So, it came. The NutriSystem is here, and organized on my counter. I'm so excited to see how this pans out.
So, as it stands now. . .0 down, 35 to go.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
My Ink
One of the things that distinguish me from the rest of the human race, other than the fact that I stand a TOWERING four feet eleven inches (yes 4’11”) is that I have eleven (12) tattoos. I got my first one when I was nineteen and have no intention of stopping anytime soon. I’ve been obsessed with them since I was little. They’re my favorite part of me.
I get asked about them a lot; what they mean, why I picked it, if it hurt, the back-story, etc. So, I’m writing this so I can give people the link to my blog instead of spending forever talking about them.
So without further ado. . .
1. (Purple heart with eight note) I was 19 when I got this one. It was totally unplanned. I was sitting in the Chinese place in what was then Parkway City Mall in Huntsville with my friend Mark, and we were discussing what we wanted to do that evening. I tossed around the idea of getting second holes, no, third holes in my ears, when all of the sudden I knew it was time. I’ve been obsessed with tattoos since I was little, and I was ready for one. I didn’t even know what I wanted. After eating, we were off to Magic Needles in Huntsville. I would recommend them to anyone. I looked at the flash on the wall, and looked in the portfolios, and didn’t see anything I wanted, and I was bummed. We rode around for a while, to look for more tattoo shops, and didn’t find one that didn’t look WAY shady. I decided to go back to Magic Needles to look at more portfolios. I flipped and flipped and flipped until I saw it. This tiny heart no bigger than a quarter with an eighth note inside. I knew that was it. I had been into singing since I was a kid, and was a member of the Street Singers at Snead. I asked if the chick artist could do it because the dude that hooked me up with the paperwork looked scary. I know, major faux pas. It only took about ten minutes to complete, and I couldn’t stop giggling the whole time.
2. (Writing around the heart) It was a few days before a trip to Nashville with a group of friends when I decided that it was time for another one. It was one year later, so I was 20. I figured Nashville would be the perfect place to get a new tat as there are bunches of shops there. So, after one failed attempt at finding a place, on the last day, we found one that was open and could take me. My friend Mandy videotaped the experience. The tattoo reads “La Vie Boheme” which means “the bohemian life” and is also a song from RENT which I and a few of the group saw a couple days before, and I love it. Still do. It was done at The Queen of Hearts studio.
3. It’s on my upper right thigh if you’re wondering. This was done in October of 2002 at a shop that for the life of me I can’t remember the name of in Auburn. Two special ladies by the name of April and Leslie got this same tattoo because we were in a play called “Dancing at Lughnasa” and the play was set in Ireland. Not to mention, all three of us are Irish girls to the core. Our feet may be planted in ‘bama, but our hearts are in Ireland. It’s small too, a little bigger than a quarter.
4. I got this one a couple months after I moved to Jacksonville. . .summer of ‘03. I got it in Jacksonville at a place called Exotic Tattoo and Piercing. I picked it out about ten minutes before I went to get it. The original flash had this ugly black tribal marking behind the flowers, but luckily the artist could do only the flowers. He liked the end result so much that he took a picture. This one doesn’t really have any specific meaning, I just liked it a lot and wanted something colorful to mark this new chapter in my life.
5. This symbol is called a triquetra. I know you’ve seen it before. It’s typically done with a circle where the heart is. I got these (I got this one and number six on the same day) at a huge turning point in my life that I don’t want to go into. This one just is just another little symbol of my Irishness. It is widely believed that it’s a pagan symbol, but the first known instance of this symbol being used is on The Book of Kells, which is an illustrated book of the Gospels. Because of this it is also a popular symbol for the holy trinity. I got the heart instead of a circle to remind me not to give away my own heart so freely. This was done in the fall of ‘06. Yes, it hurt. A lot.
6. This is a claddagh. I know you’ve seen it before. Like I said, I got this one the same day as number five. The heart symbolizes love, the hands friendship, and the crown loyalty. I’ve always loved this symbol. This is another symbol that echoes the turning point I was going through, because without my friends and family I could not have gotten through it. These two were done at Exotic, which was under new management by an AMAZING artist named TC. He’s not there anymore, and it makes me very sad. I would take that two hour trek to get inked by him.
7. Another TC piece done in the spring of ‘07. This is known as a celtic tree, or a version of it anyway. The Irish view the tree as sacred because they symbolize protection and sustenance. So, why I got “mom” tattooed under it should be self-explanatory. It was her Mother’s Day present that year. Yes, she cried. Well, first she was miffed because she only saw the tree part, but then she saw the “mom” part. Then she cried.
8. Again, by TC in the summer of ‘07. This one is a sad one. In 2004 I got this precious kitten who I named Helena. She was my little companion, and hated everyone in the universe but me. She really helped get me through those aforementioned tough times. In the summer of ‘07 she started having seizures unexpectedly and the vets could not get them to stop. I had to have her put down, and it was so hard. To me she was still a baby. There’s a line in the musical Wicked that says “You’ll be with me, like a handprint on my heart.” Well, in this case, it’s a paw print.
9. This is the symbol for Chi (Qi). Chi is defined as “the basic circulating energy of life”. I got this one as I was moving home after I lost my job due to my having Fibromyalgia. Having that, along with the Chronic Fatigue almost makes you lose that, as sometimes it takes everything you have just to get out of bed. This was done November of ‘07, by another WONDERFUL artist named Kao at Artistic Ink at the top of the mountain in Guntersville. Definitely go check him out.
10. This was done in the spring of ‘08 at Magic Needles in Huntsville, also a good place. It’s another Fibro tattoo. The symbol for the National Fibromyalgia Association is a butterfly, and the color for chronic pain illnesses is purple. I got this design from a lapel pin, and decided it needed to be on me forever. The funniest comment about it I ever got about it was something like - It’s going to be super cute when you’re a granny, with your short white hair and pearls, with that neck tattoo. LOL
11. I always said I would never get a tramp stamp. “They’re too trendy.” I said. “I don’t want to look like a slutty club girl.” I said. Well, this was the only place where this could be put and easily shown. . .and I love this line a lot. Again, it’s from RENT. If you can’t read it, it says “The opposite of war isn’t peace… it’s creation.” This is probably my favorite tattoo out of all the ones I have on me. Kao did this one too. . .go check him out! Girls, he’s a cutie pie too. ;~)
Number 12 is coming soon. I’m excited about it!
(Edit: I type my entries ahead of time)
Number 12 is on me now, and here he is:
I ran across this image as I was looking for a cool anchor for a tribute tat to my Grandpa, who was in the navy. This design was even better because it contains a cross, an anchor, and a heart. The anchor, I've already explained, is because he was in the Navy. He was a dental assistant during the Korean Conflict. The cross, because he had my happy tail in church unless I had a major illness that could result in him getting thrown up on. The heart is self-explanatory. I was the only grandkid with a nick-name. He called me "Baby".
I get asked about them a lot; what they mean, why I picked it, if it hurt, the back-story, etc. So, I’m writing this so I can give people the link to my blog instead of spending forever talking about them.
So without further ado. . .
1. (Purple heart with eight note) I was 19 when I got this one. It was totally unplanned. I was sitting in the Chinese place in what was then Parkway City Mall in Huntsville with my friend Mark, and we were discussing what we wanted to do that evening. I tossed around the idea of getting second holes, no, third holes in my ears, when all of the sudden I knew it was time. I’ve been obsessed with tattoos since I was little, and I was ready for one. I didn’t even know what I wanted. After eating, we were off to Magic Needles in Huntsville. I would recommend them to anyone. I looked at the flash on the wall, and looked in the portfolios, and didn’t see anything I wanted, and I was bummed. We rode around for a while, to look for more tattoo shops, and didn’t find one that didn’t look WAY shady. I decided to go back to Magic Needles to look at more portfolios. I flipped and flipped and flipped until I saw it. This tiny heart no bigger than a quarter with an eighth note inside. I knew that was it. I had been into singing since I was a kid, and was a member of the Street Singers at Snead. I asked if the chick artist could do it because the dude that hooked me up with the paperwork looked scary. I know, major faux pas. It only took about ten minutes to complete, and I couldn’t stop giggling the whole time.
2. (Writing around the heart) It was a few days before a trip to Nashville with a group of friends when I decided that it was time for another one. It was one year later, so I was 20. I figured Nashville would be the perfect place to get a new tat as there are bunches of shops there. So, after one failed attempt at finding a place, on the last day, we found one that was open and could take me. My friend Mandy videotaped the experience. The tattoo reads “La Vie Boheme” which means “the bohemian life” and is also a song from RENT which I and a few of the group saw a couple days before, and I love it. Still do. It was done at The Queen of Hearts studio.
