second party

discovery

2010-12-21T12:08:00.002-06:00

i'm looking up some recipes (will i like brussel sprouts if there's bacon too?) and just LOOK at what's taunting me from the sidebar...

i miss cable so much.

me and dave thomas

2010-05-06T14:37:00.001-05:00

we're both ESFJ. time to open up a new chain of fast food?

ESFJ

Warm-hearted, popular, and conscientious. Tend to put the needs of others over their own needs. Feel strong sense of responsibility and duty. Value traditions and security. Interested in serving others. Need positive reinforcement to feel good about themselves. Well-developed sense of space and function.

it's what you do to the people you say you love, that's what matters

2010-03-23T18:47:00.001-05:00

- holler back 2p2

2010-03-18T10:35:00.001-05:00

not very neighborly

2010-03-15T18:06:00.001-05:00

I walked the dogs on the more questionable side of my neighborhood today. and at one point, there were I think 8 giant dogs barking at poor little vegas and baxter...

I think they were yelling "f-you". very rude/scary.

- holler back 2p2

productive retail therapy

2010-03-13T14:35:00.001-06:00

placemats for the dogs!

and instead of washing my sheets, I bought new ones! hello eggplant organic sheets. hope you like to watch law and order svu.

dinner

and I'm not going to show you all the black sundresses I bought at old navy. I'm not counting that purchase. it's too nice out!!

yay spring. I can't wait for my first sunburn.

- holler back 2p2

I want to eat this everyday

2010-03-11T18:56:00.001-06:00

ciabatta roll from the bakery at heb, halved. topped with 3 Roma tomatoes, fresh basil (somehow that plant is still alive!), mozzarella balls and blue cheese. and on one half I BAKED an EGG on it. oh man. everything should have eggs baked on it...

- holler back 2p2

they make out all day

2010-03-05T13:09:00.001-06:00

- holler back 2p2

2010-03-05T13:05:00.001-06:00

- holler back 2p2

maybe Caesar Milan will see this and send help!

2010-03-05T12:05:00.001-06:00

thanks Baxter. you're the tops.

- holler back 2p2

good thing i watch so much law and order

2010-03-03T15:34:00.001-06:00

my new apartment complex may be sketchier that I first thought... got a notice on my door today telling me about some guy coming around soliciting money, pretending to be a resident. WHAT?!?

also the lady who used to live in my place was mugged. on my birthday.

so be sure to check in with me often, as I may be dead...

"for all my haters"

2010-03-03T15:30:00.000-06:00

this is my neighbors car. on the front it says VICE PRESIDENT and has louis vuitton stickers along the sides. fancy.

- holler back 2p2

about time i got RECOGNIZED.

2010-03-03T15:07:00.002-06:00

in the spirit of the bloggess, i award myself the following awards (if not more):

crafty

2010-03-02T08:53:00.000-06:00

I spent last night helping my friend make her wedding bouquet and the bridesmaid bouquets! it's the first time I've done anything crafty in FOREVER... not a bad way to get my mind off everything else!

and even though it was wedding related, I didn't get sad. or bitter/angry. progress?

here's a close up pic of the bouquets. champagne and peach hydrangeas with orange orchids and a tiny bee!

maybe it's time I start making cards again...

- holler back 2p2

I do not approve

2010-02-24T12:23:00.001-06:00

so what did I do to deserve to get shit on like this? to be treated this way? I'm a good person. smart, educated, employed. I am a (fairly) responsible adult. so how come I don't have that one thing I wanted anymore?

how did I even pick a guy that would treat me like this? throw it all away so easily. I don't get it. he's missing out now, and I'm the only one who's feeling any of the pain...

- holler back 2p2

2010-02-04T10:01:00.001-06:00

just saw a picture of my cousin who i haven't seen in probably 10 years on facebook. and she's so cute. and i want to comment on her picture that she's ADORABLE, but i feel creepy bc i haven't talked to her in so long?

i also want to write "DONT HAVE SEX", but you know. that might be too much.

i want to go to there

2010-02-03T08:57:00.004-06:00

aren't these incredible? i love it. apparently while faux fur was trendy for fashionistas, faux nature because the passion of designers? somehow i missed this.

more here.

This, That and These

2010-02-03T08:37:00.000-06:00

THIS is my parking lot:

It's a lake. And THAT is why I wear THESE with no shame!

(I'm in 3 inches of water in this picture. The rubber works!)

2010-01-28T10:30:00.001-06:00

contemporary

2010-01-26T09:21:00.002-06:00

i'm taking a survey about a frozen dinner i sampled. one of the questions is:

is this dish contemporary?

what does that even mean? i'm going to answere "neither is or is not contemporary"...

hello, monday

2010-01-25T09:20:00.005-06:00

i actaully paid money for this app (and i HATE paying money for apps):

ZENBE LISTS

it is magical. i love lists. i think right now i have something like 8 different lists on my phone? i'm not sure if it's making me any more organized, but i can pretend...

so friday the baxter jumped out my window (thanks landlord for fixing my broken window unit! you're awesome! except not really. you're terrible. and my dog escaped bc you're cheap/lazy) and we spent about 2 hours driving around looking for him. and i cried and cried, poor dog. then we stuffed our faces with pizza (hello comfort food), and came up to the office to print out fliers. we hung up 50, tried to watch some tv, and crashed out.

LUCKILY someone picked him up! she called around 8am on saturday saying she found him. i dont think he was too much of an asshole (actually i'm sure he was), but i'm just glad she rescued him. so i spent most of the rest of the weekend alternating between snuggling with dogs and packing up for the big move friday! i even took the dogs to the dogs park sunday. and i think dog park is the best medicine. those 2 slept all day long...

Slow Readers Book Club

2010-01-14T15:07:00.001-06:00

Slow Readers Book Club
Originally uploaded by ourcitylights

i'm joining this book club! because i love books. its like watching tv with your MIND...

http://www.ourcitylights.org/

i'm going to hang this on my fridge...

