Random Thoughts

Besides the fact I am obsessed with octopi (FYI technically “octopuses” is also grammatically correct), I can always appreciate a random (albeit meaningless) act of kindness.   This always makes me smile

 

This pretty much sums it up…

 

 

I’ve done a great job not sneaking chocolate from my old boss’ desk even though the mini Almond Joys are my faaaaaaaaaavorite!

 

I’m kind of a math nerd so I think this is awesome.  If you weren’t aware, one of my random goals is to memorize the first 100 digits of pi.  I stopped at 25 a while ago but am renewing my dedication.  Yes, you can start making fun of me…now.

 

110% true!

 

Seriously hate drivers that cut me off, especially on my way home from work.  Like you deserve to get home and take your bra off first, bitch!

 

Not that I play video games, but this is too funny to not share.

 

Could not agree more.

 

Love hearing stories like this.  Told you I love random acts of kindness!

 

Here are some of my favorite yorkie pictures, just because they’re stinking cute…

 

I realized I have five weddings so far next year, which made me think about how when I was growing up I always wanted to get married in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower.  I pretty much pictured it like this…

Amazing, right?  But I know my wedding (whenever that will be) will be a little more like this…

and I am totally okay with the change in plans!

 

 Even though unicorns don’t exist, I think the message here is to always be excited about life’s possibilities.  And to maybe buy a My Little Pony.

 

RIGHT?

 

I think the world has a secret too.

 

 

 

I am so excited for FOOTBALL!!!

Oops!

 

Some good rules (that most people forget to follow)  

I need to find this.  ASAP.

[[ Song of the day :: "Like A Stone" by Audioslave :: such a good rainy day song! ]]

Letters To My Younger Self || Part VI

Dear Molly,

Congratulations!  You’ve graduated college.  You’re in the big leagues now.  Welcome to the world of responsibility, accountability, work, and bills, bills, bills – aka the “real” world.

The transition will be hard, I’m not going to lie.  It is going to completely suck for a while.  Besides the fact you don’t want to work (you lazy little devil you), you quickly begin to realize you definitely don’t want to have anything to do with the degree you just spent four years working towards.  Shit.  Now what?  Everyone (who has their shit together) tries to assure you that things will get better.  You know they will, you just wish they would ASAP.  It’s really annoying while you struggle to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life and it seems like everyone else has it all figured out.  Really.  Fucking.  Annoying.

So you take a couple months “off” and then start buckling down to find a job.  That first big job comes and you learn a lot and really start developing your professional side.  It is a huge time of change for you.  You move back up to Flag for a while before realizing that you really need to head back to Phoenix for the sake of growth and opportunity and ultimately to face reality.  You’ve outlived your college days.  Now it’s time to really embrace this next chapter.

The following years fly by.  You’ll move into your first place and be so glad you don’t have to tell people that you “live with an older couple” anymore.  You end up changing careers which is scary at first, but it works out for the best.  You’ll make new friends, and you’ll lose old friends.  You’ll start to fall back in love with Phoenix, but you’ll always wonder if you should take a chance and move.  You make some of the scariest decisions you will ever have to in your life.  But you get through it.  You will always get through it.  Sometimes you feel like you’re completely in control and then you feel like you’ll never get it figured out.  You realize everything happens for a reason, even if it’s not for your reason.  You realize how quickly time will pass you by without giving you a chance to catch your breath.  You realize that you need to make the most of it.  So you do.

People keep telling you that your 30s will be way better than your 20s.  You can’t imagine how that can possibly be true because your 20s, although some of the most challenging and emotionally draining years of your life, really are some of the best years of your life.  

I guess that just means the best is yet to come. 

Enjoy the ride.

Love,
Me

[[ Song of the day :: "Charlie Brown" by Coldplay :: Coldplay is one of my favs to write to! ]]

Oh Wells Instead of What Ifs

Have you checked out my friend Ashley’s amazing blog yet?  If not, stop by Oh Wells Instead of What Ifs and check out her amazing birthday giveaway!   The giveaway is a compilation of some of our favorite bloggers’ favorite things!  Check out the items which include beauty products, gift cards, and free ad space for your own blog! 

By following Ashley’s blog, you’re entered to win this amazing giveway (did I mention there’s an Anthro gift card?) and you will get one additional entry for each featured blog you follow!  The featured blogs are linked right on Ashley’s page for easy access and they are comprisedof everyone who contributed some of their favorite things for the giveaway, like me!

So stop by Oh Wells Instead of What Ifs, check out the free stuff up for grabs and cruise around the other blogs when you get a chance.  Other than that, have a wonderful Monday!

[[ Song of the day :: "Tongue Tied" by Grouplove :: sooooo peppy for a Monday! ]]

Letters To My Younger Self || Part V

Dear Molly,

Welcome to your last three years of college.  You’ve ditched the maroon and gold and now you’re officially a Lumberjack.  This is your first time living outside of Phoenix and while it is challenging at first to make a new “home” for yourself, eventually you’ll find that you won’t ever want to leave.

You come to NAU with a plan.  You know you’re going to rush.  You’re going to move into the sorority dorm.  What you don’t know is that even though you have your mind made up on who to join before you even get to school, you’re going to have a really difficult time with your final choice.  Sometimes you’ll wonder what would have happened if you had made a different decision even though you know you couldn’t imagine a life without your new family. 

This is when life really changes for you.  You start breaking out of your shell.  You start making friends that you know you’ll have forever.  Sadly in some cases, “forever” becomes really short, but you start to learn a lot about yourself and your relationships.  You don’t realize it at the time, but you are changing a ton.  Every semester, every year.  You think you’re on the way to becoming the person you want to be, but then you realize what you want is always changing.  It’s frustrating because you think you should have it all figured out by now, but remember that this is the time to explore outside of the comfort zone, to start over, and to take those leaps of faith.

Class is a blip on your radar.  You don’t buy textbooks, and you don’t go to class.  You’re going to graduate with honors, but you’re always going to wonder how well you would have done if you had tried a little harder.  You don’t have to make school your life, but figure out what interests you.  Take more time to decide what you’re going to major in.  Become more involved with the honors college.  Try to be more patient with your group projects even if they are all idiots.  It will affect your grade if your group is not in sync.  Stop talking so fast during your presentations.  It makes you sound panicked, and you already look scared as hell up there.  Don’t take 8am classes your last semester senior year unless you like torturing yourself.  You can thank me later.

