the paint pot . . .

Soooooooo, last night I finally received my slew of MAC cosmetics for my professional makeup kit. Seriously, the sight of 13 girls sitting in a hallway opening a million little black boxes and organizing them into their cosmetic bags was both hilarious and thrilling. It was like Christmas morning when you were 10 and everything in your stocking was exactly what you've always wanted... seriously, it was that cool. We got a brief summary on what each item in our kit is for, but will get a detailed lesson tomorrow night... so more to come on that!!

{p.s. my instructor has suggested we bring cameras with us on all of our assignments for personal documentation, so there will be some (hopefully) awesome photos on this blog in the near future!! yay!!}

After we had all gotten over our joyous hour of unwrapping, it was time to 'get to know' the products we had just received. Many of them included different face and body foundations, waterproof mascara {for the weeping brides he he he}, powders, blushes, eyelashes, mascara wands, set powder, lip conditioner, and the absolute love of my cosmetic life: the paint pot.

Have you guys ever heard of the brilliance that is the paint pot? Well, if you've ever experienced creasing of the eye shadow or your eye makeup running or smearing throughout the day... the paint pot is your new best friend. It's a lovely little addition to any girls makeup bag. You should at least have one in a color that is close to your skin tone.

What is it? -- It's most commonly used as an eye shadow base. You just gently blend this onto your eyelid wherever you know eyeshadow is going to be. It comes in a variety of colors -- I now have it in black which does absolute wonders if you're doing a smokey eye... no more runny black mess!!

If you have never tried a MAC paint pot, please do yourself a favor and try it out!!

some random thoughts . . .

• I really wish my neighbor (whom i've nicknamed Thunder Foot) would stop stomping and doing laundry at midnight. it's getting old... don't make me be that neighbor who broom-pounds the ceiling on you!! hahaha

• I get my makeup kit tonight (finally!!!!) and we get a tutorial on all the products in it. i can't wait!!

• I think allergy shots might be doing more bad than good... my allergies seem to have gotten worse the past few months. it feels like a bad sinus cold {and DayQuil actually helps}, but has not gone away for 2 weeks. can colds last that long?

• I just got word from boss man that I will be traveling to Germany later this year!! {seriously work... NOW you decide to be cool?} Hopefully it's during the last leg of Summer this time instead of the frigid months of winter...

• I have to read a 1 page paper in front of class tonight and it's freaking me out. I hate reading in front of a group...

• I really want a pair of grey boots... I know I'm really late to the party, but I've just seen so many cute pairs lately, I'm ready for my own pair. 

• I wish my hair would just grow another 6 inches overnight. I'm too impatient to wait another year, and I'm actually debating on purchasing extensions {the clip-on kind).

• Finding motivation to work out when it's so foggy and muggy outside is very very difficult.

Okay, I'm just going to stop there... I have a gazillion things running through my head today and these are just a few of them... I thought getting them into a post might help clear my mind a bit..

How is everyone's Tuesday going??

some thoughts for friday . . .

well friday is here. hip hip hooray.

seriously... i'm so glad it's the weekend.

but alas, there is much to do this weekend, and before i know it, it will be monday again. this weekend i will be seeing a very close childhood friend of mine. and though i am thrilled to see her, it will not be in the setting i would prefer. i will be attending a memorial service for her father who passed away last week... my poor dear friend. it hurts to hear her voice in tears over the phone. 

she has had a very rough 2010, and i just want to go give her a big hug. and i will give her a big hug. tomorrow. and hopefully make her laugh. and she definitely deserves a smile and a chuckle. cuz thats what friends are for... right?

{photo via google}

anywho... before i become anymore depressing -- some friday blanks!!!

1.  The strangest thing I've ever eaten was

 rabbit. yes, you read that right. rabbit.

it was a 4-H auction and the little 4-H'ers were passing around all different kinds of meat. Unknowingly, i tried a sample of something that turned out to be rabbit. it was weird.

2.  My best friend is  well, i have like 5 best friends, and they're labeled by types. i have the boyfriend bestie, the tell-everything-to bestie, the childhood bestie, the crazy bestie... there can't be just one : )

3.  If I could live in a different era it would be      the 1960's    because i could've seen the Beatles and been a part of the mania. and i also think i could have made a good hippie... 

4.  I like when a stranger gives you a compliment. i believe when it comes from an unknown person, it's truly genuine.

5.  If you only know one thing about me it should be  that i can NEVER be intentionally mean. i have never and will never be mean to someone on purpose. even if i have good reason to. i just can't.

6.  My favorite book(s) of all time is  Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and Shakespeare's Hamlet... one hell of a combo eh?

7.  The one beauty product I couldn't live without is   hmmmmmm i think it's a toss-up between liquid eyeliner and foundation. my skin gets a little splotchy almost every day, so foundation is a must... and i can't leave the house without some sort of eyeliner on my eyes....