2010-01-14T09:56:00.003-06:00

bigger version for printing here.

this is all part of my new plan to not eat crap and but healthy foods cheap/in season instead of buying whatever i want. $6 for strawberries? NOT ANY MORE FRIENDS.

also, surprisingly, "healthy" wasn't already a tag we've used. i think this is shocking.

2010-01-04T10:54:00.001-06:00

Test. Text to blog?

2 mugs

2010-01-04T10:48:00.002-06:00

2 things stress me out the most in life: dieting and budgeting. and i'm doing BOTH right now. which means i'm cranky. and all i want is to stress eat. but stress eating contradicts both of the items on my life list.

so i will sit here with my 2 coffee mugs, one with green tea, one with oatmeal. and obsess over the budget graphs on bank of america online. HELLO 2010.

you can hang this on the wall behind the pirate bar

2009-11-20T13:47:00.002-06:00

pirate bar

2009-11-20T13:25:00.001-06:00

i got you this for christmas. you're welcome.

on a more postive note

2009-09-25T08:56:00.003-05:00

i finished my dog face pillows!

vegas is very suspicious...

----

i'm going through some rough stuff right now. but maybe i'll take advantage of the changes in my life and write things! and post things! we will see...

setting the scene

2009-08-24T14:54:00.004-05:00

so i'm on the hunt for placemats. it part of my new journey to consider myself "a grown up". so far this has entailed:

1. hanging up pictures in my dining room that have been on the floor/in the closet for a year since i've moved in
2. cleaning the crap off my dining table so i can dine at it
3. eating meals (frozen pizza still counts!) at the dining table

i'm torn between getting some grown up ones or something more fun. like THESE:i love maps SO MUCH. i really do. these are paper maps of different cities around the world, and you tear them off after use and eat in a new place every day!!

because flow charts are the bomb

2009-08-20T16:08:00.001-05:00

total eclipse of the heart

2009-08-19T15:00:00.002-05:00

i took a quiz today:

megan, you are a Bohemian Classic
You have a refined sensibility and bring a sense of history and tradition into your decor. You appreciate how symmetrical arrangements and beautiful, well-crafted pieces create a solid foundation to a room. But you like to shake up this restraint with objects and accessories that express your personality and your love of other cultures. When traveling, you seek out unique objects that reflect what you love, and you use them in a sophisticated way. You want people to feel comfortable in your home, and cozy chairs, ethnic fabrics, unique pieces, and even a little touch of quirk or humor give your house a laid-back, Bohemian flair.
You value order. You feel happiest if your home is well organized. You understand that when your house is in order, your mind feels clearer. Rather than a lot of meaningless objects or overly-designed items, you are happier with a few well-placed things. Your home is your respite from a busy life. Try to avoid letting things into your home that you don't really love.

WHO KNEW?? (ps i dont really like "bohemian" fabrics or whatever. makes me think of hippies. i prefer VINTAGE!)

but at least the quiz reminded (remound) me that i like design/decorating. i can't help it. i'm going to go home and finish hanging up prints in my dining room. i'm going to throw away lots of crap (watching the A&E show "hoarders" helped me with that decision).

and i'm going to do RESEARCH on bathrooms and wallpaper - my mom mentioned she wanted to redo our guest bath and i am completely taking over the project. sorry mom!

this is why men are f-ed up

2009-08-11T08:39:00.001-05:00

seriously. this is a book.

The Professional Bachelor Dating Guide - How to Exploit Her Inner Psycho

my friends are funny and wise

2009-07-06T19:24:00.001-05:00

e: speaking of
nick and i were thinking about who would be voted off of a desert island if our group was all stranded and had to survive
we sort of talked about that you would the last survivor...we all might die by your hand

me: really? how would i make it
i'm not very strong

e: i don't know. you're really sassy and funny so we would all keep you around for entertainment. and, you're pretty clever so you would probably just think of ideas and boss everyone around. then, when you've gone long enough without any kind of booze/get frustrated with all of us, you'd just kill us.
but in my head, you would just kill us in a lazy way.
like, every now and again you would chunk a big rock at our heads. if the shot landed and off-ed us, then awesome. if not, you would just try again tomorrow.

tuesdays with me

2009-06-09T09:36:00.002-05:00

yesterday was efren's first day of school, and my first day of doing his homework for him. I CANT HELP IT! he's taking spanish and doesnt have the book yet (hi st phillips community college in san antonio, this is why financial aid is supposed to come in BEFORE school starts, ok? great). so i just helped out a little tiny bit. because i can still say "hola, como te llamas?" and "bienvenidos a CIUDAD" (that's the opening line to my fake reality show, "the ciudad". like "the hills/city", but mexicanier).

this morning i got up to go run. and suffocated on humidity. so i just walked forever. and dont worry, my legs still hurt. because i've been anti-exercise for the past few weeks.

so want to know what i've been doing? studying. and watching "the wire". this is my typical day now: wake up at 6, exercise (1 day down so far!), shower, work, dinner, study, 1 episode of "the wire" if i'm good, in bed by 11. exciting right? it's ok though. i'm trying to work hard this week so i can go watch old episodes of the x-files at the drafthouse on thursday. gotta keep up with alien activity (from 10 years ago)!

also, i found some cool gray hairs this morning. good times.

i need more bookshelves!

