Reflections

It's that time of year again. Out with the old and in with the new. I usually reserve this activity for June when my birthday rolls around but it's hard to avoid reflection at the end of the year as well.

I started browsing my computer photo folders and this is what I've learned:

* The year husband and I got married {2006} we were more active socially than ever. The photo above is New Year's 2006. Tonight we are going out for sushi and going to sit our butts down on the couch and watch movies. I'm excited. I think you know you're old when you do not care about going out and celebrating New Year's. Or maybe it's just me. I've lived in Los Angeles my entire life. I've been going out since I was 17 years old. Been there. Done that. It's all the same. Maybe it's time to move.

* I look better tanner and blonder. *Must work on that.

* I used to take sexy/naughty pictures of myself for my husband and email them to him. I realized just now that the last time I did it was 2006. Poor husband.



My brother and his wife celebrated their first wedding anniversary at the end of September and Pep and I celebrated two years married together at the beginning of September ...wow time flies.





LeRoy prefers the top of the doghouse.





This is what I look like with a baby in my arms ...in 2005 ...okay, it's my goddaughter, Avery and this is her mom . . .

my cousin Kell ...I lub them!






After a year and a half of "trying" to get pregnant naturally without success, I have come to the conclusion that small dogs make better children than actual children. We will continue to have sex and he will continue to sperminate me {because why not at this point?} but I will not be expecting anything. No pun intended. I do not want to take any drugs or go through the hell that is infertility. I am okay with adopting babies later on rather than forcing them now. The world is overpopulated anyway. I am happy with this decision.






This is the best celebrity photo I've ever seen.


RIP Heath




No, wait. This is.






My husband's grandma passed away in October of this year and I am so happy to have found a photo of her and I together. My husband never picks up the camera so I have to hand it to him for this one. Although, it is his two absolute favorite women in the world ... :) Love you baby.


November 2006






My Mom got married to Barry in May.






...and our two year fight ended shortly after

I had many fun Saturday nights with this lovely lady

Because of this blog {and possibly Facebook}, two of my very good friends from my past have found me. My mom has now been able to reconnect with her friend as well. For that, I am grateful.

from left: Me, and Rebecca c., 1987-88

from left: Me, Erin, my dad @ Disneyland, c., 1983
{this was my favorite outfit EVER}






Boys never grow up.

Please notice NOT ONLY the orange juice glass directly on the couch almost tipping over but eating straight out of the pot, which is also on the couch and probably still hot. I am nervous just looking at this photo. Men, this is why woman are considered "nags". Come on!






Cheers!








I drove two different versions of this car for seven years and finally said goodbye for good in 2008. This particular car saved me from dying . . .or it was very unsafe. It depends on how you look at it.





I almost forgot!!!


I VOTED! ~ for the first time ~ & Obama won!

Peace out 2008!

The Amazon Kindle ~ I'm Kindling!

I love books. I love the way they look and I love to display them. However, the Kindle by Amazon, is amazing! It's totally eco-friendly and much less expensive to buy books {after the initial price, of course} that automatically download to the Kindle in seconds via their own wireless connectivity called Whispernet. No computer necessary!

I was lucky enough to score the Kindle for Christmas ...thanks to my fabulous husband! And while I haven't finished reading Bergdorf Blondes yet {which is awesome by the way}, I have already downloaded Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen because I've never read it and always wanted to. It was $3.60 to download. Not that it's that much more to buy the actual book but think about how many trees you're saving!

The screen works like ink in books or newspapers but displays it in particles electronically. It's super easy to read and doesn't hurt your eyes because it reflects like regular paper. What's also awesome is that there's a built in dictionary so if you need to look up a word, you just click a button and type it in and voila! You can also highlight key points which save in a separate section on your Kindle that you can access at any time.

Not only do you get an over 200 book library of options to download, you can buy newspapers and blogs too! They let you sample the beginning of books for free to test it as well as a 14 day trial period for blogs. I just love it!

Do you know your neighbors?

You may have seen this before. This is a first for me.

I just checked my email and computer for the first time today {as I am nursing an injured French Bulldog :( ...and trying to set a new record for how much one person can sleep} and found this email.

I thought it was a joke at first and was going to point me out or something but it did not. It's very interesting.

Do you know your neighbors?

I mean, REALLY know your neighbors?
Well, the attached site will help you know the ones you need to know even better. Just put in your address & your neighborhood map will pop up. Every place you see a red balloon or thumb tack is the home of a convicted felon.

