Stepping Diagonally

Love & holidays

2011-12-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

I'll admit, I've been behind on my blog for a while. Posting Ten on Tuesday is pretty much all I had time for, and by the time I've caught up with my Google Reader there's not a lot of time to actually post. But I'd like to work on this a little, so let's start slowly with a little bit of a list.

+ Biggest & brightest reason I've been absent? I got engaged! Back in October M & I headed out to Kansas for a KU football game (my first trip out there). He wanted to show me the town where he spent his college years since in our home it's Jayhawks all the time. Well, toward the end of the campus tour he started acting a little weird. We made it to the campanile which overlooks the stadium and he pulled out the most beautiful ring.

We spent the rest of our trip celebrating it up and cheering on the football team even though they lost.

+ Because of the engagement it's been a bit of a whirlwind around here. As per usual, everyone we come in contact with wants to know details. Have you set a date? September-ish. Where is it? Not sure yet. Etc. etc. Add in the fact that almost every other friend I have is engaged or married right now that's all they want to talk about. But we have appointments on Sunday to look at some venues...so stay tuned.

+ Thanksgiving came and went with a lot of drama. My grandparents usually do dinner at their house, but my mom called me the Tuesday before saying my grandfather had a really bad cold. Because of this my grandmother didn't want to get the rest of the family sick. My mom offered to host the event, but I reminded her that her oven was out of commission and in turn Thanksgiving was at our place. Almost 20 people over and a 25 lb turkey? That would make most people's head spin...let alone two days before the event. Add in I've never even roasted a chicken before, let's just say I was a little anxious. But it went off w/o a hitch...no burnt turkey and everyone had a great time.

+ As for now? I'm hopelessly trying to get my holiday shopping done in time. I managed to get my cards out, but I have another 250 to do at work so I just keep remembering to breathe. Anyone else running behind schedule???

Ten on Turkey Day

2011-11-23T10:58:00.001-08:00

I'm a little behind as Thanksgiving was dumped in my lap yesterday so let's get this started! Compiled at Roots & Rings (Chelsea) and questions provided by E is Random (Elizabeth).

[source]

1. What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year?

This year was supposed to be at my grandparent's place, but my grandpa caught a horrible cold. As of yesterday morning a few phone calls were made and now it's at my place.

2. What are you most thankful for this year?

A great group of people around me. Family, friends & future family make things wonderful.

3. Do you have any traditions on Thanksgiving? The parade? Football? Long naps?

In our family this is the start of having lefse. For those not of Scandinavian decent, it's kind of like a potato tortilla. You put butter & sugar on it, then roll it up.

For M he insisted on the Macy's parade & football on TV at all times.

4. Is it called stuffing or dressing? Is it in the bird or a separate dish?

It's called stuffing if it's inside the bird, and dressing outside the bird. We usually have both.

5. Do you cook?

I do this year! I usually bring a few dishes (I was supposed to bring 3 apps) but I'm going to attempt a 25 lb turkey and have 20 people over to my house. Please wish me luck, I'll need it!

6. What is your favorite dish?

I love stuffing & cranberries (real, not in a can). Oh, and the wine. :-)

7. What is your dessert preference?

Pumpkin pie all the way, with real whipped cream.

8. What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?

When I was little I used to sit on my grandparent's organ seat at the table because it was a little higher up.

9. Do you plan to shop on Black Friday?

Absolutely not. I have a hard enough time shopping on a normal day, I can't handle that many people being inconsiderate. M might go out tomorrow on his own though, he loves a good deal.

10. What are you most dreading about Thanksgiving this year?

Honestly? Part of me is dreading hosting...only because it's harder to get away. When we have this many people together I usually need a few mins to get away and recharge. It's easier when it's at someone else's house, but if I have to lock myself in the pantry I'll do it. Ha!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Ten on Tuesday: Pasta Edition

2011-10-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

Today's Ten on Tuesday post comes from Kristen @ St. Monica's Bridge and it's all about pasta. As pasta is one of my favorite foods ever I couldn't resist.

1. Red Sauce or White Sauce?
I like a little combination of both. Or, even better...make a red sauce & add a little cream (and syrah!)

2. Do you prefer pasta you can twirl or stab?
I like both, but we do a lot of angel hair so there's some serious twirling going on in my house.

3. Baked or boiled?
Mostly boil, but on occasion there is a casserole around here.

4. Do you like meat in your sauce or do you kick it vegetarian style?
I think if I didn't include meat in the sauce M might kick me out of the house. I used to do veggie because I had a serious phobia of raw meat, but I'm getting better.

5. Where have you had your very best pasta ever?
Probably at my grandparent's house. My grandma gave me the recipe and I make it almost weekly. But it's super basic...chicken, carrots, broccoli, pasta, swiss cheese, cream & garlic.

6. What is your favorite pasta dish?
My step dad's chicken parm w/pasta alfredo is pretty awesome.

7. Do you serve meatballs when you make spaghetti or just do a meat sauce?
Mostly do a meat sauce unless meatballs are requested. I don't really like balls or loaves of meat (insert joke here) so I break it up a lot.

8. Why type (rice, whole wheat, egg, etc) of noodles do you use?
Umm...whatever the standard is. I don't go out of my way to buy gluten free or anything extremely nutritious.

9. What type of meats or vegetables do you put in your sauce?
Mostly hamburger & spicy ground sausage, but I had leftover zucchini one day...threw it in and I loved it. M on the other hand requested I never put it in again. So sad.

10. Do you make a “Sunday gravy” to use throughout the week or do you just open a jar of whatever and heat it up? (No judgment on this one!)
That would probably make more sense, but I'm more of an open up a jar kind of girl. At least for the base, adding herbs, onions & garlic along with the cream & wine from above makes it taste almost completely homemade.

In other news tomorrow I head on vacation to Kansas of all places. M went to college there so he's giving me a complete tour even with a football game. The weather's supposed to be way nicer than at home, so I plan to relax and enjoy. Now if I can only get everything done before we leave...that's a whole different ball game!

Can the planners of the world please stand up?

2011-10-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

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Do you think you're a planner out of necessity, because it's your nature or something else? I think I'm a little of the first two. In my job I'm an office manager. While the image of this is usually payroll or accounting...in my situation neither of these really apply. I work in a building that is probably 4-5 times the size for the people we have which means facilities management. I work with people who need a lot of hand holding. But most of all, I plan EVERYTHING. Office parties, moves, board meetings...you name it - I'm the glue. And the only way I can keep track of everything is a massive to-do list.

But I'm also a planner in every day life. Whether I'm planning a vacation (especially coordinating with lots of friends), figuring out the menu for the week (yes, I write it all out) or scheduling things for the weekend it's what I do. But is it ALL I do? Am I a planner at home because I'm a planner at work? Or am I a planner at work because it's in my nature and I'm getting paid for something I do well?

Sometimes it's exhausting. In my group of friends there's a lot of planner types and I will just step back and let them take the reins. Just tell me where to go, what to do and how much it's going to cost. I need to turn my brain off. Is it surprising I have anxiety?

If there is any of you out there, please feel free to share your tips to make things run smoother or thoughts in general.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-08-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

There is a real post that I need to get around to making but I've been lazy and haven't transferred my photos to the computer. So in the meantime, let's play Ten on Tuesday courtesy of Chelsea @ Roots & Rings (questions by Sarah).

1. Do you do laundry all at the same time or a load here and there?
I try to do laundry all at the same time, but ever since we started softball things have been off. Laundry day is usually softball day, so I get one load done (w/our shirts) and then hope I can get the rest done during the week.

2. What kind of detergent do you use?
Costco's free & clear (Kirkland Signature). I have really sensitive skin, so most anything else makes me itch like crazy. M once attempted to be nice & do laundry but used the leftover soap he had from his house...let's just say he's doesn't do laundry anymore.

3. Do you use fabric softener?
Nope, just go with the dryer sheets.

4. Do you use dryer sheets?
See above, the Bounce free ones.

5. Do you iron your own clothes or take them to a cleaner to get pressed?
I don't think I've ever taken my clothes to a cleaner to be pressed. Those items that are complicated to iron usually are dry cleaned anyway so it's a 2 for 1 deal. I kind of like ironing though, it's calming.

6. Do you like heavy starch or light starch?
Light starch on a rare occasion. It seems silly, but I like it on my sheets if anything. I think the smell brings me back to my childhood.

7. Do you wash all your laundry at once or separate it?
Separate it, definitely.

8. How do you separate it? By people or by colors?
Colors & type. There's whites, bright colors, darks, jeans/sweats, dark or light work clothes (dress pants/sweaters), towels, sheets...I think that's it.

9. What clothes get hung up and what goes in drawers?
Everything is hung up except basic tanks & tees.

10. Do you use plastic, wire, or wooden hangers? Do they all match?
I use plastic white hangers. I think there's a few random ones thrown in that I haven't tossed yet, but I like it to match.

Over it

2011-07-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

[via]

Over the last few months (aka since January) I've been suffering from chronic ear infections. Now the last time I had one of these things I was in elementary school, so to say I'm not amused is an understatement.

Because of these ear infections the doctors are always quick to give you antibiotics and send you on your way. This is all fine and dandy, until you've gone through 2-3 different antibiotics with your primary care person and then they throw their hands up and say "I don't know!" and send you to a specialist.

So I've been seeing the specialist for a few months (probably April). After a few more types of antibiotics (and supplementing with probiotics so my body doesn't freak out) I've learned a few things.

Probiotics only get you so far. Your body will do what it wants....period.

You will learn very quickly if you are allergic to something. Found out the hard way that I'm allergic to sulfa and then proceeded to freak out when someone told me they had the same allergy and also couldn't drink red wine because of it.

There is a horrible bacteria you can get if you take to many antibiotics.

That last bullet point? SUCKS SO FREAKING MUCH. I started having problems last weekend (thank me because I will not do the TMI thing here) and by Wednesday I called the dr. thinking "hey, this probably isn't good and let's chat". The long and the short of it is they told me to get my butt to the emergency room as soon as I could...and by the way you can't drive yourself on the off chance you pass out. Woot.

Luckily M came home a little early so we headed out...and sat waiting for about 45 mins because people kept coming in with more important things than mine. Despite the annoyance I guess a heart attack is a little more important. :-) 4 hours later I'm full of fluids and finishing off the finale of The Voice in a hospital bed, but I got to go home, so that's the most important part. Well, that and I was told I was highly contagious.

So here I am, thankfully with a company that will let me work from home for a few days. Well, and alternating with cleaning the house from top to bottom because you don't want anyone else getting the stuff. But the weirdest thing of all? Using too many antibiotics gives you a horrible strain of bacteria that's cure is what? ANOTHER ANTIBIOTIC.

What's worse, an antibiotic that doesn't let you have even a sip of alcohol. That's right, no wine, cough syrup or even certain mouthwashes because it could make your heart do crazy things. Thanks so much world, for giving me this for 4th of July weekend. Fan freakin' tastic. Well, that and the super bland diet I'm on right now. The only "spice" I'm allowed is salt, and salt is nasty. I've cheated a little, a tiny bit of salsa on my eggs & a little cheese on some pasta.

I have to say, this is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Never felt so sick in many many years. But I'm on the mend, and headed to Seaside, OR for a few days. I've missed a good day at the beach.

[via]

Sneaking

2011-05-25T14:50:00.001-07:00

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I'm feeling behind. Right now pretty much everything in my life is normal (at least my normal), but I have this sense of being just about 1 or 2 steps behind where I need to be. My internal to-do list (and my external one) keeps getting checked off, but it seems there's either too much on it or I just can't keep up.

Like I should be popping a pill.

I have anxiety, this has always been a constant. It got pretty bad a few years ago and I started taking medication, but after a mixture of that and trying to realize the reason behind my anxiety I've been able to control it...mostly. There's the occasional panic attack, my heart or head racing but I don't freak out anymore. I realize what it is and can make it though.

What's tripping me up this time is that I don't have any of those symptoms, just the feeling of being behind. I have phone calls to make, emails to return, appointments to go to and tasks at work to complete. I have a 30th birthday sneaking up on me and I still don't know how I feel about that.

Maybe I'm not ready. Turning 30 seems like you have all your shit together. You're responsible, an adult. Someone people look to for answers (both in business and personal). Am I there already? Am I just scared?

I don't have the answers. But maybe this feeling will pass as quickly as it snuck up on me.

Ten on Tuesday (but on Wednesday this time)

2011-04-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind this week, sorry guys. Here's the Ten on Tuesday, love the questions.

1. How many blogs do you read every day and what are they? (I’m talking the ones you NEVER miss)
My Google Reader has tons of blogs, but I don't read all of them daily. There's a couple places (Lifehacker,Oh No They Didn't etc) that have gobs of posts per day and not all of them are interesting. But for those personal blogs, food/wine blogs or crafty ones I read them all.

2. How many “best friends” do you have? Do you have different “besties” for different areas of your life?
Can I be ooey, gooey, gushy for a minute? My best friend is M. He makes me happy, makes me laugh and understands all my little crazy parts and shares all of my life with me. But I do have one girl friend who I consider a best. Too many bests and it just dilutes the meaning.

3. What’s your daily make up routine?
Moisturizer, primer, foundation, concealer,powder, blush & mascara. Sometimes (like today) I'll skip the foundation (I'm out until Friday) because it's during the week, but I try to step it up on weekend nights (ie: a touch of eye shadow).

4. What is your ideal girl’s night?
Wine, shopping, silly movies or video games and tons of gabbing.

5. Do you keep up with your nails/toenails or are they au natural?
I'm trying to be better but mostly my nails go naked. My toes get painted sometimes but then maintaining the color is another ballgame. Plus with my nails the polish chips so fast it's not worth it. I've been hearing about that shellac manicure though, better bite the bullet and test it out.

6. What’s your best roommate story (assuming you had a roommate at some point in your life)?
I've only had one roommate (outside of living w/family) and she is my best friend. Her biggest quirk was insisting we never turn the heat on. For someone who's always cold this obviously didn't go over well. We only lived together 3 months but I think that made our friendship survive. Plus, she's always said I've been her best roommate. :-)

7. What’s your “go to” outfit that you wear more than anything else?
Right now it's either dress slacks or skinny jeans (work or play) a tee w/a cardigan over it. I'm testing out this posture bra which comes up pretty high on the neckline so there's a limited # of styles I can wear. After the testing they'll rework it for the pretty factor but until then this has kind of become my uniform.

8. Do you have a beauty secret?
Eating well I think is key. When you do this and get enough water your skin looks nicer. I don't always do this but I can tell a serious difference when I don't. Oh! And don't blow dry your hair every day.

9. Did you read Seventeen magazine growing up?
Oh man, I loved this magazine. I remember starting around 14 but I was mostly looking for the quizzes and the outfits.

10. How did you learn to put on makeup?
I think I mostly learned from magazines & a trip or two to the makeup counters. My mom would be the first one to let me know if it was too much, but I've never really worn that much to begin with.

Show me your handwriting!

2011-04-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

I found this meme way of Chibi Jeebs over at Just One Anna and thought it was too fun to pass up. You write the following:

Write ‘Hello!’
Your name/blogger name
Your blog name/URL
Write ‘The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.’
Favorite quote?
A number
5 words
Favorite music?
A really awesome website you read
Anything else you want to say?

So here we go!

I feel a little proud of myself since I only tried writing this one time (usually anything takes a few tries) and that I had my green pen handy. Anyone else super particular with their pens? I use the Pentel Energel series & now have my entire office using them.

Let me know if you participate in this as well, getting to see someone's handwriting is almost as exciting when you see a pic of them for the first time.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-04-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm going to pretend I'm doing a little better here. Posting once every two weeks might actually eventually get me to my just now made up goal of posting once a week. Here's hoping!

Ten on Tuesday

1. If you work, do you drive to work or take public transportation?
I drive to work, usually 40 mins in the AM and 40-60 mins on the way home. I had a bad experience once on public transportation...so it's driving for me.

2. How often do you get your haircut? Do you go to the same person every time?
I am in serious need of a haircut right now. I can easily go a year w/o getting my haircut (unless I have bangs) and try to go to the same person. Unfortunately my person left the salon & I need to find a new one, that stresses me out more than it should.

3. Do you read the newspaper? If so, a hardcopy or the online version?
Sometimes on the weekend if it's available, but most of the time I get my news from Twitter. I subscribe to quite a few news outlets.

4. What is the best book you have read this year?
Just Don't Call Me Ma'am by Anna Mitchael was pretty good, but a lot of the books I've read this year were re-reads.

5. What is the best movie you have seen this year?
Oh man, I tend to forget what movies I've seen (especially theater ones). Let's go with Black Swan, although probably not the best one out this year the dancing was amazing.

6. Do you tend to crave sweet or salty foods?
I crave both, but mostly sweet. My body usually tells me what it needs (cravings for veggies anyone?) so I try to listen. :-)

7. Do you eat breakfast every day? If so, what do you have?
I am horrible at eating breakfast every day. I wish I could, but most often it's a cup of coffee and MAYBE a yogurt on the weekdays. Weekends are another story, I LOVE weekend breakfasts.

8. If you celebrate Easter, what Easter treat/candy are you most looking forward to?
Robins eggs are my favorite Easter candy, but my grandma makes lemon meringue pie once a year on Easter and it's the best pie ever. The only way you can get it other times of the year is if you request it for your birthday.

