Successful Weekend

I need this

I am soooooo excited!!!
Today Lady roommate and I went to Wal-Mart (somewhere I usually refuse on all accounts to go, but she wanted to) and we bought some new yarn so I could start a blanket for her. She wanted to go with the square idea and have rainbow yarn in the middle. At first I thought she meant picking out the colors of the rainbow and doing a red square, then green, then blue etc etc but she was actually talking about yarn already died as a rainbow (multicolored and as I thought about it I realized 1) it would work and 2) I'd have an extra project idea to work on after I'm done with my three current blankets. (yes three, I went a little crazy)

So tonight, after watching The Walking Dead and cleaning up my once again messy room (I threw everything from my poor car in my room haphazardly that night) and taking a nice shower (I also bought myself new body wash and a loofah) I painted a quick coat of red on my toes and started my sample square.

In the middle of working on the square I decided once and for all to learn some tricks that had been giving me trouble since I started crocheting. Tonight, dear friends, I learned 1) how to properly end a square and 2) how to properly change colors.

I'm so excited, this means if I give myself enough time and start teaching myself other patterns I could potentially sell my blankets! I've never had a craft I could sell!!! Even better part, I can teach my youngest sister how to crochet the proper way. She won't have obvious seams in her work nor will she have knots or obvious (sloppy) transitions. I'm really, really excited!

In other news:
Saturday was a lot of me driving around Encinitas (the roommates let me drive their Prius, fun and interesting little car). I was waiting to meet up with a visiting bestie and while driving around I saw a sign saying "Border's closing sale 30-40% off. I sped across El Camino Real to Border's like a maniac. In Borders I went a tad crazy, I spent a couple hours I'm sure perusing and during that time ran into bestie and her mom. We said hi, commented on the loveliness and confirmed plans of meeting up later that evening for dinner. I then went off and went a bit more crazy. I bought some books (well duh, one of which is The Walking Dead graphic novel volume 1. So stoked to compare and contrast to the story. (and be a graphic novel nerd)
After tearing myself away from Borders I went to Barnes and Noble to pick up a couple of books I could not find before. One to send to lil sis T at college and one that was recommended highly.

Then I met up with a friend I haven't seen in so very long, we'll call him Lil B. We met with C-San Francisco at a delicious food place called Rico's. We all use to be a part of a group in high school and it was so much fun to be reunited again. C-SF and I went to see a movie while Lil B went to see a show. The movie was whatever but the act of going to Rico's, hanging out at movie theaters and driving around Encinitas (and chillin with Lil' B) was so nostalgic of high school and I had such a blast. After the movie we went to LB's house and we demanded to see his room, we wanted to know if it had changed any and then we all talked for 3 hours about so many different things. I admitted a HUGE high school crush on Lil B (we call him Lil' B because he was a year behind us) and we listened to all kinds of music and finally at 3 am I had to call it quit and drive home.

Today was Dad's birthday and honestly I didn't do much before going to dinner. Obviously the start of this entry shows what I did after dinner.

Now I must sleep in preparation for an early morning of chatting nicely with Police officers and their secretaries. Then work. Sigh.

Another day, another book, another lady I love.

Ah yes, my not so secret addiction with The Hills and Lauren Conrad. Tonight I read her second book Sweet Little Lies and loved every second of it. There's something about super easy, bubble gum pop reads that I can't stay away from. I think they are my escape. That has to be it. I read these kinds of books when I want life to be a little more simple and happy. I'm in no way implying that I am unhappy, but it seems that many around me are and I'm just trying to find a way to get everything to work out and get my life on some sort of track. I don't want to be scrounging for money like I am now, I want to be content and working for something bigger. 


Anyway, the book was simple and good. By no means winning any high awards but definitely not a waste of my night. Oh man, she's so effing cute with the cute dress and amazing style. 


I've said it before and I'll say it again, I want to be her friend. 


book 7 of 8 Goodness, I've done the additional 8 much faster than I anticipated. I have been reading a lot a lot.

How I Love Chelsea Handler

Tonight I started and finished book 6 of 8. A nice young woman from work loaned me Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang and I wanted to return it as soon as possible and meant to start it last night but instead finished Desperate Housewives Season 2 (phenomenal) as well as came even closer to finishing the baby blanket AND watching (500) Days of Summer. Phew. Lots going on last night so alas I did not start CCBB. I did start it tonight while painting my nails a new red color I bought. I'm happy with it, but not ecstatic. The nail color I mean, not the book. The book was fabulous. After my failed attempts at finding free episodes from season 3 of Desperate Housewives I resigned myself to finishing the already half if not three quarters read book. 

