Tuesday, March 29, 2011

3/27 - 3/29 365

Mar 27 Q: When was the last time you felt you were on top of the world? A: When I was praised by the president of my company for doing an excellent job of executing a tough project. It helped that I was on my way home on a Friday from a grueling week, too! Mar 28 Q: What do you want to remember about today? A: Good - the feeling of running - painful and exhilirating at the same time, i kind of love it and i forget at times. Bad - the President finally spoke about what we are doing in Libya Mar 29 Q: Write down a few lines from a song or poem that you identify with today. A: "Now I'm bound by the life you left behind"

Saturday, March 26, 2011

3/21 to 3/26 / 365

Mar 21:
Q: The first thing you ate today was___________.
A: Decaf sugar free hazelnut soy misto and a protein plate from starbucks

Mar 22:
Q: Jot down a news story from today
A: Japan still dealing with nuclear dangers, from the earthquake and tsunami

Mar 23:
Q: Are you country or rock and roll? (or hip-hop, emo, folk, punk)
A: A little bit rock and roll, a lotta bit folk. some punk, some hip hop.

Mar 24:
Q: What did you daydream about today?
A: Going to grad school, working in the job of my dreams

Mar 25:
Q: ____________ made you laugh
A: My reaction to UK beating OSU made me laugh at myself

Mar 26:
Q: Who do you aspire to be like?
A: My mom

Monday, March 21, 2011

she's crafty




I indulged my latent craftiness this weekend with two projects - both small, one very small.


Here is the itty bitty project, a flower pin. I have been drawn to flower pins on sale at some of my favorite stores but really couldn't justify the price. I went to the floral section of my local Michaels and selected my favorite bloom. Popped the flower off the stem, glued a square of felt in the back to keep it in place, and added a pin to the back. Tada! I kind of love it.



The second project was a wreath to replace the pine wreath I finally took down a couple of weeks ago. I wanted something springy but could not find a spring-themed wreath that I really liked. I took the idea of a yarn wreath and used a springy color palette of various yellow. I like the results quite a bit, I think the only improvement would be a greater variety of flowers. Luckily, they pin right on, so I can change them up if I like. This was also a very quick project, its a green foam wreath form wrapped in yellow yarn (took about an hour and a half). The gerbera daisies are pin ons from Michaels. The yellow ribbon on top is from a roll of ribbon I just loved to much to pass up, without a plan for it - now it has a home!


What do you think of my foray into craftiness? Original, no, but definitely easy, and fun!




Sunday, March 20, 2011

3/20 - 365

Q: What was the last book you read?
A: Right now I'm reading How Did You Get This Number? by Sloane Crosley. Just finished The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. Kind of struggling through I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson - its on my bedstand but the final 1/3 just can't hold my attention. I love books.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

catch up 3/11 - 3/19 / 365

Mar 11
Q: What was something you wanted today, but couldn't have?
A: This may sound crazy, but I generally have what I want, and want what I have

Mar 12
Q: Where do you live?
A: I could answer this as: The US, DC, Virginia, Fairfax, in a townhouse, suburb of DC, Northern VA, in a house owned by my parents, in a house occupied by my parents for 11 years, 5 miles or so from my high school, within 5 miles of my immediate family

Mar 13
Q: If you could add one hour to your day, what would you do with it?
A: Read or sit in the sun, preferably both

Mar 14
Q: What is true?
A: True is factual, true is devoted, true is level/straight.

Mar 15
Q: What do you not want to talk about?
A: Money, I don't like talking about it, I just like when it there is enough there to be quietly comforting

Mar 16
Q: What do you want to buy?
A: What don't I want to buy? Ok, really, I would like a new pair of jeans, which I am holding off on until I get past this weird between sizes stage. I would like a 1972 Chevelle SS, preferably navy blue with white racing stripes. I would like a Volvo 240 from the mid 80s. I would like most of J Crew's inventory. I would like a beach house. I would like a row house in Capitol Hill and a home in Charlottesville and a loft in Brooklyn. I am, however, quite satisfied with what I have.

Mar 17
Q: What new activity have you tried?
A: This past year, working with a personal trainer.