So why am I not mentioning all of the fun stuff or warning you on which pitfalls to avoid in these upcoming years?  Because looking back, everything that will happen will make you who you are.  You’re going to make a lot of mistakes – some that you’ll regret, some that you’ll learn from, and none of which you’ll want to take back. You’re going to do a lot of stupid things.  Really, really stupid things.  You’re going to date a lot of stupid boys.  Really, really stupid boys.  But it’s all going to make the ride worthwhile.  You’re going to have a blast.  There’s going to be a lot of parties, a lot of laughter, a lot of heartache, a lot of drama, and lots and lots of memories. 

The only things I want you to remember are to be yourself and to be a good friend.  Stress about school a little less and enjoy the late nights studying with friends a little more.  Cherish your friends and don’t let drama divide you up.  Take more pictures and take more chances.  Wear more jackets because “warmth for fashion” is not the smartest mantra when it’s snowing.  Take advantage of the snow and learn how to ski!  Never turn down a trip to Vegas.  Never turn down a trip anywhere.  Be as kind to people on their power hour as you’d have wanted them to be on yours.  Tip your bartenders nicely.  Don’t drink so many cherry vodka red bulls because they will make you fat.  And always stick around for one more drink.  That’s when the fun happens. 

Love,
Me

[[ Song of the day :: "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" by Luke Bryan :: a month and three days until his concert!!! ]]

Letters To My Younger Self || Part IV

Dear Molly,

Now on to your first year of college.  GO DEVILS! 

First, don’t sign up for 18 credit hours your first semester.  I know you will have no idea what you’re doing at orientation when you sign up, but that is A LOT.  Commendable, especially since you scored your highest GPAs in college this year, but so not necessary.  Also – don’t even think about signing up for Friday classes.  You may be used to attending school five days a week, but in college – that’s entirely optional!  So repeat after me – NO FRIDAYS.  Oh…and NO 8 AMS.  PS Dropping classes just because they are too far of a walk across campus, aren’t near a Starbucks or Jamba Juice, or have interpreters signing at the front of the class for deaf students that distract you too easily are NOT valid reasons.

You’re going to meet one of your all time favorite teachers in your honors humanities classes.  You will learn a lot (and a lot will fly over your head at first) but luckily your professor will draw analogies between Buddha and the Enuma Elish with Dave Matthews and Disney movies to help it all click.  (Seriously, this happened.)  Don’t be intimidated or hesitant to share your opinions.  You’ll realize that in a lot of your classes, it’s not about having the “right” answer but more about engaging in a class wide discussion.  Enjoy it because these are going to turn out to be the most interesting courses of your college career.

You are going to love dorm life, but your first college rommate is going to be an anorexic/bulimic (yup, you can be both) skanky little bitch and she WILL STEAL YOUR STUFF.  So when your mom says “You don’t have to bring all of your good stuff to the dorm with you” – LISTEN!  You have to put up with her shit for a few months, both of your parents WILL get involved, and she will tell your parents about your fake ID (but you do a good job of convincing them she is just making that up).  BUT eventually you get to move in with roommate #2 who turns out to be one of your best friends in the entire world.  You guys will hate each other’s music but you will love everything else about each other for life.

Yes, you have a crazy meal plan, but stop eating total crap or you’re going to blow up.  Stop wearing J Crew flip flops because you will slip and fall going down the ramp when leaving your Econ class of 500+ people early.  I know it’s fun hanging out with a lot of the people you knew in high school but branch out a little more, please!  Stop cutting the guys’ hair on your floor – you’re not good at it.  You are going to suffer the loss of your oldest yorkie which is super super horrible – but I am just warning you now so you can tell people because when you’re down at U of A for Bid Night, a friend will ask about your dog and you WILL start crying (and they WILL remind you about that for years).  (RIP Max)

Don’t go to Rocky Point freshman year spring break unless you’re NOT going to flip your shit this time when a ton of money is jacked from the hotel room, some friends get arrested, and someone’s car gets stolen.  When you go to LA for the Price Is Right taping, you’re not going to get in unless you freaking spend the night on the sidewalk (no thanks).  But you will win a couple bucks on the Price Is Right slot machine in Palm Springs on the way home (which is almost the same thing, right?).  Oh yeah, and stop gambling so much.  Good lord, lady.  You are not a Blackjack master.  And finally, you can skip that “Let’s go to Nogales for the night” trip too - you just end up fighting with your boyfriend, sleeping in a bathtub, losing a friend somewhere in Mexico, and swearing off tequila for the next 7 years.

You’re going to make some trips up to Flagstaff to visit people at NAU and then make the decision to transfer up your sophomore year.  Good work.  That will be one of the best decisions of your life.  But until then, live it up at ASU.  Do yourself a favor - don’t dye your hair red again, grow up a little, and don’t ever forget what Tom Petty said…

“You have four years to be irresponsible here. Relax. Work is for people with jobs. You’ll never remember class time, but you’ll remember time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So, stay out late. Go out on a Tuesday with your friends when you have a paper due Wednesday. Spend money you don’t have. Drink ’til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does…”

Love,
Me

[[ Song of the day :: "Whistle" by Flo Rida :: random, I know ]]

Letters To My Younger Self || Part III

Dear Molly,

Welcome to four of the most crazy/fun/experimental/memorable years of your life aka…HIGH SCHOOL! 

Study hard and take school seriously – but remember to have some fun, too.  It’s kind of cool to have some of the same teachers your brothers did ten and twelve years before, and you really hope it earns you some extra points (and with a few teachers, it most definitely does).  You’re going to get your first C junior year in American History AP.  I’m telling you this now so you don’t check the grade and start crying a little.  In public.  It’ll be the only C you’ll ever get, so don’t freak out too much. 

When you don’t want to go to Calculus Camp because that sounds ridiculously boring, don’t let the teacher make you feel really, really bad about NOT going (even though she will try really, really hard).  Don’t spend the night of your 17th birthday crying because you left your Calc book in your locker at school and can’t study for your AP exam the next morning.  You rock the shit out of that test anyway and you’ll wish you had celebrated more and stressed less.

