Today is the Day....

I was scared at first, but I've decided that I'm going to do it today.  I'm going to take the plunge.  I've decided going to jump off that cliff and into the clear blue waters with my eyes closed.   Today I'm updating my iPhone to OS 4.0.

 

Sounds melodramatic right?  Basically, it is, but I LOVE my iPhone.  I'm pretty please with my current operating system, and was waiting for the kinks to be ironed out of OS 4 before I downloaded it.  But yesterday, I was having my weekly iPhone chat with another phone user that I work with, and he had already updated.  He was loving the update.  I introduced him to how there is a zoom feature on the camera in OS 4.  We tried it out right there.  Amazing.

 

Do I want this zoom to be on my camera?  Do I want to be able to multitask.  HELLS YA!  He told me that you don't have to leave your app to answer a text message in OS 4.  That will seriously change my life.  As we speak I am syncing and backing up my phone.  In a few minutes the update will begin. 

 

I know I have no chance of being able to go to the gym today, since there were awful computer boo boos this morning in my realm of software understanding.  I'm going to be correcting spool files all afternoon..  I'm not even going to explain what those are, because if you don't know, then you are just better off..

My Reader has Spoken!

I check my email on my iPhone each morning before I shower. It's incredibly pathetic, but I almost feel like I am catching up on everything that transpired over the night. This morning I had an email from my good friend Anne (who I'm meeting for dinner tonight yay!). She is apparently my lonley only avid reader, and was upset with me for going two days without an update.

I was (and continue to be) extremely flattered! Someone actually looks forward to reading my daily musings!

I won't bother my reader(s) with a litany of excuses for not having an entry for the past two days. I won't even make one. I'll simply promise it will never happen again. (I mean I did buy an app for my phone so that this wouldn't happen!)

Thanks to Anne for readig an loving my blog! It gives me confidence and the energy to continue!! So, continue I will, after I get to work and get my coffee. Why can write without coffee? Obviously, as you can see by this entry, not me.......




Ps. The picture has nothing yo do with the entry but don't you love it? I took that with my iPhone, if you can believe.

Day of Sewing#2!

Guinness woke me up early this morning. He wanted to go out (pee pees) and he likes to do this at around the same time everyday. Hubby takes bathroom duty during the week, so I get the weekend. I really did want to sleep for a little longer, buy Guin was persistantly licking my face. I gave up.

Once I was up, I was up. While waiting for Guinness to do his business I noticed that the garden needed to be watered. Then I remembered the dress I had cut out Wednesday when I was off. I got my machine out and got ready to sew.

Cutting out the dress had been a trying experience. It felt like there was a million pieces between the main color, contrast, and interfacing. I was expecting thr construction to be pretty tricky. I ate my cereal first, for strength. But, as I started, I realized that it was a lot easier than I thought. I had that dress together in no time. The bodice was together before Hubby woke up.

There was a lot of day left when I finished the dress, so I decided to make another project I thought sounded easy. Apparently it wad opposite day, because it was so not easy. Hopefully, pictures I'd that tomorrow, but for today, here's the dress. What do u think?

Thank God Its FRIDAY!!!

Man, this week has been a doosey for me an the Hubster. Most of the week was filled with your usual family drama. The kind of drama that superceeds everything and consumes all your thoughts (but what drama doesn't). When it finall subsides you think "thank god, this can never happen again". It usually does happen again, but in my case, I hope that was the end of it.

Last night we stopped at Hubbys mom to do a little Christmas vacation planning. I know it's only July, but we are planning on taking a family trip to Disney and needed to book the house before we lost it. My sister in law, I call her Peanut, was upstairs in bed sick. She had been there all day. Mommy in law was pretty sure she had strep and decided to tale her to the ER when we left (around 8).

Around 10 Hubby's mom called. We thought she was just calling to let us know what happened with our Peanut, but no. Peanut was still in the ER, and they were about to start an IV drip of fluids. She wanted us to come down. So out of our Pjs we changed and back into clothes. Thank god the hospital is very close. Peanut is terrified of needles, and we needed to be there to distract her from fainting. Hubby's mom is a helper to the elderly for a living and needed to run off and get her lady into bed.

We stayed with Peanut for a little over an hour. She was six and a half when a started dating my husband, so I've watched her grow up. We spend a lot of time together, so she was a lot more comfortable with us there.

When her mom got back we went home, since it was almost midnight. We got a call later when they left to tell us what was wrong, but I honestly am not sure I got it right. I was so tired.

Now, (thus is much less dramatic) this morning I go to turn on my Nook to read on the train and it's DEAD!! Let's just call this the cherry on top of a bad week.

I'll get through it, but thank god it's Friday!!

Un-Hemmed: Day of Sewing Dress

Doesn't the title sound like it could be a show on MTV? Basically any title with a colon in it could be an MTV show.

So, my friend Mo, demanded that I take pictures of the day of sewing dress. I am happy with how it came out, buy I had wanted to put some elastic detailing in the waist. I probably should have made the next size up I'd I had wanted to do that. Really, the dress fits and when I tried to do the elastic detail it just got too small.

So, here are pictures. (Disclaimer: my hair is a mess.) I tried first to take the pictures myself:








That obviously wasn't working so I asked Hubster to take a picture. I'm holding my hair up (it is so long) so you can see the straps and my other arm is on my hip cause, as my sister in law tells me, you've got to give the camera a little attitude.








Nice underwear right? (Note to self, different panties when I wear this for real)

Did I mention I haven't hemmed it yet? I'm not sure if I should keep it this length or go shorter? Any thoughts (sister, hubs, anne or my other probably imaginary readers)?

How does your Garden Grow?

