appetizer: flowers

This look clearly says to me, "leave me the F#$% alone."

Ever since the rain has come back to the city, flowers and little splashes of colour have been sprouting up everywhere. So much so that I, who loves flowers, have been stopping into little flower shops lately and deciding if it is worth buying a little potted friend. Of course, the answer is always "no" because firstly I have a black thumb (it's inherited) and will kill any plant, guaranteed, within 4-6 weeks. Secondly, Milo eats flowers...and occasionally even leafy plants. All that time we lived in the Villa (our apartment in Davis), and we thought our plants were just dying or something, but no: we found a flower-less bouquet that one of us had received, sitting in its vase still, almost untouched except for the lack of blooms...and Milo sitting nearby, giving us a look that was supposed to say, "Wow. Look at that. Your flowers just...disappeared!", but not realizing he hadn't wiped his filthy little pie-hole, and there was a single mutilated petal clinging to his whiskers (sorry Noemma). Nolan didn't know this quality/flaw about the creature when we first moved here, and brought me some daffodils he had picked/stolen from someone's yard...only to find a gnawed-on petal remaining by the time I got home from work. Hhhhh. So: as long as this beast lives, I can never have flowers.

Last night, the Longs came over to play Settlers and have wine and angel food cake and of course pepperidge farm cookies. I mean it's implied that the Caldwells dominated ;), but: the company was fantastic and that is what the focus of this statement should be. Not our victory. Heh. Also I think things would have been different if Nolan hadn't royally screwed up the last game for Natalie (she did a good job controlling herself but I think it was getting close to blood-shed in Catan).

Yesterday I went to Trader Joe's for the first time in my life (I KNOW), and it was fantastic. Not only did I stock up on Oregon Chai mix, but I got a bunch of random foodie things that Nolan is already eyeing excitedly. While there, I stopped by Borders next door and got some stupid stuff for my desk. Everyone keeps telling me my cube looks uninhabited, to which I say, "I KNOW. HHHH." So I thought I'd spice it up with some colour...pink mainly :) So they are cute, but they are also stupid and I can't believe I paid for such things.
Like a little sparkly pink ball for which I have no purpose:

And some little magnets:

And you know, some other stuff like a flowery pencil sharpener and a purple paper-holder, but seriously, how DEPRESSING is that.

Easypleaser: an expose on afternoon tea (or not)

I’m not hard to please. In fact, I think I’m pretty easy-going. I’m pretty good at letting things roll off my back and letting things go. I wasn’t always this way, but let’s just call this new(ish) development either “maturity” or “the product of marriage”, because let’s face it: that may be one of the most important keys to a successful marriage (don’t hate: obviously there are other equally and even more important things). So when I talk about how happy I am about something, or how pleased I am with my brilliant husband :), I genuinely mean it, and consider myself generally a very happy person. In all honesty, I think I get carried away sometimes and find myself thinking “man, I am SUCH a great wife! Look how easy-going I am!”…which I have confessed to my mother, who herself has been known to say things aloud like “Aren’t I SO charming?!”, and yet she rolls her eyes at my little confession. Huh. Where was I going with this? Oh, right. I was thinking about writing an entire post about how HAPPY my afternoon cup o’ Tazo Passion tea truly makes me (hence the title), until I realized nobody wants to read about that, and I should probably dig deep into my recesses and find something more entertaining to throw to the sharks…I got nothin’. But the tea…seriously.

chibblins

It’s at this point into my daily (sob) bag of Razzles that I think, “I should stop. I am going to get diabetes or rot my teeth or put on 20 pounds…and WHY is 80% of this bag the oranges and yellows?!”

Today I invested in the Caudalie “Eau de Beaute” that The Pretty Analyst recommended. If I can get past the funky smell (something like what I imagine Mary Engelbreit smells like), I will be a huge fan. I *actually* feel rejuvenated already! Note to self: close lips when applying so I don’t also TASTE Mary Engelbright the next time I sip my coffee.

I also invested in (I imagine this is where Nolan cringes) another cardigan from Gap. I tell you what, their spring colours are FANTASTIC (I own 3 now), and what better to brave my office adversary (appropriately titled, “Psychopathic Thermostat Fluctuations: Arctic to Hell and Back Again”) with, than a nice ¾ sleeve cardigan. And who doesn’t love a cardigan, anyway.


