8.02.2012

My Television Addiction

Gotta LOVE Sheldon!
Like many I've struggled with addiction or obsession as it were - today I'm going to share my struggles with all of you - yes it is my addition to television. It's gotten so bad that I'm actually chronicling my indulgences through a fun little app called Get Glue.


What's so great about Get Glue? I love it because you can connect with new people that have the same interests as you do and learn about new shows and stuff that you may like. The other thing is stickers.


Yes. I said stickers.


They'll even send them to you for free! 


Yep, folks the little girl in me is still alive and well. 


And LOVING her stickers!


View Jennifer's stickers on GetGlue

8.01.2012

If it's meant to be, it's up to ME!

Nothing like these words of wisdom to kick you right in the ass...


You're welcome


Now go do great stuff!!

7.31.2012

Olympic Joy

I know we're only a few days in, but I am completely overwhelmed and awed by the Olympic Games this year. I don't really think it has anything to do with the location (although I do prefer Summer to Winter any day!). I think I'm getting a new level of respect for the athletes and what it takes to compete at that level, I mean - they make it look easy... But seriously!! I can barely walk down the hall without bumping into walls - much less flip all over a 4-inch beam.


Perhaps it's that I've watched more games this year than any other before - look at me - I'm growing :) but these Olympic Games make me proud(er) to be an American! <3

2.03.2012

Finally Sunny!



For those of you that don't know, my favorite color is yellow. It reminds me of bring sunny beautiful days of outside wonderment and joy. I can't look at yellow and be sad. 

So it warms my heart to be able to share that I finally got a new car! 

Bonus: it's yellow!
His name is Sunny Atreyu

He is not exactly what I wanted or even what I was looking for, but if you've ever looked for a car and had some financial difficulties - you learn to curb your expectations. 

Sunny is cute, fun and I think he'll be brave and adventurous - which is where his middle name comes into play. Sunny is a Chevy Aveo and while I telling a friend what type of car he was, the name Atreyu (instead of Aveo) jumped out of my mouth. Then I remembered how much I loved The Neverending Story when I was a kid and I just couldn't let my Sunny go without a middle name. In the movie, Atreyu was handsome, brave, adventurous and reliable. I think Sunny will fit all of those qualities and more. 

So now comes that amazing time where I have to learn all the new fun and funky quirks about Sunny A. I already learned that I don't have to shift him, but old habits die hard. I also haven't gotten the seat quite right and since I don't have to shift, I'm having a helluva time deciding what to do with my hands (yes they are on the wheel but where?). 

All in all, you'll be able to see us coming a mile away. He was made in America (go U.S. Manufacturing!) and he fits my personality. Win! Win! Win!

By the way, my niece thinks he's "handsome" :)

2.02.2012

Cinnamon Rolls

When my alarm went off this morning, not only was I dreaming of yummy ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls - I could taste them... yes you read that right. 


Taste them!






Does this take my food obsession to an unhealthy level?


Let me digress for a moment (like you have a choice). Over the weekend I was watching a local food show and there was this bakery featured that had the most amazing-looking cinnamon rolls, scones and bread. I was basically drooling while watching the spot. Come to find out the shop was right around the corner - literally, from my house. The Black Rooster Bakery, I must've passed this restaurant oh... 150 million times! How could something so wonderful and beautiful be so close to my house without me knowing?!?!


Now I'm stuck. I'm trying to be good and eat right, but how can I be expected to be good when there are amazing cinnamon rolls (my ultimate weakness) less than a quarter-mile away?!? (I don't care who's diet you're following - NO ONE condones cinnamon rolls like this!)


So I'm going to leave it up to you. Should I go try one of their cinnamon rolls or just continue on my good streak and admire them from afar?


On the up side, this is totally distracting me from the car situation that I still haven't heard back on...

2.01.2012

New (to me) Car (maybe)

You know those days where you get a wild hair and decide that you want to buy a new car so you start putting in inquiries about cars and spend your day being hassled by car salesmen people? 


Yeah, me neither... until today.


