Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

...hair cut...

hopefully highlight of my day...

getting my hairs cut.

non-highlight of yesterday...

thinking i was getting my hairs cut, taking a 30 minute L ride, and being wrong about the day of my appointment.

this was an especially sad moment for me, as i had discovered that myself, my sister, AND my mom had all unknowingly scheduled hair cuts for the same day. turns out i was the lame one who missed out.

oh well.

so...in less than an hour i need to decide what to do with my hairstuffs.

potential ideas


lots of layers, and keep the side-bang (which i'm currently sporting having grown out my blunt bangs)



short hair, and back to the blunt bangs


keep it long, and bring back the bangies.



i never know how i'm going to get my haircut until i'm in the seat and ready to go. but one thing i know, is that i'm going to steer clear from any haircut resembling this...


Thursday, July 21, 2011

...so true...


is it ironic that i'm posting this from a coffee shop?

and that i just applied to work at starbucks?

and that i'm about to go return four books that i picked up from the library earlier this week?

yes, i read them all.


Monday, May 09, 2011

...the X factor...

Oprah gave me a big N.O. when I tried to win tickets to her show.

So much for "favorite things."

It's a good thing I didn't go through with this tattoo.

Well... I'm going to The X Factor instead. Take THAT Oprah.


I don't really know what the X-factor is, except for my friend Jill told me that it's the show Susan Boyle was discovered on.

So Jill and I are going.

They are taping a show here in Chicago, and I'm off to see the infamous Simon Cowell yell at some undeserving people. Excellent!

One particular nugget of interest is the dress code required for all X-factor guests. Since they can describe it better than I, here is the dress code, verbatim, from the confirmation email.


DRESS CODE IS STRICTLY ENFORCED FOR OUR INTERNET TICKET HOLDERS! Hip, uspcale attire is mandatory. Colorful, spring colors are requested. ABSOLUTELY no apparel with logos of any kind on the front or back are allowed in the studio audience. ABSOLUTELY no t-shirts, sweatshirts, white tops, shorts, or flip flops! We'd prefer you don't wear jeans. Please dress hip and upscale as if going to a nice club or restaurant. You will be on camera so it is very important that you dress nicely! When you look great, the show looks great!

IF YOU DO NOT DRESS ACCORDING TO THE DRESS CODE YOU WILL NOT BE ADMITTED.

Yikes.

Hip, upscale attire...I'm going to OWN* you on May 20th!


*no reference to the Oprah Winfrey Network. I boycot all things Oprah. Except for Nate Berkus, as I have recently submitted a request to be on his show in hopes that he buys me a new couch.

Sunday, May 08, 2011

...mother's day...


I'm glad there is a whole day devoted to mothers.

I think there should be several dispersed throughout the year, so we are constantly reminded of how much our mother's do for us. But one day is a good start.

When I think of everything my mom means to me, I can't really find the appropriate words to explain it in writing.

Thank you mom for being a constant supporter, and always fiercely standing beside me with unconditional love.

Thank you for being a role model as a mother, companion, friend, and most importantly as a follower of Christ.

Thank you for drawing faces on my fruit and vegetable stacks.


Thank you for your unwavering help and support in the past couple of years when I moved, and then moved, and then moved again, and then got married, and then moved again.


Another great thing about you is that you're an awesome dancer. And sometimes when you're talking you break out in a truly convincing southern accent. (But only for a couple of words)


Thank you for setting an example in your marriage for Tim and I, Abbey and Josh, and yes, eventually SPENCER.



Thank you for being a best friend to me, and to everyone who has had the pleasure of being close to you.


Thank you for taking care of this poopscotch.


And this one...


Thank you for not caring when I make you ugly/"unique" cakes with a #9 candle on top.


Thank you for being willing to risk having a meal with me when I used no directions in cooking.


Thank you for your company.



Thank you for being who you are, and for teaching me what it means to live a life worthy of the calling we have received.

I LOVE YOU MOM!





And I couldn't let the day go by without also saying a big HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to my mother- in-law Victoria Erickson. Thank you for raising your son to be a wonderful man of God, and also my husband! :)



Thursday, April 28, 2011

...when did this happen?...


Upon facebook stalking my own flesh and blood (aka my brother), I stumbled across his high-school senior photos.

One word.

Stud.

He's such a handsome guy! I'm a lucky girl to have such an awesome little bro, who is not only a looker, but has a matching personality.

He's one of the funniest people I know. Hilarious, in fact. Anyone who disagrees with me can BRING IT, because I'll defend him to the grave. THE GRAVE!





Oh, and did I mention he's on a D-1 golf scholarship to Oral Roberts University.

Yeah. D-1.

Let's talk about it.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

...visitations...


I, as a Chicagoan, have hosted my first guest in our apartment.

We pulled out all the stops. Gourmet food. Delightful breakfasts. The best accommodations and sleeping conditions. Everything was simply perfect.

