It's going to be a day (or week, depending on how you look at it).
Besides fighting the PMS Monster (which is a hefty task in itself) I've got a metric ton of stuff on my shoulders to take care of this week. I won't bore you with the details, but I'll be at work early and staying late pretty much each day this week.
I got upset this morning, and I totally blame the PMS-M and my To Do List anxiety, because I didn't want to take the dog out because I was running a bit late. I feel like an ass, and BF, being the good BF he is, took the dog out before he left so I wouldn't have to. I had to leave a few minutes early so I could stop by the store and get sodas for a work lunch today, and then I had to lug said beverages from the parking lot into the building and wind my way around the halls to the conference room... all the while cutting off circulation to my hand because the bag of 4 liters of soda was a little heavy. My feet hurt, my sinuses are plugged up and I'm itchy everywhere because the pollen is out and drifting around.
After getting all sweaty bringing stuff inside the office this morning, I sat down at my desk to realize that a package I was supposed to get yesterday had NEVER ARRIVED. It had slipped my mind to check on it before I left because I was busy worrying about today. The problem is, the package contains booklets I had made up for a presentation TODAY so I need them, you guessed it, TODAY! So I'm trying to track down that package, which, according to the tracking number I was given, has already been delivered. I can tell you that it is not so.
While getting some work done at my computer I decided it was time for my morning snack so I opened my daily yogurt and dug in. A moment later I felt something slimy by my collar bone and looked down. Somehow I had managed to drip cherry yogurt into my hair. Not a little drip, but a giant blob. I quickly tried to tissue it out of my hair but because there was so much of it I ended up dabbing what I could and hoping that the wet hair would dry quickly. It did, but it's sort of crunchy now. I'm futily trying to comb it out. Perhaps yogurt is good for your hair, like bananas or avocado?
Please just say yes.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Why BF Will Never Marry Me, I Think
It was a pretty typical weekend: 5K race, house warming party for friends, errands and grocery shopping, house cleaning and laundry, Easter meal with family and naps. It was pretty fantastic. I shaved almost 4 minutes off of my 5K time, and I think last weekend's 8k helped with that. It makes me want to keep racing!
During the course of the weekend we were entrapped into multiple conversations regarding nuptials between BF and myself. I've mentioned this before but I think people assume that we will get married because we live together and bought a dog together (which I guess is almost like having a child together- or at least almost as expensive). Not to say that it isn't the long term plan with us, because I'm pretty sure it is, but you know, it's not on our radar at this very second (mostly because our radar is filled up with finding BF a permanent classroom teaching job for next year and also getting our hiking/camping gear ready to go for the summer and also what we are going to eat each week). Anyway, our good friend K&K got married a few weeks ago so it's on their minds and I'm of the school of thought that like begets like therefore our married friends want all of their friends to get married, too, if they aren't yet. It's just what happens. So our weekend conversations started with topics like "How was the honeymoon", "Your pictures were gorgeous", "Really nice weather we're having" and moved to "BF, when you are shopping for rings you should shop around but go to Kasab Jewelers because they have the best selections and also they have more options for the guys"...
...
Ok. BF and I just sort of blinked and changed the subject, but inevitably the conversation would land back at, "when you guys get married..."
Grandparents don't always (EVER) censor themselves and so we ended up in a similar situation on Sunday for Easter dinner. BF's grandfather, in the middle of a conversation about what the rest of the family was up to, looked at my hand and interrupted the conversation with this, "H, I don't see a RING on your finger. What's going on there?"
To which BF gave a nervous laugh and Grandma chimed in with, "When there's news I'm sure we'll hear about it, right?"
Awesome.
BF is adorable and assured me that there wasn't really a hesitation with ME, just with timing right now, which I haven't questioned up to this point because I feel pretty secure in our relationship and I'm happy. But then we were sitting on the couch watching a movie, hanging out with the dog last night when BF glanced over at my laptop screen. I was ordering some lady supplies and started explaining A) that I was ordering feminine supplies B) why I was ordering them online C) that they were washable, reusable lady supplies (Luna Pads for when I don't want to use my Diva Cup) and D) why that was important to me. I then launched into a short explanation of why it's frustrating to me that they don't carry entire lines of this stuff at the stores, only a few select varieties and that you cannot get them at just ANY store because most stores carry what's easy and not what's best.
I looked over to a blank stare. So THIS is why guys are hesitant to commit to this for a lifetime.
But really, I know that BF loves me and I love him.
BF- I promise to stop talking to you about feminine products. I'm glad that you put up with me, and I'm glad you can handle all of the silly questions people ask you and the pressure they can sometimes make you feel. Just know that I'm not worried and I love every single moment we spend together.