2009-06-02T09:44:00.002-05:00

these are insnane. i love love love the poodles!

madebymavis

just one thing i love

2009-06-01T15:58:00.002-05:00

have i posted this before? because i love it.

run run run

2009-05-20T09:10:00.004-05:00

yesterday e and i went running at mcallister park - the only place to go running in this town. it's all shady and nice and NOT, you know, a street. it's trails and dogs and people and deer. the weather was nice, breezy, i was kind of excited about it!

until i started. because i hate running. blah. it's hard and it hurts. but i do it anyway! and e is my "trainer" right now and says i have to. so we do intervals - 90 seconds run, 90 seconds walk, in hopes that i won't die during my 5k in 2 weeks.

so we're in the home stretch, about mile 2, and i'm trying to keep running. and he's yelling the usual "helpful" tips... "keep your back straight! breathe! you can do it! just keep your head up... and fart!". and i'm thinking what the hell as he jumps up and pumps the air and farts mid stride. and then did it again. and again!

it was amazing. i forgot i wanted to die for 10 seconds and just laughed. he's my favorite.

trying to contain myself

2009-05-18T13:30:00.002-05:00

saturday the power went out while i was in the middle of making cards. great. so e and i decide to run some errands instead of sit in the apt with no circulation.

as soon as we get in the car, it starts pouring rain. and i'm kind of freaking out bc my car is SMALL, and has bad traction, blah blah blah.

well we finally make it to the container store (see blog title! i'm clever!), and pull into a spot. and as e opens the driver's side door to get out, some one PULLS IN to the spot next to him. hits my door. he manages to pull the door closed so it doesn't RIP OFF COMPLETELY, but it takes the whole lower side panel off the other car. and NOW i can't get in the driver's side. the door handle is F-ED UP. so i have to crawl in the passenger side and open the door and race over before it closes!

HILARIOUS, right? so saturday was kind of a bummer. all day we just kept remembering it all. so annoying. and something i DEFINITELY didn't plan on dealing with this week! hopefully i won't have to pay anything. and HOPEFULLY the stupid state farm rep will call me BACK. how many messages do i have to leave? lord.

jokester

2009-05-11T14:02:00.002-05:00

text 1045am sunday:
"you're such a jokester"

that's the text i got from my coworker sunday morning. and i could not figure out what the hell he was talking about. until later that day he says "nice one, with the keys"... and the light switched on!

saturday night we were at his apartment, and at one point everyone was outside except me, elaine, and reba. and we decided to mess with them a little. and elaine and reba started switching their shoes out of each other's closets. and i set to work on switching their car keys. so later when he and his roommate went to leave, the key didn't work!!

they got it straightened out pretty quickly. but MAN. what an excellent idea! i'm really impressed with myself for thinking of that! try it sometime. it's hilarious.

it may become my calling card...

fiesta safe

2009-05-07T14:20:00.002-05:00

so cinco de mayo was the other day... apparently it's a big deal? i swear i read 2439058029 blogs about how people were having parties and eating mexican food. but since i do that almost EVERYDAY here in good old san antone, it didn't seem so special!

luckily by about 430 i realized the error of my ways and decided i needed to have a margarita. you know, for mexico. and i'm dating a mexican. it's my job! so i decided to stop off at the convenience store on my way home and pick some stuff up, like some limes and some fresca. something to make my margarita lime-y and diet-y.

here's what i left with:
1. 12 pack of diet 7-up
2. 20oz minute maid lemonade
3. 6 pack of miller chill

i figured i could either make these or these. but i didn't have all the ingredients for either recipe, so i winged it. a little (lot of) tequila, some 7-up, some beer, some lemonade. and how was it? tasted like watered down beer. not the best.

who knew limes were so critical to margaritas?? WHO KNEW?

sunday funday

2009-05-04T10:32:00.005-05:00

so how long has it been since someone's posted? weeks, months? forever, i know. maybe katie will be inspired one day to tell us about her love affair with "meaty pizza"...

anyway. sunday i went to a farmers market! finally! it was teeny tiny. only 3 stands so far! it just started up, so it's hopefully going to grow. but there was a GIANT truck with produce (which i bought none of, since i'm doing the online delivery thing), a table with candied nuts (resisted!), and a lady that made granola. and i LOVE granola. and since it was homemade, there were no nutrition facts, and i can only assume that it is NEGATIVE in calories. perfect.

so the market is in the parking lot of my new favorite place: green vegetarian restaurant. since the market was small, and i had already put clothes on, we figured we might as well eat something. so efren and i shared a breakfast sandwich (eggs, cheddar, sausage on whole grain toast) and the most delicious potatoes i've had. ever. they were all soft and mushy and cooked with onions and magic. topped it off with some fruit (i'm healthy now!), and now i'm obsessed with it. it was cheap and delicious. and the building is really cool. old and industrial, with old brick inside and old pictures and giant booths. it looks like they had a nice patio too. maybe they'll start serving margaritas once it's really summer... they also do an opera night on the first sunday of every month. someday i'll check that out too!

so that was the highlight of my weekend, since i spent most of it kind of being sick (no swine flu though!) and taking naps.

some of my friend here go running in the (only) park, and i think i'm going to go tonight! i figure i bought new shoes, might as well wear them. and i'll take vegas so she can chill the hell out. i guess we can call it "training" for the lavender 5k we're doing in june!

craving

2009-04-28T09:13:00.001-05:00

here

daily vegas

2009-04-27T14:22:00.001-05:00

been a while, no?
this will have to do for now...

i wish my walls were normal so i could hang stuff on them

2009-04-14T09:50:00.006-05:00

loving these posters i found on the kitchn website. i wish i had wall space to hang them in my kitchen! along with flat walls, not the weird textured stuff (you can kind of see them here). a girl can dream...

in other news, the etsy site is open and updated! check it out. you'll die. DIE.
also, oatmeal. BAM!

arts and crafts weekend

2009-04-13T09:18:00.005-05:00

what a productive weekend! i've been busy getting things ready for our show this saturday (check the banner/info to the right!), and am really excited about the things i've made...

we've got thank you cards, note cards (yes those are elephant cards with gold envelopes. and they are magnificent!), tiny ringed notebooks, and teacup candles! the etsy site will be updated soon (and out of vacation mode!). so check back later this week!

i think this pretty much sums up our sunday in napa last weekend

2009-04-07T15:07:00.001-05:00

fun fact

2009-04-01T10:31:00.001-05:00

tofu noodles do not digest fully in your stomach. they're like corn.

trust me.

i'm in training

2009-03-31T14:49:00.002-05:00

for vacation! yeah!