This morning, when I was trying to water my garden as fast as humanly possible (why still doing a superb job), I decided it would be a good time to take some pictures. I love my little garden. It's a very very small garden, with some plants in the ground and others in containers. I'm not complaining though, not at all, Hubby and I are lucky that we have a backyard at all. We live in the city. Our last apartment barely had a spot where the dog could do his business. This place is better, nice backyard, plenty of room for Guinness to find a suitable spot, and garden space. It's the backyard version of a Garden of Eden, in Boston.

I took pictures on my iphone. The camera isn't that great, but they are easy to upload, no cords needed. My camera needs a cord. I know I should take pictures with that, but I'm constantly battling laziness. Laziness and speed helped the iphone win today, and probably my love of my iphone.




This first picture is of my plants in the ground. In the back right by the Trellis there's a tomato plant. To it's left is a cherry tomato plant. I'm not sure how good they are looking to be honest. In front of the tomato there are some flowers. Then, starting from the left to right, there is ball zucchini, ball zucchini, cucumber, cucumber, cucumber. In the very front is Swiss Chard. I'm so depressed about my Swiss chard cause it just doesn't look like it's doing well, and I have no idea what's wrong.




This next picture is of my herb arrangement. I plan on taking this into the house and having fresh herbs all winter. I just wanted it to get started (and fabulous outside). There's sweet basil in the middle, dill, cilantro, oregano (I think) and then some sad sad looking rosemary. Funny, the rosemary is the only one that didn't start from seed. I actually bought that as a plant, and it's just not fairing well. There's supposed to be parsley, but it didn't make the transplanting process....or it did and I'm just confusing it with the cilantro. I really need to get this figured out. Behind the herb container you can see a pot of little purple flowers. These are kinda browning but were really pretty. I've been kinda flakey with the watering cause there's been so much rain lately. I might be doing them a dis-service.




Next are my jalapeño peppers. I think they look pretty healthy. They were really tiny when I got them. My mom started everything for me, minus the herbs, Swiss chard and flowers in Maine. The jalapeños were not doing too well in Maine, but they seem to have come into their own since arriving.




Finally, the last container holds my flowers, and one more pepper plant, that I think may be too shaded by the leaves of the flowers. This container has dahlias (which I love) and some other flowers that I don't remember the name of (but the color was called the Wine and Cheese Mix). They are kinda in a non blooming stage right now...but the plants look good.

I'm glad I took these pictures this morning. If the weather people are right today, we're getting severe thunderstorms while I'm at work. Who knows what type of garden I'll be coming home to.

NOT my favorite.....

Missing my train in the morning is so not my favorite.

Hubsters suprised me with a new bag yesterday. He was being weird after work, I knew something was up. He said he had to go to Kinkos and photocopy some stuff for his client (he's working on a divorce), but he didn't want me to come. That was weird, cause hubby and I do everything together, but I went with it since I was preoccupied with my sewing (update to come shortly). Anyways, when he got home he had a bag from Nordstroms. He's just the sweetiest hubby ever (and not just cause of the bag). But, I tell this story cause this morning was a flurry of excitement putting my stuff into my new bag. It kinda made me late. Well, that and the fact that I watered the garden and ate breakfast.

Hubs drops me off at the train every morning which I greatly appreciate for several reasons. I'm a heavy sweater. ( that looks so funny. Lol) I break a sweat thinking about working out. If I had to walk to the train, even though it isn't far at all, my work clothes would surely be soiled ( love the word soiled and will jump at any opportunity to use it).

When Hubs drops me off and the train is sitting in the station my heart jumps a bit. When I hear the bell ringing my heart screams "ahhhhh". The bell means the train is getting ready to leave. The worst thing, maybe in the world (probably not, but go with it) is getting close to the doors and having them shut. You think maybe they will open them for u if you flash a "I'm running so late and am such a sweet girl" smile. But, they don't, they are hardened T workers. Sadly, your worst thing ever is their daily amusement. Life's a bitch like that.

Moral of the story: Businesses should get over punctuality. It's so 2009.

Mid-day Update!!

Day of sewing is going well.  I was up nice and early and got my fabric all washed.  I ran S to school and Hubby over to the train.  Then I came home, listened to the news and started pinning out my patterns.  The first dress had a TON of pieces.  It took me until twelve or so to get everything cut out.  But now it's all cut out, main fabric, contrast and interfacing.  The knit dress took me like a half hour.

I've eaten lunch, texted a bit with Hubby, now I'm going to sew....until 2.  Then I guess I'll have to shower and go to the doctors, since that is the real reason I have the pleasure of a day of sewing today.

A Day of Sewing

I have a few appointments tomorrow, so I decided to take the whole day, instead of trying to work some of it and leave early. I also decided that I'm going to spend all the time that I'm not in a doctor's office sewing. El Hubarino (he wanted me to call him that) and I are taking our yearly trip to the Vineyard for J's birthday the second weekend of July. I wanted to make a few outfits for the trip.

I've got tons of patterns in my "craft" room at home. I looked them over last week and then went to the fabric store. I got fabric to make two dresses and a pair of shorts. I'm going to try to have these all done by the ninth. Oh, and I want to try to fix the tank top that I started last week. I can do it right?

With this fabric I'm going to make the short dress in this pattern. It looks a little busy but I think (hope) it will turn out cute:




Then with this I'm going to make the bluish green short shorts in this pattern. The material is kinda plain, but I had to get it, it was organic, and cheap.




And finally, I fell in love with this knit material. It was 1.99 a yard and I had to get it. I didn't really have anything in mind, since I usually stay away from the patterns that call for knits. But, I have an idea in mind. I have an old pattern that makes just a plain short or long dress with camisole straps. I'm thinking I'm going to make that and then use elastic thread to do some shirring at the waist.



We'll see how it goes, since I'm going to start with that tomorrow.

Fathers Day, Monday, my laziness...

