september 24th September 25, 2009

Since I was a dead beat last week and missed putting down my good things but I guess it’s because my good things have been taking me away from this blog and into real life. The ultimate good thing but I still have some to put down.

• Good dates- when you’ve had a couple of really bad dates, you get really discouraged. I have found that dating in the real world is not like meeting guys at college; it’s a lot more stressful and not as easy as meeting and just hanging out. But finally I had a good date where I actually enjoyed the person. He made me laugh and he made me comfortable despite my nervousness. Tomorrow I have another date so let’s cross our fingers that it will be a good date.
• New sorority clothes- yes, I know I graduated and am now an alum of  my sorority. But now that I am working and making money, I can finally indulge in buying some frivolous things like a white hoodie with my letters on the back. I’m getting it for homecoming and I just can’t wait to wear it!
• New shoes- okay I am not going to make this post all about the new things I’ve bought but I have to mention my new shoes. I was very thrifty and purchased shoes online because I had a coupon for DSW. I got the cutest madras boat shoes for work and a pair of fleece-lined moccasins for this fall and winter. Not to mention the two pairs of boots I bought from in store with a discount coupon that are very fashionable and perfect for the winter season.
• Phone calls- I love getting phone calls from friends and being silly and fun and reminiscing even when you’re far away from each other.
• Watching the news- I got back into my routine of watching the news every evening at 6:30pm. It’s nice to learn things outside of the classroom and be updated on what’s going on in the world.

“We are all vulnerable. We will at some point in our lives fall. We will all fall. We must carry this in our hearts, that what we have is special. They can be taken from us. That when it is taken from us, we will be tested. We will be tested. We will be tested to our very soul. It is these times, it is this pain that allows us to look inside ourselves.” -Friday Night Lights

scrubbing bubbles September 23, 2009

Since I am becoming a big girl out in the “real world” that everyone always talked about, I’ve been making steps towards being a grown up. One of my most superficial changes but a change that actually makes me feel like a grown up is purchasing new beauty products. I really never spent lots of money on make-up, shampoo, brushes, body scrubs, body lotion or skincare products. Thank goodness I have managed to look somewhat good for so long without investing in my own skin. I’ve managed to get by on basic drugstore products. But recently, now that I get a regular paycheck, I’ve given myself a small beauty budget and I’m having fun indulging in it.

My simplest beauty indulgence was choosing a new mascara. I didn’t choose a pricey option because I really like Rimmel products. They’re cheap but they’re not bad and they are endorsed by Kate Moss. I’m pretty low budget on make-up because I don’t really like to cake it on or fool around. That leaves me a nice little chunk for my other beauty indulgences, mainly anything to do with showers.

I LOVE showers and will take one any time of the day therefore any investment in this area is worth it. I’ve been pretty basic for my bath gel, using the coconut lime verbena shower gel from Bath and Body Works for several years. Then two weeks ago I decided it was time for a change. After seeing something in Lucky magazine, I went on philosophy’s website, read through some customer reviews, and picked my new gel. It’s happily called “Falling in Love” and smells a bit floral without being heavy with undertones of squeaky clean. I’m getting used to it but love that it leaves my skin moisturized. I am also a big fan of haircare but have kept my routine confined mostly to Garnier Fructis and Sheer Blonde. They’re both shampoos and conditioners that work well on my hair and I am very picky about my hair. Yet I can’t get stuck in a routine for too long and, after a sample size present that went over well, I recently purchased the Lush shampoo “I Love Juicy.” It smells so delicious and fruity and it’s vegan so I feel all cool and hip. After urging by the salesperson, I picked a small bottle of conditioner to go along with it: “Veganese.” Mostly I picked it because she said it had lemon in it and would make my highlights look even brighter. The jury’s still out on that one but it smells very organic in a good way.

