malfunctioned...she'd had it for a while and no receipt, box, etc. I figured it was worth a try since at this point it was only taking up space. I took it up and explained what was going on, they looked up my model number and saw that it was within the warranty period, and replaced it with a new one!!

I never get this lucky. I'm always coming up a little short in these situations.

So, our first money-saving effort has been put into place without having to spend money on a new coffee maker. Now I just have to figure out to to successfully de-scale this thing when the time comes.

Next up: More cooking at home. This is something the husband is heading up. We're sitting down for our first planning meeting this week. You know you love the total commitment here. I'll keep you posted...

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T09:57:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mommies out there!

And...Happy Mother's Day to my mommy!  I love you!  

image via - mom the kitty love is for you :)

dilemma

2011-05-05T13:30:00.001-04:00

I won an award at work.

It was an award for being awesome at doing my job, and I'll take it...I've not worked this hard in years.

The award was a $250 American Express gift card. So, I decided, with my first work award, that I would buy myself the Michael Kors watch that I'm about a year behind...or more...getting. I do not wear a watch, and I could use one - especially running all over the building grabbing candidates and taking them to meet their interviewers.

But then....I got a speeding ticket.

I am queen of those. My foot is made of lead naturally...I got the ticket on April 19, and it hasn't posted to the website yet - maybe he "forgot" to report it...I know I don't have that good of luck.

My dilemma is this: Do I use my award to buy myself the watch I really want? OR do I pay for my ticket (or pay myself back with my award)?

I'm feeling like I should probably suck it up and pay for my ticket with this money...but Macy's does have a Friends & Family sale happening now, and I'd get $64 off....I'm just sayin'....

hmmm....

2011-05-04T20:20:00.000-04:00

Ohhhh, little blog friends....

I'm torn. Do I stop? Do I start over? Do I make a new site? Will I be able to keep it up?

Work is currently in rehab for it's crack addiction. Sometimes it gets a little wacky from habit, but for the most part, it's reflecting on life right now.

Moral of the story - right now I can maybe blog...but probably not in two months...or one month...or one week.

I don't think I need to rehash my various commitment issues - but I just don't know how focused I can make myself after a long day's work...

It's on my mind...and that is all.

An Update of Sorts...

2011-04-10T18:57:00.001-04:00

There is no excuse for my absence...except that life is crazy. Work is nuts, and honestly, all recreational internet browsing is saved for online shopping.

I can update you with photos of how fun/busy/crazy life has been since my last post...

Charleston with the girls.... here we are at Taco Boy

"sight seeing" with bikes and cocktails makes for an amazing girls weekend....

and riding in random old school limos....

two favorite friends celebrating their wedding...

friends and their bambinos...

a freakin' canoe trip...

pre-seriously painful sunburn...

with my canoe partner, the resident expert and also my husband. this makes whining easy and acceptable. :)

Finally...celebrating an old friend's 30th birthday...

with one of my favorite people....we'll be celebrating together when we're 80.

In between all of these fun weekend activities is, of course, work, and I'm still loving it like crazy. Everyday definitely presents a new challenge, but I'm still drinking the kool-aid.

I have shared with some that blogging is not on top of my priority list, so posts will happen as I get a wild hair...until next time...

An outfit for my Kindle

2011-03-07T08:30:00.001-05:00

If you know me at all, you know my new Kindle must be outfitted in the most perfect cover. I don't do plain.

Because my new book is, in fact, 1400 pages long, and I have another book to go right after it, I have plenty of time to find the right cover.

I've started my research now and come up with a few favorites. I will say that I have a major problem spending what the Kindle cost on it's outfit...but of course, all the outfits I like cost as much as the damn Kindle. Typical...well, not really...

I've compiled a few of my favorites and maybe you guys can help me narrow them down and psycho stalk them until they go more on sale....

1. Great Expectations cover by Kate Spade on sale for $69.99

2. bookworm cover by Rebecca Minkoff on sale at Nordstrom for $99.90 - down from $125

3. Juicy Couture - can't find price anywhere...

4. The Great Gatsby cover by Kate Spade $69.99

5. M Edge-Go Crackled Gold $39.99 (totally do-able and very chic!)

6. Diane von Furstenberg Kayley Canvas $89.99

7. Kate Spade canvas cover - price unavailable

8. Diane von Furstenberg limited edition Kayley Canvas - price unavailable

While doing some research on the prices/names of the above selection, I came across a crapload of options on Ebay...happy me.

Right now....

2011-03-06T18:03:00.000-05:00

This weekend was spent cleaning my disgusting house, spending some much needed QT with my hubbaroo, and trying to figure out how to "descale" my Keurig...

For months, I've said I was going to start some home projects. As it turns out, my weeks are so exhausting that my weekends are spent taking the breather I need to gear up for the next week. Maybe I'll eventually get used to going on no sleep, but my gut says probably not. I'm definitely not complaining, but I guess I'll just have to get creative with how I prioritize my time.

My girlfriend, Chrissy, is staying at our house Thursday night. The idea of having guests throws me into tizzy of obsessive cleaning and redecorating. Chrissy is literally coming here after work on Thursday, spending the night, and waking up at the crack of dawn Friday to leave...she will have no time to notice the ~~small~~ very large imperfections in the guest bathroom paint job or lack of seating in the living room. Still - everything must be perfect.

I de-cluttered the guest room and got rid of the bookshelf covered with every single book I've ever read - I threw the books into the middle guest room, and my plan is to keep the door shut until it all magically disappears. I'd seen these shelves used as bars in dining rooms, so I went that way instead of the way of the trash...the shelf is old old old and needs a new paint job, but I thought until I could make that my next project, I'd put it in the room and test it out....

behold:

Of course, we have no barware, so if this stays, I'll have to go out and actually purchase things to make it more of a "bar" and less of a random shelf in the dining room. The new table and chairs are really quite big...and I guess the shelf off in the corner maybe throws off the symmetry as seen here...

Gah! I swear the walls do not look like this in person. Good grief. Also, pardon the mess on the table... I'm going to have to have you all over to prove it because every photo looks like Disco Dining Room.

Although, I do have to say that the shelf is a great size for the space - the table and chairs AND a buffet really may be way too crowded. My goal was to get a buffet, add some lamps on each side and have something not so bar-like in the room since neither myself or the hub are big liquor drinkers, but I'm not a huge fan of the buffet that matches the table. I'm also not a huge fan of matchy-matchy...but if I wait for the perfect one, we could be like this for years... we'll see - I could go back and forth all day. Not to mention, a new, dimmer capable chandelier is most needed.

After I moved furniture and painstakingly cleaned every last corner of the house, I made the husband take me out for Mexican where I ate an entire plate of nachos by myself - in addition to the complementary chips and salsa, a margarita and more wine at home. I guess I really felt the need to reward myself. This is why I have yet to see the results from the four to five days a week at the gym...I eat that many calories over the weekend. Gross.

Today I tackled the "de-scaling" of my Keurig. I've had this thing for three years and I've never cleaned it. I know...not only terrible but amazingly disgusting. I noticed that my coffee tastes terrible, so I figured a good clean could help.

This is what my Keurig looks like now...

uh....how are we not done yet?

I have to let it sit like this for four hours before I can run a fresh water brew cycle and hope that this week's coffee doesn't taste vinegar-y. This is very complicated. I'm sure they could make some money employing technicians who come out for a yearly tune up. Not only that, but I'm intrigued by this water filter brick they sell at Bed Bath and Beyond near the Keurigs. I think this is as apart it will come, and I see no place for a water filter. Somebody help me.

Until that works itself out, I'm just munching on this..(and blogging)

Cheddar-freakin-cheese popcorn. Orville Redenbacher is a man after my own heart. What did I say again about gross weekend calorie consumption??

Yay for tomorrow being my Tuesday! I took Friday off so that Chrissy and I could ride out early for our weekend trip to Charleston. Morgan will be joining us (and I think Leslie will also come out since we're invading her hometown), and our plan is to relax, wander around aimlessly, and drink wine. It's a much needed and spontaneously planned trip for all of us. More on that later...

Love This Junk

2011-03-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

How is it that I named this blog Love This Junk after my many Love This Junk posts on Kindredly, but don't have any Love This Junk posts here? Weird...well, here is a list of some junk that's made it's way into my good graces...

My good friend and fellow blogger, LK, introduced me to OPI's axxium gel polish. In 2010, I became a manicure junkie. Each week, you'd find me at my local Beauty Nails gabbing it up with one of the technicians. I suffer from not enough time and little patience, so I was always messing up my nails soon after leaving the salon. First of all, it's just not possible for three layers of wet polish to completely dry within one hour. What is dry to the touch is definitely not dry to the impact of slamming your nails into something, which is what will no doubt happen right after a mani. So, I tried axxium at Lily Nails in Atlanta. None of the salons in the burbs were on the gel nail bandwagon...unless you were talking about the pink and white claws, which I was not. After a successful two week stint with axxium's bubble bath, I took it to my local salon to be soaked off.

They had no clue what walked through their doors. They were filing, trying to get all scary with that electric file thing...the whole time I'm trying to get "there's an easy way to get this off" translated into Vietnamese because I was certain they were going to file my nails down to nothing. They made a few phone calls, and began the process of getting the polish off. The soak off process is a bit tedious. Especially if you don't have much time on your hands. Also, if you're like me and have super sensitive hands and feet, this can be kind of painful if they get to digging all in your cuticle. After getting a few weeks of normal manicures, I asked Beauty Nails if they'd begin carrying the gel polish...and now they do!

I've had Bubble Bath, You Don't Know Jacques, Lincoln Park After Dark, and Dulche de Leche from OPI. Bubble Bath and Dulche de Leche were a bit "naked" looking. Especially DdL - super naked, don't get it unless you want to look like you have super shiny naked nails.

My local salon also purchased this line which I am currently wearing in a pretty pinkish-glittery color. It's not love, but it's not hate. I will say the application process is much easier with this line. My salon hasn't found their comfort level with just using brushes from their current inventory, so she has to painstakingly clean the OPI brush from base coat to color coat, which again, takes time and makes me fidgety. This particular brand of polish is more in line with what they are used to, which results in a much better manicure for me.

I ran into two displays in one weekend holding Sally Hansen's nail polish strips. I figured for $8, I'd give it a try. It claims to be super easy to apply and last for two weeks...I purchased the below pattern, Misbehaved.

image via

Application is actually super easy, and for my first time, I thought it looked pretty professionally done. I wore it to work the next day, and my co-workers were all pretty impressed. Fishnet fingernails are not exactly the most professional of things, so because of that, I only wore them for one day before getting my Lincoln Park After Dark axxium mani. I recommend...there are several different colors and prints to choose from. I think next time, I'll just try one of the metallic ones...

So, springtime tanning efforts went into effect in January. My co-worker told me about L'Oreal's Sublime Bronze lotion, so I got it. I picked up my trusty Neutrogena spray, but I'm not getting anywhere with that, so I tried this. I love it. One problem, it wears off like a spray tan...splotchy looking skin. So, my suggestion is to keep building the tan. Use this as often as you can get away with. Of course, it's a bit hard for me because I usually hit the gym before work...sleeping in tanning lotion, then going to the gym and sweating...I just envision streaks and a brown sports bra - gross.

And finally....I love my Kindle. I got it for my birthday, and I'm in love. I'm kind of annoyed that I have two books on my nightstand that I must get through before I start using my it, but it's all ok. I can use this time to find the perfect case because you know it can't be plain.

So, what are some of your recent favorite finds? Please share....

Let's see....

2011-02-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Well, happy Monday! Welcome to what I hope will be a week of normal for me.

Last week was craziness. For starters, I went on my very first business trip with my new company. We flew to DC and back to Atlanta in less than two full days while conducting a training, doing a little high end shopping and eating more meals than one should in such a time frame. I had Wednesday to get work done, have lunch with a long lost friend and get more work done. Thursday we did the same training for a group in Atlanta, and finally on Friday I took the day off because I did not want to work on the first day of the last year of my 20's...make sense?

My sweet mom took me out for a day of fun. We went to see Just Go With It at AMC Fork & Screen for lunch, then after that, we did a little shopping and got pedicures. My pedicure goes great with this 70 degree weather we're enjoying.

The next few weeks are going to be a little more low key. I have a dinner with my girlfriends Thursday night, but every other night me and the hub will spend some time together. Our springtime weekend activities are gearing up, and due to less than thoughtful planning, we'll be apart two weekends in a row. Boo....

Other than that, I have to say that everything is good. My goal is to blog normally. So many of you on my blogroll do it, so why can't I?

spring feels like it's officially here!

image via

the 29th

2011-02-25T08:00:00.003-05:00

Guess who makes time to post on her birthday? ME! That's right. I'm 29 today, and I'm out celebrating with my mom. My sweet husband is coming back to town tonight just in time to take me to dinner...can't wait!

can we say awesome?

image via

I guess I can't promise normal blogging any time soon. This week was on crack. I hope to put down some thoughts soon, but who knows...

Rules, they are made to be broken...

2011-02-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

I didn't necessarily make it a rule to write more...Lord knows, I don't need to put one more thing on my plate right now. Life is just so busy right now. Work especially. It's 8:30, and I'm just now shutting down the computer for the day. At least I'm still enjoying it!

I have a couple of ideas for posts coming up. Maybe I'll get it all down soon. Bear with!

hello? Helllllllo???

2011-02-08T20:09:00.000-05:00

Woo! A new post - for those readers still out there...

Let's see...what's been going on since January 25th in the life of me?...

I had my first emotional breakdown over work - yeah, that was fun. Lucky for me, I was working from home that day - and truthfully, I think the all day crying fest was really due to the lack of sleep from the night before.
The night before I attended my very first legit country music concert - Jason Aldean and Eric Church. Yes, I know - I'm country. My new co-workers unfortunately think I'm a deep-down redneck, which if my old co-workers knew this, I think they may be appalled (or at least they better be). I'm the farthest thing from a redneck, but it just so happens I live in the country, and my first PTO was taken for a country music concert where we tailgated and did it up hillbilly style. What can I say - I'm learning to embrace situations, so I embraced the country-ness of Jason Aldean's return to his hometown. The husband really embraced it. He embraced it so much that he threw up the next morning. What a champ.
The guy I hit with my car (I hit his car, btw) last May decided to come back and sue for damages...he and his passenger. Nothing is more embarrassing than being served papers on your front porch when you have nosy neighbors - nothing is scarier than a cop banging on your door when you're home alone and don't know it's a cop. Does the movie Strangers ring a bell...because that's all I could think about.
The husband gets mad at me when I say "I'm being sued"...so just in case he's reading, my insurance company is being sued...(whatever)
My insurance company appointed attorney called me today and scared the bejesus out of me..."when this goes to trial"...."during your deposition..." I thought these things settled out of court. Then she mentioned something about a "six month discovery period" and I just stopped listening. If this is going to take six months, just wake me up in August.
I'm traveling to DC this month for work. I feel so happy and important. I get to meet ~~the people behind my emotional breakdown~~ my counterparts in Greater Washington, and I'm really excited to finally put ~~a face on my dartboard~~ a face with the name.
The husband and I finally bit the bullet and got new furniture. See photos...

Our iridescent dining room. For the record, the walls do not look like that in person - it's just a nice shimmer. We did this paint job with Ralph Lauren Candlelight. Annnywaaay - this is the new table and chairs. The husband picked it out. I picked out a more contemporary set - he didn't seem sold, and truthfully, the tables available just didn't look right. We purchased this loot from our local JC Penney Outlet. They were doing 10% off everything and 20% off upholstered furniture - um..can we say awesome? Some may hate on JC Penney, but I'm sitting here at this table now, and it's a sturdy little piece. We're very happy with it. The pink in the chair is my laptop bag, by the way...So, the deal is this - they have the same stuff that's in the catalog or in the stores, but this is supposedly "irregular". You know how much I love TJ Maxx and Marshall's - irregular merchandise doesn't scare this sister. I stumbled upon this table and it was perfect. After fishing through every chair they had, we plucked six perfect ones. The husband pulled the trigger and said we should definitely get this set, so we did...and here it is! Of course, we still need an area rug, a new chandelier, and an updated centerpiece (that's right, Sandyn), but at least the biggest part is taken care of.