This morning I had a ton of ideas for blog entries when I was in the
shower. Naturally, the shower is where I do my best thinking. I even
wrote them down so I wouldn't forget. There were three subjects on my
little post it note this morning, The pig roast, fathers day and my
issue with excessive sweating. I wrote about the pig roast (and am
obsessed with the fun title I gave it ). But, after that things kinda
just fell apart. I got too lazy to type. Maybe there's a way out there
where my thoughts can be converted to text? Is there an app for that?
Yesterday was fathers day. Hubsters got Daddy wishes several times.
Looks like people either don't care that we didn't have kids in tow or
I looked knocked up. I called my dad nice and early and said "happy
Fathers day dad. I appreciate u". He thought I was reading from a card.
Tomorrow is Tuesday. A new day that isn't Monday. I promise I'll try
harder to not be so lazy.

Suuuuuw-eeeee! Pig, Pig, Pig!

Hubby and I went to a pig roast on Saturday.  Although it was located, north of the city, we had a great time.  Hubby and I are firm believers in the South Shore.  We will only venture north of the city to go to Maine, or for the very nearest and dearest to our hearts.  Saturday fell into the nearest and dearest category.

 

The pig roast was being hosted by the aunt and uncle of Hubby's college roomie.  Hubby and his roommate were randomly put together by the college freshman year.  Within days of meeting they realized that they had tons in common.  They were both guys, at college, and they liked to get drunk.  A lifelong friendship was born.  Hubby and J lived together all four years.  I lived with them for three a half (unofficially).   I got to meet J's sisters for the first time, which was great, as I had only heard about them before.

 

We arrived around one with J and M (our bestest college and post college buddies), way too much beer, tons of food, and folding chairs.  Everyone loved the beer and food, except for my bean burgers.  The bean burgers were mocked relentlessly.  All I could respond with was, "they're good".  No one likes the non meat eater at a pig roast/cookout.  

This pig roast, was not only host to the roasting piggy, but to a flip cup tournament.  We're big "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" watchers, and this flip cup tournament was in their honor.  (PS. if you haven't seen It's Always Sunny, you need to start.  It's hilarious.  I basically pee myself every single time I watch it.) J had Flip a delphia shirts made for his team, just like on the show (pictures to follow).  I had never played flip cup before, as throughout college I stayed loyal to Beruit.  Let me tell you, I was GOOD at flip cup.  Surprisingly good.  At one point M turned to me and explained "you are good at this, I didn't expect that.."

 

It was a fabulous time.  I drank some beers, got drunk, then got sober.  I was the driver, so my drinking fun happened only earlier in the day.  I like to call it, best of both worlds.  Hey, Diet Coke is in a can.  I could make believe I was drinking beer too.   It was great to be outside all day, and even though I didn't have any, the piggy smelled absolutely delicious.

 

 

 

Flip, Flip, Flip-a-Delphia!

Thinking, Fasting, Waiting

Hubby bought me the eBook copy of Siddhartha (by Herman Hesse) last week.  I got it all loaded up on my Nook, which I love, and started reading it Monday.  I had never read Siddhartha, but Hubby had.  He said that in my current unhappiness in my profession it would be a good read. He was right. I love it.

I've read a few self helpish kind of books in the last year and a half.  The Four Agreements, The Alchemist, and now Siddhartha, are the books I have read that I would consider self helpish.  Actually, they are probably more spiritual than anything else. From each book I took away a lesson, one that I try to use in my daily life.  I'm hoping eventually these will help me to be a better and calmer person. 

The Four Agreements suggested four simple rules to live by that would bring happiness to ones life.  It seemed simple enough.  The second rule, Don't' take anything personally, is something I've been struggling with for years.  I take everything personally. 

The Alchemist introduced me to my personal vision, and that no dream is ever unattainable.  It may be hard to get to, and it may take awhile, but it's not impossible.  Basically, the Alchemist told me that eventually, if I really wanted to, I could be a published author :)

Now, in Siddhartha, I feel that I may have learned my most important piece of knowledge.  When asked by Kamala what skills he has at one point in the book, Siddhartha answers, I can think, I can fast, and I can wait.  Kamala does not regard these as important skills.  But, to me, I think these may be the most important things one can have.  Instead of feeling an emotion, and needing to squelch it right away, Siddhartha, can wait, access the situation and do what he thinks is best, not simply be ruled by his emotions and desires. 

Thinking, Fasting and Waiting, sounds so simple, but I feel like if I applied it to my professional life right now, maybe I wouldn't feel so lost.  Maybe if I could sit back, and assess the situation without being ruled by my emotions or desires I could find a solution, without feeling like I'm stuck in a dead end. 

Hubby was so right about me needed to read Siddhartha.  I feel like it has given me hope.

Favorites : Ice Cream

Summer, for me, means ice cream.  When I was little my parents would pile us into the car on a warm summer's evening and drive us over the the Dairy Joy for a treat.  This was my favorite.  I would usually get a vanilla soft serve in a cone (always in a cone) with rainbow jimmies (in Maine they are ALL called jimmies, not just the chocolate ones). When I got older, I moved on to the blizzard like treats (until self consciousness and lactose intolerance stopped me from eating those).

Sometimes, and this was really the best, if it was really really hot, my mom wouldn't want to make dinner.  Instead we would have ice cream sundaes.  Ice Cream for dinner was the best (probably most unhealthy) creation my parents ever made.  I've been trying to work this into my marriage/live in relationship for about the past six years.  I was horribly unsuccessful until earlier this year.  I'd had a terrible day at work, and hubby was trying to cheer me up. He suggested ice cream for dinner....it worked, and he was (as I knew he would be)  instantly hooked.  Ice cream for dinner is a bad habit that I hope to pass on to my children.  It may not be "healthy" but it's oh so very good.

I digress.  Due to my love of ice cream Hubby and I always have a carton in the house.  Honestly, it doesn't last too long.  We like to round out our evenings with a scoop or two of ice cream.  Why not right?  We usually buy light ice cream, so that makes it healthy.  I know this isn't true deep down, but don't really care to accept it.   The flavor of the moment is Edy's Slow Churned Limited Edition Smores.  We have to buy another carton tonight, because it's limited.  We must eat as much of it as possible before it runs out. 

