tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47758839588632272702024-02-06T18:49:44.890-08:00....yes, but does it please and sparkle?Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-51035469048070877812014-10-30T08:10:00.000-07:002014-10-30T08:21:45.301-07:00On motherhood, poop and Labrador tails...So it's been a reeeeeeeeaaaaallly long time since my last post, which makes me sad because I really want this blog thing to be somewhat regular. So with that, I'm challenging myself to do not one blog post a month, but a minimum of 2 monthly posts! Let's see if it actually happens.<br />
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I have a spectacular reason for not posting in quite some time: I'm a new mom!! I gave birth to a 7 pound, 15 ounce buddy named Erik Christopher on September 25th at 7:05am. I've noticed that lots of other bloggers write about their birth stories so I thought I'd share mine, in a sparkly manner of course.<br />
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Chris and I went in for our 40 week checkup, and as the doc checked me for dilation (which was happening), she frowned and said, "that's not a head, that's a butt." With that, we had to schedule a c-section for the following morning. This came as quite a shock because we'd been told not two weeks prior that my son had turned and was starting to drop. I have no recollection of feeling him turn BACK around, but then again I still didn't have a clue as to what exactly was going on in my uterus, except that there was a living thing moving around in there.<br />
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<i>On a side note, it's weird how many mothers-to-be are so in-tune with their babies and bodies that they are able to identify exactly what the baby is doing inside of them and exactly where certain body parts are. Being a master of BS, I would oftentimes tell people, "feel that, that's his foot kicking me in the ribs," or, "oh, there, that's his little knee!" I am now fully willing to admit that not once did I have an inkling of a CLUE which body parts were moving where. The only thing I could identify were hiccups, which were cute as hell and now that he's 5 weeks old, STILL make me giggle and pull out my camera to video whenever they happen.</i><br />
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So cue to the next morning at 4:45. We headed to the hospital and I was taken back to the prep area where any sense of shame was promptly removed. People think with a c-section it's magical because people don't have to look at your vagina and you don't poop yourself. Well, that's not entirely true (except the not pooping yourself part). Oh, hello catheter - happy to see you, friend! I swear, half the hospital was in the room when that sucker was inserted.<br />
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Anywho, I guess the not-so-magical part of having a c-section is, well, the c-section. Didn't feel much of anything except loads of pressure but apparently my organs are re-arranged to get the baby out, which my dear husband watched with wide eyes, wagging his bushy tail and snapping pics with his iPhone. Then, all of a sudden with no warning, we heard two coughs and an infant crying. I of course cried and when he was handed to Chris, I kissed his little face and took him in although he looked extremely pissed. It was definitely not a disappointing experience but I must admit I was kind of bummed at how, well, <i>common</i> it seemed. I had this vision of the doctor pulling him out, lion-kinging him and yelling out, "It's a BEAUTIFUL BABY BOY!!! Congratulations mom and dad - dad, you ready to cut the cord??" But instead they let me kiss him, then whisked him away. I learned in recovery that the little guy had fluid in his lungs and had to be taken away for observation for up to 6 hours. 6 HOURS??????<br />
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I've NEVER been so nervous/terrified in my life. All I wanted was to see and hold my baby boy. 4 hours later, they brought him into my room and handed him to me. He was pronounced healthy and no longer needed to be observed. So we started breastfeeding him and I ate deli meat. Yum.<br />
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Out of this whole experience, I learned quite a few things:<br />
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1) While the c-section completely blew, it wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated it being. Recovery has not been horrible (though I say that with the help of Percocet for, oh, 2 weeks post-op). I'm now at a point where I can say that I'm starting to feel moderately normal again and the pain is dissipating.<br />
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2) I think if humans had tails, Chris would have a fluffy squirrel tail. I would want a sassy, swift cat tail. It would be really obnoxious to have one of those really hyper Labrador tails. Those people would definitely be annoying - "jeez, here comes Steve with his stupid tail." And Steve would always have to eat lunch at a table by himself or with other Labradors because, well, he annoys people. UGH.<br />
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3) Breastfeeding, yeah, that....NOTHING could have prepared me for just how tough it's been, BUT IT'S WORKING AND ERIK LOVES IT!!!!! Babies dream about boobs and it's really cute. Chris said he imagines Erik's dreams placing him in the Never Ending Story, blissfully riding along on Falkor but instead of Falkor (the luck dragon) he's riding a giant boob. Thus, the name of the story would change to the Never Ending Supply of Milk.<br />
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4) Never in my life thought I'd get so excited about burps, farts and the consistency/frequency of poops. "Honey, come in here, the kid shit all over the wall again but look at the beautiful mustard-yellow color!"<br />
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5) Motherhood rocks.<br />
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-70569114655733452102014-05-10T07:10:00.000-07:002014-05-10T07:29:48.496-07:00On the Halfway Point...This week I reached the halfway point in my pregnancy - 20 weeks. It's been almost 2 months since I last blogged so apologies for the delay, but so much has been going on and it's been tough to sit down and write things out.<br />
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In a nutshell, here's what the past 5 months have looked like for us:<br />
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<b>Early Dec., 2013</b>: Chris gets laid off from his job.<br />
<b>1 Week later</b>: We throw our hands in the air, say f*ck it, and go on the London trip we'd been planning on taking (oh also that we'd already paid for and was nonrefundable) for 3 years. Call it a "honeymoon that was a long time coming."<br />
<b>Vacay/Post-Vacay/New Years</b>: We get all Marvin Gaye. Like, a lot.<br />
<b>Mid-Jan</b>: We find out we're pregnant. Happiness ensues.<br />
<b>Last week</b>: We get a letter from unemployment stating that Chris's funds have been exhausted.<br />
<b>Post-Mean-Letter-Arrival</b>: Chris goes to unemployment office to file for an extension and is told that because congressional Republicans are refusing to pass an extension on unemployment right now, he gets nothing. (PS, he's gotten 18 weeks of unemployment and has worked tirelessly to find a job). Oh, and he was also told to "Have a good day." He almost had to be escorted out of the office by security.<br />
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I tell you these things not because I am looking for sympathy, but for two reasons:<br />
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1) It's completely insane and people need to know what's going on in Congress. I'm not as concerned about what we're going to do because I have a job and we did build a nest egg just in case the bottom fell out. So many others have been screwed so much worse by this and that makes me angry.<br />
2) Despite the course of these events, I feel happier than I've ever felt in my life.<br />
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See, we've been married for 12 years and have never spoken much to friends/family members about our plans to have children. We weren't even sure if we wanted to take that plunge until late last summer, when we decided to pull the birth control plug and, "hell, see what happens." We had money saved up and were planning to eventually upgrade out of an apartment into a real house. We really like us and thought, why should we deprive the world of the awesomeness that will inevitably be our offspring (sounds haughty but it's true, and anyone will say that about their offspring so shut your mouth, eat your cereal and quit your judging).<br />
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After initial freakouts this week, here's what's seemed to help things fall into place for us, mentally:<br />
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1) We weighed the scales of our lives. Sounds kind of cheesy but I'm serious, try it out and it'll really put things into perspective. Draw a set of scales and write down the bad on one side, and the good on the other. For us, despite the shit turn of events, the good outweighed the bad by a ridiculous margin. Between our incredible support system made up of the greatest people in the world to our awesomely dark senses of humor, to our spectacular mid-century modern living/dining room (which NOBODY can take away), we realized that we're going to be just fine. It's funny, you plan, plan, plan on things happening a certain way. We saved $$ for a child we now can't afford to have. THANKS OBAMA (ironic snicker).<br />
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2) The baby started to kick. Like, really kick and move and stuff and WE CAN FEEL HIM!!!!<br />
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3) I made a spectacular homemade version of mac n' cheese last night with bacon and chives. Try it. It'll change your life (look up bechamel sauce, do it that way and then sprinkle with bacon bits and chives).<br />
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4) I always wondered what perfection looked like, until last night, when I saw it. THIS is perfection.<br />
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-38587563918042388582014-03-24T07:37:00.002-07:002014-03-24T07:38:43.390-07:00Why I drink pickle juice - adventures in pregnancy...So it turns out, I'm pregnant. 14 weeks tomorrow so I can talk about it now! Yay for indiscretion!!!<br />
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This is my first go-round so I have absolutely no idea what to expect, although everyone and every pregnancy website (all of which I've scoured) have told me exactly what would be happening with my body. I won't go into the details of what I've experienced thus far as I'm sure many women have been there, done that, but I will talk about the weird shit.<br />
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Okay, seriously, it's all weird, right??<br />