3. It’s on my upper right thigh if you’re wondering. This was done in October of 2002 at a shop that for the life of me I can’t remember the name of in Auburn. Two special ladies by the name of April and Leslie got this same tattoo because we were in a play called “Dancing at Lughnasa” and the play was set in Ireland. Not to mention, all three of us are Irish girls to the core. Our feet may be planted in ‘bama, but our hearts are in Ireland. It’s small too, a little bigger than a quarter.
4. I got this one a couple months after I moved to Jacksonville. . .summer of ‘03. I got it in Jacksonville at a place called Exotic Tattoo and Piercing. I picked it out about ten minutes before I went to get it. The original flash had this ugly black tribal marking behind the flowers, but luckily the artist could do only the flowers. He liked the end result so much that he took a picture. This one doesn’t really have any specific meaning, I just liked it a lot and wanted something colorful to mark this new chapter in my life.
5. This symbol is called a triquetra. I know you’ve seen it before. It’s typically done with a circle where the heart is. I got these (I got this one and number six on the same day) at a huge turning point in my life that I don’t want to go into. This one just is just another little symbol of my Irishness. It is widely believed that it’s a pagan symbol, but the first known instance of this symbol being used is on The Book of Kells, which is an illustrated book of the Gospels. Because of this it is also a popular symbol for the holy trinity. I got the heart instead of a circle to remind me not to give away my own heart so freely. This was done in the fall of ‘06. Yes, it hurt. A lot.
6. This is a claddagh. I know you’ve seen it before. Like I said, I got this one the same day as number five. The heart symbolizes love, the hands friendship, and the crown loyalty. I’ve always loved this symbol. This is another symbol that echoes the turning point I was going through, because without my friends and family I could not have gotten through it. These two were done at Exotic, which was under new management by an AMAZING artist named TC. He’s not there anymore, and it makes me very sad. I would take that two hour trek to get inked by him.
7. Another TC piece done in the spring of ‘07. This is known as a celtic tree, or a version of it anyway. The Irish view the tree as sacred because they symbolize protection and sustenance. So, why I got “mom” tattooed under it should be self-explanatory. It was her Mother’s Day present that year. Yes, she cried. Well, first she was miffed because she only saw the tree part, but then she saw the “mom” part. Then she cried.
8. Again, by TC in the summer of ‘07. This one is a sad one. In 2004 I got this precious kitten who I named Helena. She was my little companion, and hated everyone in the universe but me. She really helped get me through those aforementioned tough times. In the summer of ‘07 she started having seizures unexpectedly and the vets could not get them to stop. I had to have her put down, and it was so hard. To me she was still a baby. There’s a line in the musical Wicked that says “You’ll be with me, like a handprint on my heart.” Well, in this case, it’s a paw print.
9. This is the symbol for Chi (Qi). Chi is defined as “the basic circulating energy of life”. I got this one as I was moving home after I lost my job due to my having Fibromyalgia. Having that, along with the Chronic Fatigue almost makes you lose that, as sometimes it takes everything you have just to get out of bed. This was done November of ‘07, by another WONDERFUL artist named Kao at Artistic Ink at the top of the mountain in Guntersville. Definitely go check him out.
10. This was done in the spring of ‘08 at Magic Needles in Huntsville, also a good place. It’s another Fibro tattoo. The symbol for the National Fibromyalgia Association is a butterfly, and the color for chronic pain illnesses is purple. I got this design from a lapel pin, and decided it needed to be on me forever. The funniest comment about it I ever got about it was something like - It’s going to be super cute when you’re a granny, with your short white hair and pearls, with that neck tattoo. LOL
11. I always said I would never get a tramp stamp. “They’re too trendy.” I said. “I don’t want to look like a slutty club girl.” I said. Well, this was the only place where this could be put and easily shown. . .and I love this line a lot. Again, it’s from RENT. If you can’t read it, it says “The opposite of war isn’t peace… it’s creation.” This is probably my favorite tattoo out of all the ones I have on me. Kao did this one too. . .go check him out! Girls, he’s a cutie pie too. ;~)
Number 12 is coming soon. I’m excited about it!
(Edit: I type my entries ahead of time)
Number 12 is on me now, and here he is:
I ran across this image as I was looking for a cool anchor for a tribute tat to my Grandpa, who was in the navy. This design was even better because it contains a cross, an anchor, and a heart. The anchor, I've already explained, is because he was in the Navy. He was a dental assistant during the Korean Conflict. The cross, because he had my happy tail in church unless I had a major illness that could result in him getting thrown up on. The heart is self-explanatory. I was the only grandkid with a nick-name. He called me "Baby".
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Fat-B-Gone
Today I did something that I’ve wanted to do for probably five years now. I ordered NutriSystem.
I guess I need to provide you all a history of my fat. A fatstory if you will.
When I was age 0-7, I was skinny. Not just a thin little kid, I mean you could count my ribs. People thought there was something wrong with me. Then, when I was about seven or eight, I started getting fat, and the rest is fatstory. Who knows why? Maybe it was an emotional thing. I’ve caught hell for it ever since, even by my own family.
I’ve also yo-yoed a lot. I’ve probably lost and gained about a bazillion pounds.
The problem isn’t how much I eat. I don’t really eat that much. It’s more what I eat, because I’m lazy I reach for easy stuff which isn’t the healthiest. So with NutriSystem I get the best of both worlds. Healthy foods that are supposedly pretty tasty, from the reviews I read on qvc.com.
So. . . about goals, I dunno. I don’t want to set a big number by a certain date and then be disappointed or overwhelmed. I’m figuring the Nutrisystem stuff is going to be here by Monday-ish. Six weeks from then will be April 12th. I think by April 12th I want to lose the first ten pounds of what I hope will ultimately be 35 pounds. I think I’m going to take it 10 pounds at a time though.
So yeah, NutriSystem. I’ll keep everyone posted
I guess I need to provide you all a history of my fat. A fatstory if you will.
When I was age 0-7, I was skinny. Not just a thin little kid, I mean you could count my ribs. People thought there was something wrong with me. Then, when I was about seven or eight, I started getting fat, and the rest is fatstory. Who knows why? Maybe it was an emotional thing. I’ve caught hell for it ever since, even by my own family.
I’ve also yo-yoed a lot. I’ve probably lost and gained about a bazillion pounds.
The problem isn’t how much I eat. I don’t really eat that much. It’s more what I eat, because I’m lazy I reach for easy stuff which isn’t the healthiest. So with NutriSystem I get the best of both worlds. Healthy foods that are supposedly pretty tasty, from the reviews I read on qvc.com.
So. . . about goals, I dunno. I don’t want to set a big number by a certain date and then be disappointed or overwhelmed. I’m figuring the Nutrisystem stuff is going to be here by Monday-ish. Six weeks from then will be April 12th. I think by April 12th I want to lose the first ten pounds of what I hope will ultimately be 35 pounds. I think I’m going to take it 10 pounds at a time though.
So yeah, NutriSystem. I’ll keep everyone posted
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Twenty
20 Facts About Me You Probably Don’t Care to Know
So this is my twentieth entry. . .yay!!! I was reading through old entries on a schoolmate’s blog, (whose writing I envy, but in a good non-evil way) and she did something like this on one of her milestone entries. I loved the idea, so I’m totally stealing it. I am making it a little bit “my own” as I am grouping them. I hope you don’t mind, aforementioned schoolmate.
I. Things I Can’t Stand
A. Most Republicans, especially this one.
B. Stupidity
C. PETA
D. Mean domineering men.
E. Animal Cruelty.
II. Things I Love
A. Pens. Yes, the kind you write with. All kinds of them. . .but my favorite is ball point.
B. These guys.
Um. There is no pic in the world more awesome than this. . .
C. and these guys. . .YUM.
D. Tattoos
E. Purses
III. Things I Want For Myself (right now anyway)
A. To be thin. Not like bony thin, but thin.
B. Debra Messing’s hair.
C. Vera Bradley bags in every pattern and style.
D. The next tattoo I have in mind.
E. A pen that makes me have perfect pretty handwriting.
IV. Randomness
A. When I was little, I used to hate it when my cousins from Knoxville came to visit, as they took away my grandparent’s attention from me. As a result, I referred to them as “The Yuckies”.
B. Besides my present cat, Baby, the best pet I ever had was a mutt with one eye and no tail, named Bobbi.
C. No matter what kind of insect it is, when it first lands on me, I will spaz like I have some sort of terrible seizure disorder.
D. I want a Puma for a pet.
E. It took a lot of coaxing from several people to ever get me on stage to do theatre. . .believe it or not.
So this is my twentieth entry. . .yay!!! I was reading through old entries on a schoolmate’s blog, (whose writing I envy, but in a good non-evil way) and she did something like this on one of her milestone entries. I loved the idea, so I’m totally stealing it. I am making it a little bit “my own” as I am grouping them. I hope you don’t mind, aforementioned schoolmate.
