Crankyville. Population 1.

Thursday is usually my favorite day of the week. Today, not so much. It wasn't a bad day, I just wasn't on my game. meh. I think I'm just tired and have a lot to do. And Thursday is supposed to be my "meeting free night" and I had to schedule a meeting (a recurring meeting) for Thursdays. Blerg.

Despite my frequent detours in Crankyville (I'm told that's near Funkytown), there were some bright spots of the day. Let's recap...

This came a few days ago but I haven't had a chance to share it. I can't wait to use it. This green is going to be my signature spring color. Love it!

Gracie also has a thing for bags too. She's got good taste. Clearly. This little cutie, JD came to visit us at work today. He's so adorable that it's difficult to not be happy when he comes to visit.

Towards the end of the day, I wandered down to the bookstore and picked up this book. I know it's been out for awhile--but I finally got around to looking at it and it's freakin' hilarious. I laughed out loud in the store reading the first page. And it was 30% off. Another high point.
Now I'm going to lay in my bed and read until I pass out. Because that's how I roll in Crankyville on a Thursday.

My Future's So Bright

I wanted to jump on the bandwagon for Wordless Wednesday but I got a new Vera brochure today featuring these cute sunglasses and words are necessary. I would like to be wearing them soon....

Holly in Black with Purple Punch

I heard birds chirping as I walked into my office this morning and I actually needed to wear sunglasses because it's bright and sunny out. It gave me hope that spring is nearing.

Happy Wednesday!

Pop Quiz

I can't believe it's been almost a week since I posted.
This means that my life is:
a. Incredibly boring
b. Really, REALLY busy
c. So fantastic that I don't want to brag
d. A and B
e. all of the above

If you picked B-- You win!

It's the beginning of a semester and that always means that I'm crazy at work during the day and have begun getting back into the routine of night meetings. I love my job but I really, really hate having to come back to work at night to have meetings! At least I can go home to eat dinner and change before I come back. And it's sorority and fraternity recruitment time so I'm extra busy with that. Today I've been at work for about 6 hours already and am currently typing this from the fraternity poker night (don't worry--I'm totally watching the Academy Awards red carpet while they play).

This week brought some gross weather to our area. This was the scene outside of my office one night. I'm not sure I've mentioned how much I dislike snow. Especially since it was almost nice out the day before this storm. ugh. I can't wait to wear spring clothes and not have to check weather.com before I run errands. Besides weather and work, I've been trying to clean out my large stash of magazines that I've acquired in the past few months. I'm a very organized person but for some reason I'm WAY behind in this area. This may seem completely ridiculous but I have a system to reading my mags. I go through and read articles or rip out things that I want to keep for reference or for inspiration. I also use magazines as my zone out time. If I've had a long day, I like to get in my PJs lay in my bed and read a completely trashy celebrity magazine cover to cover. It's weird, but it's my thing. The one thing I'm always concerned about is what to do with old magazines after I finish. I try to pass them on to friends but I worry that I'll annoy them with the volume that I'm looking to get rid of. What do you do with your old magazines?

I hope you all had a great weekend!

It's in the Bag

I'm looking for a new spring bag. I know, I know. This isn't newsworthy because I am always looking for a new bag, but I'm looking for a good one to take on my two trips in March. I received the new Vera Bradley catalogue in the mail today. Coincidence? I think not.

Here is a sampling of some things I like (not limited to just bags). Let's call it my Vera Wish List.

The Morgan bag in Purple Punch The Ultimate Wallet

Laptop Portfolio in Cupcakes Green

The Gabby in Hope Garden Clutch Wallet in Kensington (it's retiring so it's cheap right now)

I think if I buy any of these things, I will go with Hope Garden but I do like the other colors as well. It's definitely a high contender for a spring bag.

I'm going to get a new LL Bean bag too (I'll call this my LL Green bag) because I love the green color. It would be practical for work and my trips because I'd go with the medium, zip top with long handles. Perfect for work too.
Yes, I'm fully aware that I have a problem. I'm seeking help. Right after I place my order....

Hope you all had a great Monday!

For the Love of the Weekend

It's Sunday night. That means I need to let you know what I did this weekend, right? Well, I have to say that this has been a lovely weekend and I'm sad it's almost over.

Friday night--dinner at one of my favorite places in O-town, The Depot (it's actually an old train depot). They make the pizza with the cheese right on the crust and the sauce on the top. It's delicious.
Saturday was a great day all around. I began V-Day with a WW meeting. I only lost .2 lbs this week but it's okay--a loss is a loss. My friend Jill and I treated ourselves to a manicure/pedicure session at the Wal-mart salon (class all the way). I didn't get a facial because I didn't make the appointment in time, but I'm glad that I did this instead because I got to hang out with Jill and relax. I went with a pink color to be festive. It's called An Affair to Remember. I really think I pick colors based on the name sometimes. It's part of the experience, really.