Next up is the living room. We wanted a darker colored couch - with a chaise. Despite the tall ceilings in our living room, the room is sort of small. It would look super cluttered if we had a love seat and a couch, so we've been happy with our couch/chair combo. Until Sunday afternoons. On those days, the husband and I are fighting for our nap spot on the couch, and we end up in a tangled mess, covered with beagles. With this new gem, one of us can curl up on the chaise and the other on the couch...it's perfect. I felt like the couch was going to be too big for the room, but as it turns out, we'll easily be able to add an armless chair in one corner (for company and decor) and a recliner (that doesn't look like a recliner - I've scoped several out) for the husband. We got the couch for a cool $430. Can you believe it? It sits way better than our other one, and I'm super impressed with the quality. This way, we don't feel bad splurging for the custom recliner from Haverty's.

nevermind the random sock in the middle of the floor

So, this is what's been going on. So far, I'm in love with 2011. Everything is so great - except the all day crying fest, but we won't make those a habit. I hope you dear readers continue to bear with me while things are slow. I'll try to make more of an effort to keep this updated, but you're going to have to comment. I mean, seriously, the last three posts were duds and do nothing for positive reinforcement.

I am very active on Twitter, so if you're missing me, just come over to @ashgillespie and say hello.

That is all.

2011-01-25T21:47:00.001-05:00

I think you're all tired of the I'm-too-busy-to-blog post, but I'm too busy to blog. Sorry. Work and the gym are killing me.

Be back soon....I hope.

re-do

2011-01-22T15:27:00.000-05:00

I didn't have much time to blog about anything last week. I was too busy setting little fires around the office and causing all kinds of trouble.

There are just some days you're off...how about I was off all last week. And I don't mean off work, like out of the office. On Friday, three major eff-ups revealed themselves in a two hour time frame. This came after my "mid year" (two month) review which was glowing...uh, can we keep the review and just blame this week on the vacation my brain took without me? Luckily, my boss was totally understanding and all affected parties like me enough at this point to laugh it off....thank you, Lord.

Needless to say, I've learned to bone up on my process. When things seem too easy, that's because something's missing.

I'll go into details later. It'll make a funny blog post. I just need to pull my tail out from between my legs...still feeling like a total idiot today.

gamer

2011-01-18T08:11:00.003-05:00

I think the husband and I are going to waste some money on this...

We're going to sell our Wii and Wii Fit. Our Wii is busted - once we figure out what's wrong with it, hopefully we can fix it without coming out of pocket too much, or I might just throw all of our games, the Wii Fit and accessories into a bundle and sell it as is with the disclaimer that the Wii needs some fixin'. It just stopped working - we didn't drop it or hurt it, so my feeling is that it's an easy fix...

Why do I want this new XBox 360? Well, for Zumba...

and...

"Evacuate the Dancefloor" is totally on my workout playlist, so imagine my excitement when I saw the commercial with this fun dance on it...

how fun is this!?!?!? Also, how hilarious would it be to pull this out when we have people over? After a few drinks, everyone thinks they can dance, so the competition would be fierce.

Of course when I suggested we get the new XBox, I was met with "let's go get it!" from the husband. Getting a new gaming system is always an easy Yes from husbands.

Yipppeeee!!!

Smashion!

2011-01-17T10:17:00.000-05:00

Thanks, McMel, for the Smashion tip! I've listed all of my Ebay items here.

I have a fun closet post for you guys once I'm finished with my little project. So, keep checking back here...and keep checking my store on Smashion for new items - I have a feeling I'll be adding several more pieces.

It's goin' down!

2011-01-16T17:25:00.000-05:00

The final season of Big Love comes on tonight on HBO.

This show is seriously one of the best shows ever, and I can't wait to get this drama started. From what I can gather from the trailer, Bill and the wives are headed for rough times. I think we're going to see the family fall apart. Bill is one stubborn SOB.

I think this series has only been five seasons long, so if you haven't been a Big Love believer, it's not too late to become one.

fitted

2011-01-14T14:53:00.000-05:00

I'm biting the bullet and jumping on the leggings trend.

Don't I wish I looked this good in them?

I did not buy the white ones...

Yesterday, while allowing my nails to dry at the nail salon, I flipped through the latest Victoria's Secret catalog. These leggings, the Daily Leggings, were on sale for 2 for $30. I also really liked that tube top (I live in stuff like this in the summer - sans the leggings - with fun necklaces), which was also on sale 2 for $30. I made a mental note to order them from the website after consulting with a friend who has recently joined the masses and started wearing leggings.

Here's the thing - everyone loves them. Once you decide to jump in and feel like you're baring all, it becomes one of those situations where you say "why haven't I been wearing these all along?".... Apparently they are so comfortable, and once you find the ones that work for you, you're sold. My girlfriend who recently joined the trend, bought similarly priced leggings with the same cotton/spandex ratio (95% cotton, 5% spandex). She says they are amazingly comfortable, and she's lived in them this week during our snowpocalypse.

We shall see... Where do you buy your favorite leggings?

P.S. None of my junk sold on Ebay. Actually, the Steve Madden gladiators sold, but the chick wanted them by this Friday - and this was Monday, and I was iced in. I had to let her know that it wouldn't happen and refund her money. I guess I should probably post a disclaimer on my items to let these bidders know that I'm not carrying everything around in my car, and I work for a living, meaning the items aren't going to go out the same day the bidding wraps up unless it's a weekend. So, I guess the fact that nothing sold either means I have terrible clothes or everything was priced too high. If any of you missed the junk - or for those of you who think it was priced too high - I'll let you know when to check back. I'm taking some of it to Plato's Closet, but the stuff with tags or the ones I've never worn will go back to Ebay.

yup, I'm still here

2011-01-13T16:14:00.000-05:00

snowpocalypse!!!

2011-01-12T17:56:00.001-05:00

Well, if I have to choose.

More on how the world is totally ending in another post

I know what you're thinking - super creative post title, right?

There is no better made up word for what we're dealing with here. DAYS of being ICED in. I made excuses for our condition - Southern states don't have budgets for snow covered roads; therefore, it will take a bit longer than usual to clear everything up..................... three days later, I'm slowly retracting my comments. Today the husband and I ventured out for lunch. I'd had enough. After three days of being captured in my house, all I want to do is redecorate. A trip to Ikea is HAPPENING on Sunday (I suggested we do that for our "date day" this week - more on that later).

Tonight, while I say my prayers, I'm going to throw in a plead for work to happen tomorrow. I MUST get dressed and report somewhere for my sanity. I thought it'd be really funny to take a picture of day 1, day 2 and day 3 - we could all have a chuckle about how all the stupid white stuff is still there. I can finally see some grass in our back yard.

The problem with all of this is today everything started melting, but all the melted snow/ice will freeze again tonight. Tomorrow when I need to leave the house at 7, I'll be super scared because I don't know how to drive on ice. I don't even know how to walk on it, so this could get interesting. Wish me luck.

hard to kick

2011-01-10T23:23:00.002-05:00

how pretty is this pink glow? image via

I'm ~~snowed~~ iced in. ICED in. There's a nice crispy layer of ice on top of the snow piled up in our yard. Pretty? Maybe for a little while - approximately one hour for me - but then it becomes annoying.

Right now? Approximately 15 hours after I woke up this morning, the husband is wearing a ski hat, with his ears poked out like an elf, and he insists on making me watch every play of the National Championship...he's quite hyper (as am I for 11pm), and I'd just like to blog...in peace. This is the result of us being cooped up inside our much too small house for the entire day....alone...together.

So, what have I done today? Well, I worked for the bulk of it, but our office was closed so the workload was light. I drooled all over Urban Outfitters new spring catalog that prompted me to go to their website and stock up on this spring's wants/needs. Once I was finished shopping for more clothes I don't need, I moved to shopping for a new house we need (not really) but can't have....I shopped inside the perimeter (i.e. closer to the city) because after today, I need a house where some kind of entertainment is within walking distance. Even though we are not house hunting, I know every single house in our price range and some out of our price range in the desired area of our hood that we'd like to move. My justification is that I am just one of those who likes to know what's out there. Once I was finished shopping for my new East Point or Decatur home (East Point has several winners - I was almost in tears at the adorableness), I shopped for the furniture the husband and I will definitely be purchasing as soon as I log off urbanoutfitters.com.

Old habits die hard. Hey, at least I don't pull the trigger on all these purchases...

I'm like the Airstream Song by Miranda Lambert - never satisfied....and that's annoying. This is what an ice day will do to me. I'm entirely too high strung to spend this many hours, feeling perfectly healthy, cooped up inside my house. The better news? Tomorrow will play out the same way, and there's an even dirtier rumor that this mess may not clear up until Saturday.

If that's the case, I'll be a force to be reckoned with. I'm sure the husband will have taken his chances by then and escorted me out to the civilization known as the mall or at the very least, a Mexican dinner.

I know some of you readers live up north, but you have to know we southern dwellers are not equipped for driving in ice or even handling such temperatures coming in contact with our skin. Misery.

So, if you don't hear from me over the course of this week, you'll know someone has actually died of boredom.

Ebay Update

2011-01-06T21:24:00.000-05:00

If anyone's interested in buying some of my random gently worn clothing, it's posted on Ebay under seller name, ashgillespie.

I'm thinking I might have some of it priced too high - I don't know how this works...but considering some of it still has tags, I'm gonna see what I can get.

Let me know if you have issues locating it!

Cleanse

2011-01-04T20:27:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'm working on going through my wardrobe and pulling out the clothes I shouldn't have purchased (because I haven't worn them) and putting them on Ebay.

I fell victim to Lauren Conrad's book, Style, while the husband and I were killing time in Target. I actually might go back and buy it because it looked like it offered some good tips - - even if I think Lauren Conrad is annoying. Somewhere it mentioned only keeping what you wear and getting rid of the pieces you constantly pick over... it's obviously a simple concept that many people already have in place. I'm a full fledged hoarder when it comes to my closet. I like it more when it's busting full of stuff, but I've decided to move on and only keep what I love.

As it turns out, so much of my stuff is barely worn, if at all, so I'm going to take the chance to see if anyone wants it. Once everything's up, I'll tell you guys how to get to it if you're interested...

ahhhh...Ebay.

day two

2011-01-02T15:45:00.001-05:00

We're in Day 2 of the New Year, and I'm already starting to feel the pressure of my unspoken resolutions. So many of my "resolutions" are unspoken because I'm certain that in two weeks, I won't be able to remember them - or I will have already miserably failed in following through with them. i.e. today on our daytime date, the husband and I were forced to settle for fast food because we were so hungry we were about to scratch each others eyes out. Fast Food = New Year No-No, but here I am on day two eating curly fries.

I've "de-Christmased" the house, and I'm not feeling as sad as I thought. I'm happy to be rid of the clutter, and the constant mess the fake tree somehow produced on the rug (probably due to the zoo of dogs constantly brushing past the tree).

For the moment, curly fries aside, I'm feeling optimistic and excited about the plans I have this new year.

We'll see.

welcome, 2011

2011-01-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

image via

Happy New Year, dear readers!  

Cheers to a fabulous 2011.

year end

2010-12-29T22:42:00.000-05:00

This year is quickly coming to an end.

Truthfully, I'm not as excited about the new year as usual...2010 was pretty good to me, and I'm reluctant to let it end so soon. I know 2011 will be as fabulous as I want it to be....but there are so many changes happening in life right now, and it's scarrrrry...

For starters, I'll be 29 in two months. I know 29 is not old, but it really seems like just yesterday I was 23. Actually, just yesterday, I broke out a sorority t-shirt from 2001 - it was still in great shape to be almost 10 years old.

My girlfriends are having babies. The babies are coming - two bambinos from my core group of girlfriends due in 2011! Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy for them, and babies will be so exciting - but it's scary to think that we've reached that point in our lives. The husband and I have had the discussion and it's not for us me quite yet, but ~~we're~~ I'm getting there.

My job is about to get rowdy. I forget that I started during the holidays, and it was busy then...I'm taking advantage of this week's downtime. My job will be on crack starting January 4th, and I'm scared.

So, with the rolling in of a new year, I'm feeling the urge to make some plans and changes, but as always, hesitant to share because I always fail to follow through...I thought I'd start 2011 with plans that should be pretty easy to stick to...

1. Take more trips - long weekends, beach trips, road trips - I'm not discriminating.

2. Focus on decorating our house. We need a new couch, new dining table and complete kitchen redo...I'll be putting less focus on my closet this year.

3. Be healthier - and take advantage of my swanky new gym in. my. building. There's no excuse!

4. Get a handle on my job and learn where else I can fit in in my new organization - all a part of building my own professional network!

I'm sure a few more will sneak on to this list, but I'm happy with keeping it simple...so, in case a post doesn't happen before 2011, Happy New Year, dear readers.

is this thing on?

2010-12-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

I've discussed the way me and the husband argue.

We argue over things that are so infuriatingly stupid that I swear we get angrier than those who fight about things that actually matter because what we're fighting about is just so stupid.

I bought the husband a Big Green Egg for Christmas (cue Best Wife Ever cheer & applause). He's so happy, he's glowing, and it truly makes my heart happy to make him so happy - giving is so much more fun than receiving - especially when you buy yourself little gifts while shopping for others.

Little did I know that I was creating a bit of a monster....(actually, I take that back...anyone could see that he was becoming obsessed).

I digress...

The husband is the cook at our house. I always say he wasn't being properly fed by me, so he had to improvise. He comes by it honestly - domesticity runs in his family. Turns out, we're the perfect match because it doesn't run in mine. So, I purchased him a cookbook called Southern Plate. He picked it out when we were in Florida, and I stumbled across it at Sam's. Since the arrival of the cookbook, we've been eating good. He makes this fried chicken with "come back sauce." The chicken is breaded in saltine crackers and fried like normal - they say the saltines make it less fatty (or maybe he just told me that). Either way, he's created a monster in me by cooking that meal. A Fried Chicken Monster. I pretty much crave the chicken and the "come back sauce" weekly.

I specifically bought a giant pack of chicken tenders for him to fry up. Yesterday, while I was working from home, the craving hit like a ton of bricks. It's cold outside - give me something fatty and yummy to eat for dinner. My spare tire isn't quite big enough yet. When he came home, we had this exchange...

me:

I'm thawing this big pack of chicken tenders and thought maybe you could fry up that chicken and we can make some "come back sauce."

husband:

[sleepily] yaaaaaaaaaaa-unghhhh

The noise that came out of him while I suggested we have the fried chicken so closely resembled a "yes" that I thought we were clear on the fact that I. Want. Fried. Chicken. For. Dinner. Damnit.

So, I left him to rest. I gave him strict instructions to call me if my work computer started making the incoming email noise often enough to require my return. So, he calls me when I'm leaving Target. All of my Christmas Spirit has been stolen by the shitty cart I'm pushing and the masses of slow ass people wandering through Target, clearly just beginning their Christmas shopping. Phone conversation plays out as follows:

me:

yup?

husband:

you told me to call you if your computer started acting crazy. Smoke was coming out of the sides, so I threw it in the bathtub to cool it off.

me:

oh - very funny. chuckle chuckle

(sneer - my chicken better be in the fryer)

husband:

so, what do you want for dinner?

me:

oh, well, I was thinking we could make the fried chicken...unless you'd rather go grab something.

(the only thing that will make this okay is if he suggests Mexican)

husband:

oh, well, I was thinking of cooking them on the egg. I've already started marinating them.

me:

oh?

husband:

is that not okay?

me:

um.....well, I mean......no, it's fine.

(okay, I'm secretly angry)

husband:

okay, when will you be home?

me:

I don't know. I'm out in this shit, and I still need to go to Kroger

I was seething from anger about the fact that he MARINATED the chicken tenders I purchased SPECIFICALLY for my favorite fried chicken. If he didn't want to make the chicken, he should have made a noise that resembled more of a "no" than a "yes." Not cool.

I drive to the grocery store - PISSED - so I send a BBM....

me:

if you don't mind, don't cook all of the tenders. I purchased it specifically for the fried chicken because it's delicious leftover

(in my mind - grilled chicken gets hard and gross the next day and THAT'S why I don't eat leftovers)

husband:

Well, I've already marinated all of it. Apparently I've really effed up - you clearly wanted the fried chicken.

me:

Well, yeah. We agreed on it.

husband:

when did we agree on it? You said last week that you wished I wouldn't cook it so much because of the calories!

Here's where his "selective hearing" kicks in.

First of all, when I said he needed to lay off cooking the fried chicken tenders, I was stuffing one in my mouth while simultaneously dipping the next one in "come back sauce." Lay off cooking the chicken means "only cook the chicken when I request it." Duh. It also means "awww...sweetheart, you shouldn't have, but I'm so glad you did...nom nom nom nom nommmmm."

Also, he AGREED that family time over preparing "come back sauce" sounded great...that's what "yaaaaaaaaaaa-unghhhh" means.