since katie and i are heading off to san francisco this weekend, i decided to do a giant incline on the treadmill today at the end of my run. my ass is STILL hurting. but it's ok!

i was almost finished when an old man walked up to me. he was probably 75. seriously. there are a few old guys that hang out at the gym at 6am, mostly gossiping i think... but this one walked up to me and told me that he "admired my passion" (or something. i was still wearing my headphones)!

so i cleaned the sweat out of my ears and chatted for a minute. i guess he noticed the sprinting earlier, and the monster hill i inclined too at the end. he said to always remember the FIVE P'S:
1. plan
2. persistence
3. passion
4. purpose
5. something else. i forgot already (oops). maybe perseverance?

but i thought it was so nice! i spend the whole time at the gym hoping no one notices me, but it was really nice of him to come over and say "good job", you know? especially since at 6am, no one wants to try that hard.

made me smile. and i hope i can tell which one he is our the old man posse tomorrow morning so i can wave hello!

registered

2009-03-30T10:46:00.000-05:00

so i registered. i waited until the DAY BEFORE THE DEADLINE. classic, right? but at 9am on june 20, i will be sweating it out over the LEED AP exam.

ugh. at least i dont have to really think about it for a few months!

it's coming!

2009-03-30T09:59:00.004-05:00

FIESTA! madness throughout the streets of san antonio. and you're invited!

so fiesta runs april 16-26, so AFTER the lonstar ladies event! we will have even more reason to celebrate. maybe you can come down on friday and we'll go to NIOSA, and then something even more fun (to be determined). and we can hang out on saturday too!

i'm not making any promises that NIOSA or fiesta will change your life... it's hot and crowded, and pretty obnoxious. BUT there is lots of food and overpriced beer. and face painting! and cascarones (confetti eggs)!! and me. so i'm pretty sure it'll be the best night of your life.

pencil it in you calendar...

obsessed

2009-03-19T13:45:00.002-05:00

i never thought i'd be obsessed with something made of TOFU. cheese? sure. i love cheese. but tofu noodles?? WHO KNEW.

turns out these are DELICIOUS. seriously. there are 40 calories for the whole bag. they are not stinky. they are very pasta-like. kind of chewy, so be careful not to choke, but overall awesome. and so much better than binging on pasta! i'm going to have to invent some mac & cheese with these noodles.

the recipes i've tried are from the Hungry Girl website, and are so good. low in fat, calories, points, EVERYTHING. like i had a 2 point pasta dish and i am FULL. so good.

anyway, try them! i got mine at sun harvest for $1.50. i bet they have them at whole foods too. here are some of the recipes that i've found:

fettuccine girlfredo
spaghetti pie
info on perparing

i had spaghetti pie for lunch and i am SO FULL. i had 2 servings (each serving was only 1.5 points!) but i wish i hadn't. that tofu expands! so good.

a perfect example

2009-03-19T09:42:00.002-05:00

efren is getting tested for ADD today. for the last few weeks he's been saying (randomly, like he's got turrets) "hey i need to call and find out what time my appointment is!".

this morning he bangs on the door while i'm in the shower and yells that he has to leave because his appointment is at 7:30 am. and it's 7:19.

i think he passed (failed?? who knows) the test.

how i choose my snacks

2009-03-09T16:25:00.001-05:00

INGREDIENTS:
1. chocolate
2. chocolate liquor

and that's how i ended up eating my free sample of quaker true delights granola bar! dark chocolate and raspberry and APPARENTLY chocolate liqour!

i feel drunk already.

another reason to bring my lunch to work

2009-03-08T18:56:00.001-05:00

apparently i'm obsessed with lunchboxes...

made by oots! lunchboxes:

special thursday highlights

2009-03-05T08:40:00.007-06:00

-you know what it feels like this morning? it feels like springtime. walking to work reminded me of being at the beach... you know when it's early and the breeze is still cool but you can feel the hotness from the sun? and you know it's going to be hot and gross later, but right then it's perfect? that's how it felt. i think i was about 2 seconds away from having a bluebird singing on my shoulder.

-i walked into the gym this morning at 6:02 am. and some girl was walking on the treadmill, talking on her phone. i find it VERY HARD TO BELIEVE that she has someone she urgently needs to talk to at 6 am. i can only assume she was faking the call to look "cool". next week i'll prove it!

-i only have to work until 6 tonight! awesome, right? first time in i think a month! so to celebrate, i'll be taking a nap. and then waking up at 9pm or so and getting ready to go to the midnight screening of "the watchmen" at the drafthouse. i was supposed to read the book, but i'm only like 30 pages in. i just can't get into it - the pictures distract me! but it's a good story i think. maybe efren wants to dress up in costume with me for the premiere? you know if we were in austin people would be ALL OVER the costumes.

-guess what we tried last night? the McGangBang: a double cheeseburger with a spicy mcchicken in the middle. best sandwich you can make for $2! ha. gross, right? i only had 2 bites (which were probably like 6 points each, but whatev), but it was good! i like the crunchiness in the middle. my only complaint? you couldn't really taste the cheeseburger bc the chicken was so spicy. next time, we'll get TWO double cheeseburger, one on top and one on the bottom, and make. it. count. jealous? i thought so.

