Color me Inspired

Z Gallerie - Plaza Coasters - Set of 4

2008-05-20T10:20:00.000-05:00

Z Gallerie - Plaza Coasters - Set of 4

I really want to get these and frame them for my living room.

Pretty lights

2008-05-06T15:43:00.001-05:00

100_1034, originally uploaded by A Pink Squirrel.

I did wind up purchasing the Skina Lighting chain mentioned in this post. I also got the hanging bucket, as a matter of fact.

Breakfast on the deck

2008-04-12T09:17:00.001-05:00

Breakfast on the deck, originally uploaded by A Pink Squirrel.

This is a perfect way to start the morning. Unfortunately, not long after this photo it started to lightly rain, so I had to retreat back inside.

Can i say how much I love that flower arrangement? It's amazing what you can do with grocery store bouquets.

Deck lights

2008-04-11T20:38:00.001-05:00

100_0751, originally uploaded by A Pink Squirrel.

All lit up at night! I LOVE my deck so far. I also got a big girl grill (still a charcoal grill, but it isn't a travel one, and it has an ash catcher, too!). SO excited for this summer.

I really need to go to Ikea

2008-03-24T18:28:00.006-05:00

Lots of interesting things in their new summer collection.

Salvia Hanging Planter

I've installed a plant hook outside, so I'd like to make use of it with a large planter filled with flowers or a cherry tomato plant.

Skina Lighting Chain
Yellow

Pretty. Nice that it uses a battery - could weave them around the deck banister or on the table.

Grenö Bolster Cushion
Yellow
(Also a regular cushion in this pattern)

These would be a nice accent on my wooden bench if I can't find a yellow bench cushion.

Sommar Hanging Tealight Holder
Yellow

These are adorable, though I don't know if I could really use them on my deck.

Asian theme Plaques

2008-03-16T11:00:00.002-05:00

A while back I mentioned I had a couple wall plaques with an Asian/Art Deco theme, and here are the pictures I promised. Still not sure what I want to do with them.

On deck

2008-03-15T15:17:00.003-05:00

I took some photos of my deck as it is currently, and includes the lights I recently purchased.

I put the fun lights up! Can't wait to see them in the dark.

My two deck chairs and bench. I want to get a yellow cushion for the bench, but I'm having trouble finding one.

Targeted

2008-03-15T15:11:00.002-05:00

Today's Target Haul
Lovely yellow platter to coordinate with my deck; lovely Dwell for Target placemats for my turquoise kitchen (not shown, matching dishtowels); in the back, the box for the Smith & Hawken Cafe Lights, below.
Also in the photo are some paper napkins I picked up some other time, and a container of straws from Ikea.

Mulling over the bathroom

2008-03-15T09:54:00.006-05:00

I'm not sure why more companies don't make towels that are bold, fun prints. Solid color towels are so blah. I'm looking for towels to make that big pop of color in my tiny tiny bathroom. Think back to vintage towels - those things were amazing! Great patterns, great colors. I have a YSL set (from my parents), that are the most gorgeous deep navy and deep green geometric print. My goal is to have a 90% neutral bathroom, with the towels being the colorful/patterned pop.

Some ideas:

Nora Print
Pottery Barn
I have to admit, I do love this print - the coloring and everything.

Castle Grounds Print
Anthropologie
Nice towels... but I'm not sure if they really wow me.

Contemporary Home Towel Set in Red Jacquard
Target
Not bad.

Deck inspiration, cont.

2008-03-14T21:20:00.005-05:00

Smith & Hawken Lantern Lights

Smith & Hawken Cafe Lights - Multicolored

Outdoorsy

2008-03-14T12:20:00.005-05:00

So, with the weather getting gradually warmer, thoughts naturally turn to outdoor entertaining.

Last summer I bought a pair of chairs from Target that have a white metal frame and a sunny yellow fabric seat/back. Lovely!

I have a wood bench on the deck, as well, but I need more table space... and then I got distracted by Ikea and its outdoor/garden stuff.

PS Vallo Watering Can
Malaro Outdoor Table
Evert Stool

New sofa? Maybe.

2008-03-10T14:29:00.003-05:00

So I suppose I can be as elitist as I want, in terms of wanting to buy quality furniture, but I can't step away from a good deal that is exactly what I want.

Enter the Ikea Karlstad sofa. It's pretty much exactly the style, size, and color I've been looking for in a sofa, and it's $500. Can't beat that. The only question is if I can transport it from the store on my own (if I can get my sister & her van in on it, maybe).

We'll see! I could very well purchase this very soon. At which point I'll have an extra sofa I won't know what to do with.

Wall Decor

2008-03-06T13:38:00.009-05:00

So my walls in my living room are rather blank. I took a panoramic photo, and WOW are the walls BORING.

I'll try to post the panorama, later - it's not exactly the most neat version, but it's not too bad.

First off, I have two matching pieces of wall-art, made out of some plaster- or ceramic-like material, asian and deco inspired, from the 80s. From what I can tell, there was a bit of an Art Deco revival in the 80s, although it was done with all the 80s panache that you would expect. I got these from my Mom, and only recently rediscovered them, rather on accident. The only downside is that these things are SUPER heavy.

Need to post measurements and pictures of these items, later.

Next, I've been looking for prints that coordinate more with the green/deco theme...

"Flock Print" by Heather Amuny-Dey
Velocity Art and Design

"Soleil Toute L'Année" by Roger Broders
AllPosters.com

"Villefranche" by Roger Broders
AllPosters.com

"Cote d'Azur" by Jean-Gabriel Domergue
AllPosters.com

Also, I must say, that I may actual purchase an "As Seen On TV" product - Hercules Hooks. These seem like a great solution for a rental that more-or-less doesn't want one to use molly brackets.

Really Frustrated

2008-02-27T15:21:00.006-05:00

Super Edit: OMG, I FOUND IT! Eleanor Grosch/Push Me Pull You Designs. Randomly found it whilst browsing How About Orange - THANK YOU. (3:03pm 28 Feb 08)

So, I had thought I had bookmarked the website of an artist that does her own screenprints. Her style is angular, stylized animals in bright colors. She is eco-conscious.

I can't find it for the life of me.

Argh.

Note: And, no, it is not Sanna Annuka, though her prints are equally nice.

Edit: Also, I recall that her style was inspired by Charley Harper (2:57pm 28 Feb 08)

New on Site

2008-02-26T14:38:00.001-05:00

Added a feed to my green-color-related link posts on del.icio.us in the sidebar.

Computer at home has been out of service, so things are a bit slow, lately

Neutral Kitchen Shelving

2008-02-17T16:31:00.008-05:00

Although I really like my kitchen, there really isn't all that much storage space. It's a kitchen/dining area, and the dining half has a small alcove in which I have set up a pseudo-quasi storage area. It's very much hobbled together from random stuff, and I'd like it to look a little more organized and streamlined.

I checked Ikea, and looked at a lot of different solutions. I started first with the cabinetry they made specifically for the kitchen... Unfortunately, I think it would be a bit frustrating and expensive to fit the area with those.

Then, I looked at the Billy shelving, but I really think those are a little too shallow for the needs of the kitchen. Finally, I decided to simply check the Ikea storage line page - and I found the Aspvik office line. I think the sliding door unit and the flipper unit would be perfect because (1) they're deep enough for use in the kitchen, and (2) they could hold electronic kitchen items with ease, since they're meant to hold computer stuff. I also found a Lerberg ladder-type shelf to fill the rest of the space.

Urban Outfitters - Lulu Chair in Leaf Green

2008-02-12T20:15:00.004-05:00

Figures — it's been discontinued. No mention at all on their site. GAH, I really need to monitor Urban Outfitters more closely, things disappear so quickly.

I've been distracted by making things pretty. I cannot escape my designerism.

Not forgotten, just busy.

2008-02-08T13:26:00.000-05:00

I have several things that I'm working on or compiling together...

A mock-up of my wingback chairs in a new fabric and some explanation
A round up of various decorative papers that might be nice to use as design elements somewhere
A similar round up of fabrics
More furniture to ogle

I need to do some cleaning (I have yet to put my Christmas things in their boxes ... must get done this weekend) and then I'd like to post some photos of the spaces in question for reference.

A break for fashion

2008-02-06T12:41:00.000-05:00

O Target, how you tempt me!

I popped into the local Target last night to pick up some heat wraps (threw my back out moving furniture on Saturday - fun fun).

It seems as though Target has put out a lot of green items for the Spring season (as you might imagine). As I'm on my super-green-kick right now, I could barely resist.

I did find some clearance items—

Merona® 3/4 Sleeve Chest Pocket Dress in Green/Black Weave Print
I tried it on, and I think I'd prefer it with a wide black belt/sash at the waist. So we'll see.

Merona® Drop-Waist Skirt in Green Leaf Print
This is a lot brighter in person. I'd love to use a fabric like this (it's a canvas-like material) on an ottoman. Although it's showing regular price on the website, I got in on clearance in my store.

There was also something I didn't get, though I may go back with one of my Christmas gift cards...

Merona® Printed Trench Coat - Green/Gray
Obviously Merona® has some great green things going on right now. This coat is divine... I'd love to cover an ottomon in this fabric, too. I managed not to buy it since it was full price, but... I do want it.

A little background

2008-02-04T11:13:00.000-05:00

In the midst of all this, I figure I should offer some background for my inspiration.

I've always been fascinated by and drawn to color (and sparkles) and sumptuous textures. When clothes shopping (even out as a young girl with my Mom) I would immediately pick out all the garish, brightly colored, clothes (bonus points if it had sparkly sequins or beads). A shiny satin would never be left alone — I had to touch it, to experience the fabric. Brightly colored satin always seemed like liquid jewels.

Now, my more reserved sense of style tends to prevent the most garish of clothing from being purchased, but I am none-the-less drawn to it. No whimpy pastels for me, either - I like my color fully saturated.

As my tastes have matured, I've been able to balance my love of color and texture with classic lines and styling to prevent it from being overwhelming. As I've learned more about myself (through the inevitable painful times that allow one to grow and develop), I've found my colorful wardrobe expanding. What used to be a closet full of blacks, browns, and blues (albeit, bright blues... the only bright color I really allowed myself), is now one that is becoming a veritable rainbow. I think this says a lot about how comfortable I am with... who I am, now.

In any case, obviously I am a huge fan of color. I recall ever since reading Mask of the Red Death wanting to decorate rooms by specific colors and palettes—

To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue -- and vividly blue were its windows. The second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple. The third was green throughout, and so were the casements. The fourth was furnished and lighted with orange -- the fifth with white -- the sixth with violet. The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue. But in this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet -- a deep blood color.