So, we proceeded to send snippy BBMs back and forth until my Blackberry died - which pissed him off even more because, turns out, he thought I turned my phone off.

I came home to this grilled-ass chicken, and yeah, it was good. I had it over a SALAD since I was so rudely reminded of my caloric intake.

And we proceeded to not speak to each other for the majority of the evening. I mean, things are good now. It's Christmas Eve! But seriously? I think someone here learned a lesson yesterday...

WHEN THE CRANKY WOMAN SAYS SHE WANTS EFFING FRIED CHICKEN, YOU MAKE EFFING FRIED CHICKEN. THE EGG WILL ALWAYS BE THERE, YOU MAY NOT AFTER THE WOMAN GOES BATSHIT CRAZY ON YOUR ASS.

Merry Christmas.

Megadesk

2010-12-23T10:24:00.002-05:00

I'm working from home today and while the emails are slowing down for the holidays, I thought I'd blog. I didn't so much enjoy blogging on my work computer the other night for fear the email/computer police were reading every word as I wrote - who knows? I'm paranoid and prefer to blog it out in private so I can edit as I go.

Today's post is going to be kind of bitch-fest. No one reads this blog. I have more followers than I do daily hits, and yeah, I write for myself, but there's something to be said about a somewhat decent following. It kind of keeps you going. So, if I promise to write on a more regular basis, I wonder if some of my loyal readers wouldn't mind pimping me out? I mean, this is pitiful.

Did readers who followed me from kindredly enjoy kindredly more? Should I fire up that site again, or would that be totally cheesy? Should I start a completely new blog? Should I hang it up? Seriously, let's be honest here. I got caught up on my girl, Slightly Undone this morning, and she always writes the best stuff - I just have a hard time being that candid about something like a hole in my butt - but how funny is that post (if you haven't read it, go - read - now).

That's all. I'm getting back to work at my Megadesk. Think about these options. Keep Junk or trash it?

two weeks later

2010-12-21T19:31:00.000-05:00

Errr....sorry loyal readers. The 20-something of you who so sweetly check this blog daily have come up with nothing. Things here have been crazy. I've visited this site to peruse my blogroll - but that's even rare - and each time, I decide against posting yet another post about how I'm so busy. Clearly, I'm busy. I have thought about making an official announcement about how the blog is dunzo, but who am I kidding? I'll be back....and here I am!

It's 7pm on the Tuesday before Christmas, and I'm writing this post while simultaneously checking my work email and handling things as they pop up. Not to say that my old job was juvenile, but my new job is for big girls, and I've been completely consumed with rising to the challenge.

There are a few updates::

For starters, Ryan Reynolds and that hooch, Scarjo are OVER. O.V.E.R. wooooooooo!!!! Literally, me and my new work friends were JUST talking about how weird they were as a couple - good looking, no less, but still weird - and BAM! two days later, they announced their divorce. New office friends might have thought I put a voodoo curse on their marriage at first, but I think I successfully backed them off that ledge. P.S. Ryan's been spotted around the town recently filming a movie - IJS.
Zac Efron also split with that bratty looking girlfriend of his. Oh happy day. I'm old enough to be his babysitter, but he's hot. Can't help it.
Moving off celebrities and on to the goings-on, I'm exhausted, but haven't been happier. Things with my new job are just now starting to become somewhat second nature. I don't squeeze the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white the whole way to work anymore. I'm actually quite happy in my new role, and I'm happy I'm starting to feel more comfortable. I was worried it would never happen.
I'm writing this post on my work laptop, and I just wonder if someone's reading it as I write - don't like this.
I think Mia, our chunky dog, is dehydrated from over consumption of chocolate bark. She ate no less than 30 red velvet cake balls covered in white chocolate today. At some point, she threw all of it up...all over my house, and now she's drinking water like it's going out of style. Beagle up for adoption - taking applications now.
Isn't it funny how Christmas is so magical when you're little? I'm working up until Christmas Eve and I'm probably going back to work on Monday. I almost want to have a kiddo just so I can relive the magic vicariously through it.
I think we're having a New Years Eve party at our house, but I don't know. Isn't there something super strange about that? Kind of need to prepare....
Remember when I told you I would be going to the gym every day because the big Corporate guys wouldn't let you ride into work whenever you felt like it? Actually, that's not the case, and I haven't been to the gym even a handful of times. Pathetic.

I know there's more to say, but my brain is clouded with what's going on tomorrow and two glasses of wine. Hopefully two weeks between posts isn't going to be the norm, but I make no promises.

x's and o's, ya'll!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year, just in case.

\

comatose

2010-12-06T19:27:00.000-05:00

oh..my...gahhhhhhhhhhh.....!!!

I went out Saturday night with my fabulous girlfriends for Jamie's 30th Birthday. Jamie's got a bun in the oven, so the non-pregnant girls decided we'd do enough drinking for ourselves...and Jamie...and maybe the bun if the bun came out an 20 year old frat boy.

We started with dinner...and wine...then after dinner we took our ready-to-party selves to the Virginia Highlands where we proceeded to switch to liquor. bad bad bad BAD. I don't know?...ten drinks later?...I was blackout drunk. I haven't gotten blackout drunk since........I can't remember. I went through a whole phase in college where all I did was get blackout drunk. The night would be a big giant black hole of "whatever happens happens, but I won't remember it tomorrow."

Unfortunately, I didn't realize I was blackout drunk until the next morning when I felt like I'd been run over and then run over again by our minivan taxi cab. It was just like a scene from The Hangover when Morgan pulled out her camera to a photo of me lying in the fetal position in the front yard of Chrissy's boyfriend's house...followed by one of me crawling toward the camera...all we can conclude is that I wallered around for a while because Morgan had enough wits about her to pull out her camera and snap photos of me.

Yesterday was pretty much terrible. Luckily, I made it home in once piece to the husband who was so on the same page with me. We napped for hours, then lazed around...and low and behold, I woke up this morning still hungover.

Note to self - can't do my job when I'm hungover. Just can't.
At one point today, crying almost happened...along with vomiting...why does getting older also mean two day hangovers?? This post feels very familiar...

pulse

2010-12-05T11:49:00.000-05:00

For those of you who care, I will post again - one day.

Currently trying to lazy off this vodka haze and somehow prevent the now unavoidable two day hangover from seeping into my Monday.

gah!

2010-11-27T22:00:00.000-05:00

a couple of things...

I can't just watch football - hence the blog post during the Georgia/Georgia Tech game. (Go Dawgs!)
I think I'm going to start paying closer attention to punctuation on junk.
Lord have mercy, this blog sucks compared to Kindredly. Is it possible the feeling of censorship was all in my crazy head and I took a decent blog with a decent following and created a mediocre blog with a teeny following (something like 30 hits a day, here). I'm seriously thinking about sharing on Kindredly the link to junk....if family finds it, family finds it.
that's all. I hope you all have enjoyed this long weekend. Now, back to drinking - this game has me stressed.

happy thanksgiving!!

2010-11-25T08:32:00.002-05:00

image via

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

happy thanksgiving, dear readers!

i hope each of you are surrounded by family and friends!

bare minerals

2010-11-22T09:06:00.023-05:00

feels like i'm about two years late on this...but i switched to bare minerals makeup. i mentioned before that i switched from mac's studio fix that i've used since high school to sephora's line of foundation powder that quickly lost it's luster...

it all started with a short trip to sephora to grab some bronzer and new brushes. i picked up what i thought was the bare minerals bronzer my friend suggested. turns out, i was walking around with the brand's form of concealer.

after discussing alternatives, the sephora girl sold me on the starter kit...

i needed new brushes, which i got, and bronzer, which she assured me was included - with it's own special name. i've been swirling, tapping and buffing for a week now, and i think i like it...all for about $60!

i'm addicted to my smashbox photo finish light primer, and the associate at sephora admitted it was probably better than bare minerals' option.

i rarely buy into a whole makeup line, but they have several eye trios i'm looking at... this may just be the winner.

i also picked up their eyelid primer. it was on sale for $9, and the associate said people were buying it in bulk - i can't decide if i like it or not...

i'm still a huge believer in mac's prep and prime for eyes...not so much for the face...

so, who else is a devoted bare minerals user? actually, what are the products in your make up bag that you DO NOT run out of?

first week recap

2010-11-20T21:30:00.001-05:00

this might have to be the last post about my new job in order to still have readers. i know you get it. i like my new job.

orientation was day one and two, which are summarized in the last two posts.

wednesday i was finally able to use my nifty pass to allow me access to my floor and my office - secure! my team is fabulous! everyone is super cool and laid back, and totally not in my business. the whole get-your-job-done-and-do-what-you-want concept is very new to me. my old company was as good as family, which is great, but this feels like a nice separation. everyone works together nicely, but getting your job done and coming and going is totally your own business.

wednesday and thursday were spent doing all of the "mandatory actions" required by New Company. i took what feels like a million online courses (still have one left that I plan on knocking out tomorrow) and ate no less than 3000 calories a day.

in orientation, they showed this hilarious video making fun of how people at New Company scavenge. i come from a company where we appreciate a good cake, cookie, fried pickle, etc, so this was not an issue at first....but as shown in the video - food is king.

for starters, on my floor alone, i've counted maybe three "pantries." Pantries are kitchens. they have a vending machine, fridge, and fun keurig-ish coffee maker (trust that i've taken full advantage of the various coffees and teas on hand - not to mention the slew of creamers and fun "accessories"). on top of this, my floor is the conference floor or the learning floor...anyway, it's where everyone from everywhere comes to participate continuing ed classes offered by the company. it's no thang to see randoms walking down the hall with their suitcase. so, classes mean catered lunches, and catered lunches mean dessert. after two welcome lunches, paid for by the company, i've also participated in the daily scavenge of the various pantries. cheesecake petit fours, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream socials!!!! this must stop. i tried to get a handle on it friday, but all was forgotten when i came back from lunch to an open invitation to the ice cream social with endless toppings.

needless to say, i've joined the gym in my building.

in the middle of all of this, i fit in a little training. next week is my big training week. everyone will be gone except for the girl who's training me. we'll spend all day every day digging in to the details of the job. my goal is to eat the normal amount of food usually allotted and to be able to completely do the job by the monday after thanksgiving.

while i was in orientation, i took a field trip up to my new office to say hello to my new office peeps. they were telling me the perks of the job and mentioned we all get PDAs and the one to get is the iPhone. obvi. i've been throwing around the idea of switching to an iPhone once iPhone decides to be cool enough for verizon - but the idea of having my work email come to my work iPhone (that i don't have to pay for) is exciting. New Company apparently isn't cool with getting company emails on your personal phone - so if i were to ever go back to being glued to my phone, i'd have to get one through work. unfortunately, my job is pretty office-based, and i have my laptop, so at the moment, my boss says i'm not going to really need a work PDA. boo.

i will say the biggest challenge of this week has been letting go of the idea of controlling the process. when i was interviewing for the position, my interviewers were very focused on my previous position being a full-desk recruiting position where i pretty much controlled the deal. my current job is coordinating, so i'm kind of back to the place where i'm taking direction from the recruiters on what's happening next. basically, my job is about to be really easy - and i'm having a problem with it....of course. i'm sure it's something i'll easily adapt to. if anything, at least we know i'll be able to do the job!

and....that's it. blogging is probably going to be happening at night when i get around to it. sorry i've been MIA, but i think this might be the regular now - unless i become really good at scheduling posts, which i'll definitely try to do.

i swear this is all you'll hear about the new job for now. i'm just so excited!!

note to self

2010-11-16T20:20:00.001-05:00

even if it's 8am - you've been up, begrudgingly, since 5 am - and you're confronted with a case study given by high up guy who has served on several boards within ginorm new company, read it. read it even if you're falling asleep on your laptop. don't skim it. don't half read it. READ. IT. THOROUGHLY. because that's the moment he's going to call on you and ask you to summarize the main points of the study and elaborate.

this answer is not acceptable: "uhhhhh....ummmm....." long delay, then a bunch of bullshit.
you also shouldn't say "that's not in my job description" but that's a given and didn't happen - Thank God.

big board of directors guy just looked at me and said "ehh...need a little more than that."
me : blank stare....
(this is after two large cups of coffee, no less)

efffff....really not looking forward to the day i run into him in the hallway.

at least my position isn't really relevant to the case study - that would be embarrassing. truthfully, all of orientation was really nothing to do with my role, and my real learning begins tomorrow when i finally get to my desk.

no worries, still drinking the kool-aid.

(sorry - most of these posts are about my new job considering it's all consuming at the moment. when i get home from work, i still have mandatory obligations to fulfill, like online courses and an endless amount of scary and confusing forms).

short & sweet

2010-11-15T19:09:00.002-05:00

i started my new job today. can i just say that i caught myself smiling...all giddy and ridiculous...in the middle of orientation several times. when it was my turn to stand up and tell the group how i landed at the new company, i clapped and hopped. yes. i. did. enthusiastic much?
seriously, i feel like i'm a little more excited that most people to have gotten this job (no one else hopped or clapped in orientation today) - but, people, it's a BIG deal. did i mention, if i did want to leave in a few years, my resume is pretty much set? whhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
my first-day-at-new-company outfit had too many ruffles. ruffle cardi, ruffle button up, skinny belt and high-waisted skirt. about three different trends threw up on me today. tomorrow i promise to tone it down.
the husband did not go to the game saturday. we proceeded to fight a fight that deserves a spot in our top five fights over a football game. truthfully, he should have just gone.
we're all good now - we decided it wasn't worth being mad over after we spent entirely too long being mad.
i didn't decorate for christmas this past weekend - this weekend, it's happening. CAN'T WAIT!

image from here

women are normal...and men are definitely from mars...if not there, somewhere equally non-normal

2010-11-13T11:11:00.001-05:00

i told myself long before i started kindredly that i wasn't going to write too much about my personal relationships...i think i was pretty good at sticking to it, but there are days like today when i just can't hold in.

this weekend was supposed to be relaxing. i start my new job on monday (yay!) and other than last night's GNO (crazy - save for another post), my plans were to totally veg. catch up on my sleep, clean the house, do a little shopping, etc.

the husband called me yesterday when i was in the car with my friend amanda. one of his chemical reps from work offered him two tickets to the UGA/Auburn game for today. he asked me if i'd like to go (such a dear), but knowing all the napping that still needed to be done, i declined. he called several friends, but apparently, none of them are the fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants type because they all declined. after exhausting several efforts, the husband tells me that he's just going to go to the game by himself....

what?

i feel like i need to say that i get the loner types - i am one. i don't shy away from a lunch alone with a magazine or book...or a solo movie date...i'm down, but the husband will go camping alone...and now he'll apparently drive to auburn to go to a football game alone. um...weird.

of course, i'm feeling kind of rejected - like, why are you going to waste your entire day doing all of that ALONE when you can keep your original plans with me to relax, work a little in the yard and go out for a mexican dinner date after the game is over? (I will even be your DD!)

when i politely suggested he let his rep pass the tickets to two people who WANT to go TOGETHER, he got bitchy, so then i got bitchy...and now, we're bitchy. when i thought he'd score himself a friend to take, i rescheduled lunch plans with my mom for today instead of sunday, so i offered to move them back to sunday if he decided to stay in town (you know, thinking that maybe he'd like to take some of the pressure off and actually relax with his wife).

this is what he says to me::

husband : nah, you keep your plans with your mom

me : well, she's more than willing to reschedule for tomorrow, it's no big deal

husband : well, when i get back from picking up the tickets, i'm going to come sit on the couch, and if i get a wild hair and decide i'd rather be in auburn, then i'm going to go...

me : well, just go, damnit!

husband : no! not after this conversation, i'm not going...

me : but you just said that you might get a wild hair and go...sounds to me like maybe you should just go ahead and go...OR are you just trying to get rid of me because while you watch the game you're going to be pissed you're not there?

husband : yeah, i'll probably be pretty pissed off....

me : great.

the argument continued in circles for about 80% of my car ride back to the burbs from GNO...nothing getting accomplished except a bunch of smart ass remarks exchanged. but SERIOUSLY - it's a f*cking lose/lose situation here...anyone else noticed this?

i. am. in. bizarro. world. for serious, people. what is happening here?

so, guess what's happening right now - right this second? i'm sitting here, in my bedroom, surrounded by laundry to be folded, pissed. off., and now planning to have lunch with my mom. when i complain about these things to her, she tends to help calm me down while at the same time rawling me up...it's crazy. hopefully after lunch and a little retail therapy, i will go back to loving my husband again. right now, in all truthfulness, i kind of want to hit him.

i really don't appreciate being confronted with a lose/lose situation by the man who's supposed to love me like nobody's business. i mean, way to set me up and make me realllllly angry in the process.