I know some of you are thinking, aren't you trying to be healthy and lose weight.  Yes, and I feel that the ice cream may be what is making all of this harder.  But, I have to ask myself, is a life without ice cream a life worth living?  I keep coming up with the same answer. No....not really.  Ice cream stays.  I'll just cut out other foods. Or run more.... 

I'll be up in the gym just working on my fitness

My workout at lunch today gets a B+.  I only ran a little over two miles.   I was really hoping for four, but I just couldn't do it.  Lately, the gym feels so damn HOT when I'm trying to run.  I don't know what it is, cause when I walk in it seems cool.  Maybe it's just me?  Maybe it's my too long, too thick hair.  Maybe it's a combination of both.  But, whatever it is, I wish they would please please just turn up the air conditioning between 12:15 and 1.  It's only forty five minutes that the gym staff would have to freeze.  Is that too much to ask? I don't think so.

 

Too Bad, So Sad

No win for the Celtics.
Lots of dirty dishes in the sink for the morning.
Just a terrible night for Boston all around.

Rondo, buddy, I know it won't be celebratory this time, but go ahead
and get yourself somemore McDonalds breakfast. It will help to soothe
the pain.

Fire burnin on the Dancefloor....

Fire burnin in my head is more like it.  Today's been a complete waste of a day.  I'm not sure if I've discussed my hate of wasting the day in the blog yet...but I hate wasting the day.

I woke up with a terrible headache, the kind that makes keeping your eyes open hard, and had to call out of work.  Calling out of work is probably one of my least favorite things to do.  I have the irish guilt...for everything, and the sad thing is that I'm only Irish by marriage (Translation: not Irish at all).  I spent my day feeling sick from the migraine, and for the guilt of not going into work.  I think I'm in serious need of a life coach or something...

I attempted to do many things today, other than just laying on the couch under my snuggie.  I tried to read, plan dinner, watch tv.  All of these things just made the head hurt more.  I decided to close my eyes and nap.  The dog and I slept away the afternoon.  It was great.  I think I may like to come back as a dog in my next life (if next lives happen).

In an attempt to not be a waste of breath today I've tried to make dinner...eggplant Parmesean, since I'm still attempting (and forcing hubby) vegetarianism.  Actually, as J's told me, what I do is called Pescatarian (I stil eat fish).  The head isn't happy....but it looks pretty good...

My last thought, as I sit here in front of the Mac, in the dark, wishing that the computer screen wasn't so bright, I so hope the Celts win tonight.  I hope they play well (not like last game, which I still can't bear to talk about), because I just don't think I can take Hubby's screaming.

Epic Fail

I left work at exactly one thirty today, and made my way to the fabric store.  I got there in pretty good time, not hitting any traffic until I got out of the tunnel and on the other side of Boston.  Which brings up a point that I would like to discuss.  Is there ever a time in Boston that there isn't traffic on the expressway?  My thought is no.  Take today for example, two o'clock in the afternoon and I was forced to go ten miles an hour.

The dog just did the cutest thing.  Hubby and I are in bed, he's reading, I'm blogging, and the dog is laying at the end just completely wiped out.  Outside, there was a noise, and Guinness jumped up and pricked up his ears in the cutest way.  He's 13 pounds of fierce, fierce protectiveness, for about two seconds.  Then he goes limp in the fetal position (well...if a dog really could go fetal that is), and back to sleep.  Love him.

Anyways, I went to the fabric store and poked around for about an hour.  I settled on a sheer fabric for my tank top, some cotton for a dress I want to make for the vineyard, some blue knit material, and some khaki colored canvas.  I had decided that I wanted to make a couple things for our next vineyard trip.  My bill came to 20 dollars.  How can you beat that right??

I got home and got right to work on the tank.  Everything was going so well, until I realized that the first thing that I did should have been sewing the top seam together.  Then I should have sewed the side seams.  Only after that was all done should I have turned over all the edges that needed to be finished.  Really though...an oversight, but a minor one.

A bigger oversight, and one that was not so minor was forgetting the need to add seam allowances. oops.  Once I got the tank together it was Way way way too small.  Now I'm not even sure what to do with it.  So I'm sleeping on it.  Have of me wants to just say Screw it.  The other half wants to make it work.

We'll see who wins tomorrow.  Since I know I'll think about it all day, if only to break the deafening silence of my office.

Conspiracy Theory 1, Celtics 0

Hubby's theory on the finals series going all seven games is looking pretty good after last nights game.  I don't even know if I'm ready to talk about what happened in LA last night.  Hubs and I started watching the game, but then the screaming at the television just became too much.  We went to bed in disgust.  There were just way too many attempts to make a basket without the ball making contact with the net.

 

We'll see what happens tomorrow.  Hopefully they will be able to redeem themselves.

 

Today, I get to leave at one thirty.  Can you hear the choir of angels singing?  Since it's probably going to be pouring once I leave my basement dungeon hell, I've planned an afternoon of sewing for myself.  I drove my little buggy into work, instead of taking the train, especially for the afternoon of sewing.  After one quick stop at the fabric store, and another for groceries, it's home to Guin and the sewing machine.

 

Don't worry....there will be pictures of my success....or failure.  Cross your fingers for success okay?

Fleurs and Teapots

There were a lot of pretty flowers a bloom around the apartment this weekend.  I decided to pick some and spruce up the dining room.  I have a collection of teapots and thought it would be cute if I put the flowers in those instead of vases.  I took two of the solid colored teapots, not wanting the prints to distract away from the flowers themselves.

What do you think?  C'est belle, oui?