Mar 18
Q: In three words, describe your spirituality
A: Atheist, nature, kindness

Mar 19
Q: Describe your work ethic
A: I have a great one. I don't believe in working endless hours for some kind of martyrdom or just to prove a point - I believe in working hard and efficiently. If I ran a company I would employ people whom I could trust to work their own schedules. If you have to work 16 hours to get something done on time, you do it. If you only have 4 hours of work one day, you do it. I think there is some level of ridiculousness in our 9-5 M-F work norms - I am driven by achievement and success and I think the people who are just punching the clock will continue to complete work as they do. I have minimal tolerance for poor work ethic and force myself as a manager to remember that to some people, they intend to only ever put in their 8 hours a day, and technically, that is ok. sort of. not really.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

1990 - 1991

1990 - end of 7th grade, first half of 8th grade: At the end of 7th grade, I was in a play, with the older kids, called A Mouse that Roared. My role was the Page and I had an awesomely long speech. I loved it, the rehearsals, the cast party, feeling like the kid sister to the cool older theatre kids. I was blessed with not knowing yet how stereotyped the Drama Kids were at my highschool, and I just loved it. I also remember a couple of 8th grade boys doing a routine to
What I Like About You that was pretty damn sweet, but I can't remember which of a group of about 4 guys it was. 7th grade summer was spent mainly at the pool devising ways to get our hot lifeguards to notice us. We were slightly boys-obsessed, as girls are.

8th grade:

First of all, I loved 8th grade. I had a great group of friends that felt really tight-knit for the first time since moving to Fairfax. I was still a reasonably good student and mostly enjoying school. Things that jump out for me in 8th grade: Boys. Lots of them. Matt Carr specifically (where are you Matt Carr?). The 8th grade dance, which by some sort of law requires playing of "Doin Da Butt" and "It Takes Two" or maybe that was just about when I grew up.

What definitely WAS about when I grew up was the playing of Unchained Melody and our stoic determination to dance with "hot" guys to that song. We were successful (thanks Cristian and Drew!). I also vividly remember the Fairfax Fair that year as it was still held on the grounds of GMU and we were able to walk from my school.

Fashion-wise, we wore a lot of Champion gear and stretchy skirt/top ensembles from The Limited. Also, Vuarnet shirts. (French sunglasses, why?). I remember the Magazine Drive clearly, including these little fuzzy things with ribbons (bear with me) that you got for selling magazines. I don't remember exactly why they were enticing. This would have been around the era of slap bracelets as well. I can only imagine how annoying we were at this age, the lot of us. Oh, also, Motley Crue totally released Dr Feelgood. I discovered Skid Row (actually, that WOULD have been 7th grade) and promptly memorized all the words to I Remember You (I still can't forget them).

I somehow, by some grace, managed to narrowly escape NKOTB fandom. Michelle tried it, and I think I gave her the smack down musically. I DID however enjoy ABC, Boyz II Men, AND BBD. and really, freaking Jodeci. Or wait, that may have been 9th grade...

I feel like I had to have had some boyfriends, and I'm sure I did, in their innocence. Dave Kohne, yep. A boy named Carey that I met at Cameron Run. Large crushes on multiple hockey players and/or skate guards at Fairfax Ice Rink. Keith Michlik. Again, large crushes on our lifeguards (summer crushes/winter crushes - they were seasonally appropriate).

dreams and the past

I had a dream last night that won't leave me. It was a yearning, struggling, wanting dream and it has really thrown me for a loop. yet again, what I know isn't good for me v. what I want are battling in my head. and I have no one to talk to about it, or I do, but have noone that would consider a possibility my mind is forcing me to consider.

I was also thinking today, for some reason, about luckys. Does anyone still turn a cig over when they first open their pack and smoke that one last? (does anyone still smoke?) How many times in your life have you lit the wrong end of a cig? That is quite an unfortunate experience. I rarely do that anymore. I rarely drink anymore either, those may be connected =)

Thursday, March 10, 2011

3/10 - 365

Q: What was the last movie you rented?
A: Love and other Drugs. Decent flick. Anne and Jake. I give it 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

i'm gonna make it on my own...with a little help with some bloggers

I'm so excited to be taking a home ec class! just in time for spring and then summer! summer is totally the easiest season for a newbie dress maker! yay!