Many thoughts come to mind as I review this decision. Here are the top 3:
  1. What the f(*& was I thinking?!?! 
  2. Why wasn't someone here to stop me?!? 
  3. Why do I want to blame someone else?!?
Why you ask... because as I write, I'm waiting to hear back on a credit decision. (UGH!) I've made no secret about my recent financial troubles and the subsequent situation in which I've landed. Recently, I've come upon a small amount of money, and because of this bittersweet windfall I have enough for a modest down payment on a more reliable (and hopefully funner) car. But I'm stuck in the waiting game.


I don't know if you've ever been in this situation (lucky you!), but it sucks! I told the salesman that I didn't want to come up and test drive the vehicle until I knew for sure that I was approved for a loan and that my payments would be $x/month. 


Apparently this isn't how "normal" people purchase vehicles. 


HEEELLLLOOOO! I'm not normal, but now you get a nice story to tell at your car salesman conventions or at the Sunday dinner table. I can't imagine I'm the best story you've got but who knows, if when I'm approved, maybe I can make an ass out of myself to make this deal memorable. Because, I'm just that kind of gal!
This MAY BE the car I end up with... kinda cute, huh?
So internet blog-land, if this is the car I'm supposed to have - send good thoughts my way so hopefully I can ride to work in this puppy tomorrow!



1.31.2012

Obsessed with food

Yep, that's me!


I have another blog (that admittedly I've seriously neglected) called Discover Dinner dedicated to (good & healthy) recipes, ideas for dinner, menu planning, pantry staples, basically FOOD. Food Network, Cooking Channel, Iron Chef, Diners Drive-ins & Dives - I can't stop watching. Cooking for others is a passion of mine. (And I'm pretty good at it too!)


My TOTAL dream job!




BUT I'VE GOT TO STOP!


I'm what you would call a yo-yo dieter. My weight fluxuiates like nobody's business and last week I had to buy new pants.


NEW PANTS!
If only these *were* my new pants!




Maybe I should mention, the reason I had to buy new pants is that the ones I was wearing to work that day were too tight for my comfort. (NEW PANTS!) I feel the opposite of that Progresso Soup commercial where the women are all calling in and saying they fit into their skinny jeans. (I just realized, seriously, that maybe I should try that Progresso Soup diet!)


I see a new workout regimen in my future. Especially if I'm going to continue to be obsessed with food to this level.


Beer jelly - from www.onescrewloose.com SO YUMMY!
Did I mention I went to ZestFest yesterday? Welcome to my new obsession(s)! 

Are you feeling alright?

As a matter of fact, I am not. But I will be.


This morning, around 2, I experienced my 2nd night of "unpleasantness" that everyone has experienced at some point. Suffice to say, not only was it miserably disgusting it was also exhausting. I didn't sleep a wink! So I stayed home today. Which is code for - slept, spent a lot of time running to the bathroom & working from my phone / iPad. Have I mentioned I hate love technology (nothing like working on the can).


Since I quit trying to drink and gave up the thought of eating anything I'm feeling much better! I spent the rest of my day on the sofa catching up on Grey's Anatomy & Gossip Girl (yes, I'm 33 & love GG - no judgment!). Bleu kept me company on the other sofa...






Although I've spent most of the day running between the bathroom, sofa & bedroom - I feel like I've been strangely productive. All without a laptop, a little dehydration, no food & a happy sleepy sweet pup!

1.18.2012

Dragon, Virgo, Bikers... Really?!

Today has been one of ^those^ days (not *those* days - which are worse). It was an eyebrow raising day hence the ^. 

A friend / co-worker invited me to her birthday party this weekend. She and her husband are really nice and funny and I really enjoy hanging out with them. 

We're talking about the agenda for the day of the party and it goes a little something like this:
Birthday Girl: We're going to meet at the biker bar around noon, have a few drinks and go for a ride.
Me: That sounds cool, but I don't have any one to ride with.
BG: That's okay, there's plenty of single bikers that will be there. Maybe one of them will give you a ride.
Me: (silently thinking) you want me to go drink and then get on a motorcycle with someone I don't know after they've been drinking?... What are y'all doing after the ride?
BG: We're going to meet at the house and have some food & drinks.
Me: Maybe I'll just meet y'all at the house.