Favorites: Boston Common Coffee Company

I thought it might be fun to share a few of my favorite places/things around Boston with you. For the premier entry I decided to go with, my one true love (besides Hubby of course) COFFEE!!  There are lots of places around town to get coffee, especially with how here is a Dunks or a starbucks on basically every corner. I do love Dunks, don't get me wrong, but it just can't compare to the small coffee house atmosphere. Starbucks, sorry you can't either.

So, if you're in Boston and you need a coffee go to Boston Common Coffee Company. It's soooo good. There is food too, great sandwiches salads and treats. You can't beat the brewed fresh, made here and not in a warehouse in Rhode Island taste.

Second favorite coffee: Coffee Break Cafe. 3 locations in Quincy. 1 in Braintree.

I swear I'm not getting paid (though hubby and I have spent a substantial sum in either place since moving in together five years ago)  I am just really serious about my coffee.

Why I LOVE my lunchtime gym time

I go to the gym during my lunch break.  I actually only get a 1/2 hour for lunch, but stay late so I can have a whole hour.  I love my gym time.  Since I've gone basically every work day since two weeks after I started here last August, I know the people who work there.  They start to get concerned when I miss days.  It's a wonderful feeling, like I almost belong to a little gym people society or something.

 

I started going to the gym because I love running, and they had treadmills.  I was enamored with the idea that I would be able to start running again, and could run everyday.  Six months of running a few miles everyday, and my right hip was VERY angry.  I had to stop running so much, or else feel like an old lady every time I walked.  Now, I do my "exercises" (I paid to see the personal trainer for these, and plan to do so again very soon) on Tuesday and Thursday and run the rest of the week.  Unless I'm reading a good book, then I'll do the elliptical so I can read at the same time.

 

Once my job started getting stressful, then the gym time became so much more than just a hobby.  It basically became my only way to release the stress of the morning.  Each day, when I walk up the hill to the gym, I'm basically like Old Faithful ready to blow.  Get me to the treadmill quick!  The walk back down the hill is better, I feel calmer, though realizing that my calm is going to be tested soon.

 

Today, the gym became something completely unexpected.  It became my fashion inspiration.  Weird right?  I'll explain.  Last week I posted a Tank Top that I liked from Anthropologie.  I realized today the gym tank I had brought to work out in was exactly the same shape.   I figured I could copy the basic shape for my tank top creation.

 

After work today I'm going to go to the fabric store and grab some nice sheer fabric for my tank.  Then I'm going to get to work.  I'm hoping that it will be done in time for the weekend. 

The Weight of Silence

My office is so quiet you can hear a pin drop.  Sometimes I wonder how I am going to make it through the day in such silence.  But then I realize, I dislike it just as much when there's noise.  There's never friendly chatter, voices that you can hear smiles in, or laughter.  It's only angered tones or complete silence.  Given those choices, I'm going to choose silence.....every time.

Major League baseball is watching....

Anyone remember that Simpson's episode where the government watched your every move through Major League baseball?  I loved that one.  That's always what I think of when I think of big brother/conspiracies.

Anyways.....Hubby is convinced that the Celts will not win in six games because Playoff and Championship series are rigged.  I'm not sure what I think.  I just know I'm getting pretty tired with all of these late games.  I'm not even a huge Basketball fan, but I love cheering for Boston.  I love Boston...everything. 

I am loving the Celtics lately though.  For several reasons.....
1. The random celebrity sightings that the finals are causing (one of hubbies friends saw Magic Johnson in Starbucks, and another got a mani at the same place/time as Charles Barkley)
2. Big Baby.  Need I say more?
3. On the coverage of them getting on the plane this morning, Rondo was carrying a McDonalds bag.

Go Celts!  I hope you win in Six....therefore proving hubby wrong :)

Just another Manic Monday...

This morning when I got to work, I was planning on drafting two blog articles right away.  One was going to be about Saturday, and the other about Sunday.  But, then one simple email sent to my boss at 9:00 turned into a two hour and several email conversation.  I got frustrated, and the paragraph that I happily wrote before I dared to email about switching my on call duties on the weekend of the fourth, was trashed.

Now that it's 9:00 on Monday night it seems kinda silly to write about the weekend, when a whole day of stuff has happened today.  I thought maybe I'd write about reading and the favorites of the books I had written since I started my job ( and my daily train commute) in August.  I had pulled up goodreads and started typing out my list.  I'm a freak of nature when it comes to reading.  There were just too many.  I got tired. 

So, here I am, writing a blog entry about the blog entries I was going to write today but didn't.  I'm also trying to ignore that I can hear Guinness getting into shit in the dining room.  I just feel so lazy and tired right now. 

In conclusion, I've definitely got a case of the Mondays (never fail.  I thank my soul crushing job).  Tomorrow will be better. But for now, I'm going to go regulate Mr. Guinness, curl up in my snuggie, and read a little Weird New England while hubby plays his war xbox game thing (we call it Nuke Tubbin).  If anything can turn a shitty day right, it's reading about freaks of nature, ghosts and ancient structures :)

Everyone cross your fingers for me that tomorrow is a better day :)

Victoria's Secret, we're in a fight

Dear Victoria's Secret,

    First I want to say, I've never been a huge fan of your product. Yet, until now, I had no real reason, other than price, to base this dislike upon.  I think your product is just too expensive.  Maybe I'm just cheap.  I don't know. This is really besides the point.  About a year and a half ago I ordered a bunch of bathing suits from you, since you were having a good sale, for my honeymoon.  When the package arrived you had thrown in two pairs of underwear.  One I absolutely hated and only wear when there's nothing better that's clean.  The other pair was a seamless Body by Victoria pair, in a horrible yellow color.  I wore these from time to time cause they were pretty good for not creating VPL.