I. Things I Can’t Stand
A. Most Republicans, especially this one.
B. Stupidity
C. PETA
D. Mean domineering men.
E. Animal Cruelty.
II. Things I Love
A. Pens. Yes, the kind you write with. All kinds of them. . .but my favorite is ball point.
B. These guys.
Um. There is no pic in the world more awesome than this. . .
C. and these guys. . .YUM.
D. Tattoos
E. Purses
III. Things I Want For Myself (right now anyway)
A. To be thin. Not like bony thin, but thin.
B. Debra Messing’s hair.
C. Vera Bradley bags in every pattern and style.
D. The next tattoo I have in mind.
E. A pen that makes me have perfect pretty handwriting.
IV. Randomness
A. When I was little, I used to hate it when my cousins from Knoxville came to visit, as they took away my grandparent’s attention from me. As a result, I referred to them as “The Yuckies”.
B. Besides my present cat, Baby, the best pet I ever had was a mutt with one eye and no tail, named Bobbi.
C. No matter what kind of insect it is, when it first lands on me, I will spaz like I have some sort of terrible seizure disorder.
D. I want a Puma for a pet.
E. It took a lot of coaxing from several people to ever get me on stage to do theatre. . .believe it or not.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Friday Randoms
I don't have any huge points or arguments to make for this post, but several little tidbits sauteing around in my head. . .
I'm really picky about what music I listen to. If I had to make a pie chart of what I listen to, the stats would look something like this. 75% Classic Rock (I include the Black Crowes in this because they have that wonderful classic rock feel.), 20% Musical Theatre, 4% REM, 1% "other". In my opinion NO good music has come out in the past 10-15 years, except from the bands I mentioned above. Other than todays pop, my least favorite genre is the "sad bastard in front of a piano/guitar* type. The John Mayer and Ben Folds type artists (and I use the term artist very loosely). They make me so sad. Their lyrics don't make me sad, the fact that they think they're cool makes me sad. What has happened to the males in the music industry? Have they all sprouted vaginas? It makes me sad. Give me a long haired gritty hippie any day.
So, all of that ranting brings me to my list of favorite songs for right now. They change with my mood.
12. Waltz for Eva and Che - from the musical "Evita"
11. Small Time Blues - Pete Droge
10. Soul Singing - Black Crowes
9. When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
8. Nightswimming - REM
7. Find the River - REM
6. Remedy - Black Crowes
5. Tom Sawyer - Rush
4. Reelin' in the Years - Steely Dan
3. What Is and What Should Never Be - Led Zeppelin
2. Wiser Time - Black Crowes
1. In My Life - The Beatles
That's pretty much in order. Wow, how many times did the Crowes make it, three times? I love them. Gorgeous men, gorgeous music. . .who could ask for anything more?
So, as far as I know I'll be heading to Tucson to see CJ in May. I really need to get going on the whole weight loss thing. I'm devising a plan in my head using equipment I already have laying around the house. I need to eat better too. Foods that are bad are so much more convenient, and when you have no energy like me, it's hard to pass that up.
So yeah, that's what I've been thinking about. <3
I'm really picky about what music I listen to. If I had to make a pie chart of what I listen to, the stats would look something like this. 75% Classic Rock (I include the Black Crowes in this because they have that wonderful classic rock feel.), 20% Musical Theatre, 4% REM, 1% "other". In my opinion NO good music has come out in the past 10-15 years, except from the bands I mentioned above. Other than todays pop, my least favorite genre is the "sad bastard in front of a piano/guitar* type. The John Mayer and Ben Folds type artists (and I use the term artist very loosely). They make me so sad. Their lyrics don't make me sad, the fact that they think they're cool makes me sad. What has happened to the males in the music industry? Have they all sprouted vaginas? It makes me sad. Give me a long haired gritty hippie any day.
So, all of that ranting brings me to my list of favorite songs for right now. They change with my mood.
12. Waltz for Eva and Che - from the musical "Evita"
11. Small Time Blues - Pete Droge
10. Soul Singing - Black Crowes
9. When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
8. Nightswimming - REM
7. Find the River - REM
6. Remedy - Black Crowes
5. Tom Sawyer - Rush
4. Reelin' in the Years - Steely Dan
3. What Is and What Should Never Be - Led Zeppelin
2. Wiser Time - Black Crowes
1. In My Life - The Beatles
That's pretty much in order. Wow, how many times did the Crowes make it, three times? I love them. Gorgeous men, gorgeous music. . .who could ask for anything more?
So, as far as I know I'll be heading to Tucson to see CJ in May. I really need to get going on the whole weight loss thing. I'm devising a plan in my head using equipment I already have laying around the house. I need to eat better too. Foods that are bad are so much more convenient, and when you have no energy like me, it's hard to pass that up.
So yeah, that's what I've been thinking about. <3
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A Stolen List. . .
I got this from my long lost choir buddy, Heather. I have a sick addiction to survey type things, so I just HAD to do this. Mine is not gonna have all the nifty pics though. My last blog did, and now I'm done with uploading them. I'm also lazy.
If I could be a month, I’d be October.
If I could be a day of the week, I’d be Friday.
If I could be a time of day, I’d be 7pm.
If I could be a planet, I’d be Pluto, because it's little.
If I could be a sea animal, I’d be a Manatee.
If I could be a direction, I’d be North.
If I could be a piece of furniture, I’d be that awesome recliner at Maw-Maw's.
If I could be a liquid, I’d be perfume.
If I could be a gemstone, I’d be an Iolite. . .no wait Morganite. . .no. . . (I'm a gem whore).
If I could be a tree, I’d be a Weeping Willow.
If I could be a tool, I’d be a pen. (me too :-D)
If I could be a flower, I’d be an aulstromeria lily.
If I could be a kind of weather, I’d be a perfect autumn day.
If I could be a musical instrument, I’d be an old, beat up, but thoroughly used and perfectly tuned acoustic guitar.
If I could be a color, I’d be pink.
If I could be an emotion, I’d be hysterical laughter.
If I could be a fruit, I’d be a strawberry.
If I could be a sound, I’d be kitten purrs.
If I could be an element, I’d be Helium, because it can fly.
If I could be a car, I’d be an old Camaro. No way. . .I'd want to be my car (2002 Kia Sportage, white with champagne colored trim, named Fiona), because I love it so much, and I want to be loved that much.
If I could be a food, I'd be a make your own bowl at Stir Fry Mongolian Grill on Carl T Jones in Huntsville.
If I could be a place, I’d be Ireland.
If I could be a material, I’d be soft cotton, like a worn in tee shirt.
If I could be a taste, I’d be make your own bowl at Stir Fry Mongolian Grill on Carl T Jones in Huntsville.
If I could be a scent, I’d be Honeysuckle.
If I could be an object, I’d be a purse.
If I could be a body part, I’d be a heart chakra.
If I could be a facial expression, I’d be a smile.
If I could be a song, I’d be "In My Life" by The Beatles
If I could be a pair of shoes, I’d be some trusty old Chuck's (that can morph into a pair of open toed heels when needed).
If I could be a month, I’d be October.
If I could be a day of the week, I’d be Friday.
If I could be a time of day, I’d be 7pm.
If I could be a planet, I’d be Pluto, because it's little.
If I could be a sea animal, I’d be a Manatee.
If I could be a direction, I’d be North.
If I could be a piece of furniture, I’d be that awesome recliner at Maw-Maw's.
If I could be a liquid, I’d be perfume.
If I could be a gemstone, I’d be an Iolite. . .no wait Morganite. . .no. . . (I'm a gem whore).
If I could be a tree, I’d be a Weeping Willow.
If I could be a tool, I’d be a pen. (me too :-D)
If I could be a flower, I’d be an aulstromeria lily.
If I could be a kind of weather, I’d be a perfect autumn day.
If I could be a musical instrument, I’d be an old, beat up, but thoroughly used and perfectly tuned acoustic guitar.
If I could be a color, I’d be pink.
If I could be an emotion, I’d be hysterical laughter.
If I could be a fruit, I’d be a strawberry.
If I could be a sound, I’d be kitten purrs.
If I could be an element, I’d be Helium, because it can fly.
If I could be a car, I’d be an old Camaro. No way. . .I'd want to be my car (2002 Kia Sportage, white with champagne colored trim, named Fiona), because I love it so much, and I want to be loved that much.
If I could be a food, I'd be a make your own bowl at Stir Fry Mongolian Grill on Carl T Jones in Huntsville.
If I could be a place, I’d be Ireland.
If I could be a material, I’d be soft cotton, like a worn in tee shirt.
If I could be a taste, I’d be make your own bowl at Stir Fry Mongolian Grill on Carl T Jones in Huntsville.
If I could be a scent, I’d be Honeysuckle.
If I could be an object, I’d be a purse.
If I could be a body part, I’d be a heart chakra.
If I could be a facial expression, I’d be a smile.
