February 14, 2011
Nick and I keep things very low-key for Valentine’s Day. We’ll exchange cards tonight and maybe get fattening Chinese take-out (a treat we rarely allow ourselves… particularly because I’m partial to General Tso’s, which we have nicknamed “General heart attack”), and perhaps rent a movie OnDemand and pass out on the couch. It actually sounds like a perfect evening to me.
Early in our relationship, I went ALL. OUT. for Valentine’s Day. The first time we celebrated February 14th together, I planned this awesome scavenger hunt throughout the neighborhood in Philly where I lived (and where Nick and I met), and gave him a bunch of silly and cute little gifts with each new clue. It was kind of awesome. Clearly I’m not 23 anymore because this sounds like a whole lotta work, but I guess after 7+ years together, we don’t need anything fancy anymore. We’re getting old!
I like keeping plans minimal, but I do think Valentine’s Day will be a whole new ballgame once we have kids, so we’ll just say we’re saving our energy up for then. There are so many fun projects to do with kids at V-day; I remember getting so excited to give and receive Valentines in school as a kid. Brooke from Inchmark always has the best ideas for her kids’ Valentines, so I’m keeping these tucked away until it’s my turn.
images via inchmark
What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
February 3, 2011
…unless you’re talking about kidney stones.
That’s right, friends — I’ve got the stones. Two of ‘em. And it’s been kind of a craptastic week, if I’m being honest.
Nope. Not these stones.
It all started on Tuesday morning when, around 9:30, I didn’t feel quite right. I had a pain in my side that was similar to a pain I felt a few weeks ago that had gone away within a few hours… but this time, within ten minutes, I was doubled over and vomiting (sorry). I did what all grown women do and called my mommy, who told me I should call the doctor. They had an opening at 10:30, so I made the appointment, and then promptly called my mom back and begged her to take me there because I was at the point that I couldn’t really walk, let alone drive and Nick couldn’t get home for at least another hour. Despite the icy roads, my mom was there in a flash, and we traveled a few short blocks to my doctor’s office. Within a minute of them taking a look at my extremely pale, sweating face (and did I mentioned I was carrying two plastic Target bags in case I tossed my cookies again? Classy!) and seeing that I was about to pass out from the pain, they helped me back into the car and sent us straight to the ER.
It’s all a bit of a delirious blur because I was in so much pain — and I will say that it was, hands down, the most pain I have ever felt in my life. It took a few hours of agony and a CAT scan to finally be diagnosed with not one, but TWO kidney stones, and I thank my lucky stars for modern medicine and pain killers because I couldn’t take it for much longer. (At one point while being admitted, I remember crying to the nurse that I wished I would just pass out so I didn’t have to feel the pain anymore.) I had more than one person tell me that day that kidney stones are more painful than childbirth, and I sure as hell hope so. Because I never want to do anything like that again. (And at least after childbirth you get a cute baby. I need a t-shirt that says “I went to the ER and all I got were these stupid kidney stones.”)
They’re still, ahem, hanging out, so I’ve been lying low and taking pain meds as needed until my new unwanted friends leave me alone. Thanks for letting me whine a bit — I hope you all are having a better week than I am, and I hope that each and every one of you can avoid the wrath of kidney stones!
January 31, 2011
(Say that five times fast!)
If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen that I attended a terrarium workshop at Terrain yesterday. I’ve long been intrigued by terrariums but have always had an extremely black thumb, so I was hesitant to spend money on something I’d likely end up killing. The good thing about terrariums is that they require very little maintenance, though, so I gave it a whirl. (It’s day two and my terrarium still looks good, so my fingers are crossed that this is a fool-proof type of gardening for me! ;)
My friend Susan joined me for the workshop, which lasted two hours in the greenhouse. Instruction and potting materials were included in the $15 fee; we were able to choose our own glass vessels and plants from Terrain, which we paid for at the end of the workshop. Susan thought ahead and brought her own vessel:
I went with a tall cylinder for mine. I started out thinking I’d use the copper base underneath and flip the glass over to be a closed terrarium (as shown), but once I started playing around I changed my mind.
