Lookie who has the "Staff Favorite" pick at Venuszine.com? And it's about none other than Stoopidgerl who I got my awesome sushi necklace from...not to be confused with one of my sushi necklaces. Anyhoo, go check it out!. The Associate Art Director who runs the feature absolutely LOVED my pick, who can blame her?
I purchased this plant about a week ago and unfortunately, there wasn't a little tag in the pot to tell me the name of the plant or the care. I asked the woman at the nursery about how to care for it but silly me didn't care to ask for the name.
Can anyone enlighten me? I thought I only needed to water once a week but I'm noticing some of the tips are turning yellow which means I'm watering too much or too little. Why are plants so difficult?!?!???!
UPDATE
You may (or may not) notice ongoing tweaking going on with this site (like the new "Vote For Pulp" rating system). Every day I love this blog more and more and just like with a child, you feel like it has so much potential and you want to bring out the best in it. I'm thinking about adding more weekly features to this site along with Friday Etsy Finds, there are six other days in the week after all. I have a few ideas brewing in my head, stay tuned for that!
I'm still wondering what to do with my life and where to go when I leave my job this summer. I don't know if I want to stay in Human Resources, I'm kinda burnt out on HR actually. I want to use this an an opportunity to do something different and actually pursue something that I am passionate about. I can't let fear and apprehension stop me. Of course I would love to just work from home and be my own boss but the Etsy shop isn't enough for me to get on by. I wish it was but I'm not quite there yet. I would love to blog for a living too, who wouldn't? :)
I got a lot of thinking to do.
On another note, let me share my latest Etsy purchase from Stoopidgerl...
It's her resin Sushi necklace, I'm not wearing it, I'm holding it with chopsticks. That's me trying to be witty, har-dee-har!
Wow! It is not often I get a decent lunch from my work cafeteria anymore. Today I am having smothered chicken with spinach and it's damn friggin' good! Question, what makes a chicken smothered? Is it just the act of drowning it in gravy? The spinach is awesome. I only got into spinach maybe less than a year ago. I can't believe I've deprived myself of it. Now if only I could get my boyfriend into eating it. I have to give him credit, he has turned me on to eating foods I would never have eaten before as well as being more health-conscious of what I eat (although yoga helps that too). I'm still bad every now and then, like tonight I plan to have left over buffalo pizza for dinner. Yup.
Have you visited The Chaos Concept? It looks like Oscar made an appearance, you go boy! I did some work on a couple of octopus plates yesterday and *hopefully* I can debut their new look soon. I am just waiting to see how they dry, oh yes, there was some moistness involved in their makeover.
Today has been one of those days where you ask, "Why did I get out of bed????" But now it is lunch time and thanks to Miss Cedar of Indulgences, I found a new site to play with. I put these outfits together myself...
The second set was suppose to be called "Geek Chic" but it turned into some Smurfette outfit, but I still like it. Go add me as a contact!
I need to get more hats and dresses in my wardrobe. Fashion on the brain has me prepped for Project Runway tonight! Look forward to more Polyvore sets every week. :)
Here is my first entry for the new year and I hope the first day of the year is not an indication of what lies ahead in the next 365 days (it's a leap year you know). I was hoping to stay home yesterday and relax but my granny neighbor upstairs had other plans for me. She had her grandkids over and they are VERY LOUD and pretty rotten children. I don't know them but I can just tell that family sucks. So we had to leave the apartment for a couple of hours before we completely lost our minds and got into a lot of trouble. I keep telling myself It's not every day, it is not every day!
That was yesterday and yesterday is in the past so I must not let it bother me anymore. Tonight there should be a new episode of Project Runway so I plan to kick back, relax, have a glass of this..
And talk trash to the television. As of right now, I like Rami, Kevin, and Kit so I'm rooting for those three. Sweet Pea I'm on the fence about. I like her designs and she makes clothes that I can see myself wearing but something about her personality is iffy with me. The rest I am either indifferent about or just don't like at all like Christian. Out come the claws!
I noticed a lot of people did a 2007 recap on their blogs, that's great and all but 2007 was pretty whack year for me with the exception of a couple of things but instead I wish to look ahead. I won't bore you with resolutions as I haven't exactly made any. I just wanna make this the best year I could possibly make it that way this time next year, I can look back and smile.
Survive Christmas that is? I did, just barely, but I did. Every year I say "Next year I'm gonna make this easier....". I think next year I'm going to tell everyone to not buy me anything, except for my boyfriend because he gets me kick-ass gifts all the time, but over the years it seems that I have become MORE difficult to shop for. I don't know why? I have a Amazon Wishlist, recently discovered Kaboodle, I heart items on Etsy, so what's the friggin' problem right??!?!!?!?!