If I could be a song, I’d be "In My Life" by The Beatles
If I could be a pair of shoes, I’d be some trusty old Chuck's (that can morph into a pair of open toed heels when needed).
Monday, February 22, 2010
Fun Things from the Interwebz
Stumbleupon.com is now my favorite site. It shows you everything that is cool that you’re interested in.
So, I have nothing else to ramble out, other than Fibromyalgia sucks (which I’ll keep to myself); therefore, I proudly present “Cool crap stumbleupon.com has shown me":
You’ll never guess what this person used to make these. . . seriously. . .guess.
Really. . .
It's gonna blow your mind probably. . .
STAPLES!!!!! See-
Wow, I wish I had 1/10 of this artist’s creativity “jhuyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyynm” (That is input by my cat, Baby, who is desperately trying to make me quit computing.. . .see-
I think she’s up here to see what I’m going to talk about next which makes sense.)
Anyhoo, The info about this is in French, so I don’t know what it says, but, here’s the link.
The thing I stumbled upon before this was photos of celebs with Cats. I just thought it was so heartwarming, and I wanted to share some of my faves. You guys know I love the kittehs. I get Lol Cats in my inbox every morning. They’re my little piece of happy for the day.
My last item of randomness; it has nothing to do with stumbleing - watching Cake Boss on TLC makes me want cake. Bad. I want to marry Buddy.
On a completely different topic, I am using the Special K Protein Shakes in my weight loss endeavors.
That is all.
Stumbleupon.com is now my favorite site. It shows you everything that is cool that you’re interested in.
So, I have nothing else to ramble out, other than Fibromyalgia sucks (which I’ll keep to myself); therefore, I proudly present “Cool crap stumbleupon.com has shown me":
You’ll never guess what this person used to make these. . . seriously. . .guess.
Really. . .
It's gonna blow your mind probably. . .
STAPLES!!!!! See-
Wow, I wish I had 1/10 of this artist’s creativity “jhuyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyynm” (That is input by my cat, Baby, who is desperately trying to make me quit computing.. . .see-
I think she’s up here to see what I’m going to talk about next which makes sense.)
Anyhoo, The info about this is in French, so I don’t know what it says, but, here’s the link.
The thing I stumbled upon before this was photos of celebs with Cats. I just thought it was so heartwarming, and I wanted to share some of my faves. You guys know I love the kittehs. I get Lol Cats in my inbox every morning. They’re my little piece of happy for the day.
My last item of randomness; it has nothing to do with stumbleing - watching Cake Boss on TLC makes me want cake. Bad. I want to marry Buddy.
On a completely different topic, I am using the Special K Protein Shakes in my weight loss endeavors.
That is all.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A Few of My Favorite Things- EZ Combs
First off, don't laugh at me, and don't judge. I think the best invention of the last decade is the EZ Comb. Stop laughing.
I wasn't so sure about them when I first saw them on TV. I thought to myself "Are these tacky?" I thought they might be a bit "too much" for every day use. I'm pretty much a black ponytail elastic and bobby pin kind of girl. Then, they finally came out in stores. My mom bought a set at Wal-Mart for the two of us. I tried them various ways, and now, I adore them. I don't even mind the copious amount of blingage in my hair. They're comfortable, they hold like a charm, they're pretty versatile, and they hold well enough to hang onto shorter hair.
Another one of my New Year's resolutions was to not cut length off of my hair for a year. I say length because I will need some trimming, and will need someone to run the thinning shears through my hair as it is super thick. I am taking Andrew Lessman's "Healthy Hair Skin and Nails" vitamins. You can get them from QVC if you're interested.I thought I got ripped off (hair-wise, I saw a difference in my nails in a week or two) for about six weeks to two months, then my hair just started growing and growing and hasn't stopped. I love it. The pic I use here as my profile photo was taken late October of '09. Since then, I've had one professional trim at the beginning of December, to even up months and months of self haircuts. It didn't make that much of a difference in length. Now, my hair, at its shortest point is touching my shoulders, and the longest is about an inch longer than that. I'm so excited!
So, my main points are: 1) EZ Combs are awesome in general. 2) EZ Combs are even more awesome if you're growing out your hair.
<3
I wasn't so sure about them when I first saw them on TV. I thought to myself "Are these tacky?" I thought they might be a bit "too much" for every day use. I'm pretty much a black ponytail elastic and bobby pin kind of girl. Then, they finally came out in stores. My mom bought a set at Wal-Mart for the two of us. I tried them various ways, and now, I adore them. I don't even mind the copious amount of blingage in my hair. They're comfortable, they hold like a charm, they're pretty versatile, and they hold well enough to hang onto shorter hair.
Another one of my New Year's resolutions was to not cut length off of my hair for a year. I say length because I will need some trimming, and will need someone to run the thinning shears through my hair as it is super thick. I am taking Andrew Lessman's "Healthy Hair Skin and Nails" vitamins. You can get them from QVC if you're interested.I thought I got ripped off (hair-wise, I saw a difference in my nails in a week or two) for about six weeks to two months, then my hair just started growing and growing and hasn't stopped. I love it. The pic I use here as my profile photo was taken late October of '09. Since then, I've had one professional trim at the beginning of December, to even up months and months of self haircuts. It didn't make that much of a difference in length. Now, my hair, at its shortest point is touching my shoulders, and the longest is about an inch longer than that. I'm so excited!
So, my main points are: 1) EZ Combs are awesome in general. 2) EZ Combs are even more awesome if you're growing out your hair.
<3
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Standard of Beauty: Part II
I have become a stumbleupon addict. It’s bad. I could stumble for hours. It is actually more of a time suck than facebook. That is REALLY saying something.
Today I stumbled upon something that made me so angry, I almost started crying, and that takes a lot of angry.
It’s a website (www.about-face.org) that focuses around female body image, and exposes “violators” of companies and websites that tear down the normal female. Of course this website doesn’t make me angry. While browsing on their site, their number one violator was www.askmen.com. In particular, a top 10 list they compiled titled “10 Subtle Ways to tell Her She’s Getting Fat”. It is more sad and infuriating to read than watching a baby be punched in the face.
The link to the whole article can be found here. But I’ll break it down for you. . .
(Text in quotes is actual quotes from the article.)
10. Buy her clothes that are too small- “Oh . . . I thought you were a size eight. Isn’t that what you were last summer? “
9. Sign her up for Yoga under the pretence of “stress relief”.
8. Set out on your own weight loss plan.
7. Serve her unsatisfactory portions. “When dishing up meals for the two of you, try giving her smaller-than-usual-amounts. By making her ask for more food, you might succeed in shaming her into acknowledgement of her recent weight gain.”
6. Improve your own diet.
5. Playfully grab her love handles.
4. Ask her to wear an old dress. “Plan a romantic night for the two of you, and insist that she wears something from when you first got together; particularly one that you know doesn’t fit anymore.” . . . “Follow it up by telling her how good she looked in those days. . .”
3. (My personal fave) Sabotage her chair. “. . . nothing says “better lose some weight” like a broken chair. After you loosen a few screws or remove some important slats of a chair in which you know she’ll sit and subsequently break, sit back and watch the guaranteed dietary transformation that ensues.”
2. Leave “now” and “then” photos lying around. “By consistently reminding her of how she used to look, she’ll inevitably be more inclined to do something about her excess flab. Appropriately chosen and strategically placed photos should accomplish this quite nicely. Keep in mind, if she confronts you about trying to shame her into losing weight, the key approach here is denial, as you reply: “Do you actually think I would be that manipulative?”
1. Take her to places where she has to wear a swimsuit.
If she seems content staying at home eating donuts in her track pants, why not start taking her to places where she has no choice but to where (-5 for spelling. . .it’s WEAR, asshat) a swimsuit? As she awkwardly looks around at all the slender bodies having a great time, she’ll more than likely vow to do something about her recent weight gain, especially if she knows she’ll be back there in the not-so-distant future.
What man would do these things? What man would actively try to humiliate their significant other because they put on a few pounds? Actually, in my life, I have observed that the first person in a relationship to start putting on pounds is the guy. So maybe you need to put on your old clothes and see how they fit before you try to belittle your girlfriend/wife. Chances are, she knows she has gained a few, and she doesn’t need your simple ass to tell her.
Not only is this emotionally harmful, but sabotaging her chair? Do you not care that she could get hurt this way? Is a broken coccyx or pinched nerve really worth it?
I was chatting with my boyfriend as I was typing this blog, and telling him what the article said. I posed the question “What’s wrong with a girl having a little meat on her bones?” He came back with a quick reply of “Nothing. More padding for my boney hips *smiley face*” So there you have it. The opinion from your typical football watching, muscle car obsessed dude. I love him.
So, Thomas Foley (author of this article), I hope you become super-obese, and thus forced to live a life of unintentional celibacy.