Join clubs and meet new people.  Not all clubs are dorky and it will help break you out of your comfort zone.  Good job though on refusing to join marching band.  Definitely not your thing.  Extra good job on the volunteer work.  Kind of a pain, but it pays off.  You are going to find a really good group of friends that make high school a blast.  But a lot of your friends are going to change too.  Try not to lose contact with the friends you started out with even if you hang out with different groups as time goes on.  You don’t want to look back one day and wish you had made that extra push to stay connected with as many friends as possible.

Don’t worry – school is only a part of the equation.  You do a lot of stupid things all for the sake of a good time.  You party.  A LOT.  You and your friends will def get into some trouble, but the good news is that you will never see the inside of a jail (and you guys make good friends with two of the cops who always patrol Arcadia so they always let you off the hook).  But don’t overstep any boundaries.  I know, it’s hard.  Especially when your parents believe that you and your friends go cosmic bowling every weekend and let you stay out until 4 a.m., right? (Thank you M&D by the way…) 

Two tips only.  #1: Don’t sneak in boys through your window when your parents are out of town because your sister will know, and she will tell.  This will get you grounded for the first (and thankfully last) time on New Year’s Eve sophomore year even though you have a really gorgeous red sequin tank top already picked out to wear.  Your parents will not care.  #2: Don’t drink with your friends in a church parking lot and crank up the Dixie Chicks so loud because “it’s totally your most favorite song ever” because the cops will be called and your parents will find out.  Other than that – I’m not going to spoil it for you because it’s going to be a hell of a good time!

It will be hard in this crowd to not become a little superficial.  You’ll get your first pair of Sevens, your first Kate Spade and Coach bag, and your first Tiffany bracelet…just like everyone else.  Stop letting these brands define you and your friends.  And stop thinking you have to be like everyone else.  You won’t even like Coach logo jewelry or silver jewelry in a few years anyway.  I know it seems like the most important thing at the time, to be like everyone else and have just as much as the next person, but it’s really not.  Instead, focus on the important things in life to define yourself instead.  All of the volunteer work you do, your grades, your friends (when you guys are behaving), your family, your job…that’s the stuff that matters.

I’m not going to lie, it’s going to go by in kind of a blur.  Things are going to change a little every year – your workload, your friends, your routine, your social life – but enjoy the present and don’t worry too much about the future just yet.  Don’t be so insecure and don’t let your peers make you feel insecure (and trust me, they will try).  And you will probably guess what I am about to say (again), but I cannot stress it enough…Don’t. Become. A. Mean. Girl.  You do your fair share of evil teenage girl things and you won’t be proud of them.  Eventually you’ll realize the bigger picture , I just hope this time around it’s sooner rather than later.  Remember that you’re not off the hook just because ‘everyone’ does mean stuff too.  Stop being a bitch and try to set an example even if you think it will make you an outcast.  It won’t.  Just be nice and don’t use other people to step on while you try to “move on up”.  Once you graduate you’ll realize there was nowhere “up” for anyone to go.

So have a lot of fun, make a lot of memories, and most importantly – don’t drink vodka out of a plastic bottle no matter how cheap it is!  SO GROSS!

Love,
Me

[[ Song of the day :: "Jack & Diane" by John Mellencamp :: a nice song to write nostalgic things to! ]]

Letters To My Younger Self || Part II

Dear Molly,

Congrats!  You’ve made it to middle school where things start to get really fun.  You start wearing make up (thanks Mom and Dad) and reading Teen magazine religiously.  Mom will take you to buy your first bra AND will let you pick out multiple colors.  Best day ever!  PS On that shopping spree you’ll also get a belly chain.  I don’t know who authorized that but PUT. IT. BACK. 

You spend hours and hours at Fashion Square every weekend with your friends and spend waste a lot of money at Claire’s.  Be ready to own up to the fact that you are going to see Titanic and Spice World an embarassing number of times in theaters (while wearing your platform sneakers just so you’re like Ginger Spice).  Also stop running around in jelly platform heels because you will trip on an escalator in front of the entire mall and your knee will be gashing in the Neiman Marcus bathroom for hours (and your knee and pride will be scarred for life).

When you sleepover at your friends’ houses, be extra nice to their parents and don’t feel so awkward – they are not as scary as you think!  Later it will be cool to be friends with your friends’ parents, trust me.  Don’t be so freaked out by “Bloody Mary” and always go to a sleepover prepared with some real good dares so people are scared and take it easy on you when it’s your turn during Truth or Dare.  And stop giggling and squealing so loud when you’re out TPing – this is supposed to be a covert op. 

You’re going to start becoming obsessed with boys.  You get your first ‘boyfriend’ and your first kiss and all you and your friends think and talk and breathe is boys, boys, boys!  And as if middle school boys weren’t enough, your 8th grade year you’re going to take an Algebra class at the high school and start falling in love with the HS boys before you even get there!  You’ve been warned…

When you go to Europe for the first time – don’t ruin the trip for your parents.  You’re a total pain in the ass but they love you anyways so soak in all the culture and sights you are seeing.  Yes, you’re gone for three weeks during the school year which feels like FOREVER – but trust me, everything will be the same when you get back.  And stop chasing down “Titanic” memorabilia everywhere you go – you don’t need all of that Leonardo DiCaprio stuff and you definitely don’t need “Titanic” posters in six different languages (again, thank you Mom and Dad).

Why have I not really mentioned school yet?  Because you literally have the easiest school years of your life here.  You and your friends “do homework” on the back lawn and tan and order in lunch every day.  Sometimes the parents even drop it off to you and your friends (Mom and Dad, you really are my heroes).  So really – soak it up because it is a cake walk until high school.

You will meet some of your favorite teachers and some of your best friends for life.  You start to understand the value of a good friend and begin figuring out who you are.  You are one of the tops of the pyramid in cheer and you’re going to fall off once, but don’t worry – no broken bones!  And lastly, now’s the time when girls start to become real b*tches, and if you’re not careful – you might become one too.  Don’t be a mean girl and don’t be friends with the mean girls.  Remember what I told you about making an effort to include people?  That doesn’t end now that you’re in middle school.  Everyone is going through an awkward phase and handling their insecurities in a different way.  Even though it seems like one of the most challenging and confusing times in your life, it will be one of the most memorable (and responsibility-free) times ever – so HAVE FUN!