3/6 - 3/9 of 365

Mar 6th
Q: What's your nemesis?
A: Ah, my bitter enemy, my unbeatable foe. Its not a person, that's for sure. Could be panic disorder, that son of a bitch. Could be cigarettes but I think you have to put effort into beating something for it to be a nemesis.

Mar 7th
Q: It's not a good idea to experiment with ___________.
A: I can say this with experience...dying one's own hair if you are doing anything even remotely complicated or if you have fussy or fragile hair. Almost every time I've dyed my own hair I've been in the colorist's chair between a day to a week later. I did, once upon a time, manage to successfully bleach my hair platinum blond...but i had just gotten it cut mia farrow short, I was about 19 years old, and I STILL only rocked it for a day before dying it..brown. Thrill seeker, yep, that's me!

Mar 8th
Q: What's the last song you listened to?
A: That would be the last song on the B side of the new Bright Eyes album. I could look up the name, but I'm not feeling like it at the moment. I'll get around to it =) It's a good one, that's for sure.

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Beauty Q & A

1) What's your favorite drug-store makeup product and your favorite higher-end product?
Drugstore, definitely Revlon Aqua colorstay makeup. It feels amazing going on and gives good coverage without being heavy. Higher-end, my MAC lustre lipsticks in Sheer Plum and Ruby Woo, and Tarte cheek and lip stain. Also Benefit Bo-oing! concealer is quality stuff. Stila Kitten eye shadow. Oh i could go on.

2) Is there one type of product that is your go-to, can't live without?
I could and would happily live without makeup, but I like to have a good, moisturizing, not gloopy lip balm/gloss. A good gloss can do your lips, eyes, cheeks, and set your brows too. Can't do much about shiny spots though, sad. My favorite gloss by far is Clinique Superbalm in Black Honey.

3) What is the best hair product you've ever used?
I'm quite partial to Aveda, but some of their products are a bit drying for my hair. I cannot get over the heavenly smell to this day, and I worked there for some time so you know i really love that smell! Sap Moss is my favorite and I really miss the shampoo/conditioner but I still use the pre-shampoo treatment. Also quite partial to Tigi Control Freak. I adore Moroccan Oil for keeping my hair healthy. Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Shampoo is my hair's favoritist shampoo evers.

4) Fess up, what's the worst beauty look you've tried to rock and look back at now with a little shame you actually did it?
I was in high school in the 90s, we liked a lot of matte lipstick and brown eyeshadow, which isn't so bad. I guess the worst look ever is the poof bangs of the late 80s, but EVERYONE rocked those, so I can't really single myself out there.

5) When it comes to beauty products, we all use the same basic products. What do you use that helps show off your personal flair and personality?
I like to wear my (mostly) curly hair natural (most) of the time. I believe in the less is more approach to makeup, and while I may have a lot of products, I use them sparingly, and they are used to enhance rather than change my natural looks.

Mar 2-5, 365

Mar 2

Q: Salty or sweet?
A: Sweet. I have had a sweet tooth my entire life - more specifically, a chocolate tooth. My favorites are godiva open oysters, dark chocolate sorbet, and samoas girl scout cookies.

Mar 3
Q: Did you sleep alone last night?
A: Nope - I share a bed with Fred and usually one or both of our two cats.

Mar 4
Q: What would you like to ask your mother?
A: Lots of things, I'm sure. What everyday life was like as a college student in the 60s. If she's ever slept with anyone besides my dad (they got together in high school, married at 20). I can ask her these things, and I will.

Mar 5
Q: What's your favorite word (right now)?
A: I made it up, I think, but I'm enjoying farked. It means crapped out, a nicer way of saying effed up. As in, that facebook app totally farked on me.

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Feb 27, 28 & Mar 1 / 365

Feb 27

Q: Are you the original or the remix? Why?

A: nice one. hmm. well, I'm the second child, so in that sense, I am not the original, I'm the remix. In any other sense I'm the original, the only, the best ever, me. cause really, i'm me, and noone can compete with me at being me.

Feb 28

Q: When was the last time you were sick?

A: I got really sick back in..October? But just for 2 days - major stomach upsets, it sucked.

Mar 1

Q: How could today have been better?

A: Today was actually good...could have been better if my knees would stop hurting. I've got to figure out what's up with that because it makes an hour of cardio not so fun. Not that its ever FUN exactly, but usually I feel good and satisfied after and not all ow ow.