9. How late is “sleeping in” to you?
I'd say around 10am, but M thinks the day is half over by that point. I'm lucky if I get to 9am if he's home, but we do go to bed early (9pm) so I still get a decent amount of sleep.

10. Where are you going on your next vacation?
There were no plans for this year, but M mentioned Maui in November. I guess Kansas might be going to the basketball invitational and he wants to be there. Could be fun.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-03-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I know I have problems blogging on the regular so I'm hoping this will help me get back into the swing of things. Today I'm doing Ten on Tuesday from over at Roots & Rings which is all about food this week. Couldn't resist. :-)

1. What is a food that you never thought you would try, but then tried and liked?
Brussel sprouts hands down. They came w/my meal at a restaurant one day and on a whim I tried them. They were amazing! From then on I've been on a kick to try things I've never had or foods I previously didn't like & now do. Broccoli & parsnips are other examples of it.

2. Do you subscribe to any foodie publications? If so, which ones?
Does the Pioneer Woman count? I always knew about her site but never subscribed until recently. I get most my cooking related info from blogs I subscribe to and on occasion the Cooking Light website/magazine.

3. What ingredient do you find yourself reaching for the most when you cook?
I'd probably say garlic or lemon pepper. Garlic gets put in most everything to give it a little punch up even though M's taste buds are pretty basic. Last weekend I made an amazing shallot lemon butter sauce and I found out later he's not big on lemon. Oops.

4. Are there any foods that you hated as a child, but then learned to like as an adult?
See #1. Broccoli I hated when I was little, same with asparagus. Now I eat both and asparagus is one of my fav veggies. Our taste buds change as we age, so it's important to retry foods you never liked.

5. What do you like to eat that others may consider weird?
I have a lot of eating habits that people find weird, but I don't think they're that big of a deal. Ranch as my goto condiment, blotting my tater tots/mexifries from Taco Time and half & half on my cereal are the main ones.

6. What is the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever cooked with?
I'm still working on being an adventurous cook so I'd say lemon zest.

7. Do you have any major food allergies?
Not like some people do. Nothing like strawberries, peanuts or shellfish. I have issues with anything with a lot of fat (fried foods) or green peppers but it's not like they're life threatening.

8. Is there an ingredient that you would like to cook with, but are intimidated to try?
Maybe risotto or fish sauce? Or a couple different spices, cumin for example.

9. Do you bake?
I am an excellent baker. Baking comes naturally to me since I love exact measurements and following recipes. I make a killer pie crust basically in my sleep even though most people think it's difficult.

10. If you could go on any “foodie” show to compete, which one would it be, and why?
I am so not ready for a competition food show it's not even funny. I love shows like Hell's Kitchen, Top Chef or Iron Chef but I am light years away.

It's beginning to look a lot like....crazy Christmas days....

2010-12-22T20:50:00.000-08:00

I should be blogging. I mean, that's why I have a blog, right? To post entries, whether they be an account of my day, a funny story, needing advice or something else. And here I am with a self imposed hiatus in which I didn't even really know I did it.

It's nothing personal, and I bet 90% of you didn't even notice. That's perfectly fine, despite my viewpoint sometimes not EVERYTHING is about me. :-) But life has been a little topsy turvy over the last month or so. When we last left off I was choosing a new dress for a wedding we went to. The problem here is that most pics of me were not taken w/my camera so I can't show you the final result. There is this one though, taken a little too close and it makes my arms look huge, but there you go.

We had an amazing time, boogied on the dance floor and managed to get into a fight over trying to find the hotel. Seriously, the two of us + two different GPS systems does not = a good time. But once we arrived to the hotel we were fine.

//

We did manage to finally have our housewarming party, this would be the biggest reason for my absence. Who knew throwing a housewarming party in the 1st week of December would be so much work? This means getting all your holiday decorations up before the party (minus the tree) and right after getting home from Mexico. I took off the week after our Thanksgiving vacation to prep for the party and that's probably the smartest idea I've had in a while. More and more people RSVP'd, and I think the final count was around 40 people. I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off for a while but I think the end results came out nicely.

Our staircase

The front room fireplace

Then of course we started prepping for Christmas. There was oodles of shopping every weekend (in the far early morning). Am I the only one who hates shopping during Christmas time? There are too many people around and I tend to lose it. The only way M got me out an about to some of the more popular spots is because we showed up right when the place opened.

But on top of this I had to organize our company holiday party, the white elephant gift exchange (because it wouldn't make sense to have them at the same time) and then surprise! I realized I had not finished all the knitting I promise people every year. Now I'm a knitting machine and freaking out over the time left.

//

M has left for his family house today for Christmas since despite our long term status we're not married and do not share our holidays. I'll head up to my family's tomorrow and I'll attempt not to strangle anyone. Something about being around your family brings that out of people. :-)

But before M left, we had our own Christmas on Tuesday. We toured the new neighborhood looking for holiday lights and even went through the other close neighborhoods where we almost bought houses seeing if theirs were more festive. The verdict being that some of them were better, but ours is pretty good for a first year decorating project. Next year expect better things from us. Hehe.

But we exchanged gifts before we went to bed. M got me this treble clef from Pottery Barn I had been eyeing a few weeks back along with this wine label serving tray since I've been saving labels pretty much since we started dating. The best part though were the "santa" gifts. Although there were a few nice things in my stocking (pedometer, candy etc) Santa brought me this gorgeous piece of machinery!!!:
It's the Kitchen Aid professional stand mixer (in empire red) that I've been coveting for the longest time. Apparently he bought it before I even officially put it on my Christmas list. I cannot wait until I get to use the thing, although I've already put it up in the kitchen. I feel like it needs a name, but nothing stands out as of yet.

Now since everyone is busy with holiday festivities...what is your favorite part? And what stresses you out the most?

If I knew then what I know now...Tweetyour16yearoldself

2010-11-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

I don't usually get into the trending topics on Twitter, but this latest one "tweetyour16yearoldself" struck a little bit of a chord with me. When I was 16, I kind of had life by the horns. Of course at the time I didn't know it, but then again that's when things were more simple. Here were some of the things I wish my 16-year old self knew:

That itch you had to break up? Listen to it & do it when you're still calling the shots.
All that self-confidence you had? Try like hell to keep it as you get older.
The tweezers is your friend, the Brooke Shield's look is OVER.

And most importantly:

Spend more time w/g. gma, & pay better attention when she teaches you how to knit...again.

I wish I had listened to my g. gma more when I was 16. I was too busy being a social butterfly and rolling my eyes when she had something to tell me. It wasn't until soon before her death that I really let the knitting & crocheting instructions sink into my head and I'm forever happy it did.

What should you say to your 16-year old self?

Victoria's Secret, I'm sorry but my breasts are not that big.

2010-10-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

To continue where we left off, last weekend I went shopping for dresses for tonight's wedding. As usual I felt a little like goldilocks, things either didn't fit right or in person they didn't have the same appeal. I found one dress that I put on hold, a little black sparkly number (and yet not one of the ones I showed previously) that definitely had the ability to be worn again. But there was something about it that didn't have me super excited like I should be.

So I headed downstairs to yet ANOTHER dress department in Nordstrom. Seriously, how many departments do they need? I always get turned around there. Anyway...this is where I found THE DRESS.

This is the one, but my dress is in navy. I put it on and at first it seemed a little bland to me, but M was convinced this was it. That's when I figured it out...it was too long. The designer (Mark & James by Badgley Mischka) thinks every woman is 6 feet tall so it was hitting my knees. A quick call to the alterations department had the hem ready to be shortened and a little tuck at the zipper and we were good to go. You know, until I saw the price tag. Cue eyes bulging and a slight amount of hyperventalating until I calmed myself down. I remembered I had a large gift card that would bring it down to reasonable levels. Thank goodness for that. Pair the dress with some strappy silver heels and some purply nail polish on my toes and I'm good to go.

It's actually darker purple than this.

I went to pick it back up on Wednesday when the alterations were done and at the same time needed to pick up a new strapless bra. This is where I decided the only thing worse than shopping for new jeans is a new bra. I know some people say bathing suits, but this was just lame.

Confidential: my breasts are not any kind of crazy size. I've had small ones for most of my life and can go braless no problem. Last year or so I gained a little bit of weight and I went up to a 34B and I was happy. Normal sized boobs.

Logically when I started shopping and a sales girl came over I told her 34B, right? I grab a couple different ones, heading into the dressing room and surprise! None of them fit right. Some the band was too small (hello weight), some the cups were overflowing. The poor sales girl comes to check on me and I'm babbling like an idiot stating "either my boobs grew or these sizes are crazy!" She wants to measure me just to make sure. Cue sighs on my end.

"Your band size is right, but I think you need a bigger cup size. Let me get you a C"

*blinks*

Umm...ok.

Surprisingly these fit like a glove. Maybe my boobs grew?

I pick a bra and head to pay and thankfully it's less than the dress. But no, I'm not done feeling crappy. I head over to Victoria's Secret.

Victoria's Secret normally isn't so bad. Most the bras I buy are from there and they're comfy plus kind of cute/sexy depending on what I'm wearing that day. So I thought, "hey, I saw a pink cheetah strapless online, let's try that on".

I start the process again. Talk to the sales girl, she wants to size me and says I'm a 34B. Let's go to the dressing room.

Surprise! This one doesn't fit. Salesgirl gives me the next cup size up.

Double surprise! This one doesn't really fit either. Band size is fine, but that little bit between your breasts is far enough out that I can put a few pencils in there.

Me: "Umm...I don't think this fits either".

Salesgirl: "No way, it fits perfectly."

Me: "Do you see this" *points*

Salesgirl: "Oh, it's supposed to be like that."

NO IT IS NOT!

Me: "Hmm, I think I need to think about this a little more."

*walks out*

*end scene*

There was no way I was going to buy a 34D - and if you've seen me you'd know there's no way in hell my boobs are that big. Thanks Victoria's Secret for making me feel fat.

But on another note...I hope to have wedding pics soon enough. We head up tonight, should be fun!

This girl needs a little fashion help

2010-10-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

There are times when a girl just needs a shopping partner. Unfortunately I'm going solo on Sunday so maybe you guys might be able to help? I have a wedding next Friday for one of my girlfriends and I have a few dresses I'll be searching for when I head to Nordstrom.

There's this little navy number. Classy with a little bit of fun beading around the waist. I think it's made out of shatung.

This grey/black sparkly dress caught my eye in the catalog. Sassy and could be worn many times over throughout the holidays. It's the spendiest of them all but I do have a pretty good gift card to put down as well.

Classic black with a bow at the waist and a little sparkle on the bottom.

Another classic black dress but with little ruffles all over. Could be used for all kinds of occasions.

Pretty in pink, very soft & feminine. Romantic, wedding & all.

Hello silver! I like the style of this dress, also have one in this style but casual & super colorful.

I think the coloring of this dress could look good on my super pale skin. The way it gathers might hide imperfections as well.

For something completely different, the beading on top is beautiful. It might be a little shapeless, but flowy. I'm not entirely sure.

Another classic black, do you see a theme? But all the sparkly lines might be fun.

Finally, for something a little crazy...over at Express.

Help me out fashion experts, I'm going in blind on Sunday.

Home is where...you eventually decide on furniture.

2010-10-11T15:18:00.001-07:00

It's been far too long since my last post, I apologize for that. It doesn't seem like much, but the things that have been going on in the last month have kind of flipped my entire world upside down.

M and I moved into the house on September 11th and despite the ominous significance of that date it's gone very well. Not only were we moving into a new place, this was the first time we have lived together. Up until then we would stay together every night, alternating the location (his apt or mine) but this is a bit of an adjustment. Not necessarily a bad adjustment, but an adjustment no matter what.

Things are good between us.There are little things that drive me & him crazy, like where he insists all our boxes need to be unpacked within a month of our move-in date. Or how the counter is always sticky because I missed a spot. Or that I can't quite figure out when to watch the TV shows on the DVR that he has no interest in. But considering these are the main issues we have I think we're doing pretty well. Everything revolves around this house right now, which is why I can't find time to blog. I haven't really had my laptop up when I'm sitting on the couch.

There's all kinds of expenses as well, you don't think about these when you're planning. Or is that just me? We needed a lawn mower...then a new TV. A bedroom set and couch are on the list to purchase sometime soon. And down the line we'd like to redo the deck and eventually the kitchen cabinets. Whoever said that houses are money pits was definitely correct.

However I am looking forward to decorating. There's a little bit of friction between the two of us because we don't have the same styles, and trying to find a common theme is difficult. We need to figure out paint colors because despite the "move-in ready" status I cannot live in 32487 shades of brown. But the promise of ideas has me content until we take the plunge.

Same thing with pets. We will get them when we're ready. I say I'm ready right now but M insists at least our boxes should be unpacked before we do so. Plus, we have some stand-in pets for now. Fred & Ginger are tree frogs that hang out on our front door/window.

Ginger

Fred

And this weekend I realized we have a woodpecker marking his territory. The damn thing pecks not more than 3 feet from my head outside on the gutters. Research shows unfortunately that I can't just buy a shotgun and shoot the thing because they are protected. But there's a few solutions that might work. Most of them sound crazy but hopefully we'll get it right on the first try.

Leave the drama for your momma

2010-09-10T15:05:00.001-07:00

Last I mentioned about the house was that the inspection was coming up, so let's just fast forward and say it passed. It actually passed with pretty flying colors which is a major plus. The problem now is that moving day has come up super fast and we will be fully in the house tomorrow afternoon. Am I ready? Of course not. Packing is kicking my butt and all the stress that goes along with it.

A lot of the things I have in my apartment are from my great grandmother's house. She passed away a few years ago and to this day it's still hard. She was like a 2nd mother to me, and I lived with her until she died. So when I moved out I took a lot of stuff with me because I had such an emotional attachment to everything. Things that I didn't even particularly love, things that I found to be ugly, whatever. They all stayed with me because I couldn't part with them. But I am determined to get rid of a good chunk of them...the Goodwill will appreciate them and they'll go to a good home. At least that's what I thought when I started. Last night after every glass I wrapped up I found myself sobbing. Grief hits you in the strangest of ways, no matter how long it's been since you lost someone.

It doesn't help either that I've been under significant stress. Moving stresses me enough, but my family is bringing the drama as well. It's all well intentioned, but my mother & grandmother are freaking out because M and I are moving in together and I don't have a ring on my finger. I know it's old fashioned and I know they are just being momma bears protecting their most precious cub of the family...but it's driving me crazy. I know he has plans and engagement will happen when we're ready for it but in the meantime I don't appreciate feeling like I'm openly defying their wishes. I swear, best intentions drama is the worst kind.

But you know what almost makes this all worth while? This pantry.
I'm so excited to organize this thing, OCD tendencies FTW!

"If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance." -Bern Williams

2010-08-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

Summertime is...

Corn on the cob

Floating in the lake / Sitting by the pool

Strawberries & blueberries

BBQs

Vacations

Iced tea

and most of all....BIRTHDAYS.

I don't know about you and your family/friends, but summer is called "the season of going broke" in our family because of the sheer number of birthdays. It starts in June and doesn't end until September, and until the last few years we used to have a party pretty much every weekend. It's a little exhausting.

But my birthday in particular, is very significant. July 23rd, is home to birthdays for two different great uncles, a step-grandmother, M's new niece and myself. I welcome M's niece w/open arms because this is a pretty special day to be born. :-)

This year the day was pretty packed. I made the executive decision to work that Friday and we had a BBQ at the office. In addition one of my coworkers made me angel food cake with berries & whipped cream because she knew how much I enjoy it. I was able to cut out a little early and head to the hospital with M to see the new addition to his family. She's beautiful and healthy and absolutely perfect.

Of course we needed to cut our visit a little short because we had plans to go to dinner that night at John Howie Steakhouse. If you live in the Seattle-area you've probably heard of the new mall area called the Bravern, it's home to such famous stores as Hermes, Anthropologie, Jimmy Choo as well as many other high end stores. But what's special about chef John Howie is that he already has an awesome restaurant called Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar. I have been to the steakhouse once for happy hour and their happy hour food is tops.

We decided to check out their full menu this time and they definitely did not disappoint. But the best part? M totally surprised me! We had planned to go (just the two of us) and when we checked in they told us some of our party were waiting in the bar. Turns out he invited a bunch of our friends! He can never keep secrets from me so I was so thrilled.

The following weekend was my grandfather's & brother's birthdays, so we celebrated with brunch on Sunday for my grandfather and dinner the next night at this tiny Mexican joint that my little brother loves. Thankfully this weekend will be a little quieter, we have a pass until the next one. Instead we're headed to a Mariner's game on Saturday and out to Seafair on Sunday. Please wish us luck that it doesn't rain like it's supposed to this weekend, Seafair is much more fun when it's not raining.

So tell me...what are your big plans this weekend? And most importantly, what signals to you that it's summer?

They say it's your bday (HIATUS)

2010-07-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm taking a quick hiatus because there's some craziness going on in my neck of the woods. Today is my birthday along with the arrival of M's sister's new baby so there is plenty of celebrating to go around. Tomorrow we're headed up to the lake for a day of relaxation that cannot come fast enough.