During the course of the weekend we were entrapped into multiple conversations regarding nuptials between BF and myself. I've mentioned this before but I think people assume that we will get married because we live together and bought a dog together (which I guess is almost like having a child together- or at least almost as expensive). Not to say that it isn't the long term plan with us, because I'm pretty sure it is, but you know, it's not on our radar at this very second (mostly because our radar is filled up with finding BF a permanent classroom teaching job for next year and also getting our hiking/camping gear ready to go for the summer and also what we are going to eat each week). Anyway, our good friend K&K got married a few weeks ago so it's on their minds and I'm of the school of thought that like begets like therefore our married friends want all of their friends to get married, too, if they aren't yet. It's just what happens. So our weekend conversations started with topics like "How was the honeymoon", "Your pictures were gorgeous", "Really nice weather we're having" and moved to "BF, when you are shopping for rings you should shop around but go to Kasab Jewelers because they have the best selections and also they have more options for the guys"...
...
Ok. BF and I just sort of blinked and changed the subject, but inevitably the conversation would land back at, "when you guys get married..."
Grandparents don't always (EVER) censor themselves and so we ended up in a similar situation on Sunday for Easter dinner. BF's grandfather, in the middle of a conversation about what the rest of the family was up to, looked at my hand and interrupted the conversation with this, "H, I don't see a RING on your finger. What's going on there?"
To which BF gave a nervous laugh and Grandma chimed in with, "When there's news I'm sure we'll hear about it, right?"
Awesome.
BF is adorable and assured me that there wasn't really a hesitation with ME, just with timing right now, which I haven't questioned up to this point because I feel pretty secure in our relationship and I'm happy. But then we were sitting on the couch watching a movie, hanging out with the dog last night when BF glanced over at my laptop screen. I was ordering some lady supplies and started explaining A) that I was ordering feminine supplies B) why I was ordering them online C) that they were washable, reusable lady supplies (Luna Pads for when I don't want to use my Diva Cup) and D) why that was important to me. I then launched into a short explanation of why it's frustrating to me that they don't carry entire lines of this stuff at the stores, only a few select varieties and that you cannot get them at just ANY store because most stores carry what's easy and not what's best.
I looked over to a blank stare. So THIS is why guys are hesitant to commit to this for a lifetime.
But really, I know that BF loves me and I love him.
BF- I promise to stop talking to you about feminine products. I'm glad that you put up with me, and I'm glad you can handle all of the silly questions people ask you and the pressure they can sometimes make you feel. Just know that I'm not worried and I love every single moment we spend together.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Heavy
After I ran the Bridge to Brews 8k last weekend, I found out some sad news. My uncle (mom's side) was in the hospital in a medically induced coma.
It wasn't a shock that he was in the hospital at all because he's been struggling with health problems the past few years anyway, but the prognosis didn't look great at that moment and it was the start of a very long week.
A little background may be in order.
My mom comes from a very large family, I believe it's something like 12 children total, umpteen grandchildren from them, and I think around 17 great grand children for my grandparents. My mom grew up in upstate NY, near Buffalo. Every sibling is COMPLETELY different and so going back to visit is always a trip. Most of them live in that area still, but my mom lives here in the Pacific NW, and so does one of her older brothers, Jim, who lives about an hour and a half South of us in the Sweet Home/Albany area. She also has one sister who lives in Oklahoma.
Jim is the uncle/brother that lives up here near us. He is one of the sweetest, gentlest people you have ever met with a heart of pure gold. He will help out anyone in need and I've never heard him say a mean or harsh word in my life. He has a great sense of humor and is always laughing about something. A few years back he was having trouble with his lungs. He got it checked out but found out that he had a condition in which the sacs in your lungs gradually harden so they no longer hold or release air the way they should (the name escapes me right now). The doctors told him that depending on how the diseased progressed, he probably didn't have very long. That was almost 6 years ago.
Last year things started turning for the worse and they had to put him on constant oxygen, so he has to carry around a little oxygen tank 24-7 with those tubes that you put under your nose. He was getting weaker so they told him to take it easy. Last month he got dizzy and fell while he was cleaning his oxygen face mask and broke his leg. Everything looked alright, but they knew it would be slow healing for him. Last week they found a blood clot from his leg had traveled up to his lungs and was causing tremendous pain and difficulty. He had a coughing fit and just couldn't stop coughing so his wife took him back to the hospital where they sedated him into a coma (on purpose) so he could rest. They had to put him on a ventilator as well so that he would continue to breathe.
That's where we are now. They were going to take the ventilator out, but decided they should decrease his oxygen levels to make him work harder and work back up to breathing on his own. That could take a while, so he is still in the hospital. He is stable now, but that changes very quickly, so we have been on high alert since the weekend. We don't know if he will ever be able to breathe on his own again, which leads to some very difficult decisions for the family.
Of course my extended family wanted to come out and visit him, so we've had people coming and going all week. I took some time off of work to venture down and see him with my grandma, aunt and parents. We stayed most of Tuesday, just hanging out in the ICU waiting room trying to occupy ourselves and catching up with some of our other relatives.