Of course, nothing quite that garish or extreme, but the idea has stayed with me. It evolved first with my bedroom - I have an assortment of beach- and tropical- themed items, and I wanted to use them in my bedroom to create a space of peace and tranquility (alas, this is often broken by the clutter I'm trying to dispose of). I chose a lovely theme of light aquas and browns to evoke the feeling, and augment it a bit with a lovely old world theme (a bit colonial carribean?).

The next inspiration was my kitchen. It all began with the Carribbean Blue colorway of Le Creuset. It simply enamored me - I loved that color. Knowing that turquoise was popular in the 50s as a kitchen color, I began looking into retro kitchenware and gadgets that would follow this theme... As time has gone by, it's evolved more into a main splash of turquoise accented by citrus, all set against my (white, white, white) kitchen. (I should post a photo of my kitchen just so you can see how... white... it is. This probably sparked the severe need for color.)

And, now, my most recent inspiration - my (future) green art deco living room/cocktail room... My living room in my townhouse is really a combination living/dining room area. However, since I don't have an extra dining table (nor really any need for one), it morphed into a piano/sitting area. Since my old roommates moved out, the amount of furniture in there as decreased, and I've been wondering what to do about it... and also wondering what to do about all the liquor and glassware my current roommates and I have - ergo, the cocktail area (perfectly complemented by the piano, I guess).

In any case, the "living" side of the room will be more organic - greens and whites, accented by naturals and a touch of black. The "cocktail" side will be more blacks and whites, with some naturals (piano, hutch). I need to sketch it out to decide for sure, but I think it will help differentiate the two spaces but still not have them contrast in a large way.

My moment of eureka came while I was watching Mystery! on PBS — specifically an Agatha Christie's Miss Marple show, By the Pricking of My Thumbs. Right at the beginning it shows a theme of white and black lattice against a lovely green wall, and I knew at that point what I wanted my living room to be.

Of course, much has evolved and changed as I've been researching and looking into things. I like to add retro elements (such as the '50s in the kitchen and the '20s-'30s in this case) without overwhelming the room with them - I don't want it to seem to contrived or kitchy. Rather, I go for a look that is more natural and more in line with a modern aesthetic.

Z Gallerie - Zoe Table Lamp

2008-02-01T21:09:00.000-05:00

1st Dibs - Art Deco Loveseat

2008-02-01T21:06:00.000-05:00

For the art deco lines.

1st Dibs - Green High Back Chairs

2008-02-01T20:55:00.000-05:00

Something like this could be easily be mimicked with a painted white wooden chair and green cushions for a cheaper alternative.

Modern Throw Pillow | Bubble Pillow | Chiasso

2008-02-01T16:27:00.000-05:00

Pop color for the white couch.

Z Gallerie - Water Lily Leaf Bowl

2008-02-01T15:19:00.000-05:00

Organic.

Recipe: Simple Pita Pizzas

2006-09-12T18:11:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't really call this a recipe as much as a technique, really.

Pita Pizzas

Pitas
Tomato, diced
Feta Cheese, crumbled
Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
Marinated artichoke hearts, diced
Chopped basil, to taste

For amounts, to give you an idea, for 6 pitas, I used one large tomato, half a container of feta, half a ball of mozzarella, and 6 artichoke hearts

Evenly distribute tomato among desired amount of pitas
Top with artichoke hearts, about one per pita
Top with the mozzarella and feta
Broil pizzas until cheese is bubbling, and turning color lightly
Sprinkle top with basil, let cool a moment, and cut into desired amount of pieces for serving

There you go. Pretty simple, yet very tasty.

Incomplete Thought: Oil Companies and Biofuels

2006-07-12T07:16:00.000-05:00

Everyone talks about how the oil companies are resisting the whole biofuel thing.

My question is, why don't the oil companies just start *producing* biofuel? It's not that hard, pretty much it's run similar to a distillery (I think, from what I've heard. I know many use old stills and what-not).

(Hahaha, even better if, like, Bacardi did it. Bacardi Fuels. Hahaha. After all, they've got their finger in almost every liquor pie there is, why not fuel?)

Anyway. It's not that hard. Many have set up ethanol fuel things at their homes.

Of course, if the oil companies went into it, they would probably copyright the bajeejus out of it and charge exorbinant prices. Oh well.

From "The Bride Price", NYTimes.com

2006-07-10T12:56:00.000-05:00

On the day she witnessed the engagement party of 11-year-old Ghulam Haider to 40-year-old Faiz Mohammed, Sinclair discreetly took the girl aside. "What are you feeling today?" the photographer asked. "Nothing," the bewildered girl answered. "I do not know this man. What am I supposed to feel?"

This, literally, left me speechless. Full Article

Immigration blah blah blah

2006-06-22T10:59:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: I really haven't done any research, I'm just thinking about what some people have said, and basing things off my own experience/knowledge.

Some people are really pissed about the illegal immigrants, it seems. They have been for some time, now. Recent immigration bill talks or whatnot has seemed to spark a resurgence of "down with illegals" chants.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this a similar thing back in the day with the Irish, the Italians, and the whoevers whenever they came into the country en masse?

(Warning: Sweeping Generalization Ahead)

Americans, for all their freedoms, seem to be rather intolerant. "Oh, we LOVE helping other people... but stay ON YOUR SIDE OF THE BORDER, BITCHES. Here, have some food."

People are upset because we're accomodating the spanish-speakers by putting up spanish signs and all that. Honestly, I think it's just a little bit of "weak"-in-large-numbers fear. Can you imagine if all the spanish-speaking immigrants actually decided to riot or something? Bad news.

Also, I think that, on the whole, it's easier in the short term to put up a sign that says "a la izquierda" in a large spanish-speaking community than to try and teach these folks some basic english (free of charge).

But they're taking away our Jobs! (whine whine whine) Honestly, it's probably cheaper to get an illegal to do your yardwork than the neighborhood teenager. You'll also probably get a better finished product (that's just saying something against the average teenager...) But think of why that is-
a) They have no rights, because they're illegal. You can charge them whatever-the-hell you want, and no one is going to say "boo" (well, they will- but only if you get caught).
b) They'll take it, because if they could get better money at home, they'd be back there (oftentimes) with their families.
c) Conveniently, you don't have to pay taxes on them, nor do you have to conform to any silly "labor laws" (see a).

Can you imagine? Getting $2 to $3 dollars an hour is good? When you know that you can't live here on minimum wage ($5.15/hr in MD)?

Wowee.

Here's some personal Q&A.

Should immigrants learn English?
Yes. But the government should subsidize basic english programs. These can be supplemented by paid programs and non-profits in the area. If we want them to speak English so bad, SOMEONE HAS TO TEACH THEM. There are already programs out there, but I really think that the government should be involved. It'll benefit the community in numerous ways. I don't think it's necessary for them to speak English all the time. Culture is important. It means diversity, and diversity is a wonderful thing.

Should illegals be allowed to work?
A tricky question. Off the bat- I say yes. I wish it were easier for immigrants to get green cards or whatever they need to work here. If there was some process that allowed this, it would create an even playing field for everyone involved. If Joe Blow Citizen wants to do yardwork, and Juan Jimenez Mexicano wants to as well, they'll be paid similarly, and simply judged on work ethic. It won't be ... well, we can get Juan for $3 cheaper than Joe, so we'll go with Juan.
It'll make the immigrants happy, because then they can get more money, and be able to help their families out even more at home. The only people that I could imagine being UNHAPPY about this, are the companies that currently EMPLOY ILLEGALS (and enjoy the nice ROI by doing so).

Just a quick jot-down. Will probably clean it up a bit, later.

Recipe: Rosemary-Lemon Salmon en Papillote

2006-06-21T18:12:00.000-05:00

I have just been a cooking MACHINE, lately!

Rosemary-Lemon Salmon en Papillote

Salmon Fillet, skinned (small - about 5 oz?)
Lemon, washed
Rosemary sprigs (about 2-3)
Olive Oil (about 2-3 tbsp)
Parchment Paper

Cut a heart shape out of parchment paper. Make it so that the half-heart is about 1.5x the size of the fillet.
Zest half of the lemon.
(I have no objection to tearing that tasty zest off! :) )
Tear the leaves off of two small sprigs of rosemary.
Put zest and rosemary in a measuring cup or bowl, and cover with olive oil. Let stand for about 15-20 minutes to infuse the oil.
Place a large sprig of rosemary on one half of parchment paper. Place Salmon on top. Ensure rosemary is entirely under salmon (curve it around if necessary).
Cut a few thin slices of lemon and place on top of salmon.
Drizzle with olive oil, and put some of the rosemary/zest from oil on top of fish
Seal the papillote by folding the heart in half again, and folding in the edges, starting at the "v" of the heart. (view the WMV video or the
Text from Food Network. For some reason the video won't show up for me, but the audio comes through just fine. Probably just my crap computer.)
I simply placed mine on a small piece of foil (just large enough to cover the bottom of the papillote).
Cook 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Place papillote on plate, and cut a slit in the top with a knife or kitchen shears to access the delectable goodness.

I had mine with a glass of pinot grigio, a light salad (I dressed the salad with leftover infused oil and vinegar), and wild rice.

Forgot pictures again, darn it. I'm just so excited about eating that I forget!

Recipe: Lemon-Butter Fish

2006-06-14T08:33:00.000-05:00

Lemon-Butter Fish

Fish (I used tilapia), 2 fillets
Olive oil, approx 1-2 tbsp
Butter, approx 1-2 tbsp
Onion, approx 1/4-1/3 cup, chopped fine
Scallion, chopped
Lemon
Seasoning - I used Original Mrs Dash
Large skillet

Add olive oil to pan, set heat to medium.
Add butter, stirring to melt.
Let warm, then stir in chopped onions.
While onions are cooking, zest the lemon, then chop in half. Cut 4 thin slices from one half. Juice the remainder, then juice the other half.
When onions are translucent, add lemon zest and chopped scallions.
Stir to incorporate, and after a minute or so, add lemon juice. Turn heat down to medium-low.
Place fish fillets over mixture in pan. Sprinkle liberally with seasoning, and place two lemon slices on each fillet.
Let cook a minute or so, then cover pan. Cook until opaque and flaky, about 5-8 minutes.
Use a spatula to remove fillets from pan and set on plate. Pour sauce from pan over the two fillets.
Serve with a salad and crusty bread.