However, this should not be the time to stress, it's suppose to be a joyous time but unfortunately people get caught up in "I gotta get something for this person and that person! AAAGGHHH!!!!!" What fun is that? So yeah, next year no one get me anything! I don't want to subject people to the stress of trying to find something I would like. Forget about me, I am a simple person that likes simple things. I am not attached to anything (except for my ipod and a pair of Bandolino platform pumps) but other than that? Meh.
During lunch I stepped out and headed to Sephora. Yeah I'm one of those jerks that runs out the day after Christmas to use a gift card. So I picked up some shampoo from Frederick Fekkai and my freebie birthday gift - I'm a member of the Beauty Inside Club, so this year the freebie gift was a small bottle of Naked Body Butter from Bliss.
Despite the tone I may present at the beginning of this entry, Christmas was very good to me and I hope it was for all of you!
This is a book I had on my Amazon wishlist and it was given to me yesterday. I can't wait to start reading it! I know it's backwards but it's Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco. This is one of the gifts I received yesterday. I also got a great pair of Steve Madden pumps that I can't wait to wear. It will looks great with this bag, it's almost the same color.
I swear I gotta write a shoe entry some time.
I got a lot of birthday love yesterday between here, MySpace and Livejournal. Thank you all so much for the happy birthday wishes. You all make me smile. It was a very nice couple of days. Now I am off until next Wednesday from work and the only real plans I have is for Christmas day. Other than that....FREEDOM!!! LAZINESS!!!! WINTER BUM!!!
Etsy wished me a happy birthday today, awww! They remembered. :) Today I'm 32 and I'm feeling pretty good. No early mid-life crisis has set in. Overall, I'm loving the 30s. I'm very comfortable in the 30s, I think I'll stay here.
Here is a horrible camera phone picture of the cake my parents had for me yesterday. I stayed in the city last night since I won't be around on my actual birthday.
They even sang to me, just the two of them, they were very cute. This morning my mom sang to me again while I was half asleep and practically had me in a headlock. I didn't mind. I think it's sweet. I always make sure to enjoy the babying my mom gives me on my birthday, especially as I get older because there will come a time where I won't have it anymore.
I do not even know where to begin. Well, I guess at the beginning with Friday night. Levitate Yoga had their Holiday Cocktail party and I was actually able to go this year. Usually their party is the same day as my little shin-digs so this year it worked out perfect. I've been practicing at Levitate for 3 years(???), I think that's right. I don't talk about my yoga practice much on here because I leave it for my other blog. Connie, the owner, I consider a good friend who is very sweet and supportive. She once dropped me on my head during class but I've let that go....sorta.
Saturday I had a little get together at my place (early birthday/Christmas). I was worried about the weather but of course it did NOTHING until Sunday. For once, I was glad the weather folks were wrong. I had quite a few glasses of wine, made some awesome olive spread and mini-cupcakes (which I did not take pictures of STUPID ME!!!) and a friend took a picture of me in a wrestling mask that I must, must, must get my hands on because it was just too awesome. But instead, here is a toothy picture with my friend Ricky.
Sorry about the mess, and I do mean my hair. It was the end of the night so what do I care? It was a good time. I got my annual loaf of Zuccini bread from my friend Kate which was just YUM-MEE! And a gooey peanut butter chocolate cake from the lovely Tara. So I can't complain not one bit. I like having little get togethers but since I've moved to the 'burbs, it takes more work for me to see my friends.
Up next, I am the featured seller at Crafts of Texture. Click the screenshot below to read.
. It seems like lately I've been all over the place but I expect that to slow down after the holidays. This year was definitely more plentiful than last and I'm so happy for that. I continue to learn so much. I have still yet to learn how to use Quicken on my computer. It's there! Might as well use it right? Instead I use spreadsheets for all my bookeeping, it is long and tedious but it's what I know.
One last thing I wanted to share, in case you didn't know, the NY Times did a nice write up about Etsy and buying handmade gifts. I haven't read the entire article yet - I printed it out and will read it tonight on the train ride home, but I do know that Emily from The Black Apple is featured and noted as Etsy's biggest success story. I played a small part in that. :) But it's really cool to see Etsy in the Times, read for yourself.
Yup, I'm home today. I'm using up my remaining vacation days because my silly place of employment won't let me carry it over. Boooo! Whatever, a day off is a day off and I'm currently adding some stuff to the shop.
Before I go any further, I wanted to show off my latest Etsy purchase. It's this pendant from MissFickleMedia and I absolutely love it! It was on sale because it was "flawed" but seriously, it's not bad at all. I did some Christmas shopping in her shop too which I'm sure will be a hit.
One thing that's new is a choker featuring a pendant my boyfriend put together. I came across these old Geisha plates and wasn't sure what I could do with them so he gets all the credit on this.