We haven't been doing much of anything from our normal schedule. I'm back at work, but you know how that is. I haven't been focusing on my diet or exercise or reading my books or getting my house projects done... we just hang out and wait to hear things, and pick up our visiting family members and take them to the hospital, and then we wait around some more, then we take people back home or to the airport and wait again.
It has been such a long, stressful week. I know there is nothing I can do to help or to change things- that whatever is going to happen will happen- but just waiting around is hard and tiring. I want to crawl into bed and stay there for days.
I just feel heavy this week.
It wasn't a shock that he was in the hospital at all because he's been struggling with health problems the past few years anyway, but the prognosis didn't look great at that moment and it was the start of a very long week.
A little background may be in order.
My mom comes from a very large family, I believe it's something like 12 children total, umpteen grandchildren from them, and I think around 17 great grand children for my grandparents. My mom grew up in upstate NY, near Buffalo. Every sibling is COMPLETELY different and so going back to visit is always a trip. Most of them live in that area still, but my mom lives here in the Pacific NW, and so does one of her older brothers, Jim, who lives about an hour and a half South of us in the Sweet Home/Albany area. She also has one sister who lives in Oklahoma.
Jim is the uncle/brother that lives up here near us. He is one of the sweetest, gentlest people you have ever met with a heart of pure gold. He will help out anyone in need and I've never heard him say a mean or harsh word in my life. He has a great sense of humor and is always laughing about something. A few years back he was having trouble with his lungs. He got it checked out but found out that he had a condition in which the sacs in your lungs gradually harden so they no longer hold or release air the way they should (the name escapes me right now). The doctors told him that depending on how the diseased progressed, he probably didn't have very long. That was almost 6 years ago.
Last year things started turning for the worse and they had to put him on constant oxygen, so he has to carry around a little oxygen tank 24-7 with those tubes that you put under your nose. He was getting weaker so they told him to take it easy. Last month he got dizzy and fell while he was cleaning his oxygen face mask and broke his leg. Everything looked alright, but they knew it would be slow healing for him. Last week they found a blood clot from his leg had traveled up to his lungs and was causing tremendous pain and difficulty. He had a coughing fit and just couldn't stop coughing so his wife took him back to the hospital where they sedated him into a coma (on purpose) so he could rest. They had to put him on a ventilator as well so that he would continue to breathe.
That's where we are now. They were going to take the ventilator out, but decided they should decrease his oxygen levels to make him work harder and work back up to breathing on his own. That could take a while, so he is still in the hospital. He is stable now, but that changes very quickly, so we have been on high alert since the weekend. We don't know if he will ever be able to breathe on his own again, which leads to some very difficult decisions for the family.
Of course my extended family wanted to come out and visit him, so we've had people coming and going all week. I took some time off of work to venture down and see him with my grandma, aunt and parents. We stayed most of Tuesday, just hanging out in the ICU waiting room trying to occupy ourselves and catching up with some of our other relatives.
We haven't been doing much of anything from our normal schedule. I'm back at work, but you know how that is. I haven't been focusing on my diet or exercise or reading my books or getting my house projects done... we just hang out and wait to hear things, and pick up our visiting family members and take them to the hospital, and then we wait around some more, then we take people back home or to the airport and wait again.
It has been such a long, stressful week. I know there is nothing I can do to help or to change things- that whatever is going to happen will happen- but just waiting around is hard and tiring. I want to crawl into bed and stay there for days.
I just feel heavy this week.
Monday, April 18, 2011
So What... Maybe I Am a 12 Year Old
O. M. G. you guys. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 came out on DVD/BluRay on Friday and I just about died.
I was out running errands for work (for reals... had to buy supplies that are no longer available on our supply ordering catalog, WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?) so I figured I'd run into Fred Meyer and snag a DVD since I was so close to it anyway.
Friday night we went to BF's parents' house for some freaking awesome burritos and the watching of HPDHP1.
Something that we saw in the previews piqued my interest: There is an APP call HP Spells and it's FREE. And you learn and cast spells! And you can DUEL each other.
Hells yes.
I downloaded that in 2 seconds flat.
And what do I do when I'm sitting around at home and bored (Which doesn't happen too often)? That's right, I'm learning and practicing my spell casting because I'll be damned if I'm not the best at spells.
Should I really be sharing this? Probably not. Do I care? Not really because I LOVE Harry Potter.
I'm planning BF's and my next vacation at Universal Studios in Orlando Florida because that's where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is.
I was out running errands for work (for reals... had to buy supplies that are no longer available on our supply ordering catalog, WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?) so I figured I'd run into Fred Meyer and snag a DVD since I was so close to it anyway.
Friday night we went to BF's parents' house for some freaking awesome burritos and the watching of HPDHP1.
Something that we saw in the previews piqued my interest: There is an APP call HP Spells and it's FREE. And you learn and cast spells! And you can DUEL each other.