Oh! You know the house hunting from the last post?!?! We picked one!!
I am so excited. The inspection is on Monday so if everyone can please cross their fingers that all goes well I would appreciate it. If/when that's finished the closing date is Aug. 25th.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone, I'll be back soon!

Moving up...eventually

2010-07-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

I have to say, house hunting is an exhausting process. In my last post I mentioned how we've been looking since October. We were prepared and did a lot of research, even pinpointing the city and neighborhoods we'd love to put down roots. But trying to make this happen is a whole different ballgame. We loved the first house we looked at, but of course didn't want to put an offer on it because it was THE FIRST HOUSE and isn't that a big no-no? But we figured at least we knew what we really wanted and kept looking. Then the "perfect" house came on the market, we fell in love with it and found ourselves dreaming about it...then someone else put down an offer and bam! it was off the market.

Just like a new relationship...you fall head over heels with someone, but then they break your heart and there you are picking up the pieces when it hurts so bad. It makes it hard to love again because your guard is up and it's going to take some serious effort to knock it back down.

There was another house, what we've dubbed the "kitchen house" because this kitchen makes you so giddy and in love and wanting to have it's little kitchen babies. In reality the downstairs is amazing and perfect for entertaining, there's a great backyard and you think that's it. But the upstairs needs serious work, the master bath & closet will need to be completely redone and the owner is asking way too much money for the thing.

So we sat. We did all kinds of research on this house, the owner and why he didn't want to bring his price down. The word divorce was thrown around and after reading Dooce's posts on the crazy lady they bought from it made me almost run away screaming. But the kitchen, the beautiful kitchen with the sub zero fridge, the separate freezer, the double oven, the island that seats six.

...

Then yesterday we saw a different house. I was wary, thought "eh, I see so many things I'd like to change". But it's priced to sell, and those around here go within a week. And after spending almost an hour and a half touring the house I tentatively started warming up to it. The layout is perfect, the high vaulted ceilings, the master bedroom, the laundry chute, even the backyard. I want to get excited, but I'm so timid, worried my heart is going to get ripped out again.

Dream kitchen vs. decent kitchen w/amazing pantry
Landscaped backyard vs. larger slightly noisy backyard
Mirrored closets vs. california closet walk-ins
Xmas tree bay window vs. cascading staircase

Is one better? What can you upgrade for cheap and what's going to cost an arm and a leg to change? My head hurts. People normally get a starter home for their 1st but we're looking for a house we can settle down in. Put down roots, raise children. We're going to discuss this to death. I know that if either one of these houses is not the right one it will present itself to us but I don't know how much more I can handle. Pro-con lists will be my friend tonight, I can feel it. And hopefully we can both land comfortably on one side or the other.

Homeowners, how did you know your place was "the one"? Was there a feeling or did it take you a little time to know it was right?

"I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy. Come on, Squishy. Come on, little Squishy. Ow. Bad Squishy, bad Squishy."

2010-07-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Sounds of water running.

Jaws dropping.

Feet hitting carpet...squishing.

Frantic phone calls.

Waiting what seems like hours, days.

Shop-vacs sucking.

Fans whirling.

Silence.

Last week my washer proceeded to flood. Well scratch that, let's start at the beginning. It all starts the same way, I start to remind M that it might be a good idea to wash his towels. He tells me that they are JUST FINE and I disagree saying they smell, which is apparently something only someone FEMALE can smell and ends with him relenting. To be nice I offer to let him use my washer & dryer because you don't actually have to pay for each use in quarters and we're on our merry way.

That is until this time. We put the towels in the washer and proceed to make dinner and once we eat I go to check on the laundry. That's when I hear water still running, see water in the bathroom and feel that squishy yucky (hot!) water under my feet. In that second I'm frozen until the only thing I can do is yell "M!!!!!" He runs for more towels, I call the emergency maintenance line for my apartments and then I wait. And wait. Stupid phone line is actually a pager so someone has to call me back. Luckily I get the call back soon but then proceed to wait until they finally show up.

But they did and were surprisingly helpful. One round of the shop-vac and them telling me how great it was that I caught the flooding early. Two days of fans drying out my carpet, I now have that sound of industrial strength fan buzzing through my ears at a moment's notice.

My poor downstairs neighbor was not nearly as fortunate. She wasn't home for most of it and the maintenance people had to poke holes in her ceiling to get the water to flow...and flow it certainly did. But we're now back to normal with no indication it happened in the first place.

Yikes, I don't know how people deal with this when they own their own home. Still wish we could find the perfect one, we've been on the search since October.

But in much happier news, have you voted for LiLu to be MTV's new Twitter Jockey?!?!

Please please vote for her, she's one of my first commenters on this blog and I love her dearly.

Back to the drawing board

2010-06-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

weheartit

Remember my post about going gluten free? I finally made the appointment with my dr. about getting tested. The good news is that I've had that appointment and came back with some news. The bad news is that it turns out I was tested for celiac disease back when (although no one told me) and the test came out negative.

So here I am back at the drawing board. My dr. mentioned talking to a naturopath and a possibility of joining another IBS study but neither one of these options sound all that positive to me. I know nothing about naturopathy (I guess it's time to research) except that I've lumped it together with chiropractic medicine and astrology. Maybe in my research I'll find out it has some merit.

Now the IBS study makes me feel like I'm grasping at straws. I've done one of these studies before and the only benefit I received was a little cash and a boyfriend I realized was horrible for me. I should be more positive about this, I mean my company does clinical trials all the time but the first study left such a bad taste in my mouth that I'm not sure.

The only upside to all this is that I had a beer last night and didn't feel crappy afterward, so maybe it's not necessarily the gluten thing. If and when I get to Oktoberfest in Germany I won't be dying. :-)

Do any of you have experience with seeing a naturopath? Did it work? Was it pointless?

I'd like a little cracker with my cheese & wine

2010-05-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Something I haven't really written about in this blog are my health issues...well, one really. And that is the problem of the all the time stomach ache. I've had this issue since I can remember, starting from having a colic as a baby and here I am, almost 29 years old and still barely have an idea what causes it.

To say it's frustrating would be an understatement. I've gone through countless tests, semi-diagnosis of IBS and even clinical trials in hopes to figure out what causes it all. But it wasn't until I started working at a company that is filled with doctor types that thought maybe...just maybe...I have celiac disease.

I still haven't made an appointment with my dr. because apparently the only time they are closed is when I can call, but I'm going to get there soon. In the meantime though I've been working on going gluten free. You know, to see if it makes a difference.

But you know what the hardest thing is? Finding a decent gluten free cracker. So far I like the Blue Diamond "Nut Thins", but they do not have the consistency of a good cracker. Really, I want a tasty cracker to put stinky cheese on while I have a glass of wine, so anything that resembles a water cracker is tops in my book.

So readers, do you have any suggestions? Have you gone gluten free? And if so, what are your go-to alternatives? Carbs are my downfall, pasta, bread, (beer) you name it. I was shocked to see that even soy sauce has gluten in it so my mind is a little upside down at the moment. Throw in the fact that both mine & M's grandparents come from wheat farms and there you go...brain exploded. ;-)

Administrative Professionals' Day

2010-04-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

I started my trek into the working world by working at my grandfather's truck rental business at the age of 14. I didn't want to babysit and at 14 there's only a few options you have to make money, the family business being the top of the heap. So I sat in the office putting together rental contracts (and screwing off, let's be honest) with one of my cousins during the summer for 2 years. This was the best job and the worst all rolled into one, but I learned many lessons there. Like these:

When you work, you may end up with the worst boss EVER. I love my grandfather, but he is horrible to work for. And the fact he paid me 85% of minimum wage because that's all he was required to still irks me to this day.

You will have to work with some seriously strange people - and put up with all their quirks. One of his employees was schizophrenic, one was nice w/a cute butt and all couldn't aim when using the bathroom.

Throw in a couple other things like learning how to make a decent cup of drip coffee & how to deal with problematic customers and it started me on my way for real jobs. I later left this business to work as a receptionist in a hair salon (what a fun job despite not paying well at all) and a few other interesting places.

Now what I've learned is there are some people who have never heard of Administrative Professionals Day. There are some people who have only heard of this day as Secretary's Day (did you see The Office last week?). There are some people who may have heard of this day but don't think it's a real holiday or that there's no need to celebrate. This is not a story of those that don't, this is a story of those that do.

Up until now I have not had a single company celebrate this holiday. I've worked in various positions that somehow fall under the umbrella of admin professionals and quite frankly I've always written it off as yet another day where people undervalue the position. You get to that point where if you don't expect anything, you will not be disappointed when nothing happens.

Then something does...and you're pretty much blown away.

I came into work on Wednesday to see the most beautiful flowers on my desk and a card that simply said "Thanks for all of your help." The woman who started a few weeks earlier had put them there and my eyes almost welled up in tears. Then later a meeting request came through stating "We are toasting Cass w/a wine and cheese party. Attendance mandatory." This meeting request came through as post dated for the previous Monday because most the people in my office have a little problem with Outlook. ;-) And during this meeting there was a card signed by everyone and a $100 gift card to Nordstrom.

Maybe blown away was an understatement. To know I'm valued where I am now finally makes everything click. I stayed at my last job for far too long and w/o getting laid off I know I'd probably still be there, still miserable.

If you've seen Up In the Air w/George Clooney this is his key phrase:

"Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's *because* they sat there that they were able to do it."

Cheesy? Yes. Probably going to get you punched in the face if you say it to someone you let go? Yes. But something about that sat with me when I was watching it. Because for some people it really is true. I was lost when I first got laid off, but a few months later I found a company that I like, that does great work and values me as an employee. How many people can say that?

What happens in Vegas...gets very delayed.

2010-04-07T00:54:00.001-07:00

I have been stuck in a writer's block situation for quite a while now.
It all started because I was planning on posting about my Vegas trip
but I didn't want to post w/o including a few pictures. Cut to it
being about a month ago and there you go. Here's what I've learned:

The new City Center area is freaking amazing. We stayed at Aria which
was beautiful and not smokey. The wonder of dating a guy who
specializes in designing HVAC systems means I know all the little
details. His company designed for the hotel & it's supposed to stay
that way.

The food in the City Center was fantastic, I had the best scallops (w/
braised oxtail no less!) & cocktails at a place called Sage. I wish I
could eat there every day for the rest of my life & would consider
going back to Vegas just for it.

I sometimes forget that not everywhere is like Washington with their
antismoking laws. Here you can't smoke indoors and have to be at least
50 feet away from doors. Not so much the case there. Let's just say my
nose was sensitive.

We went to Ghostbar one night which was pretty (view wise) because you
know why? There was a thunder & lightening storm which every bolt lit
up the sky. I wish I caught that on camera.

Oh! We saw O while we were there! Crazy flips in a pool, then the pool
disappeared, and it was back again! Definely something I'd see again.

All in all Vegas was decent but unless there's a set purpose I don't
need to return. And no impromptu weddings to mention on my part. :)

So tell me people, where's your fav place in Vegas?

The voice of color?

2010-03-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

I know you are all probably waiting with baited breath for my post about Vegas & San Francisco, but I think that will have to wait until the next one. I'm not posting at home where the pictures are and since some of them are pretty awesome I don't want to deprive anyone. :-)

So with that I give you a little bit of a product review. Before I left for San Francisco I decided to get a mani/pedi from my favorite local spa/salon. They've been remodeling lately so it was nice to see all the differences, one of which being that they switched to the Deborah Lippmann line of nail polish. I've been disappointed since they started switching from OPI (my fav line) but I figured I'd try it out.

Now, the salon mentioned they *just* started using this collection and absolutely everything in it. Seriously, from base coats to hand lotion you name it and they were beyond excited about it. I mean, part of the reason I ended up getting a manicure was because they all but guaranteed it would last longer on my fingers. So I was all gung ho about it along with them while I heard them tell me about all the features of this stuff.

Here's the colors I chose (or so I think...I didn't write down the names):

Beautiful...yes?

Absolutely, the color was gorgeous going on and when everything was done I could have wept because my fingers & toes were so pretty. And then they told me the price tag on a bottle...$16. SIXTEEN DOLLARS for one thing of nail polish? Are there ground up diamonds in the bottle? I guess this line is some sort of "nail polish for the stars" type of thing, and yet here I am actually debating purchasing a bottle.

The good news though is that I passed up on the purchase. 4 days later my fingernails started chipping and by a week out about half of it had come off and I broke down and removed the rest. I have no problem spending a little more $ if it's a quality product and will last longer (shoes, purses, etc. etc.) but unfortunately this didn't hold up it's end of the bargain.

So tell me, what's your favorite brand of nail polish? And more importantly, what is your must have color??

Viva!....Las Vegas!

2010-03-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

I keep hearing about people in Vegas, or people in San Francisco and it boggles my mind because I'm going to be in both THIS WEEK/END and how on Earth does that happen? Right now I'm sitting on the bed in a San Francisco hotel cursing this ethernet cable that should be WAY longer than the little cord provided so that you can only use your laptop while sitting at the desk. Tell me, who in this world who owns a laptop actually sits at a desk to use it? Laptops are all about the couch or the bed.

But like I said, I am here in San Francisco for the first time ever for a business function. I've wandered the streets a little and found out that there are some great shops around this area (Anthropologie, French Connection, CB2) that I'll have to hit tomorrow. I have a meeting in the evening to go to and that's about it, so shopping might be on the horizon.

Even better, I head out Saturday...early AM to fly to Vegas. I've never tried Virgin Air before but it's a hop skip & a jump over to Vegas. The BF has been holed up in a hotel there since Monday so I'm trying to visit him (which btw is another first..Vegas that is) but in the meantime I feel a little Up in the Air with him in one hotel and me in the other. We have oodles of plans while we're there, most importantly seeing O on Sunday. I hear so many great things about that show.

But the surprise tonight is First Crush. If you're in the SF area we had some seriously amazing food there tonight. They were able to accomodate our large party and some of this food was the best I've ever tasted.

Happy Friday (tomorrow) to everyone, I hope your weekend is as fantastic as I hope mine will be.

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings & what sound bees make

2010-02-23T11:56:00.000-08:00

With all the controversy surrounding Google Buzz I haven't really known what to think about the system. It really seems like a mix of Twitter, Facebook & Google Reader but there certainly are parts of it I do like. I do like the fact that if you put your blog in your profile you can find blogs you didn't know existed. I have some IRL friends who I didn't know they blogged at all. I guess that could be a double edged sword for some, but don't put the information if you don't want it out there.

What I love the most is the "people you follow" section in Google Reader. I never utilized this before and by "following" people in Buzz it's opened a whole new world to me. Jamie Lovely shares some of the awesomest (is that a word?) posts and I've found some new blogs because of her. I also like how all the shared items show up in the Buzz timeline as well.

Here is my list of new blogs or things I've discovered in the last few weeks that make me extremely happy.

Green Wedding Shoes - No, I'm not getting married but I love everything about this blog. The photos, the ideas that can be used for ANYTHING and yes...when the marriage thing happens I'll be prepared.

Eat Drink Chic - Everything about this blog is awesome. I came for the DIY origami heart love note and stayed for so much more.

Aria - I'll be going to Vegas soon for the first time and staying in this hotel. The BF's company did work on the City Center and since I've heard all about it for so long I want to see it in person.

Seattle sunshine - We all know the reputation Seattle has and it's not for the great music. It's all about the rain and although most of the country is covered in snow we've had one of the most beautiful winters ever.

The Millionaire Matchmaker - Ok, I watched this show off & on last season but I finally set up a season pass on the DVR and surprise! The BF is addicted too. We spent last Sunday watching a marathon when I felt crappy.

What have you discovered lately or made you happy?

Valentine's Day, lingerie & what makes you feel sexy

2010-02-05T21:07:00.000-08:00

I love what Valentine's Day is supposed to be. You know, the spending time with your significant other or alternatively w/people you love if you're not coupled up. I love the little presents involved and the ooey, gooey nature of it all. Yes, I'm that person who likes Valentine's Day even if I'm single.

But this is a year of being coupled up. It is also the start of the gift giving season because there's 2/14, then 3/19 (our anniversary) and 3/22 (his birthday). This is the time of year I go crazy trying to figure out what on Earth to buy the guy. What do you get a 27 year old man, a label loving, engineer type who travels, rocks out to Guitar Hero on the Wii and is technology challenged?

//

At the very least I bought some new lingerie for the evening. I had been looking at the Victoria's Secret site for a while trying to decide on one thing and I picked out a little pink number. Think of this in bright pink w/lime green & purple accents. It was gorgeous, you know until I got the thing in the mail. That Bombshell bra? It's like a B cup in the bra, let's just say that when I put it on I felt like I got a very severe boob job. Yeah, not really my thing...I had to return the thing. But I ended up finding a bra that was the same color and a lot less help in that department. On top of that, I found a cute little cherry number that is great for a fun everyday wear.

//

Remember that post on New Year's Eve? We went to this restaurant that was pretty much food porn and had an amazing time. Our plan this year for Valentine's Day was super simple, all I wanted was to go to Chipolte and maybe have a little picnic in front of the fireplace. Well, that was until I got an email from that restaurant telling me they had a Valentine's Day special. Pair in the 3 day weekend and it was too great to pass up. We're now heading down there on Saturday morning to have a few food orgasms.