He's painting one up that so far is coming out pretty awesome. I can't wait to show it!
I don't like tagging, I really don't, I have been tagged in the past and respectfully declined to do it. But in this case, I will do it because Candice at Kopah's Soap Box makes some of the most yummy soaps I have ever encountered AND is a fellow New Yorker, I will do it. Just this once! And I will not tag anyone else. Because I'm horrible party pooper pants.
The topic? Seven random/weird facts about myself:
1. When I was a baby, I ate a glass Christmas ornament.
2. I sometimes think I'm a male chauvinist pig trapped in a woman's body.
3. I talk to myself....a lot.
4. A lot of things people find disturbing, I find funny.
5. Zombie movies give me zombie dreams ALWAYS.
6. My favorite snack is grape jelly on white bread.
7. I am not a fan of tagging.
Now the cyberinterwebs know all about me. Move along.
Yeah the pink is gone, sorta. There's still a little taste of it. AND THEN I realized that this is about the same color as my other blog. Whoops! It's a kickass color regardless.
Did I share the treats a friend gave me this past weekend?
I HAVE AN IDEA....or two or three. :) Stay turned in the new year!
Are you on Kaboodle? Man I wish I discovered this site more than THREE WEEKS before Christmas. Anyway, it's always nice to window shop. Here's a slideshow of my "Dream Shoe Collection"
I love high heels. I really do. I love the way they look! They make my feet look sexy! However, the high arches in my feet don't like them very much and as a result, hurt the tops of my feet. I did see a Podiatrist once and he told me that heels would be better for me rather than wearing flat shoes. WTF right? Although I do find that thicker, platform sole is a little more tolerable than a flat sole. Anyway, back to Kaboodle, here is my profile, it's a work in progress.
Just a couple of entries ago I posted some lovely Fall images from my neighborhood. This morning when I got out of bed, I saw this outside my bedroom window
SNOW!!!
And my window is not dirty, that is a screen. A friend of mine spent the night so this morning, me and Senor Muerto helped dust off her car. I love playing in fresh, powdery snow, so FLUFFY!!!!! It is suppose to rain later on so hopefully it won't ice up and get really slushy and gross. I don't like snow once it turns brownish, BLEEEECCHH!!!!!
If you live in an area hit by snow, please brush the snow off the top of your vehicles! It is just inconsiderate to think "Once I get on the highway, the wind will blow it off", yeah it will.....right on to another car's front window!
/psa
While I had the camera out, I wanted to show off the Black Apple ornament I have ready for my tree
Doesn't she look cozy all snuggled in her box? Have a HAPPY SUNDAY!
This color is the reason why the Fall is my favorite time of the year. This tree is next to my apartment.
Peek-a-boo!
This angle is funny because it wasn't that chilly out yet it looks like my face is wrapped in my scarf.
I usually don't bother when Emily from The Black Apple has a shop update because usually all of her new items (ie: dolls, original pieces, pins) will sell out in lightning speed. That changed when I found out she was going to sell just a small handful of these....
God dammit I had to have one. She annouced she'd have an update at 2:00 today. So I sat at my computer 1:58 pm hitting the refresh button until that sucker popped up and I snatched. Didn't even look at the price. It could have been $768 for all I knew. It wasn't thankfully and I scored one. Yay! I can't wait to have it on my tree!
In other news, I glued WAY too many marbles last night that my head is still spinning. I think I should start wearing a mask, or at least a bandanna around my face to filter out the fumes. I'll be adding those maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow.
Awww Indiepublic!!!!
What a great community to be a part of. I joined Indiepublic back in August of this year after reading about it on Etsy. It's a very helpful, non-catty (can you believe it?!?!?!), online community. I try to help out others as much as I can since I received so much from others. Not that I'm some super expert on the art of selling crafty treats. I still don't understand the whole tax stuff but lets not talk about that right now, my right eye will start twitching.
Today is a "Friday" for me. I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow. The only thing I have planned at the moment is to step out in the morning for coffee, breakfast, and a NY Times. Bring it all home and just veg out. Reading the NY Times is a treat for me, I don't read it every day or else I would be in the poorhouse. I don't even want to watch television because daytime TV sucks. I don't watch soaps, don't care for talk shows, court shows, all the Law & Order reruns. Oh if only TMC or AMC would show some nice classics during the day and not A Few Good Men for the gagillionth time.
This morning on the way to work, I finished reading the cutest novel,
Look, I have a serious weakness for some Chick-Lit alright? The last couple of books I've read have been so-so but this one was fun. It's a thriller-humor-chicklit-fluff. Just perfect!!
Did we have an Autumn? It's FREEZING outside right now!!