I bought myself some flowers for Valentine's Day.My friend Cristina's husband was nice enough to take the night off of work to be with their son so that she and I could hang out and be girly and fun. We went to see Confessions of a Shopaholic and then to dinner at another O-town favorite, Athens.

I was so pleased with the movie. It did the book justice and was just adorable. I think Isla Fisher was charming. It reminds me of how charming I found Reese Witherspoon's character in Legally Blonde. In any case, I highly recommend. I will definitely buy it when it comes out on DVD. Today I ended up going to the movies with some friends to see He's Just Not That Into You. Another good one. It had a good message for those hopeless romantics out there. Yeah, okay, I mean me.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that I had to go buy new jeans.

In a smaller size.

I say that's the icing on a pretty fantastic weekend cake.

Sweet Treat

My friend at work made these for her daughter's class. She gave me one and I thought it was so cute I had to share. I hope that when I'm a mom, I do cute things like this for my kids. I'm told the recipe can be found in the February issue of Parents Magazine (I think they are called Pooch Pops)It's been a long week at work. I'm excited to relax this weekend. Confessions of a Shopaholic tonight (it got good reviews--yay!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Message from the 90's.

scrunch·ie also scrunch·y (The American Heritage Dictionary)
noun. pl. scrunchies

An elasticized fabric ring used chiefly by women and girls to gather or fasten the hair.


Remember when scrunchies were the coolest accessory you could have? And when you weren't using them to hold back big, permed hair, a scrunchie could add a little pizazz to your outfit by sporting it on the wrist. Yes, 1990 was a good year for the scrunchie.

So what has me thinking about this retro hair accessory in 2009? Well, I happened to spot a number of scrunchies recently and it made me cringe. I have an aversion to the scrunchie. Yes, I admit it. It's one of the fashion trends of yesteryear that bothers me. For some it may be leg warmers, others may be anti-skinny jeans. For me, it's the scrunchie. I saw a woman wearing one on her wrist yesterday while I was at Walmart. Of course, judgement ensued. After my Walmart trip, I was at a meeting with some students. I told them about my scrunchie aversion. We all had a good laugh about fashion trends of the past. I suggested that they have a scrunchie theme party (like an ugly sweater party).

Some of the students thought they were funny today and left this on my office door.
Hilarious, girls. Hilarious.

What are your fashion/accessory pet peeves?

(This is not intended to offend any scrunchie advocates out there. It's all in fun, I swear.)

Have Heart

“Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.”

--Sex and the City

I really like Valentine's Day. I know this may sound strange coming from a single girl, but I really do. I think it's a cute holiday. The red, the pink, the hearts, the cuteness...it's just fun.

I hate when people hate valentine's day. It's not like it's ONLY about having a romantic relationship (see above quote). I feel like I love a lot of people and it's nice to have a random day in February to celebrate this. Let's face it, February is generally cold and awful, it's nice to have something to be warm and fuzzy for a few days. And really though, if I had a boyfriend/husband I wouldn't want anything more than a card (okay, maybe a new handbag...but that's not something isolated to holidays)

Here are some of the decorations I've put out this year to get in the spirit.

The wreath I found at Michael's

Candy hearts are my favorite.
I found this for $1.99 and added the red ribbon.
I love this sign for my bulletin board.
This is my favorite sign that I picked up last weekend at my favorite country store.

A few years ago, I decided that I was going to spend Valentine's Day doing something I really like OR treating myself to something that I really want. This year I've decided that I'm going to get a facial because I've never done that before. I also plan to go out to dinner with friends and go see Confessions of a Shopaholic. I am really looking forward to this plan. It's Valentastic!

How will you spend your Valentine's day this year?

I'd Like to Thank...

I'm a sucker for award shows. I like them all. I like to know I'm watching someone achieve their dream. I always get a little lump in my throat when someone gets emotional during a speech. I especially like the Grammy Awards because they are just fun. I love music and generally have a good idea about what's on the Hot 100 most days. (I revealed that I wanted to be a pop singer when I was little so it MAY have something to do with that) So I made sure I was in my PJ's ready to watch tonight. (Okay, so I totally watched the pre-show on E!---shhhh)

As I sit here watching, I find myself thinking about what I would say during an acceptance speech. I realize that the chances of me winning a Grammy are less than zero but I like to be prepared.

Yeah.

It's actually really difficult to think of something meaningful that sums up your life's work in less than 30 seconds. Wow.

Maybe I'll have figured it out before the Academy Awards....because you know I'll be watching.

Kwan.

Today is a special day because it's Courtney's birthday!