-i can't wait for the show tomorrow night! cut copy and matt + kim. not only am i going to see some super fun bands, but i'm going to see my BEST GIRL. maybe i'll save up enough points for a sausage wrap at stubbs. yum. i love food.

makes me want to bring my lunch to work

2009-03-03T14:39:00.004-06:00

so i usually go home for lunch everyday, but if i didn't, i definitely pick up this bag! how cute is this?? makes me want to get a kitchen to match (i love wallpaper!)

from drawflowers

i hope you're proud

2009-03-03T14:07:00.002-06:00

i had my first fried egg yesterday morning!

well it was efren's. but i tried it. and it was half good, half weird. i'm not sure i'm sold. but i bet if NEXT TIME i try it when i'm really hungry, then it'll be delicious and i won't be on the fence.

so now i've had eggs 3 ways: scrambled (yes!), fried (maybe?), hard boiled (sometimes in small doses).

i can still smell the campfire

2009-03-02T20:54:00.007-06:00

so, i went camping last weekend! got to escape from the office for a few days, and joined some of my favorite people out at inks lake, just north of marble falls.

saturday? it was FREEZING. we got there just in time for the cold front! awesome, right?? so we shivered all day, and rejected sleeping in tent in favor of sleeping in the truck! what can i say, we're from the city! but we woke up every hour or so and cranked on the heat, so even though it was uncomfortable, at least it wasn't an icicle!!

we got up sunday and it was GORGEOUS. sunshiney and wonderful. we had a giant breakfast, lounged in the sun, and then some of the group that is braver than i ran into the lake! the COLD ASS LAKE. it was fun to watch though...

we had a good time, and i can't wait to go back when it's not wintery! vegas even did a great job wearing her backpack and carrying my important things ie lip gloss and beer. i've never been so COLD and so SMELLY (i can still smell the campfire! i think it's in my skin), but i'm glad we braved it!

magic

2009-02-25T00:09:00.006-06:00

so. i'm watching golden girls on lifetime right now while i wait for the laundry to finish (i know what you're thinking - "oh my god i had no idea your life was so EXCITING."). in this episode, dorothy sends rose to submit an ad for the paper saying she will do anything for eight dollars an hour. but rose puts it in the personals and so some perv shows up and wants to be toto to her dorothy. other stuff happens blah blah blah...

and i decided...i totally want to be the golden girls when we grow up!

it would be the BEST. think about it. the sequins. the FLORIDA. the floral upholstered furniture. magic. (and you already have that blanche-y shirt, too!! SEE! meant to be.)

Glen! Glen Glen Glen!

2009-02-20T08:33:00.004-06:00

so, it's still busy. i'm trying to juggle working 12 hour days and printing some custom wedding invitations i'm doing... my nights are not fun! i'm the ultimate of tired, and stressed. and my bangs are too long, my nail polish is chipped, and i dont even want to START with my eyebrows (why does hygiene have to be last on the list of priorities? why?). at least i'm showered though, right?

BUT i'm going camping this weekend! so no work until MONDAY. lalalaaaa. there will be beers galore, and diet food (i'm prepackaging my snacks so i dont completely lose it) so i have that to look forward to... i guess? i'm not really a "camper". i think i'm more of a "pamper". or "camper only in the most ultimate perfect conditions", which usually don't include pooping outside and 40 degree nights! we'll see how it goes i guess! vegas is coming, and she will be BACK. PACKING. it's going to be incredible, and i will take many photos of my dog carrying booze for me in her backpack!

so this morning, "eye of the tiger" came on the ipod (did i tell you i got a new radio for my car? and i hook up the ipod? bc i DID. i bet you can hook your phone up to your radio! its the best). so anyway, i cranked it up to the max. and got pumped up for my friday! i felt just like the dude in this commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14qeu7JRwt0

(please click. i dont know WHY i'm stupid and can't embed. i copy it, but when i paste the link only 1/2 of it pastes? WTF. anyway. EYE OF THE TIGER! CLICK FOR GLEN!). and then we had breakfast tacos for breakfast. which i haven't had in MONTHS. and oh my god i love bean and cheese tacos FOREVER. i will serve them at my wedding AND funeral.

iPhone planet!!!

2009-02-16T13:02:00.000-06:00

happy president's day to me!!

2009-02-15T22:19:00.002-06:00

my some e-card from andrea...

it was fun having a birthday on/near president's day when i was a kid - it meant having a three day weekend on/near my birthday. but i guess architecture offices don't really care about things like that. so...yeah. happy working birthday!

busy bee

2009-02-15T16:12:00.003-06:00

so i've been so busy lately. with work. it's so stressful... but i am thankful to be busy and needed, and not disposable, you know? but still. i miss my evenings and weekends!

so i have a long list of things to blog about. i really do. but, this is my only day off! and i must do many important things. like make cookies. so i'll just tell you how i spent my only day off this week:

1. made a romantic breakfast that included THESE

i know. there are no words to describe chocolate pancakes (ps i didn't make the chocolate sauce. i just couldn't do it for breakfast...)

2. dog park. it was SO CROWDED. but my mom and sophie met up with us, and now vegas is wiped out. thank god.

3. made soup! an italian zero point soup. SO SO GOOD. i really like it, better than the vegetable one. it's mainly just tomatos and basil and spicyness. yum.

4. watch my tivo. on the big new tv. i call it reconnecting with my best friends.

5. make cookies. because it's valentines day. and i haven't made cookies in FOREVER. good thing they're diet...

loving right now: matt and kim

2009-02-14T11:39:00.002-06:00

so fun! and smiley! you will love. i promise. (and they will be at sxsw this year, so hopefully i can sneak in a show...)

watch these videos:

2009-02-06T10:06:00.000-06:00

daily vegas

2009-02-05T16:12:00.003-06:00

she likes to wear bandanas. what can i say??
also, i dont know why her head always looks so squished! maybe because she's weirdly small...

things i love

2009-02-04T09:19:00.005-06:00

i love pint glasses. i like their weight, their shape, how they hold exactly one soda. all my glasses are pint glasses - they're similar and "match", but i can add and subtract new designs!

i saw these on smitten:

so naturally i headed to etsy to see what they had to offer. and oh do they offer...

friends again

2009-02-04T09:05:00.002-06:00

yep, it's true.

jillian michaels and i are friends again. after the last time we "visited" and i couldn't, ahem, "walk" from doing too many DEEP LUNGES, i thought our relationship was over. but last night, i was inspired? i think. it was a new feeling. the boyfriend didn't want to go to the gym, so i plugged in the trusty dvd player and put in "the 30 day shred". once again.

and i think i must have cheated because i got up the stairs QUITE EASILY this morning. very suspicious. but! the point is! i did it! again! and i don't hate her, and i can brush my hair on my own, and i can get out of my car without assistance. everybody wins!

huge dilemma.