    I go to the gym at work on my lunch break.  I do this to relieve stress from my job and try to be healthy.  As Americans we kinda have the odds stacked against us when health is concerned.  Since I have to go back to work after working out, I always bring a clean pair of underwear.  I know this seems like I'm giving up too much personal information, but please, just wait.  Today, I brought your shitty pair of underwear.  As I went to pull them on in the shower they BROKE.  The side, which was not tearing, or had any visible damage, completely split apart.  For a second I wasn't sure what to do, and then I decided to tie the sides together, diaper style, so that I didn't have to finish the day panty-less.

    So, as I sit here writing this letter, wearing putrid colored yellow underwear, that is tied in a knot on the left side, not out of style but necessity, I can't help but worry about the right side.  Will I be walking somewhere, and feel that snap apart?  Thank you for your products shoddy workmanship, as it has given me a reason, other than my tight wallet, to never shop at your store again.  Victoria's Secret, we are officially in a fight.  Terrible F

Guinness' Reign of Terror

Last night Hubby and I grabbed dinner in Boston before going home.  We met up with one of his work friends that he's planning on starting the firm with, and her fiance.  Hubby and I ran into the Sidebar for a drink before we met them.  I had a Jim Daly (I had told him to surprise me), which I had never heard of before.  Holy Deliciousness.  Apparently, a Jim Daly (named after who my hubby tells me is a golf legend) is sweet tea vodka and lemonade.  Now I know what I can make with my nip of sweet tea vodka (and I was thinking I was going to have to drink it straight!).  We met them at Elephant and Castle (which was packed, but delicious).  Good times were had by all.  Sadly, for our dog Guinness, we didn't get home from work until 10.  Don't worry about his little bladder though, mother in law lives right down the street from us and stops by to let our her baby several times a day.  Otherwise we would have never stayed out so late.

Mr. Guinness was, of course, happy to see us when we got home, but did not settle down well after that.  After having a few drinks, I was exhausted.  I ran downstairs to get my freshly washed Snuggie (not a real Snuggie but a Brookstone nap blanket snuggie, best thing ever), and immediately fell asleep on the couch.  When I awoke, to go to bed, I went into the bathroom and saw destruction.  I was annoyed.  Why didn't Hubby stop Guinness from tearing up my bathroom basket (which I will now have to replace).  Apparently, Hubby did notice that Guinness was up to no good.  Yet, I rose from the couch and adamantly demanded that Guinness was fine.  That I could see him and that he was doing nothing.  I remember NOTHING of this.  I was told I even picked up the dog and started petting him.  I kinda hazily remember this. 

I wish this was the first time that I had a full out conversation with Hubby in my sleep.  I wish I could say that it was happening because I take Ambien or one of those other sleep aid, walking coma inducing drugs.  But no, this craziness is natural and medically unadulterated.  Fabulous.   I'm not sure why Hubby trusts what I'm saying when he knows that I've been sleeping, but I really can't blame him, it's pretty messed up.  My eyes were open and everything, he says (remember, I have absolutely no recollection).

 Sadly, this morning, all I'm left with are the sad remains of Guinness' Reign of Terror, so I've decided to share them with you.  I think his methods worked.  We're definitely coming home right after work today.  I wouldn't think to piss him off again today.

  "Take that Mom and Dad!"

 

 

 

 

"They won't be doing that again!"

Hit the Road Jack!!

Boston Pride! Go Celts!!!

Do I smell an idea?

I stumbled across this blog today called http://ashleyannphotography.com.  She has some really really gorgeous photos on there, and some DIY ideas.  One of the ideas is this pallet bed that she made for her daughters nursery:

http://ashleyannphotography.com

 

 

 

 

 

 I absolutely LOVE this bed. What do you think Hubby (since I force you to read my blog), should we try this for the spare bedroom?

Holy Sh*t Mother Nature!

My parents got Hubby a fancy alarm clock from the Sharper Image for Christmas.  It's supposed to wake you up with the "soothing" sounds of nature.  When we first got it we went to set it up and it didn't work.  Mom and Dad were notified, and the cell phone charger console thingy was setup, in place of the clock, on my nightstand.  The alarm clock was sent back to Maine and exchanged.  It returned to us around February (I think).  Since then it's been lost onto of the hope chest at the end of the bed, under a sea of dirty and clean clothes. 

In our apartment laundry is something that has kind of evaded us for most of the time we have lived in sin/married.  At our last apartment there wasn't exactly laundry in the building.  The machines were physically there, but they didn't work.  We would infrequently (very infrequently) go to the laundry mat and scrub a dub.  But, here, in the "new" apartment we have laundry downstairs.  Despite that fact, we seem to be just as lazy.  Dirty laundry piles up, and in an attempt to straighten up our act and function like real adults we will do it.  Will we put it away?  Hell no!   Recently, I've decided, if we are ever going to bring a child into the world, we need to first learn how to pick up after ourselves.  We need to consistently "act like adults".

Just a little back-story for you, but .....here we are back at the alarm clock.  In an attempt to act like an adult, hubby put away his clothes on the hope chest and found the long lost alarm clock.  He decided it needed to be setup and utilized.  Since October (or September, I can't remember)  I had been using my iphone as an alarm.  The close proximity of the charging station thingy made it quite convenient.  I would set three of the most obnoxious sounding alarms I could find.  The first as 5:50am, the second at 6:00 and then 6:05.   One would think that it would be impossible to sleep through three alarms right?  WRONG?  I was constantly sleeping through the alarms, because after the first alarm I would grab the phone off the caddy and snuggle with it in bed (like it was a teddy bear).  Hubby sets up the nature alarm clock on top of my wardrobe, on the other side of the room.  So I have to get out of bed to turn it off. Great.

