Monday, November 17, 2008

Things to Celebrate...


In order to maintain some semblance of sanity, I feel it's important to reflect on the things that make me happy. Here is my list, in no particular order:
  • Watching Inga sleep; she looks so peaceful and content.
  • Cuddling with Jason for fifteen minutes every morning before getting up for the day.
  • Skinny white mocha lattes.
  • Fall colors and crisp weather.
  • Sweaters.
  • Live concerts. Outdoor, indoor, big, small- it doesn't matter, I love them all.
  • Going out to dinner with good friends.
  • Rainy days.
  • Sleeping in.
  • Discovering good, new music. (Check out my latest obsession, Blue Sky Black Death)
  • Boating with my family.
  • Camping. 
  • Laying in the grass on a warm, sunny day. 
What makes you happy? 

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Mr. J and Mrs. J

It's been made official, legally bound, and witnessed by many. Jason and I are now married! The whole three days leading up to and including our wedding day are a blur. The five-ish hours beginning with the ceremony and leading up to our departure felt like they really only lasted twenty minutes. 

I have never had the privilege of having everyone I am close to and love in the same room at the same time. It was so much fun and totally chaotic. I can't wait to get the pictures back... in about 16 weeks, according to my overpriced photographer. 

I can't begin to describe how wonderful it feels to be rid of the stress wedding planning brings. And I fully understand why most people go on a honeymoon directly following the wedding. We have to wait a couple of months before departing on our Mexican Riviera cruise. I'm sure we'll be grateful for it all the same. I can't wait to share the sun, sand, and margaritas with my Mr. J.

One week after the "I do's", I was laying on a hospital bed doped up on a "morphine cocktail" to help numb the pain of passing a kidney stone. I have never experienced this horrendous pain before and hope that this is the first and only experience I have to endure. No more soda for this girl! The least glamorous part about a kidney stone ordeal is having to filter your urine in the days following in an attempt to catch the little bugger. Talk about inconvenient! Who wants to carry a funnel shaped object around campus? Better yet, since they can be re-used a few times, where do I put it after said use!? If someone can come up with a reasonable suggestion, I'll consider it. 

Well, back to paper writing. I've procrastinated long enough and this thing isn't going to write itself. 

xoxox
Distracted student 


Sunday, October 12, 2008

Mad About MAD MEN!



I love, love, love Mad Men! If you haven't seen this show, you must check it out. It's the best kept secret of TV. 

MM is about the lives of ad execs on Madison Avenue in the early 60s. The sexism, racism, and amazing style fulfills every notion those of us who weren't there to live it have. Not that sexism and racism are to be celebrated, of course. It's just amazing to watch how politically incorrect, by today's standards anyway, they behaved. 

The best part about MM is that it doesn't give you all the answers. It implies a lot and leaves you to fill in the details. I imagine everyone who watches this phenomenal show understand it in unique ways. 

I highly recommend picking up the first season before jumping into the second. Although, you can kind of pick up anywhere because the story lines don't totally rely on a consecutive order. 

Check it out on Sunday nights on AMC and get back to me!!!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Bad Blogger! Bad!

I feel terrible. I have neglected this blog for far too long. And not for lack of anything to say, mind you, but rather for lack of time or concentration. You know how after not seeing a friend for an extended period of time the mere thought of having to catch them up on all the current events is too daunting so you continue to avoid contact? Well that's how I felt. Rather than simply say, "I'm fine, thanks. How are you?" and leave it at that, I wanted to be able to spend some serious time explicating my life over the last five-ish months.

I don't have that time right now, actually. I am currently in the middle of furiously writing a paper for my gender communication class that is due tomorrow... it wasn't written in my planner, therefore it did not exist in my mind... until the day before it's due. Ugh. 

This does provide a pretty accurate picture of my life at this particular junction. I am a student, employee, director, wedding planner, family member, fiance, and friend all at the same time. There is not enough room in ten people's heads, let alone mine by itself, to accommodate all that needs to be processed mentally. However futile, I am trying.

Luckily, I see light at the end of this tunnel.
November 1st: I stop wedding planning and start enjoying my marriage. 
December 15th-ish: I am finished being a student, for the time being and can enjoy a few weeks off. This is also the time I will be taking my long awaited honeymoon.
May 5th-ish: My term as Director is done. 

I don't know if visualizing deadlines/endpoints/etc. is necessarily an optimistic way to look at things but it certainly helps me get through the day. I also have an incredible support system, when I let them, that is there for me in all of the roles I attempt to fulfill each day. 