Ms Chelsea Handler never lets me down. I'm definitely glad I didn't purchase this hardcover book considering I finished it in a couple of hours and hardcovers usually run around $20, but I am VERY glad I read it as well as her other books My Horizontal Life and Are You There Vodka, It's Me, Chelsea. At least I'm pretty sure I read Are You There Vodka... almost positive in fact. Oh goodness my memory is failing me. 

Point is, Chelsea has a way with words and I wish I could hang around her every day. I wouldn't even get too mad when she made up stories to trick me and entertain herself. I wouldn't get mad when she made fun of me either because she'd probably word it really well.

I have a couple of friends that tell me from time to time I remind them of the great C.H. and I should have a show called C Not-So-Lately where I discuss topics that happened FOREVER ago (or maybe two weeks because the media is fickle as we know) with the same charm and wit as is seen on Chelsea Lately. I do not think myself as funny as Chelsea but I do appreciate the compliment. 

If you like this lady read the book, read all of them in fact. It won't set you back more than 6-8 hours for all three of them and there are so many laugh out loud moments in the three that it's well worth it.

In closing I will share with you my favorite line from this book: "I've always had a disliking for animal trainers, and this guy cemented my theory that people who chaperone animals for a living have never had a girl sit on their face."

Only 2 more books to go! #8

The Weekend

This weekend has been full of productiveness. Pretty sure that isn't an actual word, or maybe it is because it didn't get spell checked...

What I mean is, the weekend has been productive. I scanned all of my polaroids today and I am currently cropping the scans and straightening them. Went with my sister, our basically adopted sister (her best friend) and our brother to dinner for lil' sis's 18th birthday! Sheesh has time flown by. I was six when she was born. This is crazy. She's 18 and moving to Alabama in less than a month! I'd be devastated if 1) I wasn't planning on heading to Tennessee before her four years there are up and 2) if I saw her more.

Saturday I finished fixing up my resume and sent it to several people. Then looked at photography skills. This week I read 3... yes THREE books.

I also finished


All of them were fantastic. All for different reasons. Fifth Avenue, 5 a.m. I read in one night because I just couldn't put it down. It is the story of Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote and the little black dress. It's that and a whole lot more. It is a definite must read for anybody who's seen Breakfast at Tiffany's and liked it or has an appreciation for Audrey.
Perfect Fifths and Queen of Babble were quick reads for fun. They were my easy-peasy but oh so great escape books that both has little lessons that made me think.
As for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I don't know what to say other than I was soooo wrong the first time I picked up the book an couldn't get into it. The story pulled me in and wouldn't let me go when I picked it up a second time. The story is so honest and without apology. Gorgeous book.

So all in all this weekend (and this week it seems) have been pretty fulfilling outside of work. I'm going to keep with this habit of doing things and reading books and crossing things off of the "need to do" list as well as the "25 before 25" list.

I'm pretty content tonight.

Hope your weekend was relaxing or productive like mine!

p.s. If you are looking for some music to listen to I currently recommend The Silent Comedy (from this good ol' town of San Diego) and Marina and the Diamonds (not from anywhere close to here).

That is all. Goodnight!

Silver Linings

Today is better. There is hope in the air. I know I go up and down as fast as a roller coaster at Six Flags and for that I apologize but I do need to get it out somewhere and sometimes doing it in a blog makes me think a little harder about the situation and it forces me to do something I love which is look through pictures.

I don't know what is to come in the future, maybe a reunion if one party is ready and the other hasn't set her mind elsewhere. Maybe not. But I'm not the basket case I was yesterday and I can talk without tears pouring out of my eyes like waterfalls.

The good thing about yesterday was I received my lovely polaroid in the mail yesterday. I have to wait until payday to buy film and then have to wait until they ship it, but having the camera itself to hold (with a case and two flash bars to boot!) was definitely something that kept my eyes dry for a minute.

Sunday night I finished a book I had been reading for a couple of weeks and so I had some time after my crying to look at my bookshelf for the next pick.

As I was looking and looking I needed something inspirational and I happened upon my favorite picture book: A Year of Mornings.



While I am not the kind to get up early in the morning the pictures are so gorgeous and I get very jealous of the authors' eye for simple beauty. It wouldn't hurt to try my hand at something similar however, so I will be uploading random photos from my day occasionally.