//

And back to the lingerie thing...what makes *you* feel sexy? For me sometimes it is lingerie that fits just right and gives me a bit of confidence. Sometimes though it's being in my favorite pajamas (pants & a tee) that makes me feel sexier than no other. And of course having the right bra & panties under an outfit (work, play, whatever) that gives me the confidence to take on the day. Hell, sometimes it could even be a glass or two of wine to do the trick, but we all know that one.

//

Finally, thanks to everyone who commented on the last post. Those girls are stll "super slutty" but I've also found out the boys that live above the BF are just as slutty too. When I look out the peephole and see the guys walking up the stairs there is always a different girl w/them. I don't know what kind of place he lives in but I'm just happy that he's not one of them. I kind of miss living around old people.

Girls Next Door

2010-01-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

There are these two girls that recently moved into the apartment next door to my boyfriend. This would be all fine & dandy (we don't really socialize w/any of the neighbors) but these girls make me want to punch them in the face. They're probably about 20 years old and have so much to learn, so if I could - I would say the following to them...you know, if they wouldn't look at me like the crazy woman next door.

Dear girls next door,

I don't know what the situation was the other night, but I wish you and your friends would realize that the walls around here are kind of thin. When your boyfriends start arguing out on the stairs, we can hear everything. And when they migrate to on our doorstep? I can see everything from that little peep hole and will stare with intense scrutiny. I want you to take some life lessons to heart. Trust me on this stuff, I'm a lot older (even though I don't look it) and like to think I'm a little wiser over making it almost through my 20s w/o too much heartache & pain.

Those boys? Not even close to worth it. The fact that they almost got in a full on physical fight on the doorstep is not a manly show of affection, it's something that assholes do. I know it feels empowering on your end and almost warm & fuzzy to see two guys fighting over you, but you'll realize later that those are the guys you need to stay far away from. And coming out to say "we don't want any drama" is such a cop out. We both know that you thrive on the drama, it's part of your nature.

Bad boys have such an appeal at your age (yes, I know I just said "your age" w/a straight face) and I know it's part of growing up, but if you can get out of that stage quickly you will feel way less heartbreak. The good guys are out there and although you find them boring right now you'll find one later that will light up your life and make you want to spend the rest of your life with them.

But for now, please remember that even though you don't have a job to go to (just school that starts around 10am) some of us do. We don't need to hear you running up and down the stairs at 2am because you've been hanging out with the older dudes upstairs. And I know you're not exclusive w/any of them (why should you be?) but that many guys coming through the revolving door to your apartment makes you seem like a slut. Just FYI. ;-)

Love,
Your neighbor's girlfriend

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone and welcome to 2010. Instead of burdening you with resolutions that I think I might keep (which won't really happen) or go on about how 2009 needed to end ASAP (because frankly it was pretty awesome - new kickass job!) I think I want to know how all of your New Year's Eve's went. Tell me in the comments, I love great stories, stories of how you stayed in this year or if you were off in a druken stupor. I love them all.

My NYE went surprisingly great. I'm one of those people who gets so excited about something that I work myself into a frenzy, get anxious and feel sick...usually resulting in not being able to do the one thing I'm so excited about. So the fact that NYE went off pretty much w/o a hitch was a freakin' miracle. I found a restaurant I wanted to go to in Seaside (Yummy Wine Bar & Bistro) and at first we got put on the waiting list for the 9pm 7 course dinner. I was so disappointed (and I think a little hormonal) because that was the one place in Seaside I wanted to go this trip. But luckily enough someone canceled and we were ready to go.

I got all dolled up in the new dress the BF bought me (seen here) and we went to an AMAZING dinner. Everything on the menu was fantastic.

First there was a crab cocktail...
Seasoned Dungeness Crab Cocktail
rosé marinated carrot strings, tarragon crème fraiche, wasabi caviar

Followed by a cheese plate
and a great soup...
Carrot, Honey and Ginger
topped with roasted pumpkin seed oil and barrel aged balsamic redux
(I got all excited and didn't take a pic, just believe me there was a smiley face in the balsamic)

And a salad...
Wild Mushrooms
organic spinach, slow roasted marinated tomatoes, fresh thyme, white truffle and black fig emulsion

Then we got to the seafood..

Halibut Cheeks
warm fingerling potatoes, sweet peas and pearl onion salad, pancetta vinaigrette, avocado beurre blanc sauce
Probably the best fish I've had in years, so buttery smooth.

And while you're stuffed already there's more.

Meatloaf, but not your mom's.
Buffalo Meatloaf
rosemary lentils, butternut squash ragout, vegetable thyme gravy, current balsamic reduction

Somehow I managed a small bite of each of these, I didn't actually eat them until the next day.
Shaved Cocoa Truffles
vanilla, cinnamon, chipotle

I nearly died by the end of it, especially since there was a bunch of wine and complimentary champagne & party favors at midnight. We tore up the makeshift dance floor along with a few other couples before heading home. Chef & owner Corey Albert did an awesome job, even came out to say hello to us (after our emailing/calling back & forth w/him) as well as his staff. If you ever get a chance to head to Seaside, OR make sure you look them up...you won't regret it.**

Other than that, the weather in Seaside was just short of monsoon season. At one point we attempted a walk and had to turn back 3 blocks into it because we were soaked. Yes, even though we were wearing hoods & had umbrellas. But the good news was that since it was the off season there were sales everywhere (I picked up a new North Face jacket & oodles of Xmas ornaments for cheap).

Here's to a just as fantastic (or even better) 2010!!

**FTC - all opinions here are my own, this dinner was not paid for by anyone other than my BF & I.

Happy Christmas...and extended weekend.

2009-12-27T18:32:00.001-08:00

The trees at my stepgrandparent's place.

I know I'm behind but I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend. Some of you live in places that saw an insane amount of snow in the last week which made it hard to get places and some of you (like myself) didn't see a single snowflake. Seriously, we've had a great sunny weekend here even though it's been cold...and the fact that Seattle wasn't all drizzly was a feat in itself.

I worked up until Christmas Eve at about 11am which was hard enough, as this year my cousin and I decided we were going to host dinner that night. My grandparents were out of town and everything is usually at their house, so we stepped up to the plate. Well, my cousin suggested it and I went along for the ride because I'd be damned if eventually Christmas Eve ended up at her house once we were old. It's my right, I'm the first child of my mom's (the first of my grandparent's). Anyway...

Pies were made (4 in total, pumpkin & apple) on my part. I forgot how much effort goes in to one apple pie, let alone two of them. Cranberries were made (and then forgotten in my fridge) and turkey with all the other fixings.

We had a great time though, presents were exchanged and then I headed up to my family's place to stay the night in anticipation for Christmas morning. It being an economic turmoil type Christmas there were not a lot of gifts, but still a great time was had. My family picked up a few books for me (in particular Augsten Burrough's latest...a Xmas novel), a Philosophy set (Pomegranate Berry), some dessert wine, pot holders (that match my holiday apron), slippers and a few little things. Later in the day we went up to the step grandparent's house where I managed to get an awesome coat seen below in "jazzberry" (ie: purply magenta).

Despite the drama...you know no family gathering is w/o unless you're cyborgs...or my boyfriend's family (they're so perfect, it's not normal) I had a good night. My stepaunt & uncle got me Criminal Minds Season 4 (top of my list) and Wii Super Mario Bros (hopelessly addicting) which has kept me busy all day. Now I just need to finish cleaning my place since the holiday prep has left it in shambles.

I hope you all had a great holiday & have a great week, I am lucky enough to work for a company that shuts down between Christmas & New Years so I'll go back to work on the 4th. Feel free to hate me, I would if I wasn't me. My little brother will be spending at least one day of the break with me to get away from our parents. The rest of the time will be me trying to figure out my Flip video camera & software and resting up for the New Year.

I can't remember the last time I rallied like this...

2009-12-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

I've been planning this Party Lite show for about two weeks. My mom sells the stuff and I love it dearly, best quality candle I've ever come across...but on Friday I woke up feeling like absolute crap. I mean, the only reason I made it into work was because we were having our holiday party at a restaurant and I was the holder of all the gift cards. So I sucked it up, I felt miserable but made it through the day...and even most of the night. But by 7pm I thought I was gonna die.

What makes this so hard is that I'm a total hypochondriac. If I have a cold I'll convince myself that death is imminant. And that's for an ailment that I've had before, add in something I've never felt and Dr. Google is my new BFF. That is, a new BFF who is an asshole who loves to freak me out and tell me I have some serious cancer going on. I was also reminded of this fact when I started having a constant pain in my right ovary area. I went through all kinds of diagonosis...appendicitis, ovarian cancer, lupus, death, bowel obstruction...the list went on. And you know what? Dr. Google stepped up and cheered saying "oh yeah? I can find something worse that you'll die of!" What a butthead.
But the simplest idea here is to call my doctor, and that's what I'm going to do on Monday. I can deal with the head cold, the fever and even the stomach ache. These are all well known symptoms to me over the years. Add in the ovary of doom and my life will implode on itself.

The real point of this story though is how I rallied. After waking up this morning and still feeling like crap I wanted to cancel my Party Lite show. Ok, I didn't *want* to, but I had completely hit the level of if this was a work day I would have called out in a heartbeat. But being something I enjoy...and having people over to my house I had to make it work. And you know what? I think that made the difference because after enjoying the company of others I felt a little better. Or it could have been the Benadryl I took.

The moral of this story is this:

Dr. Google is mean.
&
My heart belongs in socializing, makes me feel better even when my insides are running a muck.
or
If you need some candles hit me up, they ship all over.

Thanksgiving meme, or one to do while passing the time.

2009-11-25T18:48:00.000-08:00

I stole this while surfing around blogs tonight, was taking a break from trying to come up with something for my Christmas list....I hope you enjoy.

1. Name someone with the same birthday as you.
The real question is who DOESN'T have the same birthday as me. Whenever I meet new people they all tell me someone who was born on July 23. I can tell you there are 4 others in my family (extended) and Harry Potter (the actor, not the character) off the top of my head. Oh yeah, Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia on "Buffy") and Monica Lewinski.

2. Where was your first kiss?
Eighth grade in a standard spin the bottle endevor during my bday party. Nothing good.

3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else’s property?
That's one of those things I don't think I could do w/o feeling extremely guilty afterward. Not my thing.

4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
There's the occasional accidental kick in the nads to boys in school (soccer people, I'm not that evil!) and the random smack in jest to the boyfriend but that's about it.

5. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people?
I did choir until 6th grade but after that it's really only kareoke for bachelorette parties or Christmas songs in front of my family. What? I have a huge family.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about your preferred sex?
Arms & eyes.

7. What really turns you off?
Can't get over the corner mouth crusty stuff, lying and jealousy.

8. What do you order at Starbucks?
When I actually do it's a decaf peppermint mocha w/half the chocolate. What is with Starbucks and the insane amount of chocolate that goes into a mocha? Look at the iced one, it's basically black.

9. What is your biggest mistake?
I have regrets but I don't think they're mistakes.

10. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
Like I said, the guilt afterward isn't worth it.

11. Say something totally random about yourself.
I'm making an INSANE amount of cranberries and some pizza right now.

12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
I don't think so but apparently that myheritage thing tells me I look like Laura Bush. Thanks for that vote of confidence.

13. Do you still watch kiddie movies or TV shows?
I love a good Pixar movie and I'll watch the random SpongeBob if the boyfriend makes me but that's about it. Oh wait, I have a 9 year old brother, I watch his stuff too.

14. Did you have braces?
Never, although my dentist was great to tell me that two of my teeth overlap and I could consider them "if I want". Thanks for the complex man.

15. Are you comfortable with your height?
It's not too bad, I'm 5'5" which isn't bad. Was an inch shorter for a long time but I'm still way taller than my mom so I'm the person who gets stuff off of shelves for her.

16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the preferred sex has done for you?
I really like the fact that my boyfriend sends me flowers for the big things (anniversaries) when I've pretty much forgot about them.

17. When do you know its love?
When you can't imagine spending extended amounts of time with anyone else. When you're comfortable enough to fart in front of each other. When you'll watch all kinds of tv that you're not even interested in because they love it.

18. Do you speak any other languages?
I can do a little French & Spanish. Wait, I know more French, the extent of my Spanish is "un cerveza por favor".

19. Have you ever been to a tanning salon?
I have, but oddly only for the "sunlight" principle. I like being pale mostly.

20. What magazines do you read?
At one point I had like 10 subscriptions but now it's the random People, some Cosmo if I'm feeling stupid about men & Business Weekly.

21. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Never. Could you please arrange that for me? Actually for prom I worked out all the details and then my friends (who's family's were WAY better off than mine) said it was too pricey. Sorry, I saved properly.

22. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?
Oh yes, I was super close to my g. gma (think 20+ years and lived with her for most of it). I miss her so much.

23. Do you watch MTV?
Every time I do I feel like my brain cells have died. At least I don't still have a Season Pass to The Hills.

24. What’s something that really annoys you?
The fact I have to clean my house tonight before Thanksgiving because my mom's oven is broken and she's coming over to cook her sweet potatoes before heading to the grandparent's house. Seriously, I haven't been here for like a week and it's a mess.

25. What’s something you really like?
Wine. Just kidding (sort of), how about TV? That's better. :-)

26. Do you like Michael Jackson?
I like a few older songs.

27. Can you dance?
Of course, and sometimes very well.

28. What’s the latest you have ever stayed up?
A little over 48 hours, thanks in part to a high school senior year project. I told myself never again and I've stuck to it.

29. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
No, but I did drive myself to the ER with an ulcer in my eye. NOT FUN.

30. Do you actually read these when other people fill them out?
I love them

31. Tag 5 people!
Screw this, I don't want people to feel left out. If it sounds like fun, feel free!

Pass the stuffing

2009-11-25T13:32:00.001-08:00

Everyone is blogging about what they're thankful for this week & yes I'll hit on that quickly. I'm thankful for my family, for being as healthy as I possibly can, for an amazing boyfriend, great friends and the fact I have a job I actually enjoy going to every day. But more than anything?

I'm thankful for the FOOD. Especially the food at my grandparent's house because that's the way it always should be.

I know we all have our own traditions, but there's nothing like not being able to partake in your traditions to realize how engrained they are into your brain. Case in point, when I was about 15 my mom remarried. Nothing wrong with that, he's a good man...but he comes with alllll kinds of family. Not a super big family, but his parents had divorced & both remarried so there was quite the scene to sort out when it came to holidays. We've finally settled on whomever gets Thanksgiving does not get Christmas Eve and it alternates every year. Someone else gets Christmas Day and the rest of it is up to where we feel like spending time.

So...the first year? I went to my stepdad's father's house. I didn't really know them and I don't remember all that much about it but what I do remember? Is my introduction to what is known as canned cranberries.

???

To this day I still don't get it but "eh". I think making real cranberries is one of the easiest things to make so I don't know why you need to make it any easier. But everyone has their own way of doing things and that's just fine & dandy.

That is, until you go out to eat on Thanksgiving. Yes, I've had to do that too and when that happened (multiple times) that I refused to eat anything turkey related because it wasn't made at home. What? I never said I was mature (at least at that age).

Now my mom & stepdad usually have Thanksgiving dinner at their house on these off years and I'm perfectly ok with that. I make pie the way my grandma taught me, my mom makes the turkey and my stepdad makes the perfect stuffing to go with it.

Tomorrow night I head to my grandparent's house for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, the only difference is we do it a little more potluck style. I'll be bringing the cranberries and I'm excited to see all of my extended family.

And of course all the wine. ;-)

What is your favorite part about Thanksgiving? And your favorite food?

If I stitch fast enough, does it count as aerobic exercise?

2009-11-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get to the point where you say "oh crap! I haven't posted since *insertnumberofdayshere*!"?? Since so many people have signed up for NaBloPoMo this year my Google Reader has been PACKED with posts to read. I do read all of them and even comment on some (come on, I'm not a machine!) but my writing has suffered because of it. I just realized yesterday that it had been over a month since I updated LJ, so let's rectify all of this.

Thanks to all of you who are following Stepping Diagonally, I checked my dashboard today and all of a sudden it's a whole different dashboard. :-) Now the pressure's on to say something witty, or entertaining at least. Can I handle the pressure?? Let's kick this blog post off with stuff I'm thinking about right now:

Waiter Rant (by Steve Dublanica) - I picked this up the other day at B&N because I've been meaning to for a while. From the same named blog Steve writes about his experiences as a waiter with all kinds of truth and humor that I'm sailing through this book quickly. I also picked up Kristen Chenoweth's "A Little Bit Wicked" as well but I'm of the school of thought that I can only read one book at a time. Are you?

Thanksgiving/Christmas - I know there's a few other holidays in there but I don't celebrate any of them...sorry. But if you work in an office you've probably been getting catalogs for holidays cards for the last I don't know...month or two? I finally asked about what we're doing in our office the other day since I wasn't here at this time last year. Who knew that it would be so complicated? But with the invitation from my grandparents for Thanksgiving arriving in my e-mail yesterday it dawned on me how close it all is.

But why does it come so fast? And why is it that the day after Halloween all the stores are decked out in Santa gear? Even more important...why don't I remember to start knitting earlier in the year so I won't have to do it 24/7 until Christmas Eve because I've been procrastinating??