MEN. i swear. can't live with them; can't live without them.

more random for your monday

2010-11-08T12:02:00.001-05:00

sorry guys - seems these days i'm made up of nothing but random thoughts and clothing posts. mondays are usually always reserved for the random as i'm recovering from my 5:40 a.m. wake up call...

fact - i will have a total hissy fit when i don't get what i want in the decorating department. it dawned on me, not for the first time, that i'd really like to move our television in between the front windows in our living room. not only does it fit - perfectly, i measured - it will make the set-up of the room finally make sense to me. it will also allow the proper space needed for my christmas tree, which is going up here indirectly. turns out, the husband is not going to move mountains (or cable cords) to make this happen for me, and he's told me the cable company (eff you, charter) will charge upwards of $100. there has got to be a handy man near who can make this happen for less than that...i think this will be the focus on my days off this week. my fabulous grandmother suggested we sign up for direct tv (giving them the $100 referral incentive) and someone from direct will come and put my cable where i want it! ....that's a thought.
this is my last 1/2 week at my current company. i know - a three-week notice is a bit much, but timing really is terrible. i do have to say that i'm ready to blow this popsicle stand and get on with my new, shiny job. the anticipation is nearly killing me. my bosses, of course, think otherwise and are really pushing me to keep doing my job as if i'm never leaving. the urge to transition some things to other people is strong....and kind of necessary, might i add. wednesday, please hurry.
i blogged on kindredly about the crazy lymph node thing that popped up on my face last winter. it comes and goes, which would make sense if it were a lymph node, but i thought lymph nodes had designated areas where they generally pop up - the jaw not being one. the bump sits right on my jaw, and right now it's kind of tender. truthfully, i'm a little worried and think i should maybe consider seeing a doctor. my dentist friend told me that she thinks it could be a calcium deposit from my incessant clenching (stems from anything - stress, excitement or anger - i'm looney!). either way, if i'm going to the doctor, i need to get that done this week. i'm not really into asking for time off in the first couple of weeks on the job. but what doctor to i see? the general practitioner has told me it's a lymph node.
this bullet is kind of gross - and you know how much i hate for people to talk about their children's "issues" and bodily functions on Facebook and Twitter (although, this is my blog, and I reserve the right to write about poop all day every day if i want to), but i have to get some input. mia, my oldest beagle-child, has started eating poop. correction - she's always eaten poop, but it tapered off enough to be a non-issue. well, she's started back again, and soon after she eats it, she comes in the house and pukes it up...everywhere. on the hardwoods (nbd), on the carpet (not cool), on the bed (holy shit, i will kill you), and on the bed while we're sleeping (dead. dog-child.) let me just say that naturally, it smells like shit (duh), but i mean, it's worse... the husband and i could be dead to the world, and when she pukes in the bed, we shoot out of bed. this has lead to constantly washing the duvet, changing the sheets in the middle of the night, and shampooing the carpet at 2 a.m. (on a school night, no less). i know the obvious answer to this is to kick her out of the bed, and we've done that. being a spoiled beagle-child, she doesn't believe in sitting on the floor. she goes straight to the couch where she will puke as well...on my white couch, so i've washed the cushion covers on the couch at randoms hours as well. i've googled it, and i get results from not getting enough nutrients (my ass - her food is holistic and costs me $50/bag) to being bored (!!!!). either way, it has to stop. dog owner readers - anyone dealing with this? please! wisdom!
we had friends over this past saturday, and i don't know how it's possible that i'm still recovering from it. we even gained an hour with falling back. torture...today. is. torture.
i'm throwing around the idea of getting acrylic nails just like my current boss - see photo... i spend just as much money getting my nails repainted weekly (and i always upgrade to a manicure because i feel like they are judging my cuticles and are annoyed they have to waste their time on a $3-5 job...and the massage is always a plus). my cuticles are going to hate me because of all of this cuticle cutting going on WEEKLY, so i can just bite the bullet and get short acrylics, and the paint will stay. gel nails have not successfully made it to the suburbs, and i'm kind of getting used to this place near my house since i'm not totally sure if my lunch hour at my new job permits nail appointments (i'm sure it does, but just being prepared). i'm also coming off of a great run with essie's ballet slippers, so i wouldn't mind making that my acrylics' signature color (that might even be what my boss has on here). if i was feeling frisky, i could also have them go a different color - it's not like i'm getting claws or french manicure! what do you guys think? ruin my current nails (which are great) to save some money and time?

i got all caught up on Real Housewives of Atlanta yesterday. i didn't get up from the couch for something like five hours, so i caught the marathon. i have to say that i don't mind nene's nose, and i feel like her plastic surgeon did a really good job... and i want to slap phaedra. what was all that mess with the former destiny's child singer? are you a lawyer or a publicist? oh, and you should know how far along you are in your pregnancy. and please get off of your southern woman kick.
also made the mistake of watching The Time Traveler's Wife yesterday. seriously? weird. i also watched The Lovely Bones. Alice Sebold is probably one of my favorite authors, and that book totally goes down as one of my favorites. a bit weird, but mark walberg is gorgeous. the colors in the movie were really pretty too...

that's all for now...random, but seriously, i need opinions on the acrylic nail debate and what to do about my disgusting dog.

Za-Za-Za-Zarrrrrra!

2010-11-04T17:40:00.001-04:00

don't know how you guys work, but i do most of my clothes shopping during the day. yup, at work (not for long). because when i sit down to eat my lunch, i peruse my favorite shopping sites, and impulse buying sets in.

happy was i when i noticed zara, one of my fave, but infrequently visited haunts (because it's in lenox mall...and promoter, and i hate lenox mall like i hate pt cruisers, and perimeter is forever away from me), has the option to browse online. not buy, browse.

so you guys know i have taken on this new business casual attitude with conviction. i bought a cardigan, for goodness sake.

so, how PUMPED was i when i sleepily checked facebook for blackberry and skimmed this::

but wait. last time i checked, i was proud to be an AMERICAN. the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA are unfortunately not listed here as lucky enough to have zara merchandise SHIPPED. efffffff. this. noise.

you should see my zara list. i've actually been stock-piling it for a post, and the being shunned from shopping online has given me my opening i've been blanking on...

(right now would be a great time to point out if i'm missing something on zara's website and we can actually shop online. pretty sure we're not a chosen country though..... went back and checked for myself - confirmed.)

without further adieu...why we all need to go visit zara this season ::

 i see this dress in a totally different light than they are showing... collared shirt under, belt, tights, boots OR talllll pumps.

american sleeve dress with fabric appliques - $59.90

 you all know how much i love me a cardigan!  no this one looks like it has structure, and i love it with that belt, which unfortunately, is not listed in the accessories category.  :(

sleeveless cardigan - $59.90

chain printed shirt - $59.90

 this belt isn't like any other belt i have - - loooove.

stretchy metal scale belt - $29.90

 here we are again with another dress i'd throw the below cardigan over with a belt or throw a collared shirt under.  tights, high pumps - wah-lah!

tube dress - $39.90

 there's that belt i want!!  why isn't it in the accessories category?  i must have missed it.  anyway - i'm not a fan of cardigans (oh really?  we had no idea!), nor am i a huge fan of long ones - but i like this one.  i like it paired with that skinny belt, and i like it with the above black dress...i also wouldn't mind rocking it with the below skirt for a little librarian feel...

long cardigan - $39.90

 this skirt was love at first sight for me.  i'm not real big on this look, generally, but the cut is really adorable.  pull it up high like she has it, tights, belt and that awesome cardigan or even a cute little turtle neck and a fun necklace!  

checked woolen skirt with elastic waist - $39.90

 I WILL OWN THIS DRESS.  I WILLLLLLL OWN THIS DRESS.  if stupid zara would let me shop online, i'd already own it.  dammit.  

boatneck dress with pockets - $89.90

 the main draw to this dress is the neck for me.  isn't it fun?  kind of asymmetrical from my view... not a huge fan of the full bottom, but a belt could maybe work...or, wait for it - a cardigan!  

dress with waistband - $99.90

umm...is this not FABULOUS?  i don't know - i might look slightly ginormous in a cape, but that tall model really sells it.  :)   and...it looks super expensive - but isn't that expensive.  love it when that happens!

ash gray woollen studio cape - $169.00

so, maybe you guys understand my frustration? shopping trip, anyone??

a bust

2010-11-03T17:12:00.000-04:00

i'm taking a break, clearly.

meanwhile, the blog sucks, sorry.

i hate when the inspiration takes a vaca!

mondays are for the random pt II

2010-11-01T10:39:00.003-04:00

image via

i hurt my back this past saturday loading a ginormous bag of dog food into the trunk of my car. lord help, i'm dying right now. how old am i again?
i totally almost got into another bad car accident this saturday. i was in a hurry, stopped for a fresco taco, and then totally slung my taco into the dash of my car swerving to miss a wannabe bentley that was so suddenly in my lane. do you know how hard it is to get pico de gallo out of AC vents? it was seriously a total miracle that we did not hit. the swervage was promptly followed by a complete mental breakdown.
me and the boss lady determined my last day of work - i get two days of decompression before i start the new job. i'm ready for those two days - totally checked out.
the husband and i went to our friends house for a GA/FL party Saturday afternoon. it was a mixture of people, some we knew and some we didn't. yesterday when i spoke to my girlfriend about her party's success, she said that one of her friends didn't "get a read" on whether or not i liked her. then she went on to mention that i come across as kind of bitchy if you don't know me. while this isn't exactly new news, it's something i haven't heard about since college - and this time, the overall impression was totally unwarranted seeing as there wasn't really any opportunity for me and the friend to talk. i guess i'm just worried about it because a) i'm going into a new job, and coming across as a bitch is kind of terrible and can't happen and b) if i come across as a bitch before i even extend my hand to meet you, shit, i'm in the wrong business.
in addition to above bullet, i was kind of in a weird mood on saturday. i felt rushed and strung out...so i guess that could have something to do with it...and lately when i get drunk, i have no filter.
i purchased myself some new workout shoes this weekend. ya'll, i haven't purchased a new pair of tennis shoes since college. terrible. now, let's just hope this new pair of shoes will motivate me to get in the gym this week!
speaking of gyms, my new company pays toward their employees' gym memberships. turns out, there's a swanky gym in my new building, and my new company was supposedly the main reason the gym moved in (hopefully this means they offer an employee rate) - anywhooo - they offer a 6:15 spin class every morning. you know how i've been freaking out about making it to work on time? i think i've discovered my answer. the new gym will supposedly take care of everything for you, so all i have to do is roll out of bed and remember to bring work clothes.
which brings me to my next idea - should i buy special spinning shoes??
oh oh oh! how many times can i say 'totally' in one post. geeeeeeez..............

when inspiration's lacking...

2010-10-29T16:43:00.001-04:00

i've never done one of the little questionnaire blog posts before. kind of a good day to do it since i'm 1) hungover and dying from exhaustion 2) still at work at 4:20 on a friday and 3) i neeeeeeeed to be better about posting, and maybe you'll read a little something about me that you don't already have figured out...

i got this little diddy from Charbelle at Ramblings! check out her blog here!

1. If you could eat anything without any health repercussions or guilt, what would your meal be?

right now? i would (and could) eat a giant vat of buffalo chicken dip. the husband and i are attending a GA/FLA party tomorrow, and if there's no buffalo chicken dip present, i might die. this reminds me i must get all of the makings for my favorite bean dip. i'll make a post about the recipe this weekend. it's a nice healthy dip to take to parties to sit among the cream cheese filled deliciousness. no worries, it holds it's own in the delicious department!

2. If you could meet anyone living or dead who would it be and why?

i kind of hate this question. i'd like to meet my great-great-grandmother. my great grandmother used to say that we're similar in one way or another. i'd also love to meet the however-many-times-removed grandmother of mine who was full blooded cherokee indian. she married some irish man, and apparently, it was total dramz!

3. Why did you start blogging and what did you expect when you started?

jen lancaster actually inspired me and EGIS to start blogging. we started around the same time, mine under a different name. then, i started up kindredly and took it public, then decided against that and here we are! when i first started, i expected to become jen lancaster...kidding. sort of.

4. What is the one book you could read over and over again?

Dry by Augusten Burroughs is faboosh. just re-read it again this spring. one of my faves. i feel like i should have a classic thrown in or something, but whatever, i don't. i also loooooved the book by jennifer weiner called Good in Bed..and the sequel, Certain Girls. my personal opinion is that jennifer weiner is one of the better chick-lit writers...i love her.

5. If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?

I'd like to visit the greek isles a la The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. seriously - i just want to jump through my TV. maybe with my new snazzy job, me and the husband can afford to do a trip like that before any kiddos start taking over our lives.....

6. If you could have a TV show on the Food Network, what would it be?

i would never have a show on the food network because me entering the kitchen to do anything other than pour a glass of wine or heat something up in the microwave, is like entering a foreign land. i dunno?

7. What was the best meal you ever had?

Rathbun's, here in atlanta. i had a steak, and i swear i still tasted it the next morning - kind of gross, but actually delicious. me and the hub HAVE GOT to go.

8. Who has been the greatest influence on your love for food and learning to cook?

these questions are really going for the jugular and pointing out all of my flaws... I. DON'T. COOK.
the greatest influence on my love for food is obviously my mom, who introduced it to me and kept me fed my whole life. i also have her to thank for not teaching me how to cook. :) it's all good - the husband's got it all taken care of...

happy friday, folks! hope you have a safe, happy halloween weekend!

somebody call PETA

2010-10-28T12:00:00.001-04:00

sorry - i have nothing to blog about. life is moving at warp speed right now, and every time i sit to write, i'm interrupted and lose my train of thought.

you guys can proof the letter i'm finally sending to the vent column in my local newspaper...

dear henry county,

i want to thank the local law enforcement for the complete display this morning while attending to a three car fender bender on the only road leading to the interstate. trust i'm battling my inside "warm & fuzzies" knowing you would bring out the big guns for my stupidity in the form of three police cars, the biggest fire truck ever, an ambulance and giant orange cone castle. however, today was the day that i was smart and didn't get into a fender bender. nonetheless, i had to wait in the line of geriatrics and rubber neckers to make it by the display of lights from what had to be 1/3 of your on-duty staff of officers! my question today is this, do you think you could spare one of your policemen to give me a blue light escort through the god-forsaken traffic that comes here to die? i swear on everything that is holy, this traffic is going to make me kick a kitten.

for the love of god, build a bypass.

best,

ltj

p.s. this exact letter isn't going - but it sure feels good to let it out...

i've realized...

2010-10-25T12:29:00.000-04:00

you'll notice i added the blogroll to the right side. you're welcome (seriously, i thank myself - the tab was fun, but i've missed a lot)

convinced that mother nature is a skinny biatch who wants me to die. this morning my life flashed before my eyes 26 times due to torrential downpour during rush hour. she likes to schedule rain on monday mornings - such a low blow. give me a nice sunday afternoon thunderstorm all day - that's my lazy time.

it's slowly dawning on me that the days of traipsing into work at 8:45 are o.v.e.r. oh, the joys of working at a small company - no more. i have to start dragging ass out of bed earlier. my hours at my new job are the same, and i'm ~~frequently~~ always late now... new job is just next door to old job, so commute is the same.

was last week's episode of gossip girl a re-run? i sat down last night to get caught up, and it was the first ep. it wouldn't be completely out of the ordinary if my dvr effed something up.

yesterday i did fall "landscaping." the newness has definitely worn off, and the husband, a.k.a. the professional, had a tough summer - we haven't touched the yard (except for the obligatory mow every now and then), and it shows. the backyard is a total hot mess. every time i go back there i get overwhelmed by the clutter, the dog toys, the dead plants, the weeds...i just hate it. i tried to do some work in the front yesterday, but only got as far as the designated flower beds and pots before i gave in to my hangover and the keeping up with the kardashian's marathon.

i need new clothes. i think my last day with my current company will be a full week before i start with my new company. i'll have to take that time to outfit myself in all things biz casual. i've put a lot of focus on fun dresses and cardigans (although, i have a thing about cardigans - i just don't wear them well), but it's just so hard to say without having actually gone to work to feel it out. while i'm not down with abandoning my style, i don't want to be too much (LK, maybe you can help me with this transition since this is something you just experienced?).

i'm boycotting halloween this year. pumpkins, costumes, candy - gone. something must be wrong with me to do this, but i'm just not into it. give me christmas. that is a holiday i can get with. we're going to a party this saturday for the georgia/florida game - and i heard a dirty rumor that costumes were involved. call me a party pooper; i'm not wearing one.

a coupla things

2010-10-21T21:07:00.000-04:00

1. i need to move the blogness back to the main page, so that i can read as they are updated. i'm so behind on all of the blogs on that list. crap.