8.  Blogging is  my escape from the everyday. i can share a story, idea, or thought... or i can read someone else's blog and get totally inspired. Blogging motivates me in so many ways. and blogger friends are simply amazing.

9.  If I could star in a movie with any actor/actress I would want to work with      Ummmm mr. Johnny Depp of course!!! he is a sexy beast and i would LOVE to star in an action/romantic movie with him. i chose action film cuz i would love to show off my tough side... i'm no dainty flower.

10.  One of the best feelings in the world is  getting home on a friday afternoon knowing you have two full days of freedom. it's like a blank canvas...

HAPPY FRIDAY and HAPPY WEEKEND!!

today i feel . . .

MEH.

{if MEH were a real word to describe a feeling, then this would be the word i choose}

just say it... MEH. 

it totally makes sense, and sounds kinda funny right?

i'm indifferent, then i'm frustrated.

i'm bored, then i'm excited, then i'm bored again.

i'm active, then i'm lazy.

i'm MEH.

kinda in between it all...

lately, i can't seem to make up my mind about anything. seriously. anything. which is why i chose not to blog the last couple of days. i feel like everything swirling around in my head isn't worthy to be written and shared with you all. i originally wanted this blog to be a journal, or a creative outlet, and lately i just feel like there's nothing to report.... other than what i already write about.

one day i love my hair, the next day i want to cut it all off. one day i'm super pumped on eating healthy and working out, the next day i ruin it with junk food and no exercise. i am constantly second guessing myself and i'm getting on my own nerves, which after writing that, makes me giggle inside a little.

i need a good mental cleansing. 

my head needs to be cleared of all this gunk that is clogging up my creative writing and positive attitude. honestly i need a vacation. i was hoping to be able to go on one with my tax return, until i found out i OWE a butt-load of money this year. so no vacation for me. awesome.

sorry everyone. i will stop now.

i'm in a serious little funk in my little space here in blog land.

what causes this funkiness that is MEH? i want it gone.

i want to be happy.

i want to write interesting stories, 

and be excited and motivated again.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ADVICE FOR GETTING OUT OF A FUNK LIKE THIS?

MEH.

what.... a weekend.

it seems as though every weekend fills itself with errands, holidays, parties, and gatherings. i fill my time to the brim, to please everyone around me and let them know they are not forgotten. i give them my time and attention, and soon find that the work week has returned, always too soon. i then realize that i have succeeded in my duties to others, and left no one forgotten... except myself.

i am constantly forgetting to give myself some time. some much needed attention.

time to relax, to reflect, to unwind. as i go through this little thing called life, i realize that GO has become far too prominent in my vocabulary.

is this what being a grown up is all about?

is this how it is going to be?

filling my time for other people and finding little to no time for just myself?

shoot... and i don't even have kids yet.

ugh.

today i just want to be a dog.

sorry for the slight negativity folks.

there's just been alot going on in my life right now,

some of it i've brought upon myself, so i guess i shouldn't complain.

life is good... and i am a lucky girl.

i just allow myself to get a little down in the dumps sometimes.

every girl is entitled to some monday blues now and then, right?

hope you had a fantastic easter weekend!!

here's to a quick week!!

my little alien...

one of my favorite disney animated movies that i can watch over and over is Lilo and Stitch. there's just something about that movie that steals my heart every time... one thing i love about that movie is how adorable they made the character stitch... and how much little stitch resembles my little Olive.

every time i walk Olive i get such a variety of comments.

many of them just three words, "look! it's stitch!"

other comments include references to gizmo from gremlins,

the alien dog from Men in Black,or even the creature from ghostbusters.

she definitely draws attention.

i guess she kinda does look more like an alien than a dog,

but that's what i love about her.

in fact, it just makes me love that little munchkin even more.

cheers to a cheery wednesday...

for some reason i'm in an oddly chipper disposition this morning.

perhaps it was the giant coffee i drank...

or that i love wearing my green shirt,

or that i have a hair appointment tonight,

or that i'm thrilled to have some drinks with an old girl friend tonight,

or that it's wednesday and the week is halfway through,

or that it's st. patty's day!!!

anyone doing something fun tonight?

did you remember to wear green?

(if you forgot... i virtual pinch to you!!)

as you can see i remembered to wear mine,

AND i remembered to load myself up with caffeine.

(please disregard the shaggy un-styled hair. 

i'm getting it done this afternoon, finally!)

man, i better eat something before i start bouncing off the walls.

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!!!

i'd like to go for a walk outside but. . .

hello everyone. let me just start this blog post off with saying...

excuse me. today i can't seem to go a single sentence without sneezing. my allergies have been absolutely terrible this week. and it's absolutely beautiful outside. all i want to do is go for a walk or run outside, but...

i can't. and as much as i'd love to put great thought into a wonderfully written post...

my allergies won't let me concentrate on anything today. my apologies.

