Advice I have been given so far today...

There is something about me that makes people just want to give me advice. I can never quite figure out what that is, so I can turn it off. As you can imagine, working in a predominantly male-dominated environment yields some AWESOME advice.


So far today, I have been given the following advice:

"You need to learn how to walk sexier." (This WAS in fact followed by a demonstration).

"You're too advanced for that guy. But, you might have to marry and divorce him because the guys you know don't like to move on."

"What's Up with the prison stripes?" -Micah
"Um, actually they're navy." - Me
"Whatever" - Micah
(Just as a side not, half the stripes are vertical, so the prisoner thing never really made sense anyway.)

"You should have kids soon. I don't mean to pressure you, I know it's the middle of the day, but... I still think you should think about it."

My Kind of Fairy Tale

So, I just re-did my room, as you can see from my last post. And, in doing so, I displayed all the frames I had with old and new photographs of my family and friends in them. I juxtaposed those with some of my very favorite quotes. Looking at all of it showcased together made me all sorts of nostalgic.

I was remembering a conversation that I had a few years ago. I was talking to a good friend of mine. And, I remember telling her that all I wanted was a fairy tale ending and asking her if that was too much to ask for. She said "yes." I totally remember thinking 'that bites.' But, I accpeted that she was probably right. It sounded a lot more realistic then what I imagined. And, that's what I was supposed to be shooting for right? Realism. And so, my reaction to that conversation was pretty similar to my reaction to most things. I just shrugged it off and moved on.

Well, I used to fancy myself more of a realist than a romantic. But, if I am honest, the interpretation of myself I would have to agree the most with aligns most with Ariel Bierbaum when stating "I am hopeless romantic trapped in a cynic's body." Because I could watch the same stupid cheesy movies over and over and over again (and I do). I loved the line in Eat, Pray, Love where the old dude says he could be in love for 10 years with a girl he's never even kissed. It made me laugh. I don't fall often, but when I do, I fall hard. I read something else the other day that also made me laugh, "Dear heart, why him?"

I could also listen to the same mushy songs on repeat (and I do), because I am a sucker for lyrics. And, in one of those the lyrics include this prophetic line "sometimes it takes a good fall to really know where you stand." (Hayley Williams). Now, that's something I can agree with. I guess as I get older, I realize how in every failed relationship, the best outcome you can hope for is to have a better understanding of yourself.

I also love and agree with all things Audrey Hepburn, who said "... I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."

Ms. Hepburn also said "If I am honest, I have to tell you that I still believe in fairy tales, and I like them best of all." This is one of the quotes I have framed in my room. It's sitting next to two other quotes I got from one of my best friends for my birthday last year which incorporate some of the very same thoughts, "Expect Miracles" and "She lived her life in her own little fairytale."

It's true. I do live in my own little fairy tale. I like it there. Hope still resides there, or at least it visits every once in a while. And, that's what keeps me happy.

Alexander Dumas wrote "Happiness is like those palaces in fairy tales whose gates are guarded with dragons: we must fight in order to conquer it." Then bring on the fight.

And, Hans Christian Anderson (the father of fairytales and story-telling) created the paragon for all to follow in insisting that "Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale of all." Isn't that true?!? I guess to me, it's just easy enough to assume that everyone is living some part of their own fairy tale, whether it be the beginning, the end ,or in the middle of the fairytale. After all, isn't each person is fighting proverbial dragons of some sort in order to achieve their own definition of happiness. I am running with that theory, because it makes me happy to think so.

But, if I had to steal someone else's happy ending and call it my own, I could only assume it would go something like this...

Juno: I think I'm in love with you.
Paulie Bleeker: You mean as friends?
Juno: No... I mean for real. Cause you're like the coolest person I've ever met, and you don't ever have to try you know...
Paulie Bleeker: I try real hard, actually.

Bedroom Renovations

I haven't been blogging lately, because I have been holed up in my bedroom and outside doing house projects and renovating my room for two or three weeks.

But, it's done. And, it looks like this.

Yea, finally a clean and organized room. Now, maybe I should start with my car...

4 Good Reasons.

This weekend, I had any epiphany - if it wasn't somewhat shameful and a little bit weird, I would enjoy cooking so much more if I could just go back to the days when the only way to cook was an Easy Bake Oven.

Easy Bake Ovens rock!

1. They come in cute fun pastel colors.

2. There is an impossibility that I could burn anything (and/or set-off the smoke detector in my house).

3. Portion Control!

4. The only things that can be cooked in an Easy Bake Oven are cupcakes, cookies and other tasty treats.

I can't find even one con (except for the obvious shame of using the very same device that I gave my 7-year-old niece for her birthday. Maybe I could just sneak it out of the house when no one is looking).

A very FuZzY New Year.

For New Year's, a bunch of us rented a house in Palm Springs (thank you April and Jess). It was a blast.

I only took about four pictures, because I was doped up on antibiotics and sleeping most of the time. Excuse the fact that I look like a not-so-hot mess, I was pretty sick. Almost all of them are fuzzy. And, I would blame the photographer if I could remember who he/she was, but I can't. In fact, I don't remember much, it's all a blur, just like the photos, but it seems to me like there was a whole lot of people, people not sleeping everywhere, me sleeping anywhere, rock band, that dancing Wii game, more rock band, more dancing Wii game, jacuzzi, BBQ, and martinellis (yes, kids those are sparkling fruity beverages in those glasses, though we do kind of look like lushes, I blame it on the fuzziness and the drugs and the fact that we are getting older, so it was way past our bed time.) and kazoos, and... Oh I may have made Wes and Jeanette listed to Ridin' Solo on repeat the whole way up to Palm Springs, but every once in a while I pretended that we were going to listen to something else, and that was fun.

I NEEDED these...

A year ago one of my besties bought me the CUTEST calendar.

It looked like this....

I love LOVE loved it, almost as much as I love LOVE love the beautiful bestie that gave them to me. I put three months up in my room at a time.

I miss that little calendar. I suppose I could buy another one. But, instead, I bought these magnets for my fridge ...

Because they're RAD!

And, I love cake, as previously mentioned about 1,000 times on this blog. Maybe I should change the name of my blog to "I love cake". Hmmmm....

I can't decide if I have any or need any...

... New Year's Resolutions, that is.

I mean, I had two big ones last year. One, get my car registered (which was supposed to happen in November, but two tickets, a smog check and 7 months later, bam - registered!) This year I DID register my car in November. Yea, me! And two, return the movie Duplicity, which I NEVER watched, but kept for four and a half months. (I managed to pull this one off sometime in January, because I am on top of things like that).

I mean, how can I top those?!?! Two resolutions, both met! Done and done. Awesome. I aim low. That way everyone is happily pleased at the outcome, myself included.

This year I have a whole mess of ideas which might be goals or resolutions if properly formulated and/or articulated, but actually haven't gotten very far. And, I am trying to decide if I should even bother?

So far this year I have: gone run/walking once, which made me feel very sore; only drunk one diet coke (or any kind of soda); walked around Target carrying a kettleball, which stretched out and made sore my left arm, that I eventually purchased AND it was all I purchased (though, I have not used it since); gotten a lot of sleep; not purchased any fun things; haven't eaten any junk food or sweets; and... well that's about it.

I mean, I know it's only day 5 of 2011, but there has to be some sort of a New Year's Resolution in there somewhere, right?