That cardboard box contains all of the plants I grabbed inside the store to possibly use in my terrarium. We were encouraged to grab as many as we wanted so we’d have some options when we started creating. Whatever we didn’t use would go back into the store and we didn’t have to pay for it.
We started out by adding gravel (above), and then adding small bits of activated charcoal and mixing everything together. This is a good base in the bottom that will absorb extra moisture so my plants are never drowning. Then we added potting soil on top — I have about 2″ worth because of the plants I chose. After that, it was all about having fun and creating a lovely little environment for some plants.
I ended up only using three of the plants I had originally chosen, and I also added some rocks, moss, and dried flower buds to give things a bit more color and texture. I am so pleased with the final result, and Susan’s came out beautifully, too!
I will have to water each plant (about a shot-glass worth of water for each one) about every 8-10 days. It will thrive most if it is in bright, indirect light, so I currently have it sitting on my desk where I get a lot of natural light throughout the day. It’s also nice to see it there while I work!
I’ll keep you posted if I manage to kill the plants or if, like I’m hoping, everything stays alive and well.
Have you ever made a terrarium?
All images by Susan
January 13, 2011
I’ve been a bad blogger this week. Sometimes, I can’t find enough time for all the posts I have drafted in my head. Other times, I can’t think of a thing to write about. This week has fallen into the latter category!
The truth is that I usually write about pretty light and fluffy stuff on here, and it’s hard to keep it light and fluffy when I am feeling sad about the world. As much as I always try to focus on the positive, there’s no denying that there’s also a lot of negative going on around us. Saturday’s tragedy in Tucson is just so, so heartbreaking, and it left me feeling very disappointed in our world. I know there are much worse things happening in other countries every day and I am extremely fortunate to live the life I live, but sometimes that makes me feel even more sad for the things I can’t fix.
I don’t watch the news too often because it just gets to be depressing and I take so much of it to heart, but I don’t like feeling naive about what’s really going on in the world, either. It’s hard to find a balance of feeling informed while not completely losing faith in humanity in the process.
So. That’s what I’ve been feeling this week. How do you all follow current events and learn from them without letting it get you down?
January 6, 2011
So… I’ve been doing a new workout that I really like. I know, I know — you’ve all heard me rave about C25K and the 30 Day Shred in the past. And those are still great workouts. But I don’t have a treadmill (or a gym membership), and if you know me in person you know that it would be absolutely comical for me to run outside in the cold, due to the fact that I am chilly sitting at my desk right now and it’s 69 degrees inside… and the Shred, well, it gets a little old and repetitive after a while (and when I reach the point of wanting to strangle Jillian for saying “the neck is not invited to this party,” I know it’s time to take a break). I tried Jillian’s 6 Week 6-Pack OnDemand for something a little different, but working out in my living room has just started to lose its luster, and I was really feeling like I needed something that would get me out of the house without breaking the bank. Like everyone else who tries kicking their fitness routine back into gear after the holidays, I decided to try something new.
You’ll never guess what it is.
No, really — I didn’t even know this was still around. My mom did it in the 80s and I thought it went out twenty-plus years ago alongside legwarmers and teased hair.
Are you ready for this?
December 20, 2010
Thank you all for the sweet comments of commiseration and encouragement on my last post. It’s nice to know that I’m not alone, though disappointing that shopping can be such a source of frustration for so many of us!
My journey to Anthropologie was postponed until Friday (thanks to about a centimeter of snow that made traffic come to a screeching halt on Thursday evening), but it was a major success when I finally got there! Thanks in part to a generous gift card from a lovely friend and my mom who treated me with some early Christmas gifts (and who also likes to live vicariously through my wardrobe), I was able to pick up a few beautiful things.
my loot, via Anthropologie
I also picked up these shoes at DSW that I am totally in love with and they are a great neutral that will go with a bunch of things! (They’re more of a brownish-olive-gray and much cuter in person, but I’m biased.)