Spring must be near...

is it weird: wednesday!! ...

is it weird...

...that i occasionally buy disney/kid movies with the idea that 

someday i can watch them with my kids and/or nieces and nephews?

is it weird...

...that i love love LOVE hot coffee, 

but can't stand cold/iced coffee?

is it weird...

... that i NEVER wear rings?

i buy them, but never wear them.

i wear earrings, and necklaces and bracelets and watches,

but no rings. my fingers feel constricted 

and uncomfortable when i wear them.

is it weird...

that random e-mails from fellow bloggers 

make me so giddy i jump up and down in my chair a little.

i guess i just love getting mail... be it electronic or snail mail...

is it weird...

... that i have to change something about myself every few weeks?

like my hair, blog, clothes, make-up style etc...

i love change.

speaking of change... 

my new blog design is nearly done. 

there's just a few more tweaks to make, and little things to design. 

Stay tuned!

• • • • • •

hope you all are having a fabulous wednesday!!

i'm thinking of making these weird wednesdays a weekly thing...

they're kinda fun!

sorry for the lack of post today...

i've been a little busy bee today.

i'm playing with the idea of designing a new blog layout for myself.

i am a designer after all, but i've had very limited training in the online world of it and thought it was high time i taught myself... getting used to the code part of it is pretty difficult for me.

but i'm getting it.

hope you all are having a lovely tuesday.

i promise to be back tomorrow

: )

battery low...

{caution: small tantrum/lots of reading ahead}

lately i've been feeling like i'm running on empty.

i've go no energy, no motivation, i feel BLEH.

i feel like a hamster on a wheel, 

and this hamster has had enough.

i wake up tired every morning,

and dream of blissful days that don't involve work.

i long for a vacation that lasts longer than 2 friggin days.

{if only i could afford to go anywhere}

needless to say, i've been a serious crabby pants lately

and can't figure out the root of the problem.

i'm trying to look on the bright side...

hey, it's wednesday... AND it's payday for me.

HECK YES.

i survived another "first week after 

paying rent and having no money until payday craziness."

go me.

i know i'm pretty close to being a grown up,

in fact to most people, i AM a grownup...

so why do i still feel like the starving student 

living paycheck to paycheck?

i don't have much in the way of savings,

i DONT have any money for a vacation,

and bills keep piling up on my kitchen counter.

i keep doing the RIGHT things, and it all ends up 

hitting the fan anyway, and costing me an arm and a leg.

{ahem, i started allergy shots yesterday, 
and my skin is reacting like i have poison oak. 
can something i do for my "health" not backfire for once?}

sorry for the all-over-the-place rant everyone. 

it's just been one of those weeks so far.

i'm hoping thursday and friday bring better things.

i'm suddenly reminded of a childhood book my parents 

used to read to me when i felt like this, 

and it always put things into perspective: 

COULD BE WORSE

one of my childhood favorites.

aren't children's books the greatest?

on lockdown...

for most of my life, my hair has been short.

like, really short.

in my senior portrait my hair was a pixie cut... and in second grade i decided i wanted to cut all my hair off, and believe it or not, my mom didn't stop me. i ended up looking like Demi Moore from Ghost.

don't believe me?

{circa 1992}

{you thought i was kidding didn't you?}

haha

soooooo ever since Mr. D and i became, well, Mr. D and i, he's been very curious to see me with long hair, since it's been so scarce throughout my life. i've been growing it out for about a year now, and, needless to say, cute shaggy cuts and bobs have been out of the question... i'm on lockdown so to speak {get it? locks of hair... lockdown? yeah i'm a dork} anyway, i've found a much needed distraction from cute cuts with great color. i'm currently thinking about going lighter, like a dirty blonde lighter... or, since the redhead gene runs in the family, maybe even dare to go a reddish hue like emma stone...

this could be fun...

what do you guys think of these COLORS?
{click the image to enlarge}

is it weird...

is it weird...

that i like to lick a spoonful 

of peanut butter by itself for a snack?

is it weird...

that i subconsciously always remove my shoes when sitting down?

{i noticed this in a meeting today as i swung my bare feet 

around under the conference desk, then quickly slipped my shoes on}

is it weird...

that i can predict the plots in almost all chick flicks?

maybe i've seen too many movies...

{i truly enjoy the ones that occasionally surprise me}

is it weird...

that i would rather have breakfast for dinner?

it's just so yummy, sometimes i'll have breakfast twice a day :) 

is it weird...

that i'm grossed out by bathtubs?