Love,
Me

[[ Song of the day :: "Wannabe" :: I think we covered why ]]

Letters To My Younger Self || Part I

It’s back to school time and as some of my nephews start a new grade, it makes you think about when you were that young, right?  So these next few blogs are going to be letters I wish my future self could have left for my younger self to read along the way.

First stop? 

Elementary school!

Dear Molly,

 When someone stops the Boyz II Men song early and ends your dance at the 2nd grade talent show before the big finale, don’t cry afterwards with the rest of the girls.  Instead, cheer everyone up.  This is not the end of the world.  Besides, you’re wearing matching tie dye jumpsuits and Keds.  We have bigger problems on our hands.  And while we’re on the subject – stop wearing so many “Guess” shirts and biker shorts.  So awkward.

 Be extra nice to your teachers because they’re working really, really hard for you.  Not that you were ever mean to any of them, but pretty sure your entire classroom is going to make Mrs. Brown cry in fifth grade, just a heads up. 

Actually practice your clarinet – your band teacher is sick of hearing your excuses about how you don’t have much time to practice (like 10 years olds are so freaking busy).  Plus your parents paid extra for those blueberry-flavored reeds, so suck it up and use them!  That brings me to piano – your piano teacher works super hard and is extremely dedicated even if you’re not - so take this seriously and stop being embarassed to practice when people are at home.  They like hearing you and think you’re great.  The more you practice, the better you’ll get (and you become really excellent by the way).

Don’t start swearing yet!  You are way too young for those four letter words, little lady!  And sorry to break it to you, but you’re not going to marry KJ and be a basketball wife, so you don’t have to spend so much time writing him letters (but a few won’t hurt). 

Ask your parents to let you wear sandals and sleeveless shirts every now and then so you won’t have such an embarassing farmers tan by the time you hit middle school and discover the world of tank tops and flip flops.  And don’t worry – you’re just a few years away from being able to tweeze those ridiculous eyebrows. 

Don’t fight with your sister.  Give your older brothers privacy.  Listen to your parents, they really do know better.  If you do those things, you’ll probably spend less time holding your dogs hostage just so you can cuddle with them while you cry over who knows what.  Yes, I know, they’re so so cute.  But that reminds me…just because yorkies FIT into small spaces, you and your sister do not have to play hide-and-seek with them!  By no means are you two to put those dogs in the dryer or small dresser drawers!!!

And finally, remember – kids can be mean.  Stand up for others but most importantly stand up for yourself.  Don’t start excluding people just because you are starting to learn what the difference is between ‘popular’ and ‘unpopular’.  Just because you’re learning the words doesn’t mean you have to learn the habits.  Welcome everyone.  You’re going to have these classmates for a really long time and everyone needs a friend along the way.  This is the time to have fun and be free!

Love,

Future Molly

[[ Song of the day :: "Love In This Club" by Usher :: Ussssssssshhhhhhhhhhhheeeeerrrrr!!!!!!! ]]

1 0 0 T H I N G S

So remember how I said some of the next books on my August reading list were “The 100 Thing Challenge” and “Throw Out Fifty Things”?  Well I haven’t started reading those yet, but I did want to tackle Phase 2 of my August goals which was to get rid of a lot of total crap I have been hoarding.  I was aiming to get rid of 100 things this morning – which I think is pretty ambitious not only for a Saturday morning, but for a girl who has had a cold all week and just wants to stay in bed until noon.  Getting rid of 100 things is exhausting to even think about, so how do I even know where to begin?!

I decided to tackle one half of my closet – the dresses/tank tops/shirts side – plus my shoes.

I know.  It looks like a mess.  I’m usually pretty organized but we can’t always be perfect, can we?

 So it took about half an hour to do my initial round through everything but I was only at 51 items.  Easy peasy.  Okay – so on to round 2.  I was determined and thought I for sure could get rid of another 49 items, no problem.  By the time I was finished, I had only gotten rid of another 19 items.  WHAT?!  It felt like a lot more. 

Grand total: 70 items. 

Now they are all packed and ready to go to Buffalo Exchange!  If you’re in the Phoenix/Tucson area and have never been to Buffalo, I highly recommend it.  It’s a great place to find some good deals, but more importantly they will buy your clothes!   You get like 35% back in cash of the price they would sell it at or 50% in store credit.  There are other resale shops in the Valley – like Name Brand Exchange, Plato’s Closet, but Buffalo is my #1 (although My Sister’s Closet is a close 2nd).

So maybe it wasn’t the 100 I hoped for, but the day’s not over yet.  I’ve already decided I am not even going to bother with the dreaded winter side of my closet which is hidden in the way way back side on the other half of my closet.  I will deal with that when I do my closet switch when the temperatures finally drop in Arizona (in two long, hot months).

But maybe I’ll tackle my jewelry later if I feel extra ambitious.  I know I’ll definitely be able to find another 30 items to get rid of in a flash in this cluster fuck jewelry armoire…

Plus there are two more drawers.  Dreading this.

Also – I am recruiting someone who wants to help turn my closet into a Pinterest paradise.  I think to start I will need an entirely new bedroom closet, but wouldn’t it be nice to have this closet to walk into every day?

[[ Song of the day :: "Jimi Thing" by Dave Matthews Band :: one of my favorite DMB songs ever ]]

S | A

There is seriously such a thing as Shopaholics Anonymous.  So how do I know this?

1) It’s late Friday afternoon at work and I have severe almost-the-weekend ADD

2) I wanted to find a website that would test if I needed to go!

I’m three days into my month of no shopping, and I’ve resisted the urge to buy a book, a Packers shirt, and the new OPI topcoat with 18k gold flecks in it.  My biggest feat so far is the fact that I ordered three pairs of pants on Monday night (still July, mind you) and then realized I never got an email confirmation.  Well I checked my credit card, and it hadn’t been charged either.  So for some reason I never fully checked out – BOO!  But, since I am an honest girl with loads of integrity – I am NOT reordering them (although I hope to God they are still available by September 1st).

Isn’t is so gorgeous?!

So back to why I was thinking about going to a Shopaholics Anonymous meeting.  I keep thinking about that scene in “Confessions of a Shopaholic” where the group totally harasses her into selling her clothes and although I would never really go to a meeting, nor do I think I am in need of professional help, I find the idea of these groups completely entertaining. 