Hells yes.
I downloaded that in 2 seconds flat.
And what do I do when I'm sitting around at home and bored (Which doesn't happen too often)? That's right, I'm learning and practicing my spell casting because I'll be damned if I'm not the best at spells.
Should I really be sharing this? Probably not. Do I care? Not really because I LOVE Harry Potter.
I'm planning BF's and my next vacation at Universal Studios in Orlando Florida because that's where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Up... As Well As a Million Other Directions
I love me some projects. There is nothing better, to me, than thinking up things to do and creating every little part of it and then at the end going ,"Ta-Daa! Look what I did!".
This is why I love my job. Besides the normal officey things that I need to do, I get to create ENTIRE meetings and events for my team and department many times a year... from small 10 people meetings to huge, 250 attendee meetings in a different part of the country where we run around the city and see sporting events AND still get work done. My awesome managers know that we have to have meetings at certain points in the year for certain things and so they tell me, "Hey, we have to have a meeting around such and such a date and so and so should attend; maybe we also want to incorporate something fun on that trip as well". So I set my little brain to work and come up with where we are going to stay, where our meeting will be, what are we going to eat the whole time, what fun things we can do where we will be and the travel/transportation for it all. In the end I love it when I get comments like, "That was the best meeting EVER... how are we going to top that?".
But work is not my only creative outlet. I'm constantly coming up with life projects and home projects. I think that this works out well for me because it keeps me moving forward in my life. If I get stuck in one area, I know I have a project waiting to be tackled in another.
Here are just a few of the projects I've got going on now:
WORK:
1. RTD Meeting next week
2. Department offsite meeting next week
3. HC Summit meeting the last week of April.
4. DSD Summit meeting the second week of May.
5. Bus Tour with business parters the 4th week of May.
6. June District Meeting on the Oregon Coast.
7. Realigning work goals, cadences and priorities for the next fiscal year.
HOME:
1. Ridding our household of unnecessary clutter- clothes, shoes, purses, home goods that we don't need or use.
2. Ridding our household of toxic products and replacing with greener, safer, more sustainable items- platics replaced with glass and safe metals, etc.
3. Organizing some of our keepsake items- putting photos into albums and scrapbooks so we can get them out of the millions of shoe boxes and folders they are currently living in.
4. Composting- figuring it out in a small space.
SELF:
1. Ridding daily routine of toxic products- some I've already changed, some I'm still working on like lotion, make up, etc.
2. Starting up a journal- we type so much these days that handwriting is becoming illegible! Plus it'd be nice to have a volume of journals for my kids and grandkids to read.
3. Eating more organically and locally.
Sometimes I have too many of these projects going on and I feel overwhelmed, but then I remember to take a step back and know that I am always learning, always progressing and always making my life better.
Today I had to write it out because yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed with my life (even though it's not bad at all), but this morning I woke up and remembered why I have so much going on and that I really am getting it all done.
Today was my day to say, "Ta- Daa! Look what I did! Look what I'm doing! Look where I'll be soon!".
This is why I love my job. Besides the normal officey things that I need to do, I get to create ENTIRE meetings and events for my team and department many times a year... from small 10 people meetings to huge, 250 attendee meetings in a different part of the country where we run around the city and see sporting events AND still get work done. My awesome managers know that we have to have meetings at certain points in the year for certain things and so they tell me, "Hey, we have to have a meeting around such and such a date and so and so should attend; maybe we also want to incorporate something fun on that trip as well". So I set my little brain to work and come up with where we are going to stay, where our meeting will be, what are we going to eat the whole time, what fun things we can do where we will be and the travel/transportation for it all. In the end I love it when I get comments like, "That was the best meeting EVER... how are we going to top that?".
But work is not my only creative outlet. I'm constantly coming up with life projects and home projects. I think that this works out well for me because it keeps me moving forward in my life. If I get stuck in one area, I know I have a project waiting to be tackled in another.
Here are just a few of the projects I've got going on now:
WORK:
1. RTD Meeting next week
2. Department offsite meeting next week
3. HC Summit meeting the last week of April.
4. DSD Summit meeting the second week of May.
5. Bus Tour with business parters the 4th week of May.
6. June District Meeting on the Oregon Coast.
7. Realigning work goals, cadences and priorities for the next fiscal year.
HOME:
1. Ridding our household of unnecessary clutter- clothes, shoes, purses, home goods that we don't need or use.
2. Ridding our household of toxic products and replacing with greener, safer, more sustainable items- platics replaced with glass and safe metals, etc.
3. Organizing some of our keepsake items- putting photos into albums and scrapbooks so we can get them out of the millions of shoe boxes and folders they are currently living in.
4. Composting- figuring it out in a small space.
SELF:
1. Ridding daily routine of toxic products- some I've already changed, some I'm still working on like lotion, make up, etc.