2009-02-03T15:26:00.001-06:00

which do i want for my birthday?

a) an iphone to keep me over-connected to the interwebs

or b) a really good juicer that will make me super healthy and live forever and cancer free and give me perfect skin and a perfect body. (high expectations maybe?)

discuss.

20x200

2009-01-30T10:46:00.003-06:00

so i found this website today: 20x200. it's a site dedicated to selling "unknown" artists (i hate saying "unknown". it's like they're unimportant! and i don't think that's the case at all!!). anyway. you can get all kinds of cool, unique prints for $20, $50, $200, $500, or $2000! sounds awesome to me!

so here are some of my favorite $20 pieces:

wallpaper

i bought all of these

hank william's bed

untitled

balloons

a card-carrying member!

2009-01-29T16:30:00.003-06:00

so i FINALLY joined the austin public library today! i am very VERY excited. i walked to the downtown branch at lunch today (in new shoes - bad idea...hello blisters!) and got my first library card since i was maybe 12! i was kind of hoping it would be one of those really terrible photo IDs, and it WASN'T. it looks like a GIFT CARD. it's not even laminated! the times have changed, i suppose. the library cards of the 21st century come complete with a keychain card! and the library even has a self-checkout! wtf?

my first two books to check out are a random book on screen printing (more on that in a sec) and the complete printmaker, supposedly a very good guide to all things printmaking. i'm excited about the printmaking book for obvious reasons - i'm obsessed with paper and stationery and printing blah blah blah. but the screen printing book is for me to leaf through before i begin...my screen printing class next week!! i'm going to take a once a week (monday nights) screen printing class for five weeks at studio 1408. i'm so excited to learn something new and creative. i'll let you know how it goes and if what i make is somewhat presentable, i will definitely post it here!!

it is possible that i am wearing too much black today

2009-01-28T11:38:00.002-06:00

black tights
black undershirt
black longsleeved top
black skirt
black shoes
black scarf
black purse
red coat

i can't even begin to tell you how easy it was getting dressed this morning!

more music to get you through monday :: santogold's "lights out"

2009-01-26T13:45:00.004-06:00

how cute is this song? i freaking love it. the crazy patterns on her and the walls are almost too much for me to handle! watch:

or go here.

(p.s. i was wayyy late jumping on the santogold train. for months, i've had her name jotted down by my computer to listen to when i got a chance, but didn't get around to it till last week!)

latest song obsession: "a man/me/then jim" by rilo kiley

2009-01-26T09:29:00.001-06:00

listen to it. so good:

the adventures of milo

2009-01-25T16:39:00.002-06:00

i looked out the kitchen window today to see milo standing outside with a hairbrush in his mouth. uh. so i run out and what do i find, in addition to the hairbrush?

-4 dinner napkins scattered FAR apart
-2 non-matching socks
-a koozie
-a bottle of face lotion

little butthead. too bad he's so cute. i was all "BAD BOY!" in between laughing so hard i was SNORTING. also i was still in pjs. hopefully the neighbors didn't witness this...

2009-01-25T15:17:00.000-06:00

GOOD NEWS
i dyed my hair! red again!

BAD NEWS
my hair looks exactly the same.

wtf.

excuse me?

2009-01-24T19:35:00.004-06:00

dirty dancing official workout!

did we already know about this? luckily, i saw an ad for this during an americas next top model marathon. LUCKILY. i suppose this is ONE reason why i should quit fast-forwarding through commercials!! also another reason why i should keep watching americas next top model marathons....

oh SWEET. a viral video for your enjoyment.

2009-01-22T22:24:00.001-06:00

you miss your old familiar friends....

2009-01-22T14:10:00.005-06:00

hello internets. i'm about to tell you something and i don't want you to get too jealous. are you ready?

....

....

that's right! megan and i are going to san francisco! in april! to see our BFF's andrea and heather!!! and my brother bingy! and of course, how could we forget danny and the gang! REUNIFICATION!

i can't WAIT. assuming we can get it together, i'm sure there will be several posts in the next couple of months about Things We Have To Do In San Francisco When We Aren't Terrorizing H&M.*

*for those of you who don't know, texas is still sans-H&M. it's a sad sad time here. i don't like to talk about it.

gym rat in training...

2009-01-20T09:23:00.001-06:00

we joined the gym last night! and they did a really good sales pitch...good enough to sign us both up for memberships AND six training sessions each! i'm pretty stoked. since the human race 10k in late august, i've done a little yoga and that's about it for exercise. pretty pitiful!! so i'm looking forward to them kicking my butt into gear.

best part: turns out i'm starting right before some 12 week challenge they're doing for the new year, which meant that today at 6 am, for my first "session", i got to have my PICTURE taken. front, side, and REAR. every girl's dream at 6 am right? i'm pretty sure my undereye circles were extra dark!!

oh and M - a $25 gold's gift card is coming your way since you recommended one of us! lucky girl.

and more valentine's!

2009-01-15T11:47:00.002-06:00

just posted: the eloise valentine!

new valentine's up on the etsy site!

2009-01-15T08:56:00.002-06:00

jem

lucy

spendy!

2009-01-14T15:46:00.002-06:00

we took a coffee break trip to halcyon today, and since they didn't sell topo chico, i decided to try out the a lavender dry soda. pretty good - not too sweet. but....3.75!!! for 12 oz!!! i think i'll order an italian soda next time...

oh dear.

2009-01-14T15:39:00.001-06:00

how did this happen AGAIN?!

hey cupcake!