Menu: Panini Caprese with Mesclun Salad

2006-06-13T08:21:00.000-05:00

Panini Caprese

French Bread (about 1/4 loaf)
Tomato (about 2 slices)
Mozzarella (about 6 small, or 3 large slices)
Basil (about 5-6 leaves)

Preheat two-sided grill (e.g. panini press, or George Forman)
If the french bread is thick, cut about 1in from top, and 1in from bottom. Discard center (or eat it, or do whatever you want with it)
Layer mozzarella slices on bottom part of french bread
Place tomato slices on top of mozzarella
Arrange basil leaves evenly on top part of french bread
Combine into sandwich, and place on grill, pressing top into sandwich to flatten
Periodically press down on sandwhich to ensure flattening
Cook until cheese is melted through
Cut panini diagonally in half, and place slices next to Mesclun Salad (below) on plate

Mesclun Salad

Mesclun greens mix (pre-packaged)
Tomato, chopped (to taste)
Red pepper, chopped (to taste)
Vineagrette dressing (your choice)
Parmesan-Reggiano (to taste)

Arrange small side-salad of mesclun greens on plate
Place chopped tomato and red pepper on top
Sprinkle a small amount of vineagrette over the salad
Garnish with grated Parmesan - I used a zester to make pretty Parmesan cheese curls!

Enjoy this menu with your favorite glass of white wine! I had a nice glass of Pinot Grigio, and dined on my porch, enjoying the sunset.

An image

2006-05-15T14:11:00.000-05:00

A little girl, her blonde hair curled in the mist and escaping her tidy pigtails, running atop rain-kissed grass, a clean white dress hugging her bright blue stockings. A bubble of laughter escapes as she plays.

Tidbits

2006-05-15T13:43:00.000-05:00

Can trust simply be a habit? It's hard to regain trust, but is it possible to simply think "I will trust that" in those situations, and make it habitual?

I watched "Stick It" at the movies a couple of weeks ago. It was a good fluff movie - no real substance, but it was a happy feel-good movie. The one thing that I really got a kick out of was the opening credit sequence. I didn't really see the connection to the movie (spray painted graffiti?), but I really liked how creative it was, and how it was so old school. I love opening credit sequences. Of course, many people in the audience, used to the instant gratification of most fluff movies, were getting a little peeved over the length.

I really enjoyed the typography in Kill Bill, which I watched for the first time last night. The movie was very good, I thought.

Falling in love, over and over again, is the essence of life.

A quickie

2006-05-11T07:49:00.000-05:00

It seems as though there is a rise in bitchy women and whiny men in radio ads. I'm not sure if it's something I've only recently noted, or if it is, in fact, a new "trend", so to speak.

What is the deal?

In terms of this, I can almost see the "feminist backlash" that some guys are talking about. Now, instead of having commercials with wifey at home, they're having commercials where the women is In Charge, and the man is a whiny, stupid, or otherwise incompetent character.

I suppose this is supposed to "appeal" to women, but I honestly find it annoying. I just want to yell at the men to act like men, godammit. And to tell the women to stop being supreme bitches.

But I digress.

I think one of the more annoying examples is the "going to Lowe's" ad, where the guy keeps asking "are we there yet" and basically makes an ass out of himself while the women is more mature and by that nature slightly condenscending. If I was a guy, I would be offended by that.

There's also the Amoco Ultimate one that was playing a while back in which the woman really was a bitch to the guy. Pretty much saying, "yeah you're dumb, retard." Again, if I was a guy, I'd be offended.

In any case, I'm noticing it fairly often, and those types of ads really do annoy me. Talking down to anyone, for no reason, annoys me.

A Tip for Life #1

2006-05-05T13:45:00.001-05:00

I have learned the following fact from Men's Health:

Drinking 1 or two cups of coffee before drinking will lessen the chance of a hangover (paraphrased)

I tested this theory on two occasions:

Getting Drunk on Wine

Everyone knows that drinking too much wine leads you straight into headache-hell the next morning. Drank two cups of coffee before drinking. Had about 4 or 5 glasses of wine.

Result: Zero hangover.

Getting Drunk on Cheap Booze

The impurities generally spell out a miserable morning. Again, two cups of coffee.

Result: Zero hangover.

Conclusion: Definitely works. At least for me (I should testify that I normally get only very mild hangovers anyhow). Men's Health, I thank you for sharing this knowledge with your readers, and by proxy, me.

So, today's tip for the week: Drink 2 cups of coffee before drinking. You'll thank me and Men's Health and The Dudes Who Figured This Out in the morning.

Are Resentments Justified?

2006-04-12T07:50:00.000-05:00

Amazing, amazing, amazing article. I agree whole-heartedly, although I have yet to completely embrace it...

(originally found at 37 Signals blog)

I am woman, hear me roar! (meow)

2006-03-20T11:44:00.000-05:00

My questions concerning feminism are as follows:

Why is femininity considered a weakness?

Why is it hard to accept that men and women are simply different?

Why do women have to (theoretically) act like men in order to succeed?

Why are women who choose a home life, or choose femininity, often ridiculed by feminists?

I don't believe I can answer these questions. I wonder if others often have the same feelings?

Femininity as Weakness

For many years, women were viewed as the "weaker sex". Weaker in every way - mind, body, and soul. I take a firm stance against this idea. I will concede that looking straightforwardly at strength, women are generally weaker than men. We just cannot naturally build up the same amount of muscle mass as men. Okay, that's fine.

In other ways, women are naturally stronger than men - time and time again, women have been shown to have more natural endurance than men (both in terms of physical endurance and pain endurance) - can we say, childbirth?

I believe women are also naturally prone to empathy and intuition in terms of feelings, thus giving women the edge in many interactions, both in personal and professional settings.

In essence, there is no reason to equate women with weakness. We are simply in balance with men - each of us having a set of strengths.

Men and Women are Different

It seems that, stereotypically, feminists want to be the same as men. They want to do the same things as men, and be treated like men [would treat other men] (personally, I say "screw that", but that's just me).

I can't see why it's a bad thing that women are different than men. Should women be discriminated against because of that difference? No. Should women have to act like men to get ahead? No.

As stated earlier, men and women each have their own strengths (as each individual has their own strengths), many of which can be used in conjunction in a team environment to benefit the whole even better.

To say that there is no fundamental difference between men and women is to ignore what our bodies show us - our bodies are made very differently (I'd like to see someone say they are the same!), so why shouldn't our minds be made differently (not inferior, but different)? I see no objection to that. In fact (and I wish I had time to search on the web), there has been controversial research exploring just what those differences are; although, often, the research is ridiculed in light of Political Correctness.

Now, I'm not saying that women should think "oh, I'm a women, I'm good at empathy, I shouldn't go into science" - not at all. I believe that in terms of knowledge and learning, men and women are on an equal footing. Also, please understand that I know these are sweeping generalizations, and as with all generalizations, there are extremes that are not taken into consideration.

Barefoot and Pregnant

Gloria Ironbachs: Peter tells me you don't have a career of your own.
Lois Griffin: No. Life outside my kitchen is so bright and scary. I'm just here because you caught me between pregnancies.
Gloria Ironbachs: I'm sorry you're so hostile toward someone who's fighting so a woman like you can become more than just a housewife.
Lois Griffin: Oh, just a housewife? Look, I'm all for equality but if you ask me, feminism is about choice. I choose to be a wife and mother. And now I'm choosing to end this conversation.

Thank you Lois, of the Family Guy. I have always loved this quote, because I think it rings true with my own thoughts. Men and Women, both, should feel open to choose to stay at home with their children if they feel it is right for their situation. Because some women choose to stay at home and perform some of the traditional "womanly" duties, does not mean that she is in any way less of a woman than the one who goes and becomes the first CEO of a fortune 500 company. I do believe that all women should feel empowered in their choices - One woman chooses to work because she loves her job and it fits her family, the other woman chooses to stay at home because she feels time spent with her family is more valuable than a job (and neither is "better").

In the end, feminism should be about choice and freedom to be what you are happy with. And the world should be nondiscriminitory, offering equal choices for everyone, no matter what sex, race, religion, or sexual preference.

A theory to life

2006-03-17T14:13:00.000-05:00

I feel that when coming off the elevator (when you know everyone is exiting, i.e. the ground floor), a certain protocol should be followed:

Older Women

Younger Women

Older Men

Younger Men

A theory to extend to your life.

In other news, today is the Day of Drunken Irish Debauchery (DoDID). Have fun and be safe. Convenient that it's on a Friday this year!

Taking care of business

2006-03-09T13:44:00.000-05:00

I am working on my thoughts on feminism/femininity.

I am working on some thoughts relating to childhood/development.

My perfectionism just gets in the way - I wish I had a naturally elegant writing style. Instead, I have a rambling, stream-of-consciousness-but-way-too-much-random-info-to-be-interesting, writing style.

So, I'm trying to make it somewhat interesting and worthwhile to read, just for my own edification.

In other news, I have been thinking about my problems with keeping my home in order (and keeping myself on track). The big thing is to create habits. I had a lightbulb moment the other day - I realized, that although I want to create these habits, and that I know they're good for me, I still have to make myself do them. I have to literally force myself to get things done, for at least a month, before it becomes habit.

This sounds really overwhelming and negative, but it's actually freeing and positive to finally know this. It's okay that it's hard - it's supposed to be hard. It will be hard. But only for a month. A month! That's it!

I have also tried to pare back on the things I'm doing - there's so much that I would like to get done, but I can't force myself to do all of them at once; that's when it gets overwhelming.

Baby steps.

In that light, I've been working on putting my work clothes away when I take them off. This is actually pretty easy, because I'm generally not as tired as when I'm going to bed - and it is cutting down on the clothes piles that I have around, at least.

I'm working to brush teeth/listerine every day. I will add in flossing again after that becomes habit.

Keeping the dirty dishes under control -- I really don't have too big of a problem with this. I do have issues when Jon makes dinner for me, because he doesn't have the same clean-up habits that I do. It's frustrating, but I just need to stop having "stinking thinking" about that, and stop "martyring" myself. That's also something I have to force myself to do. But, with the dishes, I've just been so tired lately that it hasn't been very easy.

I'm trying to become a better person, and I think I can do it. I want to do it. I will do it.

A life of craft

2006-03-03T10:18:00.000-05:00

I have been hit by the crafting bug lately. I can't get enough of witty little projects that are beautiful and still functional.

I binged on Martha's site over the course of the past couple of weeks. I don't care what anyone says, Martha has some awesome ideas! I think her job would be my ideal one. Just sitting around, on top of your crafting/cooking/homekeeping empire, coming up with new ideas (as if it's that simple). Granted, I know it came by for her with a lot of work (which is another reason not to knock her).