Courtney and I have been friends for well over a decade. I met her in Littell Hall during sophomore year (I transferred in) She was cool. Like the kind of cool I've never been. She wrote poetry and wore floral skirts and loved the Beatles. And although her coolness terrified me a little bit, we became friends.I could write a lot of things about Courtney but what I'll say today is that she is one of the best people I know. Remember in the movie Jerry McGuire when Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) points at Jerry and says "You're My Ambassador of Kwan." It always makes me think of Courtney because she's my Ambassador of Kwan.

Here's why.

Because she always says the right things and never fails to make me feel better about anything. She is truly who she says she is. When I need someone to listen to me whine, she will. When I need to hear the truth, she'll tell it to me. When I need to laugh, she will laugh too. She never judges. She is fiercely loyal. And no matter what stupid things I do in my life or what good happens, she's always my biggest fan. That's Kwan. Courtney, I hope you have a lovely day today!

xoxo

THS Lipgloss Lounge

Life has been relatively quiet this week so I've been a boring blogger. Don't get me wrong, I've had a lot to think about but I'm not quite ready to put those thoughts into words. I'll just put it this way...there is a giant fork in my road soon and I'm starting to think about which way to go. It's definitely not light, fun blog material yet. BUT it IS kind of exciting.

Anyway, I was reading one of my favorite blogs Life with Attitude and Ms. Attitude played this little game and I thought it looked like a fun thing to do so she e-mailed me my own set of questions. I feel like I have my own E! True Hollywood Story. Ha!

(My dad and I when I was little. Every THS has pictures of childhood, right?)

1.What did you want to grow up to be when you were a kid?
I always wanted to be a teacher from a very early age. I played school on a regular basis and my brother was always the principal in his room so I could send the "bad" kids there for a good, stern talking to. I did think I wanted to be a veterinarian for awhile because I loved animals so much. I held on to that until I realized I would have to actually fix a broken bone or cut a puppy open. Yikes. No way. That was the end of that. I also spent a lot of time thinking I was going to be a famous pop singing sensation (just like my idol Debbie Gibson).

The teacher part held. That's what I went to college for. Although I'm not exactly a "teacher" now, I'm still in education so I consider that close enough. I still have "secret" hopes that I'll make it in the entertainment industry. But not as a singing sensation. More like Oprah.

2.What is your dream/favorite vacation spot and why?
My dream at the moment is a beach cottage somewhere. I don't really care where. I just want to go away and be able to sit by the beach with friends (and my hot boyfriend yet to be named) and just relax. I envision lazy days laying on the beach reading books and magazines and the nights would be going to cute little places in town to enjoy a nice meal with drinks and lots of laughter and conversation. I think that would be so relaxing and peaceful. I should really look into doing that this summer. Who wants to go?

3.What is your oldest memory?
I think my oldest memory is when I had to get stitches in my forehead after I tripped on steps at a miniature golf course in Myrtle Beach. I just remember having my head wrapped up like a mummy. Hmmm...there has to be a memory before that though. I was 4...shouldn't I remember being 3? Weird.

4.If money were no object and you could move anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Internationally, I think I would move to Paris. I loved it there when I went back in the day and would love to spend more time there. Domestic--I would love to live in NYC. Seriously. I would LOVE to live in a large city that has a mix of art, culture, and class. And fashion. And night life. And anonymity.

5.Do you have a celebrity crush? If so, who is it?
LL Cool J has always been my ultimate crush. I've seen him up close and he's beautiful. I literally stop what I'm doing when he's on TV. And I will admit that I still find the New Kids on the Block very attractive. All of them. But I'm still all about Jon. (it's okay, you can judge.)

Now if you would like a turn to answer MY questions.. (I'll send you my own)

1. Leave me a comment & your e-mail address saying, "Interview me." If you dare.

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

The first five 'askers' get the interview!

You're a Winner!

Today I was THRILLED to get a package from one of my favorite bloggers Ms. Attitude at Life With Attitude. I won her January giveaway--and I love it! it's like she had me in mind when she purchased this stuff. Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world so I just adore this cute vintage Paris box. I also love note cards (a girl can never have too many) and the purse picture frame is adorable (you all know how I feel about handbags. :) So Thank You to Ms. Attitude...you made my day!Tonight I was tuned in to American Idol because one of our college students made it to the Hollywood round. He seems to have advanced to the next round, so that's very exciting. He's very talented and often performs on campus for different events. We didn't see him singing but we did catch a glimpse of him standing on stage.

So it's Tuesday night and you know what that means...

That's right...the result of my doodles giveaway. You've been on the edge of your seat, right?

The names all folded up on pieces of paper (on recycled paper, btw) My friend Jill and her dog Cedar came over to assist me with the drawing after American Idol. She lives in the building next door. Thanks for the help, Jill. (On a side note my cats were putting on quite a show with Cedar in here....it was hilarious)

Who did you pick, Jill?
And the winner is....

Courtney from Mutterings and Musings! Congratulations Courtney! I'll be mailing your prize out first thing in the morning. :)