{seriously, the thought of taking a bath in a rental bath tub gives me the eebie jeebies. maybe someday when i have my own brand new bathtub that'll change, but until then.....}

is it weird...

that i'd rather eat a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips than Ben & Jerry's ice cream? 

is it weird...

that when i get really excited about something, 

or am trying to lighten the mood, i bust out conversations into song? 

it seems to work 99% of the time : )

is it weird...

that i look forward to power outages during storms?

{i like the idea of sitting in candle light playing board games}

• • • • • • • 

what are some of your weird or not-so-weird habits?

i'm starting to realize...

things aren't ever going to be perfect.

life isn't perfect,

that's what makes it interesting.

and pursuing perfection will only lead to disappointment.

there will always be 

bumps in the road,

detours,

U turns,

hurdles....

and the best we can do is all we can do...

get through it, whatever it is...

and enjoy the little things in life along the way.

just  keep  swimming...

c'mon now...

dear subway:

why do you carry those ridiculously 

delicious double chocolate cookies?

you're defeating your healthy purpose.

you're defeating MY healthy purpose...

i mean, seriously. who can resist the gooey chocolatey goodness?

not this girl.

some notes for wednesday...

dear wednesday:

i can't believe you're already here!

please tell friday to get here soon...

dear new urban outfitters rug:

you are the prettiest rug ever... my bathroom 

looks so darn cute because of you.

i think i might have a new obsession with owls...

dear new balance walkin' shoes

you are my new best friend... my feet really like you.

especially on those long walks with olive.

i have a feeling we'll be seeing each other a lot more...

what heels?  :P

dear old property management:

it would be nice if you could send my deposit back.

it's been 20 days since i moved... and i know 

for a fact the crazy cat lady neighbor already moved 

into my old place {yes, you read that right}

so why do you still need to hold on to my money?

give it back... please.

dear future necklace of awesomeness:

yes, i finally bought it... i splurged.

i can't wait 'til you arrive in my mailbox.

i will wear you everywhere... everyday.

you are one pretty piece of jewelry...

dear pacific ocean:

i feel so lucky to be able to run by you 

on my lunch break everyday.

you make running so much nicer than a gym.

keep sparkling... i'll keep visiting.

dear sun:

keep on shining.

you put me in a better mood when you do

and it makes me feel like spring is around the corner.

along with daylight savings time...

that makes me excited!

hope everyone is having 

a wonderful wednesday!

finally friday...

man oh man i thought this friday would never get here.

this week has been waaaaaay hectic 

{at least on the work front with a new catalog to finish - 

but with that catalog came some exciting news... more on that later}

but it's friday, and the weekend is so close. hallelujah! 

i've got some major plans this weekend... ok not really.

but i DO want to get some things done, 

now that i'm finally settled into my new apartment.

here's my list:

this weekend i will...

1} start reading a new book... In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan

anyone read this yet? i've heard amazing things...

2} hang the rest of my framed photos, paintings, wall art etc.

3} go for a run... yes i said run. ergh. i want to start to like running

 and thought maybe actually doing it might influence 

that yearning to like it... we'll see.

4} give little olive a bath... she won't be happy about this, but its necessary.

5} try a new recipe sunday night. perhaps a french recipe 

from Mastering the Art of French Cooking... oh yes.

6} find a desk, buy it, bring it home, assemble it, put my jewelry tools and 

supplies on it, and actually make some jewelry for the first time in MONTHS... 

{this is a BIG TO-DO on my list!!}

7} happy hour with the girls... always look forward to this!! it makes my friday!

8} wander downtown and discover a new restaurant... i walk by them all the time, 

but never walk in. this needs to change. i just love a good discovery.

what are your plans for the weekend?

olive doesn't like thunder...

it's been a rough week for poor olive.

over the weekend she was taken to a new place;

entirely different, with a different patio,

and different potty rules,

and it's raining on her first week here in the new place.

and there's been thunder and heavy heavy rain...

for three days straight,

and i'm not there... i'm at work.

i feel so bad.

she's so confused, and trying to be a good dog,

but she's not sure where to do her business,

because it's completely soaking wet outside.

needless to say, between the new apartment and the

weather that looks like the end of the world outside

Olive has become a hot-mess stress basket...

she's so stressed that she's literally made herself sick.

{i awoke to a lovely mess this morning... oh joy}

poor baby.

i never thought i would anticipate the END of a rain storm,

but for my poor doggie's sake, could it please let up

until we get a solid potty pattern at the new place?

pretty please?

{photo from her puppy days... 
i love it cuz she looks like a cute drowned rat}

ghost town...

wednesday night, dave brought this movie over.

we didn't have high expectations, but we thought it would

be an easy-to-watch movie....

it was unexpectedly awesome... i loved this movie.

and i want it for my collection.

ricky gervais is surprisingly charming

in a dry, cynical kind of way...

i loved his character, and the awkward-but-funny

ramblings he has throughout the story.

go see this movie if you have a chance...

it will make you smile.