Today I stumbled upon something that made me so angry, I almost started crying, and that takes a lot of angry.
It’s a website (www.about-face.org) that focuses around female body image, and exposes “violators” of companies and websites that tear down the normal female. Of course this website doesn’t make me angry. While browsing on their site, their number one violator was www.askmen.com. In particular, a top 10 list they compiled titled “10 Subtle Ways to tell Her She’s Getting Fat”. It is more sad and infuriating to read than watching a baby be punched in the face.
The link to the whole article can be found here. But I’ll break it down for you. . .
(Text in quotes is actual quotes from the article.)
10. Buy her clothes that are too small- “Oh . . . I thought you were a size eight. Isn’t that what you were last summer? “
9. Sign her up for Yoga under the pretence of “stress relief”.
8. Set out on your own weight loss plan.
7. Serve her unsatisfactory portions. “When dishing up meals for the two of you, try giving her smaller-than-usual-amounts. By making her ask for more food, you might succeed in shaming her into acknowledgement of her recent weight gain.”
6. Improve your own diet.
5. Playfully grab her love handles.
4. Ask her to wear an old dress. “Plan a romantic night for the two of you, and insist that she wears something from when you first got together; particularly one that you know doesn’t fit anymore.” . . . “Follow it up by telling her how good she looked in those days. . .”
3. (My personal fave) Sabotage her chair. “. . . nothing says “better lose some weight” like a broken chair. After you loosen a few screws or remove some important slats of a chair in which you know she’ll sit and subsequently break, sit back and watch the guaranteed dietary transformation that ensues.”
2. Leave “now” and “then” photos lying around. “By consistently reminding her of how she used to look, she’ll inevitably be more inclined to do something about her excess flab. Appropriately chosen and strategically placed photos should accomplish this quite nicely. Keep in mind, if she confronts you about trying to shame her into losing weight, the key approach here is denial, as you reply: “Do you actually think I would be that manipulative?”
1. Take her to places where she has to wear a swimsuit.
If she seems content staying at home eating donuts in her track pants, why not start taking her to places where she has no choice but to where (-5 for spelling. . .it’s WEAR, asshat) a swimsuit? As she awkwardly looks around at all the slender bodies having a great time, she’ll more than likely vow to do something about her recent weight gain, especially if she knows she’ll be back there in the not-so-distant future.
What man would do these things? What man would actively try to humiliate their significant other because they put on a few pounds? Actually, in my life, I have observed that the first person in a relationship to start putting on pounds is the guy. So maybe you need to put on your old clothes and see how they fit before you try to belittle your girlfriend/wife. Chances are, she knows she has gained a few, and she doesn’t need your simple ass to tell her.
Not only is this emotionally harmful, but sabotaging her chair? Do you not care that she could get hurt this way? Is a broken coccyx or pinched nerve really worth it?
I was chatting with my boyfriend as I was typing this blog, and telling him what the article said. I posed the question “What’s wrong with a girl having a little meat on her bones?” He came back with a quick reply of “Nothing. More padding for my boney hips *smiley face*” So there you have it. The opinion from your typical football watching, muscle car obsessed dude. I love him.
So, Thomas Foley (author of this article), I hope you become super-obese, and thus forced to live a life of unintentional celibacy.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
What to do for Valentine's Day. . .
I crave it A LOT of the time. Steamy, hot, and I'll be damned if it's not better the second time around.
What? I'm talking about meatloaf, you freaks!
This is my specialty. I love it. I will tell you any day of the week that my meatloaf is better than your mamma's and your grandmamma's combined. There's not many things I make that I would step up to a mamma or grandmamma about. . .but trust me. . .mine is infinitely better.
As my Valentine's Day (yuck) present to you all, to show how much I love you, I will give you my recipe. Make it with the confetti salad (scroll down for that recipe), and and a side of mac and cheese or mashed pertaters. . .and you will have your man at your beck and call for the rest of the month.
Loaf part:
-1 lb of ground whatever you like. (beef, round, chuck, turkey- whatev; but chuck is the best.)
-1 egg
-1 heaping handful of breadcrumbs
- 1/2 of a good sized onion
- 1/2 of a bell pepper
- load and a half of garlic
- cayenne pepper (powder or flakes, whatever you got)
-ok, here's where the present part comes in. . .I'm telling you my secret ingredient. . . .curry powder. There, I said it. . .curry powder. A liberal amount of curry powder. It gives it this splendid earthy taste.
* Squish this up with your hands. I know, it's totally gross. . .but you want to get all that goodness mixed up.
* Plop it into a loaf pan, and squish it flat in there. I also have a set of mini loaf pans that I like to use for single serve versions. . .or if you don't have that, a muffin pan works too.
* Take the end of a spoon, or a straw or something, and poke several holes in it.
Bake it for 30 mins at 350. (Remember to preheat)
While it's baking, make the topping.
Topping:
- Lots of ketchup
- Several dashes of soy sauce, worchestershire sauce, dale's or any kind of dark salty liquid you might have in the fridge.
* set it aside until the loaf part is done.
* get on the net, read a book, play with the cat.
* When the loaf part IS done, schmear the topping on, and bake it for about 15-20 mins. Drain off any grease before you do.
Meatloaf keeps a little secret from us, and I made it talk. It's actually versatile.
Variations. . .
Meatloaf Italiano:
Use Italian Breadcrumbs, add some Italian Seasoning. The mixed kind is good. . .it's got oregano, basil. . .and other herby goodness. For the topping (after you've poured the grease off the top) lay down some slices of mozzarella, or grated mozzarella and/or provalone. On top of that, smear on a good bit of your fave spaghetti sauce (I like the kind with mushrooms in it), black olives, and parmesean cheese. It's ooey gooey goodness.
Mexican Meatloaf:
Add some taco seasoning to the loaf part when you're in the squishing phase. For the topping, sprinkle on a good bit of that grated mix cheese in the mexican variety. Cover that in either Ro-Tell tomatoes, or your fave salsa. If you like even more heat, add some jalapeno to that.
Wavy Gravy:
Nix the onions in the original loaf part. For the topping, either mix up some gravy from the packet, or get a jar. Schmear it on. Saute the onions until they're getting transparent, but not gooshy.
Can't think of any other kinds. . .<3
What? I'm talking about meatloaf, you freaks!
This is my specialty. I love it. I will tell you any day of the week that my meatloaf is better than your mamma's and your grandmamma's combined. There's not many things I make that I would step up to a mamma or grandmamma about. . .but trust me. . .mine is infinitely better.
As my Valentine's Day (yuck) present to you all, to show how much I love you, I will give you my recipe. Make it with the confetti salad (scroll down for that recipe), and and a side of mac and cheese or mashed pertaters. . .and you will have your man at your beck and call for the rest of the month.
Loaf part:
-1 lb of ground whatever you like. (beef, round, chuck, turkey- whatev; but chuck is the best.)
-1 egg
-1 heaping handful of breadcrumbs
- 1/2 of a good sized onion
- 1/2 of a bell pepper
- load and a half of garlic
- cayenne pepper (powder or flakes, whatever you got)
-ok, here's where the present part comes in. . .I'm telling you my secret ingredient. . . .curry powder. There, I said it. . .curry powder. A liberal amount of curry powder. It gives it this splendid earthy taste.
* Squish this up with your hands. I know, it's totally gross. . .but you want to get all that goodness mixed up.
* Plop it into a loaf pan, and squish it flat in there. I also have a set of mini loaf pans that I like to use for single serve versions. . .or if you don't have that, a muffin pan works too.
* Take the end of a spoon, or a straw or something, and poke several holes in it.
Bake it for 30 mins at 350. (Remember to preheat)
While it's baking, make the topping.
Topping:
- Lots of ketchup
- Several dashes of soy sauce, worchestershire sauce, dale's or any kind of dark salty liquid you might have in the fridge.
* set it aside until the loaf part is done.
* get on the net, read a book, play with the cat.
* When the loaf part IS done, schmear the topping on, and bake it for about 15-20 mins. Drain off any grease before you do.
Meatloaf keeps a little secret from us, and I made it talk. It's actually versatile.
Variations. . .
Meatloaf Italiano:
Use Italian Breadcrumbs, add some Italian Seasoning. The mixed kind is good. . .it's got oregano, basil. . .and other herby goodness. For the topping (after you've poured the grease off the top) lay down some slices of mozzarella, or grated mozzarella and/or provalone. On top of that, smear on a good bit of your fave spaghetti sauce (I like the kind with mushrooms in it), black olives, and parmesean cheese. It's ooey gooey goodness.
Mexican Meatloaf:
Add some taco seasoning to the loaf part when you're in the squishing phase. For the topping, sprinkle on a good bit of that grated mix cheese in the mexican variety. Cover that in either Ro-Tell tomatoes, or your fave salsa. If you like even more heat, add some jalapeno to that.