Oh Target, why do you tempt me so with your FREE SHIPPING on orders $50 or more on women's apparel and accessories....with your Isaac Mizrahis and Hollywould Collection. You know I'm weak for shoes:
and more shoes
Lately I've been looking for NON-BLACK shoes, it's not as easy as it sounds. Oh, the polkadots don't count either. The holidays are fast approaching and I must not be so selfish in thinking of what I want. Oh wait, my birthday is in December too.
GIMMIE! GIMMIE!
For the past week I have been living with very annoying allergies. I sit here now with my throat feeling like the Sahara. There is not enough water in the world to soothe it. I took a Benadryl this morning but usually allergy medicine doesn't work very well. I've also been taking a nasty tasting nasal spray that isn't doing a quick enough job clearing my head. I'm sure my allergies are not as bad as others have it.
I'm just a big baby.
Friday evening I made a slammin' Blackened Cajun Chicken, yeah "slammin". I got the recipe from Cedar's blog, Girl Wanders and I have not stopped thinking about it. I wish I took a picture because I was so proud of myself. I'm not usually the cook, my boyfriend is, but I came across this and had to give it a shot. I can't believe how EASY this was to make. I can't wait to try out more of her stuff. Her photos are also quite delicious looking as well. You just have no idea how excited I am to have found this blog. I'll go look at cooking websites and their recipes for things just seem to go over my head looking for way more ingredients that I wish to have.
OH! I just remembered something else I wanted to bring up. I mentioned previously how Apartment Therapy has their color contest going on and you can bet I have been voting away. It seem, however, that what I might consider a Insta-Finalist isn't what a lot of others think, or vice versa. What's up with that? There are some entries where I'm not sure why they're getting a lot of votes while others aren't. Like why is this person considered a longshot? I don't understand. Oh wait, maybe I do, it's all a matter of how many friends you can get to vote for you I suppose. That kind of takes away the fun of it.
In case you didn't see it on MySpace, I have some Ebay Auctions going on. Nothing I have made but still cute stuff to show off.
Speaking of spending money, I had some time to kill yesterday before my dentist appointment and I stumbled upon The Container Store...my new FAVORITE store. It's like Crate & Barrel meets Ikea. I walked out of there with an organizer for my socks/underwear drawer because I got fed up with going in there not being able to find my other sock. I also got a cute little 3-drawer box for my makeup:
It may be too small for some of you but it's just right for me! I must go back to get something to store my jewelry in. My jewelry box can't close anymore because I have so much in it. It doesn't help that I keep making stuff to sell and end up making one for myself.
Click the above to check out the latest treats at my shop.
My weekend of gambling left much to be desired. At least I didn't LOSE that much money, you always gotta look at the bright side. I love going to Mohegan Sun, it is much, much better than Foxwoods. Foxwoods just seems cheesy to me and a bit of a downer. Plus, I finally realized that Foxwoods is just a bad luck spot for me. I don't think I'll be going back there.
Soooooooooooo I saw Heaven & Hell and Alice Cooper Friday night at Mohegan Sun (hence me being at the casino). It was a great show, not the best looking crowd but I got over it. H&H was good but Alice? W-O-W! It was the best I've seen of him yet, maybe because it was an arena show but he sounded awesome, his performance was awesome, his band was tight. Face it, he stole the night. Sabbath did their best to follow up but the sound was a bit off. Dio's voice was still amazing and I'm so glad I finally got to hear him live.
So yeah, if Alice Cooper is playing in your city you MUST see him, even if you're not familiar with his music, he puts on such an amazing theatrical show. Dead babies, monsters, executions? Now that's what I call a show!!! The first two times I saw him, he got his head cut off, this last time he was hung. Now I just need to see him get electrocuted, maybe next time? :)
This morning I received TWO emails from two different people telling me about the BUST MAGAZINE 2007 CRAFTACULAR and that they are now accepting vendors for this holiday event. They're telling me I should sign up. Of course there is a part of me saying "Yeah! Go for it!!!! It'll be fun! But then the larger part of my brain points out the following:
See? I'm just FULL of excuses. I would like to try a craft fair one day soon, just to see what it is like but I think I want my first time to be with someone else who may be more experienced and have them willing to let me use a corner of their booth to show my little things. I am getting more confident in the stuff I do but I don't know, I think this event might be TOO big for me to handle on my own. I've never even been to a Bust event! I've been to Renegade and that's pretty cool. I guess you've been to one you've been to them all?
Right now I am wrapping up some items I am sending out to this CUTE online boutique that I plan to consign with. It will be my first consignment so we'll see how that will work out. I'm looking to branch out of my Etsy bubble a bit. First DaWanda now this consignment, the next logical step would be to take it to the streets I suppose.