Later on at lunch I get an earful about it being Lunar New Year and we're changing to the Year of the Dragon, which I find extremely fascinating (really I do!). A co-worker is taking off Friday - Monday because it is her year to cook for their group of families they celebrate with. She and I have a very good relationship. All she wants is for me to get married and have lots of babies. And I adore her for it. She won't give up. Here's a portion of our conversation about Lunar New Year...
Year of the *REALLY COOL* Dragon
MH: It's Lunar New Year this weekend. We are starting the Year of the Dragon.
Me: WOW! That's really cool. It sounds all fierce!
MH: The Year of the Dragon is a great romance year for Virgos.

Me (a Virgo): Really!?! That's encouraging. I really need to get out there and snag me a dragon! What happens if I don't make it happen this year and I'm still single at the end of the year?
MH: ... ...

I guess I really WILL be going to that party this weekend. Better get cracking!

1.17.2012

Duh, Pinning...

It's what I'm doing now!
Are you obsessed yet? With Pinterest, I mean...


What is Pinterst, you ask? 


Pinterest (pronounced to rhyme with interest) is a vision board-styled social photo sharing website and app where users can create and manage theme-based image collections. (Thanks, Wikipedia)


Oh, & did I mention I'm obsessed?


I have 36 Boards, and (currently) a little over 3200 pins. 


Why couldn't I find something more productive to do, like writing on this blog or my Green Event planning blog? Because, as with all new toys, the shiny hasn't worn off yet. 


As some of you may know - I pride myself on being somewhat of a *foodie* and Pinterest has allowed me to go pretty much batshit crazy finding recipes. Even using ingredients I hate. It is official, if it's pretty and I'm hungry, I'll pin anything!


But the BEST board I have has got to be my "HaHa" board. It's like everything I've ever said, or thought, or was to slow to think of was captured, assigned a photo and a funky font and posted to Pinterest! 


Pinterest isn't all humor and recipes - there are a lot of cool DIY crafts, wedding & event ideas, home decor ideas, fashion, vacation spots and all the photos of Bradley Cooper & Ryan Gosling you could ever want to see (fairly clothed, of course). 


If you aren't on it yet, I highly recommend it. While you're there, give me a follow and laugh, craft and dream along with me as I become an even more sarcastic (fatter) foodie with great crafty aspirations. 


It may, or may not be considered the dark side - but it sure is fun!

1.16.2012

Bitter Sweet

I've alluded to a horrible thing that happened last year (while also actually talking about all of the other death) I haven't been ready to talk about the really horrible thing - but I guess today's the day.


A really horrible thing happened last year, it was devastating to me, my co-workers and our community. We lost two wonderful young women to a senseless act of domestic violence. Trini Do and Michelle Ta are sisters, I worked with them (almost daily) for nearly 4 years. Trini had two wonderful children and a psychotic husband, while Michelle had recently gotten married and hadn't started a family yet. 


At her son's 11th birthday party, Trini, Michelle, their mother, father, sister, two brothers and sister-in-law were shot by Trini's husband in front of their children, friends and extended family before he took his own life. There were five earth-shattering fatailities that day. I was watching television that Saturday night when the news came on and a story about a shooting was the breaking news of the evening - I switched the channel. I didn't want to know about it. (at this point I had no idea it was anyone I knew). I went to bed.


Sunday morning, I look at Facebook before I get out of bed (because that's what all women in my demographic do, right?!) and see several stories posted about the shooting, but I don't click on one. I just have no desire to know any of the details about the tragedy. After managing to miss tv, facebook, radio and basically all media for the morning, I decide to clean the kitchen. At 11 a.m. my phone rings and I run into the bedroom to get it. It's my co-worker and friend Renee. She's upset. The conversation when something like this:


Me: Hello
Renee: Sit down
Me. I don't want to sit down
Renee: Sit down (sniffles)
Me: Okay, you're freaking me out. Stop telling me to sit down. I'm sitting down.
Renee: Trini & Michelle are dead.
Me: WHAT?!?! 
Renee: It happened last night at a skating rink in Grand Prairie.
Me: WHAT?!?
Renee: Trini's husband shot everyone
Me: WHAT?!?! You're joking. This isn't real.
Renee: I don't joke about death
Me: WHAT?!?! This is real?
Renee: Cory (Renee's husband): Renee can't talk anymore...
Me: HOLY SHIT! THIS ISN'T REAL
Cory: Yes it is. I'm so sorry.
Me: Oh My God!!!