Wavy Gravy:
Nix the onions in the original loaf part. For the topping, either mix up some gravy from the packet, or get a jar. Schmear it on. Saute the onions until they're getting transparent, but not gooshy.
Can't think of any other kinds. . .<3
Monday, February 8, 2010
Standard of Beauty
I should start out by saying that I do love my grandparents. They helped shape me into who I am today . . . good and bad.
They used to hound me about my weight when I was just a child. You guys know I haven’t been skinny since I was eight years old or so. Once after listening to my Grandmother critique my weight when I was about 12, I asked her why she would do that to me. She said, “I want you to be pretty and have boyfriends one day.” It is 16 years later and I have never forgotten it obviously, and I have to say it has warped me. When I was a teenager, I used to crash diet to the point that I passed out cold at a drugstore once when I was 15. That’s something a lot of people don’t know about me.
To this day I am envious of “those girls”. You know who I’m referring to . . . size two, gorgeous, the “whole package”. I just want to cram Crisco down their throat while they’re sleeping.
You’re probably wondering why I’m ranting about this. I was “stumbling” and “stumbled upon” a site where someone had posted photos of Zigfield Follies girls from the early 1900’s. They’re beautiful, in my eyes . . . and not at all skeletal like what is considered attractive these days. . .
If these women posed for a magazine today, they would be called fat.
I'm by no means a Britney fan or supporter, you guys know better than that. . .but in this disastrous performance, she was called fat.
I don't know about you guys, but if I had that body, I would never wear clothes. No wonder young girls are cramming their fingers down their throats.
I just looked up medieval beauty standards, and this is what came up. . .
*Sigh* I was totally born in the wrong era...
They used to hound me about my weight when I was just a child. You guys know I haven’t been skinny since I was eight years old or so. Once after listening to my Grandmother critique my weight when I was about 12, I asked her why she would do that to me. She said, “I want you to be pretty and have boyfriends one day.” It is 16 years later and I have never forgotten it obviously, and I have to say it has warped me. When I was a teenager, I used to crash diet to the point that I passed out cold at a drugstore once when I was 15. That’s something a lot of people don’t know about me.
To this day I am envious of “those girls”. You know who I’m referring to . . . size two, gorgeous, the “whole package”. I just want to cram Crisco down their throat while they’re sleeping.
You’re probably wondering why I’m ranting about this. I was “stumbling” and “stumbled upon” a site where someone had posted photos of Zigfield Follies girls from the early 1900’s. They’re beautiful, in my eyes . . . and not at all skeletal like what is considered attractive these days. . .
If these women posed for a magazine today, they would be called fat.
I'm by no means a Britney fan or supporter, you guys know better than that. . .but in this disastrous performance, she was called fat.
I don't know about you guys, but if I had that body, I would never wear clothes. No wonder young girls are cramming their fingers down their throats.
I just looked up medieval beauty standards, and this is what came up. . .
*Sigh* I was totally born in the wrong era...
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Go Get It: The Ultimate in Skincare Happiness.
I am addicted to cosmetics and skin care products. I really am. The nice people at Betty Ford need to make a wing especially for me. No they don’t. I could never give it up. I could stand at a makeup counter for hours. I could peruse the makeup section of any department/drug store for days. I would love to know how much money I have spent on beauty products. Actually, no, no I wouldn’t; I could probably have bought a car. That’s ok though, it makes me happy. It’s like a hobby for me; trying to fix myself.
Anyway, my point, and I do have one; I have found the ultimate “happy” in skincare. It’s this. . .
L’Oreal Go 360 Clean
It comes in different types too.
I got the cream cleanser because my skin dries like the Sahara in the winter time. Come summertime, I’ll probably need to explore the other kinds of this line.
The most awesome part? That little oval in the center pops out, and you have what L’Oreal has aptly named . . . the scrublet.
When I first saw this on TV, I thought the scrublet was made out of hard plastic, and would scrub the hide off of one’s skin. It’s not though; it’s either silicone or very soft rubber. It feels like a million little fingers getting in every pore and scrubbing the crud out of it, but in a way that will not irritate your skin. Mine is pretty fragile, especially in the winter; and after I put a little of this. . .
Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Tone Correcting Night Serum.
They make a day version too that’s a cream, but I love the feel of the night serum.
My skin felt amazing.
Dudes also should take advantage of this too; especially dudes that keep some scruff on his face. By the way, thank you for keeping it there, YUM! The little fingers in the scrublet will really get into those facial hairs and give the skin underneath a good polishing. Don’t feel like a puss for going to a store to buy it either . . . girls love a guy with nice skin. :~)
So yeah, I love this so much I had to blog about it. You guys all go get some so they won’t stop making it! I’m saving all the scrublets from every bottle I buy just in case they do. . . .
Anyway, my point, and I do have one; I have found the ultimate “happy” in skincare. It’s this. . .
L’Oreal Go 360 Clean
It comes in different types too.
I got the cream cleanser because my skin dries like the Sahara in the winter time. Come summertime, I’ll probably need to explore the other kinds of this line.
The most awesome part? That little oval in the center pops out, and you have what L’Oreal has aptly named . . . the scrublet.
When I first saw this on TV, I thought the scrublet was made out of hard plastic, and would scrub the hide off of one’s skin. It’s not though; it’s either silicone or very soft rubber. It feels like a million little fingers getting in every pore and scrubbing the crud out of it, but in a way that will not irritate your skin. Mine is pretty fragile, especially in the winter; and after I put a little of this. . .
Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Tone Correcting Night Serum.
They make a day version too that’s a cream, but I love the feel of the night serum.
My skin felt amazing.
Dudes also should take advantage of this too; especially dudes that keep some scruff on his face. By the way, thank you for keeping it there, YUM! The little fingers in the scrublet will really get into those facial hairs and give the skin underneath a good polishing. Don’t feel like a puss for going to a store to buy it either . . . girls love a guy with nice skin. :~)
So yeah, I love this so much I had to blog about it. You guys all go get some so they won’t stop making it! I’m saving all the scrublets from every bottle I buy just in case they do. . . .
Monday, January 25, 2010
Fear and Loating In. . well, lots of places.
I need to tell you how all of this came about first. . .
This weekend, I became a www.stumbleupon.com addict. I spent ALL DAY yesterday clicking a little button that says “stumble”. If you don’t know what stumbleupon is; it’s a webpage, obviously. You register, and they give you a list of topics. You check off the ones you’re interested in, and when you’re done, you click the stumble button, and it brings up webpage after webpage of things that are most likely going to interest you. This is the ultimate end to boredom. If you’re stuck at home for some reason, go to www.stumbleupon.com, and sign up. Then come to my blog and thank me.
Some of the topics I checked off were: health, wellness, diet, fitness, beauty, humor, photography, new age (Don’t judge me, just because I think it’s interesting doesn’t mean I believe in it.), paranormal, cats, animals, religion, self improvement, psychology, food, cooking, and several others I can’t think of right at this moment.
My personal favorite part of stumbleupon is that you can save the pages that you like, that you’ve “stumbled upon” in favorites within the site, rather than cluttering up your bookmarks on your browser. Cool, huh?
Anyhoo, the first page that I “favorited” was a list of phobias. I’ve always found them interesting. I wouldn’t say that I have any full blown ones, but I definitely have some major fears. . .just not intense enough to be debilitating. Here are some of them.
*Arachnophobia- fear of spiders. – I’m a girl, what can I say. If one is big enough I WILL turn into a screaming banshee.
*Anuptaphobia- fear of staying single. This one makes me want to face a whole barrel of spiders.
* Apeirophobia- Fear of infinity. This is one of my quirkier ones I guess. I’m a Christian, far from a perfect one, but hey. . .who is. I’ve recognized Jesus as my personal lord and savior. But for some reason, the thought of forever and ever without end freaks me out. Even forever in Paradise. I’m hoping JC or someone high up will counsel me when I get there.
(Note- My cat has just decided to lie on my left arm, rendering it totally useless. But she’s purring. It’s my kryptonite.)
*Batophobia- Fear of heights. This one has an “except”. I’m not afraid if there’s railing or some kind of other device between me and impending doom.
*Entomophobia- Fear of insects. (See arachnophobia.)
* Ophidiophobia- Fear of snakes. Mother of pearl. I don’t even like to see them in a cage. One of the ickiest moments in my life was walking by an aquarium in a pet store, looking in, and seeing what looked like a writhing ball of shoestrings. It was baby snakes. UGH!
Ornithophobia- Fear of birds. I used to not have this one so much. It’s also not ALL birds. Cute pet ones in cages don’t faze me in the least. I had a bad experience with some barn swallows that made a nest in my carport. I was almost scalped. I also want to punt the geese at Guntersville Lake like feathered footballs. Little bastards.
So yeah, these are my little quirks. What are yours?