(Ah, parenthetical notation, how I love thee.)

In any case, I seriously want to spend all of my time making things. Fun things, pretty things, useful things. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that I am making my own Wedding Invites. 50 invites - no problem! My only problem is perfectionism.

(note to self - photo corners)

I am excited though, because I'm making cupcakes for Phi Mu Founder's Day, with cute little quatrefoils on top. Should be cute. I was going to make my own (I figured I probably had enough ingredients for a basic white cake), but then they had Pillsbury cake mix on sale at Safeway ($1!), so I just got two boxes. Plus, I didn't find the cake-to-cupcake conversion in my BH&G cookbook until after I bought the mixes.

I'm not sure what kind of icing to do, though. I want to use a nice white icing, so I am thinking a powdered sugar one, but with very little milk to make it more spreadable. Who knows?! I think it will be a trial-and-error thing.

In any case, I feel stuck sometimes. How many times have I wished that I could be a housewife/homemaker? I wish I could spend time at home and take pride in the way it looks, in the meals that I cook. I wish I could work part-time (at most!). All-in-all, I wish I could revert to a '50s-era housewife.

Poufy skirts, aprons, and roasts, oh my!

"Dressing up" (hats to gloves!) to go out on errands.

I yearn for a feeling of simplicity and basic pleasures. Alas - not in the near future. I have to fit house-time in on evenings and weekends, and errands can only be done on the weekends, at which time I can leave Amelie alone without feeling guilty (poor thing!).

This post has stimulated my thoughts surrounding femininity and feminism, perhaps I'll organize some ideas on the subject.

The point of no return

2006-02-14T09:28:00.000-05:00

My character and emotions are absolutely amazing to me. Absolutely incomprehensible as well - even more, really. How can the span of two days completely change my attitude, completely fill a gaping hole in my psyche? I am not sure, but it definitely happened to me.

Two weekends ago was a turning point for me. Somehow, I managed to (I can't decide which) bottom- or top-out (I suppose it depends on which angle I look at it from). Jon and I had been an slightly rocky footing after last fall - details are for the privileged few, I'm afraid. But suffice it to say, that although our love was strong, and we were sure we would pull through, I still couldn't let go.

Even now, I'm not sure why I couldn't.

But, none-the-less, I could not let go. For some reason, this reached a head two weekends ago. There was much crying on my part, much frustration on the part of Jon's, until he got so angry that he simply had to leave. (Keep in mind, as well, that both of the evenings I had been drinking to an excess, which certainly did not help me make any sort of good decision about the whole thing.)

On Sunday, I had to go to his house because I believed him to have my cellphone in his car, alas, he did not (apparently it was on my table), but I am so glad I thought he did. We talked sparingly, and had that uneasy need for distance between us. For a while, we simply sat in silence. It was certainly a healing silence. If we had talked over the phone, things would have turned out much worse, I think, due to my propensity for saying the wrong thing (especially over the phone) without intending to.

We then went on some errands, and the normalcy of it all, I think, helped bring us back together. Jon, towards the end, reached for my hand, and I knew he had forgiven me for my idiocy. It's always so refreshing to touch someone who you've been unable to be close to, either due to anger or distance.

It wasn't until time progressed that I realized that I was truly healed in my heart and mind. I had no thoughts of distrust, no feelings of discontent, and I didn't even feel a connection to "Mr. Bright Side" any more - that's when it really hit me. I felt no need to blast the song and sing at the top of my lungs any more. There was a feeling of indifference, of absolute calm.

So exhilarating, so free. I love!

Ideas

2006-01-04T12:39:00.000-05:00

I'm going to use this spot as a place to jot down some ideas... so that I don't forget, because generally I do.

Web - Cool concept - DL - Sort: Ascend, Descend, Sort-by:term, description
Driving - Traffic circles
Patience - frustration, puppy

...

Onward!

2005-12-29T09:44:00.000-05:00

"Anything But Ordinary" is becoming "On life, love, and the internet" (should I capitalize internet? I used to. Now it seems like it's not really a "proper" noun). Starting in Jan, 2006, I hope to use this space for my reflections on all sorts of things. Try to become a little more introspective, a little more involved with the world around me. In essence, this blog will be much less fluff-filled.

If you care *that* much about my personal life, head over to my LiveJournal.

That is all for now.

Jon and i at spring formal

2005-11-15T19:37:00.000-05:00

Jon and i at spring formal
Originally uploaded by Fae Raviana.

This is to test posting from flickr. Cell phone posting did not seem to go through...

One of the many ways I add useless noise to the internet

2005-11-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to figure out what to do with this blog for now. Not sure. I'd like to photoblog, but I don't have a digicam... and even if I did, I really wouldn't take too many interesting pictures...

Oh well.

We'll see.

Ugh

2005-07-25T15:23:00.000-05:00

I feel like crap with a capital C. I suppose I could have just put Crap.

Sore throat caused from who-knows-what
Wisdom tooth area that hurts like a mo-fo
Inflammation of tissue underneath wisdom tooth area that hurts like a mo-fo
Oh, and cannot open mouth to EAT because it hurts.
General upset stomach

I think all may be caused by the wisdom tooth. Some wisdom. And no money to get rid of it :(

Haven't heard about my apartment :\

Dude.

2005-07-20T12:25:00.000-05:00

It's been, like, forever since I've posted in this thing.

Blame livejournal and lack of internet access at home.

I want to do blogger again, though, because I like the design aspect. I am working on a new template, now.

I'd like to have a meaningful blog, but I really suck at this whole writing thing.

A photoblog would be nice, except I no longer have a digicam (and, unfortunately, I think my sister has started liking the one my mom gave her... if she didn't, mom was going to get her a different and give me that one. sigh), and, in any case, my computer isn't connected to the internet anyway.

Ugh.

In any case. See more later.

General thoughts

2004-11-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in... FOREVER.

Lately, however, I (along with everyone else) have been thinking about the election. I can honestly say that I have never before CARED so much about it... perhaps it's the liberal arts education in me.

I am honestly very disappointed that Bush won. A few basic reasons why:

1. Good-bye gay rights
It has been made clear that homosexual couples will never be recognized for civil union under the Bush administration. Why? Main arguments are (a) it threatens family values, and (b) it is not allowed in the church. First of all, if anyone is looking at family values, last time I checked, the divorce rate was 50%. I think straight people are doing a fine job of screwing up family values - I don't think the homosexual couples could do any worse. Second of all, the church has NOTHING to do with a CIVIL union. IT IS A LEGAL ISSUE. Church and state are separate in America, remember? AAAGGGH!

2. Good bye feminist movement
Also, it has been made clear that a woman's right to choose will be severly limited, if not taken away altogether. The main argument against abortion comes from the church, once again. PEOPLE! The church and state are SEPARATE! NOT everyone in the United States is a Catholic or Protestant or Christian in general. You can't make laws based on religion when we are TOLERANT of other religions!! And, furthermore, the right to choose is NOT ABOUT ABORTION. It is about the ability for a woman to make HER OWN choices about her body. Next thing you know, women won't be able to go on birth control because it interferes with the will of God.

3. GOPs unite
The government in the next four years will be completely dominated by one party. THAT is not democracy, that's totalitarianism. It actually frightens me.

4. Bush himself
Because of poor money management and budgeting... we are in the BIGGEST DEFECIT in our entire history (Clinton left office with a surplus, no less). Also, no social security by 2022. 18 years from now. I will not even get the CHANCE for social security. A country we have no business with is a battleground because of a petty revenge scheme. The rest of the world can't possibly like ANY American, now that we re-elected Bush.

All in all. *sigh*

An overview of my 21st

2004-09-12T08:49:00.000-05:00

And, the time came for me to join the ranks of many who have gone before me - to bars, restaurants, and clubs - to celebrate the 21st birthday. Here is a somewhat brief overview of everything that occurred on that felicitous day :)

I had my first legal beer at 12am on Friday, in the green room of the theatre, after O'Malley's March played. O'Malley's March was EXCELLENT. When I came I was a little grumpy and pissy, but by the end I was getting my groove on gladly at the front of the stage. After seeing that man in his muscle shirt, I'm fairly certain Mayor O'Malley could kick any other mayor's ass. Anyway. So we (Jon, Herb & his wife, Pecoraro, Fratto and I) were in the green room having beers and Mayor O'Malley comes in and plops down and starts chatting with Herb about random political stuff. So that was very cool, and I definitely can say that I had my first beer with the Mayor of Baltimore.

And then the night progressed... We went down to the garden apartments and hung out for a little bit - and two of the band members from O'Malley's March were with us. Tiny got everyone in the apartment to sing happy birthday to me, which was very nice :) Didn't stay out too, too late since I was exhausted from getting up at 5.45 in the morning.

When I got back to my room, the door was all decorated by sisterhood... it was very neat, and I was actually surprised :)

After I got up the next day and showered etc., Jon and I went to the MVA to get my license changed. We stopped quickly at the mall and then I spent the afternoon just chillin with the girls at Fall Fest (which was conveniently on my birthday).

I went out to dinner at Johannson's with my parents, Sandy, Theresa, & Thomas; Jon, Jon's mom, Jessie, & Clint. Mom brought my cake, which I was very happy with (and consequently, I believe I will have that for breakfast), and I got presents from everyone, which I was very thankful for. I had only two drinks there, a hurricane and a malibu & OJ, but they were both good. Dinner itself was excellent, and I think everyone had a good time and it was very special for me :)

After I got back I was repeatedly surprised with gifts that people had gotten for me. Just blown away. Thank you everyone over and over because it was really touching.

We then went out and partied at the gig Jon threw for me. Which was excellent. I think everyone had a good time. And I was psyched that Katie and Allyson could make it there :) Yay for friends from home! The entire time was just a blast with the music going and getting my drink on, hehe.

Let's see. Then the party cleared out at around 12ish because campus safety was on their way... said goodbyes to Katie and Ally, then went to find another place to continue the partying. Chilled at the theatre again for a little bit, then went down to the Garden Apartments and wound up having some craazy fun until like 3 the morning.

And now, it's all over and I have to get back to the grindstone with everything that I need to do for tomorrow ^_^ Oy.

Grr, unpacking, grr

2004-08-21T22:11:00.000-05:00

I am absolutely having a rough time unpacking. Mostly because I have no place to put things. I don't have an "under bed" spot to put stuff, and so I need to put things in containers. But the containers already have things in them... but not necessarily the things I want in them.