Back to arguing for the legalization of same-sex marriage. I promise not to let so much time lapse before writing again. 

xoxox
Bad Blogger

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

President Obama







Although I'm a little skeptical as to the accuracy of the delegate count, I am hopeful that Barack has, in fact, secured the Democratic nomination. Besides, does anyone really think that Hillary is going to let it go that easily? I wouldn't put it past her to hack the computer system to include her name on the ballot. The woman is crazy.



Aside from Barack's policies and intentions, the man had me when he danced with Ellen DeGeneres on her show... twice! The man has moves and everyone knows that the success of a United States president depends soley on his ability to two-step. We will once again rise to the top and regain world dominance because our president can keep rythm.



And while we're on the topic of candidates.... John McCain scares me. I'm sure that after being a POW for some time he developed an uncanny inner strength. However, what's to say that he won't have a flash back to prison camp and attack a busboy with a butter knife at a state dinner? Crazier shit has happened, i.e. electing G.W. .... twice!









Pay it Forward Prize!

I recently won my blogger and real life friend Alas' Pay it Forward prize (by default because mine was the only real entry) and this is what I found in my mailbox yesterday! I am proud to say that I finally own a piece of Juicy Couture! Now I need suggestions for what to wear them with. I don't want to cover them with socks or pants but that leaves few options. Any ideas? Thanks again, Alas!

I fully intend to Pay it Forward as well. Alas had a Juicy themed contest and in the spirit of my eco passions I will have an Eco Pay it Forward contest! I'll let you know when it begins... I gotta get some readers first!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Premiers, Moving, and Tricycles... oh my!

Something so very exciting took place this weekend. The Sex and the City movie premiered on Friday!! I have been waiting for this movie ever since the series finale four years ago. Jason and I went to the 10:20 showing, he was 1 of maybe 5 guys in the whole theater! I ran into a couple of old friends from high school and we took this picture:





The movie was great! I wouldn't mind seeing it again.





My roommate Laura moved out this weekend and Jason moved in. There's nothing I hate more than moving, well except for unpacking. You won't believe how much stuff Jason has! These black garbage bags are filled with just his clothes! What man has 20 bags worth of clothes? One that worked for several years at Gap, that's who.










I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a spin on the tricycle while packing up the car with Jason's stuff. It brought back great memories of tooling around my grandparents' driveway on my very own little red trike!








Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Wedding Decor



I found these Pumpkin Spice votive candles this weekend at Michael's so I attempted to recreate something I saw in a bridal magazine. I wrapped a red oak leaf around the votive and secured it in place with twine. I think they turned out pretty good and I can't wait to see them on tables and lining the entrance on November 1st!

First Impressions





I found this book at my parents' house yesterday. Judging by the title, my first impression of the book was that Todd was going to convince his pinata to sacrifice himself so that Todd could get something inside of the pinata. Turns out this is wrong... it's actually about a baseball glove that Todd works hard for and then gives to a another kid who doesn't have one. It was an ok story, but I would have rather read a book based on my first impression. It's a little Tim Burton-esque.








Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Waste Not, Want Not

I saw the most ridiculous thing today while standing in line at Michael's Craft Store. The woman ahead of me purchased an item the size of a package of birthday candles. The clerk asked if she wanted a bag for her item and the woman said yes. For ONE freakin' item no bigger than a sponge! To make it worse, the woman was carrying one of those large purses that when carried on her shoulder actually touched her hip. Ladies, if for no other reason, we carry purses like this to cart items around as we hop along our individal bunny paths.
The kicker was that after the clerk placed her small item and unnecessarily long receipt in this extraneous plastic bag, the woman put the purchase IN her purse! She didn't even carry it out of the store in her hand! Unbelievable. $50 bucks says she threw the bag away when she got home.

Monday, May 26, 2008

First Time for Everything

I love reading blogs. I especially enjoy finding new, great blogs to read. Although it is rather frustrating trying to find new blogs because blogspot doesn't have a handy browsing tool, unlike a social networking site like Myspace where you can click on one person and continue that trend halfway through cyber space.

Because of this love of reading others' blogs, I decided that I would contribute my own ramblings to the cyber world. For the most part I will probably ramble on about what's going on in my life, which at the moment is a lot. Getting married, being the director for a board at school, obsessing over sustainability and the green movement, and trying to make the best of summer break.

I will try to post some good eco-friendly ideas as often as possible as this is an issue that is near and dear to my heart.

Stay tuned...