2. Starting up a journal- we type so much these days that handwriting is becoming illegible! Plus it'd be nice to have a volume of journals for my kids and grandkids to read.
3. Eating more organically and locally.
Sometimes I have too many of these projects going on and I feel overwhelmed, but then I remember to take a step back and know that I am always learning, always progressing and always making my life better.
Today I had to write it out because yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed with my life (even though it's not bad at all), but this morning I woke up and remembered why I have so much going on and that I really am getting it all done.
Today was my day to say, "Ta- Daa! Look what I did! Look what I'm doing! Look where I'll be soon!".
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Zombie-licious, and Indian Beach
My friend from work, R, had a birthday party and instead of having your average "everyone go out for food and drinks" birthday party she decided it needed to be a Zombie Bowling Birthday Party which was awesome.
1. I wanted to make sure I wasn't allergic to it.
2. I wanted to see if I could make some realistic looking zombie skin and what not.
We got home in the early afternoon, took leisurely naps and then awoke to transform ourselves from this:
to this:
Basically I bought some "gray" toned base make up in the costume section of the party supply store and covered our faces and necks in it so we didn't look so "alive".
Then I created bruised and decayed spots mixing and blending black, red, green, blue and yellow face paints. You have to do it in layers or else it turns into a funny looking brown or gray spot on (learned that from testing on the arm). I wanted our eyes to look a little dark and sunken in so I added a lot of shading and bruising there.
You cannot really see it in these pictures because of the flash, but I also added bluish-purple and greenish tinted vein marks on our faces and necks- sort of like dead bodies on TV have.
Next we smeared and sponged on blood to make it look like we were
A). injured and also
B). brain-hungry and chowing down on human flesh.
Here are some better views of handiwork:
I'm laughing in the last one because I had posed really well and even made Zombie sound effects for the picture, but BF started laughing which made me laugh really hard as well. Even Zombies have a sense of humor I guess.
I really hate zombie movies, but can I just say that I LOVED dressing up like one. We got all sorts of funny stares and comments downtown.
R's birthday bash was at Grand Central Bowling, so we bowled a couple games, ate and drank and had a general good time before heading off to find a place to hang out for a while. We ended up at Ringlers on Burnside.
Before the party BF and I scared a couple of little kids without meaning to. They were walking down the sidewalk with their mother and looked at us. The mom had a good sense of humor about it and said, "Looks like they've had quite the day!". While we were driving downtown I kept wanting to press my face against the window and stare at the passengers in other cars, but we didn't really hit much traffic so I didn't get much of a chance.
Mostly people thought it was pretty funny, as did we.
Here's to more theme parties that involve out of the ordinary dressing up!
I spent a few days last week tracking down stores that carried Halloween makeup and fake blood in the area (shock: there are TONS of places that carry these things on the regular and not just for Halloween, who knew?). Once I amassed my supplies I tested out the makeup on my arm for two reasons:
1. I wanted to make sure I wasn't allergic to it.
2. I wanted to see if I could make some realistic looking zombie skin and what not.
Saturday came and we took Rudy to the beach since it was so wonderfully beautifully Spring-y outside early in the day.
We got home in the early afternoon, took leisurely naps and then awoke to transform ourselves from this:
to this:
Basically I bought some "gray" toned base make up in the costume section of the party supply store and covered our faces and necks in it so we didn't look so "alive".
Then I created bruised and decayed spots mixing and blending black, red, green, blue and yellow face paints. You have to do it in layers or else it turns into a funny looking brown or gray spot on (learned that from testing on the arm). I wanted our eyes to look a little dark and sunken in so I added a lot of shading and bruising there.
You cannot really see it in these pictures because of the flash, but I also added bluish-purple and greenish tinted vein marks on our faces and necks- sort of like dead bodies on TV have.
Next we smeared and sponged on blood to make it look like we were
A). injured and also
B). brain-hungry and chowing down on human flesh.
Here are some better views of handiwork:
I really hate zombie movies, but can I just say that I LOVED dressing up like one. We got all sorts of funny stares and comments downtown.
R's birthday bash was at Grand Central Bowling, so we bowled a couple games, ate and drank and had a general good time before heading off to find a place to hang out for a while. We ended up at Ringlers on Burnside.
Before the party BF and I scared a couple of little kids without meaning to. They were walking down the sidewalk with their mother and looked at us. The mom had a good sense of humor about it and said, "Looks like they've had quite the day!". While we were driving downtown I kept wanting to press my face against the window and stare at the passengers in other cars, but we didn't really hit much traffic so I didn't get much of a chance.
Mostly people thought it was pretty funny, as did we.
Here's to more theme parties that involve out of the ordinary dressing up!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Weekend Preview
This is all I'm going to leave you with for now. My camera cable should be coming later today and I can post more about what we did over the weekend.
 |
| Our Awesome Weekend Activities... |
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Minimalistic, Animalistic, Going Balistic
I've been slowly (and sometimes quickly) purging my home and life of unnecessary clutter. I'm talking about nic knacks, old clothes, old shoes, old boxes of paper things that I have no idea why I have in the first place, broken household items, you name it- I've got it and I'm getting rid of it.