The nice thing is that Starbucks has put out their red cups and brought back all those yummy concoctions for us to partake in. I'll admit, I haven't been to Starbucks in well over 2 months or so, but I'm luckily enough to have one of these big boys in my office (Interactive cup brewer) so I don't have to go out in the rain to get coffee. Be jealous, it's totally ok. :-) The downside is that I'm drinking drip coffee and not a peppermint mocha with peppermint whipped cream and little sprinkles on top, but I will survive.

What is your go-to drink for the holidays?

2009-10-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the wonderful idea of heading to the mall since it was payday. I haven't been for a while, especially since I have a serious shoe addiction and the best course of action is to stay far far away. But there were some things I desperately needed and it was the only place to go. I needed new work pants which btw is the most annoying thing to shop for. Do designers think we're all over six feet tall now? Over at Express the pants that used to fit me perfectly (short for flats, regular for heels) are a joke. Even the short length I was swimming in...and I'm 5'5".

Aaaaaanyway...let's stop that tangent right there. I also picked up Bare Escentuals Warmth, because it's the only bronzer that works for me (I'm super pale) and isn't shimmery (and I'm all out) along with Philosophy's Hope in a Jar in the tiny size because I needed moisturizer and I don't know if this will work better than their sensitive skin variety. But the point of all this is I went in search of a new fragrance. I've been using Estee Lauder's Pleasures Exotic for quite a while and I love it. This scent has the right amount of grapefruit in it and has been my staple for quite a while.

Umm...I wanted a change.

Nothing crazy, I didn't want to smell like a baby prostitute. *cough*JuicyCouture*cough* But I figured Nordstrom would be all kinds of helpful in finding me something great. And great they did, something a little similar to what I had before but a little different.

Meet Versace's Bright Crystal

Inspired by a mixture of Donatella Versace's favorite floral fragrances, Bright Crystal is a fresh, sensual blend of refreshing chilled yuzu and pomegranate mingled with soothing blossoms of peony, magnolia, and lotus flower, warmed with notes of musk and amber.

Notes: Iced Accord, Yuzu, Pomegranate, Peony, Magnolia, Lotus Flower, Acajou, Vegetal Amber, Musk.

Style: Sheer. Sensual. Luminous.

I am in love with this perfume. It smells a little different on everyone so you're not going to smell like absolutely everyone else in the room. The mix of the floral notes and fruity kind of give it a grapefruit-like smell and best of all it came with a free gift! Mini sizes of the body wash, lotion and a purse sized fragrance were an absolute bonus. Plus, the bottle design is oh so pretty.

In other news, the dear Wendy at Fashionable Heart gave me my first award!

The guidelines are:
1. Say Thank You and give a link to the presenter of the award
2. Share "10 Honest Things" about myself
3. Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.
4. Tell those 7 people that they have been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines.

So thank you Wendy for bestowing me with such an honor and here are 10 honest things about me.

1. I cannot stand rain in any form. I know it doesn't make sense being from Seattle but I associate it with cold and I feel like I'm melting & in the Wizard of Oz.

2. I sometimes will go a week wearing the same jeans w/o washing them. Sorry, they are more comfy that way and they're not dirty.

3. I remember the most random pieces of information. I can still tell you my high school boyfriend's birthday, all my friends from 8th grade's birthdays and who was my favorite band that performed in The Bronze on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Just don't ask me what the chemistry code is for salt. Or what I had for dinner last night.

4. I have a car alarm remote that most people confuse for the smallest cell phone EVER. Think Zoolander small.

5. Despite the risk of alienating everyone I know online I have a serious soft spot for Nicholas Cage. One of my favorite movies is The Rock and I find him sexy. I will admit though that a lot "" of his movies suck.

6. I am on Twitter way more than I care to admit. I don't always update but since I can check it from my BB I'm hooked. My boyfriend has more than once accused me of loving Twitter more than him.

7. I secretly now want oodles of babies. I think this is the boyfriend's fault because growing up I did NOT WANT children AT ALL. Up until about 3 years ago I disliked most everything about children but now all I want to do is cuddle little babies. I thought that internal clock was all a myth.

8. I'm a pretty awesome knitter & crocheter - when I actually do it. I go through phases where I'll do it all the time and then never again for around 6 months. I better start soon though because my entire extended family is expecting dish cloths come Christmas.

9. I have an unhealthy love & hate of Costco. Love going into the stores and getting killer deals for myself but hate them when I use them at work. I can't count the amount of times I've not received parts of my order because they're out of stock. They don't backorder - bastards.

10. I have a potty mouth that gets me in trouble at my family's house on a regular basis. Mostly it's because I get in trouble for words I don't consider bad. Sucks, pissed off, crap & shut up are the big killers. Supposedly I'm here to set a good example for my little brother (who's 9).

And now the killer people who deserve this award are...

1. LiLu of Live It, Luv It - because it's her birthday and she's kick ass.
2. Melly of Drawing on Dandelions - because I love her and her blog.
3. Catherinette of The Catherinette Chronicles - because she makes me laugh.
4. Cjengo of Jude, the Diary of a Baby & a Stroke - because she's unbelievably strong.
5. New Black of The New Black - because she's a Seattlite like me.
6. Jay at Genius Pending - because his cartoons crack me up.
7. Chelsea at Chelsea Talks Smack - because I love her writing and I'm still sad I missed her shows here.

Do You Have Road Rage?

2009-10-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about you, but I have a serious case of road rage. Nothing insane, I don’t follow people home, get out of the car or anything, but from the very first time I drove by myself the profanities have spewed from my mouth in record numbers. I jokingly blame this on my mother who has the same habit (she’s now trying to do better due to my little brother being in the car), but I had no clue I had this problem until I drove solo.

I think this is mostly due to the fact that most people cannot drive to save their lives. Or I should say, each of them has their own set of rules they follow and they don’t always match with everyone else’s set. So I provide to you below my own…

Information Not Always Found in the Normal Drivers Manual

Putting your turn signal on does not entitle you to a spot in the lane next to you.
Just because you did not prepare properly by getting into the appropriate lane it does not mean I have to let you in.

If you realize you’re about to miss your exit, it does not mean that you should do a hard turn of the wheel to make said exit.
I know it’s a crazy idea, but the next exit is perfectly acceptable to get off of and to turn around.

It is never acceptable to go less than 60 mph in the left lane.
This is the passing lane or the “I’m going faster than everyone else” lane.

For those of us lucky enough to have a designated time for a carpool lane (5am-7pm), if you are using this lane outside of these hours this is NOW THE LEFT LANE.
See previous explanation.

If I decide to pass you, the appropriate response is NOT to speed up when I attempt to pass you.
This makes you an asshole and you deserve coal in your stocking.

If you see a cop who has pulled someone over, you do NOT need to slam on your breaks.
Unless you’re going waaaay over the speed limit the cop is far too busy with the guy they just pulled over. Letting your foot off the gas slightly is good enough.

Similarly, if you pass a cop waiting to pull people over, hitting your breaks is a red flag that you have been speeding.
Seriously, it’s OBVIOUS you’ve been speeding.

Checking the lanes next to you before you merge is a good idea.
Some of us have small cars and are sometimes hard to see (despite being bright red). I don’t want you to drive over me.

The horn on your car is really only there to let other people know the light has turned green.
Do you have road rage? That’s why you yell – you feel better and no one outside of the car can hear you.

What would you add to this list? Or do you think mine are crazy?

Who doesn't love a before/after haircut post?

2009-10-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

It's taken a while but I finally got pics of my new haircut! It had been about a year and a half since my last one so it was looking a little bit ratty. Not so bad that a few curls here and there could hide but I'm so happy with the end result. Now curls are only if I want to, not because I need to.

Before

After

Ignore the obvious camera placement in the photo, I was happy that this image wasn't super blurry like the others. Why can't I take a photo in the mirror w/o that problem? :-)

//

In other news fall has officially hit the northwest this week. We've had some pretty great weather lately but this week the rain showed up and the sun started setting earlier in the day. Today I busted out the cashmere sweater AND the electric blanket for the couch so I could make the appropriate indoor cocoon.

Also, does anyone watch Lie To Me? I haven't tried it because it seems like it focuses on only one part of profiling and I'd prefer to watch Criminal Minds any day, but maybe I'm missing something with this show. Instead now I prefer to catch up on my DVR. Later gators!

I better start practicing my downward facing dog again...

2009-09-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

I used to be thin, like stick figure thin, rail thin, people convinced I'm anorexic thin. And I couldn't gain weight to save my life. The doctors were always concerned and forcing me to eat more calories than the norm. Now I see that I should have blamed it on high metabolism, dance classes, band, soccer and the fact I can't really sit still. I know, poor me. Some of us have been overweight our whole lives, right?

But you know what? Despite being thin I was never in shape. Every time I went to a dance class the next day I was so sore. After every soccer practice I was exhausted and never wanted to go back. And I think that "eat whateverthehell I feel like it" mentality is causing some problems now.

If you showed most people a picture of me and asked them to describe me, one of the few things they wouldn't say was that I was fat. But I am pushing maximum density here and I can't button up my dress pants anymore. Put together my sedentary lifestyle, a boyfriend who likes to take me out to dinner and the fact I now drink alcohol means I've started putting on the pounds. What's a girl to do?

Apparently I need to start exercising again because doing nothing isn't working. We're coming up on the holiday season and there's going to be so much yummy food around that I won't want to NOT partake in it all.

I need tips people. How do YOU get in shape? I apparently gain all my weight in my midsection (my thighs/butt area on my pants still fit perfect) and I don't know what works for that. Toning up everything would be ideal but I need to start small.

For now I'm going to break out my Wii Fit again and see if that will help. Bonus, I'm going to try and use it w/o drinking beforehand because apparently that screws with the balance feature. :-)

And people say I'm the weird one

2009-09-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

The lovely LiLu has a little segment she calls "shiz my boyfriend says" and there are times I find this far more entertaining than TMI Thursdays. Mostly it's because it reminds me that my own boyfriend has some crazy things that come out of his mouth. Sometimes I giggle, sometimes I look at him like he grew three more eyeballs and sometimes I'm so frustrated with him. But last night I got all three.

Scene - watching the latest Mad Men on my laptop in bed

[Betty's in the hospital]

Boyfriend: mmfmdm [sticking his tongue out]
Me: ... what did you say?
Boyfriend: mmfmdm mmfmdm
Me: seriously, are you trying to show me something? does your tongue hurt? what?
Boyfriend: mmfmdm mmfmdm
Me: what?

[after a good two mins of this]

Me: whatever, I don't care anymore. I'm hitting the play button again.

[pause]

Me: fine, tell me what was so damn important or exciting on your tongue.
Boyfriend: it's dry. my tongue is dry, this feels so weird.
Me: [stares]
Boyfriend: what?
Me: dude, YOU'RE the weird one.

I'm amazed that I put up with this guy, guess it's a good thing I love him.

A smell of wine and cheap perfume...

2009-09-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

The beauty of the week before a long weekend is that no matter what office you are in, things slow down to a crawl. I know there's some idea of getting things done before vacation, but realistically this never happens. Today alone I have three people in my office on vacation, all of which sit by me so it's super quiet. I know three people doesn't seem like a lot but when the office has about 15 in it it's a pretty big chunk.

I'm looking forward to this Labor Day weekend for many reasons, but most off all because it's going to be some time to actually relax. Last weekend M & I had not one but two! weddings to attend (Friday & Saturday) and a BBQ and somehow we managed to do all that and have a picnic on the Kirkland waterfront in a secluded park. We danced to the like of Black Eyed Peas (Boom, Boom Pow anyone??) and other classics like Don't Stop Believing so much that my feet were killing me. We also reminised over long times past with old neighbors and got caught up in the lovely dovey nature of it all. M caught the garter at one wedding and at the same one I had the bouquet snatched out of my hands. Apparently the girl who did the snatching wanted it more than I did, and I wasn't going to fight.

Rattlesnake Hills

So we'll be headed over to Yakima to visit M's family a bit and visit the Rattlesnake Hills area for wine tastings. I'm excited to see his family since it's been since Memorial Day and I might even brave the drive to the farm with him to check up on things. I stress the might aspect of that part, it's not really my cup of tea.

But what's most important this week??? I got my hair cut! I know, not the most exciting news I guess but for a girl who's gone about a year and a half since her last cut I'm feeling proud of myself. I decided on some side swept bangs which was a little scary since the last time I had any kind of bangs was 8th grade. But I also decided against the Locks of Love cut this time, I'm keeping the length for a little while longer. I hope to have pics soon, once I figure how to style it properly. :-)

Now a question, do you watch the entire process when you get your hair cut? I try to at first but halfway through I get that anxious feeling in my chest and have to close my eyes until it's done. The inbetween stage freaks me out that my poor hair will be gone forever. Like this time, what if she doesn't do side swept but blunt bangs? My heart jumps into my throat at the idea of it. But sure enough, none of that happened and I felt like I was a crazy person for a minute (or a lifetime.)

Friendship Styles

2009-08-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

First off, thanks to all of you who commented on my previous post, I went shopping and got the following dresses:

Both of them fit like a glove and actually are pretty similar in color. But at least they work for the weddings to be attended.

*****

For many years I have been known as a social butterfly. It's funny to me because I consider myself pretty shy in the first meeting of people but I hide it well, many years of training myself I guess. I will be the person who at a party will search out someone who is quiet or feeling out of their element to chat. This is in part that I've been in that position before, or in hopes to make a new friend. And it usually works. I've made great friends this way and I've seen the relief that's come over their faces when someone comes to talk to them.

But it doesn't always go so well. Sometimes I chat with them and realizes we're not meant to be friends. I'm ok with that, but it makes me think of my own "friend style". Do you know what I mean? Some of us are reluctant to invite others into our social circle right away. Some of us assume you suck until you prove yourself otherwise. Me? I have a tendency to think all people are great until they prove otherwise.

Case in point - about a month or two ago some friends of mine got new roommates. My friends own a house (married couple) but rent a room out upstairs. Another couple (early twenties) moved in and they got along great. So a bunch of us were invited over for BBQ night and to meet the new roommates. I thought they were nice, had good conversation. That is until the girl asked me if I was pregnant.

...

...

Yeah, you read that right. This girl committed a big time faux pas. You never ask anyone that unless you know for sure, especially someone you just met. I could tell she was embarrassed and a little naive, but to this day I've been "done" with her.

The problem is now that I run into her sometimes. Obviously she lives in the same house as my friends, but now whenever she sees me she shrinks to as small as she can. I shouldn't care so much but I would think she would try to remedy the situation or overcome that obstacle. But that's just me. I'd move past the comment (yes, I actually have) and now I'm more concerned that she won't talk to me at all.

*shrug* I guess sometimes you're just not meant to be friends.

What kind of friendship style do you have?

Please, help me shop!!

2009-08-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

August is known for one, no two big things. This is the month where people get married and hold reunions, at least in the state of Washington. It's probably the best month weather-wise and in turn your schedule gets PACKED. I have a bachelorette party and reunion on the same weekend and the following weekend is the wedding so I need to be lookin' sharp. I'm going shopping this weekend but I was hoping you guys might have some ideas as well.

Bachelorette party consists of dinner, comedy club and clubbing/dancing. Maybe not something super pricey (more H&M style) for this, but then on Sunday there is the reunion picnic. Think oodles of families all at a park. The wedding weekend is pretty fancy (no casual thing going on here) so I only have so many options before I have to buy new things, you see?

Here's the ideas I have so far...

Slice of Lime dress from Anthropologie. I love the little sash accenting the waist and it seems fun.

Cranesbill dress from Anthropologie. Same thing with the sash here, bonus: my boyfriend's already seen it in the store and likes it.

Storm of Shapes dress from Anthropologie. I love the colors in this, for once I could do yellow since the brown is upstairs.
Caranday dress from Anthropologie. Another I've seen in the store, also comes in a pinkish color.

Framboise Souffle dress from Anthropologie. Completely feminine and I love the color. The neckline's pretty sweet too.

Calendar Pages dress from Anthropologie. First seen over at the Advice Smackdown it comes in black, this blue and dark purple. And it's on sale, that's nice too.

I can definitely be persuaded to do more than one of these dresses since there's multiple occasions to go to but I'd love to go into shopping with some sort of idea.

HELP guys & gals! I need a personal shopper! And I haven't even started in on shoes!

I love...

2009-08-12T12:13:00.001-07:00

Let's get back on track with the blogging thing, forget this posting once a week or less. I've been in a sea of changes of the last couple of weeks which has a tendency to make me pessimistic. I love change, but when it's not on my dime my life tends to go all chaotic and I don't always know how to process effectively. This is why I'm going to try and bombard this post with positivity...things I love.

I LOVE...catching an incredible sunset like this one at the Edmonds-Kingston ferry.

I LOVE...a good farmer's market because I can get incredible flowers for cheap (among other things).

I LOVE...Seafair in Seattle. The Blue Angels are amazing the hydros are not so bad when they're up close and personal.

I LOVE...hearing that despite all my little brother's attempts to not be interested in Harry Potter he can't put down the first book (I bought for his birthday).

I LOVE...that I know where to find a great crab cake benedict on the weekends.

What are some things that you love today?

Birthday...seriously belated.