My area of little indulgence but most importance would have to be skincare. I’m a girl who does not like to fuss with my face and thankfully I have been blessed with low maintenance skin. My old routine is using cold cream to take off my make-up and a light slathering to keep it clean and moisturized. That all changed last week after a bargain hunting purchase resulted in my possession of philosophy’s “the great mystery.” It’s a one minute daily facial that I don’t mind taking every day. It smells really good, kind of like eucalyptus with a hint of its sea salts, and you can feel a slight tingle as it does its magic. My skin feels soft and supple and I will definitely be buying it even without the Lucky mag discount I got on it this time. The only thing left is to replace my boring Dove moisturizer with something more fabulous.

Now I can happily look around my bathroom and feel like a big girl with big girl beauty products!

strangers September 11, 2009

It’s funny how strangers can change your life. It’s not something you ever realize because it can be small things. If you think about it, strangers change your life in small ways every day. Traffic and long lines and leaving change in one of those coin deposit trays at the convenience store, strangers touch you and you don’t think about it. For me, at the beginning of the summer, a stranger  changed the rough path I was on and made me come out of a period of unhappiness.

It’s a weird story for sure. I was online and im-ed by someone I didn’t know. I thought of rejecting it but I thought it might be someone I know. So I replied. It started off as a case of mistaken identity and after we were properly identified as complete strangers, it became a silly flirtation. I was pretty down after my break-up, a pretty common experience. But suddenly this strange guy was flirting with me and making me laugh. It was just what I needed right then, someone showing me it wasn’t worth my time to wallow in my unhappiness. I would have come out of my funk eventually but it happened a whole lot faster with this mysterious and weird situation.

I also bring up the idea of strangers changing lives because of today, September 11th. People we might not have known personally died in the tragedy and it still affects us profoundly. People, soldiers, we probably don’t know fight for our freedom and their work affects us every day. So even though there are many strangers in our life, I feel that our lives have the ability to touch theirs every day in little and big ways. I adopted a soldier, a man I have never met and most likely will never meet, and try to support him as much as I can. I do not know him but he makes my life safer so I want to make his life better in some little way too. I guess what I want to emphasize is that we may be strangers but that doesn’t mean that you don’t make a difference. It’s up to you to make sure that the life you lead, the life that affects others, is a positive one when it touches others. That’s what I think we all need to remember on September 11th.

september 10th September 10, 2009

Another Thursday and I only did one post for the week! I need to get working on this thing again. But it’s been another good but long week though tomorrow’s Friday!

• Trashy beach novels- I stopped reading all those “trashy” paperback novels in search of some really good reading materials. But I missed them, I missed the silly romance stories so I grabbed a few at the library and they’ve been making me happy all week. They’re kind of like bon bons, short and sweet.
• Trying new recipes and meeting success- I love to experiment in the kitchen but trying new recipes can sometimes me daunting. I made lemon bars today at work and they were savory, tangy, and a success!
• Buying a personal organizer- okay, so it is not the filofax of my dreams but it’s pretty darn close. I found a lovely organizer in green with a bamboo pattern and filled with cream colored sheets. While everyone moves to PDAs and Blackberrys, I still love the satisfaction of crossing things out.
• Shopping online and getting crazy discounts- I went out shopping on Monday and found a really gorgeous black dress and nice black pants. But my real shopping expertise started when I got home and went online. With labor day sales, membership discount coupons, and promotional codes, I scored a pair of adorable madras boat shoes, fleece-lined moccassins, and two great skincare products from Philosophy. Now if only I could find a discount code for the boots of my dreams at Piperlime…
• Buying discount Bradley Beach merchandise- I went down the Shore on Sunday and it was really windy and kinda cold for a day lying on the beach. It was so cold in fact that it forced us to search out sweatshirts or something to cover us up in the cold. The little boardwalk store was closing up and selling some of their merchandise discounted so I picked up a pink longsleeve tee with the beach logo and threw in a Bradley Beach bumper sticker for good measure. All for only $10 and it was sweet.