This weekend, I became a www.stumbleupon.com addict. I spent ALL DAY yesterday clicking a little button that says “stumble”. If you don’t know what stumbleupon is; it’s a webpage, obviously. You register, and they give you a list of topics. You check off the ones you’re interested in, and when you’re done, you click the stumble button, and it brings up webpage after webpage of things that are most likely going to interest you. This is the ultimate end to boredom. If you’re stuck at home for some reason, go to www.stumbleupon.com, and sign up. Then come to my blog and thank me.
Some of the topics I checked off were: health, wellness, diet, fitness, beauty, humor, photography, new age (Don’t judge me, just because I think it’s interesting doesn’t mean I believe in it.), paranormal, cats, animals, religion, self improvement, psychology, food, cooking, and several others I can’t think of right at this moment.
My personal favorite part of stumbleupon is that you can save the pages that you like, that you’ve “stumbled upon” in favorites within the site, rather than cluttering up your bookmarks on your browser. Cool, huh?
Anyhoo, the first page that I “favorited” was a list of phobias. I’ve always found them interesting. I wouldn’t say that I have any full blown ones, but I definitely have some major fears. . .just not intense enough to be debilitating. Here are some of them.
*Arachnophobia- fear of spiders. – I’m a girl, what can I say. If one is big enough I WILL turn into a screaming banshee.
*Anuptaphobia- fear of staying single. This one makes me want to face a whole barrel of spiders.
* Apeirophobia- Fear of infinity. This is one of my quirkier ones I guess. I’m a Christian, far from a perfect one, but hey. . .who is. I’ve recognized Jesus as my personal lord and savior. But for some reason, the thought of forever and ever without end freaks me out. Even forever in Paradise. I’m hoping JC or someone high up will counsel me when I get there.
(Note- My cat has just decided to lie on my left arm, rendering it totally useless. But she’s purring. It’s my kryptonite.)
*Batophobia- Fear of heights. This one has an “except”. I’m not afraid if there’s railing or some kind of other device between me and impending doom.
*Entomophobia- Fear of insects. (See arachnophobia.)
* Ophidiophobia- Fear of snakes. Mother of pearl. I don’t even like to see them in a cage. One of the ickiest moments in my life was walking by an aquarium in a pet store, looking in, and seeing what looked like a writhing ball of shoestrings. It was baby snakes. UGH!
Ornithophobia- Fear of birds. I used to not have this one so much. It’s also not ALL birds. Cute pet ones in cages don’t faze me in the least. I had a bad experience with some barn swallows that made a nest in my carport. I was almost scalped. I also want to punt the geese at Guntersville Lake like feathered footballs. Little bastards.
So yeah, these are my little quirks. What are yours?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Recipe: Confetti Salad
* I wish I had a pic of this that I could post, because it looks gorgeous when it's done.
So everyone that knows me well knows I love to cook. Always have. It's pretty much the only thing that I can say is a talent of mine. My favorite part of cooking isn't eating it. Actually, when I get finished cooking, the last thing I want to do is eat. I should cook more.My favorite part of cooking is feeding other people with it. If I could work, my dream job would be to cater.
I rarely go by a recipe, unless it is a rather complex recipe. I don't measure anything usually. This recipe is no different. It was come up with by love and the need for a cold dish during the holidays by my step dad's mom. She did well.
So without further hesitation: Confetti Salad
Start of with the most gigantonormous bowl you own. Seriously, think washtub.
The Essentials:
* A bag of Broccoli Woccoli- It's in the bagged up salad and slaw section at Wal-Mart. It's got Broccoli, Caulifour, and Baby Carrots.
* A can of Shoepeg corn. If you can't find it, get regular old white corn in the can, but shoepeg is better.
* Radishes. About 6-8 of them. More if you really like them.
* Onion- any kind will do, but purple ones are the best! About half a big one, or a whole little one.
* Ranch Dressing
* Mayo
* Black Pepper
* Dill
* Celery Salt
(NOTE- You can put real celery in this, and if you, don't put much, and don't use celery salt. You don't want the celery taste to take over, which it will if you use too much. Go easy on the celery salt too. . .seriously, like five grains.)
Extras that are tasty:
* Grape Tomatoes- cut into fourths.
* Bell Pepper- I prefer yellow, orange, or red; or any combination of the three. Just a little though, they can take over the flavor too. Green ones are too strong in my opinion.
* Cucumber- as much as you like.
- Cut everything up to about 1/2 inch. Think this way; you want to get a bite of everything, or at least a bunch of stuff in one bite. Yes it takes forever, but this makes a crap load of salad, you'll eat it for days.
- Toss the veggies up to where everything is mixed up.
- Add in black pepper, celery salt, and dill.
- Start adding in a big tablespoon sized blob of mayo, and big ol' blob of ranch. Stir and repeat until every morsel is covered in creamy goodness.
This salad looks as beautiful as it tastes, and it goes with EVERYTHING. I even like it with Spaghetti. I know, weird. My favorite way to eat it is by itself with saltine crackers. It's a wonderful break from your regular tossed green salad.
When I'm dieting I make this a lot. I know, you're thinking, "Yeah, Ames, mayo and ranch, the weight will be falling off". Listen a minute. . .instead of 1/2 ranch, 1/2 mayo; use 3/4 fat free ranch and 1/4 mayo. It's still just as delicious.
This is SO good with grilled/bbq-ed stuff. Make it for your next picnic.
So everyone that knows me well knows I love to cook. Always have. It's pretty much the only thing that I can say is a talent of mine. My favorite part of cooking isn't eating it. Actually, when I get finished cooking, the last thing I want to do is eat. I should cook more.My favorite part of cooking is feeding other people with it. If I could work, my dream job would be to cater.
I rarely go by a recipe, unless it is a rather complex recipe. I don't measure anything usually. This recipe is no different. It was come up with by love and the need for a cold dish during the holidays by my step dad's mom. She did well.
So without further hesitation: Confetti Salad
Start of with the most gigantonormous bowl you own. Seriously, think washtub.
The Essentials:
* A bag of Broccoli Woccoli- It's in the bagged up salad and slaw section at Wal-Mart. It's got Broccoli, Caulifour, and Baby Carrots.
* A can of Shoepeg corn. If you can't find it, get regular old white corn in the can, but shoepeg is better.
* Radishes. About 6-8 of them. More if you really like them.
* Onion- any kind will do, but purple ones are the best! About half a big one, or a whole little one.
* Ranch Dressing
* Mayo
* Black Pepper
* Dill
* Celery Salt
(NOTE- You can put real celery in this, and if you, don't put much, and don't use celery salt. You don't want the celery taste to take over, which it will if you use too much. Go easy on the celery salt too. . .seriously, like five grains.)
Extras that are tasty:
* Grape Tomatoes- cut into fourths.
* Bell Pepper- I prefer yellow, orange, or red; or any combination of the three. Just a little though, they can take over the flavor too. Green ones are too strong in my opinion.
* Cucumber- as much as you like.
- Cut everything up to about 1/2 inch. Think this way; you want to get a bite of everything, or at least a bunch of stuff in one bite. Yes it takes forever, but this makes a crap load of salad, you'll eat it for days.
- Toss the veggies up to where everything is mixed up.
- Add in black pepper, celery salt, and dill.
- Start adding in a big tablespoon sized blob of mayo, and big ol' blob of ranch. Stir and repeat until every morsel is covered in creamy goodness.
This salad looks as beautiful as it tastes, and it goes with EVERYTHING. I even like it with Spaghetti. I know, weird. My favorite way to eat it is by itself with saltine crackers. It's a wonderful break from your regular tossed green salad.
When I'm dieting I make this a lot. I know, you're thinking, "Yeah, Ames, mayo and ranch, the weight will be falling off". Listen a minute. . .instead of 1/2 ranch, 1/2 mayo; use 3/4 fat free ranch and 1/4 mayo. It's still just as delicious.
This is SO good with grilled/bbq-ed stuff. Make it for your next picnic.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Pain and Art
This is Frida Kaolo's self portrait. I'm a fan of her work. It's very graphic and interesting. This is one of many of her works that illustrate her battle with physical pain. As a young woman, she was in a bus accident that left her in a full body cast, and unable to have children.
Not a lot was known about Fibromyalgia back then. Okay, nothing was known about Fibromyalgia back then. She never fully recovered from that bus accident and was in pain for the rest of her life. Now, looking at her work and reading accounts, it is thought that she had Fibromyalgia. One of the major causes of Fibromyalgia is thought to be brought on by physical trauma. Car accidents, falls, things like that. However, I met a woman once that was never the same from simply bracing with her hands on the airplane seat in front of her during a rough flight. Nobody really knows what causes it for sure.
I have it. So does my aunt.