Yeah, I hammered a couple more necklaces out. Even though I was thinking about retiring the notepads, I've been in the mood to make some more. They make great stocking stuffers no?
Summer colds = suck!
I'm fighting REALLY hard to not get full-blown sick. The weather has been sooo wacky lately between the autumn like weather and 90 degree sticky humidity, my body is freaking out! So I have a bit of a sniffle and an itchy throat and it's right at the border of Is it a cold or is it allergies? I could never tell.
A friend posted something about this on MySpace and I'm a bit shocked, Owen Wilson tried to commite suicide. Actually scratch that, I'm not shocked. He's a horrible actor, I never liked him or his ugly nose but he's still got a pretty good career right? I mean it's not like he's on the D-List by any means. I know there is usually more to it than success. Unfortunately, if he thought he had it hard before, it's only going to get worse now that he's going to be put under a microscrope by all the entertainment rags and be made the butt of jokes for late night television.
I have to share my excitement with everyone.
Yesterday I was on a mission to find the perfect pair of jeans. Like most clothes, this can be a challenge...too tight here, too loose there, just not flattering. I refuse to have a "muffin top". I had a list of places to check out and they all flopped except for one. The very last place I went to right before giving up, Henry Lehr in Nolita. This is now my new FAVORITE store! I was the only one in the shop and the two guys working there were very helpful. I couldn't believe it, I wanted to hug them both. I don't actually have my new pair of jeans in my possession yet as they were a bit long. One of the guys is the taylor so he's gonna take up the length a little. They will be ready on Monday. It is the most money I've ever spent on a pair of jeans but it's damn friggin' worth it!
In business-related news, my pretty bird necklace was snatched up so quickly! So in turn, I got a few more yesterday in some different colors and I hope to add to them to the shop soon. I think tonight I'll be working on some more magnets in the meantime. I've come to accept that even though crafting is a hobby, I take it seriously enough to consider a part-time gig right now. I know me, I'm totally into this 500% but I'll hit a wall soon and take a break from it. However, the holidays are fast approaching and I know last year that was a really busy time for me so I better be ready for it.
My latest passionate hate is this...
Guys (and girls) wearing their stupid collars turned up. When did I wake up into a Karate Kid movie??? I know some folks are loving this whole Retro 80s Fashion fad but I am <b><u>hating</u></b> it so much!!!! I want to be put in a coma until it passes. There is a man, a grown man, at my job who dresses like this now. He's old enough to have dressed like this the FIRST time around. He's trying to look like William Zabka, you know William Zabka, he was the village in a bunch of 80s teen movies, like <b>Just One of the Guys</b><---one of my favorites. But enough is enough! I bet Zabka doesn't even dress like that anymore!
I've been feeling super inspired lately to make stuff that I can't seem to stand straight!
A little late night yoga foolery. I don't know if this even has a name and I look absolutely ridiculous but it has got to be one of my favorite photos of me EVER!
I'm selling more books on Ebay, but hurry because time is running out! I hope to have some Etsy updates soon once I get some stuff together and posted. I just ordered a couple of supplies today. I can't wait to get them!
I had dinner with some friends Sunday night. Beforehand, they asked if they could bring anything so I told them wine. I'm not much of a wine person. I had a bad encounter with a bottle of red once that turned my guts purple and inside-out, needless to say I avoid red wine now but I'll still have a glass of white wine if offered. Again, I know NOTHING about wine, don't even know where to begin. So I tell my friend bring something white, fruity, and goes well with fish. They show up with a bottle of Kung Fu Girl and I'm like 'WTF???' but I trust their judgement.
YUMMY!!!!! Not only did I have a few glasses, but I didn't get sick afterward. I am such a light-weight now. It is a rather unique looking label too. There was recently a pretty nice write-up about it in the Chicago Tribune. I'm thinking about keeping a bottle in the house, you know, in case of emergencies.
The downside of online shopping. Sure you'll get a deal on something like say, a headboard, but how am I suppose to get an idea of how it looks if you have a bunch of pillows covering it?
No, there are no other images to view, this is it. Are you selling a headboard or a bed in a bag? Show me what's going on under there!
I have gone way too many years without a headboard and I've been wanting one forever. Now that I got a somewhat new bed (only 9 months old), it needs to be prettified.
I'd like to get something with a vintage-cottage feel to it. Nothing contemporary art-deco-ish.
I won't be ordering this one. >:(
I have not mentioned anything about this yet because I wanted make sure everything was finalized but next week, I'm going to be MOVING! So I do not know how often I will be online updating. I'm sure you do not want to hear me gripe about packing. I'm not moving far, just back across the Hudson River. It's just easier living there and getting around.