2009-01-08T22:05:00.003-06:00

we took advantage of our temporary residence on south congress and did some strolling this evening. i tried on some fantastic (grey) boots at allens boots - so FUN. and spendy! all the ones i liked were over $300. yikes!

and then! THEN! we walked over to hey cupcake! we decided to get two vegan cupcakes (pumpkin-carrot with cream cheese frosting and lemon with lemon frosting) and split each one since i'm not good at making decisions...and it was a delicious reminder of how much i love their vegan cupcakes! they get them from celeste's best, a local baker lady who also sells ready-to-bake stuff, which sounds equally yummy....

i do love south austin...

collate: a paper collaboration

2009-01-07T23:00:00.001-06:00

i found this today on paper and stitch. i am SO excited! what an awesome idea. i signed up and now i've got to find some paper to send off!!

how i spent my christmas vacation: part 2

2009-01-07T09:33:00.004-06:00

shiner trip, take 2.

tuesday we decided to try again. and this time, it was a success! we made it to the brewery, went on the tour (blah blah blah), and waited in line lots of time for free samples. yum (ps, shiner beer tastes awesome right from the brewery tanks! kind of like how whataburger tastes better in corpus christi). after the beer, we decided we needed real food (more than the tiny clementines and granola bars i packed for us! i'm a good road trip mom). so we searched. and searched. and tiny beer towns have a surprisingly few amount of restaurants that serve beer. weird, right? since it's a BEER TOWN. whatev.

so we see a place called shiner restaurant and bar. perfect, right? only it's CLOSED. so we stand outside and yell about it (we're loud. and hungry.), and the owner comes out! oops. but, turns out, he was awesome. the restaurant hadn't even officially opened yet (opened on new years day!), but he ushered us in and had his chef cook us tastiness. like goat cheese salads and steak and little pecan pie bites. it was wonderful! so we filled his tip jar, and gave him his 1st dollar bill to hang on his wall, along with a picture of us! so it was a good time! the second stop of our world brewery tour (fredericksburg was the 1st)! and now i can say that i DID something with all my time off besides sit at home and absorb as much lifetime as possible!

welcome to austin

2009-01-07T09:16:00.003-06:00

living in austin means living with allergies. we have SO many different pollens, and they attack our bodies year round. and lucky me, i'm allergic to almost all of them. all of them except for maybe! MAYBE! the very worst....CEDAR. holy hell. cedar allergies KILL people around here (i think). and everybody at work is all coughy and sniffly and everyone sounds like hell. but ME! well mostly but me. i feel like my normal stopped up self, but not like i want to jump off a bridge. for once! I WIN!

goop: broccoli and arugula soup

2009-01-06T23:07:00.004-06:00

so as pretentious as those GOOP emails seem...gwyneth's team has definitely put together some good recipes. tonight i made the broccoli and arugula soup and holy CRAP that's a ton of broccoli! plus i doubled it so i would have leftovers (and subbed watercress for the arugula since it was cheaper), so i had four full bowls of soup. i love a recipe that leaves me with leftovers for lunch the next day! (that's also due to the fact that D was too hungry to wait for the soup to cook and ate a dollar frozen meal and oreos and milk.) so i have PLENTY of soup, all for me! it was quite yummy and i felt super healthy eating a soup made entirely of veggies!

oh and sidenote: no caffeine on this little plan i'm doing, which is KILLING ME. well. that's a little over the top maybe. but my mornings are like one giant yawn after another.

cool. whip.

2009-01-06T14:10:00.001-06:00

i like to write down what i eat on thedailyplate.com ... today the website told me that if i put fat free cool whip on my salad instead of dressing, i'd save 15 calories! awesome!

dream life

2009-01-06T11:28:00.004-06:00

if i HAD to be a man (and trust me when i say HAD because i wayyyy love being a woman more than a man. we're just so much more....awesome. and we (generally) have better clothes. and accessories.), i would totally be the sartorialist. i really know very little about HIM, but his LIFESTYLE? i'm so jealous. his most recent post about the hotel he stays in when he goes to milan and his extra steam-ironed clothes? drool-worthy. oh to travel the world (in good clothes) taking pictures of people in even more amazing clothes....

brandis

2009-01-06T11:04:00.003-06:00

i just discovered i can INSTANTLY watch all of season 1 of "seaquest" from netflix. I LOVE IT! god. i used to be obsessed with jonathan brandis. secretly, of course, so no one could make fun of me. oh the early 90's...

-------------------------
By the mid-21st Century, humankind has colonized the oceans and formed the UEO--the United Earth Oceans--as a military organization to police it. Formerly a high-ranking member of the UEO, Nathan Bridger retired after the death of his wife, and retreated to an isolated island to study dolphins. An attempt is made to hijack the Seaquest DSV, the UEO's most powerful undersea vessel, and Nathan--its original designer--is convinced to return to active service, to assume command of it. His second in command is Cmdr. Jonathan Ford. In second season, the DSV added Dagwood, a prototype GELF (Genetically Engineered Life Form), Tony Piccolo, a man with surgically implanted gills, and Dr. Wendy Smith, a telepath/empath, to its crew of specialists. The series has New Age leanings, often presenting stories that deal with environmental issues or mix myth and mysticism--from ghosts to "gods"--into its science fiction. Written by Marg Baskin {marg@asd.raytheon.ca}

i look like a cartoon

2009-01-06T08:46:00.002-06:00

it's cold. and raining.

so i'm wearing jeans and a sweater, a black pashmina scarf, a blue striped umbrella, leg warmers, and rainbow brite striped rain boots under my jeans (cuffed to avoid puddles!).

i got a VERY insincere "nice boots" comment as i walked into the office this morning...
but at least i'm not wet OR cold!

how i spent my christmas vacation: part 1

2009-01-05T10:58:00.002-06:00

one fine monday, dec 29 to be exact, my good friend e called me up. and decided that we were going to take a trip to SHINER TEXAS! home of delicious shiner beer and lots of country folks. we decided that the best way to make this trip memorable was to borrow my dad's minivan (it's GOLD people. and says "techno dr" on the back windshield. it's glorious!).

so around 10am we head over to e's house: me, efren, e, reba, and gil all pile into the minivan. and we're on our way!

"does everyone have their ids? for the brewery tour?"