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I have absolutely NO DESIRE to drink coffee. That was the one thing that scared me most about getting pregnant. Sure, my abdominal muscles splitting in half and having a tear inevitably happen that goes from vag to anus sounds mildly terrifying, but WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT I CAN'T HAVE CAFFEINE? So initially (before the doc told me that 200 mg a day was safe), I made a switch to decaf coffee. Which was fine because it tastes the same and tricked my body into thinking it WAS the same.<br />
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But then the nausea, smell and food aversions, they came on without warning - not unlike the pack of dirty "gang" kids who roamed the streets of my neighborhood when I was a kid. (Okay, so <i>maybe</i> I hung out with them one or two times).<br />
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Back to coffee. I just don't want it. I don't want to smell it, I don't want to taste it. In fact, just writing about it is making me throw up in my mouth a little bit. I'm through the first trimester, so dying to know when (and if) this will go away. Every morning I wake up hoping to want a delicious cup of (gag) hot coffee, but nothing so far...<br />
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So let's talk about pickles. I have worked my way through several jars since about week 6 and can't get enough. A couple of weeks ago, I finished yet another jar and my husband was playing a video game in the living room. Well, after finishing the last of these pickles I looked into the jar which was my first mistake. The green, vinegary juice looked back at my with such intensity - it took me back to sitting on the kitchen counter when no one was home, downing yet another glass of pickle juice before anyone could find out (yes, I drank pickle juice as a child. It was one of many quirks). I looked over at Chris and he was pretty wrapped up in his game. So I dared. I quickly took a swig right out of the jar and at THAT VERY MOMENT he turned his head and stared at me with a sort of disgusted look of curiosity.<br />
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I couldn't really explain. What was the point?<br />
<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-74865949601116156812014-03-08T05:46:00.000-08:002014-03-08T05:54:49.313-08:00A detailed analysis of the photo that has changed my life...Anyone who's ever visited my home has likely noticed it. Most visitors have asked the question, and just a few have noticed it but were not sure what to make of it, so kept quiet.<br />
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And when someone asks The Question, excitement and anticipation rev up inside.<br />
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"Why do you have a framed picture of Seal in your house?"<br />
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And the answer is always the same:<br />
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"It's there to remind us that we're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy."<br />
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So as I've most certainly caught your attention, I'm sure you're wondering about the story behind the picture.<br />
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It was about three years ago. Chris and I were checking out the neighborhood Goodwill and came across the photograph. We were enamored with it from the start. The calm, yet slightly concerned look on his face, that says something along the lines of, "I know what you feel. Don't be so hard on yourself. My baby." The majestic gold and snake-skin type frame that served as a vessel for the photograph. I turned it over. $2.56. We hemmed and hawed about it and decided to hide it and think about it for at least a day or two before committing to this purchase.<br />
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I couldn't sleep that night. I couldn't stop thinking about those eyes. That look. And oh, my, the frame.<br />
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So I went back first thing the next day, found it right where we'd hidden it, and made my purchase. The picture looked amazing in our house. It now sits on our hutch, among several family photos. Because he's like a member of the family.<br />
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A few weeks ago, Chris and I decided to unravel some of the mystery behind the photograph. For the first time, we opened the back of the frame to take a look. The picture has a very Olan Mills vibe to it - was it taken in a Kmart photo studio? Is there writing on the back of it, dating the time and place and, of course, name of the subject?<br />
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And just like that, the magic was gone. Turns out the picture was clipped out of a magazine (likely by a four year old or a very hasty clipper, as it was a terribly executed clipping job).<br />
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So from there, I started to wonder what kind of a person hastily would clip a picture of Seal out of a magazine and put it in a gold and snake-skin type frame? I appreciate and admire the resourcefulness and creativity, but I do wonder if this person had this photo in their home so they could perhaps tell people that Seal is a friend of theirs? Or did they have an alter dedicated to Seal and his wisdom? I could see that.<br />
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Let me just note, right here, that Chris and I love us some Seal. In fact, we're not fully convinced that "Kiss from a Rose" wasn't inspired by a conversation he had with an angel. The dude's got heart and soul in his music - nobody can deny that.<br />
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Anyway, we of course were not ready to put the photograph in storage. I don't think we ever will. Knowing that it is just a clipping from a magazine is disheartening, but alas it still harbors the heart and soul of that for which Seal stands. You can see it in his eyes (which do not become large in the picture, thank goodness).<br />
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-1789231492378634102014-01-08T18:04:00.000-08:002014-01-08T18:39:55.662-08:00Out with the old and in with the new(ish): on pre-finished unicorn puzzles, cat eroticism and our MCM living room<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So. CLEARLY it's been a while since my last post. Lots and lots has happened since October, but I won't bore you with the details (okay, okay, so we *may* have taken a tiny trip to London - more to come on that). We got rid of old stuff (always challenging but so refreshing) and we accumulated awesomer stuff, with two finished unicorn puzzles at the top of the list. I created a new badass twisty hairstyle for my in-between stage. I ate a lot of candy corn. I crossed Abbey Road. I learned that juicing carrots, apples and ginger is OHMYSOGOOD. I watched Dirt McGrit chase his tail while Spike made sweet love to our bath mats, which was oddly erotic (JK cats aren't erotic, FOOLS!). Oh, and I ate a lot of gingerbread cookies.<br />
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So with no further adieu - I'd like to introduce you to our 2013 project, the living room:<br />
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The cool thing about it was - EVERYTHING was a steal. We got the sofa on sale at Macy's, the chair from Ikea, one of the American of Martinsville side tables from Kudzu Antiques for next to nothing since it didn't have a match; and THEN we found a match on Craigslist. The Lane cocktail table was another steal from an antique market in Rome, GA. The shag rug was from Overstock (and is craaaaazy-soft). The pillows were $20 a pop from Society 6, and the sunburst wall clock was yet <u>another</u> steal from The Ice House (our new favorite store) in Chamblee, GA.</td></tr>
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Why yes, that IS a Lance Link and the Evolution Revolution Record! Great show or Greatest show?</td></tr>
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This amazing mid-century cart was on sale at Kudzu. We bit without hesitation. </td></tr>
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And it all works fabulously with our Union Jack table, purchased in early 2013 from The Icehouse</td></tr>
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The infamous Dirt McGrit seal of approval</td></tr>
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This was a most-of-2013 project and it was done on a super limited budget. But it was probably one of the most fun, memorable things we've done together as a couple. At first, we thought we'd just pick out a room in Ikea and recreate it at home, but since we've discovered antiquing (and craigslist for furniture) we've opened SO MANY new doors. And we learned that it's okay to be picky. If you're not completely sold on something, don't do it! I think we slept on pretty much every single purchase we made.<br />
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This was a huge deal for us because for most of our marriage we've had a mismatched living room full of hand-me-down furniture. Forcing slipcovers over things just to try and half-assed-make-them-match got old.<br />
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Sure, this all may seem pretty tiny, and perhaps not a big deal to folks who can afford to do a lot more. But it has meaning to us and always will, not so much for the things we've acquired but more for the experiences we had acquiring them.<br />
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And we put a unicorn horn on Spike.<br />
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-54489392848000286972013-10-20T18:23:00.000-07:002013-10-20T18:25:06.652-07:00Road Trip in search of a cocktail table - a no-filter kind of day!Perfect day. We did some thrifting and antiquing and came back with some amazing finds, including a Lane cocktail table, some great books, a Colonel Sanders Christmas Special record, a couple of lithographs and, best of all, these magical (ALREADY put together) puzzles.<br />
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On our mini-road trip about an hour and a half north, we found some cool roadside attractions to boot.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Can't wait to frame this album and put it up next to Lance Link and the Evolution Revolution, which graces the wall over our sofa.</span></td></tr>
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If we weren't complete assholes, this might be our Christmas card.</div>
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This little girl at the roadside flower place handed me this flower and her little brother gave one to Chris. It was adorbs.</div>
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Lethal Weapon poster on the side of the road. Why not?</div>
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Not only did we come across a Kmart, we also stepped inside and re-entered 1986. It. Rocked.</div>
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And the best find of the day: Lane cocktail table</div>