I guess one day I woke up and thought to myself, "Why in the world do I have so much stuff and what good is it doing me?"
There are about a million reasons why someone would collect stuff. We are told to be sentimental, to be prepared, to not be "without"... but then when you really think about it if we are trying to do all of that we may get caught in the "keep everything" trap. I'm not and nor was I ever a hoarder. I'm a fairly clean person and I love it when things are organized and in their proper place, but there comes a point where not everything can have a place and that started to bug me.
When BF and I moved in together I took it as an opportunity to go through my stuff and get rid of anything that I no longer deemed "necessary". I thought I did a pretty bang up job because I made about 5 trips to Goodwill during and shortly after our move to donate clothing, shoes, purses, bags, kitchen stuff, furniture, etc. ad nauseum. Since that initial purge I've slowly gotten rid of more stuff because really, why do I need a sweater from high school when I have a drawer of sweaters that are newer and nicer? I think about every other month I make another trip to donate items that I just don't need. And then I started working out and focusing on getting in shape and I had to get rid of even more stuff because why keep clothes that don't fit (especially if I don't want to "grow" back into them)?
Anyhow, it's felt really good but as I evaluate my life I realize that I am still holding onto things that I probably don't need and I have space that I could probably use more effectively.
Part of the issue, I think, is that I like to have a certain amount of "blank space" around me... I like enough waltz around a room and around each piece of furniture if I want to... but we live in an apartment so I have to be a bit more realistic about that. I think BF feels the same because we both start daydreaming about buying houses and everytime we take a drive or go for a walk we pick out houses that we like or find houses and speculate on what we would have to do to fix it up. I think that means we need to find us a little house, but all in due time (plus a yard for the pup would be nice).
So I'm stuck for a bit with my home goods purging because I have to keep the necessary stuff even though it's a bit cramped (a couch is mostly necessary in the living room, right? I mean, I'd be ok with floor cushions).
I am NOT so stuck with my other purging. I'm still getting rid of clothes/shoes/bags and in the process I've decided that since I am a responsible adult (thankyouverymuch) I should probably dress like one more often and have a personal "style".
After this spark of inspiration I did a little poking around on the interwebs and found that there are, in fact, articles of clothing/shoes/accessories that are considered "essential" to a lady's wardrobe. These items are items that will "cripple" one if they do not have them because they are that necessary. I decided that using a list for reference I should inventory what I had and maybe that would help me get rid of the extraneous items taking up hanger space. Plus, I figured if I took the time to really think about what I was wearing I'd feel a bit more put together and my wardrobe would probably start to become a bit more timeless.
More or less, here are the basic items on the list of Essential Wardrobe Pieces:
Tops:
Neutral Tank Tops/Camisoles (White, Black, Nude and your base colors for your skin tone).
Neutral T Shirts (" ")
White dress shirt or blouse
Cardigan
Bottoms:
dark wash jean
dress pant in neutral or dark color- (slim cut or trouser cut are the most versatile)
leggings
black or dark work appropriate skirt
Other:
Little Black Dress
Outerwear:
Blazer in a dark color
light weight cropped or spring jacket
tailored trench in neutral or black
parka/rain coat
wool dress coat (like a pea coat)
wool or mix scarf
knit hat
gloves
Shoes:
rainboots
neutral nice sneakers
black dress pumps
dress boots (wedge or heel) in dark color
ballet flats or dressy flats
dressy summer shoe (like a neutral leather sandal or wedge)
Accessories:
Small clutch
Medium sized handbag
Large tote
Black Sunglasses
So that's pretty much the BASIC list. Obviously there are things that I would add to that list like 1 good pair of sweatpants, 1 zip up hoodie, and a black v neck t shirt (has been my favorite article of clothing since sophomore year of high school).
I dug through my closets and found that I had most of the stuff on these lists. I'm now working on revising my list to include the items that I find necessary ( I definitely don't need a summer wedge, but there'll be hell to pay if I don't have a nice zip up hoodie). I'm already finding that I need to update some of my essential pieces- like a trench I threw away because it had an unreparable rip in the fabric which I couldn't recycle because of the waterproof coating on it. I'm also finding that I bought into some trends that weren't really me and now I'm stuck with the leftover clutter.
Another road block: I have a hard time letting go of certain things like SHOES. I love me some shoes. Heck, I work for a company that started it's business with only shoes so there you have it. I can get pretty snappy if you threaten to take away my shoes, sort of like Rudy when we take away his teething toys.
So right now I'm still in the midst of my de-cluttering mayhem, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I know that each day I'm going to feel lighter and better without all of the STUFF around me.
Here's to Spring!