Just hover your mouse over an icon & not only will the name come up, but also the crime they were convicted of.

click it: Felon Spy

Snopes says it's a hoax: click here www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/felonspy.asp

Morning Shows

I'm on my first real post Christmas vacation day and while I have a to-do list a foot long, I can't seem to get out of the sleep haze of yesterday where I think I actually slept 18 of the 24 total hours.

I'm drinking coffee and watching morning shows which are kind of eye-opening because I've never really watched morning shows. And in the short amount of time I have just wasted watching, I've come to the conclusion that they are absolutely ridiculous. Cheese factor: ELEVEN . . .but somehow, I cannot. stop. watching. Which has got me wondering if they slip MSG in them somehow?

Jessica Simpson is on Rachel Ray ...and honestly, I cannot decide who is more annoying.

Jessica {who keeps making fart and poop jokes and laughing hysterically at them} has "surprised" Rachel with her own Chicken & Dumpling recipe in which she has no idea what a dumpling actually is and no idea how to roll the chicken in the bread and/or how to explain how to make the dish at all. I mean, who told her it was a smart idea to bring a recipe and pretend that she knows how to cook anything at all? {especially someone who doesn't know the difference between chicken and tuna}. I know, old reference, but clearly still relevant.

I think Rachel is now making fun of her. Rachel's voice is so horse and raspy I'm wondering if she screams on purpose just to wear out her vocal cords to get it that way. It is not her real voice. The only other explanation I can conjure up is that she's a professional cheerleader for the Cowboys and was hoping that her screaming would help them beat the Eagles yesterday ...no such luck.

So I guess Rachel wins the most annoying category and Jessica wins the just plain dumb category ... and I feel badly for her, Jessica that is, because it really is she, who gives herself a bad name ...and she seems like such a nice girl too.

The first contestant on the Price is Right just won a car . . .and did a backflip. They may have changed hosts but they still have the absolute worst prizes. It MUST be a joke by this point because when the announcer introduced the "doughnut maker" Drew C. laughed at it.

I gotta go. I'm becoming addicted to morning shows in one day's time! And if I'm not careful, I will sit here all day.

Carla Loves Photography

I just happened to win these fabulous coffee table books of wonderfully amazing photographs by Carla Coulson. Check out her blog Carla Loves Photographhy . . . and her incredible books are available @ amazon.com


See all Carla Coulson Books

Thank you Carla ...your work is phenomenal!!! I love the books so much!

I almost forgot

Last year one of my new year's resolutions was to write a post on this blog every single day {except for the weekends ...which I do now anyway}. And I did. Until today. I really almost forgot. I figured since there aren't too many of you on your computers today {as I wasn't either ~ and of course, we are all the same} that it probably didn't matter if I skipped a day or two.

In all honestly, I just couldn't do it ~ which lead to this post . . . obviously.

It's no real accomplishment to me because it wasn't hard. Once I started posting daily I realized I couldn't stop and not only that, I found that I had multiple things I wanted to post about in one day instead of worrying I wasn't going to have a thing to write about.

Some days my head is filled with ideas ...mostly right around the time I'm supposed to be falling asleep at night {to which I keep a pen and notebook nearby and jot ideas in the dark}. And some days, not so much. But either way, I always have something to say about something.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this in an anti-post. A "filler" post, if you will, which is unworthy of reading and a total waste of your time . . . but I guess it's too late now, huh?

You're welcome!



*Oh and since Katie asked . . . I wore this on Christmas Eve . . .which was basically this modified . . . and better, in my opinion :)

Have a Funky Funky Christmas

No doubt we will at some point today listen to the New Kids on The Block Christmas cassette tape . . .that is IF we can find a tape player. It happens every year. And for some odd reason, my brother and I find it to be THE FUNNIEST THING EVER!!!


. . . but THIS is my favorite Christmas song ever


note* this will be the LAST post that includes the word Christmas in the title.

Happy Birthday {8lb 6oz} newborn infant baby Jesus!

Christmas Crudité

I finally figured out what to bring to my uncle's house for Christmas Eve ...besides my delicious peanut butter yums . . . THIS beautiful Christmas crudité ...found HERE, @ Eddie Ross's Blog. Isn't it fabulous? ...and so easy! I love it.

* Vintage Christmas Whim ~ Afro Curls *

vintage nude slips ...diy flower ...vintage spoon bracelet from Alison ...vintage pearl choker {in some} ...Fench Bulldog {who wanted to be in every photo}

CLICK HERE for an afro curls tutorial

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~ Hair To's ~ Low Messy Side Bun

I filmed this last night before getting in the tub for my relaxing bath. What I forgot to do was turn off the fan ...my apologies for the hummmmm. Also, I'm fairly tired by this point and my words may be a bit um, mumbled ...again, my apologies. If it's not working for you, I'll redo it. Comment me up and let me know.