I don't have a physical injury story to go with my case. Emotional trauma is also thought to be a major cause; and I fall into that category. Sometimes I feel like a wimp because of the fact that I do. I let someone get so under my skin that it made me ill. I didn't want to be that girl. I can say that my heart and head are almost four years past healed, but my body's down for the count. Better my body than my head though. I don't want to be in that jail.
I'm not using this post to share a sob story. I don't really even like to talk about it. The people that talk and complain a lot are the ones that are never taken seriously. I'm just trying to stir up a little awareness.
As silly as it sounds, I feel like Frida and I are kindred spirits; with the Fibromyalgia, and the inability to have children. Except she is insanely talented, and I am not.
Friday, January 22, 2010
I'm With Child!
I am with child.
Yes, you heard me. I find out the sex in about 15 days.
I also find out his/her country of origin. The only thing I do know about my child is that he or she has been affected by HIV/AIDS.
You’ve probably figured it out now that I’m not going to be birthing any babies. This one was (thankfully) birthed by someone else, far, far away. I am sponsoring a child.
As a lot of you know, due to a genetic condition, I cannot have children. I knew it in my heart before four doctors told me so. I’ve always wanted to adopt abroad. I wanted to do it before Angelina made it “trendy”. I remember seeing a 20/20 piece on orphanages in Russia when I was little, and I knew from then on, that I could, and would adopt abroad. But of course, I am in no physical or financial condition for raising a child, so this is going to have to do.
I’m not putting myself on a pedestal because of this; I’m not saying this is in any way equal to physically housing and feeding a needy child. It’s what I can do now, and giving more is one of my New Year’s resolutions, so, check. The only reason I am posting about this is that I hope someone will stumble across this and find it in their heart and sponsor a child.
Click the link in the right sidebar if you’re interested.
www.compassion.com
Yes, you heard me. I find out the sex in about 15 days.
I also find out his/her country of origin. The only thing I do know about my child is that he or she has been affected by HIV/AIDS.
You’ve probably figured it out now that I’m not going to be birthing any babies. This one was (thankfully) birthed by someone else, far, far away. I am sponsoring a child.
As a lot of you know, due to a genetic condition, I cannot have children. I knew it in my heart before four doctors told me so. I’ve always wanted to adopt abroad. I wanted to do it before Angelina made it “trendy”. I remember seeing a 20/20 piece on orphanages in Russia when I was little, and I knew from then on, that I could, and would adopt abroad. But of course, I am in no physical or financial condition for raising a child, so this is going to have to do.
I’m not putting myself on a pedestal because of this; I’m not saying this is in any way equal to physically housing and feeding a needy child. It’s what I can do now, and giving more is one of my New Year’s resolutions, so, check. The only reason I am posting about this is that I hope someone will stumble across this and find it in their heart and sponsor a child.
Click the link in the right sidebar if you’re interested.
www.compassion.com
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Calorie Counting
So I've hem-hawed around, and I'm losing daylight on my new years resolution. My goal is to lose x amount of weight by May 17th, my birthday. One of my best good friends, Mandy, told me that she checked her BMR and adjusted her calories appropriately, and is having a lot of success. She journals her caloric intake also. . .everything she takes in. So, I figure why not?
So I used several online BMR calculators, to see if the numbers were the same, which they were. One gave you an idea of what your ideal weight should be. Mine is 97 lbs. Wow. I know I'm only 4'11", but jeezy creezy! As weight obsessed as I am, I don't think I want to be that thin. We shall see. If things go well, I might adjust and make my goal weight less that what it presently is.
I'm doing the journaling thing too. . .it's kind of a pain. Mostly because it involves math. However, it makes you really think about what you're eating, and how much. I'm also hoping my HealtheTrim will come soon, and help.
My body has decided to turn even more against me, and has decided to break out into hives of some sort. I'm a little loopy on the Benadryl, so I think this is going to be a short one.
So I used several online BMR calculators, to see if the numbers were the same, which they were. One gave you an idea of what your ideal weight should be. Mine is 97 lbs. Wow. I know I'm only 4'11", but jeezy creezy! As weight obsessed as I am, I don't think I want to be that thin. We shall see. If things go well, I might adjust and make my goal weight less that what it presently is.
I'm doing the journaling thing too. . .it's kind of a pain. Mostly because it involves math. However, it makes you really think about what you're eating, and how much. I'm also hoping my HealtheTrim will come soon, and help.
My body has decided to turn even more against me, and has decided to break out into hives of some sort. I'm a little loopy on the Benadryl, so I think this is going to be a short one.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Wisdom for Guys from the Terminally Single Female
So, once again, Digg has provided me with another little ditty that I have to comment on. Some asshat has written this opus on why he doesn't buy a girl a drink. It's appropriately titled "Why I Didn't Buy You a Drink".
If you don't feel like reading it, it basically states four reasons. I will paraphrase.
1)90% of the time there's nothing in it for him.
2)Guys buy drinks for chicks in the hopes of getting laid, which very rarely happens.
3)Chicks get mad when you won't buy them a drink. (I know, that makes no sense to me either, but that's what I got out of it.)
4)In the particular situation he is referencing, the girl is a broke-ass fine arts student just as he is, and she should not expect that of him.
From a REAL woman's point of view, this guy is a douche. Granted, yes I know there are some teases out there. . .but not all of us are. I, myself, am not a "bar" type person. It's loud, and sweaty, and just. . .ugh. Here's how to tell if you're in the presence of a real woman.
1) Real women don't look for true love at a bar,so we probably wouldn't be talking to you in the first place.
2) Real women won't ASK for a drink. If you want to offer one, then good on you.
3) If we're not talking to you, then we have no desire to. No real woman will lower herself to talk to a nasty douche bag in the hopes of scoring a shot.
4) If men would look for more than tits and ass and anorexia when talking to females in a bar type situation, they would see that the real women, who you wouldn't even have to worry about buying a drink, are out there. However, tits and ass and a size 0 wins every time. That is the number one rule I have learned.
If you don't feel like reading it, it basically states four reasons. I will paraphrase.
1)90% of the time there's nothing in it for him.
2)Guys buy drinks for chicks in the hopes of getting laid, which very rarely happens.
3)Chicks get mad when you won't buy them a drink. (I know, that makes no sense to me either, but that's what I got out of it.)
4)In the particular situation he is referencing, the girl is a broke-ass fine arts student just as he is, and she should not expect that of him.
From a REAL woman's point of view, this guy is a douche. Granted, yes I know there are some teases out there. . .but not all of us are. I, myself, am not a "bar" type person. It's loud, and sweaty, and just. . .ugh. Here's how to tell if you're in the presence of a real woman.
1) Real women don't look for true love at a bar,so we probably wouldn't be talking to you in the first place.
2) Real women won't ASK for a drink. If you want to offer one, then good on you.
3) If we're not talking to you, then we have no desire to. No real woman will lower herself to talk to a nasty douche bag in the hopes of scoring a shot.
4) If men would look for more than tits and ass and anorexia when talking to females in a bar type situation, they would see that the real women, who you wouldn't even have to worry about buying a drink, are out there. However, tits and ass and a size 0 wins every time. That is the number one rule I have learned.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Going to the Chapel?
So tonight is one of those nights, where you click on one link that you can't even remember where you found it in the first place, and it takes you to a million different places (much like wikipedia or imdb). This time my final destination was a little jewel called Tacky Weddings . You all have to check this out. There are goth weddings, sci-fi weddings, weddings at fast food restaurants, biker weddings, and other displays of tackiness and redneckery that will blow your mind. Seriously.
As much as it made me giggle; at the back of my mind I felt a little bitter. Why do these psychos get to put on these kinds of spectacles, when all I want is a small, classic, hopefully elegant, intimate with family and closest friends, ceremony and a small fun reception afterwards with good food and mingling with combined loved ones...yet I'm still missing a groom.
Oh well, to each their own. Everyone has the right to exchange vows in whatever form they desire. I do have to post a few highlights of this site though.
Please note the bridesmaid in the Pantera tee.
This is just a sampling of the hilarity. My favorite is on page three, I believe. It's a compilation from youtube of men making their proposals a grandiose event, only to get a fat sack of "no" from their girls. Fail.
Again, all pics are from Tacky Weddings.
As much as it made me giggle; at the back of my mind I felt a little bitter. Why do these psychos get to put on these kinds of spectacles, when all I want is a small, classic, hopefully elegant, intimate with family and closest friends, ceremony and a small fun reception afterwards with good food and mingling with combined loved ones...yet I'm still missing a groom.
Oh well, to each their own. Everyone has the right to exchange vows in whatever form they desire. I do have to post a few highlights of this site though.
Please note the bridesmaid in the Pantera tee.
This is just a sampling of the hilarity. My favorite is on page three, I believe. It's a compilation from youtube of men making their proposals a grandiose event, only to get a fat sack of "no" from their girls. Fail.
Again, all pics are from Tacky Weddings.
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