Monday is the inaugural day of waking up with nature.  I had picked a foghorn.  Imagine being in a boat on an ocean near a rocky shore....you hear a noise that says "stay the hell back from the rocky shore", that's the sound.   6:10 am comes on Monday, and the fog horn turns on. I wake up with a start, screaming "Holy Shit" and turn it off.  Crap....shower time.  Monday night we decide to change the sound.  This time hubby thinks that ocean noises might be nice.  No....not nice.  I basically thought the world was ending when I woke up Tuesday morning.  Last night, he says he's going to surprise me with the sound.  The surprise is that he didn't change it, and I woke up thinking that Armageddon was happening for the second day in a row.

All good stories end with a moral, Aesop would tell you this.  The moral of this story, nature is not relaxing, nature is damn scary.

It's going to be a project weekend!!

 This weekend I am the lucky owner of the 24 hour support pager. I win this "prize" every third week. When I'm on call, I have to bring my pager and my support laptop wherever I go, which shouldn't be more than an hour away from my place of work (incase there was a computer meltdown or something). Basically, I'm stuck at, or significantly close to, my apartment.

I've decided this weekend is going to be project weekend. I ran this past hubby, and he has accepted the challenge. I've been meaning to get curtains up in the apartment for forever, but we are currently sporting only blinds. For the first year of our inhabitation I told myself we were in a trial period, and no one should expect me to hang curtains in a trial period apartment. Since March, we've officially moved out of the trial period. We've been at the apartment for a year, a happy, problem free year, with a nice landlady and laundry in our basement. We're not moving. Did I mention that the rent is affordable?

Off and on throughout the day, I've been trying to look at DIY window treatments. Very on the sly of course, as I wouldn't want anyone to think I wasn't working (well any more than they already do). I have curtains that we used at the last apartment. Five sets of ivorish panels. Some of them a little gross on the bottom, so I was trying to think of styles that would cover or exclude that section. Here are some ideas that I found on the internets:

From BHG.COM

From DiYideas.com

From BHG.com

From BHG.com


 

Celtics vs. Lakers

I really wanted to say something about the Celts v. Lakers game tonight, but didn't think it fit in my last Pens for Jesus rant/post. 

I'm a Boston sports fan through and through, even when I lived in Maine (we don't really have our own teams).  I really want the Celts to win.  There are too many famous people associated with the Lakers, and lets be honest.....their lives are good enough without the championship.  So....Lakers, you get Jack Nickelson at every game, and we'll take the championship title.  It's only fair.  I mean.....how many of our players are married to a Kardashian....  That's right. None. 

I think I've made my point.  GO CELTS!  GO BOSTON!  Lakers....GO HOME!

Jesus loves you.....have a pen.

I take the train to work every morning from Dorchester.  In the evening, we walk from the station, to our car, which is parked on my in laws street (which is slightly closer than ours).  As we turn the corner from the station to the neighborhood, there are usually men standing there trying to pass out pens with a message about Jesus on them.

The men with their bags of pens and "Jesus Loves Me" flyers just fascinates me, for several reasons,
1. Why pens?  What makes these guys think that tons of people getting off the train from work would want another pen?  Not even just another pen, but the shitty Bic Stick pens they are passing out.  I mean....if I was going to take a Jesus pen from someone, it wouldn't be for a Bic Stick. Just Sayin..
2.  What about proselytizing your religion and passing out pens makes sense to them.  I mean...the marketing strategy is just wrong.  There's just nothing about getting a pen that's going to remind me how much Jesus Loves me.

Sometimes in the morning, there's a lady that stands on the island between the buses and the drop off area and yells "Jesus Loves you" to people.  Now this lady, for me, is much more effective.  I mean...it's early, she's up and she's absolutely SCREAMING at people.  That makes me turn around and think...wow...she really loves Jesus.  I wonder why.  Maybe I should go talk to her about it.  (I wouldn't actually go talk to her though.  I try to stay away from anyone that is that passionate about their religion.  Not that I'm an agnostic or anything.....it's just my internal red light goes off when any ones passion about anything is that strong).

I almost grabbed one of the Jesus Pens today, simply for the sake of being a visual aid for this blog entry, but I couldn't do it.  I was just way too tired to risk starting a religious dialogue with those guys and their pens.  They would try to sell me their religion, (I already have one thank you), when all I really want to know is why Bic Stick Pens.  Why??

If the day comes when they are passing out Pilot pens....those fine tipped Gel ones I like....or the RSVP pens, then I'll stop.  I'll talk to them.  I'll take their pen.  But, until then, I'll just get my Bic Sticks like everyone else does, after signing the check at the restaurant.

You are the wind beneath my wings..........

Since I've decided to make my clothes from here on in, I thought I would troll the world wide web today for some inspiration.  I know that the title of this post may seem a little random, but honestly, who doesn't think of Bette Middler and this song when they want to be creatively inspired.

For the inspiration I checked out a few of the blogs that I follow in Google Reader (I have an obsession with reading. Books, blogs, the backs of shampoo.  I read it all and remember it all.  It's just weird really).

First, I stumbled upon this really cute idea to make a wine rack out of coffee cups.  Now, if you were the kind of person that could actually keep a wine rack stocked, this would be a handy idea.  My "wine rack" consists of a bottle of nice wine (that I haven't gotten to yet) and three bottles of two buck chuck that we bought for the weekend.  But on to the project:

seriously?? How cute is that??

The instructions to the craft are at http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/double-duty-decorating-ideas-00000000034283/page4.html

Next, I threw an eye over at Anthropolgie.  I just love that store.  I found a few cute things there that I would like to try to recreate for the summer.  Especially the tank top:

Notice a theme?  I must like ruffles or something.  I think I'm going to start with the tank top.  It's racer back, and except for that, the tank I'm wearing today kinda has the same shape.  How hard is it to make a racer back, ruffles and an asymmetrical hem?

But then, how hard is it to keep an apartment clean?  I keep trying, but I just can't seem to master that one.

Goodbye Mall, Hello Brother!