Who was the visitor? None other than the great Abigail Davis.


No, she is not, nor will ever be a politicians wife, even though I still claim her name sounds very regal.

And no, accommodations were anything but perfect. Even though I had the best intentions of testing our air mattress before Abbey arrived, somehow it just didn't happen. As a result, the plushy air mattress I had promised her ended up being more like a paper thin layer of padding against the hard-wood floor.

Abbey ended up sleeping on a "pallet," (her words, not mine).

The pallet was a camping pad.

She's a good sport.

After the failure of her sleeping situation, I tried to woo her affections with food.

Making her latte's in the morning...



And the best of my Italian cooking work at night...



And of course, the finest wines.



That's just how we roll.





Tuesday, April 19, 2011

...irony...

It rains in Chicago. It rains a lot. At least right now it does.

Us city dwellers don't really let it get us down. We're out and about no matter what the weather might hold.

But here's the thing....it's no easy task to stay dry whilst walking from place. You see, not only do we have rain, but we have wind. It winds a lot. Always.

I'm currently cozied up in a window seat at Starbucks. This has given me the privilege of watching person after person walk/run/canter/skip down the street trying to stay dry.

I've seen a lot of this.


sad and sadder.


Having experienced this unfortunate circumstance myself I have the opinion that umbrella's should be made of sturdier stuff than this....

Alternate solutions to the problem? Definitely NOT the floor length fur coat I just saw passing by the window. That seems like a recipe for smelling like a wet animal....

I suggest this.


The only downside appears to be that your arms get wet. But just look at the range of motion she has!! Not to mention the protection from the rain and wind.

In any case it's better than my idea to simply carry attachable wings with you everywhere, so you can at least take advantage of the wind and fly to your destination, instead of trying to hop around puddles filled with dirty street water. Also, flight eliminates the chance of being doused by street water by a passing car or bus.

It hasn't happened to me yet.

YET.

Friday, April 15, 2011

...address...


Now that I actually know where I'll be living for at least a year, I'm yearning to get a return address stamp. I love writing letters, random notes, etc.; and I've been wanting to get a pretty address stamp since freshman year of college. Unfortunately, my troubadour and stingy ways have prevented me from making the purchase.

I'm thinking of biting the bullet.

There are so many pretties to choose from....

These three are from paperwink. I used one of these stamps for our wedding rsvp cards, and am supremely jealous that the stamp hosts my parent's address, and not mine. :)



And look at THESE from Primele on Etsy. Custom calligraphy. So beautiful.





Wednesday, April 13, 2011

...oprah...

Oprah and I go way back.

Way back to the time when I tried to go trick-or-treating at her Montecito mansion in California, and was promptly turned away by her gate security.

That's how far back we go.

Obviously Oprah and I have a bond, so I thought it only fitting to try and go to a filming of her show. Besides moving to Chicago for my husband's schooling, a chance to see Oprah was a close second in terms of reasons to move.

Not really....

Actually I can count the number of times I've watched the show on one hand. HOWEVER, I have heard tale of her "favorite things" episodes--because who hasn't--and I think I'd really like to get a bunch of free stuff from O herself. So I've been visiting her website daily to see if the reservation window will open and give me a chance to get my name in the lottery for seeing a show.

BOOM.

I knew Wednesdays could be good for something! I officially have my name in the lottery for seeing an Oprah show. Apparently I'll know in 48 hours if I'm in or not...so I'm taking all the support I can get.

Prayers.
Positive thinking.
Incense burning.
Sun salutations.
Finger crossing.

...and obvioulsy...

Tattooing.


I might go there. I really like free stuff!


Monday, April 04, 2011

...da da DMV...


Ahh, the Department of Motor Vehicles. Doesn't the name just strike a warm chord in your heart? Who doesn't love being given ambiguous instructions, waiting for hours, and then being helped begrudgingly by mean people?

I've had the pleasure of visiting said establishment in several different states. California wins, hands down, for being the lamest of the lame. Denver I could take or leave, but definitely leave. Illinois...well, let's just say we got off on the wrong foot.

Before you get the wrong impression, read carefully, because I'm about to actually say something NICE about the DMV and the people who work in the Chicago downtown office. Even though I did have a self-proclaimed "ultimate fail" at the DMV today, and after having spent all day in and out of the office and having nothing to show for it; I'm not annoyed. Mostly because it's all my fault, but also because the people in the office were really friendly and helpful. Midwestern charm? Who knows. All I can say is that I'm living with the knowledge that I have to go back to the office tomorrow, and I'm not in a state of depression. At least not yet.

Even though I may have been through my most pleasant DMV experience, I couldn't help but think of all the useful things I might be doing with my time were I not enjoying being stuck in the confines of a government agency. For example...

Learning to become an expert with my sewing machine, so I can make cool things like THIS!

Photo from DesignSponge

Hand-stitched name place cards. So easy and cute!

No, I don't have room, or the funds, for a new chair. When I do, I'm all over this idea!