Franco Sarto Expo in Smoke Lux
It’s funny — over the last several years I have learned that it’s better to buy a few key, quality pieces than a bunch of cheapie items, but for some reason I hadn’t been heeding my own advice. I thought I’d cut corners and avoid Anthro at first, but now I know that will get me nowhere (and probably result in tears). Never again, I say. NEVER AGAIN!
My friend Maya suggested working with a personal shopper sometime (complimentary at Anthropologie, J.Crew and Nordstrom, to name a few!) and that’s a great idea I will take advantage of the next time I need a wardrobe refresh and I’m feeling a little lost. While I didn’t have time to schedule that last week at Anthro, the women working in the fitting room were so helpful with their styling suggestions, which is not something you get everywhere. Overall, I’m a happy camper.
Now that I found my good shopping juju, I’m sending lots to all of you!
December 16, 2010
Shopping has always been an adventure in extreme hits or misses for me. Certain seasons/styles mean everything I try on works great with my shape and is an immediate keeper, while other seasons, it seems as if nothing is made to fit my body type or suit my taste and I can’t help but feel incredibly frustrated.
The other day I spent 3.5 hours at the King of Prussia mall with my mom, searching for a cute holiday outfit or two and maybe some new jeans and sweaters to refresh my wardrobe for winter. And what did I leave with? Nothing. Nada. ZILCH. We tried dresses at Lord & Taylor and Macy’s, perused LOFT, Ann Taylor, J.Crew, Fossil, and a few shops in between. Either the things I liked were ill-fitting, or I simply didn’t see anything I liked.
cute on models…notsomuch on me.
That sweater was basically down to my knees when I tried it on.
By the time we got to Nordstrom’s dress department, the tears of frustration finally came out. I felt ridiculous — 30 years old and crying in a department store over SHOPPING, of all things! — but I couldn’t help it. I work from home and wear sweats most days, and my default jeans-and-boots whenever I leave the apartment. I haven’t shopped a lot in the last few years (at least, not like I used to!) and I was really looking forward to picking up some new items with my hard-earned cash. I told my mom it felt like the stores wouldn’t even give me the opportunity to throw my money at them.
Maybe it’s just that the styles and trends out there right now are not my style, but it’s hard to believe that I couldn’t find a single thing worth buying in the second largest mall in the country. I did find one dress that I really liked at Lord & Taylor, but of course the one I tried on was a size too large and my size was nowhere to be found (nor can I find it online). Sigh.
Tonight, I’m going to venture to Anthropologie and see if they won’t let me throw some money at them. Please don’t disappoint, Anthro!!
Does anyone else feel like it is impossible to find anything you like when certain trends hit the stores? How do you end up creating a wardrobe that you’re happy with (without going insane)?
(As an aside: I do realize this is a “first-world problem.” In the grand scheme of life, my inability to find clothes I like is pretty insignificant :) But alas, it’s something I’m experiencing at the moment, and this is where I share my adventures in adulthood.)
December 7, 2010
For the last two years, Nick and I have not gotten a real Christmas tree. It started in 2008, when he got laid off at the beginning of December, and, not knowing what the future held for us, we decided to save our money and instead got a little fake (and fairly hilarious) tree for $6.99. We spruced it up with lights and a few of our favorite ornaments; it looked silly, but we kind of loved it. We decided to break it out again last year, and it was nice having something that didn’t take up so much space. Plus now, our crappy little $6.99 tree has some sentimental value to us. It’s a nice reminder that we don’t need anything big and fancy at Christmas (or anytime of year) as long as we have each other. Cheesy, but true :)
Nick decorating “mini tree” last year
This year, we are torn. We both miss the smell of the real tree (it’s the best!!) but neither of us is very enthusiastic about going to pick out a tree or moving our furniture around the squeeze it into our living room. In short: we’re feeling lazy. We know we’ll love it once it’s here, but aside from Nick’s parents being here for a short time on Christmas weekend, we’ll be the only ones to appreciate a real tree (and we’ll all be able to enjoy my mom’s real 8 foot tall tree on Christmas day!).