I hope you enjoy what I come up with.

Vice on my wallet, it's really time

Like I've been saying for the past month (all my spending life) I really need to cut back and organize and find a way to save money and pay off this ugly credit card. I also need to learn how to keep money in my account between each paycheck. It's not like it needs to be difficult I just have such a shopping but, so quick to pick something up that all my money goes away so fast.

Also, I love, love, love food. So hard for me to take the time to make my own when I could just buy something delicious and fast from someone else. That needs to be cut back tremendously.

Here's what I really need to do:

Enjoy what I already have.

For instance:


Writing pretty letters on pretty paper



Taking pictures with my wonderful cameras



Crocheting new things, continuing old projects, etc

And of course I can be working on the no money needed 25 by 25

Reading:

Current book in my purse. Half way through. It's like reading a dream. I'm really impressed.


and hanging out with the boy :)

I guess it could be worse now couldn't it. I already have such beautiful things in my life and I just keep cluttering it with more.

and PS I'm pretty sure I've mentioned my inability to commit to a relationship outside of friendship. Well, I'm happy to announce that I am in a relationship. The fact that I'm not running for the hills is awesome and incredible and I'm pretty stoked.

photos found on: We Heart It & A Beautiful Mess

Lost in Higher Thought

Bariloche, Argentina. My favorite view.
Today I spent my time awake shopping and finishing Dharma Punx. I added a nice jacked for cheap to my closet, a beautiful sweater for about 5x the amount of the jacket :/ a watch necklace a couple more colors of tank tops, a nautical blue and white long shirt scrunched at the sides, a 1" curling iron and a beautiful leaf bracelet. I'm a happy, happy girl. My bank account is not as happy. She will survive though. Most things I bought today were items that have been on my mental wish list for a while now.
Oh yes, and in the morning before I left for the shops I finally invested in Suicide Girls: Beauty Redefined. SFC came over last night with her man and we joked about how soon I would have enough books to make up an Sex and Media Library. We talked about how I could get my Masters studying erotica, burlesque, the art of the strip tease etc. I realized later that if I did I would be following in the footsteps of one of my favorite instructors. That wouldn't be such a bad thing to study.

When I came home from a day full of walking and crowds I burrowed under my new comfy blanket and finished the second half of my book. Dharma Punx left me with a feeling similar to the one I had when I was reading Eat, Pray, Love. I am constantly brought back to a 5 second memory of me laying in bed in the basement apartment reading Ishmael for the second time while it was raining outside. My room at the time was a dark cavern, the window covered with an old sheet so people walking by couldn't see down in. I have this feeling of searching for peace and contentment in myself and so I talk to people, I read, I sit and attempt to listen but I have yet to find my path. Ballet was the closest thing that I had to utter devotion. I understand it is not a religion but it is a discipline and I loved it. Sometimes I feel the infinite, the expanse of possibility during a song when beats and chords collide. The place that never fails to leave me feeling full of the infinite is the ocean. In the middle all you can feel is what is around you.

Needless to say I am a little caught up in thought. Mulling things over yet again. I've become obsessed with Buddhism, mindfulness and pilgrimages to foreign countries. I appreciate these peoples' interest in Asia but I know that if I were to go away to work deeper into my mind I would end up back in Argentina. The country has beauty unlike that I have ever seen. I wanted to go back the day I left. Emily Haines of Metric went there to collect herself and wrote the latest album. Brilliant.

I am in love with Anya Marina's cover of "Whatever You Like." I've seen her play it twice while I was working at HOB and then I was shocked to hear it playing during the threesome scene on Gossip Girl. The song has such an erie beauty to it.

I think I'm done with my flowing typing for now. Goodnight.

Laurie Halse Anderson's comments on censorship

"Literature is a safe and traditional vehicle through which we learn about the world and pass on values from one generation to the next. Books save lives... America's teens are desperate for responsible, trustworthy adults to create situations in which they can discuss the issues that are of the highest concern for them...censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in darkness and makes them vulnerable... Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them. They need us to be brave enough to give them great books so they can learn how to grow up into the men and women we want them to be."

I agree with these parts, the only thing I had to add and or change for my own beliefs is the part at the end where she says "into the men and women we want them to be." I would say that I would change the we into a "they" saying, "so they can learn how to grow up into the men and women they want to be."

Find out more about her, her books and her thoughts on other things at
www.writerlady.com or
www.livejournal.com/~halseanderson