So I come across this website talking about the 12 steps, how to know if you’re a “spender”, testimonials…and then there’s a page titled “abstinence”.  Random.  So on the “abstinence” page, it basically gives you a list of mental reminders to help you overcome your shopaholic tendencies. 

Here are some of the extra ridiculous ones:

Let friends and family do your shopping for you.

Can they also pick up my dry cleaning and chauffeur me around too?

Go shopping 15-20 minutes before the store closes to limit time spent shopping.

Last time I went into Nordstrom right before close, I came out with six dresses.  And I had tried them on.

Anything you obsess about is probably not OK.

That is the exact opposite of what a normal human being is trained to do – we are only supposed to buy the things we are in love with!  Who are these people?

You will never be hurt by anything you don’t buy.

Actually it does hurt a little bit deep down inside when I see someone else wearing something I wanted to get but resisted buying like a responsible person.  And it’s just salt in the wound when I discover it’s sold out so I can no longer have it for myself.  Sad face.

Pray before entering the store to stay centered.

I always pray that I will find good stuff at Last Chance, but you’re right – maybe I should pray before going into every store!

Don’t keep secrets.  Tell the truth about what you pay for things.

My mom can attest to the fact that this is just not something I am capable of doing.  But she can always tell when I’m lying, so it evens out.

Well that was entertaining and killed 30 minutes…is it 5 o’clock yet???

[[ Song of the day :: "Shadows of the Night" by Pat Benatar :: because we are talking about karaoke at work and this came on and I realized I'd be SO good at singing this! ]]

Q U O T E S

So like any normal female, I’m totally addicted to Pinterest.  It did inspire me to be crafty at the beginning, but now I really just love it for all of the outfit ideas and the quotes.  There are quotes for every mood, every situation, every emotion – and yes, I have been accused of talking “in Pinterest” before, both in person and via my Facebook statuses.  I figure there are worse crimes.

Well it is late afternoon Wednesday at work which is prime I’m-bored-at-work-let’s-stalk-Pinterest time, so here are a few good ones I’ve seen today.  Enjoy!

Seriously – why don’t I remember this all the time?  I’m a pretty healthy person but sometimes the shit I eat (like how I overdosed on curly fries on Saturday) seriously sicks me out.  Why don’t I always remember this?  I wish I was as motivated to eat as pure and healthy as I do immediately after watching “Food Inc.” or reading “Skinny Bitch”.  But since football season is around the corner…no chance.

 

I feel like someone who had a really short Starbucks drive thru line and heard their favorite song on their way to work one morning posted this in their cubicle.  I am excited about everything on those mornings too!

 

I like this.  Down to business.  No fucking around here!

 

I wonder this too! 

That didn’t sound wistful enough.  Okay.

I wonder this too….

 

Seriously – what are you waiting for?  Stop saving those cute greeting cards, that party dress, the expensive perfume, or the fancy lingerie for a “maybe one day” moment.  What is it they say?  Oh yeah… #YOLO

 

This about sums it up sometimes.  But the best part is taking that step back into “seeing how much more she can take” territory and realizing just how strong you are.  It reminds me of another favorite Pinterestism of mine – “You don’t realize how strong you are until you need to be.”

 

And finally, some wise words from one of my favorite girls.  Whenever I see these kinds of quotes (the “few words done in cute colors” kind) I always wonder how someone would sum me up.  What words would they use if they had to describe me on a hot pink purple card?  It kind of helps you refocus on the type of person you want to be, the perfect version of you summed up on a cute little postcard  

[[ Song of the day :: "Roll On" by The Little Willies :: because of Norah Jones, duh! ]]

( J U L Y ) O B S E S S I O N S

Here are some things I loved about my favorite summer month!

Disneyland

My brother/sister-in-law, my sister/brother-in-law and I took my six nephews to Disneyland for a weekend.  My parents even flew in for the day to surprise us and we had an amazing time!  I may be 28 but I am still obsessed with all things Disney.  I’ve been there so many times but it never gets old.  Plus the Disney empire just blows my mind.  They think of everything.

Color, Color, Color

I’m totally obsessed with the colored skinny jean situation going on lately.  I’m really not one to follow trends too much but I am really addicted to purple, green, turquoise, red, pink (and the list goes on and on) pants.  Oh, and shorts.  I seriously hope the love for colored pants endures for a while because my dresser drawers look like a rainbow right now!

 

Sit ‘n Floats

If you like lazy pool days, you need these.  That’s all you need to know.  Actually, no it’s not – you need to buy an air pump.  These are a bitch to blow up yourself.

 

Language Audiobooks

I had some family from France come in town last week to visit but I am so so self conscious of my accent that I still pretty much refuse to speak it in front of them.  So since I usually just read/write French but rarely have the opportunity to work on my accent, I downloaded a “Learning French” audiobook off iTunes to use in my car (or when I’m really bored at work).  It actually has been a good refresher and I think hope it is making me sound more like a French person, and less like a valley girl speaking French!

 

Girls Nights Out

So I’ve obviously always loved a good girls night out, but we hadn’t had one in a while and it just felt so good to have everyone together to catch up and have a fun night up where we can get a little fancy.  I’m very lucky to have these girls in my life.

Cornish Pasty Co.

I’m not sure how I have never tried this place out before, especially since I work right down the street, but this place is amazing!  They have a good beer slection and a ton of vegetarian options which is always a recipe for success in my world.  I had the Veggie Rosemary Chicken – highly recommended!

 

Guilty Wives

I am a James Patterson freak.  Have literally read every book he’s written.  Some have been disappointing me lately, but this one was one of his best in years (in my opinion) and one of the best books I’ve read in a while.  So if you need a good laying-out-by-the-pool book, pick this one up for sure!

 

Now on to August.  Bring it on!

[[ Song of the day :: "Roll With It" by Easton Corbin :: I heart Easton Corbin ]]

D E T O X

Yup – seriously.

This is phase 1 of my new project – a shopping detox.  No shopping for the entire month of August.  No clothes, no shoes, no accessories, no nail polish, no make-up, no hair products, no plane tickets - in other words, no fun. 

People have asked if I am still able to buy food or shampoo.  The answer is yes.  I am not boycotting being a consumer in general, I am just trying to control my inner shopaholic.  I don’t need a new outfit every time I go out or every time I go on vacation.  I don’t need 8 different shades of purple nail polish. 