That paragraph is, of course, wittily (sp?) summed up in the following sentence:

I need to put things in things, but the things I put things in all have things in them.

Sounds so Philosophic.

Anyway. So I'm having a hard time at it. Argh. Must... keep... going... [meh...]

Oh my gaaah...

2004-08-16T12:49:00.000-05:00

It just figures that I would move into my room, which faces the back of the building, to get away from the noise of the construction on the side of the building, and to have them be digging/filling a hole RIGHT OUTSIDE MY WINDOW. With BIG, LOUD machinery. Argh!

Impressive

2004-07-29T08:38:00.000-05:00

I totally woke up this morning at 9.15 on my own, no alarm, no noise. I'm rather impressed with myself. Perhaps I'll even get something done. Either that, or I will just sit around and be bored the entire day. Damn you, lazy instincts! I also hate that little inconvenience of going to meals when I have the entire day to myself... I wish I could get Glar delivered (not that I love glar or anything, but I don't have to pay for it). Actually, I think it's possible to get Glar "to go" if you need to, but it seems complicated. Plus, it's only the fact that my lazy butt doesn't want to walk allll the way over there, stand in line with annoying campers, get crappy food, eat half of it, and come back. I honestly haven't even been enjoying the Glar desserts as much as usual (?!). So things are odd.

I'm going to be here straight up through school... so that's going to be a little weird, too. I'm also going to be working right up and into the school year. This is going to suck because I WILL HAVE HAD NO VACATION. Now, I have days off, but, still... not quite the same. *sigh* Oh, well.

Fun times!

2004-07-24T09:58:00.000-05:00

Last night was very fun!

Alli convinced me to go down to B-more with her to see Gavin DeGraw (at which time I had no idea who he was) and the O's game. Well, I had no idea that Gavin sang three songs that I've heard frequently. It was an *awesome* concert, too. He is really great live. It sounds like the recording, it's so good.

We met up with Jess & Jess there, and they and Alli got stuff signed. Then it started to rain as we went in for the $5 baseball game. But we got free corny-ass O's-colored camo-print bucket hats. So it was good, hehe.

So we were there only about an hour and half or so. Then we decided to go back to the 'minster and eat at Applebee's. We also decided to ride back with Jess, instead of taking the metro. So yeah, then we had to find her car... first we went in one parking garage which wasn't the right one, and then we found the right one and couldn't figure out how to get in. We also happened to be a block away from The Block, too. I was kinda amused.

So then we got back, and Alli and I shared spinach artichoke dip, and I had this smashing chocolate dessert. Mmmm. The whole day wound up costing my 20 bucks all in all (for tickets to the game, food at the game, and food at Applebee's - the concert was free!!), which I don't think is too, too bad.

And then I got back and watched Food Network till late in the night. Lol.

Kerry vs. Bush

2004-07-14T10:13:00.000-05:00

I saw this comic in the City Paper; I have to say that it's very amusing. I can't say that I'm a staunch Kerry supporter, but I definately can say that I'm not a Bush supporter. Got the image from here.

Megapost

2004-07-14T09:21:00.000-05:00

I really didn't want to come back here on monday to go to work on Tuesday. I think it's one of the first times that I have *wanted* to stay home. I really, really just wanted to stay a little longer... maybe a couple more days. It's just so *nice* to be at home... good food, nice bed, loving parents... And I was just not looking forward to going back to work again. Not because it's "hard" or anything like that... it's just not.. interesting.

The Phun Philled Phi Mu Weekend (my own name ^_^) was nice, though. I arrived on Thursday, about 3.00, only to realize that the chorale was meeting at 3.30. So I rushed down and registered, got tons of papers, and rehearsed songs to be sung for dinner that night. When I signed up, I totally thought we'd be singing traditional Phi Mu songs, but we instead mostly sung Phi Mu words to other songs. Which is fun, too :)

So, that started the Convention of with a bang. Nothing slowed down from there! We went from meetings to break to meetings to meals to workshops to break to meals! Sometimes it felt as though we didn't have time to breathe! But it was SO neat to look around and know that *everyone* - every, single, person - in that room was a Phi Mu. And, honestly, the whole of Phi Mu is kinda like our chapter of it - very varied in personality.

There were a lot of awards presented during Convention, spread out over all of the meals (lunches & dinners), which is a good thing, because last year (apparently) all of the awards were given out during the Carnation Banquet. I can't even imagine how long and boring that would be. However, in any case it was exciting because Phi Alpha won a COB certificate for successfully COBing a lot of members during the biennium (or something like that).

It was a really inspiring experience over all, and I also learned a few things which could be helpful. Convention got me pumped up over Phi Mu all over again. Whooo!

The Carnation Banquet was a *lot* of fun! The chorale sung some *great* songs, and the meal was really good. We also got Convention charms as favors [aside: One of my favorite things were the favors we got at every meal]. However the BEST EVER part of the evening was winning the Lila May Chapman Scholarship Award. TOTALLY jaw-dropping for me. I had actually tuned out the speaker for a second, when all of a sudden I *thought* I heard her say "Phi Alpha" ... I said "what?!" totally not believing, then I heard "McDaniel College" and I started walking up - I had this HUGE ASS smile on my face, and there on the screen it said "Phi Alpha Chapter" as the winner! When I received the GIANT platter from Kathy Williams, she asked if I was shocked - I nodded. I think it was rather apparent by the look on my face. I was SO excited! It's sad, but I TOTALLY wasn't expecting an Honorable Mention in an award, much less to WIN one! Nonetheless, I'm very proud of our chapter :)

Totally.

2004-07-02T02:25:00.000-05:00

I *totally* won at bingo tonight! Twice! This is the first time I've ever won at bingo (at least bingo being played for real prizes!!). I got a laundry kit [basket, yay!; detergent; stain-remover; TEN DOLLARS IN QUARTERS; softener sheets], and a $25 gift card to Target. VERY excited.

The rain was nice tonight, I almost wish I could have frolicked around in it. I could go for some frolicking.

I need, need, NEED to get a new white dress for Convention. Either that, or i'll have to wear my white suit, because my white dress that I normally wear makes me look, oh, about TWELVE.

Some old news: Jon's sister got engaged last saturday. Very exciting :)

Some new news: I am *totally* rocking at Sonic 2. Hehe.

Meh.

2004-06-29T15:36:00.000-05:00

Jon's making me go to the gym tonight. Well "making" is a strong word. Mostly, he's encouraging me to, considering his entire family is going and he and Jason signed me up for a week guest pass. Plus, it'll be the only time that I'd get to see him till Thursday. I'm very intimidated. I don't like gyms, they make me feel stupid. 'Cause I have absolutely *no* idea what I'm doing. I'd much rather go for a jog or play tennis or raquetball. Much more in my line of things. Speaking of, I've been thinking of getting the key to the raquetball court and playing (very loser-like) by myself, just for the exercise. Too bad Jon is not fond of racket sports. I've had my tennis racket, tennis balls, two racquetball rackets and racquetballs up here for 2 years now, and have yet to play. Oy.

But yeah, I'm really not looking forward to this whole gym thing. Not my style at all.

2004-06-26T12:02:00.000-05:00

My nectarine. I *heart* nectarines. Yummy yum yum.

2004-06-23T00:56:00.000-05:00

I had to document my "dramatic eyes" experiment. I really like how it turned out... Hair isn't *great*, but it's adequate ^_^

I really like the spontenaity of this pic.

My blog is turning into a photoblog. Not sure if this is a good thing or not :P

2004-06-21T23:24:00.000-05:00

A close up of the arrangement. I love irises in general, and I really like how graceful the dragonflowers look... I was surprised by that.

2004-06-21T23:22:00.000-05:00

I went to the grocery store to buy some essentials and some non-essentials. I was pulled into the flowers section and wound up buying some irises, alstomeria (sp?) lilies, and dragonflowers. I think the arrangement turned out rather nicely.. I might get some more flowers and fill in the bottom some more. I love the colors, though.

2004-06-20T00:20:00.000-05:00

Moving on to a fun filled night at the end of the semester. I think it was like friday night of exam week or something like that.

Marcia is acting crazy, as usual. I think I'll leave you guys with this for now ^_^ More will come of this night

2004-06-20T00:15:00.001-05:00

Everyone getting down on the dance floor.. ohhh riight... (yeah the girl in the corner looks kinda creepy with the red-eye thing going on. Oops)

2004-06-20T00:15:00.000-05:00

Awww, geez. I heart my boys :) So cute! And *so* proud to be an Alpha Sigma Phi Lavalier (as of that night, too!) Too bad no one had my camera for that moment.

2004-06-20T00:10:00.000-05:00

Some fun pictures from the Alpha Sig formal on April 30th... yeah... a little while ago ^_^ I just wound up hooking my camera up yesterday to my computer. I forgot about the photos, actually!

It appears that I caught Rusty playing "grab-ass" ... hehehe

Feeling good never felt so great ^_^

2004-06-17T22:36:00.000-05:00

The past couple of days have been really good to me.

Yesterday, I was having a "good me" day. I looked and felt really good. For some reason, my hair turned out wonderfully - I had it up, and it wound up having this wonderfully classic look about it, not to mention that I actually wore jewelry and perfume (L'Interdit for the first time!), which is rare for me. I felt very confident, just because I liked how I looked.

The Boys State boys amuse me. They're very polite and gentlemanly (most of the time.. boys will be boys!), which I'm very happy about - I'm glad *someone* is teaching young men nowadays how to treat a lady. I think they may have even gotten the hang of marching. They were kind of shaky with that at first. Anyway, yesterday I came to dinner the same time as the State boys were, and one of their leaders/chaperones definitely made them stop as I cut in line for my silverwear, and then brought me to the front of the line for food. Definitely made me feel special... hehe.

Today, I was *completely* psyched when Glar had its Iced Tea machine fixed!! Hey.. it's the little things :)

A lady definitely walked in today that had a chihuahua strapped to her in front, baby-style. It was adorable. I guess no one can really stop you if it's strapped to ya. Hehe.

Nothing is more fun than having glimmery peach fingernails, then bubblegum-bright, sparkly toenails ^_^ hehe.

Hehe

2004-06-16T12:39:00.000-05:00

I added an all-important 21st birthday countdown.

Campus Safety (Aka sampus cafety) gave me a parking ticket for parking in the faculty/staff parking lot. Um. Currently, I *am* staff of the college. I'm heading over now to wrangle this out.

edit (1.44): The director still is out of the office, even though we were told he'd be back in "about an hour" about an hour ago. Now, they say he'll be there at about 2.30, "give or take". Right. I'm calling at three. Of course, he also said that "we don't really keep track of tickets over the summer. They're more like a warning." So what about the lecture on "parking regs are in effect 24/7 365 days a year" to Lizzie? Hm.