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Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-88577664243321601312013-10-09T19:21:00.000-07:002013-10-10T04:49:39.590-07:00I chose option 5, of course!So. I could be ashamed of my shopping habits, but my pride won't let that happen. I NEVER pay full price for anything. I know the TJ/Marshall's brands so well that I tend to anticipate what items will inevitably end up in those stores, and wait, yes, WAIT, for them to grace the shelves of these magnificent meccas of mega-deals. Never again will I buy a candle from Yankee Candle Co. Never again will I buy my shampoo or Hemp lotion from the salon when I can get it for half the price at the Maxx. Never again will I buy athletic clothing from department stores, the Nike store, or even (sigh) Lululemon, as I can find Adidas, Nike and company at, you guessed it, the Maxx.<br />
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So what's my dilemma, you ask? Two years ago, I found some magnificent Ironman running capris at Marshall's, on clearance, for just $10 a pair. They fit great and made my glutes (yes, I said glutes) look super fly so I bought three pairs. Didn't realize that the Ironman symbol on the front actually implies that I have completed an Ironman. Until just recently, when I was asked by no less than three different competitive runners which Ironman I completed. So here are my options: 1) Compete in an Ironman. Tempting, as I really do love those pants. But fuck, 70.3 miles? Yeah, you make fun of me Joe Rauch but I'd stick that 70.3 sucker on my car in a heartbeat. 2) Throw in the towel. Trash the pants and never ever fake being a triathlete again. Who am I kidding? I don't deserve to wear those pants. When I wear them, I shame mega-athletes everywhere. 3) Get a sharpie marker and color over the Ironman symbol so my life is no longer a big fat lie. 4) Tell people I have competed in an Ironman competition and come up with some bullshit story detailing it to just the right extent. Wow, never saw those man-o-wars coming (wink, wink). 5) Brag about finding these pants for just $10 a pair and dare someone to question my judgement, regardless of the faker I seem to be.<br />
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But I digress. While I do think it's a bit obnoxious to constantly showcase incredible deals, I kind of want to show them off. Maybe somewhere inside my head, I believe that I have the power to save people from the burdens of over-spending by showing them how insanely great the deals I find can be. How different would this world be if we all shopped at discount stores?<br />
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-73594259430780497892013-09-28T10:59:00.000-07:002013-09-28T10:59:14.796-07:003 dirty habits I've developed lately that I don't want people to know about - yet here I am, blogging about them anyway...1. <b>Eating to excess, alone, in a violent manner, at a pre-determined time.</b> So it's lunch time at work and I'm alone at my desk. I made a delicious salad, or sandwich, and can't hold back any longer. I watch the clock and as soon as it hits noon, I'm on that sucker. I inhale it like the future of the human race, the children of the world are depending on me. In fact, if I don't finish this salad in 5 minutes flat OR LESS, my husband's penis will fall off. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. (Sigh).<br />
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2. <b>Obsessively scouring running message boards, trying to figure out an easy way to fix my latest injury</b>. So. With running comes injuries. It's just something you have to deal with if you want to get into the dirty world of road racing. Last year, after 5 years of horrific, brutal build-up, I was thrilled to officially find my running zen. Running all of a sudden started to feel good (not just after I was done, but oftentimes even while in the throes of pain and exhaustion). And I was getting pretty good at it. I started racking up medals and shit. I PR'd with a 21:58 5K. I jest you not. The thrill of it all was almost overwhelming. But damn it, my ankles started screwing me up. I'd twist them, turn them, all but beat the crap out of them with a crowbar, and got to know my $250 ankle brace from the ortho amazingly well. I'm so sick of injuries I could scream. But now, instead of heading straight for the doc, I scour these message boards, looking for "the big solution" to all of my problems. Even when I'm not struggling, I LOVE googling things like "ankle injury out outside of ankle near heal that feels like 1000 knives stabbing foot when I sit Indian style". AND PEOPLE, they answer. They know things. Lots of things. But then, when reason kicks in (damn you) I start to wonder about the people who pop up over and over on these message boards. I imagine them being a group of know-it-alls (we can smell our own) who have annual know-it-all conventions and talk about different topics. For instance, the topic of day 4 will be "best ways to cure ankle injuries" and each party will take his turn sharing his fake knowledge. And a whole bunch of running message board whores are there, listening to every word and taking notes. NOW I HAVE THE ANSWERS I HAVE SOUGHT FOR SO LONG.<br />
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3. <b>Going to stores like Anthropologie and Lululemon pretending like I can afford, well, anything, pretending to look at the regular priced stuff and trying not to too obviously make a beeline for the clearance section.</b> When the sales person approaches me, I smile and pretend to be interested in something that's not on clearance, then when she helps me find my size, I try not to throw up when I casually glance at the price tag. It's tough, but it's times like these that I thank my lucky stars for my college acting classes. As I swallow the impending regurgitation, I head to the fitting room to try on the $300 pair of running capris and on the way, say, "oh, look, I'm just going to take a quick glance at the clearance section." The sales person nods her head and looks at me with disdain. I find the one thing on clearance that has a small stain on it (additional discount WHAT!?), skip the fitting room and check out that one item, putting back the $300 capris and leaving with my head hanging down in shame. Maybe, just maybe, I can sell my laptop and go back to buy the capris. Nah.<br />
<br />
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Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-39510762793346000292013-08-27T18:20:00.002-07:002013-08-27T18:20:32.335-07:00Bedroom MagicChris and I have spent the last few months updating our apartment with a new look (on the cheap - more to come on this project in an upcoming post.) It's been fun, BUT through the course of all this, we neglected the bedroom, which made me sad. A couple of weeks ago, Chris told me to "go nuts" with the bedroom and make it whatever I'd like (since he has the nerd room/man cave which he did completely his way). So I did it! I decided I wanted to continue with the mid-century feel but I really love a rustic-ish feel and magical things and of course, being a DIY princess, I had to create SOMETHING.<br />
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So it's tough to tell with the lighting being a bit lousy, but the color theme is lavender/green/brown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31PrHBPaWDfX76PD25tKsPONcVZ0qCUalKJIq9ZGD6l3vr4GDPOAnMwKt3pHvDChAmykDJyvYCEPL6Qw_r9Hb_hEUMQNQQS-ugzFvn0iQNQdpYjwdUX_6bLYHTH4xxefoCzZK6UnOB6Em/s1600/bedroom+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31PrHBPaWDfX76PD25tKsPONcVZ0qCUalKJIq9ZGD6l3vr4GDPOAnMwKt3pHvDChAmykDJyvYCEPL6Qw_r9Hb_hEUMQNQQS-ugzFvn0iQNQdpYjwdUX_6bLYHTH4xxefoCzZK6UnOB6Em/s320/bedroom+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Spike is satisfied with the new look. I won't post a picture of the room "before" because, well it's just embarrassing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-orrm7xIFGrF1vOCE_edfiC-BqlzD7qEVYYzTGmIISY4Df-Fg7mw1e0VsjS0r2-VJEg0NaMBPzr5NObQkJpWI6VgaA5iBCGWGRE5DOxFMCapWCJwzSqwb6CRkE6H1uW6EaRKONKXjY26G/s1600/xoxo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-orrm7xIFGrF1vOCE_edfiC-BqlzD7qEVYYzTGmIISY4Df-Fg7mw1e0VsjS0r2-VJEg0NaMBPzr5NObQkJpWI6VgaA5iBCGWGRE5DOxFMCapWCJwzSqwb6CRkE6H1uW6EaRKONKXjY26G/s320/xoxo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I created this "picture" using some wooden tiles from Kudzu antiques, purple yarn and an a frame from Hobby Lobby. It was insanely easy. You should do it too - it WILL change your life.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZ4iAJ62wBr5eSS9vq0hyphenhyphennCzn8pnCAkJpipMujZ6HMekkjDC3hHpuKHjREby1jaSZcD2_bs7ViEKzB5EYLZRv-AynE_XwSSLMf99FV3vSd3V9cOJJBOiXqI7y3lkjrPp6rz1iLX6lcQ4H/s1600/curtains.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZ4iAJ62wBr5eSS9vq0hyphenhyphennCzn8pnCAkJpipMujZ6HMekkjDC3hHpuKHjREby1jaSZcD2_bs7ViEKzB5EYLZRv-AynE_XwSSLMf99FV3vSd3V9cOJJBOiXqI7y3lkjrPp6rz1iLX6lcQ4H/s320/curtains.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tough to tell but the curtains are super cute - lavender, and of course because I needed a little sparkle, I strung up some LED star lights!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtsfVTdsCusLDjRP8UYdcVEsqb15HXg36bXS-zHEuber19xHH4vhjo4zs_27XKYL3f9HU7WyWapDJhoHoXkK0UTifQfXqd3U3M5CqP7LybMPHnogswWHrKeMTTnIM0QTVhVGWT5Q8sR3i/s1600/owl+lamp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtsfVTdsCusLDjRP8UYdcVEsqb15HXg36bXS-zHEuber19xHH4vhjo4zs_27XKYL3f9HU7WyWapDJhoHoXkK0UTifQfXqd3U3M5CqP7LybMPHnogswWHrKeMTTnIM0QTVhVGWT5Q8sR3i/s320/owl+lamp.JPG" width="203" /></a></div>
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And picked up two of these super cute owl lamps from World Market - LOVE THEM!</div>
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I'm definitely planning to add more to it (still trying to figure out a way to string lights from the ceiling to create a starry-magical-fairy effect), and also working on this wolf paint-by-number (for GROWNUPS, Judgy McJudgerson) that I'm putting up somewhere once it's finished. But for now, not too bad given I did it in just a couple of days with a VERY LIMITED BUDGET.<br />
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I love changing up the look of things from time to time. Adding your own touch to things in your home really makes it more enjoyable and super fun. I'm so happy I could do a thousand cartwheels (well, maybe just one or two).Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-37909295199410959442013-07-12T19:18:00.000-07:002013-07-13T14:14:15.900-07:00Magical Happy Blissyness (AKA On being over 30)...So there are several pieces that have been floating around the Inter-webs about the negatives of hitting the big 3-0. I know there are quite a lot of bits that hit close to home for many people (myself included), but, if I may, I'd like to offer a well-thought out, highly personal, likely way-too-serious retort.<br />
<br />
Your 30's kick ass. You are no longer a 20-something person trying to "find yourself", struggling with the confusion of whether or not you should stay home and watch Supernatural, then got to bed at 11, or go out and party with all the kids. You no longer give nearly as much of a damn what other people think, AND, you've made a fool out of yourself enough times that at this point, you should have some degree of self-restraint (which is a GODSEND, let me tell you). So here's a list of reasons why 30's are waaaaay better than 20's (disclaimer: this list does not of course apply to everyone in their 30's, this is simply based on my own experience):<br />