2. guessss whaaaat? my new jobby-job is biz casual. definitely gonna have fun with this - stay tuned.

News

2010-10-20T17:15:00.000-04:00

So, remember the vague post from last week??

well, now i can tell you what was happening. basically, the big corporate guys called me about a big corporate recruiting gig, and the vague post was about my interview.

i have to thank all of you for your happy thoughts because i received an offer today, and i accepted!

my current company is so amazing, but it's an agency and the future is unknown when it comes to commission. i love recruiting, but i do not love the uncertainty of this market. going the corporate route has evolved into a pretty major goal of mine - recruiting is too much fun to leave and super rewarding.

now that I'm over the hump of letting my co-workers and boss know, I can really feel excited about the new opportunity!

thank you again for all your well wishes, and wish me luck - starting november 15th!

last bit of summer

2010-10-18T08:31:00.004-04:00

i finally got around to blogging a few vacation pictures

the husband in the back yard of the condo... this was seriously the best house we've stayed in since we've vacationed on 30A.

the view from the master bedroom balcony. we slept with the door open every night and woke up to waves...ahhh-mazing.

friday morning breakfast at great southern cafe - this restaurant has made it into our regular rotation, for sure.

giant mimosa, full southern menu and laid back atmosphere....delish.

favorite way to pass the day...

easy breezy

can't wait for next year!!!

wooooooo - sahhhhh

2010-10-13T09:49:00.000-04:00

i'm asking for happy thoughts and prayers at 11 ish today. :)

if any of you want to send one up, it'd be much appreciated....

image via

sorry to be so vague, but i'll let you guys in on it soon enough!!

today. is. slow.

2010-10-12T15:32:00.000-04:00

what is this week? divorce your husband week? three seemingly strong marriages in la la land have gone kaput. totally thrown by courtney cox's open marriage.

did you guys happen to see the naked pics of kim kardashian for W mag? i have to say it's nice to see someone who's gorgeous rocking her curves and not trying to be all teeny - although, i quit following her on twitter (non - anon) because she tweeted entirely too much about working out. and honestly, i have to say i'm super surprised she did this because she kind of comes across a little timid and insecure on her show - ijs.

i think my hair had a growth spurt. my hair is lonnnnng...and i kind of like it. i've decided i'm giving it until the end of the year, and if i still like it, i'll keep it, but if not, i'm going back to my favorite stylist to have her go all dramatic on my head.

this weekend is our "camping trip" to the perry, georgia fair. the husband wants to take his parents pop-up, and we have friends who want to bring theirs, so we're going to embrace the term "redneck" for one night. we're also going to see miranda lambert...pumped. the point of this bullet is to say that i think i want go purchase a pair of those jeggings now...the ones from gap. i'd like to wear them with my cute new boots (not the gray ones - i took those back after all), and if they dont look good with those, the jeggings will go back, and the boots will go on ebay - seriously, i've got to quit buying shit i don't wear. the boots are a perfect mixture of "cowboy" and just plain cute. they are fossil and a camel-ish brown that looks worn...i like them a lot, but they seriously come up to just below my knee, and i feel like my leg looks really cut off.

this week has been crazy busy. i have one candidate who's interviewing at all of our clients, and i have a little something else going on personally (all good, no worries). i have to say it's a bit much coming off a too-short weekend, and i'm really ready for a relaxing weekend.

i ate sushi for lunch - sushi is actually really low in weight watchers points, btw. i never eat sushi because it makes me sick. i get drowsy and my stomach hurts, and i just kind of feel cloudy. my nail girl told me it was because of the cold rice because i don't touch those crazy fish rolls. what gives? grrrr.....

crying shall commence...

2010-10-10T16:43:00.000-04:00

just kidding.

i've held it together this year. i tripped over the sidewalk last night and gashed my toe open, so going on the beach, in the sand and saltwater, sounded a little like torture. of course, my falling over isn't the only reason i'm okay, i just knew this was a short getaway, and now it's over.

we're home.

we didn't take many pictures because we didn't really do much. what i have, i'll share later. until next year...

chic on the cheap

2010-10-07T09:15:00.003-04:00

i saw this tweet by nylon mag yesterday while i was out of the office and got excited!

let me just say this one thing - i used to HATE HATE HATE charlotte russe because i thought all of their clothes looked cheap - fast forward to now, and it's on my regular rotation. please know that i am thrilled to have seen the line "we've already admired the way CR has gotten hipper" because i thought i'd subconsciously lowered my standards.

i don't know about you guys, but i'm pretty pumped about mr. daman's line of dresses...in addition to all of the other fun finds currently on the rack. very exciting and verrrrrry wallet friendly.

you know you love it.

xoxo,

ltj

shout out

2010-10-07T07:46:00.002-04:00

happy happy birthday to my girl at hiking in stilettos.

i think you are 28 today....welcome.

so sorry i'm missing what will probably be a really fun throwdown this weekend!

image via

eat a cupcake (or a donut)!!!!!!!!!!!....and let's go shopping when i return.

actually, save that donut for our shopping trip, and we can hit up sublime! :)

much love, my friend!

doing the happy dance

2010-10-06T09:55:00.000-04:00

today's the day, people! it's my friday. tomorrow at this time, we'll be well on our way to the beach.

have i packed? no.
do i have anything we need? no.

i've taken work home every night this week, and once i'm finished working, i'll eat a bite and pass out. tonight i'll be up until all hours running errands and packing the car. i plan to be in the car no later than 7am tomorrow morning.

i get a little bossy when it come to organizing...

in other news, i'm pretty sure the mail lady put my glamour mag in someone else's mailbox. the developers of my hood didn't think that they should come up with all new street names, so it's same name LANE and same name DRIVE (lacking creativity and causing mass confusion among post office workers). we consistenly receive the same house number's mail on DRIVE, and i guarantee Miz Fitzgerald is reading my issue of glamour. not cool. we don't get any of their interesting mail - just credit card applications and various amazon orders.

i can make it

2010-10-05T12:27:00.000-04:00

it might surprise you that even though today is my thursday, i'm managing to be in a less than stellar mood. this was also the general attitude i had yesterday. i'm 100% over it, and when i get like this, i'm one bad cold call away from a total hissy fit.

this morning my commute was a total debacle. it's days like today when i should have the right to turn my car around and go back to bed and start over. i wasn't even five miles from my house when i saw a school bus narrowly miss running over the honda in front of me. children went flying. i'm talking - FLYING. my {imaginary} children will NEVER ride the bus. this happens just after news of a school bus accident yesterday leaving a child dead. i remember when i rode the bus (for like one year), there were no seatbelts...seriously? put seatbelts in the bus! i don't know for certain, but i bet that kid this morning went face first into the dash.

can school buses really not go in reverse? husband, if you're reading this, you've succeeded in making me potentially look like a total idiot, but i love you anyway. :)

where is master p? he didn't get pinched, did he? "i got the hookup, holla if you hear me"

my week is looking like i'll have candidates interviewing both days i'm out of the office. i'm happy....i really am...but damnit, can't i just VACATION???

i'm excited about this...not the giveaway (because i never win anything), but the line. bring on a satchel! if any of you readers happen to be good at winning things, go "like" target on facebook, and enter to win!

it's cold in atlanta, ya'll. i'm excited about a return to 80 degree temps this weekend and a little time out in the sun - then fall/winter can take over. once we're home, i'm taking on the yard.

would any of my atlanta readers want to join some networking groups with me? i have a slight insecurity about networking by myself, so anyone who isn't my competition, but would like to also make contacts, hit me up.

this is all for now... my readers have skipped out on me - i've even lost a follower. i didn't think that happened.

weekend recap

2010-10-04T11:31:00.000-04:00

this weekend didn't exactly go how i thought it would, but i guess it's okay that i didn't end up partying in st. simon's with the next three days ahead of me.

we spent saturday morning watching five year olds play flag football. there was one kid (on the other team, of course) who will be the next michael vick (hopefully sans dog fighting). aside from teeny michael vick, who was very professional football player-like, watching five year olds play flag football is actually quite adorable.

after the game, we went over to the husband's brother's house and hung out with the family for a while, and then we came home. i proceeded to clean, get some decorating done, and relax, and the husband slept and watched all the football games.

on sunday, i opened up all the windows to let the fall air in, and cleaned some more...relaxing. the next three days at work are going to be hell. as it turns out, the week i'm leaving, all of my candidates are interviewing - meaning i'll be in touch with the office allllllll day on thursday and maybe even friday.

i have to be careful what i bitch about, so i'm not bitching - i'm just saying i would be slammed the week i plan to leave town for a relaxing trip to the beach. i'm going to work late every night to make sure everything is completed, and i spend minimal time on the phone while i'm supposed to be on the beach. this is why we should just leave the country.

speaking of the beach, here is our weekend forecast - - -

so. excited.

i've set some goals for my return. it's important that this vacation be a good mental reload for me because my motivation for work is pretty much shot. grrrrr........

boo freakin' hiss

2010-10-01T11:35:00.007-04:00

can't go to st. simons to celebrate with the girls.

when you've got nothing going on for work, a vacation on the horizon and an upset boss lady, half days are a big fat no.

i didn't even bother to ask because the general mood and look her face was scary enough.

so sad! looks like i'm spending my weekend local! countdown til the beach!!

is it too early for this?

2010-10-01T09:32:00.003-04:00

me and the husband don't usually have big christmases. we'll get each other a little something, but we usually just buy things for ourselves as we need them - how romantic. i think we're going to do it differently this year. this year will be a throwback to the good old dating years when we spent all of our money on each other all the time.

i have a plan for him - - but i'm not sure how often he checks this, so i'm not going to say anything. i just don't know if he has a plan for me. i caught a hint that he's been thinking about getting me the kindle (i think he came up with it by himself. love it), and i love that idea (the kindle with wifi, just to specify *wink*)...but i also love the idea of owning my very own ipad...

you all may not know that i am a closet mac lover. like....i love apple. i try not to be one of those people who loves it too much - like those people who purchase an ipod shuffle then put the sticker on their car and hang out at the apple store all day (hi! if you're reading from apple!). truthfully, the reason i love it so much is purely aesthetic. it's pretty. and clean. and clutter free. and the dock, dashboard, dragging capabilities, apple shift f4, the list goes on...it's love. when the husband and i were on the hunt for a new computer, i was really cheering for mac, but my argument lost when the computer we purchased was $500 less than the basic macbook with nothing on it. so, long story longer than ever.....i want an ipad. this way, i'll have macness and an e-reader all in one. it's a win-win! but....at least $200 more than the kindle....errr...

so, readers, what do you think? do some of you have ipads? kindles? what are your thoughts? give it to me straight. my first big commission check (i.e. in two years when the market turns), i'll buy myself a macbook as a celebratory and now-you-can-work-from-home gift (i wonder if the ipad will link up to my office network?? - something to look into).

what do you guys think?

that is the question....

in one week...

2010-09-30T15:53:00.003-04:00

..the husband and i will be heading down to Seacrest Beach, Florida!!

with my new position being commission only, we decided a long weekend was best so that i wasn't out of the office for an entire week getting behind on life. so, next thursday morning we're packing up and heading down to our little rented abode on the beach. we ended up getting a great deal. it was so great that we pushed our vacation back a couple of weeks just so we could have the availability we wanted. the condo is smaller, but it's just the two of us, and the best part is that it's OCEAN FRONT. every time we've been to the gulf, we've had a little walk to the beach. i. can't. wait. our plan is to spend every waking moment on the beach and every other waking moment in the condo cooking up a delicious meal to be eaten on the patio overlooking the ocean.

bliss. i may not sleep just so i can experience every single hour we're there.

i literally will cry when it's over. i cried last year, no lie.

we'll, of course, hit up pineapple willly's for lunch (giant onion ring tower) and pina coladas on the pier - it's tradition.

here are some photos from beach trips past...

the pups first time at the ocean. it was love. we couldn't take them down much because this was right when mia's acl started acting up.

my favorite part of the gulf is the clear, gorgeous water. i'm terrified of ocean creatures, and you can see everything around you in this water.

i'm so ready to go! of course, monday through wednesday of next week are going to be TORTURE! eeeeeek!

let's all welcome one to the closet

2010-09-30T09:14:00.001-04:00

i added one to the wardrobe this week....

i ended up heading back over to charlotte russe because ~~i am a shopoholic~~ i really need some new clothes, and this is just so inexpensive. it fits a little loose, but it's comfortable, flattering, and really quite versatile. i swear it's black, navy and gray. i kind of like this slow but sure approach of picking off each of the pieces on my wishlists.

happy fall shopping!

waiting for the chill - work wear wish list pt. 2

2010-09-29T08:31:00.001-04:00

i work with a bunch of women, and everyone's stylish. it's fun - we're always swapping ideas and inspiration. i've listed some of my favorite picks from my top sites. some of these will make their way under a blazer or two...

1. solange knit sweater - asos
i loved the silky-chiffon sleeves on this top. i'm a sucker for all things exaggerated this season. i find myself picking up pieces with slighly dramatic shoulders. i like the structure it brings to an otherwise plain outfit.

2. hawks by geren ford silk ruffle top - urban outfitters
i'm trying to get away from the ruffle trend, but it keeps finding me. clearly, ruffles are not going away any time soon, so i should just embrace it without making my whole wardrobe one giant ruffle.

3. motel erin blouse - urban outfitters
hold the phone - polka dots made the wishlist! i really like this top with the gold buttons. it's so feminine and fun, and polka dotted! polka dots done right, in my opinion.

4. horizontal ruffle top - forever 21
i'd wear this with my high-waisted skirt.

5. oh captain, my captain top - modcloth
yes, it's kind of summery, but i don't care. i love this. it would be adorable. it's out of stock on modcloth's website right now - because it's fall - but i'd love to pick it up for next spring/summer.

6. fitted button up top - asos
i don't wear button ups because my boobs are just slightly too big for the tops to fit right everywhere else. i wore my fitted white button up to work the other day, and as i was walking into the building, i noticed, out of the corner of my eye, this guy staring at me...i turned and looked, and he was staring, mouth hanging open...looking into my shirt through the space between the buttons that my boobs were pulling open (this was at like 8:30 in the morning, people...it's too early to be a pervert). it's like one inch of side boob that's really not all that attractive anyway. needless to say, the shirt was promptly safety pinned together once i made it to the office. i feel like i could get away with going the size up on this top because the bottom has the cute pleat detail that can always be belted to look more structured...

7. at the vanity top - modcloth
pretty. feminine. i want.

8. cowl neck ruffle top - asos
i like this because it would look great under a blazer and great when i strip my blazer off at 3pm because my office is 85 degrees. this is finding it's way into my closet this year.

pretty!

spontaneous!

2010-09-28T20:12:00.002-04:00

in case you haven't somehow already realized, i'm not spontaneous. i'm a planner. but when girlfriends call, you show up. one of my very best friends in the whole wide world is turning the big 3-0 this sunday, and while planning was a bit poor - and i already had plans of my own - i excitedly ditched my plans to celebrate another big birthday with my girls...

we go way back...let me introduce you to us nine years ago in our first apartment together - this was the first week, and we were ready to paint the town

or at the hunch punch party at the white apartments...

or late night shopping...

we celebrated big for kim's 21st. somehow she ended up driving me and morgan around on her brush guard all night - my life definitely flashed before my eyes as i was sliding down the hood and off the front of the car..

morgan and kim after we made it safely home...

then there was my 21st (morgan, where are photos of yours? i don't even remember it). it fell on a lame day like tuesday when nothing was going on, and they still managed to show me a good time...

my first legit arm band!

giraffe bag!

so, you understand why spontaneity was necessary when given the option to celebrate kim's 30th or stay home... this weekend i'll be fifth wheel in st. simon's island with my two girls and their husbands (my poor husband could not get out of the prior commitment because he happens to be the chef).

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY, KIM!!!

can't wait to ring in the big 3-0!!!

waiting for the chill - work wear wish list

2010-09-28T09:37:00.009-04:00

i've said before my job requires me to wear a suit, or something like it, every day. i don't wear matching suits because i actually don't have one. i mix and match and that's probably pretty terrible, but it's how i roll.

anyway, if you walk into my office without a blazer monday - thursday, you might get a weird look from the boss lady. i tend to stock up on blazers when i see one i like, and naturally, i'm attracted to all the super fun pieces...