2009-08-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken so long to get an update posted, in my quest to move I didn't plan setting the new place up with TV or Internet. The only reason I got my power turned on was because the apartment complex did that for me. I think this might be what you call lazy, but it's given me plenty of time to do repeat viewings of The West Wing while sitting in my bed or unpacking the 234435 boxes still left over. Sam Seaborn & Josh Lyman please report to my ~~apartment~~ office immediately.

Things started off with a BANG! in the form of my birthday dinner. As I mentioned before we headed to Elliott's Oyster House. Despite my dislike for oysters and the insane wait time (LOVE reservations) we made it in and gorged ourselves on crab, prawns, lobster, squid...you name it. There were a variety of dishes chosen around the table, but most importantly I had the crab cakes. My mouth salivates just thinking about the little cakes of pure awesomeness. We stuffed ourselves silly (copious amounts of wine, burnt cream) and chatted for a few hours. Some friends gave me lucky bamboo for the new place and all and all I had great time.

The boyfriend (aka M) and I at dinner.

The next evening M and I headed up to see my family and I got to introduce him to the experience that is my step dad's chicken parmesan. This stuff is so good that I refuse to order it in restaurants because it doesn't even compare. I hung out with my family while my little brother got
antsy (it wasn't time for cake yet) and opened some presents. So sweet, I picked up a hand mixer and a new pair of shoes!

Up next is an intro to my new apartment. I'm warning you, there's an unnatural amount of space in this place, I don't know what to do with myself. Stay tuned!

They say it's your....moving day?

2009-07-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

With my birthday dinner with friends coming up tomorrow, my actual birthday on Thursday with family and moving on Saturday life is quickly becoming "fly by the seat of your pants" fast. I hope to return next week with all kinds of tales of amazing service at Elliott's Oyster House (cross your fingers...there's another big party at the same time as us), family shenanigans and getting along great with the boyfriend during early AM box carrying.

Because you're worth it.

2009-07-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have what people call the kind of hair that they want. I don't understand it, but typically everyone wants what they don't/can't have. My hair?

Long - hits right about the middle of my breasts
Fine - a little flat naturally but there's a ton of it (does well w/volumizing products)
Straight - just a hint of wave that goes away by blow drying and can be played up when it's shorter

The problem with this type of hair is that it takes FOREVER to dry in the morning. Seriously, I'm flipping my head upside down, to the left, to the right and even sectioning it off in hopes to speed up the drying time. That is until this morning.

Yesterday I twitted that my hairdryer up and died on me. I hoped to fix it, I opened it up and looked around with no success. So I headed to the store in hopes to find something. Nothing too pricey, I didn't want to spend oodles of $$ on it, but I knew you should at least spend a little.

Isn't this thing pretty?!?! I love red so yeah, I was a little drawn to it, but holy crap this thing works! Not only do I not have frizzy hair today (this has been a big problem recently) but it dried quickly! Best thing ever, this hairdryer retails for $36.99 and I got it for $24.99. Not bad at all.

In other news, I hope to be out of the office by noon today to make the trek to Seaside, OR for the 4th of July weekend. If you haven't been before you're definitely missing out. It's a small little beach town that has stood the test of time. I'm crossing my fingers to be having breakfast at the Pig 'n Pancake, drinking wine at Yummy Wine Bar & Bistro, spending time out in the sand & seeing some great fireworks.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Chocolate starfish, and the hot dog flavored water

2009-06-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

My name is Cass and I haven't had a hot dog in at least 18 years. No, not a vegetarian, I'm just one of those people where if I eat something and get sick from it - that food is off the possible eating list for the rest of my life. But because I love my boyfriend and hot dogs always smell so damn good I decide to agree when he suggested them for dinner. I mean, for all I know it could have been the potato salad at the BBQ that made me sick (and probably was).

So the boyfriend plans to head to the grocery store for the hot dogs and I tell him that if I'm eating one of these things I'm gonna do it right. Ketchup, mustard, relish, sauerkraut, you name it. As usual, you can see everything going on in his head on his face. This girl is CRA-AAZY! Why? Because he will only put ketchup on his hot dog. But we compromise, no sauerkraut and I'll use the relish the next time we have hamburgers.

Once he gets home I ask him how long it takes to cook them since it's been forever since I remember eating one. He tells me 10 mins and I think nothing of it...at first. When I start asking him all about getting the coals ready for the BBQ he gives me the CRA-AAZY! look again. Apparently I AM the crazy person because I assumed we would be BBQing our hot dogs! Oh no, instead we're boiling them.

I posed this question to the people following me on Twitter and I guess this is a fairly common way to cook them. Where have I been? I know sometimes my family will put them on broil in the oven if it's too cold to BBQ and I've heard of microwaving if you're lazy but never this boiling thing.

So tell me people, how do YOU cook your hot dogs?

It only took about a month

2009-06-17T22:45:00.001-07:00

Hey all! I bet you forget I even went to Mexico last month because I never did the post complete with photos. Oh no, I'm finally doing it and it's gonna be fun. So hold on to the person next to you, I hope it's not a bumpy ride!

When we first arrived in Puerto Vallarta it was right after the immediate threat of the swine flu. You know, it was all over the news, none of us knew what it was about and the media did it's job of scaring us senseless. But the wedding was still on and the 8 of us were determined to go. Thankfully enough PV wasn't really hit by this swine flu nonsense, but that didn't stop the security areas from asking all kinds of questions and special temperature sensitive cameras to check and make sure we didn't have a fever. But despite all this, we made it to our destination...Villa Suzannah. This photo? This is the view from the pool area. We were overlooking the Mismaloya beach area.

When we first arrived our hostess (ie: the bride to be) made sure that there was all kinds of treats waiting for us. Chips & fresh made salsa and guacamole, a stocked fridge full of beer and all kinds of tequila and mixed drinks at our disposal. We found out that one of the couples coming (from CA) had some sort of passport issue and would be there at the earliest of the next day so our job was to chill out and have all kinds of fun.

And fun...we definitely had.

Faces blurred/smudged to protect the not so innocent.

The next morning we decided to trek down to the beach below and see if it was as fun as it looked like. We were staying in this beautiful place but it was towards the top of a very steep hill and it wasn't until a few days later we realized we could walk down it just fine (but not up). So a taxi was taken and we decided to spend a good portion of the day down below.

This was a perfect day. I spent my time lounging in a chair, drinking strawberry daiquiris and wading in the water. Well, that and fending off all the people trying to sell me jewelry, blankets, dresses and every other thing you could think of every five seconds.

My view on the beach and my current desktop wallpaper.

Later on the missing couple showed up just in time and we had dinner at the villa. Seriously, the chef at this place is beyond AMAZING, everything he made I wanted to gobble up ten fold. That night we had crazy dance party at the villa (aka round 2) with the new couple.

The next day was all about the soon to be happy couple. They had to head to the courthouse to do the "official ceremony" before the pretty one. You know, the one with witnesses and signing documents (*cough* remember that stuff Heidi & Spencer?) and the bride's parents came into town. M and I headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch (and to buy a PV bear for his mom) and we experienced our first water taxi ride.

Little ol' me

Friday was all about the fishing expedition, one of the few activities we booked before arriving in PV. We were on the most beautiful boat and we out all day long but didn't catch a single fish! On top of that this was also the day that I got seriously sunburned. I forgot to put sunscreen on my face AND accidentally fell asleep outside for an hour so my poor face was fried. It felt like I was attacked by the botox shot in my forehead. The good news though was we saw dolphins!

Can I take them home with me?

Now on Saturday...this was the big day. It was time to prep for the wedding with mani/pedi's overlooking the view, a little beach time and of course the wedding!

The ceremony (love the bouquet!)

The toast!

Afterwards there was of course the reception. Check out what the restaurant did for us! They brought the dining experience outdoors by the pool.

We were going to have a 7 course tasting menu. Sounds good in theory, right? Sure it is, if all the portions are small. But we started with a shot glass full of something and each course afterwards was a little bit bigger. By 5 and 6 we were dying, a full fish meal followed by filet mignon? Normally sign me up but my stomach didn't know what to make of it. We didn't even eat the wedding cake until 2 days later.

So once recooperated from the festivities on Sunday we went to the flea market...along with Monday. I could spend all kinds of time in those, I'm apparently a master barterer. I got deals that the rest of the group had their jaws dropping from, I don't know what it is. Later on we stopped in a restaurant for a "cocoloco". Basically it has all kinds of random alcohols in it, but the best part is it's in a real coconut!

But also on Monday we went to Tony's, this restaurant that unless you know about it you'll never find. It was actually close to the villa but an employee at this big chain hotel down the way told us about it. Apparently there was some big travel agent retreat going on in their restaurant for the night so they were closed. But we made the trek to this place.

Think of walking through this run down area, turning the corner and assuming you'll see it but all you see is this super run down house. You get anxious because if you ate there it would obviously kill you. But then you realize...you're not there yet and arrive at this cozy 3 story house with sand covering the floor. They bring out the menu, this big platter of steaks and seafood and you want absolutely everything. The food here was so good we ate there the final two nights of our trip. Even better, we met Tony!

Say hi to Tony! And my horrible sunburned face.

On the final day we basically just chilled waiting for everyone's plane's to take off. For some reason each of us had a completely different time to depart so until it was time we hung around the pool, read a little and prepared for the trip home.

Hanging out on our balcony.

I hope you made it through all this in one piece. If you ever get the chance to visit Puerto Vallarta I have to recommend you take it. For my first time in Mexico it definitely makes me want to go back.

Success!

2009-06-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

I found an apartment!

Somewhere in the back of my mind I figured that if I posted about the trials and tribulations of finding an apartment I must have known that's all it took. Or I'm just lucky, who knows.

And yet, I think I'm excited. Obviously I haven't been the biggest fan of this particuluar change, but I think I'm getting there. There's plenty of features in this new place that are making me happy.

First off - there is approx. 250 sq ft MORE than my last place. On top of that, it's approx. $300 less per month. The beauty of moving 5-10 mins away I guess.

Check out this floor plan! If you look closely you'll see that there are TWO closets in the bedroom, one of which is big enough for you to walk into. There is a washer & dryer, oodles of storage, and an area for barstools at the kitchen. Somehow I managed to score a top floor corner unit as well and it's about 5 minutes away from my work.

Now I have to figure out the logistics of it all. I get the place on July 24th, one day after my birthday. So the weekend instead of festivities will probably be all about moving but there's enough time to pack & clean up the old place before my lease expires (end of July).

I just need to stay positive. This is a great change, but it's definitely going to take some time to get used to it.

My pets are dust bunnies, so what?

2009-06-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking more and more that my Mexico post isn't going to happen. Or at the very least it'll be a little bit because between work & home there hasn't been enough time to do so and where there HAS been I haven't had my photos with me.
What's been on my mind instead? Apartment hunting. This is both the best and worst thing in the world to do, but I'm definitely leaning towards the worst. It certainly let's my OCD freak flag fly but at the same time I'm one big ball of stress.

My lease expires at the end of July and because of this I start early. My rent thankfully isn't going up, but I've been paying far too much for my little sanctuary, not even 600 sq. ft. With the economy the way it is I'd like to have a little bit of green still in my pocket, you know...to pay bills (or wine as the case may be). But I've realized that not only are there oodles of apartments in my area, a large handful of the ones in the city I'd like (Kirkland) are a pretty penny. I have succumb to looking at surrounding areas and brought out the big guns...the only thing that can make me feel even remotely in control of this whole situation.

...

...

Spreadsheets. Yes, you read that right - I'm using Excel to figure out my apartment hunting nightmare. There are columns and columns of data ranging from name/address to sq. ft/ monthly rent to parking/pros/cons and little notes about each place. So far I've seen approx. 7 places and I want to stab myself in the eye with a fork.

Lots of specials, woohoo! But then there's all the questions -

When are you moving? Wait, not the beginning of July?
Why are you moving? Because I like my money. And not smelling my neighbors BBQ smoke in my living room.
Is it just you? Oh, just you...sad.
Do you have any pets? No, I can't keep a plant alive, having a cat would scare me.
What amenities are you looking for? Washer & dryer with storage, a walk-in closet and ceiling fans are a bonus. I know I have a lot of stuff, shut up about the amount of couches.
Do you work close by? Yes, I know it's a wonderful reverse commute. Shut up about it.
Isn't this unit amaaaazing? Sure I guess, but it's on the ground floor and I'm a single woman who is not super trained in self-defense. Got something higher up?
Look at our awesome fitness center. No thanks, I've had one for 3 years and set foot in it once.

Do you see the dilemma here? Having these questions thrown at you all the time will make your head spin. I just need to make a decision already. I have two more places I think I need to see and then there's the next step - deposits and packing.

Oh god, the packing. Who's up to help? I supply wine & beer. :-)

I'm Back!

2009-05-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

At least for a little bit. Fantastic time was had in Mexico and there will be a post soon enough about all the details but in the meantime I'm letting you know I'll be out of town (again). This time the destination isn't nearly as exciting as Puerto Vallarta (it's Yakima, WA) but it will be just about as warm but with not nearly the humidity.

Randomly, does anyone else love Lady Gaga's "Starstruck"? Apparently my copy of The Fame didn't have this song and through the wonders of Pandora Radio I've found a new favorite.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!

"Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet"

2009-05-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

Although the whole point of a blog is to post, I'll admit that the fact this blog had 23 posts before this one had me not wanting to post ever again. Crazy? Probably. But 23 is one of my favorite numbers (the only one beating it out is 9 for reasons that will make you think I actually AM crazy) and I was a little superstitious.

But let's just go with it, shall we? Thanks to all of you who commented on the office supplies post, I had no clue that there were so many of you who feel the same way about them. :-) I think we all need crocodile staple removers in our possession.

Last weekend wasn't nearly as exciting as some of yours out there. I mostly did laundry and made to-do lists for packing...throwing in a little Mother's Day celebration at my mom's place. BTW - she is awesome, even though she stresses out like crazy (hmm, that might be where I get it from!) but she puts on a great spread. We had a brunch fit for champions - strada, homemade hashbrowns, blueberry muffins (from scratch), bacon, sausage, fruit x3, mimosas etc. I ate entirely too much and suffered for it the rest of the night.

But here I am today at work, finishing up the last of everything I can before I head to vacation in Puerto Vallerta! I'm stressed out over the packing and the excitement of it all. Anyone else do that? The first time I was to see Phantom of the Opera I made myself so sick from the stress I couldn't go. My mom didn't tell me we were heading to Disneyland until the night before for that very reason. But here I am trying to pack early so I don't freak out and it's having the opposite effect on me.

I'm still surprised work is letting me go on said trip. I've only been with them about 2 months but they're letting it happen since I mentioned it when I was interviewing. We've had this vacation on the books for about 9 months and I'm going to make it the best ever. A week with sunshine, great friends, a wedding and all kinds of food & drink. I don't think it could be better than that. Well, unless I stopped stressing out. But I have my books for the trip/plane ride (Jen Lancaster's "Pretty In Plaid" and Dooce's "It Sucked and Then I Cried") and an awesome boyfriend to calm me down.

I doubt I'll be posting in the meantime so everyone have a fantastic week!

Who needs a new pen??

2009-04-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

It's confession time yet again around these parts. My name is Cass and I am an office supply junkie.

Do not let me loose in Staples/Office Max/etc. unless you are ready for me to pick up random pens, post-its and the like and exclaim "oooh, can I have it? Look! It's so cute and perfect!" every five seconds. I don't know what it is, but writing with that perfect pen (Pilot's G-2 in 07) or using a square hot pink post-it makes the work day that much more bearable. That can't be the only reason obviously because otherwise I would care less about the supplies I have in my home, so I don't know why it is.

So recently I've been linked all over the place to this wonderful place...Sorting With Style. I can tell you right now I've looked through the entire site and I want pretty much every single thing they sell. I dare you to NOT find something you can't live with out over there. No, I triple DOG dare you, that's how seriously I covet everything.

Here are some of my favorites so far:

a crocadile staple remover
a red pencil cup
pink Paris notebook
giraffe clips
flower file folders

None of these really have much to do with the other but are a great example of the awesomeness that is over at that site. Now obviously I haven't made a purchase, so the customer service could suck or it could take a month to get your product so I can't be extremely gung ho about everything yet...but a review could be forthcoming.

Best thing about my new job? Guess who orders all the office supplies? :-)

Good news!

2009-04-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

In my last post I mentioned how I did something to my tailbone/had a cyst. Thankfully after taking enough antibiotics my butt has stopped hurting and it's ok to sit down. Yes, this means I no longer have to use the donut cushion. :-)

What's even better though??? I GOT A JOB!! In the same day I managed to score and interview with a company I sent an emailed app the previous week AND get a job through one of the staffing agencies I went through. I'll be making a little bit more than before and have all kinds of random duties, but I'm excited about the whole experience. I managed to get a job on Monday and start on Tuesday and the rest of this week has been me trying to get back into the swing of things.

Although I'd love to talk all about the job there's all kinds of confidentiality required in this company, I hope you understand. I will say that the people are pretty great, the woman training me as a lot of confidence in my abilities and the position is not too far away from home. Actually it's about a mile from my last job so I can still do lunch with some of my favorite people.