La la la...

2004-06-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

I found it really cool that one of the girls in the suite was listening to the Doves. They're a great band.

Yesterday I found a 4-leaf clover on the way to work. It really brightened my day :)

This morning, Jon took me out to lunch at Harry's. It was very yummy, and really made my day a whole lot better.

Work wasn't bad... finished The Dante Club. Good book. Now, I'm going to amuse myself somehow or another.

Reflections

2004-06-08T22:14:00.000-05:00

Today I got treated by mom to a surprise and several nice things. The surprise was that she was coming up to bring mail and come see me. Unfortunately, my room was a disaster area... there should have been yellow tape around the whole thing ^_^ Ironically, I was going to clean my room anyhow, but the fact that my mom called an hour before she was to be here certainly made things move a bit faster than they normally would have. It actually (comparatively) looks rather nice right now. I have floor space! Perhaps the rug will find its home soon, then.

Mom treated me to lunch and some shopping; it was really nice :) I got several things that I've been wanting- perfume (L'Interdit), a new summer purse (Nine West, and it actually should do quite nicely well into fall), sunglasses (finally! They're glamorous, too); and a pair of black thong sandals considering I seem to have misplaced mine somehow. Of course, the perfume cost as much as the other three combined... oh well. It's going to be my "evening" perfume anyway. I'm excited :)

Worked from 3-11 today, which was nice... heh.. heh. Well, it's a good pay period at least. And, as per usual, I really didn't *do* anything so, really, who's to complain?

Meep!

2004-06-03T12:50:00.000-05:00

I'm slowly getting more settled in my room. I wish there was more to do at night though.. sometimes I feel a bit lost and isolated. Meh... oh well.

Today is such a beautiful day; I think I may go for a run after I get off work.

I wish I could hang out with Jon a little bit today, considering it's his day off.

Just a few tidbits.

sigh

2004-05-29T23:47:00.000-05:00

I had a "classic" slow moment today. Oh yes, it even involved a joke. It involved a joke where, about ten seconds later, I burst out laughing as I finally *get* the joke. Of course, Jason and Jon (who were on either side of me) found this incredibly amusing. Actually, though, even I had to laugh just because it was so classic. ...You probably had to be there.

Anyways, this moment occured during the previews of Shrek II - excellent movie, I highly recommend it. I especially enjoyed the paradied movie scenes, and how can you NOT love Puss in Boots?? Hehe... all in all, fun times.

Then, I had a long night (5-11) of uneventful work. But it's okay because there were FREE InStyles on the Free Books shelf in Decker, so I read one and then tore it all up with scissors (to get cool images, of course!!). I like things that are free... actually though, the Free Books shelf has been very helpful. It yielded several [old] teeny-bopper short novels that at least pass the time (although being brainless) at work. One of them was called "Nothing Ever Happens Here" ... I told Alli that the title was a good one for the Info Desk ;) I left it in one of the drawers when I was done with it ^_^ I like my job, though. The people around me are [generally] pleasant and good natured; and really, how often do you get a job where you [seriously] get paid to do nothing - as well as having your housing and food taken care of?? ...Exactly. Well, not to mention that I'm closer to Jon this way, too, which is nice. [Which reminds me, I need to see my parents sometime! I honestly do miss them]

La la la. And all that jazz.

Spring Fling

2004-05-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

Jon is about to get pie'd by [college] President Coley. Hehehe.

Evening time

2004-05-14T23:58:00.000-05:00

Went to the O's game tonight with the seniors because it was student night... ooooh, what a game!! Angels were leading by 9, and we rallied and tied in the ninth inning, but they scored in the tenth (tear!). It was a very good time :)

I was very sad because I was looking forward to coming home and spending some time with my baby before going to bed, but I got a voicemail while we were on the metro (b-more metro is skeetchhyy) that he went home because there wasn't anything to do around here so he went home because he's sick anyway. Of course, I had just been looking forward to seeing him when I got it. Oy.

Never got around to cleaning up my room. Oh well. Now, I just want to veg a bit before going to bed.

I'm done!!

2004-05-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

That's right. I finished up my last exam this morning (it started at 8.30!!) and then typed up and turned in my notes on the presentations for the same class.

Now, I'm RELAXING. Without any stress.

But after I finish this post, I think I'm going to start cleaning up/clearing out my room, since no one is in the suite so they won't mind if I put all my crap out there O:)

Poor Jon got a fever last night.

I am thinking that I'll update my bloggity goodness since Blogger decided to *wham!* release a new version. I was so pleased with this template, too...

As I've mentioned earlier, I'll be working here at college over the summer... it ought to be, well, interesting on one side, and boring on the other. Interesting because a couple of the girls will be working here too, and because I hope to get a lot of things done that I normally wouldn't (i.e. craft projects). Boring because, well, I'm working as a building manager/information desk person for a school that's *out* for the summer, and I'll be working every day. Ohh well. I'm looking forward to it because it'll be relaxing, but I'll still be getting paid for doing stuff. I just hope to enjoy myself this summer ^_^

Small update on my life

2004-05-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

1) I got the job here at school! I'm very excited. I'm going to be one of three building managers for Decker over the summer, starting the monday after finals (which hopefully means senior week will still be fun!) ... this means, of course, that I'll be living up here over the summer.

2) School is done for... at least classes are done. I have a paper due tomorrow (meeeh!), two finals, and my piano jury. Kinda wish I didn't have to do that stuff. I have "junior"itis I guess.

3) Jon lavaliered me during the Alpha Sig Black & White formal on Apr 30th. This is a rather nice honor - I can wear their fraternity letters now. It is also almost a pre-engagement type of gesture. Mom understands.

4) Jon did my laundry for me a couple of days ago, and I really, really, appreciate it. He is such a wonderful boyfriend! But this means that I no longer have a massive pile of clothes in my closet and on my floor. It also means that I have clean sheets, which I enjoy.

Um, that seems pretty good for me, although major shout-outs go to all my girls in Phi Mu! I heart you guys sooo much.

What tree am I?

2004-05-06T20:58:00.000-05:00

I found this to be scarily accurate:

Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow Tree

Weeping Willow (the Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.

...not to mention that weeping willows have always been my favorite tree. Woooaaah...

A short update

2004-04-11T20:06:00.000-05:00

I'm still alive! :)

Spring Break

2004-03-18T22:19:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy Spring Break. Not much rest or anything... South Carolina - reveling in warmth! - from Saturday to Wednesday. Oh, the weather was like a comfy blanket! Unfortunately, it was rather boring.

Today, went to Bank of America to see about a summer job - unfortunately, they only have summer openings on the Eastern Shore. Somehow, I doubt I would be able to afford an apartment and save money at the same time. I'm going to check out other banks in the area, and also talk to my cousins - I really just want a nice, normal, 9-5 job. I'm also going to see about working at school over the summer - DEFINITELY would enjoy that :)

This afternoon, Jon came down to see me and to FINALLY take me to see LOTR 3... He surprised me by coming down an hour earlier than expected :) It's always so good to see him after we've been apart for a while. It's going to be hard after I graduate, and he's in France. Oh well - I'll write him lots of letters... I've always wanted to write love letters :)

LOTR was really good... correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there supposed to be more battles in the Shire after the Hobbits came back and realized that a tryannical rule had been set in place? I read the trilogy last summer, so my memory may be tricking me. Of course, that would have probably made the movie about 4.5 hours long vs. 3.5 hours.

Tomorrow we're going to see Stephen Lynch at the Recher Theatre in Towson - and eating dinner somewhere over there, too. It should be fun :) I'm spending the night at his house, and after that - only one day till we're back at school and spending the majority of our time together, again! :P

As a side note, it will be very fun to turn 21. I can't wait to sip cocktails at a restaurant :D Cosmos, margaritas (on the rocks), and all sorts of fruity concoctions... hee hee hee! And of course, for Jon's birthday I'm going to make it a beer extravaganza for him. "Kegs" and eggs for breakfast (really, just bottles, not a keg, but it rhymes...), and all sorts of fun all day :) YEAH for our birthdays being on Saturday this year!

Have I mentioned that I absolutely love the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman? I love the intermingling of science, philosophical issues, and fantasy that he threads through the stories. The kind of thing "uber" christians would have banned. No offense. I'm rereading the trilogy over break... well, I hope to reread it, I've finished book I, and now I'm in the middle of book II... I think I'll go to bed now and finish it so I can start the third, where everything comes together in such an interesting manner, it's wonderful...

2004-02-29T11:47:00.000-05:00

It smells like a cold day at the Island. I can almost smell the bay... the cars are the motor boats rushing by; the tin boats racing to the best fishing spots... The breeze propels the flouncy, white sails on the sailboats in the distance, whisking them across the water, mirroring the billowing clouds that race in the sky.

I miss it.

(I dreamt about the Island, but it was a dark, dark dream. One that I didn't enjoy at all. Stormy and tumultuous - frightening, really)

Yay for valentines day...

2004-02-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

Two weeks late ^_^ Jon and I finally got to go out! We got dressed to the nines, and went to this wonderful little restaurant called Mealey's. I ate the better part of a four-course meal- ooohhh tummy was so full, but it was all sooo good. Baked brie in puff pastry (covered in honey and almonds!) as an appetizer (it came with grapes, too, yum!), then a salad with the house dressing - a honey vinagrette I believe - followed by the main course: Surf and turf, a filet mignon and a crab cake, with baked potato and green beans. The filet was so tender and yummy, and the crab cake had huge pieces of crab in it. They both tasted excellent! And, of course, I had to have dessert (I made Jon promise! :-P), so I had some Chocolate Rum cake, which honestly didn't taste like it had any rum flavoring in it, but still tasted oh so rich and wonderful (I also had a latte, which was excellent! And it came with a crystallized sugar stick!). It was such a yummy evening. We were one of the last ones to leave the restaurant; we were there for about 2 hours ^_^ It was nice just to relax and converse with my love, and eat some REALLY good food. Yummmmmmy!

On another note- it smells like spring! The breeze coming in my window is so fresh and new. It smells full of expectation! I'm really looking forward to warm weather :)

My room is clean - I cleaned it for yesterday - but only superficially. IE: stuff is stuffed under my bed, in drawers, in the closet, and anywhere else I can hide things... O:) I need to declutter when spring break comes (ie: take useless stuff home). We'll see if that happens. Maybe Jon will help...