I guess one day I woke up and thought to myself, "Why in the world do I have so much stuff and what good is it doing me?"
There are about a million reasons why someone would collect stuff. We are told to be sentimental, to be prepared, to not be "without"... but then when you really think about it if we are trying to do all of that we may get caught in the "keep everything" trap. I'm not and nor was I ever a hoarder. I'm a fairly clean person and I love it when things are organized and in their proper place, but there comes a point where not everything can have a place and that started to bug me.
When BF and I moved in together I took it as an opportunity to go through my stuff and get rid of anything that I no longer deemed "necessary". I thought I did a pretty bang up job because I made about 5 trips to Goodwill during and shortly after our move to donate clothing, shoes, purses, bags, kitchen stuff, furniture, etc. ad nauseum. Since that initial purge I've slowly gotten rid of more stuff because really, why do I need a sweater from high school when I have a drawer of sweaters that are newer and nicer? I think about every other month I make another trip to donate items that I just don't need. And then I started working out and focusing on getting in shape and I had to get rid of even more stuff because why keep clothes that don't fit (especially if I don't want to "grow" back into them)?
Anyhow, it's felt really good but as I evaluate my life I realize that I am still holding onto things that I probably don't need and I have space that I could probably use more effectively.
Part of the issue, I think, is that I like to have a certain amount of "blank space" around me... I like enough waltz around a room and around each piece of furniture if I want to... but we live in an apartment so I have to be a bit more realistic about that. I think BF feels the same because we both start daydreaming about buying houses and everytime we take a drive or go for a walk we pick out houses that we like or find houses and speculate on what we would have to do to fix it up. I think that means we need to find us a little house, but all in due time (plus a yard for the pup would be nice).
So I'm stuck for a bit with my home goods purging because I have to keep the necessary stuff even though it's a bit cramped (a couch is mostly necessary in the living room, right? I mean, I'd be ok with floor cushions).
I am NOT so stuck with my other purging. I'm still getting rid of clothes/shoes/bags and in the process I've decided that since I am a responsible adult (thankyouverymuch) I should probably dress like one more often and have a personal "style".
After this spark of inspiration I did a little poking around on the interwebs and found that there are, in fact, articles of clothing/shoes/accessories that are considered "essential" to a lady's wardrobe. These items are items that will "cripple" one if they do not have them because they are that necessary. I decided that using a list for reference I should inventory what I had and maybe that would help me get rid of the extraneous items taking up hanger space. Plus, I figured if I took the time to really think about what I was wearing I'd feel a bit more put together and my wardrobe would probably start to become a bit more timeless.
More or less, here are the basic items on the list of Essential Wardrobe Pieces:
Tops:
Neutral Tank Tops/Camisoles (White, Black, Nude and your base colors for your skin tone).
Neutral T Shirts (" ")
White dress shirt or blouse
Cardigan
Bottoms:
dark wash jean
dress pant in neutral or dark color- (slim cut or trouser cut are the most versatile)
leggings
black or dark work appropriate skirt
Other:
Little Black Dress
Outerwear:
Blazer in a dark color
light weight cropped or spring jacket
tailored trench in neutral or black
parka/rain coat
wool dress coat (like a pea coat)
wool or mix scarf
knit hat
gloves
Shoes:
rainboots
neutral nice sneakers
black dress pumps
dress boots (wedge or heel) in dark color
ballet flats or dressy flats
dressy summer shoe (like a neutral leather sandal or wedge)
Accessories:
Small clutch
Medium sized handbag
Large tote
Black Sunglasses
So that's pretty much the BASIC list. Obviously there are things that I would add to that list like 1 good pair of sweatpants, 1 zip up hoodie, and a black v neck t shirt (has been my favorite article of clothing since sophomore year of high school).
I dug through my closets and found that I had most of the stuff on these lists. I'm now working on revising my list to include the items that I find necessary ( I definitely don't need a summer wedge, but there'll be hell to pay if I don't have a nice zip up hoodie). I'm already finding that I need to update some of my essential pieces- like a trench I threw away because it had an unreparable rip in the fabric which I couldn't recycle because of the waterproof coating on it. I'm also finding that I bought into some trends that weren't really me and now I'm stuck with the leftover clutter.
Another road block: I have a hard time letting go of certain things like SHOES. I love me some shoes. Heck, I work for a company that started it's business with only shoes so there you have it. I can get pretty snappy if you threaten to take away my shoes, sort of like Rudy when we take away his teething toys.
So right now I'm still in the midst of my de-cluttering mayhem, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I know that each day I'm going to feel lighter and better without all of the STUFF around me.
Here's to Spring!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Weekend Business and Rudy Lost Some Marbles
It was a pretty awesome but very short weekend (as most good ones seem to be).
Friday afternoon we picked up our little Rudy from the Vet after his "procedure". He was a little tired, but mostly his normal self. The staff took a picture of him and posted it on their clinic's Facebook page and it is ADORABLE, but I'm biased.