“Sometimes what seems like surrender isn’t surrender at all. It’s about what’s going on in our hearts. About seeing clearly the way life is and accepting it and being true to it is far, far greater.” -The Horse Whisperer

leading or following September 9, 2009

In this age of technology, I have learned that, while nothing can replace face to face contact with a potential date, there is a huge amount of contact that you can make without actual seeing them. Texting, Facebook, im-ing, and email are all forms of communication where you don’t actual have to see that person. I have always felt that the internet gives you a certain sense of anonimoty and along with that, courage and confidence. You can be anybody for all they know. So you’re free to flirt and push subtly push boundaries that maybe you wouldn’t have before. But as you get to know the other person through all these different mediums, you either begin to like the person or are developing a relationship that maybe you don’t want to actually have. At one point does innocent flirting become leading someone on? Is it that moment when you realize that you’re not attracted to that person? But then where does keeping an open mind with someone fall in the scheme of non-personal communication?

I find that it’s a very sketchy line. In my case, I have a pretty open mind, which you could tell if you took a look at my last several relationships. And I’m also a terrible flirt because I like to tease and have fun. But there’s a part of me that bases a lot on looks. My biggest dilemma falls in matching looks up with personality. I have a hard time accepting a poor personality for great looks. On the other hand, I sometimes let looks slide a bit when I find someone who really makes me laugh and intrigues me. The problem comes when I don’t see myself with them because of the physical aspect but I really still want to talk because I love their personality. I’m constantly struggling with the idea that I might be leading them on but still wanting to get to know them because I enjoy talking to them. I’ve kind of put it at it’s leading on after you actually meet face to face and realize the chemistry’s not there but still pursue the relationship. It’s still a fine line to tread and I’ve found caution is the best in all situations.

september 3rd September 3, 2009

It’s been a good week with lots of good things:

• Text messaging- what would I do without it? But it just reminded me of how close you can be with your friends without being close. I’m not saying that texts replaces hanging out with our toes in the fountain but it makes me feel good to know I can contact them in an instant.
• Three day weekend coming up- it’s all about the little things in life like getting to sleep in one extra day.
• Working on my scrapbooks- I have been getting pictures printed up and will be going out to replenish my scrapbook supplies. I love having little things to look at and go along with all of my memories.
• Bringing my dog to work- he was super cute with all of my residents, running around and making friends. I love my puppy and it was great to have him around all day.
• Discovering Uno’s Snack Hour- you cannot beat $1.99 half portion appetizers from 4-7pm every night. I am seriously in love with their Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla and Shrimp and Crab Fondue. I sound like a fat kid but really they’re only half portions so I’m good.

“But the only thing I have to give/ To make you smile, to win you with/ Are all the mornings still to live.” -Morning Morgantown, Joni Mitchell

sunny strip of road September 2, 2009

Driving in my car today, I hit this stretch of road where the sun hitting it looked golden, the wind was cool through the open window and I felt for a moment that I could just keep driving and run away. I don’t have a life I want to run away from; it’s actually quite the opposite, I really like where my life is right now. But there are those moments when I’m on the road and think, this could be it, I could just keep going. I could get on any highway, any road headed away from home.

Where would I go? I don’t even have a concrete destination in mind. I would probably head west into the lands in the middle of the country that I haven’t ever seen. It would be daunting and exciting, exhilirating and free. I would turn the radio way up and sing along like no one’s watching (though that’s how I sing when I’m in the car anyway). Would I stay in motels or sleep in my car? I do have enough money right now in my bank account that I could go for a little bit before it’s all gone. It’s always been a fantasy of mine just to strike out and make it. Imagine all the things I would see. My responsible self has always held me back thinking about the brake situation on my car, having a job, having a real life with all of these responsibilities.