I love the holiday season, but I’m just feeling “meh” about the tree thing this year. Am I officially a Scrooge? Or are you forgoing a tree this year, too?
November 17, 2010
Nick is a fisherman. He loves everything about fishing and does it as much as possible. When he was laid off from his job shortly after we got married, he went fishing at local creeks as much as possible — it got him out of the house amidst the frustrating days of endless job searching, and I firmly believe it kept him from going positively bonkers. Rainy and snowy days were always more difficult for him to get through because he couldn’t go fishing. He loves the peacefulness and the skill involved, and he still comes home happy even if he doesn’t catch anything. (And even if he does catch something, he releases it, so he really fishes simply for the fun of it.)
Now that we have a shore house in the family and he’s been able to surf fish quite a bit, he looks forward to it for weeks if he knows that we’re headed down the shore for the weekend. The other day, he was trying to explain to me just how excited he is for an upcoming weekend down the shore when he can fish, but he had trouble putting it into words. He tried to relate it to something that I really love to do, and we both had a difficult time coming up with something.
I don’t think I love anything as much as he loves fishing.
my cute little fisherman…he started early (but he wears sunglasses now)
Don’t get me wrong — I love my job and I love designing. But that’s not a hobby…it’s my livelihood. And while I wake up most days and look forward to the work I have to do, it’s still work. That’s very different from doing something purely for the enjoyment of it — no money depends on it, and there is no one else you’re trying to please in the process. I love blogging and reading, but they don’t give me the same high that Nick gets from fishing. I tried to embrace running, and I like it so-so, but it will never be my passion. I tried knitting and got bored after making a few scarves. I love to dance, but good adult dance classes are hard to come by in the suburbs (and a bit of a burden on my wallet). I’m a tad envious that Nick has found something he loves so much and I’m not sure I’ll ever have that passion for a hobby.
Do you have a hobby that truly completes you?
November 12, 2010
Maybe it’s my old age (har har), but lately I have become very aware of the sense of entitlement that so many people have these days. I think it’s where much of the rudeness and lack of kindness in our society (which is, unfortunately, not uncommon) stems from. It seems as if people are no longer grateful for what they have or the kind gestures that others extend to them. They expect to be able to get whatever they want and to be on the receiving end of kindness, but don’t think twice about not extending it to others or accepting it when things don’t always go their way.
Over the summer, Nick and I were at a Phillies game one night with my dad. Our seats were at the end of a row so anytime someone in our row needed to get up, we had to stand up to let them pass. Not a problem; that’s just what people do. But still, I couldn’t help but notice that not a single person in a group of college-age individuals uttered a single “thank you” as they left their seats and returned time and time again. I was pretty peeved. I mean, I didn’t have to get up; I could have just turned to the side a little bit and made them awkwardly squeeze past my knees because it would have been less of an inconvenience for me. I’m not trying to pat myself on the back for letting them through — I’m just thinking that maybe, just maybe, a “thank you” would have been nice to hear.
I get so frustrated when I see someone parking somewhere that is restricted or simply not meant for them. It drives me insane when someone doesn’t say “thank you” after I hold a door for them. I absolutely want to scream when I see a person talking on their cell phone and ignoring the checkout clerk while in line at a store. Since when have the rules of humanity not applied to these people? Since when is rudeness okay because it’s simply more convenient than being polite?
I probably let myself get more fired up than I should, and Nick doesn’t always understand why I take these kinds of thing to heart so much, but I guess it all boils down to people thinking that they can make their own rules for the sake of their own convenience and utter disregard for the people around them. It has certainly made me think about what I’ll teach my future kids, so for that I’m grateful…but the sense of entitlement that plagues our society still gets me pretty down sometimes.
Well. That was kind of ranty. Sorry.
Tell me I’m not the only one who gets worked up about this?