Bid Day and weekend

2004-02-20T01:22:00.000-05:00

YAY! Tomorrow (er, today) is Bid Day! We get to go out and sing our hearts out and get our new girls :) Unfortunately, exec then has to leave for Leadership Conference that evening! So we miss out on Bid Day weekend. Ohhh well. BUT it's going to be SO much fun!! I'm so excited...

We are the Phi Mus, we are the best/We are the girls that top all the rest!

I'm kinda hungry right now... dunno why.

The semester has been going really great.

I want my digicam back... Jon has it b/c they took pictures of their potentials with it :
I need to pack and clean my room (again!).

I gave Jon his v-day gift today! He loved it! :) It was a Stephen Lynch CD. Hehehehe!

Okay, no real content to this post... just inane babbling. Sometimes I feel like I would be a complete nerd if I tried to be poetic. So that's why I'm not. Oh well.

Yay!

2004-02-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

My boy finally came home yesterday... I was cleaning my room and he walked in (I was so surprised- he had said that he'd call when he landed at the airport and I hadn't received a call yet)... definitely ran (the two feet) and jumped on him and hugged him. My heart lifted right at that moment, to see, hear, and smell him. Oh, how nice it was!

He insisted on giving me my valentine's day gift last night- I didn't want him to, because I didn't have much to give him (yet), but he finally convinced me. Can I tell you how surprised I was when (animal activists don't read this :P) he gave me a beautiful fur coat!It's calf length... very nice... I'm going to wear it tomorrow night when we go out and celebrate Valentine's Day. Hee hee! Not quite sure where to put it, though. It can't be touching other fabric... From what I know from mom, though, I think I could get a paper cover for it. We'll see. Oh, and I gave him a mug from starbucks that says 'Amore.' on it, with a cute heart handle. Mom gave me a pink one, and a red one for me to give to him.

The weather has been so topsy-turvy lately. I never thought I'd say this, but I could use some warmer weather ... get to wear sexy outfits without freeeeezing my patookus off. (although I have my fur now to keep me warm! ;P)

I feel so much more on top of things when my room is clean... I feel organized and able. I'm going to try and keep it that way, just for my own, mental, sake. Sometimes I wonder if I'm borderline o/c, or if I'm just anal. Who knows...

Hmm.

2004-02-14T01:51:00.000-05:00

Well.

I'm not really sure what to say. I'm getting a little tired... and tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I don't understand why some people really hate V-day. I mean, even when I didn't have a sig. other, I just found it fun to get stuff from my parents and do stuff for them (one year, I dressed up like cupid. It was funny. no, you can't see pictures). The only thing that bums me out is that Jon is up in Boston, and I am down here. Makes getting together on V-day a little difficult... I'm going to open his card when I wake up, and also the cards from my parents... my mom gave me a box of chocolates, too :)

I need to do laundry. Slowly the supply of underwear is dwindling.

I hope I'm not as bored tomorrow night as I was this past night. Meh.

I am the most uninteresting person ever.

Righto. Long time, no post!

2004-02-04T14:49:00.000-05:00

Amazing how going to classes, meetings, and playing Sonic can cut down on your blogging time.

I'm doing well in my classes; Culture of Lat. America seems like it will be very time consuming. Lot's of reading and outside class activities to do... why?? Meh. World o' Light and Color is interesting - I'm such a nerd! I like physics types of stuff, plus the class just flies by. Information Age was a little hard to get going in (it's my online class), but I think I'm getting the swing of things.

Cardio Kick... wow, that's an intense class. I'm sore today from monday, and now this mornings class, too! But I am having fun, and I'm glad I'm working out. I kinda wished that the class lasted the whole semester, because I think it would be good for me. Maybe I'll check into something like that at the YMCA or something (note: I probably won't). Of course, by the time it's over, It should be warming up enough so that I can go running again... I really rather enjoy running. Oooh! And I'm excited because today in class we did an ab exercise that doesn't hurt my back! I was so psyched. So now I'll be able to work on my abs some more :) Wow, don't I sound like a fitness freak...

I have all my class stuff together, but everything else is kind of slipping out. I need to sit down and really fill out my calendar to the fullest with all my Phi Mu meetings (etc) and other stuff. Meh! I missed selling choc. roses today because I plumb forgot - but I promise to be there the next 4 days that I'm doing it! I just need to start USING the planner that I write everything in. SLOWLY I'm becoming more organized with my life. So far it's taken 10 years just to find these methods of organization. Damn.

Wow i haven't updated in a while.

2004-01-28T13:24:00.000-05:00

Well, since my last posting, things have been very fun :) We celebrated over the weekend before going back to school, then Mother nature decided she liked us and gave us the first two days of school off! :D Today we had 2 hours late, so I only had to go to one class, yippee! The snow was a lot of fun, and I got some very good pictures (below are some of them). I am really excited for this semester; I think it is because I am taking a rather light load, so I will have more time to devote to individual classes and my Treasurer position. Light & Color (my class today) seems to be interesting, but we have to write a reasearch essay. Hmm.

Somehow, I jammed my ring finger on my left hand.. well, at least it feels like it. The first joint hurts and doesn't like to be bent. Meh.

I need to start putting information into my datebook.

Pictures! Yay! These were all taken yesterday..

I *heart* snow..

Grr!

2004-01-23T10:29:00.000-05:00

I am very ... not exactly "pissed off" ... but definitely peeved. My Ad project, yes, the one where I was in a group of four, and did nearly all the work on..? Well, because I arrived after he did, the freaking Hungarian (sorry, nothing personal against hungarians..) got to essentially say that he would be the "contact" if our teacher needed someone to present it to the college. WHAT THE F...?! I was so peeved. At the end, I made sure to let him know that I at least did the graphics and stuff for the presentation- I really just wanted to add: "oh, along with most everything else!" ... but the hungarian was still in the freaking room. Why does he always spoil everything -.- GRR!!! Now if I try to do something, it would make me seem childish. If the hungarian had left instead of sticking around, I probably would have said that it would mean a lot to me to be the contact/make the presentation. I knew a lot about it.. etc etc. But NO! Gah!

Meh... must stop ranting... (but I'm still rather incensed about the whole deal >.<)

Thursday Three

2004-01-22T16:03:00.000-05:00

1. What astro star sign are you?
Virgo

2. Do you favour your star sign traits?
Sometimes I think I do- especially since I'm becoming more and more OCD about things ^_^ and, well, I'm honestly rather picky about things...

3. Do you read and/or believe the astrological star signs?
Hehe, I have an astrological calendar (which has really cool pictures). I like to read them (I always read horoscopes if I see them), but I don't really believe them about 'futuristic' things. Personality wise... well, I'm always looking for something to define my personality.

Thursday Three

Wanted to start doing a few of these ... I noticed that there are a few "photo" memes- I might try that out. It could be fun :)

2004-01-22T11:17:00.000-05:00

For some reason, our bathroom smells like B.O. Everytime I walk in, I feel like i've accidently stumbled into some sweaty linebacker's armpit. I can't understand why it smells that way- you think with the amount of chemicals they use in that place (which has made the entire floor smell like a hazardous waste zone, but has done nothing to the smell in the bathroom) would kill it. But, noooo. Hmph.

We had our presentation for Ad class today. My group of misfits did all right- the one guy had some really bad public speaking habits, though. He could talk... he just couldn't STAY IN ONE PLACE. He would do this little dance, one step forward, other foot follows; shift weight, shift weight; one step back, other foot follows; shift weight, shift weight... AAAGGGHHH! I really just wanted to go over, and grab him by the shoulders, or tell him to STAND STILL. My section went all right- I think I might have spoken a little to quickly, and I didn't elaborate on some of the things I wanted to elaborate on... but it's all good.

Every group had it's strong and weak points, but I think group no. 1 might win because they had a pretty neat Radio ad that they had made themselves. I liked our slogan the best though - "Shared Experience, Personal Success!" The others were .. um .. "Come ordinary, Leave extraordinary" (group 1, not too bad), "Come see" (i think? group 2, sort of okay), and group 1 had another one along the lines of "An education too expensive... not to have" or something like that.

Feeling pretty good right now. Maybe I'll do something productive...

Oh So Proud

2004-01-21T15:44:00.000-05:00

I feel so proud, so happy, and so lucky everytime I look at my ring. It makes me smile...

ad project- worked on it today with the other group members. Almost had an anheurism for a while, there. Then I finally got control and everything became presentable, for the most part. Ogilvy was right-advertising should not be done in committees! Two people, max, would have been better. But then the presentation day would have been 2 hours instead of 1 hour. Eep! But it's done. And we will be presenting first. So yeah...

I can't believe real classes start next week... not that I have a heavy load or anything. But still. It should be interesting.

Hee hee!

2004-01-20T19:49:00.000-05:00

Got the ring sized- and now it's on the right finger :) I'm so giddy.

My ad project is giving me a headache- mostly because (a) I don't want to do all the work because I don't want to control the entire thing (b) I don't really trust the other people's ideas/opinions (c) we never really get anything done and (d) because it's annoying. Erg.

I'll be chillin out tonight most likely- sitting in front of the tv watching Comedy Central with the boy. Hee hee. Perhaps eating my Safeway Tiramisu ice cream.

I promised :)

2004-01-18T12:37:00.000-05:00

So, my wonderful Chico gave me a really special gift two days ago...! I was very excited.

..A promise ring! It's not sized yet, we will be going to the jewelers on monday to drop it off (and to get my ring size) and it will be back on Tuesday. I adore it- and him, of course!

*gooey happy sigh*

I love you, Chico!

A movie meme

2004-01-18T03:10:00.000-05:00

I saw this on another blog and felt the need to do it (and stay up even later, whee!)