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1) You don't give a damn if people know that you go to bed at 11 after watching Supernatural. Who's got no hangover and feels fresh and amazing the next day?? This gal!<br />
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2) You may not know what you want to do with your life, BUT you've matured enough to realize that that's completely cool and actually kind of admirable.<br />
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3) You realize that while many friends are having kids, it's completely fine to wait a little while longer and totally acceptable to opt out of child-bearing. As I've recently learned, there are plenty of people who have kids (or become parents) into their late 30's and even sometimes early 40's.<br />
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4) You start to care more about other people, and less about what other people think of you.<br />
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5) Yes, you may start buying shoes more for comfort than sex appeal, but, OMG you guys there are shoes that offer BOTH!!! And they can be super cute and sexy. Ask my feet!<br />
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6) It's completely acceptable to buy books from the self-help section. In fact, if you're like me, half of your conversations may revolve around the teachings of Wayne Dyer, the Dalai Lama, etc.<br />
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7) You're no longer *quite* so reckless, and you do wear sunscreen not because adults always told you to, but because you start giving a shit about things like cancer.<br />
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8) You no longer feel guilty for needing a full 8 hours of sleep at night. It's just understood and people no longer question it.<br />
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9) You don't ever have to suffer through your first hangover again (which is typically the case in your 20's as well, but hey, it's a comforting thought for all, am I right?).<br />
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10) If you're like me, you kind of start noticing things you hadn't really noticed before. Like flowers, trees, nice sunsets, and God help me, Steve Winwood. I stopped for a solid 5 minutes on a run not too long ago to marvel at a garden of tulips. Magical happy blissyness.<br />
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11) It's harder to get bored because you're probably more likely to focus your time on things that really matter. Like a marathon session of Arrested Development on a Sunday with the mister.<br />
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12) You can revel in the satisfaction that you grew up with many of the most kick-ass cartoons EVER. Smurfs, Gummy Bears, Rainbow Bright, He-Man, GI Joe, TMNT - there was something for EVERY one of us.<br />
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13) You got to experience at least (or close to) half your life without the Internet. But you are young enough to really embrace it at the same time. It's a good place to be. Can't imagine what childhood would have been like for me if I'd had a computer WITH the Internet in my home. I'd have been so fat, plus I would have never showered.<br />
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14) You gradually become more and more aware that it's not just you - EVERYBODY is insecure as hell. Nobody really cares that much what you're wearing or how much you weigh because they're all too busy stressing about their own images. Image is dumb, but everyone struggles with it.<br />
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15) After trying so hard to be an adult for a whole decade, you realize that it's totally fine to embrace the pieces of your childhood that made you who you are. Don't throw away the toys - keep them. And not for your future children - for you.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsoOzBdkscKBYxQzwB2ow3Ifr-XoWGz27M7rQ-tAlSbweiEVxYCHmT8uFmNgHMeOd4Z316T5PEn3bhbxGlbaI3KcovZexnqIr6TiXVXOzgc6vgSVCbIlS3UgNGJQuF0vJvFhdNj54f3Tn/s1600/Rainbow_Brite_and_Color_Kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsoOzBdkscKBYxQzwB2ow3Ifr-XoWGz27M7rQ-tAlSbweiEVxYCHmT8uFmNgHMeOd4Z316T5PEn3bhbxGlbaI3KcovZexnqIr6TiXVXOzgc6vgSVCbIlS3UgNGJQuF0vJvFhdNj54f3Tn/s320/Rainbow_Brite_and_Color_Kids.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow_Brite_and_Color_Kids.jpg">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow_Brite_and_Color_Kids.jpg</a></span></td></tr>
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-34633253338769057512013-05-25T08:12:00.002-07:002013-05-25T08:12:27.537-07:00So I applied for this reality show...It's called "Wipeout." You may have seen it - it's basically the American version of Most Extreme Elimination Challenge. I think I'd be really good on the show. Here are some of my answers to the application questions:<br />
<br />
Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING JOBS YOU'VE HAD?<br />
<br />
A: My current position - I am in charge of a running program for the
homeless :-)
Past interesting jobs include bartender and child and adolescent
therapist. I also work as a secret shopper from time to time. It's fun
because I can live out my spy dreams without getting caught and
interrogated<br />
<br />
Q: WHAT WERE YOU VOTED "MOST LIKELY TO"...IN YOUR HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK?<br />
<br />
A: I wasn't voted anything, although I'm certain they intended to vote me
"most likely to start a business wherein I embroider unicorns
on...things"<br />
<br />
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR WORST QUALITIES?<br />
<br />
A: I struggle with timeliness. I procrastinate. I have been known to be a
little on the stubborn side. I have a bad habit of hitting things
(mainly other cars) with my car.<br />
<br />
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?<br />
<br />
A: Running, blogging, podcasting, starting craft projects and not finishing them<br />
<br />
Q: GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN YOU HAVE RISEN TO A CHALLENGE IN COMPETITION.<br />
<br />
A: I began running 6 years ago and struggled to complete my first 5K. After getting beat by Mena Suvari, who was 10 seconds ahead of me in a 5K, I then vowed to exact my revenge on her. Though she has no clue who I am, one day she will rue the day she beat Tiffany Brennaman by 10 seconds. Over the past two years I have begun placing in my age groups and have actually won overall female in two races.<br />
<br />
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY FEARS? IF SO, HOW DID THEY COME ABOUT?<br />
<br />
A: Nothing really major - I just HATE snakes. I think that comes from the fact that they're, well, really creepy.<br />
<br />
Q: WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE AND PERSONAL MOTIVATION FOR WANTING TO COMPETE ON THE SHOW?<br />
<br />
A: I came across the show while flipping through the channels and
immediately KNEW that I needed to be on it. I have worked really hard to
get into the best shape of my life and I am sort of on the nutty, crazy
side. I have gone bungee jumping and sky diving so heights are not a
problem for me. I really love Most Extreme Elimination Challenge and got
super excited when I saw that there was something similar to that in
the US. Also - I really want to have a training montage.<br />
<br />
Q: WHAT IS THE MOST DARING AND DANGEROUS THING YOU'VE EVER DONE?<br />
<br />
A: I went skydiving for my 30th birthday and finagled my friends into doing
it with me. I was getting some pretty ugly looks when "Let the Bodies
Hit the Floor" was playing over the loudspeaker in the shaky Cessna at
14,000 feet. Oh, and weather conditions weren't terribly optimal that
day.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Q: WHAT FAMOUS PERSON DO PEOPLE SAY YOU RESEMBLE?<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A: I hear Orson Welles sometimes but I believe I'm more of a Natalie Wood
(when she was 33). I've also been mistaken for Jennifer Love Hewitt
(they were a little drunk but hell, I'll take it).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Q: IF YOU COULD BE ANYONE LIVING OR DEAD, REAL OR FICTION, WHO WOULD YOU BE?</div>
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A: I would be a dinosaur. No explanation needed.</div>
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Q: DESCRIBE YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT EVER.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A: I used to work for United Way. At a national conference a few years
back, they had a luau with an open bar and a karaoke machine. After I
lost count of the number of drinks I'd had, I found myself grinding the
floor, singing "Like a Virgin" with a bunch of folks gathered around
(thank GOD iPhones hadn't yet been invented). Needless to say, we left
early the next morning (let me also mention that somehow I put my keys
in the toilet the night before) and didn't say goodbye</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Q: IS THERE ANYTHING INTERESTING OR UNUSUAL THAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A: I am obsessed with unicorns, I'm a nostalgia freak (love anything
mid-late 80's/early90's), and I have a cat named Dirt McGrit. I think
airbrush is a lost art and that makes me sad.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Q: IF YOU WERE GRANTED ONE WISH, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A: I would end homelessness forever. And I would make unicorns real.</div>
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Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-61225062909339609642013-05-15T17:41:00.001-07:002013-05-15T17:41:26.864-07:00On pillows and hormonal days....So just a little while ago, after a good cry over an episode of Supernatural and a country song (don't even like country music), I consoled myself by ordering bird, red panda, and unicorn pillows.<br />
<br />