To keep myself motivated, I am changing my computer’s internet homepage from Nordstrom.com, avoiding the malls, and focusing on some of my other favorite activities, such as reading.  In fact, I already have two books to add to my August reading list - “Throw Out Fifty Things” which is about how to learn to easily identify and rid yourself of excess clutter in your life, and “The 100 Thing Challenge” which is about a guy who decided to – yup, you guessed it – select and live with only 100 items.

This brings me to phase 2 – simplify.  I raid my closet every few months to get rid of all the stuff I don’t wear.  But since I have severe separation anxiety, I make excuses for a lot of items that should go, but that I just can’t seem to let go.  For example, I have kept a ton of clothes that I spent a lot of money on, thinking that I needed to keep them to get my money’s worth.  Why get rid of this $100 top?  I’ve worn it once.  But that’s like thinking to get your money’s worth from a meal, you need to clean your plate every single time and not waste any food.  That adds nothing positive and will just make me fat.

So this time, my spring-turned-summer-turned-almost-fall cleaning will be different.  Tough love style.  I’m not only going straight to the source and boycotting shopping for the month, but I plan on getting rid of a ton of stuff to clear out physical and mental space in my life.  After all, who needs 50+ dresses?!

Wish me luck!

 

[[ Song of the day :: "1979" by Smashing Pumpkins :: because it's always a good time for Smashing Pumpkins ]]

H | P

HP? 

Don’t worry – this is not about Harry Potter.  No, I just finished reading a book called “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin.

Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. “The days are long, but the years are short,” she realized. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.

It is a very well written book that shares a year of her life in a very honest and real way.  It’s an easy read but it will definitely challenge you and make you take stock of your own life because like her, I am a really happy person.  I have amazing family and friends, I’m happy with my job, I have a ton of wonderful memories and a ton more to make.  But am I as happy as I could be?  Sure we all take some things for granted, but there’s no way I could be taking things for granted any more than the average person.  I do focus on what really matters…right?

I couldn’t help but think of “Eat, Pray, Love” when I first picked up this book.  Gretchen even references it in the beginning.  I admit I was a little disappointed because I guess I was expecting something just as grand as the journey of EPL.  But instead, it was about a year of her every day life and how you didn’t need the grandiosity to learn how to shed a new light on what you already have.  That made me realize my 1st epiphany – that I need to slow down and really appreciate much of my life that I do take for granted.

And just as I started feeling guilty, I had my 2nd epiphany – that I’m not the only one.  She’s not the first person to realize that we are not self-entitled to all these great things in our life but need to appreciate and value them, and I’m not going to be the last.  So even though the book didn’t turn out exactly as I thought it would, it was definitely worth the read.  And it did inspire me to turn my second attempt at journaling into my own Happiness Project and track my happiest moment of each day, every day.  So I guess I got something out of the book after all.

So check it out next time you’re looking for a book to pick up.  She also has a blog about her Happiness Project which I haven’t had the time to look at, but maybe one day  

Well that’s one of my new projects. I always have a project projects going on.  I like staying busy, I like checking things off my to do lists, and I like the sense of accomplishment.  So what are my other ones right now?

Stay tuned

[[ Song of the day:: "Pontoon"by Little Big Town :: sooooo summmmmmery! ]]

S U P E R S T I T I O N S

Happy Friday the 13th!

I don’t consider myself to be a crazy superstitious person, but I definitely am not shocked if anything goes wrong on the unlucky Friday the 13th.  (Luckily, nothing has.  Yet.)

I started looking up ”superstitions” and found all of the typical ones, like:

 
A rabbit’s foot or four leaf clover brings good luck

Breaking a mirror or opening an umbrella indoors brings bad luck

Don’t walk under ladders or step on cracks

 

But have you ever heard of these?

Wearing your clothes inside out brings good luck

(NOT trying this one)

It’s bad luck to sleep on a table

 (That explains it)

To give someone a purse or wallet without money in it will bring that person bad luck

(Mom and Dad, keep that in mind around Christmas)

 

There are a lot of superstitions and old wives’ tales floating around and there are also a lot of personal superstitions we develop throughout the years.  Here are some of mine:

Last year I started wearing gold underwear (sorry, TMI?) during Packers games and guess what?  They had an almost perfect season.  You can bet I’ll be continuing that on this season!

Like a lot of people, I make a wish and hold my breath when I drive through the I-10 tunnel in downtown Phoenix - but I don’t think my wish will come true unless I hold my breath until the next underpass, just for good measure.

I still make a wish every time I lose an eyelash and blow it off my finger.

I always say a silent prayer when an ambulance goes by otherwise I think I’ll get sick for not wishing them well.

If I have a good fortune, I always have to eat some of the fortune cookie it came in and keep the fortune otherwise I don’t think it will come true.

And I always hold my breath until I’ve passed a graveyard.

Phew…that was kind of hard to make that list.  Took me a while to separate what I do out of superstition from what I do out of OCD!  I kind of feel like an idiot saying all of those things out loud, but I figure there are worse things in life.

Have a safe weekend, everyone! 

(Oh, and don’t run over any black cats…that will really fuck up your luck.)

[[ Song of the day :: "Time to Pretend" by MGMT :: forgot how much I love this song! ]]

J O U R N A L S

I’ve never been one to keep a journal.  Sure, when I was little I had a girly diary with a lock and key – that I never wrote in because it was just too good to actually use.  Then when I was a teenager, I was too nervous to put down anything that I was up to in writing.  In college I never had time and relied on photos to document my memories for me.  Then last year I stumbled on this:

A journal to span five years and all you have to write is one line.  I fell in love with this concept – a line a day?  Of course I can do that.  There was no pressure or commitment to write long entries…and it’s Tiffany blue! 

I was so excited to get started and already imagined what it would be like to read and reflect on the entries from past years right above each day.  Well, as you can probably tell – I love the novelty of new projects then kind of fizzle off and hit a slump.  Like…how I didn’t have any new blog posts for a month or so.  I hit a wall with my Five Year Journal and just never followed through.  I did well for the better part of the year, and then completely dropped off.  I felt so guilty not keeping up, like if I didn’t log  my favorite memories in this book they would diminish in value.