...

gil does NOT have her id! so we spend 2 hours searching for it... it's still lost! so we decide to borrow her sister's, but are forced to change plans since we were too late for the brewery tour. so we decide... fredericksburg! and we're off.

we have lunch at some podunk restaurant called po-po's, and then decide maybe we'll do some wine tasting, since we're in the area! we pull off in comfort (after a minor malfunction involving the iphone and the map and us getting lost) and into the comfort cellars winery. and taste probably the worst wine ever. EVER. and i drink a lot of bad wine. bleh.
so then we go to fredricksburg. we stop in at water 2 wine (nice to visit a chain, right? oh well. we didn't want to risk more nastiness!), and buy a bottle. and stroll the streets with it, because that's allowed there! and we walk around looking for a place to eat. and we see christmas lights! awesome! and we end up eating at the fredericksburg brewing company (at least we go to go to a brewery! kind of!) and had some sausages. and then we loaded back into the mini and headed back to the big city...

christmas in austin

2009-01-05T09:17:00.003-06:00

when we were in austin for the austin handmade opening (so old, i know), efren and i walked down 37th street for a little christmas light action!

37th street, just south of guadalupe st, is famous for being lit up with all kind fo crazy crazy lights for the holidays! for example, the first house had a giant praying mantis, covered with lights, and a stuffed animal petting zoo in the back yard!

the lights were a little less this year than last, but i did take a few pictures of my favorite political statements!

2009-01-04T23:02:00.002-06:00

i'm SO SAD to go back to work tomorrow! in 9 hours! sigh. i've had such a wonderful time sleeping late, watching lifetime, and going to they gym. work is just not the same!

BUT it is a new year. and lots of new projects are starting up! so hopefully i'll be into some things a little more fulfilling than "true confessions of a hollywood starlet" (if that's even possible!)

things i'm doing right now

2009-01-04T18:37:00.005-06:00

so the thing is....i dont do detoxes. and i dont do cleanses. really. i mean, i think for the most part, my body takes care of that stuff. but the other day (on a particularly icky-feeling day) the latest GOOP newsletter arrived and it contained a detox diet. because gwynnie, like myself, "need[s] to lose a few pounds of holiday excess." *

anyway, it's a little different than most detox/cleanses i've seen that involve weird lemonade mixtures and no solid food - those things make me want to hurl just thinking about them. ick. so yeah, i'm doing the GOOP detox diet. more or less. i even bought a juicer! i've yet to use it because i'm kind of scared of it. but i'll probably break it out tomorrow night for some super greens juice (kale, celery, pears, ginger, lemon) - very interesting...

oh and also - we're currently camping out at our very very very nice friend's apartment** with our two crazy dogs. let me tell you - i do NOT miss apartment living with animals. the only thing worse than having to take a dog out to go to potty and then standing there saying "go poop fiona! go poop!" for five minutes straight with no...poop....is doing all of that in 40-something degree weather. and the only thing worse than that is doing it TWICE each time. my god. it makes me appreciate my dog doors and backyard so much more!!!

and on an even MORE unrelated note, i was watching some hgtv show today, and this woman had two kids: a boy named armani and a daughter named chanel. i dont think i need to say anything else.

*hahahahhahahaha the idea of gwyneth paltrow needing to lose holiday weight? is hilarious. also depressing.
**our floors are being refinished so we have temporarily been forced out of our home. look forward to a blog ALLLL about it!

i would say my year is off to a GREAT START

2009-01-02T17:12:00.005-06:00

well...this picture is ACTUALLY from 2007. but it's from our trip to chicago. and i LOVE LOVE LOVE chicago and want to go back this year (and/or forever) so yeah. here's a photo of us in chicago. in a big hair stage for D. yay! so, with that bit of randomness out of the way, here's a list for all you listmakers out there...

while i've definitely loved renovating the house and spending time with family and all that other wonderful stuff....i'm TOTALLY LOVING TODAY:
1. law and order svu on dvr. also lifetime movie network. HOLLER.
2. big gulp of mountain dew from 7-11.
3. pajama pants.
4. emptying out my google reader.
5. blogging.
6. texting megan. all. day. long. about dragon goblets.
7. sold some cards! and a calendar!
8. found out my buddies are having a BABY. so cute.
9. shopping on etsy. in pajama pants.
10. seeing my floors STAINED! yay!

oh and another list. WHERE I AM GOING THIS YEAR AND WHERE I WANT TO GO:

1. south carolina for a beeeautiful wedding in greenville. and we're hoping to squeeze in a visit to asheville and/or charleston.
2. san francisco! with M! to visit andrea and heather and my bro, bingy!
3. d and i have been thinking....maybe a christmas in paris? i'm thinking YES. how magical does that sound? man.
4. and maybe one little fun trip for D and me? maybe? of course i want to go to chicago again (see above). but i ALSO want to check out portland or seattle, since i havent been up that way ever. decisions are the WORST. especially decisions about trips that may or may not ever happen! details...

must have for new office

2009-01-02T16:15:00.004-06:00

the house is currently undergoing some changes - we're converting our guest room to an office! i am so very excited to finally have a workspace (this is sure to be an upgrade from the guest room floor and the living room coffee table).

the wood floors throughout the house are currently being refinished, and we'll complete our painting, for the most part, within a few weeks (i hope). so i'll definitely be posting some pictures soon. but until then, a glimpse at what we have in mind...

we got a decent knockoff of this table (at about 48" diameter! nice!):

i'll be ordering this wallpaper any day now:

and i need need NEED one of these chandeliers, preferably in red, but black would do. a knockoff would be greatly appreciated (because even on sale at $2,144 this is somehow STILL out of my budget. sigh.):

obsessed

2009-01-02T15:57:00.005-06:00

i love the vintage/reworked jewelry at sora designs. i bought a ton of her work for christmas presents and it's so affordale, i think i'll go back for more...for ME.

violet memento ring

teatime rose earrings

river of silver necklace

eves glen button earrings