A little background: we are completely redoing our living room and despite buying a sofa, chair and rug, I was MOST excited about picking out throw pillows. And I've spent quite a lot of time perusing the Society 6 website looking for some awesome finds. And boy howdy, did I find them! These are a couple the ones I decided on:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39G4nYrKm_IbhtE3JnNQ6VGCXO_dA4f3znDYADyUxwDi7LjiphHibNHI4fQ4D8uMYzOfYvUsW7oqpa_AmELjQmCLlMTWjORu5FxNSDaE4RBQnLT0_Lyei8ywL2lN87As6XBePAGzfQISg/s1600/hello+pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39G4nYrKm_IbhtE3JnNQ6VGCXO_dA4f3znDYADyUxwDi7LjiphHibNHI4fQ4D8uMYzOfYvUsW7oqpa_AmELjQmCLlMTWjORu5FxNSDaE4RBQnLT0_Lyei8ywL2lN87As6XBePAGzfQISg/s320/hello+pillow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://society6.com/product/Hello-VPU_Pillow">http://society6.com/product/Hello-VPU_Pillow</a></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1koULlOsAG7RvLnZjLewWPBKNE4eQKUJCjM1G36s-XrLiuyKctf1lvcwnXbEjeUcV8toLqThBsnMVJuA0IV3WX7F5Q4xqb3XiDn_gTQ75avqoK4Gejth02PaTLRaQAeo8lP2VdhLUQMie/s1600/red+panda+pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1koULlOsAG7RvLnZjLewWPBKNE4eQKUJCjM1G36s-XrLiuyKctf1lvcwnXbEjeUcV8toLqThBsnMVJuA0IV3WX7F5Q4xqb3XiDn_gTQ75avqoK4Gejth02PaTLRaQAeo8lP2VdhLUQMie/s320/red+panda+pillow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://society6.com/product/RED-PANDA-by-Jamie-Mitchell-and-Kris-Tate_Pillow">http://society6.com/product/RED-PANDA-by-Jamie-Mitchell-and-Kris-Tate_Pillow</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So being SUPER inspired, I think I'm going to make some custom pillows via cafe press. Here's what I've come up with so far:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUHawasX7prNgkVGgcJsHBD7PWcYFUioD6UKmVshaYpYXzD4vX-DjYJg9kNOdvDUI71kJLIIxNSkc_iGdCEx03-ntXNx9Hrz4U0IhHEFGVTwDVT5-XUv8R1-i8yIq971zDXvZ5TrU3Gi1/s1600/square_canvas_pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUHawasX7prNgkVGgcJsHBD7PWcYFUioD6UKmVshaYpYXzD4vX-DjYJg9kNOdvDUI71kJLIIxNSkc_iGdCEx03-ntXNx9Hrz4U0IhHEFGVTwDVT5-XUv8R1-i8yIq971zDXvZ5TrU3Gi1/s320/square_canvas_pillow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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What is that, you ask? Well, it's a design my husband commissioned for me for our 11 year wedding anniversary (just this past weekend!). And it couldn't be more perfect.<br />
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Want a better view? I thought so:<br />
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-88962340572007599372013-04-20T08:26:00.002-07:002013-04-20T08:26:20.020-07:00Another Magical Caturday Post!When I was a kid (and, well if we're honest, into my teen years), I used to leap as far out of my bed as possible to avoid getting either 1) pulled under by the monster that was clearly residing under there, where there was a portal a la Little Monsters that would take him back to a hellish place, not at all like Little Monsters; or 2) getting my achilles tendon sliced by the demonic kid who was raised from the dead a la Pet Cemetery.<br />
<br />
As a kid I was terrified of using the toilet after hearing a story about a guy who was bitten on the butt by a snake that had slithered its way through the pipes and into the toilet. I STILL, to this day, refuse to use a toilet in the dark (like in the middle of the night) and ALWAYS, ALWAYS check to make sure there's not a snake in the toilet. I also came up with this scenario that because we lived on a lake, the likelihood of a snake at some point finding its way into our house was certainly viable. And it would most definitely find its way into my room and into the foot of my bed while I was sleeping. So every night I would wake up multiple times to check and make sure there wasn't a snake in my bed. Tragic, huh?<br />
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So last night when we were of course watching a special on snakes (basically something about how we shouldn't fear them, they fear us, blah, blah, blah), something was said that completely validated my fears. Three words came out of the narrator's mouth that will be etched in my memory forever (echo that like three times): "Snakes are everywhere." WHAT. Then the narrator goes on to say that a pit viper (poisonous, yep) can easily survive in a patch of grass in the middle of downtown Atlanta.<br />
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That's fucked up.<br />
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So in changing tunes to something that DOES please and sparkle, I wanted to share this amazing lion mane that I'm pretty sure I'll be ordering for Dirt McGrit, Esquire sometime over the next 24 hours. It IS Caturday, after all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSFRysxJX2_r0dDox1yQRFXDrhNlkz2WqprzEk1L16m7CLWj5S8nyV2T-VyvwvQZKIOfCNPByKX_YpPZFPwgVQOlW17VMPMva3DzFWJXVPMfGLDT32nLsXeBc4PtHdBDxw3SWe-YwSzSi/s1600/cat-with-lions-mane.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSFRysxJX2_r0dDox1yQRFXDrhNlkz2WqprzEk1L16m7CLWj5S8nyV2T-VyvwvQZKIOfCNPByKX_YpPZFPwgVQOlW17VMPMva3DzFWJXVPMfGLDT32nLsXeBc4PtHdBDxw3SWe-YwSzSi/s320/cat-with-lions-mane.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">source: <a href="http://officeforward.com/crazy-cat-full-lions-mane-costume.html">http://officeforward.com/crazy-cat-full-lions-mane-costume.html</a></span></td></tr>
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-82866616608344304242013-04-11T03:36:00.000-07:002013-04-11T03:36:00.328-07:00Is it weird that I can always justify being late?To myself, that is. And knowingly knowing that I'm completely off-base. For instance. This morning, as I'm typing this post, I'm running late for a meeting. My justification? It's better for me to finish my cup of coffee and be 15 minutes late than to die in a car crash on the way because I wasn't fully awake.<br />
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I get that my rationale is completely skewed and totally selfish (I mean, really, look at me thinking of all those pedestrians I could possibly hit on the road because I'm half asleep and unable to fully pay attention). But seriously. This, I've come to realize, is a TERRIBLE habit I've developed. And yet, here I am, still typing!!!<br />
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Okay, seriously, I've got to leave. But I'm not done with my coffee yet, and I really need to think of the pedestrians. If I had a dime for every time I've texted someone with the note "running late - fucking traffic" then perhaps I could buy myself something really nice. Like a Union Jack table and chairs. Oh wait, I already did.<br />
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Amaze-balls.<br />
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-51532667456966746942013-03-27T18:28:00.004-07:002013-03-27T18:29:49.129-07:00The BEST oatmeal you will ever try - I dare you to fight me on this one.So I *may* have left a candle burning too close to my laptop and now it's all melty. THIS IS WHY WE DON'T HAVE NICE THINGS. That was a bad decision on my part.<br />
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So let's talk about good decisions - for instance, eating breakfast. If you've ever had a conversation with me and admitted to skipping breakfast, chances are you've gotten a good (and well-deserved) scolding. I believe in a thing called breakfast <i>(just listen to the rhythm of my heart)</i>. And because I believe so strongly in the power of that first magical meal of the day, I'm going to share my secret recipe for the most BOSS oatmeal EVER known to woman (or man, or goat). I'm serious you guys. This stuff is so good I've eaten it every morning for over a year. It's a little high in calories but it gives you a ton of fuel to get through your morning.<br />
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<b>Lady's Magical Unicorn Oatmeal</b><br />
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1/2 cup old-fashioned oats<br />
1/2 cup almond milk<br />
A little less than 1/2 cup water<br />
1-2 tablespoons vanilla brown rice protein powder (great for thickening the oatmeal if it comes out too watery) - Note: DON'T use whey protein, I tried it and it's no good with this.<br />
1 tablespoon chia seeds<br />
1 large teaspoon nutella<br />
sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts (or slivered almonds)<br />
dash of salt<br />
1/2 banana (if you're feeling froggy)<br />
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Mix the oats, almond milk and water. Microwave for 3 minutes. Take that bitch out of the microwave. Mix in everything else listed above. Enjoy. A lot.<br />
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P.S. - I would post a picture of this but it actually doesn't look very appetizing. But really, does <i>any</i> oatmeal look appetizing?<br />
<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-56497133499748125622013-03-10T08:08:00.001-07:002013-03-10T08:08:59.282-07:00On mindfulness and the creeper at the bank...I freak out whenever I see a cat (in a good way). I will spend more than a few minutes smelling candles in a TJ Maxx store. I have known to shop at 6 different grocery stores in 1 day, just to find the best deal on kale. My car is horrendously cluttered, and I like it that way.<br />
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And I'm super duper confused when it comes to metaphysical stuff.<br />
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I think it's normal to be "searching" for an answer, especially when you hit the early-mid 30's, as you've spent your 20's trying to figure out who the heck you WANT to be, then you spend your 30's making it happen (or something like that), with of course quite a few hiccups along the way, and oftentimes you end up doing something on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. (Let me just say that I'm not trying to teach some great lesson or anything, I'm just speaking purely from my uber-limited life experience).<br />
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I've said in a past post that I believe quite strongly that a lot of our purpose here in this life is to make connections - with each other, with other living beings, with whatever higher being you may choose (if that is your path), with that creeper at the bank (just be nice to him, he *probably* isn't actually stalking you). The connections will oftentimes give you signs to point you in the right direction, if you open your mind up to it. I really think I may be on to something here.<br />
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So in case you don't already know, my day job is program director for an organization that works with the homeless. There's a man in the program with whom I've become quite connected. He's struggled with alcoholism for quite some time and has a pretty colorful history (much of which is attributed to a rough childhood, which seems to be the case with many of the men in our program). He recommended that I read a book called The Four Agreements, which I read and thoroughly enjoyed (and frequently go back to when I need a reminder that I'm being ridiculous). So I went to him and asked for another recommendation, and he recommended The Alchemist. Later on that week, after I purchased it from the Kindle store, a friend and I were riding in my car and she out of the blue mentioned that The Alchemist is her favorite book ever (not knowing that it had been recommended to me and I had just the day before downloaded it).<br />
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During the course of all of these occurrences, I had a conversation with my mom on the phone and she told me to "stop and smell the roses." Not joking, the minute she said this, I was playing with a new listing app on my iPhone and the sample list on the app said "stop and smell the roses." WEIRD.<br />
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So of course, I read The Alchemist and loved it. Much of what I got from it was right in line with the iPhone app/mom message. During the course of all of THESE occurrences, I happen to be taking a course on a form of therapy that is based on the zen technique of mindfulness. Not sure if any of this means anything in particular but my dreamy, super optimistic and metaphysical-obsessed side thinks perhaps it could.<br />