Anyhow, we were told we'd probably have a lethargic puppy on our hands, but we did not ever get to see any of that. He was back to normal Saturday morning and didn't even really act like he needed his pain meds- but we gave them to him anyway just in case. He did tire out more quickly than normal, but after a couple 20 minute naps here and there he was his energetic, affectionate self. No cone needed since he wasn't licking, but we have to watch him because he's not supposed to run or jump or be wild for 10 days. That's impossible. He was jumping on Friday night. He doesn't care if the stitches will come out, but I sure do. I'm trying to keep him from potentially ripping himself back open. It's a full time job.
So back to Friday night. We got to hang out with my good friend Matt who I've known since high school and who continually entertains me. We always talk about the most ridiculous things and I love every minute of it. BF, Matt and I drove over to Helvetia tavern for some lovely burgers, onion rings, sandwiches and beer. We even sat OUTSIDE because Friday was downright pleasant as far as Oregon weather goes.
Saturday I tried to get as many of our errands and cleaning done as possible because I knew I wouldn't want to do any of it come Sunday. We got groceries, did laundry, the usual and then we got ready to go to Kyle and Kate's wedding! We ate a quick dinner and headed over to the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. Their wedding was inside the Octagonal Barn and was absolutely beautiful.
We lucked out and arrived around the same time as most of BF's old cohort from Lewis and Clark so we all sat together. It was a short, but not too short, cute ceremony complete with crying ring bearers (who threw their ring pillows towards the alter instead of actually walking the short distance to the front which was hysterical). After the ceremony we ate and drank and danced and had a wonderful time. It was so nice to see everyone and just be able to catch up and hang out.
Sunday morning we slept in, hard core. It was awesome. I got up and did more cleaning and laundry while I waited for BF to be ready to start the day. We had a couples massage at Dosha Hawthorne that was divine. We headed over for a nice southern meal at my parents' house afterwards and took a nice walk through the neighborhood after dinner.
I woke up today and wanted one more day of weekend so I could sleep in and watch movies. That's what I wanted to do had I had the time, but life happens and you do what you gotta do (although a wedding and drinks with friends was WAY better than watching movies at home in my pj's... for the most part).
I'm waiting for the end of this week when the weather is supposed to change and resemble Spring. I cannot wait. I've already pulled my cute skirts and sandals out.
Friday afternoon we picked up our little Rudy from the Vet after his "procedure". He was a little tired, but mostly his normal self. The staff took a picture of him and posted it on their clinic's Facebook page and it is ADORABLE, but I'm biased.
Anyhow, we were told we'd probably have a lethargic puppy on our hands, but we did not ever get to see any of that. He was back to normal Saturday morning and didn't even really act like he needed his pain meds- but we gave them to him anyway just in case. He did tire out more quickly than normal, but after a couple 20 minute naps here and there he was his energetic, affectionate self. No cone needed since he wasn't licking, but we have to watch him because he's not supposed to run or jump or be wild for 10 days. That's impossible. He was jumping on Friday night. He doesn't care if the stitches will come out, but I sure do. I'm trying to keep him from potentially ripping himself back open. It's a full time job.
So back to Friday night. We got to hang out with my good friend Matt who I've known since high school and who continually entertains me. We always talk about the most ridiculous things and I love every minute of it. BF, Matt and I drove over to Helvetia tavern for some lovely burgers, onion rings, sandwiches and beer. We even sat OUTSIDE because Friday was downright pleasant as far as Oregon weather goes.
Saturday I tried to get as many of our errands and cleaning done as possible because I knew I wouldn't want to do any of it come Sunday. We got groceries, did laundry, the usual and then we got ready to go to Kyle and Kate's wedding! We ate a quick dinner and headed over to the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. Their wedding was inside the Octagonal Barn and was absolutely beautiful.
We lucked out and arrived around the same time as most of BF's old cohort from Lewis and Clark so we all sat together. It was a short, but not too short, cute ceremony complete with crying ring bearers (who threw their ring pillows towards the alter instead of actually walking the short distance to the front which was hysterical). After the ceremony we ate and drank and danced and had a wonderful time. It was so nice to see everyone and just be able to catch up and hang out.
Sunday morning we slept in, hard core. It was awesome. I got up and did more cleaning and laundry while I waited for BF to be ready to start the day. We had a couples massage at Dosha Hawthorne that was divine. We headed over for a nice southern meal at my parents' house afterwards and took a nice walk through the neighborhood after dinner.
I woke up today and wanted one more day of weekend so I could sleep in and watch movies. That's what I wanted to do had I had the time, but life happens and you do what you gotta do (although a wedding and drinks with friends was WAY better than watching movies at home in my pj's... for the most part).
I'm waiting for the end of this week when the weather is supposed to change and resemble Spring. I cannot wait. I've already pulled my cute skirts and sandals out.
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