1. shrunken plaid blazer - charlotte russe
2. white wool pleated skirt blazer - asos
3. rounded hem blazer- charlotte russe
4. black pearl shoulder waterfall jacket - asos
5. trumph washed leather asymmetrical jacket - asos
6. africa biker jacket - asos

in case you haven't noticed, asos is rocking my socks off lately. i want every other thing on their website. i will say, i had luck with a dress this spring. i did purchase one before that i sent back, and i do not recommend that - i think you can easily get all your money back on ebay without having to pay the shipping and wait for the return to finally get to london (just some helpful tips). i've also tried on both charlotte russe blazers. they are VERY cute and a great fit. they each run about $34, which is obviously a very inexpensive way to spruce up the wardrobe and keep the urge to buy at bay (spoken like a true shopoholic, yes). i did not purchase them because i'm trying hold off on spending before vacation - no worries, they will both end up on hangers in my closet at some point. :)

happy shopping!!

waiting for the chill

2010-09-27T09:04:00.009-04:00

i've got so many fall/winter favorites on wishlists scattered all over the internet. in order to keep the post from being ridiculously long, i've divided it up into categories.

today i'm talking outerwear

1. vila faux shearling biker jacket - asos
2. exaggerated shoulder leather jacket - asos
3. alto sax jacket - modcloth
4. little on the ruffle side jacket - modcloth
5. wrap you up in my coat - modcloth

i'm loving the big collars, drapey fabric, relaxed yet put together style. every year i say i'm going to keep it simple, but i can't help but teeter close to loving something on the worst dressed list! i'm a sucker for colors and vibrant prints all year long, but this season i'm really gravitating toward the neutral but eye catching pieces. also, jacket 4 will end up in my closet this fall. it's one of those perfect day-to-night pieces.

also DYING for jackets 1 & 2. like...bad. commissions, please!

addition by subtraction

2010-09-24T14:53:00.001-04:00

notice the fun little tabs....

i changed some things around once i discovered how to do this. fun! my blog list is under a tab, and while i like it there, i'm kind of sad i won't be seeing the updates. i guess it's time to crack open my google reader again. you'll notice my twitter tab is there (follow me) and my book club tab. i left comments open on the book club tab in hopes you all will drop off your recommendations all the time and not only when i do book posts!

needless to say, little work has been done today. typical friday.

happy weekend, all!

hoping something sticks...& congratulations!

2010-09-23T10:49:00.007-04:00

i've been itching to get a new header up. i kind of like it - for now at least.
i need to figure out a way to train my body to need less sleep. i've gone to bed early every night this week, and i swear i'm more tired than i was monday. i know it's because i'm getting too much, but i love it sooooo much!
because of my new love affair with my bed, i haven't been to the gym in over a week. bad bad bad. the beach is two weeks away.
congratulations to L+L at The Quick + Dirty Dirty Blog! they won Best Local Blog in Creative Loafing! they also won Best Local Bloggers and LK was runner up for Best Local Actress! Congrats, guys! you've made it....and i'm officially kind of jealous but i get all my restaurant picks from you guys. :)
this weekend is fall cleaning at my casa. like - i'm moving furniture, throwing things away - no mercy on this place. craigslist won't know what hit it.
i've been working on a "fashion" post for dayzzzzzz! literally, it's taking me forever. i want/need everything!!! no tiiiiiime!! no moneyyyyyy!!!! i'll have to warn you guys, it's mostly work wear. why can't i be cool enough to have companies & designers send me free clothes? i was thinking about all these celebrities and their free clothes the other day - they don't spend their money on the clothes. the clothes are GIFTED. barf. if anyone can buy the clothes, it's THEM! gift me the fabulous dresssssss!
i'm lunching with Laughing Lolly and her sweet monkey muffin, Aaron this Sunday. soooooooooooo happppppy!!!
i'm kind of whiney today. beware.

explanation

2010-09-21T10:18:00.003-04:00

drunken debauchery > relaxing weekend

(when will relaxing weekend win over drunken debauchery? when i'm 50?)

i had this past weekend all planned out. husband was going to give smoking a boston butt (like in a smoker) another go, and i was going to nap, do laundry, clean and BLOG. IT. OUT. i ran out to run a few errands saturday morning. bright eyed and bushy tailed, i bumped into some friends at the grocery store. before i even thought about my daily chores, i'd invited our friends over for moral support for the husband's smoking adventure and the georgia game.

hello? it's not like they're coming over for an hour...it's an all day deal, so we're having a good time. watching georgia lose, snacking on yummies and drinking. drinking a lot.

sports make me drink. i have no interest in them, but i'm competitive. so, if i'm forced to watch the home team, they damn well better be winning. as it turns out, georgia hasn't been winning, and that didn't change this weekend. so, i drank. and i drank some more because from the looks of it, we all were.

wrong.
apparently no one was drinking as much as i was. i noticed the bottles of wine disappearing, but i'm working on a cork board, so really, the quicker we roll these out, the better. before i know it, we're planning our camping trip to the perry, georgia fair for the miranda lambert concert (pop ups will be involved, and there's a blog post that goes with it, but i'll have to find it). i'm yelling and cheering (for what or who, i have no idea) and basically being beligerent. after i scare everyone away, the debauchery continues until i pass out on the couch. the husband told me i fought him about getting up for bed but eventually decided it was better than the couch.

i am an idiot because i picked saturday, the day before i had a family function to attend, to get rip-roaring drunk off my ass.

six am sunday morning came quickly and painfully. dry heaving makes me feel immature and irresponsible, but i did it anyway. the husband came to my rescue with a giant sprite and a greasy mcdonalds breakfast (can i express how much i love him? before he even showers for the morning, he's headed out to score his wife hangover food. priceless). i downed my biscuit while i dried my hair because something had to settle my stomach. the husband drove the two hours to family church where the service lasted TWO HOURS and the sanctuary was no less than 80 degrees. holy..... so, after suffering through that, i ate a whole plate of bbq, two bags of chips and a giant piece of caramel cake. i felt pretty good after that.

needless to say, monday sucked. i was ultra stabby and not in the mood for life in general. today's much better. this weekend will play out like my original plan for last weekend. i've learned my lesson.

sorry it took me until tuesday to give you the deets. normal blogging to resume soon.

the start of year five...

2010-09-17T10:11:00.002-04:00

the husband and i had a fabulous anniversary. thank you for all of your comments!

i spent all morning writing up a post about how terrible our dinner was at bentley's on the square in our little town. i don't need to rehash the ridiculousness, so just know it was terrible. people who are not smart own the place, and there were several red flags that i totally ignored when making our reservation.

what did i learn? that the husband and i can still have a blast even when we're sitting in the middle of suck. we will also take over the world one day because we completely reworked their whole business, chatted about life, told each other how lucky we felt, and got a buzz all in one hour.

the rest is history, of course.

so, now we've just decided we're going to take an awesome trip for our anniversary next year and forget the special dinner. eff it.

a celebration

2010-09-16T08:14:00.001-04:00

today is four years of marriage for me and the husband!

my lover is mine and i am his - song of solomon 2:16

happy anniversary, husband!!

some things are just scary

2010-09-15T09:36:00.000-04:00

for me - it's the jeggings trend.

really, we can add the whole leggings trend in with it.

i ask myself every time i mull over purchasing my first pair of leggings - "what's the big deal? EVERYONE wears them!"

here's the thing. i consider myself knowledgeable about fashion and trends and all that girly fun. i follow many. but i will NOT wear something just because it's splashed all over every fashion magazine on the stand. it's okay to not buy into every single trend that's out there - and that's my justification. i do, however, fear that i could easily go the way of "set in my ways" and be one of those self-proclaimed fashionistas sporting a fashion faux pas equivalent to rocking poofy permed bangs.

but...but...but...

i still want a pair of jeggings. let's face it, skinny jeans are amazing - the whole fitting in my boot without giving me poofy knee is priceless. jeggings can do this for me.

i definitely tried on a pair at target and promptly ripped them off, inside out, throwing them over the stall, fah-reaking out about how terribly unflattering they were on me. my thighs. my thiiiiiighs....are too big. too dimply. too celulite-y. too short. too bulbous. just too damn gross in them. it's upsetting.

damnit.

look at all these lovelies in jeggings ::

i personally love beyonce's look and would under normal circumstances compare our thighs (of course, on me take away all the defined muscle and throw in a dimple or two). she must be wearing some super special, expensive jeggings. they are fab. i'm not feeling fergie's pair or rihanna's (at all), but the rest are fun and not terribly scary - until i put them on.

who's rocking this trend right now? who can say "i live in my leggings/jeggings?" seriously. i want to know. and if you weigh under 120 lbs, no explanation is needed.

to infinity and beyond? sounds like fun, anyway...

2010-09-14T15:09:00.004-04:00

image via

the knick-knack shop guy stopped me today and asked me if i'd slimmed down a little. why yes, yes i've been trying, knick-knack shop guy! made my day...just as i was returning from purchasing a chick-fil-a ice dream.

i know i write a lot about getting focused, but damnit, it needs to happen. focus!focus!focus!!!

i've been living under a rock and didn't realize that CT scans cost a lot of money out of pocket. the husband's several are costing us over $500 after the deductible. a slightly larger bill that we didn't really anticipate. whoops. next time, i say deal with the pain. kiddinggggggg.

i've got a slight inkling of baby fever. shit. don't tell anyone in my family because it's not happening.

my hair is what i would consider long right now. it's actually long and thick, which never happens. i've decided, without the whole therapy session with my stylist, that i'm growing it out. i kind of like my "whatever" approach.

i've got a great modcloth wishlist i plan to share with you guys. this week, i promise.

for those of you who commented on my last post about work - yeah, my job is hard. takes a lot of self discipline (which i have none right now), but i don't look at it that way. it's kind of fun to be in charge of your earnings - but i guess i'll only look at it with such a positive attitude for so long before going broke, right?

i'm just a little past half way done with Dragonfly in Amber, second in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. um...........in love. innnnnlooooooooove with jamie. more in love with him than i was in love with edward. seriously, all your twilight lovers, pick it up!

did you guys watch the finale of trueblood? i haven't posted for a couple of days because i didn't want to spoil it - eric? all scruffy from the cement? i die. so hot. actually really excited about HBO's new series, boardwalk empire starting sunday. makes the departure of trueblood not so terrible, i guess.

HiS and I have decided that the haute initiative just can't make it right now. sorry for throwing it out there and totally not following through. between the two of us, we have waaaay too much going on to blog on our individual blogs, plus blog on a shared blog. not happening. sorry. maybe one day. at least i can focus on making junk bigger and better, which will be fun once i find time for that.

superstitious

2010-09-09T10:53:00.003-04:00

every. single. time. i say that things are going good at work, a deal falls through.

never again.

i have never considered myself a superstitious person until now. remember last time i was having a rough day, and i said "i think my candidate's gonna get the job"? well, she didn't. despite telling her she was "perfect for the position" they went with another choice and didn't even include my candidate in the top two! then yesterday, i blogged and said things were going good with work - i was referring to my client who is interviewing like crazy (which hasn't fallen apart - yet), and my candidate who rocked her interview so much so that my boss said "i think she's the ringer.".....they offered the job to the candidate who interviewed at 5 and blew the minds of everyone involved.

eff this noise.

i was venting to my co-worker this morning, and she responded with "it happens all the time. get used to it." well, i know it happens all the time, and i know you become heinous when it does - can we please let me wallow without your standard veteran remark of "welcome to recruiting!!!"

manicure please. going to get one at lunch.

mini update

2010-09-08T17:23:00.006-04:00

it's taking me a little longer than usual to get myself back together after the long weekend. i'm so focused on focusing that i'm not getting anything done - if that makes any sense at all. i guess i should say nothing's getting done on the blog, that's for sure. the good news is this month is shaping up to be a good one so far - work-wise and personally! yay!

the gray boots came, and here they are. at first, i didn't love them, but after thinking about it, they'll look great this winter over my skinny jeans or tights! plus, they were a steal with my rewards coupon - it'd be a shame to waste it!

you love my granny night gown, right?

weight watchers has just kind of gone by the wayside, unfortunately. i gained after bluffton, maintained last week, and it seems i'm destined to gain more this week. oh well - there's always next week.

the husband and i are going to celebrate our four year anniversary next week. that's a long time in married years.

and that's it for now. i've got a few things up my sleeve, but i just need to find the time to get it down!

happy wednesday!

Happy Labor Day!

2010-09-06T08:38:00.000-04:00

Here's hoping!

ruff ruff

2010-09-04T08:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Gameday!!

GO DAWGS!!!

get me out of here

2010-09-03T09:53:00.005-04:00

only because today's a half day, and homegoods is calling my name before traffic gets terrible.

i could stay in downtown all day and report back the fun-ness that is happening here. DragonCon is in full swing, and they DON'T mess around.

last night, the husband and i went to the braves game.
i ate at meehan's with my girlfriend for lunch, so i was trying to not completely blow my diet by getting a chargrilled salad from chick-fil-a. i ended up having to give up on the gross salad about two bites in, and moved on to the wine hubby brought. two small glasses while tailgating turned into a bacardi and diet coke once inside the stadium, that then turned into a giant piece of cheese pizza, then another glass of wine.

i'm hungover today.

and i feel kind of gross. naturally.

when we got home, our high maintenance dogs were all over us to play. i headed straight for bed only to wake up at 3 am to mia, little pig dog, howling in the back yard. waking up and actually getting out of bed is the worst thing in the middle of the night. i swear, it takes me forever to get back to sleep - so when my alarm went off at 5:45, I reset it for six, then snoozed until 6:20. as i was peeling myself out of bed, mia vomited all over the bed, in the sheets, on the floor - narrowly missing my phone and me. m#*th$%eff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm hungover! tired! hungover! zitty! hungover! headache! and now cleaning up vomit - laced with loropetalum leaves. YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. oh, and cleaning my carpet - with the effing little green. (no, she's not sick. she's hungry because she's on a diet, so she eats POOP and leaves and throws it up 100% of the time she eats it. can we say stubborn?)

why do dogs love to eat this?

this catpults me into a rage - very unbecoming - the husband had already left for work, and i'm screaming profanities at the top of my lungs.

i needed breakfast.

coffee made my tummy hurt.

mia's vomit made me dry heave.

truthfully, the best part about today has been driving into downtown to the people attending DragonCon. ..and my breakfast of veggie eggs, sausage, tater tots, grits and mr. pibb from cafe moma. deeeeelish.

happy friday, folks. let's all have a good long weekend!

may the force be with you.

bullets

2010-09-01T16:20:00.006-04:00

my road rage has been out of control. did the long, relaxing weekend help? no. it didn't. this morning i nearly lost my shit when i was almost rear-ended by some suburbanite soccer mom on her way to the gym. i was on the phone with the husband and heard loud screeching tires behind me. i braced myself while the husband continued his conversation about how annoyed he is with his golf pro, but i promptly rolled into full on hissy fit about how stupid everyone in our town is. yes, i stereotype everyone in one large ball of stupid.

i try to be pleasant, i really do.

i ordered these boots from DSW. i think they are fabulous, and i got them super on sale because they were running a special online, and i had a $20 off rewards card that had to be redeemed by the 31st. joy.

i've been slow on the marketing train, but at least i'm doing something. the boss lady is out of town for the rest of the week, and she's given us a half day on friday - i just need to make something happen before the weekend.

this weekend is dragon con in atlanta. if you work in downtown and get to experience dragon con in all it's glory, you know how fabulous this bullet is. literally, i can't wait. tomorrow, my co-worker and i will wander around and get some pictures. i really wish dragon con was as cool as comic con, and attracted such guests like the cast of trueblood.

this happens. this. is. fabulous.

the husband and i are dorks and really don't have big plans for the holiday weekend. i'm going to take the opportunity to start our fall landscaping and maybe pull together plans for various home improvement projects. the weather is supposed to be fabulous. it's already very fall like outside.

i've counted three pimples. three. all at the same time. get ready, queen helene!

i gained half of the weight i lost this past weekend. i knew it was going to happen, and i wasn't putting pressure on myself to stick to weight watchers while i booze it up with girlfriends (weight watchers is not made for those who like to booze). i have to say i was a little stressed to have gained HALF of it back, but i guess i haven't lost that much to begin with. this week has been harder than ever to stick to it, and i haven't been to the gym yet. i guess sometimes you just have a bad week.

it's a new post!