Other than the normal pressures of a new job, I have chalked my tired eyes up to my contacts, and figured I need to take a glasses day. So I did today, and it is amazing how many people have said, “Wow, you wear glasses? Did you know I do, too?” I don’t really consider having poor eyes a bonding point, but now I feel like maybe I should start a “we’re all blind and it sucks but it’s okay because we have each other” fraternity or something. People obviously need to have vision buddies so they don’t feel alone in their groping blindness (that 3-minute time span until they pop in their contacts in the mornings and are miraculously healed). We could have “sight” parties and eat carrots and play “pin the glasses on the mannequin”.

My chilblains have come back with a vengeance. Anybody know a good remedy to get rid of ‘em?

I MAY have overreacted...

I got a haircut today. A haircut that took an hour and a half (to cut 2 inches, seriously!). A haircut that made me actually take the scissors from the hairstylists hands to do my own bangs for fear those would be botched too. Needless to say, I fled the scene thinking I had received a duplicate of my 5th grade haircut, what I like to call "Le WEDGE". It was awful...until I got home and straightened it, and then I felt bad for thinking bad thoughts at the hairstylist throughout the day. I even got my little layers back around the chin. See?


I also just got home from babysitting for a friend and his wife. Their son is 5, and since I am their first babysitter EVER (!), they had the most detailed instructions on everything in the house. Even their son drew me a detailed diagram for me, showing me EXACTLY how much ketchup and mustard he wanted on his hot dog, and which part of the plate he would like the macaroni to cover. It looked a little bit like two lines, so I mean, I assumed that meant that he liked light condiments as opposed to scribbles all over the page (thank God). I also got to watch Cartoon Network for the first time in forever, and spent most of it wondering what it must be like in the offices of the marketing/advertising departments for things like Oscar Meyer wieners and Jello. I know that it doesn't take that much to entertain kids, but...really? Corn Pops' commercial involves an upside-chin with googly eyes stuck on it, threatening scared townsfolk in Japanese (with subtitles, of course). I think I'll stay in my job. I like having a decent answer to: "So what did you do at work today?".

One more thing: before I forget; my mother recommended a movie to us when we were up there, called "August Rush", and you MUST watch it. Especially if you love music. And hot guys. And Keri Russell. And happy endings. Okay anyway, just see it--it's fantastic, and one of my new favourites (teaser for Twilight fans: the main male lead (the "dad") is the actor Stephenie Meyer had in her mind when she wrote Edward Cullen. Imagine THAT!).

Reign of Chaos

I have decided a couple of things in regard to my lifelessness lately. Obviously it is due to my new job, in which I feel totally overwhelmed and exhausted…which will pass, but it IS a new job. I have decided that I need to work out more to gain back the capacity for energy. I also am allowing myself to go to Starbucks every morning until this passes, because I just pass out in the afternoons if I don’t have some caffeine. I am going to allow myself (Nolan has been helping me deal with this one) to be lazy sometimes. I hate sitting on the couch doing nothing, but he encourages me to skip laundry for a week or not do the dishes or whatever I have to do until maybe the next day, and he has been trying to get me to make a goal for each week (like, which day to do chores/work, which days to be lazy, which days to hang out, and when to say no…ultimately what I want to have DONE by the end of the week.), so that I don’t feel like I have a million things pulling me in difference directions. He has really been a lifeboat helping me to relax, and I, for once, am glad that we are both busy and tired at the end of the day, because it means we understand the need to sit and play Warcraft 3 (YES, Brystal we are moving past Age—this is serious stuff.) with each other instead of trying to eek an extra ounce of productivity from our brains by playing Scrabble or something. We are officially bums once the clock strikes 8pm (1pm on Sundays, heh). In general, I have to say that it is amazingly liberating to realize what I need, and that it is okay to allow myself some things during this transition. Maybe I am finally learning that I can’t do everything at once. Hmm.

Quote of the day (from ylehsa):
me: you know, i have to leave in 5 min, and you will be sad.
Ash: mmm. we'll see. i'll get more stipling done! stupid stippling
me: huh. i prefer you missing my pleasantries.
Ash: FINE. i'll cry and sob and scratch your name into my arm with a sharp pin
me: whoa.

sunday mornin

I had a long morning at church today, and I got home thinking my boys were asleep still, but I found this waiting for me:

Yes, that is pink highlighter. Apparently none of us had a quiet Sunday morning.

...and of course it makes Milo SO.ANGRY. when I take pictures of him:

guest spot

'nother quick one here...

Firstly, I hope you love the new design--I do! Thanks, ylehsa!

Secondly, The Pretty Analyst posted my guest spot on her blog. Take a look (and ignore how stupid I sound reviewing beauty products)!