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So what DOES all of this mean? The connections to others and the universe around us are super important. Coincidences can be just that, but I think if we notice them happening a lot, it could mean something a little more. Also, stop and smell the damn roses (or pet the kitten as I would do, unless of course it's feral, then it may not be a well-thought-out decision). Just a thought.<br />
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Anywho, if you haven't seen the screaming goats video, you totally should.Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-88973233865645889092013-02-23T07:41:00.000-08:002013-02-23T07:41:28.417-08:00On screaming like a banshee (among other things)...After seeing several references to goats over the past week, I feel compelled to write a post about them. I just love them so much. They bleat and sometimes even <a href="http://gawker.com/5984348/two-minutes-of-nothing-but-goats-yelling-like-humans">scream like humans</a>.<br />
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But alas there's little I can say on that topic. <br />
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So things have been...interesting over the past few weeks. I have discovered a few new loves that I'd really like to share:<br />
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1) Trampoline fitness - this is mind-blowing and life-changing. You can burn like 1000 calories an hour AND it gives people like me an excuse to jump on trampolines for an hour. I even bought a monthly membership to this local gym so I can go as much as I want. I know what you're thinking - trampolines are for kids, don't you have little kids jumping around all the time? The answer is...yes...BUT the fitness classes are good because I can just start doing sky-jacks and tucks (screaming like a banshee) and the kids will go away. Kind of like vampires and crosses.<br />
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2) The Sir Mix-A-Lot station on Pandora. I found myself rapping "Buttermilk Biscuits" with an autistic fellow and just got inspired. I have a secret dream of being a rapper (I sometimes send raps to my husband via autorap - an iPhone app that you NEED).<br />
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3) Juicing has, once again, entered my world. I haven't been giving my juicer NEARLY the amount of TLC it deserves, mainly because I hate cleaning it after only making one or two glasses of juice. My paranoia kept from from trying to do a whole pitcher because I fear the juice will rot after a day. BUT I took the plunge, did a pitcher and guess what? Three days in, it has yet to rot and still tastes yummy. Celery, cucumbers, carrots, kale and apples ALMOST taste like a bloody mary. Almost.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATrxC4rV7JlECRJJ3hoWGHdaDyi-dbR4k4CacQJMvNZZEu2nqOOwDYcSHIe0tJZ0htASwXTlRfHaHbSY5MVj1SGTtzMbUIheLN96KlttkWi9_75EVxtffJKNbYBQaQADp9dbUyPb6A0nJ/s1600/juice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATrxC4rV7JlECRJJ3hoWGHdaDyi-dbR4k4CacQJMvNZZEu2nqOOwDYcSHIe0tJZ0htASwXTlRfHaHbSY5MVj1SGTtzMbUIheLN96KlttkWi9_75EVxtffJKNbYBQaQADp9dbUyPb6A0nJ/s320/juice.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Yes, that is a butterfly fairy in the background. There's also a picture of Seal (the artist). I deem that my corner of magical things.</span></td></tr>
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4) WE'RE GOING TO EUROPE FOR OUR 11 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! I am so excited I can barely stand it. This is such a huge deal for me because I've never been outside of the country. Truthfully, we don't have a ton of money for the trip so we're doing it as cheaply as possible (and being the Queen of Cheap, I am working it quite well). So our plan is to stay in London and take the train to Edinburgh for a day and hit Paris for at least one day. I really hope we can go up in a balloon. Please, any suggestions as to things to do are certainly welcome!!<br />
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5) Guess what? Today is Caturday! I've realized over the past few weeks that my Spike is not only incredibly scuzzy but also has severe separation anxiety. He's been following me around constantly and sleeps right up on me every single night. When I come home, he actually jumps up on the table and climbs onto my shoulder and it's nearly impossible to put him down. Poor little kitler.<br />
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-84650811964409604392013-02-16T14:27:00.000-08:002013-02-16T14:27:00.944-08:00A Truly Orgasmic Salad...Not sure if you've tried TJ's kale and edamame salad, but if you haven't you needn't waste 3.99 to give it a shot. I found <a href="http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/better-than-trader-joes-kale-and-edamame-bistro-salad/">this recipe</a> for a knockoff version and tweaked it just a bit. The results? HEAVEN. On a multi-orgasmic level ;-)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAq0daLhp1oICwRSyTWdq7UHs_vDOtl33cMki_HNqY-NPwQmf8-vS8Mc1Xgzt2NnTeHmopCYkMCpuFSIFFeCTQU3pGrkN3xXWEEavzrjGrGZnKei57JVF6n_jSuUTiWH_tFQapH7n4GeR/s1600/kale+edamame+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAq0daLhp1oICwRSyTWdq7UHs_vDOtl33cMki_HNqY-NPwQmf8-vS8Mc1Xgzt2NnTeHmopCYkMCpuFSIFFeCTQU3pGrkN3xXWEEavzrjGrGZnKei57JVF6n_jSuUTiWH_tFQapH7n4GeR/s320/kale+edamame+salad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/better-than-trader-joes-kale-and-edamame-bistro-salad/</span></td></tr>
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So I pretty much followed the recipe linked above for the ingredients (minus the dressing) although I omitted the mint and basil. But don't freak out! Instead, I made <a href="http://apassionateplate.com/hollyhock-salad-dressing/">this dressing</a> which completely changed my life (let me note that I didn't have any tamari so used soy sauce instead - it was completely fine). Ever turned up a bowl and drank the salad dressing after finishing a salad? Yeah, me neither. Until I found this dressing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFPXpOczTU3o0-51sTn5PWTn3JSBHrEAh8bRRnQI0jRmYQSN-Hz1LAOBaCaBJP2_M3FFQhH9jVUlgp2Kg7oVLLJGThmCvSvNzAc-p_K6sgXAeGhinPld5GmLusPzdKGfVfpePz26u671t/s1600/Hollyhock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFPXpOczTU3o0-51sTn5PWTn3JSBHrEAh8bRRnQI0jRmYQSN-Hz1LAOBaCaBJP2_M3FFQhH9jVUlgp2Kg7oVLLJGThmCvSvNzAc-p_K6sgXAeGhinPld5GmLusPzdKGfVfpePz26u671t/s320/Hollyhock.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: http://apassionateplate.com/hollyhock-salad-dressing/</span></td></tr>
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The combo of dressing + salad was simply magical. I swear, visions of unicorns danced through my dining room while I ate this salad.<br />
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Nom nom nom!</div>
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Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-79901628157799476542013-01-30T16:58:00.000-08:002013-01-30T16:58:41.349-08:00Where are the fashion police when I need them most?Have you ever just worn the absolute wrong thing? You know when you've done it because it's pretty fricckin' obvious the moment you arrive all decked out in what you may have thought was your most brilliant fashion choice EVER. What a massive mountain of regret it can be.<br />
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Well, as you may (or may not) have guessed, I have a terrible habit and a LONG history of doing just this. As a child I always wanted so badly to dress myself, and having a mother who was having absolutely none of that, I think as an adult I developed this "you (meaning society) don't tell me how to live my life" attitude about clothes. I am ashamed to say this "mom dressing me" thing lasted through high school so by the time I got to college I didn't really know the first thing about developing a style of my own. I remember even my senior year, mom taking out the LL Bean catalogue and telling me to pick out the colors of the boxy, oversized polos (she always ordered me a size or 2 too big) I would get to wear for the next 9 months. Shopping at the Gap or American Eagle was not much of an option for me unless I wanted to buy my own clothes. Which I did manage to do from time to time, but really had no idea what I was doing. Case in point: the first clothing items I bought with my own money were a long-sleeved tie-dye shirt with a giant heart on the front of it, a purple leather jacket (which got stolen, thank God - I'm pretty sure said thieves were the fashion police), and a pair of bright orange Asics (for style, not because I ran because I didn't); all of which I would wear TOGETHER. That was my favorite outfit for longer than I'd like to admit.<br />
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I admire the crap out of people who just put it all out there and can be completely confident in whatever they wear, and I think my rationale behind some of my fashion choices has been, "well, even if I end up looking ridiculous, my sparkling personality will SURELY outweigh the fact that my outfit sucks." I remember, at the age of 12, I went through confirmation at my church. Let me start by saying that the day before confirmation Sunday, I had spent the whole day at a pool party with no sunscreen. So I show up for the ceremony and ALL of the other little girls are wearing white dresses. But me? I'm wearing a black dress with hot pink and purple flowers all over it, puffy sleeves, AND my skin is a brilliant Carrie-esque blood red sunburn. I FULLY blame my mom for this fashion choice as I know she was humiliated when she realized she didn't get the memo about everyone wearing white, but guess who ended up looking like the resident dumbass (hint - it wasn't her). I'm pretty sure the whole congregation, along with God, were embarrassed<i> for</i> me.<br />
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So all of this leads me to my adult life. I can honestly say that at 32, I still have no idea what I'm doing in terms of fashion half the time. And I still make the mistake of showing up in jeans at the absolute wrong time AT LEAST once a month. Wouldn't it be nice if a dress code were sent out for every occasion, from a work meeting to a bachelorette party to a wedding shower? I've gone to showers where everyone was dressed in their Sunday best, and others where folks wore jeans and sneakers, and I showed up in just the opposite thing everyone else was wearing. Why can't there be a general code of conduct for things that states something to the effect of: "Everyone can wear whatever they want whenever they want, so long as it is pleasing to the eye." Why are we as society so bound by dress codes? And why don't I ever seem to get the memos?<br />