I know what you’re thinking – is she really that lazy to not write one freaking sentence a day?  I had originally thought my problem was pressure on writing a lot.  Then I realized I also felt pressure on what to write.  Reviewing the entries I have completed in this journal, a lot are random blurbs keeping track of my weight, what I ordered at restaurants, what clothes I bought, or what my to-do list for that day had been.  BORING.  But some are actually fun to look back on, like these:

January 11, 2011

I was supposed to start this on January 1st and forgot.  Of course.  I put away the Christmas tree because everyone made fun of me last year for keeping it up until March.  I hate my handwriting.

February 7, 2011

Was still drunk when I went into work.  Next year don’t be a dumb ass – take the day after Superbowl off. 

March 2, 2011

Packing for Mardi Gras is insane.  What the hell am I supposed to pack when everyone tells me strangers will puke on me 24/7?  Fuck, I might puke on myself.  I’m not bringing that shit to the dry cleaners. So awkward. 

April 29, 2011

Fast Five midnight premiere.  SO GOOD!  Drove so fast out of the parking lot after, I really showed those bitches.  LOVE F&F!

May 7, 2011

TEQUILA

June 30, 2011

I just screamed like a 13 year old girl at the NKOTBSB concert.  Nick Carter = <3. (Yes, I drew a heart)

July 2, 2011

Beer bongs for breakfast.  Rooftop patio.  Lots and lots of beer.  Never going in the ocean that drunk again.  How do I always end up at strip clubs? 

August 14, 2011

We saw a girl in her underwear hiding behind a post in the Dos parking garage.  So of course we backed up to get a better look.  Had to make sure it wasn’t someone we knew.  Skaaaaank.

September 3, 2011

Second day in Flagstaff helping the girls with Rush – lots of glitter and glue guns so we’re fully in our element.  Went out to the bars and picked up a million nachos at Primo’s on the way home.  Love Flag life.

October 20, 2011

Today I bought my first beer bong.  They didn’t have purple.  Damn.  I drank a shit ton of water and four Gatorades today in prep for Tequila Sunrise tomorrow, and I know that’s not enough

November 25, 2011

SHOPPED ALL NIGHT.  I JUST MADE BLACK FRIDAY MY BITCH.

December 18, 2011

What a crock!  The Pack lost to Kansas City, my Fantasy team is out, and I lost my first parlay bet ever.  PS I baked really good cookies today.

That’s when I just sort of…stopped.  But I saw this one today at Barnes & Noble which got me thinking about journal attempt #2!

Where it just asks you a question that you answer on the same day each year for five years…

I guess you could say in a way this blog is a chronicle of who I am as the years pass, but I can’t help but think these journals will capture a different part of me that I am not able to convey on here.  Plus I have a lot of purple pens I love to write with that I feel are such a waste if I use them at work.

So I’m going to think about if I will actually follow through on this one and give it a go.  But aren’t these really the coolest things ever?  I’ve given them as gifts on many occasions so far (and hope the recipients are having better success than I have).  And since I’ll probably buy one this weekend since I am an instant gratification freak…wish me luck!

[[Song of the day :: "When You Were Young" by The Killers :: it's such a summer song for me for some reason!]]

T H A N K F U L

Just a quick blog to share a great quote! 

One of my friends Lauren posted this yesterday on Facebook:

What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

(P.S. I am not a religious person by any means.  I am much more of a spiritual person.  When I “thank God” for something, I guess I’m really just calling out to any deity who hears my bitching and wants to do something about it to make it stop.)

So what was I thankful for yesterday? 

That the Nordstrom Anniversary pre-sale started today…

That raspberries were on sale at Fry’s for 88 cents…

And that I had washed my hair the night before so I could sleep until 8:00…

So if I woke up today with only what I thanked God for yesterday – well, I guess I’m screwed.

Then I got to thinking about all that I truly was thankful for – and the list became super long, super fast.   Of course.  But what am I most thankful for that I had to wake up with tomorrow for sure?  That’s how I made the list real short, real quick. 

Family | Friends | Health | Job | Orlando Bloom

It really made me realize that sometimes it is just that easy to simplify and bypass the small stuff.  Why get myself into a tizzy over all of this petty crap when I have so many valuable people and things in my life that deserve my attention and energy instead?  I don’t want to be super old and look back and realize that even though I appreciated all the great things in my life, I just didn’t appreciate them enough.  So keep this in mind the rest of the week to help keep you sane and grounded until the weekend

Also – this ties in really well with the book I am reading right now which I will be sharing with you all in the near future once I’m finished…so stay tuned!

[[ Song of the day :: "Satellite" by Rise Against :: just in an angry music mood! ]]

(J U N E ) O B S E S S I O N S

 

So where the fuck have I been, right?

I took a little hiatus from blogging – but don’t worry, I will be BIA (back in action) ASAP.

In the meantime, I’d figure I’d share some of my favorite foods/items/situations from June!

Blueberry Frosted Mini Wheats

So I’m on a Truvia kick lately and try to keep sugar out of my cereal at all costs – but I had a handful of these at my parents’ house one day and now I can’t stop eating them for dinner.  No, I never have cereal for breakfast.  Ever.

Vegging

You know that part in Clueless where Cher says “I know it sounds mental, but sometimes I have more fun vegging than when I go partying.  Maybe because my party clothes are so binding.”   I could not agree more!  Some Most people might consider me to be a party girl but I have spent most of June vegging and relaxing and it has been very good for the soul (and liver)!

Revenge

I’m obsessed with this show.  Like seriously just as excited for the second season of this show as I am for football to start.  Yes.  It’s that good.

PostSecret

I love, love, love the PostSecret books.   I was recently flipping through a couple of them and remembered just how much I adore these books.  If you haven’t heard of them before, it is a project started by Frank Warren who left a bunch of blank postcards around for people to send in with their one big secret.  Since then it has turned into an enormous social project with several books, museum collections, and a website.  Some of them are depressing, some are scary, some are uplifting, some are thought-provoking.  Oh, and some are funny like this one!

The Queen

So Carly and I watched a 20/20 special on the Queen that we DVRed a few weeks ago and now we’re obsessed with HRH (aka Her Royal Highness) – especially her outfits.