2010-08-31T16:57:00.004-04:00

so...sorry for totally neglecting the blog. i'm starting to wonder if my blogging days are coming to an end because life takes up all my time. by the end of the day, i'm so exhausted i can't bring myself to write a blog post. terrible, i know.

the weekend:
well, i'm back from bluffton, and it was fabulous. my girlfriend lives. the. life. i know people say once you have kids, it's kind of...hard? but seriously - i think i'd trade my eight hour view of the westin for her daily view of the kiddie pool. yes, even with the incessant screaming and yelling.

i guess i didn't realize how much i needed some down time, and really, i need more of it. i arrived late friday afternoon to a bottle of wine and much needed conversation. i've missed her so much since she's moved from atlanta. on top of that, she popped out baby number two, and we've barely had time to talk. she hauled the kiddos off to the grandparents, and she and i sat on her immaculate screened in porch for a couple of glasses of wine before dinner. after that, we trucked it to savannah where we met my bestie and my friend's sister in law, who actually know each other through junior league. small world. after a fun night, we caught the last ferry back to the other side of the savannah river and made our way back to her house. saturday was spent lounging by the "adult" pool where we ordered cocktails and gossiped. it was amazing. the pool overlooked the gorgeous may river, and the cooler air was accompanied by the best little ocean-like breeze.

i have to stop writing or i'll start crying.

i haven't had a better weekend in a while...much needed!

introducing hudson:

the husband has always wanted a golf course dog. we have beagles, so they don't make good golf course companions. when we unleash them to the course, we spend most of our time screaming for them to come out of the woods where they've sniffed something out. one of the husband's contacts at the course adopted a stray a few months ago. he'd told me how awesome he was, and mentioned that he'd like to start looking for one to adopt. well, as it turns out, the guy who adopted the stray to begin with, can't keep him....so, now he belongs to the husband and his crew!

meet huddy!

please don't look at my gross house - it's terrible. i'd just gone grocery shopping.
i need a new dining room table. it's embarrassing.

marley, little pup in my other arm, is noooo toooo happy about hudson's arrival. mia, little puppy hog in the back, has a little crush.

huddy comes home to our house after his day at work, and i just love having him. he's the sweetest, most trained stray dog i've ever met. he's so calm and chill, i'm almost afraid he's sick or something. one of the husbands employees brother is a vet. i'm giving it another week for the guys to take him before i take him to our vet for a check up. i'm getting more and more attached by the second; he can't be sick. his favorite activities are jumping in the many lakes at the golf course and running behind the gators (not alligators - john deere gators). i think if he were sick, he wouldn't like doing that so much.

so, that's pretty much it. i feel like life is so full of hustle and bustle right now - but in a good way. more blogging to come up, i promise.

weekend

2010-08-27T08:22:00.002-04:00

i promise i'll be back to blogging and getting things done next week!

off to bluffton, south carolina for the weekend! we're going to savannah tonight to meet up with my friend, morgan....can't wait for some girl time and pool time!

outlander

2010-08-23T20:36:00.004-04:00

i just finished the first installment of the outlander series by diana gabaldon.

um.....

seriously.

i'm in love with a character in a book.

i'll only tell as much as what's on the back of the book, but basically, the story takes place in the 1940's after the war. claire beauchamp is finally being reunited with her husband, frank randall, after several years. they spent the war apart, she as a nurse and he as a soldier, and they've reunited in scotland on kind of a second honeymoon, if you will.

in their touristy journey through scotland, they come across a stonehenge type of structure. claire, some sort of budding botanist, later returns to the stonehenge structure to check out a plant she noticed and is sucked back in time 200 years. the story goes as you'd imagine if you'd been catapulted 200 years back in time - totally freaked out, she makes the best of it, and meets a man of interest.

this is so the readers digest, slash me trying not to give anything away version.

listen, as crazy unrealistic as this book sounds, you want to read it. promise.

the few readers who've also read this, will agree, i'm sure. enjoy!

indroducing...

2010-08-22T09:43:00.004-04:00

the Haute Initiative

a new blog dreamed up by Hiking in Stilettos and myself.

we met a few years ago, and bonded over all things fashion, shopping, and entertainment. literally, we like the same things. it was kind of like i'd met a smaller, cuter cookie cutter of myself... kind of sort of... except we look nothing alike, but you get me, right?

every time we get together, it's non-stop "have you seen the new designer line at target?"..."holy crap, did you hear me squealing over blair waldorf's outfit last night on Gossip Girl?" "how about this shopping trip needs to a little less anthro and a little more f21 because the wallet (and husband) are about to explode"....and it's all met with "wait, i was thinking the same thing."

so, the idea of doing a blog together was just the next step in our quest to take over the world.

ok. maybe not. but we're really excited about it.

check it out. if you follow here, follow there! we need your support!

well well well

2010-08-20T11:39:00.003-04:00

i know ya'll are about sick of hearing me be all whiney pants up in here.

in all truthfulness, the week flew by. it feels like i just had a weekend with a few really stressful days thrown in. i'm welcoming this weekend and the unveiling of a new project (more on that later!).

because it's the weekend, the kidney stone has reappeared. i'm growing a little wary of the stupid kidney stone, and how it swoops in to mess everything up. the radiologist called the husband earlier this week and confirmed that the stone is more like a boulder, and the husband would need to be in touch to discuss how they are going to get rid of it. the husband got upset that his urologist hadn't called - he felt there was a disconnect in the communication, which could be true, but apparently, the husband has the film.

here's my thing - call the doctor.

call either of them, and let them know you're experiencing level 9 of 10 in pain. PLEASE.

so, last night, after he was bouncing around in bed like a fish out of water, he got up to take some medicine and spent the rest of the night on the couch. when he woke me up from my coma this morning, i asked him if he needed me to take him anywhere, and he said he was fine. when i suggested he call the doctor to let them know the situation (perhaps they can squeeze him in?) he got all pissy.

don't get pissy with me at 5:50 a.m. when i'm still face first in my pillow, trying to be helpful. just don't. he clearly doesn't understand the force it takes to muster words, much less phrases or suggestions before my feet even hit the floor. but i guess he can argue that i clearly don't understand how painful it is to birth a boulder.

whatever. i started out in the wrong mood today.

i need a big helping of mexican to make me feel better....a large margarita will also be fab.

happy friday, folks!

...

2010-08-19T17:42:00.003-04:00

today wasn't great, but it seems the mucinex has finally decided to kick in. just in time for spin.

gonna spin it out.

so happy it's the end of the day and tomorrow's friday.

i also think my candidate is going to get the job. wheewwwwww!

grrr.....

2010-08-18T21:53:00.002-04:00

today didn't really go as planned. i attempted productivity but failed miserably.

at about 3pm, my throat started hurting. isn't it strange when that happens? like, one minute i'm feeling a little drowsy and suffering from a slight headache, and the next minute, i'm straight up allergy attacking. it's getting progressively worse, and for the life of me, i can't remember if mucinex d will keep me awake all night. i'm not willing to risk it.

i have a new client appointment tomorrow. i desperately need to get back on my sales bandwagon and get some new clients. i also need this to go well, so that i can make some more money. in other news, work is going great, and i'm challenged, which is fun. however, the most challenging part of my day lately is keeping focused. i need the beach trip to hurry up and get here.

i'm heading to bluffton, south carolina next weekend to visit my old co-worker and girl crush. i seriously cried when she left my company, and i don't cry. she mentioned something about a wine cruise. two words :: i'm there. we may take a day trip into savannah or hilton head or just hang out at her amazing place in palmetto bluff. can't. wait.

i had words with my endocrinologist today. he refused my synthroid (which i kind of have to take...daily) because i didn't have plans to come into the office. the nurse told me that i "haven't been coming" which is total shit because i came six months ago and was poked and prodded and nearly strangled because this doctor refuses to think i'm telling him the truth when i say i do not have my effing thyroid. i'm almost 29 years old - if it hasn't grown in 29 years, i'm pretty sure it won't be making an appearance. ijs. luckily, my boss comes from a family of doctors, so she's recommended a couple of endos closer to my office.

after i finally won and got my prescription filled, i found myself near my nail place. i treated myself to a mani/pedi, and while my pedicure is adorable, my manicure is total shit. it looks terrible, and the newbie technician spent all of 25 seconds painting them. did i ask for a refund? no. did i ask for her to redo them? no. i didn't do anything. i sat there with a pissed off look on my face and made a whole lot of noise as i left with still wet nails. i really need lessons on how to not be a doormat in these situations. i just hate the awkwardness of saying "um...no. redo this." because it's not like i'm going to get a new technician. the one who destroyed them to begin with will have to redo them, and she'll be pisssed about it. i'd rather just pay for the stupid manicure (along with perfectly acceptable tip, might i add) than deal with that uncomfortable situation. i'll learn one day. i think i just broke up with my nail salon.

friday, please? or at least an awesome thursday, and by that i mean my candidate totally rocks her interview and i totally rock my client appointment. that will make this whole randomly terrible week all worth it.

a little sexy for your wednesday

2010-08-18T08:30:00.001-04:00

holy crap.

holy sexy crap.

eric, you are an adonis.

bill, you're not so bad yourself.

thank you, jill, for this lovely email yesterday...and readers, you. are. welcome.

dear charter, i hate your face.

2010-08-17T09:32:00.003-04:00

i'm not one who gets all in a tizzy about things like cable.

i'm the high maintenance viewer who has to have dvr - because i refuse to be on anyone else's time.

also, i'm the high maintenance viewer who has to have hbo for fabulous shows like trueblood and big love. because sometimes they are the only shows worth watching.

but here's the deal. i hate charter communications because they nickle and dime you to death. i'm pretty sure i'm paying a router lease fee for MY ROUTER. the one i purchased at best buy.

back before we purchased our house, i was deep into my love affair with comcast. i know some people hate comcast, but let me tell you, our dvr box worked, our internet was always up, and the cable guy was this big burly man who liked to talk about shopping (at first i thought it was likely the husband would come home to find me dead, but we ended up gabbing for a really long time as he was setting up my wireless. further proof you should never judge a book by it's cover).

when we moved to the country two years ago, i was extremely upset to discover that charter had a monopoly on our area. it was charter or direct tv, and direct tv is confusing. so, i begrudgingly signed up for stupid charter, and i've hated them since. i try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but my cable/internet bill is effing $173/month, and they routinely call me to promote their "savings plan" of adding a phone line for $180/month. there's a serious lack of attention to detail with their sales people. i know it's only $7, but i'm sure there is some monthly charge for having my own phone attached to the wall. our cable doesn't go out, but our dvr box never works. the whole deal will lock up in the middle of riveting television and we're shit out of luck. when we call charter to handle the situation, they respond by saying "just bring your box to our office, and we'll give you another one." no thanks, charter. i'm not driving to bumblef*ck for you to give me another refurbished, busted up box. our internet goes down - everyday. so instead of listening to the husband bitch and moan, i called charter.

convo went like this::

me :: hi, my intenet is down, and really, it's down every single day.

CC :: oh, i'm so sorry, let me look at your account.

me :: .....

CC :: i'm not showing any outages in your area, so let me try to repair the problem.

me :: i've already reset the router.

CC :: good, now turn off your computer.

me :: ok.

CC :: now, i'm going to send a technician out to diagnose the problem. of course, if it's on your end, we'll have to charge you - unless you sign up for the charter plan called another bullshit way to take your money.

me :: um....no.

CC :: ok, ma'am. have you restarted your computer?

me :: yes. well, lookie here - it works.

CC :: did you still want me to send technician to your home to diagnose the problem? again, if it's on your end, we will have to charge you, unless you sign up for the bullshit way to take your money plan, in which case, it would be covered.

me :: how much is the bullshit way to take my money plan?

CC :: it's an extra $5/month.

me :: no.

ok...five dollars a month isn't a big deal, but it's the principle. now that i know they are charging me a lease fee for my own router, all of the problems should be on their end. i'm not letting some douchebag cable dude come out to my house to tell me some jibberish about wires and lines that my house has somehow eaten; therefore, making my internet woes my problem and making me responsible for a $100 fee for looking at a cord.

@chartergeorge on twitter keeps hitting me up to call and have them fix my problem. um....no thank you. now that i know that rebooting my computer will do the trick, i'll just stick with that until comcast rides in on it's white horse and saves me.

on notice...

why today sucked

2010-08-16T13:29:00.004-04:00

there are just some days that need to be erased from the books. today has been that day...for both me and the husband.

mine all started with my new obsession with vanilla iced coffee for keurig. i love me some iced coffee and have tried unsuccessfully to make it with normal coffee, so you can only imagine my excitement when i discovered it at bed bath and beyond.

i had a cup this morning while i was getting ready, and it was so delicious i decided to make myself a roadie.

note to self :: always hit the restroom before you leave if you're drinking excessive amounts of coffee.

now that you can see where this is going, i found myself on the downtown connector, far from any exits, in slow moving traffic, having to pee. like, bad. i turned on pandora to try to distract myself with no luck. it was painful. i unfastened my seat belt to try to alleviate the pressure. turns out, the pressure i was feeling was me about to totally ruin my seats and outfit. the desperation came to a head when i thought i was about to start crying, so i abandoned my spot in the traffic and took i-20 away from town, to the nearest exit. if you're familiar with downtown atlanta, the city itself is somewhat surrounded by questionable areas - especially off i-20. i was headed east, and took memorial drive thinking "there will be a gas station right off here." um.....no. i was in transitional loft hell with nothing in site. i sped into an exxon not realizing that i'd taken the back way to the corner of moreland & memorial also known as the corner of stabbed to death & shot to death.

i jumped out of my car with my purse, phone and keys acting as stabbing mechanism in case i was jumped, in which case, they'd want nothing to do with me because i'd promptly pee myself. i ran into the gas station, flailed around for a doorway leading to restrooms only to discover a sign that said "no public restrooms" um....my ass. so, after the clerk noticed i was dying, he motioned me back to the room of death.

i was in the back room of a dirty gas station on the corner of memorial & moreland. my guess is the bathroom was last cleaned when the gas station opened...maybe 1985? after i realized the toilet paper was sopping wet, and i was likely to pick up a disease, i discovered that not only is all of that happening, but i'm in the dark back room of a gas station by myself. in a room labeled "no public restroom"...and i'm the public. not only that, every single person in the gas station was a scruffy man, and one of them is going to be waiting outside to rape and pillage me. no one would even know.

thought going through my head :: "wow. a little old to be getting ourselves into these kinds of situations, aren't we?"

it's called when you have to pee bad enough, all responsibility flies out the window.

the happy ending is that i made it out, and the homeless men sitting on the sidewalk were actually quite pleasant even as i sprinted out of the gas station with 911 already programmed and ready to dial.

the husband's day went by as successfully. the poor guy has multiple kidney stones, and after watching a combined 14 hours of golf over the course of the weekend, he bravely stepped out to get some work done. i bbmed to check on him around noon, and the conversation went like this::

me:: how are you feeling?

husband:: pretty bad, just got caught in a yellow jacket's nest, and i've been stung.

me:: omg. are you ok?

husband:: i'll call you back.

the husband was stung twelve times. twelve. times. (!!!). one time i got a yellow jacket caught between my arm and my boob. luckily it stung my arm, but it stung like holy hell...for a long time. after twelve pops, the husband was done. he stopped for some benadryl and came home to sleep it off. now he just looks like he's been beat up.

oh, and puppy number one, the one who had acl surgery in may, is limping again. it just happened right before our eyes. i'm a bit devastated as we've been nursing and babying her leg for almost three months.

i need a do-over.

seriously.

work wear daily

2010-08-16T09:18:00.002-04:00

i can't express how tired i am of my closet right now. i just wish this time didn't come around annually. the feeling like i just want to go in and rip everything down is overwhelming. i want to scrutinize every piece, and if it hasn't been worn in six months, get rid of it.

unlike my usual approach to dressing myself, i'm kind of more thinking of separating work and play. none of this shopping for things i can wear both places anymore. i think i wear things out this way, and i tend to wear the old favorites over and over. it's time to focus on the work wardrobe.

there are too many days when i've gotten dressed in the dark or half asleep and swear my outfit was totally presentable, only to get to work and see that i look like a hot mess.

this season and from now on, i vow to buy things that look great, flatter my body, and focus on looking like my uber-professional office environment. if we want to call it that, we have to look like it, right?

so, i've thrown together various pieces for work. some of these will most definitely not make it into my work wardrobe as they are upwards of $200/piece, but some will...

for fall/winter season, i'm going to focus on skirts and fun tights. i always tend to buy wide leg pants, and i end up looking ridiculous. i have big thighs - it's an issue for me, and i'll complain all day about how my calves are totally proportional, but my thighs are a whole new ballgame. the best way to combat this issue is wearing skirts, and there are so many fabulous ones out there. some of my favorites are below.

click to make photos larger

1. boulee kendel studden skirt - revolve clothing - $114
2. lightweight wool charcoal pencil skirt - banana republic - $79.50
3. textured power skirt - bcbg - $148 (is this not showing up? click here to view)
4. novelty grosgrain pencil skirt - the limited - $69.90
5. cricket match skirt - modcloth - $41.99
6. abstract print woven skirt - love 21, forever 21 - $17.99
7. asymmetrical pleated dress - love 21, forever 21 - $29.80
8. paper bag skirt in black - banana republic - $59.50
9. zip back and relax skirt - modcloth - $42.99

in my particular role, my boss likes for us to wear "suits" daily. in the event a client were to call in and want to meet a recruiter, she'd obviously want us to not look like raggamuffins. not only that, we see candidates daily, and we have to set an example if we're going to require they wear a suit (and sometimes we have to tell the unemployed people to go buy one) to visit our clients. while she's lenient on it being an actual suit - thank gawd - a jacket is pretty much manditory monday through thursday. friday can kind of be a free for all, but we still have to keep it classy. long story longer, i'm always looking for blazers. the crazier the cut, the better; although, my boss may not agree.