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If I could have it my way, I wouldn't wear jeans anyway. I'd wear yoga pants, tank tops, hoodies and fuzzy boots everywhere. Suck it, fashion police!Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-29265457795419952912013-01-20T07:49:00.000-08:002013-01-20T07:49:08.504-08:00The Milkman, She-Ra and, of course, goats...So if you've ever had a conversation with me, you've likely learned that one of my ultimate goals in life is to own a huge home and decorate each room with a different theme. Not only will it make my home the most interesting one to visit; it will also force my creative juices to flow into overdrive (which could very well result in something fantastically bizarre). I've been gathering ideas for the past few years.<br />
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1) Master Bedroom: This would be the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon room (sans swords and fights and, you know, killing). Simplicity. Neutral colors. A yoga space. A bamboo tree. Perhaps a panda in said tree. Or a family of pandas. Could be a little distracting when we're trying to sleep but, well, who do you know who has pandas in their bedroom? And most importantly, and to keep in line with said theme, in this room people can glide/float when they jump.<br />
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2) Master Bath: Same thing, just to keep in line with the Crouching Tiger theme. Simplicity - candles, neutrals, maybe a zen garden. Spike would be stationed here, just to maintain some consistency with the panda piece. The bedroom/bathroom themes are going to be the calm spots in a house full of chaos.<br />
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3) Kitchen: Definitely 1950's. Black and white checkered floor. Tiffany blue and red EVERYWHERE. I'd even pay someone to deliver milk every day in old-fashioned milkman garb. Because, you know, I can.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-bH9-vtK00fgjqCZwxRAm185Dzza4qbhjyBTh5BYm9w3qgKChZN_CtwhLZkdbGCXGg29_2OUM4_f9qStnRMLOmQRiqkpnpVws_FP4En_iltwZqOghiJIMV72_LWcpaUiST8k4M4GHBPp/s1600/milkman1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-bH9-vtK00fgjqCZwxRAm185Dzza4qbhjyBTh5BYm9w3qgKChZN_CtwhLZkdbGCXGg29_2OUM4_f9qStnRMLOmQRiqkpnpVws_FP4En_iltwZqOghiJIMV72_LWcpaUiST8k4M4GHBPp/s320/milkman1.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">source: http://gigabiting.com/the-milkman-cometh</span></td></tr>
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4) Guest Bedroom 1: The Room of Magical Creatures. You guessed it - unicorns, coupled with the musical stylings of Seal. I needn't go into detail on this as I'd like for you to use your imagination.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWpaCJyfiebgm1Jvk3ZcyFVI0mZz9361I6xm5nghdPeNvkN508IOvr8ITF6Grw-unTiNiVmJUnyNfxKc_auSKqSli85OUaStmBeZnmOM5C6Ku-pSmNo1rNw1uruieGwCX7i1D63pVfucW/s1600/seal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWpaCJyfiebgm1Jvk3ZcyFVI0mZz9361I6xm5nghdPeNvkN508IOvr8ITF6Grw-unTiNiVmJUnyNfxKc_auSKqSli85OUaStmBeZnmOM5C6Ku-pSmNo1rNw1uruieGwCX7i1D63pVfucW/s320/seal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">source: http://musichurricane.com/tag/seal/</span></td></tr>
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5) Guest Bedroom 2: The Moroccan style, Super Sexy Room. No furniture - just pillows everywhere. And drapes, lanterns, dark jewel tones everywhere. Incense would be burning. This is the place to go for business time.<br />
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6) Guest Bedroom 3: The ADHD Room. Lava lamps everywhere. A disco ball. One of those laser show projection things. Perhaps a goat. An endless supply of candy. Slinkys. One of those moving water pictures on the wall, with the sound of water and dolphins clicking every few minutes.<br />
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7) Guest Bedroom 4: The Child of the 80's Room. I think this will be my most cherished (and yours, too). A full-sized, working version of the <a href="http://yesbutdoesitpleaseandsparkle.blogspot.com/2012/11/so-lets-talk-about-rockafire-explosion.html">Rockafire Explosion</a> (with the curtain to pull when it's time to go to sleep, as I know how creepy Fats the Gorilla can be, and frankly, I don't want him watching my guests sleep). Shelves with ALL of the cool toys we used to play with: Teddy Ruxpin, the California Raisins, Rainbow Bright, Transformers, G.I. Joe, He-Man and She-Ra. The bed would be covered with old school stuffed animals including but not limited to E.T., a Glo Worm and the Care Bears (NOT the new versions). There would be a Hello Kitty corner that smells like cherries and is set up like the Hello Kitty Store from my childhood (Macon Mall - many allowances were spent on pencil cases and stickers here). A record player with multiple records including Madonna, George Michael, Prince, Cyndi Lauper and the soundtrack to Flashdance. The party would start and end in this room.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT43x0oETgvl9rhlkps8I-p8NJRwb9U0R3-KWlSMB31pmZp9Ygd3C4S_5xw-1dQoEDNWmRR-u953Yy6qZ7fj7Rtr1Ck8G_0LB3dchvCA6B33wUAfHD7gQCqSHCFhyc-gx5KGritc4bUGxy/s1600/121212043308-she-ra-06-horizontal-gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT43x0oETgvl9rhlkps8I-p8NJRwb9U0R3-KWlSMB31pmZp9Ygd3C4S_5xw-1dQoEDNWmRR-u953Yy6qZ7fj7Rtr1Ck8G_0LB3dchvCA6B33wUAfHD7gQCqSHCFhyc-gx5KGritc4bUGxy/s320/121212043308-she-ra-06-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">source: http://cyprustoday.net/news/index.php/its-she-ra-2-0/</span></td></tr>
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8) Outside: There would be a miniature animal farm, of course, with goats, pigs and sheep. And a trampoline.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkl-8oTX9nihVT-xc0YY5FL7a6kPgTj8dFQZ4Cn6CYSwTKQ_ekzfDIY9QLkVKvqdbQL8LUNehhOVtCva8SRvLZtOp9IJd8f1qh-55YH2zvsXMVD-7jW8t-B441OvlQXQ5MyFwP5wj8wQ3/s1600/full-grown-pygmy-goat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkl-8oTX9nihVT-xc0YY5FL7a6kPgTj8dFQZ4Cn6CYSwTKQ_ekzfDIY9QLkVKvqdbQL8LUNehhOVtCva8SRvLZtOp9IJd8f1qh-55YH2zvsXMVD-7jW8t-B441OvlQXQ5MyFwP5wj8wQ3/s320/full-grown-pygmy-goat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">source:http://mydandelionwine.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/meh-meh-mehniature/</span></td></tr>
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-42398807509671800442013-01-07T19:07:00.000-08:002013-01-07T19:07:26.208-08:00On antiquing, haunted teddy bears and Tiffany blueAs I've gotten older and <i>somewhat</i> more mature, I've found this unbelievably strong urge to antique the shit out of my life. So while you and yours are out shopping at the mall on a day off, I love nothing more than to hit the antique stores. There are quite a few within a five mile radius of mi casa that I enjoy visiting.<br />
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It's not so much the urge to buy things. It's really the spirit of adventure that makes me want to antique. There's something just intoxicating about walking through a really cool antique store. Dead peoples' things rock. (That being said, I do need to clarify that I AM aware of haunted objects and know better than to buy anything that's especially creepy looking (like dolls and stuffed bears that coo and cover their eyes*), and if I do take something home I suspect may be haunted, I know what to do - burn it. Or call Sam and Dean. God I'm such a nerd).<br />
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So there's this AMAZING antique store in Decatur called Kudzu. If you haven't been and live anywhere within, oh, the entire planet, YOU NEED TO VISIT KUDZU. I honestly think this is my most favorite store in the entire world. AND as if this isn't enough, they recently opened a new store in Sandy Springs, on Roswell Rd. Mind = Blown. A dear friend drunkenly said to me once, "I love you so much I want to throw up." Well, that's how I feel about this store.<br />
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Which brings me to the point of this post: robins egg/AKA Tiffany blue. Where has this color been all my life? It is gloriously magnificent and makes me swoon with adoration (and not <i>just</i> because it's associated with my name). I realized just how much I love this color while walking through Kudzu. It seems to adorn so many of the never-ending, beautifully arranged booths. It's such a whimsical color, and I am a great lover of whimsy. But I digress.<br />
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So I was walking through Kudzu and found this (coat).<br />
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It fit like a glove and was just the perfect color and at a mere $28, was completely worth every penny. It even says "wear in good health" in place of a tag. Ever found that one item that you're pretty certain you were born to wear? Well, this was it for me. And it was solidified when I got complimented by TWO gay men at Lenox Mall while wearing said jacket. WHAT??!!<br />
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So in searching for more of this color to light up my life, I ended up creating a <a href="http://pinterest.com/tifbrennaman/tiffany-blue/">Pinterest board</a> for it.<br />
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LOVE THIS COLOR SO MUCH!!!!</div>
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*We were in another local antique store yesterday and Chris pointed to this creepy looking teddy bear sitting on a shelf. I looked over at it and it started moving and cooing. Chris and I both just about peed in our pants we were so freaked out. Upon closer inspection, when it moved its arms it looked like it was covering its eyes. I tried to get a video of this later but the thing wouldn't move again. We thought about buying it for a friend's little kid but our damn heart strings got in the way so we did not move forward with the purchase. How much you want to bet if I go back to the store, not only will the bear not be there anymore, but the employees will know nothing about a cooing teddy bear having ever been in the store?<br />
<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-963282639858039352012-12-31T08:10:00.003-08:002012-12-31T08:22:20.310-08:00On 2012...So this has been a pretty interesting year for yours truly (but really, aren't all years interesting?). Much has happened - I have moved, completely immersed myself in a new job (that I'd actually started at the end of 2011), and discovered a new appreciation for kale. I've had quite a few over-the-top rants and many fun, magical moments. Here are some of the more meaningful things I've learned this year:<br />
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1) Kale is the best vegetable ever. Nobody can argue this. It is delicious when cooked with brown sugar and apple cider vinegar and also amazing in a salad, with lots of avocado. This wonderful veggie has LOADS of health benefits and is jam packed with calcium, potassium and other super-awesome things.</div>
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2) I can rock fur. Not real fur, fake fur of course. But I can rock it. Especially furry legwarmer boot things. Didn't buy any yet but I have tried them on at the stripper store. Yes, the stripper store. (Let me note that this revelation came far earlier than 2012 but it was so incredibly meaningful I could not resist sharing in this post).</div>