But here we are back in the working world. I can also say that this office job (complete with cubicles - but there's a window!!) has me walking around the office WAY more than the last one. I can't wear any of my cute heels without being in extreme pain so I need to find some adorable flats ASAP. If you have suggestions of cute shoes (that are halfway comfy) or a great website to recommend please do.

**Shoes by Adidas via Zappos. I may want them badly.

It's Not A Donut

2009-04-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

This week has been very much of the suck. Add in April Fool's Day, which normally is kind of a fun day, I am not amused.

I've had this intense pain in my tailbone for about a week or so and thought that I could just wait it out. Back in Nov/Dec I fell HARD on the ice and bruised my tailbone and thought it had all worked itself out, but the pain came back ten fold this time around. That in itself would be cause for alarm but my brain insisted I was just fine and to wait it out.

Ok kids - that is NOT a good idea. Turns out I had a cyst that ruptured and I had to get my butt to the dr's office ASAP. I did all this and got antibiotics to treat the infection, and also had to pick up a cushion to sit on. Three different stores later and I finally have it and no, it's not a donut. Don't try to call it that or I will have to poke you hard. :-)

Because of all this time on the couch you'd think that I'd be blogging like crazy or something like that. But no, my Google Reader and myself have turned into life long friends and I'm reading all those blogs I follow like crazy and thinking "why can't I come up with something decent to say today??" Another day, maybe.

Instead I think about what to eat, how to actually get up to get said food and remind myself that yes, I should get back to the job search.

I think I've found my best friend

2009-03-20T09:48:00.001-07:00

This week was St. Patrick's Day. I'm not particularly Irish, I think there's a smidge hidden in my heritage, I'm mostly Norwegian and Native American but my great grandmother always insisted on reminding me that there was Irish in there too "and don't you forget it" so I haven't. There were plans to head out to an Irish pub in Seattle with a bunch of the boyfriend's pals but because it's an Irish pub and St. Patrick's Day you KNOW it's going to be packed. This is why I was given the task to show up insanely early (woohoo unemployment for once!). I got there about 1:30pm thinking at least I'd be able to read some of my book (Geek Love!) and that was the silliest idea I've come up with in a while.

Funny thing though, while waiting I ran into this girl who apparently had the same idea, book and all. We started chatting and in the end our friends ended up co-mingling the rest of the evening. New friends are always fun.

In much more exciting news, yesterday was the boyfriend and my one year anniversary! It's gone by SO fast and I hear that's a good sign. :-) The day was a little hectic for me as I had to go to 4 different stores in hopes to pick up the Eliza Dushku issue of Maxim (which BTW I never found because they JUST put out the new one) and instead felt like I was buying porn since the magazine was inside a plastic cover. But the boyfriend buys one every time he has to go out of town for work and he's going to San Francisco at the end of the month and I wanted him to be prepared.

But all that was worth it for what was to come that evening. He came home from work with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I've pretty much ever seen. Afterward we headed to Morton's Steakhouse for dinner which was a first for the both of us. We arrived a little early so we started in the lounge for a drink while watching some of March Madness. I was not completed finished with my martini when our table was ready so the host insisted on carrying it to the table for me. :-) But what was so surprising was when we got to the table our menus were waiting...with the heading of "Happy Anniversary _____ and _____!" I think that just made my night.

All the food was amazing, there were bacon wrapped scallops for an appetizer, beefcake tomato salad (for me) and lobster bisque (for him), filet oskar (mini filet mignon with lump crab & bearnaise sauce w/asparagus for me) and filet mignon & lobster tail w/asparagus (for him) followed by a Grand Marnier souffle (for me) and hot upside-down apple pie (for him). All this was paired with an Argyle pinot noir and we were in heaven. It was all amazing and the great kind of full where you don't feel like you will explode. :-) During dessert they even came by to take a complimentary photo of us that got put in a paper frame and came home with us.

I can't imagine a better evening. All I can think of is the time we'll spend together in the future and he makes me so happy. This morning (super early) I was greeted with a "happy 366 days together" from him. Oh my, if you're reading this you probably just threw up but you know what? It put the biggest grin on my face. I think I've found my best friend.

Posting..how do you do it?

2009-03-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

I hate to be that girl who starts a post about the weather, but I'm going be her. Over the last couple of days we've had some crazy weather here, WA is not normally one to be all about the rain, snow, hail and sun all in one big swoop but here we are. It's March and there's snow. It's March and I'm contemplating using my electric blanket despite living on the 4th floor. Weirdness abounds. But what really starts this entry is how I might be getting sick or the weather is playing insane tricks with my allergies. I never used to have allergies but within the last couple years they developed and for some reason I can't get myself to take the daily meds.

How many of you guys can remember to post a couple times a week? I don't know if it's for a lack of subjects (or those that are interesting to more than just me), lack of time, etc. but I wish it could be more. I do have another blog, I've had it for about 8 years and it's nice and private where only specific people can see it. That's the place that deals with all my mundane details, asks questions to my friends and has been an online world where I've made great relationships with. But with such an open forum on Blogger I find myself censoring myself. I've seen countless blogs I read deal with the ramifications of employers finding said blogs and people losing their jobs over it. I don't want to be that girl, even being unemployed right now.

But on that front, I might be making some headway. I decided on Thursday that I would just call a temp agency and see what they might be able to find for me. I've used this particular one a few years back to get in with the company I just left 5 years later and we shall see how it all goes down. I met with someone on Friday and she seemed to respond very positive to what I was saying so I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best. I would love to hear that something is out there for me that is a great fit. Remaining positive is so hard, but I know it makes a complete difference if you're not projecting yourself that way.

Until later, I hope Monday doesn't kick all of you in the ass like it's known to do. :-)

I have 10 fingers, you have 10 fingers, let's be friends!

2009-02-25T16:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Mardi Gras and it was the first time I've ever really celebrated. Ok, so the boyfriend and I went out to dinner and there was more fun in the bar at said restaurant (pictured at the left) but it was still great. There were balloons, decorations and of course...beads! Thankfully I didn't need to start flashing anyone to get said beads, I still ended up with quite the collection.

Unfortunatly I was beyond stuffed before we ever arrived to the restaurant. Earlier in the day I went to happy hour with one of my closest friends who I haven't seen in a few months. We stopped by a local mexican joint called Cactus and her boyfriend came along. We did the catch up thing, snacked on chips & salsa/guac and had quesadillas. But all that meant was come 7pm I could barely force myself to eat anything extra. :-(

For all the fun had on Tuesday, great hair day and all...today isn't really the same kind of day. I think the job search is starting to catch up to me. I was all positive thinking and going strong with applications etc. and today I can be bothered to care. Ok, scratch that. I care, but the lack of responses and the continuous questions from absolutely everyone about how the job search is going is getting to me.

The boyfriend and I have started watching Dead Like Me recently. I've seen it countless times before but I like to introduce him to shows that he hasn't seen and that I love. But because of this I feel myself missing working in an office. Yes, I just said that. I miss it, I miss having a reason to get up early even though I can't stand waking up before 9am. I miss having deadlines, projects to work on and seeing the same people day in and day out. I miss having a desk or a cubicle where I can put those little doodads up to make me smile after a potentially boring day.

What is wrong with me?

Good To the Last Drop

2009-02-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

I don't mean for this to turn into a wine blog, or at least I don't right now. I'm still finding my footing so I'm testing the waters with a variety of things instead of diving right in. Yes, this is how I am in the swimming pool too. :-)

But I have another wine review for you guys and I think you'll like it. Right now I'm drinking O Wines 2007 Chardonnay. The boyfriend and I first tried this wine over at Grape Choice in Kirkland. It's in the heart of downtown Kirkland and the wine shop has so many different brands, as well as a great atmosphere if you just want to chill and drink a little.

But as I was saying, one day a while back the boyfriend and I went to drink a little bit. I told him to pick something because I trusted his judgment and he picked out this chardonnay. I loved it at the time and I made a mental note to try it out again the next time we went.

So there was this big sale I mentioned before and we picked up a variety of bottles to try. Some we have had before, some were recc'd to us and others just looked good. I made a point to get this one again because like I said...it's yummy.

It didn't disappoint. Some chardonnay's are too oakey (I say there's no such thing but others tell me otherwise), too sweet, whatever. This one is PERFECTION. There's a hint of sweetness at the end of it. A little creamy/buttery, a little vanilla and fruit of some sort mixed in.

But the best part ever? They have made it their mission to donate a portion of all proceeds from O Wines to establish scholarship funds for underprivileged/at risk young girls in Washington State. What could be better than that? You have a great tasting wine that when you buy it gives to underprivileged girls. That's even better.

Down Memory Lane

2009-02-12T16:02:00.001-08:00

When I was a little girl (around 4 or 5) I started staying with my great grandmother during the week. At the time it was my single mom and I as her and my father split up before I started walking. In our family though there is a great support system and since my mom and I moved apartments frequently the best course of action for schooling was to use my great grandmother's address. I stayed with her during the week and came home on the weekends. Surprisingly this was the perfect arrangement for all parties involved and it stayed this way pretty much until my great grandmother passed away. With the exception of right after high school (I moved in with my mom & stepdad for about a year which was a BAD idea) I want to say I lived there for approx. 20 years.

This arrangement helped me a lot. My great grandmother was a teacher when she was younger and always was ready to do arts & crafts with me, teach me reading, math, help with random homework and most of all...she taught me how to knit. Ok, so she taught me how about three or four times over the course of my life because I couldn't stay with it too long, but every time I started I picked it up right away. She also taught me crocheting because you can't have one without the other. In fact, the primary thing she knitted were dish cloths/rags and you can't call it finished without crocheting the borders.

When she passed away I thought it was only fitting to continue her dish cloth/rag tradition. Every Christmas she gave them to all the families as gifts and during our first Christmas without her I couldn't just NOT do it. It was a coping mechanism for me and to this day I do it every year.

So I know the basics. I've made some scarves, even a blanket...but after a certain point I became stuck. When I was little she made my cousin and I these blankets and to this day it stays in bed with me. It's the most comfortable blanket ever and I think every baby/child should have one. This is what brings me to my current dilemma.

I started this blanket for my cousin's baby about a year and a half ago. I love the colors and design of it but secretly? I messed it up, royally. I was new to more than the most basic crocheting and I flubbed some spots meaning I had to make the same flubs every time afterwards. This in turn made me put it away never to be seen again.

Until today. I decided to rip it and start over and I've done two rows so far. And of course? I'm off by two stitches. What do I do? Do I just remember to reduce by two stitches every time? Do I rip it and start all over again? Or do I rip and start again and add to more stitches from the beginning? Life is so complicated.

Pour Me A Glass

2009-02-10T23:22:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to post something about wine for the last couple of days, mostly because this week a local wine shop had their annual sale and the boyfriend and I picked up quite a few bottles. Within the last year we've become a big fan of wine in the bigger picture of alcoholic beverages and there's a variety depending on what your price range is.

We have a tendency to pick wine based off the packaging or name of the wine, there's been Cupcake Chardonnay last week, the 3 Blind Moose Cabernet Sauvignon I'm currently sipping on or countless others that have entertaining corks. But when I go online to find reviews of the Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc (I think it's the 2006) all I find is positive reviews and that was not my experience.

This is what the website gives as a description:

Colour:
Pale yellow in colour, with green hues and brilliant clarity.

Aroma:
A vibrant bouquet of citrus and tropical fruits, layered with subtle cut grass aromas.

Palate:
Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a charming, elegant wine, displaying intense varietal character. Ripe, zesty flavours of grapefruit, kiwi and pineapple are overlaid with fresh cut grass. Finishing crisp and refreshing, the palate balances intense fruit qualities with fresh acidity, fullness and length.

Sounds promising, right? I was impressed with the idea of grapefruit since I can't pass up anything with that, let alone with a cute little monkey on it. But the only thing I actually tasted in this wine was the so-called "subtle cut grass aromas". I don't know if it was lemon grass or what, but at the time the only reason I eventually finished the bottle was because it would be bad to waste it.

I thought maybe it was just an aversion to New Zealand wine, but that wasn't it. I've tried a few others that didn't make my taste buds rebel (I need to start writing this stuff down) so I'd say it's just this one.

I'll tell you what caused it if you'll handle the effects

2009-02-09T14:47:00.001-08:00

Unemployment is a very bad thing. I know you're thinking "duh Cass, why would you say something so obvious?" but bear with me. Yes, unemployment sucks because you are out of work and probably getting a check that is far less than what you used to make but that's not why. It's because you have too much free time.

Even though you spend your time job searching online, there is networking to be done to contact those with opportunities. You're working on reformatting your resume for the 15th time (or so!) and at times you're kicking yourself because how are you really going to write an awesome cover letter to make people realize you are the poop and they need to hire you RIGHT NOW because THEY CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU OMG!!

Exactly. But there's also that time where you don't want to do that stuff. You have laundry to do, a home to clean and there's tv that needs to be watched. Lots and lots of tv. In the last week or so I've watched the second season of Dexter, started Californication, caught up on the shows I missed due to networking etc. and cooked. Yes, OMG I COOKED! Since I'm kind of new here you probably don't know how important that bit is, I don't cook. If I do? It's baking. So actually making real food for real people would make you confused.

Obviously this means I need to find a new job pronto, although lounging in my pjs and showering in the afternoon can be a lot of fun too. Can I get a job that lets me do both? :-) Kidding, a little.

Addicted

2009-02-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

As a fairly "girly girl" I have a few things that I am hopelessly addicted to. For some it's purses (or bags), some it's accessories and some have an endless supply for 3435645 pairs of jeans. However, for me it's shoes.

I love shoes, I always have. And I think it stems from when I was younger, because my mother was all about having multiple pairs of shoes so that they didn't wear out as fast. Oh mother, look what you started!

I don't know how many shoes I technically have, but I do know in my little studio apartment I definitely don't have enough room for them all. Even when I try to put them all away there are still a few straggler pairs that hang out under the coffee table. :-)

My favorites right now?

Please ignore the Kleenex in the background. :-) These are my Enzo Angiolini Magnify's in red leather. I think I picked these up about a year ago and due to the color I don't get a chance to wear them all that often. But how I love these! They are comfy and there hasn't been a time where I've gone out and every woman around oohs and ahhs over them. <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Funny thing, these are one of the few pairs I have that are not from Linea Paolo. That particular line is my favorite, they have the cutest and most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. Unfortunately now that I've found that link for you guys I realized that Nordstrom is having a killer sale on a lot of them and it's taking all my willpower not to add some of them to my cart. Being unemployed is a bitch.

Now if only I can get out of the habit of buying new shoes and THEN trying to find an outfit to go with them. :-) Doubtful.

Super Bowl insertnumberhere :-)

2009-02-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

Today I attend my very first Super Bowl party. Yes, I'm approaching 30 (scary!) and I've never been to a Super Bowl party. But I've never been a big football person, mostly because despite being told and explained to over and over again the rules make no sense to me. They throw flags over the silliest things (flag! he celebrated too early!) and I know that college and pro rules are different. But I have a boyfriend who is a big football fan so I'm trying to get into the spirit of things and most of all, I provide food. :-)

Yes, I bake and make all kinds of snacky goodness so they put up with my endless questions in the middle of the game because without me there wouldn't be tasty treats. Today I'm making a concoction of pigs in the blanket with little smokies. Somewhere in there we're throwing in cheese etc. so it should be good. But because of this I have to start early with the prep, the party we're going to has 20+ people already RSVP'd.

In other news I've been craving crab cakes benedict for the last week or so like nobody's business. For one reason or another I haven't been able to have it and at this point my body is rebelling because I'm not feeding it what it wants. I've dreamt about these things and even too the point where I get to the restaurant and find out you can't get them if you sit in the bar and at that point in my dream I have a tantrum, it's not pretty. But as a pre-Super Bowl excursion we're going to get the car washed and then head over there for lunch/brunch.

Yummy food, here I come!

I sleep with the fishes ... only not really

2009-01-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

I promised a more upbeat post about my weekend, so here we go.

The boyfriend and I had a quiet Friday night watching the second Underworld movie (I can't believe he hasn't seen these), drinking some wine and lighting a fire because it was brr...chilly. Nothing like the rest of the country of course but cold enough to freeze if it wanted to, you know? But really this was all low-key since his company holiday party was to be held the next evening. I know you're thinking "holiday party? I thought the holidays were over." and you'd be right, they are over. But their company likes to hold their party in January when it's not as busy.

So we booked a hotel in downtown Seattle that was pretty fancy for the evening along with another couple we're friends with and had plans to meet up in our room before arriving at the party. On a side note, the boyfriend passed his PE (engineering) test and there was cause for celebration. Once we met up we drank Dom Pérignon, headed to the bar downstairs for a quick drink since it was still pretty early and then to the party over at the aquarium.

Now I've been to the aquarium before, but every single time I've been surrounded by screaming children and no space to walk. So this was a completely different experience. There were appetizers, dinner, drinks, dancing and the entire aquarium to ourselves. There were even a few employees to answer questions we had about the fish etc. The only downside I had was the next morning, not because we were hungover (thank goodness we were NOT) but breakfast. I had been looking at the room service menu since we got there and all I wanted was crab cake benedict. When we went down to the restaurant it turns out they were doing Sunday brunch buffet and although there was eggs benedict it obviously not what I had my heart set on. All in all - a pretty good weekend. :-)

In a slump

2009-01-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

It's Day *insert#here* (I refuse to count because it will make me feel depressed) of unemployment and although the job search is promising I've fallen into that phase of apathy. You know, that phase where cleaning & organizing your apt. seems more appealing than searching for a job? I know I'm going to get over it soon enough but in the meantime realizing I'm in that phase is so frustrating.