But sometimes when I hit that really sunny patch of road and the day seems just right, a million different possibilities open up. It puts a smile on my face and makes me think that I am free, even if I don’t hit the road and head west, north, or south or any place in the world other than home.

writing project #1 August 30, 2009

I’ve begun some tiny writing projects, little attempts to get the creative juices flowing. The first one here is collecting the first lines of some books I have on my desk. I have an obsession with the first line, getting it just right so that it captures my audience and keeps them reading. But really what makes a first line good or bad? It’s hard to tell because they all really try something different but seem equally successful. Here are some of the ones I’ve collected so far:

“Her body moved with the frankness that comes from solitary habits.” Prodigal Summer, Barbara Kingsolver

“When Pearl Tull was dying, a funny thought occurred to her.” Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Anne Tyler

“Tonight, the hay in the fields is already brittle with frost, especially to the west of Fox Hill, where the pastures shine like stars.” Here on Earth, Alice Hoffman

“The light hadn’t even officially turned green at the intersection of 17th and Broadway before an army of overconfident yellow cabs roared past the tiny deathtrap I was attempting to navigate around the city streets.” The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger

“Only three people were left under the red and white awning of the grease joint: Grady, me, and the fry cook.” Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen

“Clare: It’s hard being left behind.” The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger

“I should have known that summer of 1961 was gonna be the biggest of our lives.” The Book of Bright Ideas, Sandra Kring

“Howard Roark laughed.” The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand

“Whenever my mother talks to me, she begins the conversation as if we were already in the middle of an argument.” The Kitchen God’s Wife, Amy Tan

“At night I would lie in bed and watch the show, how bees squeezed through the cracks of my bedroom wall and flew circles around the room, making that propeller sound, a high-pitched zzzzz that hummed along my skin.” The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd

“Marguerite didn’t know where to start.” The Love Season, Elin Hilderbrand

forgetful August 29, 2009

I’ve been so busy with work and home stuff that I just haven’t made time to write anything for almost a week. That will change soon though, possibly with a post tonight. It makes me sad though; I can’t believe I missed Good Things Thursday!

to read, not to read August 23, 2009

I’ve read a lot of books this summer ranging from memoirs to psychology books. I used to have a certain style when I read: I didn’t like books about guys unless it was a classic, I wanted the main character not to be middle-aged and/or divorced, and I hated anything that wasn’t immediately a stunner. I’m pretty good at discerning whether a book will hold my attention for more than a chapter, I’ve been able to broaden my reading style quite a bit this summer. This is why I’ve developed my short list of “To Read” and “Not to Read” of the books I’ve read thus far.

To Read:

• My Life in France by Julia Child: Child’s memoirs beginning from her first day in France and continuing through her years in television, though her main focus is on her favorite city, Paris. I read this book in anticipation of the film Julie & Julia but I was not disappointed. It was as much about Julia Child as having the intrepid spirit to really do what you love and to do it well. An interest in cooking and in France is not necessary but helps spur you onward quite a bit. It made me want to run away to Paris and enroll in Le Cordon Bleu.
• The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell: I’m not sure how to categorize this book exactly though if pressed I would say it’s a book with a unique view of the business world. It gives the theory of “tipping,” when an idea goes from obscurity into widespread popularity. My interest in marketing gave me a perspective with which to look at each situation he described. Gladwell incorporates a lot of behind-the-scenes looks into how something becomes an epidemic and is amazing at breaking it down and applying these cases to his theory. It’s really a must read to change your outlook on the world.
• The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: this was another one I read in anticipation of the movie. Though I haven’t been to see the film, I found the book to beautifully written and a film not even necessary to illustrate this unique love story. The story focuses around Henry DeTamble who suffers from a disorder that causes unpredictable time travel. On one of his journeys, he meets the love of his life Claire. The story is complex and you really have to stay on your toes when reading it but it was worth it. The greatest lesson for me was that no love is perfect but you can have a wonderful love if you just try.

Not to Read:

• Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman: Though it’s certain that Hoffman’s a great writer with the lyrical prose of the book, it was one of the most depressing texts I have read in a long while. The back of the book says something about a “dark love” but you really don’t understand the darkness of the book until you get halfway through. I forced myself to finish it so I could start my next book. It’s not something I recommend; maybe pick up Hoffman’s bestselling Practical Magic instead.
• Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin: This is a chick lit book but one with a lot of weird twists. The ending was what ruined it for me and the character development seems slighted. I wouldn’t say it was a waste and that I was desperate to finish it but Giffin’s other books have been better.