1. Godfather, The (1972)
2. Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)
3. Godfather: Part II, The (1974)
4. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, The (2003)
5. Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, The (2002)
6. Casablanca (1942)
7. Schindler�s List (1993)
8. Shichinin no samurai (1954)
9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)
10. Citizen Kane (1941)
11. Star Wars (1977)
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo�s Nest (1975)
13. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
14. Rear Window (1954)
15. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
17. Memento (2000) (I saw parts)
18. Usual Suspects, The (1995)
19. Pulp Fiction (1994)
20. North by Northwest (1959)
21. Fabuleux destin d�Amelie Poulain, Le (2001) (aka, Amelie)
22. Psycho (1960)
23. 12 Angry Men (1957)
24. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
25. Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)
26. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)
27. It�s a Wonderful Life (1946)
28. Goodfellas (1990)
29. American Beauty (1999)
30. Vertigo (1958)
31. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
32. Pianist, The (2002)
33. Matrix, The (1999)
34. Apocalypse Now (1979)
35. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
36. Some Like It Hot (1959)
37. Taxi Driver (1976)
38. Paths of Glory (1957)
39. Third Man, The (1949)
40. C�era una volta il West (1968)
41. Fight Club (1999)
42. Boot, Das (1981)
43. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) (Spirited Away)
44. Double Indemnity (1944)
45. L.A. Confidential (1997)
46. Chinatown (1974)
47. Singin� in the Rain (1952)
48. Requiem for a Dream (2000) (The title seems familiar)
49. Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
50. M (1931)
51. All About Eve (1950)
52. Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
53. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
54. Se7en (1995)
55. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
56. Cidade de Deus (2002)
57. Raging Bull (1980)
58. Wizard of Oz, The (1939)
59. Rashmon (1950)
60. Sting, The (1973)
61. American History X (1998)
62. Alien (1979)
63. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
64. Leon (The Professional) (1994)
65. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
66. Vita bella, La (1997) (Life Is Beautiful)
67. Touch of Evil (1958)
68. Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
69. Wo hu cang long (2000) (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)
70. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
71. Great Escape, The (1963)
72. Clockwork Orange, A (1971)
73. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
74. Annie Hall (1977)
75. Amadeus (1984)
76. Jaws (1975)
77. Ran (1985)
78. On the Waterfront (1954)
79. Modern Times (1936)
80. High Noon (1952)
81. Braveheart (1995)
82. Apartment, The (1960)
83. Sixth Sense, The (1999)
84. Fargo (1996)
85. Aliens (1986)
86. Shining, The (1980)
87. Blade Runner (1982)
88. Strangers on a Train (1951)
89. Duck Soup (1933)
90. Metropolis (1927)
91. Finding Nemo (2003)
92. Donnie Darko (2001)
93. Toy Story 2 (1999)
94. Princess Bride, The (1987)
95. General, The (1927)
96. City Lights (1931)
97. Lola rennt (1998) (Run Lola Run)
98. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
99. Notorious (1946)
100. Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)

I actually feel pretty good about myself, in terms of the amount I bolded (italicized) :D

Happiness

2004-01-18T02:10:00.000-05:00

I'm really psyched. Somehow, my computer managed to miraculously fix itself. Well, not quite fix itself, by itself, but I'm not quite sure what I did to fix it, either. I, first, wanted to reinstall Windows, but after realizing that I couldn't do that.. I decided to try to uninstall/reinstall some of the programs that were being funky. I first did PSP 7, mostly because I was dying over not being able to use it, then I did my CD Creator program... then, I (for some unknown, psychic reason) decided to try and open Money, which had also been acting up. BAM! It opened! No error messages or anything. Then, I tried to open my Kodak program... same thing! Like I said, I don't know what I did, but I'm glad I did it ^_^

It's snowing outside... well, kind of, right now... but at least we got some form of accumulation this time (rather than the dusting we got a couple of days ago!). It's pretty and I like it :)

It seems weird, because Jon wasn't here at all this evening (he went home after he got off work, and I wasn't around to see him) so I am feeling quite at a loss right now.

I received a special gift from Chico, yesterday :) More on that tomorrow.

My Computer is a POS

2004-01-16T13:32:00.000-05:00

*sigh* Not quite sure what exactly happened, but now if I try to open certain (most of my) programs, a really annoying KERNEL32 error will come up, then after you click OK, another message comes up saying that I do not have access to that program and I should contact my system administrator.. erm, right. I think it is a result of Boot record stuff. As I was Anti-Virusing, a message popped up about a change to the boot record, and was it expected (save), unexpected (delete), or to do nothing. I clicked expected for some unknown reason- and I think that may be the root of all this computer evilness. Bah. Humbug.

Trying to clean up the room more and get rid of some of the clutter. No class today, which made me happy :)

LAST NIGHT WAS SO MUCH FUN! A group of us went out for Kara's 21st birthday- first to Ruby Tuesday, then to Baja. It was a blast. We ate good food and got our groove thang on! Definitely a fun group. Definitely need to do that more often.

I'm upset because computer evilness is preventing me from opening Paint Shop Pro, and therefore from doing anything productive with my website. Grr. Oh yeah, and my Cd-writing program doesn't work. Grr. Grrrr!

I have lots of things to do

2004-01-14T11:46:00.000-05:00

I forgot about my website. I should work on that; I suppose it isn't a top priority, however... I also need to clean my room, and work on some other stuff for stuff ;) I should probably organize my desk, and work on Advertising, and maybe try to contact the Marketing Dept at school. I should get my butt in gear instead of wasting time on blogging, but, yeah, I'm a lazy bum.

Ad agency was a lot of fun! I learned a lot about the business and the ad creation process. It was really neat. I talked to the COO (who conducted the "session") afterwards, and he thought that going to grad school would be a good idea for me, because I want to refine my skills and whatnot. He said that if I got into VCU's program (and graduated) that I would definitely be a valued employee. So... that's exciting. Chico was a little unhappy with the prospect of my going to Grad school in VA, and it bums me out as well, but I don't even know if I'm going to get in much less be able to go right now. We'll wait and see.

Now I think I will go and be productive. :-P

Booyah

2004-01-14T09:40:00.000-05:00

Meep! I got my digicam back yesterday! I'm very excited. Now I can take pictures of all sorts of useless, inane things ^_^

Yesterday had field trip to ad agency, cool, more info later, probably. I will be heading to my ad class soon. Hopefully we will get out a little early...

It seems the school has decided to concentrate it's (ADD) efforts toward the parking lot/building project next to my dorm. Too bad it's not summer and there aren't hot construction worker guys running around shirtless. Um, not that I care, but I'm sure other people would appreciate it. It's not too loud, and I appreciate that.

Chilly willy

2004-01-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

It is warmer than usual outside - usual being around 28 degrees for the past couple of days - and cooler than usual in my room. 30 deg outside, 70 deg inside - about 4 deg lower than normal. I don't know why, but when the inside temp falls to about 72/70, my hands always get really cold. Like today, I first noticed that my hands were cold, then I looked at my thermometer and noticed the temp. Hmm.

I have given up on the idea that I will run in this weather. Maybe if it was in the high thirties/forties I would - but this weather is just simply too cold. It's hard enough for me to walk through it, much less run. I'll just wait for Cardio Kick.

I think I may actually clean my room and unpack today.

The common room smells absolutely awful. Very sulfuric - it smells like the stuff you use to clean silver. Blech.

I am very close to finishing up the revamp for my website :)

Hehe

2004-01-06T13:55:00.000-05:00

So I was chillin in my room, looking at my computer (actually, checking out VCU's ad program) and stuff, then when I was done, I noticed my weather watcher was blinking, so I click on it, and it says possible snow showers. Excited at the prospect for snow, I go to click on the map to see where the snow was, and my computer froze. So I restarted it and turned around - BAM! it's snowing outside. I was amused. It was horizontal snow, too. Hehe. Right now it's not snowing as hard (bummer), but it looks like someone poured powdered sugar over the landscape.

Birds just flew by!! (I'm sorry if I seem excited, there is a distinct lack of birds on campus. And a very large population of squirrels, which may contribute to the lack of birds)

Although the parking lot next to my dorm is blocked off (as well as part of the road that goes behind my dorm), and there is a bobcat, a torn up sidewalk, missing trees, and a construction trailer, I have yet to see any "work" being done. I saw two men walking by with shovels yesterday, but they just went into the trailer. I don't understand why the roadway is blocked off if they're not even doing any work... although, I am not so very sad, since it is right outside my window and I would not like to be woken up at insane hours by workmen. Campus workers have the "waking you up early" thing down pat. No no, mowing, leaf/snow blowers, ice scraper things - all must be done as early as possible. Oy.

(aw, the snow cloud is going away. I wonder if there's another one.)

(I'm not dependent on computers. Hmph)

Back at school!

2004-01-05T19:05:00.000-05:00

Ahhh. Happy to be back at school. I still need to clean up the room a little bit (ie, unpack). Had my first Advertising class today, it should be pretty interesting. Also went to the Ad Agency... it looks very promising. I'm hoping I have the chance to have an internship there (or somewhere). I wish I could get a paid one, though... oh well.

I like Jan terms, I think more semesters should be like Jan term. It would be nice :)

Waiting for Chico to get back from work... Should probably clean up, but I don't feel like it. I just want to laze about. Heh.

Color me Inspired

Z Gallerie - Plaza Coasters - Set of 4

Pretty lights

Breakfast on the deck

Deck lights

I really need to go to Ikea

Asian theme Plaques

On deck

Targeted

Mulling over the bathroom

Deck inspiration, cont.

Outdoorsy

New sofa? Maybe.

Wall Decor

Really Frustrated

New on Site

Neutral Kitchen Shelving

Urban Outfitters - Lulu Chair in Leaf Green

Not forgotten, just busy.

A break for fashion

A little background

Z Gallerie - Zoe Table Lamp

1st Dibs - Art Deco Loveseat

1st Dibs - Green High Back Chairs

Modern Throw Pillow | Bubble Pillow | Chiasso

Z Gallerie - Water Lily Leaf Bowl

Recipe: Simple Pita Pizzas

Pita Pizzas

Incomplete Thought: Oil Companies and Biofuels

From "The Bride Price", NYTimes.com

Immigration blah blah blah

Recipe: Rosemary-Lemon Salmon en Papillote

Rosemary-Lemon Salmon en Papillote

Recipe: Lemon-Butter Fish

Lemon-Butter Fish

Menu: Panini Caprese with Mesclun Salad

Panini Caprese

Mesclun Salad

An image

Tidbits

A quickie

A Tip for Life #1

Are Resentments Justified?

I am woman, hear me roar! (*meow*)

Femininity as Weakness

Men and Women are Different

Barefoot and Pregnant

A theory to life

Taking care of business

A life of craft

The point of no return

Ideas

Onward!

Jon and i at spring formal

One of the many ways I add useless noise to the internet

Ugh

Dude.

General thoughts

An overview of my 21st

Grr, unpacking, grr

Oh my gaaah...

Impressive

Fun times!

Kerry vs. Bush

Megapost

Totally.

Meh.

Feeling good never felt so great ^_^

Hehe

La la la...

Reflections

Meep!

*sigh*

Spring Fling

Evening time

I'm done!!

Small update on my life

What tree am I?

A short update

Spring Break

I am woman, hear me roar! (meow)

sigh