It is kind of bad timing as I am pretty inspired to make stuff thanks to Renegade last week! Magnets, notepads, necklaces! However I don't know if I'll be able to find the time in the next week or two between the packing and unpacking. I'm trying very hard to not think about it. I just hope it goes smoothly. I can't wait to get craftin' again! In the meantime, I have a yoga class tonight that I'm looking forward to. I'm sure it will be devoted to the Summer Solstice as today is the first day of Summer. Maybe I'll have a good season ahead of me.
One last thing, in case anyone is interested, I'm auctioning off a top from Anthropologie. It's the risk of ordering clothes online. They look pretty until you try it on and doesn't quite flatter you (you=me). It could look very nice on YOU though. :)
Poppin' in to say 'hello'. I'm not neglecting you PS, I just haven't had much to say. Rest assured, I still read all of my favorite blogs and keep tabs on all my lovelies. My yoga blog has been updated more actually. So what's new?
I hope you're all well, it looks like you are. Next weekend is the Renegade Craft Fair so expect photos from that. I can't wait! I'll be paying a visit to The Black Apple and get some prints, hopefully Lushbox too so I can get some yummy body goodies!
I may have to cross post this on Cupcakes & Yoga but I just wanted to take a moment and talk about my weakness, cupcakes.
Sunday before heading to see me mum, I had to, just HAD to make a pit stop at The Cupcake Cafe where I picked up this lovely treat
A vanilla butterscotch cupcake. It was as good as it looked. Their cupcakes are soooooooooooooo rich and moist, my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth just thinking about it!
Then I went out for some air and watched some doggies play.
Last I went to the deck at the top of my parents building and took some scenic shots of the city on a nice sunny day, face it, it was too nice to be indoors.
Of course I got to spend time with my mom and she loved her soap basket. :) An added bonus was getting to spend time with my niece. I am also her Godmother so she gave me a little present too, a cute little angel that is now sitting on my desk at work making me smile whenever I look at it.
If you didn't get to join me in my lunchtime walk through Central Park today, and face it, you didn't, here are some photos I captured from my mid-day journey...
If you'd like to see more, I have a few more uploaded on my Flickr Account. It felt pretty peaceful walking around and shooting. This truly is an oasis in the middle of crazy midtown Manhattan. My mind felt pretty calm and my spirits were up. I need to venture out more during my lunch break. Usually I'm feeling lazy and don't leave my office. Central Park is literally 1 block away, a five minute walk! I should take advantage of this at my doorstep. The sun and outdoors would do me some good during the work week.
I drink a ton of coffee. I just finished a can of Cafe Bustelo. I'm wondering if I can maybe use the can to plant something. I'm thinking maybe punching a hole in the bottom, get some dirt and seeds and see if I can grow something nice. According to You Grow Girl, you can virtually use anything as a container. I don't see anything about coffee cans but it will do right????
I'm inspired! Thanks to today's entry over at decor8 where Holly asks if anyone keeps inspirational journals. Now I have blogs, a livejournal, and a diary for actual writing but nothing visual. I've kind of thought about it. I've heard about others doing it and thinking it's kind of cool. After seeing the examples posted I'm thinking "Me do!" <--to quote my bf's adorable nephew. I've been wanting to try something new and creative and it's a great excuse to hit the stationery shops! I'm all about the cut & paste! I'm just a journaling freak. I love to just write about the most mundane things sometimes because if I don't, I feel like my brain will start throbbing. I'm sure no one cares about how good my turkey & avocado sandwich tasted but I feel good writing about it and that's what matters, me feeling good. That's right!
I don't wanna rent, I wanna own!
That is one of my favorite Master Shake quotes (Aqua Teen Hunger Force). As I grow to hate where I live more and more each day, you start to think about the options available to you when it comes to living space. I currently rent, and when my out of town friends find out how much I pay in rent for a 1BR, their jaws drop because New York (even in the suburbs) is ridiculously expensive. My rent in another state can probably get me a swank 3 BR in a nice neighborhood instead of what I have now, yuck. I almost miss living in the Bronx....almost.
At first I didn't even want to consider getting a Co-op because you don't really OWN it do you? As I look at my financial situation a little more I'm thinking maybe that might be the best bet for me? I don't know. Buying a home is SO intimidating and there's so much to think of that you probably are not considering when making the decision to buy. I feel like I'm throwing my money out of the window in rent but I don't have to worry about some of the expenses owning a home brings, is it worth it???? How do I get the money for just the down payment???
Waaah! I need someone to hold me!!
Watching the parade right now and the viewing the commercials about visiting Ireland REALLY makes me want to go back and visit...
Photos taken by ME!