I <3 a good challenge.  I think this love of challenge comes from being a middle child.  My unfortunate order meant everything was a competition growing up.  I didn't get to do things first, or last, so to make my mark, I had to do them. ....better or at least memorable. Now that I'm an adult, I love challenges because they force me to stir up my competitive spirit in the fight against laziness.  In complete self honesty, I battle laziness every day.  Especially, when it comes to work, cleaning, moving, etc.

Yesterday, the hubs and I went to the mall.  Getting him to the mall with me is a battle in itself. But, I fought hard for mall time, and I won.  I was planning on getting some work clothes for summer.  I ended up finding one dress.  One plain black dress.  Hubby, he did much better, he got two pairs of pants and two shirts.  I was so downtrodden (great word right?).

After much contemplation, I realized, I see clothes that I like but am just so unwilling to pay for them.  I have some pretty expensive taste.  I decided I'm going to challenge myself to make what I wear.  So, for at least a month, I'm not going to buy any new clothes.  I'm going to make what I need to wear either from scratch or from re purposing. This should be fun....

Beiber Fever Rampant in Massachusetts

Yesterday, hubby and I took his little sister to the Taylor Swift concert at Gillette.  Being the fabulous brother and sister-in-law we are, we had given her the tickets as a Christmas present.  She loves Taylor Swift.  Conveniently, I love Taylor Swift as well.  I am happy to report, that in the entire concert, there was  only one song I didn't know the words to.

It was really a fully rounded day of concert going.  I had gone to the mall and gotten a new outfit in hopes to fit in with the teenage crowd.  I'm not sure it worked.  It was so hot, I feel like my skirt got bigger....or it was too big to start with..or I just have an awkwardly sized body.  The world will never know.

We loaded up the car early. Got lil sis and headed down to Foxboro.  Did hubby think that he may possibly run into Tom Brady?  Yes.  Did he have a special conversation in his head all prepared for if this did happen?  Yes.  (On behalf of the people of Massachusetts  I would like to thank you for all you have given to us and the organization.  Also, I would like to ask; how are you wife and children?).

The little propane grill was broken out, and burgers and dogs were cooked.  Honestly, this may have made the oppressive heat even worse.   Two cars down from us a little girl had decided that it was too hot to wear her shirt.  While this may have been true....I wish men and little children wouldn't feel the need to flaunt in front of me that they can go topless whenever they want....when I can't (without being a stripper/super inappropriate).  It's selfish, I know....but that's just the way it is.

Around 5 we headed into the stadium.  The first act, Gloriana, started at 6.  Then Kellie Pickler, Justin Bieber, and Taylor.  I can't tell you how many Mrs. Bieber shirts I saw.  I kinda felt like I was at a New Kids on the Block Concert back in the day.  The girl two seats down from me nearly broke a capillary screaming over the 15 year old Canadian god.  It was intense.  I know all the words to some of the Beib's songs.  So did I sign along and scream as loud as I could to try to embarass lil sis?  ABSOLUTELY!

Tay Tay came on just after dark.  I think she may have been a little overwhelmed by Gillette Stadium.  Cause she kept staring at us just looking, and then turned around and did her thing. It was awkward at times....but all in all, it was a good concert...really good.

My favorite part of the concert, other than trying to convince my sister in law that eating flattened Mike and Ike's will help to reduce stomach bloat (really...I don't know what's wrong with me.  I blame it on my IT job and my lack of creative outlet), was hubby singing along in my ear.  Somehow, he got wasted without my internal "hubbys drinking too much" red flag going up.  He usually has a lovely voice...but last night, he just had a really loud, off pitch, drunk voice.

It was, as Taylor would say, the "best day".

One day later...unfortunately, we're a day closer to work, and I can't ignore that my apartment needs to be cleaned anymore..  Well.....after  I go to the mall for a few of course.

The Recovery and Reinventment Project .......Take Two!

Looks like I haven't posted on the blog since....what...November. One hell of a project I've got going here huh? Geez.

Well, lets bring you up to speed, since I've decided to give it another go. And, don't worry...I promise, I'll actually update this time. Not that anyone is actually still reading...

Since my last blog entry, in bulletted (is that even a word?), short story format:

• I did reorganize my pantry......it's kinda cluttered again...but still very organized.

• I've spent considerable (I mean considerable) amounts of time with the MBTA. (Ps. I have a few suggestions....especially about the Green Line D Train service).

• The job has gone from "Love it", to "Like it", to "ugh", to "AAAAH". Now, it's just "please hold me while I cry gently on your shoulder and you tell me that everything is going to be okay."

• I've lost all my Post Disney World pounds !!! While the Free Disney Dining Plan was definitely economical it wasn't really waistline friendly. Sadly, I'm still about 10 pounds away from getting into my pre wedding, pre all inclusive vacation clothes (and being able to breathe).

• Miles Run: Over 80
  
• Books Read: Probably about 40.
  
• Pants hemmed: 2
  
• Clothes made: 1 shirt, 1 dress mended.
• Fallen down the stairs: once, outside....it hurt.
  

• And finally, I've tried, and failed, to live like an adult several times. And by live like an adult I mean, clean the apartment and take care of my clothes on a regular basis like real adults do. Isn't 28 still considered in your teenage years now?

Now, I wish that I had something incredibly catchy to write about. Something that would steal tons of people's interest. Something that would propel my blog into the blog stratosphere, and align myself with the blogging greats like Julie Powell. But, alas, I'm not a jilted lover who is going to see how many ways they can use their ex's wedding dress, nor did I find an adorable baby animal of some sort to photo-document on my property. All I've got is a semi -catchy (though I really did steal most of it from our President) blog title, some craftiness, and my stories about my life. Hopefully, that's enough to give me a chance.

My co-workers, the ones I talk to, think my life is a sitcom. Come to think of it, this makes a lot of sense, since my hasty arrival to this world came while my parents were watching "All Creatures Great and Small". If that's not humor, I don't know what is. (god I hate that show)

Chat with you soon....I promise....