10. city synthetic jacket - ann taylor loft - $128
11. show jumping blazer - modcloth - $53.99
12. darlin blazer - theory - $395 (ughhhhhhhhhhhh)

13. satin layers top - twelve by twelve, forever 21 - $32.00
14. breezy chiffon top - love 21, forever 21 - $27.80
15. silk ruffle flounce top - love 21, forever 21 - $27.80
16. codey - theory - $200

i love the idea of the cropped pant suit. i'm 5'2" so i'm not sure this would work on me and my thighs, but it's something i'm definitely going to try. i was surprised the limited had shorts in their suiting section but not cropped pants. whatev - i've just featured a couple of pairs that pretty much look exactly alike...

17. lison c - theory - $255
18. parker cropped skinny pants - bcbg - $138

maybe i can take all of the clothes i'm about to boot to plato's closet to help pay for all the newness.

it's baaaaack

2010-08-13T17:35:00.002-04:00

the husband is back in his pitiful state. the kidney stone has reared it's ugly head, so i guess the day he spent kneeled in front of the porcelain god was actually a result of the drugs and not the passing of the stone.

balls. i feel sad. i have no one to participate in weekend shenanigans with at this point. unless the stone navigates to a comfortable position. until then, i guess i'll do my part and play nurse (although, not the sexy kind) until he feels better.

after he spent most of yesterday in the fetal position, i made him an appointment with a urologist. they squeezed him in today, and figured out everything in 25 minutes that we spent two days jimmy jacking around with the primary care doc. there is still no resolution as the urologist recommends a cat scan next tuesday.

they did another ultrasound and told him they saw stones. plural. and a possible blockage. nothing about this sounds fun, so i'm just trying to be superwife and there at his beck and call. so far, so good. it's not too hard when he's passed out 85% of the time.

ugh - wish us luck. 1) we need him to not get sick from the pain meds 2) we need him to not have to use another suppository. i'll just keep that story to myself, but poor guy's traumatized.

the boot

2010-08-12T09:28:00.000-04:00

the husband and i are going to see miranda lambert at the georgia national fair this october.

i kind of love her. what i love even more is when all the rednecks on facebook put the opening lyrics of "only prettier" on their facebook status, but that's neither here nor there.

anyway - my besties are going to be there, and i'm so excited to be able to morph a girls night into time also spent with the husband. good times! like any other event i attend, i have to be properly dressed, and i thought there would be no better place for me to wear some shiny new cowboy boots. i've been browsing boots for a couple of years now, but refuse to pay more than $150 because i'm cheap.

i've scouted a few websites and these are some of the options i've come up with :::

these high heel babies are great. i love the round toe, and i'll wear them more because i'm always perched atop some high heels. i'm not a flat wearer. i found these at zappos. roper - $164

i'm kind of liking the cropped boot here. the dark brown is fun; although, i might prefer a camel. rocket dog sheriff - $59.95

these are kind of the front runners. i love love them! dingo - $109

taller boots tend to swallow me. i'm 5'2, and my legs are short tree trunks. these look like they'd come up to my knees, and that would look gross. sm plablo - $119

these i'm not too sure about. i think it's the wonky way the model has her feet. anyway - they are wanted - $74

which ones are your faves? we have plenty of time, and by the time it rolls around, i'm sure i'll have even more options.

Well I've been saved by the grace of Southern charm
I got a mouth like a sailor and yours' is more like a Hallmark card
If you wanna pick a fight, Well I'm gonna have to say goodnight
I don't have to be hateful, I can just say Bless. your. heart.

yeeehaw!

a good day to rant

2010-08-11T12:25:00.007-04:00

i can't focus today. instead of knocking out all of the emails in my inbox, i'm perusing perez hilton and coco perez catching up on all the celebrity dirt.

celebrities are ridiculous.

i buy into their shenanigans just like the rest of the country, but i wish i didn't. most of them are stupid people who don't deserve the attention, and the rest of them are clawing at the walls trying to maintain a somewhat normal life - quite unsuccessfully.

reading perez catapults me into full-on rant writing.

for starters, lady gaga

wtf?

what is wrong with her? this is just...disgusting. first of all, she's apparently relaxing a little after the monster ball. she's still teeny, but she's not dressing her fuller-teeniness in the most flattering way. ripped up fishnets and fishnet cropped shirts are not attractive...on anyone. and that is poor placement of hair extensions...or i guess a poor camouflage job. i'll be the first to tell you that i squealed and jumped up and down at the opportunity to see her on tour last december, but she's taken quite a fall from fabulous in my eyes. pull it together, girl.

the whole kim kardashian/justin bieber friendship....is ridiculous (and maybe kind of creepy).

i love kim k. i really do. she's so pretty and seems nice enough, but the pairing up with justin bieber? i just don't get it. the get up was for elle magazine, and the article will be called the graduate. is he even one of those yet? doubt it.

this isn't about celebrities, but it hit close to home...seriously - this is gross...

cockroach pendants. this could be the pony roach that once called my bathroom home. the idea of this makes me want to vomit for days.

while some of you may look at this and love it, i just don't. cockroaches are among the scariest creatures on earth. the girl in the photos can be found at this cute blog that you should definitely check out despite her slightly yucky love for bugs (somebody's gotta do it).

fantasia's situation is the perfect example of "you can't fix stupid."

making a sex tape is never a good idea. for one, i'm pretty sure it's all very unsexy unless choreographed, and furthermore, when you're a celeb, it's gonna get out. period. when the guy says "hey baby, let's get this on tape" and you're fantasia, you say "nah babe - you married and i'm famous." she was never pegged as the smart one, so i guess all we can say is that we hope she can pull through her aspirin coma and move on. another lesson learned.

stay tuned!

case of the mondays

2010-08-09T09:03:00.005-04:00

things at the office are a little tense today. i work in a team environment, but sometimes it gets a little competitive. one of my co-workers is highly competitive by nature, and when things go wrong in her world and right in mine, the claws kind of come out. i really hate that about my job because, really, when shit's going good in her world, i might kind of hate her a little inside, but i certainly don't show it. i can't help that i'm kind of on top of my game right now....

i purchased sally hansen's salon manicure in yellow kitty and had my nails freshly manicured. i kind of hate it on my fingers. i think it would look better on darker skin or much lighter skin. my skin has too many yellowish undertones. not to mention, the brush in this particular line of polish is ginormous and throws off the nail people every time resulting in terrible coverage and overall clumsiness. i think this polish will have to be saved for the toes or when i'm reallllly tanned, because i'm real yellow all winter long.

i've said before that i'm in a constant state of hot flash, so getting ready in the morning, especially at the gym, is uncomfortable because i usually just get ready in my towel. earlier this summer while i was buying everything in target, i came across these little cover ups and picked it up. perfect for getting ready in the morning and even better for the gym...i love my striped one so much that i went back to target last week to see if they still had them, and lucky for me, they did. i had to get this unfortunate leopard print because the other stripes were out of my size, but happy day. it stays up while i'm getting ready and i stay cool. the best $14.99 i've spent!

i'm having some issues with the wires connecting my amp in my car. i'm not even sure if i need the stupid amp, and at this point, i'm ready to sell it. during my excruciatingly long commute, i need the radio. so when the damn wires come unhooked - in the trunk - because the tightwad person who owned the car before me ripped out the "high dollar connectors" and replaced them with electrical tape, i get realllll pissed off. the wires have come unhooked several times in the past week, so this morning, i was ass up in my trunk, at quiktrip, rewiring the amp and getting all the cords to stay together. if nothing else, i guess i'm learning more useless information.

did anyone watch last night's episode of trueblood? i need to talk it out with someone...wow.

knock on wood, the husband is doing much better. back to normal, so that's nice. with that being said, this week is my bitch.

giveaway!

2010-08-08T08:37:00.001-04:00

i'm thinking about a giveaway!

this is the first one i've ever done!! more details to come!

happy weekend!

2010-08-07T08:31:00.006-04:00

my grandfather is coming over today to spray our house for bugs. having a family member who once owned their own biz is helpful in getting free stuff. exterminator contracts are pricey! who knew? there was a roach the size of texas chilling out on my shower curtain yesterday morning. after screaming and throwing things at it for approximately 15 minutes - at 6 a.m. - it escaped and is now probably bedded down right next to my tube of queen helene.

i'll curl up in bed with a spider before i let a roach live in my house. know this. not sure how i managed four and a half years in milledgeville, georgia where roaches rush the sidewalks like students rush the football field after a major win.

mom and i are getting together today to go look at furniture. the husband and i have the saddest dining room table you've ever seen. we also could use a new couch. this could get dangerous. my mom taught me everything i know about being a shopaholic.

i missed the last 20 minutes of mad men last week, and it's not on demand yet. i'm kind of freaking out.

has anyone seen fergie's fingernails? if not, here you go. how much do you hate them?::

i want to make a jewelry board for my bathroom. i want it to be kind of shabby chic, but not too over the top - - and seriously, i keep envisioning chicken wire with hooks for the necklaces. how do i make this, creative ones?

shiloh jolie pitt is a lesbian. not that there's anything wrong with that, but i think this is the only time i've ever been able to point it out at such a young age.

my bestie is catching up on the show las vegas that i'm not sure anyone actually watched. she said the character, sam, is like watching me on tv. she said her personality is exactly like mine. not sure if this is a compliment or not, considering i've never watched the show. but she said we kind of look the same... this is sam ::

i wish!

happy weekend, folks!!! :)

dress for sale!

2010-08-06T08:46:00.004-04:00

i purchased the brown dress below on ebay thinking it was the same fab dress LK has in green.

witness LK's dress ::

me and LK have a few pieces of clothing that are copied from each other.
hardcore girl crushes.

as it turns out, the dress came, and it was the wrong one. while it's still gorgeous and fabulous, i ended up finding and purchasing the right one - meaning that i don't need the wrong one anymore.

here's where i pass my good deal on to my readers before slapping it back up on ebay.

 bcbg maxazria | size 6

the measurements are as follows:

bust/chest: 34-36 inches

waist: 32 inches

hips: 42 inches

length: 34 inches

color: chestnut

the dress was slightly big on me, and if i were to keep it, i'd get it taken in a little around the top to fit snug. it hits right above my knee (i'm 5'2 | 34C bra size).

the bcbg tag is still on it, but there is no price. the dress was originally $258. i twisted it, turned it inside out, and looked at every single stitch to make sure it was legit. truthfully, it's great! if someone doesn't buy it, i guess i'll wear it to the husband's christmas party - preplanning at it's best!

so, i'll sell it for $50. if you want it let me know in the comments, and leave your email address. :)

stoner

2010-08-05T20:35:00.003-04:00

everything's been kind of crazy since tuesday when the husband called me doubled over in pain requesting that i come home.

so far, i've taken two afternoons off work, one morning, and been sleeping with one eye open just waiting for him to shoot out of bed and need to go to the emergency room. just so you know, we still have the kidney stone. thankfully, he's experiencing a period of relief and no pain, so that's good.

on tuesday the doctor said the only thing she could do to help was provide him with a prescription for lortab (yay! drugs!). being a drug free husband, he only took the pill when he was at level 7 out of 10 in pain, and promptly put himself in bed. he woke up at 2:45 wednesday morning in severe pain again and popped another lortab. i left for work wednesday morning only to go home at 2 because he was violently sick from what he thought was the lortab. he popped another pill at 9 a.m. and promptly threw up at 11:30 and continued to throw up for the rest of the day.

my husband sounds like he is in the throes of death when he vomits.

he vomited so violently, that i ended up calling his mother.

conversation with mother in law ::

me :: so, husband has graduated to vomiting. it's really quite violent. yeah, i'm kind of freaked out.

mil :: oh yeah, when he had his last kidney stone, he burst the blood vessels in his face. he looked like he had a rash.

me :: oh. wow.

mil :: yeah, you should probably take him to the emergency room.

me :: hmmm...ok. should i take him to the emergency room while he's nauseated? i mean, i don't want him to have to be nauseous waiting in the e.r.

mil :: what about his doctor?

me :: yes, of course, the doctor.

so, i called the doctor and the doctor told me that yeah, he could be sick from the lortab, or he could be passing the stone.

so i run into the bathroom, slamming the door into his head as he lays totally helpless. "are you in any pain?!?"

...this kidney stone stuff is a bit confusing. he wasn't in any pain; he was only nauseous, and wouldn't he be in major pain if he were passing it?? the doctor told me that either way, he needed to be supervised while he passes the stone. really? i thought people passed kidney stones everyday without supervision from doctors?

i ended up talking her away from that ledge and told her he wasn't in any pain, and he really did not want to go pass his stone in the e.r....at god knows what time. so, she prescribed some anti-nausea suppositories.

fast forward to the pharmacy where the pharmacist at our walgreens is my new bff. he gave me the recommendations for the over the counter anti-nausea meds i purchased on my first trip that the husband immediately threw up. when i picked up the prescribed meds, he said "you know these are suppositories, right?"

me :: [cracking a smile as i kind of know what a suppository is] what again is a suppository?

pharmacist :: it goes up the bottom [also cracking a smile because he's having to explain this to a 28 year old woman and making a putting a plug up something motion with his hand]

me :: ouch!

pharmacist :: they've probably prescribed this because he can't hold a tablet down.

me :: he will go nowhere near this, but thanks!

i laughed (hard) the whole way to the car. i'm five.

i figured since i've been a supportive wife thusfar, i should probably call and warn him about the buttplugs i've just purchased.

me :: hey sweetie. how ya feeling? listen, i just picked up your meds, and you should know they are suppositories.

husband :: [silence]...what are those?

me :: um...well...they um...you insert it into your ass.

husband :: [silence]

me :: i'm sorry! what should i do?

husband :: [panicked] why didn't they give me a pill? isn't there a pill version?

me :: i suppose there might be, but the pharmacist said you probably couldn't keep a tablet down (the pharmacist is the be all, end all here. i was literally a mile from our house at this point)

husband :: [mumbled something i couldn't understand; hangs up]

me :: hello? .....

the husband went nowhere near the suppositories. they are in our fridge, and when i open it, i laugh (because i'm five).

so, the husband pulled it together for the most part, and fell asleep long enough to sleep off the nausea. it worked, and he woke up later last night feeling a little better. i fed him a ginormous breakfast this morning, and he succeeded in keeping it down, and we're on the road to normal...or just waiting out the ticking time bomb that's floating around in his bladder.

now that i've shared too much info, how was your week?

for better for worse, for sicker for poorer

in other news...

2010-08-03T14:54:00.002-04:00

the husband has a kidney stone.

i had to leave work at 11:30 and rush home to take him to the doctor because he was doubled over in pain - 10 out of 10 in intensity, according to him.

they say the pain caused by kidney stones is similar to the pain a woman experiences in childbirth. that would probably explain why he's completely passed out right now. poor thing.

positive? i got to go home early, and that's always fun. marley, pup number two, will finally get a much needed pawdicure. i will take a nap.

negative? the husband still has a kidney stone. "working from home" is kind of pointless. today was totally not my bitch, and i was so planning for that. i've already blown today's point allowance away because of a zaxby's zalad, and they're not even that good.

we'll try this again tomorrow.

2010-08-03T14:00:00.000-04:00

why did my asshole blog post the makeup post? dammit, that was for tomorrow.