Maybe it's the part of Ireland I was in which was the western part, stayed in Lough Rea, but I really liked the slowed down pace, the friendliness of everyone and just the simplicity of everything. Not like here where too many people want to be a "bad/smart-ass" and drive gigantic vehicles and live in gigantic houses. It's also nice that Ireland is more green than the U.S. and I don't mean green like grass green, but the food and quality of the land is more pure and organic than here where we kind of ruin a lot of the land. But yeah, enough of that. The boyfriend is going to cook dinner tonight (corn beef, potatoes, and broccoli...no cabbage) and it's gonna be yummy!
My allergies are doing better thanks to this KICK-ASS medicine the allergist gave me the other to clear up all the swelling going on in my nasal cavity. The bad thing is when you first use the nasal spray, you have to keep your head tilted downward or else you'll taste it in the back of your throat, BLEECH!!! It is not making my a.m. coffee all that yummy I hate to say. But I'm feeling better and that's what matters.
Everyone has a love/hate relationship with feEbay right? I have an auction ending in a couple of hours for a lot of punk 7" records I'm getting rid of. I first tried to sell them on Etsy but no takers. A lot of folks hearted the item I guess for future art projects but hearts don't pay my bills ya know what I'm sayin'? So I posted them on Ebay. I choose to ship international and I usually get questions for how much I'll ship to Italy or France and I never get the amount right. But here's my gripe, why email me at the last minute before an auction ends? I can't sit up all night hitting the refresh button for last minute bidders. I'm surprised people were even interested. I may have to dig up some more records to get rid of because God knows I'm not gonna listen to them again.
I will leave off on this note: Go see An Inconvenient Truth, even if you think you know all there needs to know about Global Warming, you don't. I watched it last night and I think it totally deserved the Oscar for Best Documentary. Unlike The Departed which I also this past weekend which was ok, but not best picture.
First off, I wanted to thank everyone who left suggestions about my plant. The good news is I don't think I am doing as much harm as I thought. I did get some good advice from my long-time internet gal pal Kelly who left me a word of advice.
I wouldn't water it more than every 2-3 weeks, especially in the winter. Even in summer I usually only do about every 2 weeks for a succulent that isn't a cactus. Also, the leaves will fall off as the stems turn woody, that's a natural part of the jade growth (if you look at pictures of mature jade - ones that are 5-6 ft high for instance, you notice they have leaves only on about the upper third of the plant).
Kelly is a regular contributing writer for the neat website You Grow Girl so she knows her plants! Here is another helpful tip I received from a livejournal friend:
I've had my jade plant since it was a baby-- almost two years now. I give it direct light (but not hours of blistering sun), water it weekly during the summer and sparingly during the winter. It's a succulent so it likes high light and can survive pretty well in drought conditions.
If the leaves are mushy or whole stems start collapsing you've overwatered and it's started rotting from the inside out....You can make jade babies! Just set the leaf on top of a pot/margarine container/whatever with some dirt and a layer of rocks spritx it a little and leave it in on your windowsill. My jade's had about a million babies thus far.
So there ya have it! 1-2 weeks in the summer, 2-3 weeks in the winter. Leaves falling off are a good sign, stalks falling off are a bad sign. I hope this helps out for those of you who also shared Jade Plant trama with me.
Man do I suck...or I feel sucky. I don't suck, I didn't do anything wrong. I just scheduled an appointment to see an Allergist on Monday. My allergies started kicking in yesterday and today I am super stuffed up. I've never been to an Allergist before so I don't know what to expect. Will he inject me with a series of shots? Not that I'm scared of needles, it's just annoying. It seems like as I get older, my allergies get worse. I wasn't like this when I was a teen or even in my early 20s. Now I dread seasonal change. Now that the weather is just bonkers and unpredictable, my system is like "Whaaaa, what's going on?????" so it just shuts down completely.
I've been reading another Jodi Picoult book, My Sister's Keeper and I'm really digging it so far. I was digging her other book The Tenth Circle until I got to the last quarter of it and it got a bit lame. I hope Sisters Keeper doesn't have a lame ending. But this is an interesting subject matter, a 13 year old seeking medical emancipation from her parents because she was made pretty much to keep her older sister from dying. Such a touchy subject, I'm still unsure how I feel about it. I don't know if the parents are messed up for bringing a life into the world just for the sole purpose of using her body as organic materials or if the daughter is being selfish. When I finish maybe I'll have a better idea. Picoult is a good writer, she knows how to suck you in, I just hope the story doesn't just end abruptly the way it did the last book of hers I read.