Photo from DesignSponge

Coat-Rack! My newest obsession. Quite practical in Chicago as well.


I've got to get my craft on more often. I miss having all my creative roommates; no offense to the husband. (He's crafty in his own sort of way.)






Wednesday, March 30, 2011

...city livin...

Our little apartment has 12 foot high ceilings.

It's awesome. It makes 670 square feet seem so much bigger.

As an added bonus, I don't hit the ceiling when I get excited and jump up and down. And it's also great for P90X-ing, as the program also requires lots of hopping.

Additionally, one entire wall of our apartment has floor to ceiling windows. Pretty cool. Gives us a great view of some offices directly across the street from us. I like to have staredowns with some employees that work at the "chaotic office" as I have coined it. The place looks so unorganized that it makes me cringe, even from afar.




While these windows are really quite pretty, they also provide us with a few challenges. I often forget when I open the shades to let in sunlight (and initiate starting contests), that I'm also opening our apartment up to anyone else who has eyes and happens to glance upwards. Sometimes I have fun peering down at tour groups who come to take pictures of our building, and the one right across the street, the Monadnock. Overall, I don't mind having the window shades open, and have learned pretty quickly that a bathrobe is my new best friend when getting from the bathroom to the bedroom after showers.

Night, however, is an entirely different story. We have window shades for all of our windows, which I typically close at night. Even with everything "covered," we still get a heck of a lot of light in our apartment. Especially our bedroom. For some reason, when the light filters in through the shades, it makes cool strobe like beams of light all across our ceiling and bed.

While the strobes are pretty nifty looking, they make it hard to fall asleep. I'm already battling with the sounds of the El, trucks driving by, random car horns (people LOVE their horns here), and the constant karaoke from the bar located IN our apartment building...so the last thing I really want is beams of light alllllll over.

My first thought is that I need to get an eye-mask. While I've always thought they were vaguely princess-y and pretentious looking, I thought I might be willing to try one out. When I happened across one in the dollar bins at Target, I knew it was destiny.

Also, I think it's important to note that when I was discussing this with Tim, I had the genius idea for Apple to create the imask. This would be a 3d sort of apparatus, made cool in a way that only Apple can. (You heard it here first people) To this Tim replied, Apple should make iglasses! To which I replied, duh, eyeglasses already exists.

Anyway. Last night as I was laying in bed, unable to sleep because of the bright lights, I was contemplating two thoughts.

1. Transform our bedroom into a small, posh nightclub with excessive strobe lights. And obviously make some money on the side.

2. Try out my eye-mask for the first time.

I opted for #2. Even though it felt like something was constricting my face, and I had fears of punching Tim in my sleep because I couldn't see anything, it worked out pretty well. I'm not sure if I'll continue use of the mask, because when I woke up, it was no longer on my face, but on the floor.

Maybe if I had a cool one like this, I would keep it on longer.



Any alternative ideas for blocking out light? Besides the obvious of spending hundreds of dollars on curtains?

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Sea-Tac!

First of all...did you know that SeaTac is an actual CITY? It's not just the name of an airport. That was my "eureka" moment of the vacay.

Yes! I was in Seattle last weekend...visiting my BFFFFFFFFFFsssss. I'm so glad I have friends that live in such a nifty city. Seattle is one of my favorites. In fact, I tried to convince Tim to apply to several grad schools in the Northwest; to no avail.

Michelle, Maddie, Amanda, Emme, Annie, and myself tromped all around the city. We squeezed so many activities in such a small amount of time, that I can't even remember all of them. Thankfully, Maddie has already documented our activities in writing. Also thankfully, I have no qualms about straight up plagiarizing both our activities list, as well as the following pictures which came from Maddie's camera. :)

Toulouse Petite late night happy hour straight from the airport • Wild Mountain Cafe for brunch • Green Lake walk • Pike Place Market for tea and donuts • Espresso, often • Ballard Ave. shops • Bastille for pre-dinner cocktails • Tarasco for beer and pool while waiting for dinner • Delancey for wood-fire pizza and wine • maybe back to Tarasco for karaoke, where we made K. Perry proud • Molly Moon's for a couple of pints (of ice cream) • lots of Nyquil • Emmer & Rye for brunch • Gas Works Park • University Village for Starbucks and shopping • take-out Thai food and Step Up 3 • Portage Bay Cafe for brunch • Golden Gardens • ...and back to Sea-Tac for a sad goodbye...


It was exceedingly windy here. Thankfully we were at times distracted by a group of men and women all clad in short red dresses and skirts. We thought it might perhaps be a Valentines celebration; but it was quite the contrary. From what I understand, the group is Seattle's own Hash House Harriers; a drinking/running club. Should you care to learn more--or for those living in Seattle--should you care the join : here's more info.


In front of the Public Market, although our kind photographer missed the sign slightly...


Maddie. She drinks espresso now. Which is awesome.