I'm doing well in the job search though, I'm networking like crazy and I've had a few leads to follow up on. My resume is updated and I figure I'll apply to a few positions this week. I also went to a career fair last week for the first time ever...I think this is where all my apathy is stemming from. I was pumped when I first heard about the career fair, I got my resume ready to go, dressed up all professional and headed into the big bad city of Seattle with a fellow friend that is also laid off. Upon arrival though we quickly realized that this career fair was over hyped and really not worth all the hassle.

There were approx. 10-15 companies there tops, most of which are not what I was looking for. Sure there were hospitals, insurance companies & the army/border patrol/navy but unless I wanted to work as a nurse, insurance agent or carry a gun my luck ran out. I tried to see the bright side in it all, I handed out some resumes, listening to them talk and planned to check out their websites later, but the amount of people at this small career fair was astronomical. Each line to talk to someone had at least 15 people deep and when I talked to most of them they told me to check out their websites.

At the very least I figured out how these fairs work, got out of the house and did something productive - but I thought there might be some sort of payoff in the end. Naive? Yeah I might have been but now I know how it all goes.

Next post includes some fun weekend stories so look for that. :-)

The Facts of Life

2009-01-18T17:45:00.000-08:00

I have that theme song stuck in my head and I never really watched that show growing up. :-)

It's 5:50pm on a Sunday night, and here I am watching Ocean Force on TruTV. The boyfriend is at the gym and I can see the sun setting out the window. Even better...when he comes home he'll be cooking me dinner...can it get any better? His family has been in town recently due to the birth of his new niece and it's been great to see them. They live on the other side of the mountains so it's not very often I get a chance to make a good impression, but this time around we've spent a fair amount of time with them. Friday night the boyfriend and I, two of our friends and his father went to the monster truck show down in Tacoma. Not usually my cup of tea but I've willing to try something new out at least once. We had a good time but there was a commotion in a section a few down from us that we were not sure what was going on. The next morning the boyfriend went into work early and texted me...turns out there was a little boy who got hurt from flying debris, he later died. Six years old, it's unthinkable. I know that something like this is a horrible accident and in the many years this show has been operating they've never seen anything like it before - but I think that something else should be done in preperation...I don't know what, but SOMETHING. They didn't stop the show, the continued the rest of the shows for the weekend. It just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Day One

2009-01-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

Like countless people around the country I am now officially unemployed. It hit me like a ton of bricks right in the chest but I understood. The economy is in the toilet and I know that it was one of the few ways that the company I was working for could stay afloat, but it still hurts. It hurts that I was one of the chosen few to be let go, it hurts that despite my best efforts to show how valuable I could be it didn't work, it hurts because I know there were better places to make cuts (like those people who actually don't do work all day).

But I can't dwell, I know it all happened for a reason and as cliche as it can be...it's a blessing in disguise. I can now find a job that I can be happier with. I don't know if I want to stay doing the same kind of thing as before, although if there are any positions in Seattle-ish for purchasing I won't ignore you. It's been suggested for me to go back and finish school, although I'm still paying off those loans from before and the idea of going into even more debt makes me anxious. Something else can fall into my lap or I could network with just the right people, so all it needs is time and I can make it work.

Besides, if I wasn't unemployed I couldn't pick my little brother from school today because he's sick. We're now hanging out at the parents while he plays video games, we drink candy cane tea and lounge by the fireplace. It can't be all bad.

Blast From the Past

2009-01-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

There are only a few things more awkward or weird than running into an old boss, especially when the partnership didn't end on the best terms.

Let's flash back approx. 6 years ago. I was working at a small company not far from my house in a temp capacity. I got along really well with my boss (I was in reception, she in office mgmt.) and we were the same age. We ended up taking classes together at the community college and even spent time together outside of work. Her boss however, was not as pleasant. He was a little too friendly, pretty much the poster boy for sexual harrassment.

I spent approx. 1 year at this company in the temp capacity, the only real explanation for that is that I was apprehensive about going through the job search again. I think they kept me on as a temp as a precautionary way to make sure I couldn't sue the company due to this particular guy. But one day his post-partum suffering wife got the idea that I was having an affair with him (who knew what he said at home - no freakin' way on my part) and within the next week there was a phone call from my temp agency telling me not to come into work that day. Nice.

Running into this woman was definitely a surprise but it was nice to see her. I was updated on a few old employees and found out that the company folded about a year after I left. My spiteful nature says "serves them right" but I know everyone who worked there is better off now.

Confessions & resolutions

2009-01-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

Another confession - I'm a packrat. Yeah I have a lot of stuff in my home and my place really isn't all that big (studio and all) but I just have tons of things. I can't part with anything and when I do it takes a while.

What's worse? I'm a digital packrat. When it comes to photos on my computer, or emails in my account I don't delete things. The other day I was looking at my gmail account. The whole point of using gmail is that you don't have to delete anything if you don't want to, which just fueled my habit. As part of the New Year what better resolution than to clean this stuff out? I started using the archive feature for those important emails (after all, having almost 2000 unread messages is just crazy) and deleting the others.

This took me a few days. I had email in there from 2004, seriously? Who has messages from 2004 that are not just things to save? I have a very bad habit. But I went down from around 6000 messages to a handful. In my archived? Approx. 600. My inbox? 1 - yes, one email.

Small victories are all we should hope for, any more than that it's hard to keep a resolution. What else is on my resolution list?

Travel somewhere new. It could be another state, a new city, a new country. I have plans to go to Mexico for the first time so I hope all goes as planned.
Learn a new skill. I knit and crochet but the extent of it is dishcloths, scarves & blankets of the most basic variety.
Lose weight. This has never been on my list before but I'd like to have what my boyfriend calls "a new Mexican bod". I'm thinking 5lbs.
New employment. I have a job that I should get out of, everyone says so. I don't make enough for what I do and I can definitely be treated better.

What are yours?

Happy New Year! (and all that jazz)

2009-01-05T22:21:00.000-08:00

It's 2009 already, where did the year go? I remember just the other day I was...having my first date with the boyfriend. That happened in March and who knew that would be the start of a serious whirlwind.

Confession time - I met my boyfriend on match.com*. Yes everyone, I did the online dating thing and it was, get this...successful.

How on Earth did something like this happen? I've heard horror stories, I've read about countless stories on blogs I follow and it makes me want to jump out from delurker status (because I'm still really bad at commenting) and shout from the rooftops that IT CAN WORK!!! I'm the exception it seems in the online community, and I'll share my story in the slight hope that it might help you out too.

Back on March 19, 2008 I had a date with the boyfriend and I almost fell head over heels for this guy. It all started out because I got this email. It said something to the effect that one of my friends decided to set me up with a match.com profile and I needed to complete it. Said friend was one I used to work with and become fast BFFs with, but I never thought she'd be into that sort of thing (she's gorgeous, has no probs with guys) and let alone her thinking I needed that kind of help. I mean, what kind of quazimoto did I need to be to need help in the dating world? I'm not horrendous looking, I'm spunky, love some random guy-type stuff and have guy friends. I shouldn't need help like this?

So basically I was a little offended. I called her up and gave the big WTF?!?!? about it and she told me point blank that I was an awesome girl and she wanted to see me happy. I rolled my eyes a few times and she told me to shut my mouth, I was amazing and although I was super busy and not focused on guys that she wanted me to possibly date a few people and get me back into the dating mindset.

Seriously, everyone needs a girlfriend like this. I think there's a few lists out there that tell you the people you should have in your life and she is one of them. Note to self: call her ASAP, it's been too long.

But I finished my profile and started looking around. I didn't see all that many people I liked but there were a few. Even though I was signed up I was in free status so I couldn't do all the cool stuff, like IM people or even email them so I thought that was lame. I bookmarked a few profiles for later and didn't think about it. But then I found out about a 7 day free trial.

I was wary, I'll give you that. But worse things have happened to me and I checked out the emails I had waiting. Some were douchebags, some I wasn't interested in and some were trying all too hard. But there he was. A guy who made me giggle in front of my laptop and score! He lived in the same city.

After a few emails back and forth (and me soon canceling my trial) we decided to try out dinner. We started at this Mexican place that had almost an hour wait, but headed to an all American restaurant down the street I've been to a few times. He was quiet and let me talk, which made me happy since I can't ever shut up. I think I babbled about my hair a lot, it was down my back in my photos but I had recently cut it and donated to Locks of Love. Boys like long hair so I was freaked out.

A hug was had at the end of the date but we planned to get together two days from there. His birthday & Easter were that weekend so we wouldn't be seeing each other for about a week...It didn't matter.

It's nine months later and we're still going strong. I see him almost daily, and talk at least once a day. I'm never sick of seeing him and even most of his quirks I still find endearing. We've been through a few family deaths, family pregnancies, meeting the parents (and actually LIKING them!) and countless other outstanding events.

What I'm really trying to say is...IT CAN HAPPEN. Don't sell yourself short, don't pretend to be someone you're not. It's cliche but that's for a reason, because all that stuff is true. Be you, don't be discouraged. Someone is there for you, and they're amazing. They might be online, they might be in your city or across the country. Remember though, it takes time. Some of us find that special person in their high school sweetheart and some find them two marriages down the line at the age of 60.

Live like you mean it - seriously.

*I promise, I am no way affiliated with match.com or made anything off this post. I just have a success story.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-29T22:41:00.000-08:00

This will be the last little bit of snow talk, or so I'm hoping. But at least this is the pretty part of snowfall, we can all appreciate that.

Although I'll complain about the Northwest on a pretty regular occasion I really do like it here. It took me approx. 25 years to compromise with the weather in the area as "rain" is definitely not my friend and "cold" is it's significant other, but there are certain aspects of this area that make me never want to leave. The area when it snows and the amazing summer times are what make me stay.

This photo is the view from the BF's balcony, it looks right into Seattle. This view is also why he has a hard time parting with his apartment, as it will cost an arm and a leg to get a house with a similar one.

I may complain about the snow this year because it hung around just a little too long, but look at this! We had a white Christmas around town, and this only happens every 435346 years.

On Christmas Day we decided to head up north to see some of the extended family and there we say what can only be described as "sights to be seen".

Check out these icicles. If there were multiple guys here deciding to measure these would take the cake. I couldn't get a photo of the biggest (I tried, but it escaped me) there would have been an eight foot icicle. I think these were around 6-7 feet. I've never seen anything like it before.

I hope everyone's holidays have been great, in my family they tend to extend far after Christmas Day is over with but that's what family is all about.

Happy New Year everyone! Stay safe and come back with some awesome stories of toasting at midnight and having the New Year's kiss.

SNOW DAY x38475642

2008-12-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

In my last post I wrote about the almost lack of payout from all the December storm news coverage. This in particular gave me pause:

I packed up my things and headed home before 4pm and was in the midst of a hail storm for about half my commute, but then it just abruptly stopped. Nothing, no rain, no hail, no snow for most of the night. This had me sad, because with all the hype I needed payoff. I decided I would snuggle up with my electric blanket, glass of wine, some decent tv and would peek through the blinds outside to see if anything changed. It didn't.

I wish someone had smacked me. I repeat - why didn't anyone smack me when I said this? This was last Thursday and today, 4 days later I am stuck at my boyfriend's apartment. Said boyfriend is not here because he has a backup vehicle with 4 wheel drive and went to work early this morning. I on the other hand have spent the last 45 mins trying to dig my car out of the snow with no success. I wouldn't have even THOUGHT about doing such a thing, but you know...if there are countless cars/trucks going up and down the same hill I shouldn't have that much of a problem.

Oh yes I did, and at this point I am freaking the eff out. I want to go home - if anything I want to be snowed in at my own place. From there I can walk anywhere to get some food or cleaning supplies or whatever. Instead I'm sitting on my boyfriend's couch watching TV that has no TiVo and wishing I had more clean clothes.

*sigh*

I guess hindsight really is 20/20.

Snow Day

2008-12-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

We've had some crazy weather in my neck of the woods over the last week and today is no exception. The weatherman/woman (or is it weather people?) have been lamenting about "Winter Storm 2008" even though winter isn't for another few days. But they've been forecasting snow, snow and more snow for pretty much the entire area and last night I was sent home early from work due to the storm coming south from northern Washington.

I packed up my things and headed home before 4pm and was in the midst of a hail storm for about half my commute, but then it just abruptly stopped. Nothing, no rain, no hail, no snow for most of the night. This had me sad, because with all the hype I needed payoff. I decided I would snuggle up with my electric blanket, glass of wine, some decent tv and would peek through the blinds outside to see if anything changed. It didn't.

But I got a call from my boyfriend who was busy cleaning his house for upcoming family visits. I didn't plan on seeing him this night but he insisted since Wednesdays are ours, we watch Criminal Minds and South Park (if it's new) because it's the yin & yang. I love the first, him the second. I pack my overnight bag on the off chance that the weather will change and we snuggle up with the tv and couch that has become oh so comfortable.

Cut to the next morning when we wake up far too early, think around 5am. He looks outside and tells me there's no snow, I pout but try to force myself back to sleep. There is a flash of white I see even through my closed eyes and the rumbling starts...a thundersnow (not my term, look to the weatherpeople). I sleep for another half hour and we peek through the blinds.

SNOW DAY!!!

In an instant we have at least 3 inches covering everything. A winter wonderland is mine and I feel vindicated. The roads are a mess, traffic isn't moving because it's rush hour and people in the area were taken by surprise. The boyfriend however is not deterred and sleeps until 8am before deciding to go to work.

Here I am stuck at his house as my little car hates the snow. It's not so bad, I have the comfy couch under me, tv at my disposal, but he's not here. He trusts me to stay in his house for extended periods of time without him, which is nice...but my hope for today was that we would BOTH be celebrating snow day together.

The dreaded first post

2008-12-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

It's always so hard to figure out what that first post is going to be about. Is it a run down about me? Is it something I feel strongly about? Is it a poll?

I decided to just say "hi" and share a cute thing that happened today.

My office is running a little bit behind on the holiday cards this year so I was tasked to go to the store & pick up coffee. Upon getting back to my car there was a minivan parked next to me and the mom was trying to get her two boys out to go shopping. This of course meant I couldn't get into mine and drive away, so I waited. She was apologetic and in the spirit of the season I told her it was no problem and just hung out until she was done.

When she finished the oldest of the two boys (maybe 3 years old) saw me open my driver side door and my flame print steering wheel cover. He got all excited and his mom explained what it was. I mentioned that it was pretty bright and he counters with "mom needs one of those!".

Yes, it was all in the delivery but it reminded me that little kids can be pretty darn cute when they want to be.

Stepping Diagonally

Love & holidays

Ten on Turkey Day

Ten on Tuesday: Pasta Edition

Can the planners of the world please stand up?

Ten on Tuesday

Over it

Sneaking

Ten on Tuesday (but on Wednesday this time)

Show me your handwriting!

Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday

It's beginning to look a lot like....crazy Christmas days....

If I knew then what I know now...Tweetyour16yearoldself

Victoria's Secret, I'm sorry but my breasts are not that big.

This girl needs a little fashion help

Home is where...you eventually decide on furniture.

Leave the drama for your momma

"If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance." -Bern Williams

They say it's your bday (HIATUS)

Moving up...eventually

"I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy. Come on, Squishy. Come on, little Squishy. Ow. Bad Squishy, bad Squishy."

Back to the drawing board

I'd like a little cracker with my cheese & wine

Administrative Professionals' Day

What happens in Vegas...gets very delayed.

The voice of color?

Viva!....Las Vegas!

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings & what sound bees make

Valentine's Day, lingerie & what makes you feel sexy

Girls Next Door

Happy New Year!

Happy Christmas...and extended weekend.

I can't remember the last time I rallied like this...

Thanksgiving meme, or one to do while passing the time.

Pass the stuffing

If I stitch fast enough, does it count as aerobic exercise?

Do You Have Road Rage?

Who doesn't love a before/after haircut post?

I better start practicing my downward facing dog again...

And people say *I'm* the weird one

A smell of wine and cheap perfume...

Friendship Styles

Please, help me shop!!

I love...

Birthday...seriously belated.

They say it's your....moving day?

Because you're worth it.

Chocolate starfish, and the hot dog flavored water

It only took about a month

Success!

My pets are dust bunnies, so what?

I'm Back!

"Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet"

Who needs a new pen??

Good news!

It's Not A Donut

I think I've found my best friend

Posting..how *do* you do it?

I have 10 fingers, you have 10 fingers, let's be friends!

Good To the Last Drop

Down Memory Lane

Pour Me A Glass

I'll tell you what caused it if you'll handle the effects

Addicted

Super Bowl *insertnumberhere* :-)

I sleep with the fishes ... only not really

In a slump

The Facts of Life

Day One

Blast From the Past

Confessions & resolutions

Happy New Year! (and all that jazz)

Happy Holidays

SNOW DAY x38475642

Snow Day

The dreaded first post

And people say I'm the weird one

Posting..how do you do it?

Super Bowl insertnumberhere :-)