Trimble Outdoors Navigator App

This is my new favorite hiking app!  I prefer MapMyHike for time/distance/calories burned but love the TON app to plan our hike and find new trails!  It shows you an aerial land view as it tracks your progress and you’re able to see what trails it will connect to up ahead or how you can route your way back to your starting point.  Highly recommended!

Country Music

Okay, so maybe not a new obsession but there’s never a better soundtrack for summer than a lot of country music!

Well-Being

You know when you have such a busy week and you feel like you’re only home to sleep or change outfits before the next big activity?  Well before you know it, your house looks like a disaster zone and that’s kind of how I felt like my life has been for the past year – a super crazy whirlwind  and ridiculously jam packed calendar where I didn’t have the time – or desire – to slow down and regroup.  Well these past few weeks of vegging have let me catch up on life, sleep, and me time.  I needed some time to be selfish.  I have missed being super busy but know that my mind and body needed a serious break.  Definitely a good reminder that I need to calm the fuck down. That I don’t have to be running around at all times and even that it’s okay to say “no” every now and then!

[[Song of the day :: "Brighter Than the Sun" by Colbie Caillat :: because it is a good yes-I'll-take-an-umbrella-in-my-drink song]]

( M A Y ) O B S E S S I O N S

Things that I am obsessed with right now:

Anthropologie

Okay, so I’m always obsessed with Anthropologie. But the cover of their May catalog is absolutely perfect. Still thinking of how I can justify all of those bracelets at $18+ a pop, but I’m working on it.

 

Hiking

So everyone knows that I hate/never exercise. But hiking has been a great start to my mornings and the perfect time to catch up on girl talk!

Breyers Oreo Birthday Ice Cream

Cookies ‘n Creme is my favorite ice cream anyway, but this ice cream has got to be sprinkled with crack or something. It is amazing! SO amazing I had it for lunch today. Not with, just for.

Smoked Salmon & Baguettes

My parents got a smoker and it makes the most amazing-melt-in-your-mouth smoked salmon ever. Yesterday I picked up some smoked salmon and a demi baguette at the store to get my fix. Under 500 calories and less than $10!

Time

I kind of like how fast May is flying by. It’s nice feeling like I’ve come a long way since the start of the month!

Bird Cages

Saw this at Cost Plus the other night and am DEFINITELY going back to purchase it this week!

“The Killing”

I stopped watching TV a couple years ago after like 15 of my favorite shows got cancelled all at once, but I feel super out of the loop so I’m trying to get back into the swing of things. I couldn’t get into “Breaking Bad” so I started the first season of “The Killing” and am addicted only two episodes in. Highly recommended.

Red Pears

Why was I never told that red > green?!

Vacations

One of my favorite hobbies is planning my next trip at all times. This month I got to travel to Denver and on Thursday I’m off to St. Louis for the long weekend! I also just booked San Fran for July and am in the final planning stages for NYC this summer as well. You can never travel too much, too much to explore!

Packers Hoodie

I have been waiting for this to go on sale in the off season and it just arrived this week! So comfy and perfect for when I’m cold at the bar on football Sundays

Norah Jones & Garbage

Both kind of old school, right? Norah Jones’ new album “…Little Broken Hearts” is so so good and completely makes me wish that she would team up with Scarlett Johansson whom I hate as an actress but love as a singer (and if you didn’t know she could sing, listen to her album “Break Up” with Pete Yorn which is one of my most favorite albums ever). “Not Your Kind of People” is the first album from Garbage that I have paid attention to since I was in middle school aka “Verizon 2.0″ which I still listen to (a lot). Pretty sure this is one of the first albums anyone else has paid attention to for a while also, and Shirley Manson & Co. do not disappoint. So far I am loving it!

[[ Song of the day :: "Happy Pills" by Norah Jones :: because it has a really good tune to write to ]]

T E C H N O L O G Y

Okay – so I’m a pretty smart cookie.  Yes, seriously.  Don’t be fooled by the gold hoops or my ridiculous overuse of the word “like” in everyday conversation.

(I’m trying.)

I taught myself how to play the piano when I was like 5 and started taking algebra classes in 3rd grade – because obviously 9 year old girls want to go to school on Saturdays, too!  In high school I wrote programs on my TI-83 calculator (I swear I had a life) and graduated in the top 10% of my class.  I took a whole semester of astronomy which means I could totally probably  find my way back home using only the stars as my guide if I ever got lost (no need to test out this theory).  I graduated college cum laude and with  honors even though it felt like I was majoring in Maloney’s more than marketing.  I can rock the shit out of Jeopardy! and remember events and details based on what outfits people were wearing (probably because I do too much Facebook stalking but I’m just going to pretend it’s because I have a photographic memory).

But somewhere along the way, my learning curve got fucked.  And I’m not just talking about a plateau, here.  We are well beyond that, folks.  I’m talking about a full on reverse-learning-curve situation.

I just learned what HTC phones are.  I still have no idea what “Blu-Ray” means.  I had to switch from Cox to DIRECTV and barely know how to use the new remote so I DVR Nurse Jackie three separate times every week so at least one records for sure.  I’ve only played Wii once which is way over my head (and still not as awesome as old school Zelda on regular Nintendo). 

I still don’t know how to use half of the features on my iPhone (and the only half I do know is thanks to Natalie), although I recently learned that there is a CAPS LOCK option and that Siri would rather not say if she likes black men or not.  Skype is a little too complicated and I have no idea what this Spotify business is.  I don’t understand Twitter, Google+, or RSS.  I have no idea how to fully cancel my old Hotmail account so I’m just not logging in again.  Ever.  Even this blog is a big leap for me, which I’m sure is pretty evident since it’s not super fancy (yet).

Usually I give my parents a hard time about not knowing how to use Facebook or not knowing how to use T9 (Mom/Dad: that’s the predictive texting on the old phone so you don’t have to type one letter at a time) or the fact my dad still pretty much chicken pecks at the keyboard.  But who am I to talk?  I’m not sure when I morphed into a crazy old lady dinosaur who no longer knows how to keep up with the modern world, but that is definitely one of my new goals – to get with it. 

Who knows?  Maybe the love of my life is waiting for me to waltz into Best Buy so we can talk about gigabytes, megapixels, and the pursuit of happiness. 

[[ Song of the day :: "Your Name On A Grain Of Rice" by Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers :: because RCPM is super good summer music ]]