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3) Immersion experiences are awesome, but don't push it too hard when it comes to work. Taking care of oneself should always come first. This is, of course, much easier said than done. Yoga helps A LOT (unfortunately, discovered this at the END of 2012 - should have started much earlier). That said, my job rocks and I've met some of the greatest people EVER through my work!</div>
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4) It's okay to put up lights year round, as long as it is done in a tasteful way (the extent of "tasteful" being defined by said decorator, of course. For example, if you live in a camper - go nuts). Lights are sparkly, therefore ALWAYS acceptable. In my sparkly world, one of the first things I did in when we moved into our condo was to string white lights around our curtain rod in the living room, globe lights around our hutch, and starry lights around our bedroom curtains. It really makes for a fun atmosphere!</div>
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5) Reading for pleasure definitely pleases and sparkles. I read, like, 5 books this year for pure pleasure!!! And not one of them was 50 Shades of Grey (although I hear it is, um, quite pleasurable). After spending 5 years reading for educational purposes, it was nice to actually enjoy books for the sake of enjoyment.</div>
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6) It's important to reward oneself on a daily basis with little treats. SO important. You want the cupcake? Eat the cupcake. And quit your bitching about it sitting on your hips and ass (this is really relevant to yours truly) - I GUARANTEE you one cupcake will not expand your waistline.</div>
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7) Don't exercise because you have to, do it because you want to, and not to excess. For much of this year I obsessed over logging at least 30 miles of running a week. Not really sure why - I only ran one half marathon and a bunch of 5K's, but for whatever reason felt it was an absolute necessity that I logged a certain number of weekly miles (and if I didn't log some weeks would beat myself up over it and then try to log extra miles the following week). There's some real awesome self-care, Lady. Well, guess what ended up happening? I sprained my ankle twice this year AND ran through a stress fracture in my shin. RAN THROUGH IT. So because of my awesome decisions I ended up doing PT and NOT running for the last 2 months of the year. And ya know what, it wasn't that bad. As mentioned in #3, yoga helps. A lot. </div>
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8) I don't care what you say, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is amazing. I watched every episode and LOVED each one. Anyone who plays games like "guess who's breath" and is creative enough to make spaghetti sauce using butter, ketchup and road kill is cool in my book. Calling lady parts "biscuits"? Wish I'd thought of it first. And shopping at the dump? Hey, it's smart AND economical. Haters gonna hate.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Source: http://dailybleach.com/5-reasons-why-here-comes-honey-boo-boo-may-be-the-most-important-new-series-on-american-television/)</span></div>
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That's all I got - stay tuned for more sparkly things in 2013. Happy New Year!!!</div>
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Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-23095571934356453352012-12-30T07:04:00.000-08:002012-12-30T07:04:15.263-08:00Do it yo'self - Make something old kinda funky!So this old hutch is one that has been in my family for 3 generations. My mom began to stain it several years back but never finished, so basically Chris and I have had a crappy, unfinished hutch in our apartments for 10 years. Can you believe it took me 10 YEARS to do ANYTHING to this old thing? I'd had every intention of staining it but just kept coming up with excuses. Well I finally made a move!<br />
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This was the before (completed the sanding - just as I was starting the first coat of paint). See how crappy it looks? There's even a knob missing.<br />
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This was the midpoint (first color done - a pale pink)<br />
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After the pale pink, I tried using a "weathering" glaze, but when I painted on the top coat (a chocolate brown), the weathering didn't really show up (boo!!!!) so I gave it a weathered look by beating it up a bit with a screwdriver (quite cathartic) and sanding a lot of the edges. I also got some super cute crystal knobs from Hobby Lobby that worked out pretty well :) and YES, that is Gizmo.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EhOkenAZW1isSGVmGJY9yNhKMba4N55cjnLPnnojbCjRM6cWTUUP-ED1savYcMjCqEnP3HZQ-3G2zu2uzf_M2WF2KjRkRBh9OwBUeKMXycvftmFBBFzhBD41TXYm6gfsaQNvBnrh4pOC/s1600/hutch+finished.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EhOkenAZW1isSGVmGJY9yNhKMba4N55cjnLPnnojbCjRM6cWTUUP-ED1savYcMjCqEnP3HZQ-3G2zu2uzf_M2WF2KjRkRBh9OwBUeKMXycvftmFBBFzhBD41TXYm6gfsaQNvBnrh4pOC/s320/hutch+finished.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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AND to boot, I reupholstered the dining room chairs (also very old) in a pink and chocolate damask fabric that sorta matches the hutch!!<br />
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How fun was this??!!Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-16276409591018495082012-12-22T20:13:00.002-08:002012-12-22T20:13:57.909-08:00It's my first CAT-URDAY!!In honor of my first Caturday post, I wanted to share a few pics I made with this amazing app called "Cat Effects." Yes, I know, it's completely lame that I've poured ANY time into this but I've found it to be terribly addictive. The best is when Chris and I are in a room together and I send him a picture of himself with a mountain lion in the background and I'm all, "hey, hon, be careful going to the bathroom because, ya know, there's a mountain lion chilling in the hallway right behind you."<br />
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So in the spirit of this, thought I'd share a few of my most proudest creations:<br />
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Chris thinks he's just enjoying a cold one, but little does he know, he's being stalked from behind...</div>
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My dad is one hard-core dude! To get this close to a tiger (and a pissed off one at that) takes GUTS.</div>
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David (brother-in-law) enjoyed the company of more than just yours truly after his slice of pizza. Cuteness overload alert WHAT??!!</div>
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The guys and Simba, waiting for a concert.</div>
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So I apologize profusely for this post. Please don't unsubscribe from me for this. Please.</div>
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775883958863227270.post-43121164318720621612012-12-07T05:10:00.003-08:002012-12-07T05:10:51.337-08:00On holiday junk food...So Chris and I started this experiment that involves "testing" a whole bunch of unhealthy holiday treats and reviewing them. It was TOTALLY his idea and I really couldn't say no. I mean, come on, he came home with the biggest grin on his face and had arms full of holiday treats, for "experimental purposes," he said. How could I say no?<br />
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Not to mention the fact that I can't run for like a month due to tendonitis that just won't go away, so the calories I take in from this experiment, well, they have nowhere to go but my hips and ass. Yay. But.....this is all for the sake of love. And bloggery.<br />
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So here's my philosophy on junk food - I LOVE sweets. There is no doubt that I have got a horrific sweet tooth. As a tween/teen, I noshed on Little Debbie snack cakes for lunch, giant chocolate chip cookies that they served at my school cafeteria (they were pretty frickkin' amazing), and my parents and I would usually have a half gallon of Breyers in the freezer that we'd go through in, oh, 2 days. It was horrible.<br />
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So oddly enough, when I got to college I actually lost 15 pounds my freshman year, mainly because the food choices on campus were, um, sub-par. Plus I walked. A lot. And somewhere in the midst of all of this, I started to develop healthy eating habits. As an adult, I get giddy over health food stores, especially ones that serve tofu wraps and fresh sides like tabbouli and bean salads - YUM. When Chris is out of town and I'm a one-woman show, I could go nuts and eat at the restaurants Chris doesn't like. But instead, I cook roasted veggies and nosh on quinoa and kale.<br />
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I love the way healthy food makes me feel. I can't imagine going back to junk food. Even when we order pizza (a rarity), I always accompany my 2 slices with a giant kale salad.<br />
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So you can imagine how difficult this experiment is for me. My greatest fear is that I will go back there again. I'm afraid that the memories conjured up by this will make me go nuts, and should things get stressful enough over the next few weeks, I may go into the kitchen and have a snack cake binge. Especially since I work from home 2 days a week...my hips and ass will double in size by 2013. Oh dear...<br />
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Here's how I typically handle sweets. I WILL allow myself to have dessert if we're out at a nice restaurant and they serve something I really love. Just because this is such a rarity, I think it's really good to do things like that. And each day, I typically allow myself one sweet treat (usually well under 200 calories). Because I've found that so often, one cookie is actually enough. Or even a spoonful of nutella. But it's usually a cookie that's made with very few ingredients, or if we do ice cream I get plan vanilla bean (the one with like 5 ingredients). Wow, I'm such a control freak. This is borderline nutty, right?<br />
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So now I'm relinquishing control to the snack cakes. Wish me luck.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nerduary.com/2012/12/christmas-treat-review-tastycakes-candy.html">Here's a link to our experiment.</a><br />
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I'm dying to know your thoughts!<br />
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Also, here's a cute picture of owl kisses. This is me and Chris (d'awwwww):<br />
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Wishing everyone peace, love and sparkly things today!!<br />
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<br />Queen of Randomnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882675725517908398noreply@blogger.com4