Meet my Jade plant. I purchased her back in October when I first moved into my apartment. I had printed out directions found on the internet on how to take care of a Jade Plant. I thought I was doing a good job but I am concerned. Leaves have been falling off and I don't want to kill my plant. My plant sits on my dining table near a window but does not get direct sunlight but filtered natural light. I water her about once a week. Is this too much? Too little? I can't tell because the soil dries up SOOO fast, even in this image it looks dry. I know this kind of plant stores water in the stems so overwatering is a definite no-no but I'm still not sure if I'm doing a good job or not. I want to have a green thumb, I really do!! Are the leaves falling out for new ones to grow in it's place? I'm hoping that is what it is. Any insight would be appreciated!
I think it's really important to have art on display in your home. It brings your place some character. So I wanted to take this opportunity to show off some of the stuff I have in my apartment. Most of the artwork is actually by my boyfriend and I hope he gets to make more. More pictures can be found on my Flickr page.
I mentioned here that I had ordered some postcards by Kurt Halsey, here is the result in my bedroom.
My splurge piece by Shag. This is above the dining table.
The remaining pieces are all done by my boyfriend.
Pinup Dead Girl! This is the first piece my boyfriend made for me. I love her, she's in our hallway along with these two...
Last there is Hot Night In Rio
It's Hell above my sofa. I actually really like the little black figures you see mixed in the flames, way cool. Good times.
You know you need a break from your webpage when you're trying to do your 5-minute meditation in the morning and the same thought pops into your head, I need a new banner for my site. Sad, very sad. But I do. I'm never happy with my banners. Everyone else's always looks so much nicer than mine. On the other hand I'm still in this uncreative funk I can't seem to shake. You know when you want to do stuff but you can't bring yourself to actually DO IT. The weekend is the perfect time to work on stuff but instead I just wanna lounge around and veg-out. It's this cold weather I think. It makes me want to stay under covers all the time.
Wow! I just came across this sad story Five-year old girl dies in horrifying rodeo parade accident. My goodness! Ok this was a freak accident but I think it just adds to the greater picture of the whole young girl beauty pageant phenomenon in this country. It is beyond disturbing. I think Little Miss Sunshine did a good portrayl of that. 5 years old! No one should put their child on display like that. So sad. Sorry to end this post on such a downer.
Happy Valentine's Day if that means anything to you. I hate to say it but today, so far, has been a HORRIBLE day. First, I am at work stuck in the middle of a blizzard. I stayed with my parents in the city last night and it looks like I'm gonna have to stay there again tonight because all of the brilliant meteorologist are saying it's only going to get worse. So that means I will not be with my boyfriend tonight. I was looking forward to baking a cake for him. Well the cake is gonna have to wait until tomorrow I guess. That is the problem with living in a suburb, your commute becomes such a pain in the ass. I miss the days where I only had to rely on the subway and that's it. Not a train, bus, subway, car ride, etc. I dont' know how the roads are where I live so it's best to keep my driver off the road (no I do not have a drivers license which makes my life just a little more sucky).
My day job is starting to feel a bit overwhelming too. I am writing this entry during my lunch break but I am anticipating someone knocking at my door any second asking for something. Someone in my department recently left so their work is being spread out to everyone else. Right now, I am overworked and underpaid and I don't know when will be a good time to ask for more money because EVERYONE is feeling the burden right now and I don't want to present myself like I'm the only one. I'm just in a very bad situation right now and not in a very good mood so I'm sorry if I couldn't come up with a more fluffy post today. Or you can just go to today's entry at Cupcakes & Yoga, that's sort of fluffy.
Ok, ok, ok! This is it! My last art purchases for a long while.
First I purchased two prints on Etsy from atwhim.etsy.com
Then I ordered a set of postcards from Kurt Halsey:
These are all small prints which I plan to get simple frames for. Where they're all gonna go? I don't know but I guess that's part of the fun isn't it? I think my Emily Martin print is going to have some company soon!
Hard Candy is proof that a movie will make an average, everyday gal (ie: me) want to inflict pain on others. I watched this last night because I heard good things about it and was curious about the subject matter - pedofiles meeting young girls online. Cut to the chase, one of the WORST movies I've ever seen. I hate when someone takes an interesting topic and just completely fucks it up into something awful. Such a booorrrring movie, very flat, very dumb. It should have been over in 20 minutes. I stopped caring 30 minutes in and wanted to take the dvd out and throw it out the window. Haaaate. Ok I'm letting that go. I have some magnets to glue today. Maybe breathing in the glue will help me forget the hour and forty five minutes I wasted last night.
It's that time of the year again at Target for the Global Bazaar. Usually it's best to wait until it's almost over and everything is marked down to pounce but I ended up getting some nice decoration pieces for the dining area (the theme is RED). I would take some pictures but it appears that I must get a new camera now. I tried to find a new card yesterday and was told that the card I'm looking for is pretty outdated and I'm not going to find a replacement anywhere. Damn. Well I did want a new camera, now I have to get it. I have stuff to sell on Etsy!!!