Notes: second day {and in this case, 3rd day} dirty hair works best for these types of styles because usually hair has more texture the dirtier it gets ...until it's a greasy mess and that's just gross.

Also, I did use the curling iron in about five sections the day before. just fyi - it might help in adding texture.

If you have thinner hair {or hair that you have to wash every day}, you may want to flip your head upside down {after drying it}, mess it up with your fingers a bit and hair spray it. Stay ...let dry ...then flip back and make your part where you want it with your fingers ...basically get the front the way you like it or at least close to it before you pull it to the side. Again, it's supposed to be messy ...but done. Go ahead and "mess it up" after it's done by running your fingers through it or randomly pulling out choice hairs. Then spritz spritz!

Also, my hair looks a bit frizzy in the video and not so much in person but it's clearly time to get the roots done. ...and those are just afterthoughts.

OH AND I also sound like I have a lisp ...and yo, I don't. fyi ...lol.

The Week in Art

Today was a long day at work. I didn't get home until 6:30pm which is probably early or normal for most but for me, it was long. We had our holiday staff lunch today and while I was a bit nervous given the circumstances, it turned out really nicely. We all brought the food and desserts and sat around eating and drinking and chatting about how nice it is to eat in instead of going out to a restaurant.

And then there was a huge surprise which I for one was not expecting.

Earlier in the day, our preparator started bringing out old works of art that have been in our inventory for quite some time, most of which have been written off as "not for sale", and placing them around the gallery. He let Janelle and I in on a little secret that the boss had mentioned something about letting us choose a piece for our Christmas gift. We nosed around and sort of mindfully picked our favorites and giggled with glee like school girls in "love".

When the dessert was brought out {my peanut butter yums} the boss told us that we would each choose an envelope with a number in it. That number determined the order in which we were to choose the art that we would take home. And get this, there would be more than one round.

I was fairly excited by this point for the following reasons.

A. I love games
B. I love art
C. I love free things

We all casually {except moi who had just finished her first Heineken} walked to the area where the art was laid out and began the festivities. Round after round after ROUND AFTER ROUND, we finally ended up taking home 5 WORKS EACH! On top of that, the boss offered to have the unframed pieces framed at no cost. Do you know how expensive framing art is? REALLY EXPENSIVE.

Needless to say, I was and still am in a fairly great mood.

There was no monetary bonus. {last year it was double digits} Two of our staff were laid off which I am actually quite sad about even though one of the two gets under my skin so badly I want to scratch my eyes. My hours have been cut and I'm getting a pay decrease. But with a life-changing Monday which turned into a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday acid indigestion fest, ended happily on Friday. And not just because we got to take home art but because in a weird way, it brought us closer together.

I'm going to miss the ladies who are leaving and in January the gallery will most likely be a much quieter place to work in, but it will be different. I am both looking forward to the changes and a bit uncertain of what will come. For once in a long time though, I am not afraid. Even though the economy has just kicked my butt and hundreds of others as well, there is a big bright light at the end of the tunnel that is blinding and I just want to get there as fast as I can.


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I'm off to take a nice long relaxing bath and possibly put my hair in rollers to achieve a massive afro for this weekend's photo shoot. I heart afros ...and I heart all of you too :)

Completely Gratuitous

Don't have much to say today . . . still got work on the brain so my creativity with words is waning. A bit more creative in the outfit department so here's another gratuitous post for your enjoyment. Also I'm very happy it's Friday.




















HIYAH!


What I'm wearing:
Jeans: 7 ...seen most recently here
Pink Turtleneck: Forever 21 {ancient}
Black Lace coverlet: Victoria's Secret {found in store about 2 years ago. It may be lingerie but I love the way it looks over tops}
Shoes: Alfani ...I just found these at a macys.com sale for so cheap. I needed a shorter heel with these jeans and I only have about two other pairs that work ~ they're really comfy too.}
Coat: Vintage. I am in love with this coat. I found it at the Melrose/Fairfax flea market over 8 years ago and it was $30!!! I think it's military issue and seriously it fits perfectly and needed no alterations.
Earrings: crystal hoops

*C-list Celeb Sighting* Brody Jenner was at Jerry's Deli last night in the Valley bowling w/ his boys ~ he's smaller in person than he looks on TV. ...aren't they all? The husband and I were playing some kill the spider game in the arcade whilst waiting for our take-out after shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond. We seriously saved over $100 bucks using all those 20%off coupons you get in the mail. They'll take 20% off of every single thing as long as you have a coupon for it. I had a couple extra so I handed some out to the peeps behind us ...trying to spread the good tidings.


Happy Friday!