Michelle & Trini
I lay on my bed sobbing pretty well uncontrollably and the dog comes in to comfort me - except he doesn't know what to do so he just lays there and looks at me. I try to get myself together. I make phone calls. I have a drink. I feel numb.


Monday, we go to work. All I do the entire day is cry. 
Tuesday, we go to work. All I do the entire day is cry.
Wednesday, we go to work and then the funeral. Have you ever been to an all day 5 person funeral? All I do the entire day is cry.
Thursday, we go to work. There aren't anymore tears left.
Friday, we go to work. Big Boss is there and we have to have the "splitting of the job duties" conversation because the world can't stop just because we can't make it through the day without tears.


I volunteer for all of the non-financial duties that Trini had. In hind-sight a lot of those duties should've been mine to begin with - but we're all so busy. 


For 5 months, my co-workers and I pull double duty until we can get just one person in to pick up some of the slack. We still cry, but those days are fewer and further between. People have moved into their offices although we still call them Trini & Michelle's offices. 


The somewhat "sweet" part comes on February 1st when my employer is going to do something unprecedented. They are awarding a pay supplement to the handful of us that picked up the slack these last 5-6 months. We get a "bonus". I'm actually going to be paid for all the extra work. I may even be able to get a car...


This is huge!


While one side of me is beyond ecstatic that I am getting a fairly substantial windfall and that I'm actually going to be able to do something with it - the other side hates where the money is coming from and would gladly give it back and then some to have my friends back at their desks, cooking smelly food and finding crazy cheap deals on everything you can imagine. 


I can't believe it's taken this long for me to write about this. I realized yesterday, that I hadn't stood at the stove and cleaned it since that day. Of course, that's what I was doing when I got the call, so it seems a little like tempting fate to do it again. (Yes, I'm on medication for the crazy...) But I guess by being able to tell the story in writing, I'm moving to the next step. 


Trini & Michelle - I miss you fun & funny ladies! I know heaven got (at least) two more angels than it bargained for last year.

1.15.2012

Spring Wedding Idea

Spring Wedding Idea


Emilio Pucci wool sheath dress
$1,985 - mytheresa.com


House of Harlow 1960 red handbag
$195 - stefanibags.com


Tarina tarantino jewelry
$100 - tarinatarantino.com


Dot jewelry
$75 - spottedmoth.com


Dorothy Perkins navy jewelry
$11 - dorothyperkins.com


Mango retro shades
£20 - mango.com



Nails In In The Red
£5 - topshop.com

1.03.2012

A delve into 2012

Since it's the third day of the new year, can I still call it a delve? Oh well, I'm going to (I take vocabulary liberties when/where I can). 

So far, 2012 hasn't been... anything. Not good, not bad, just blah. Now, before you remind me that we're just now delving in, I'm very hopeful that this year will / is my YEAR. I spent yesterday (at work) and had a decent day - then I splurged on a crazy deluxe pedicure with hot rocks, a manicure and a painfully relaxing eyebrow wax.

This year (for me at least) is supposed to be about getting things done BUT I must admit, yesterday after work I only got 2 out of 3 things done. This might seem like a success, especially considering the thing I omitted was a trip to Walmart, but now I just have to do it tonight. After I work out. Yes... I'm going to fight the crowds and get back in the swing of working out and I'm going to stick with it (a note to self for later).

Seems like I spent so much time gearing up for the New Year and planning out what I wanted to do that my motivation is waning. 

I'm open to suggestions on how you keep self-motivated. Although this hasn't really been a problem for me in the past - it looks like the only way 2012 is going to be my bitch is if I get my fatass back in a motivated gear. 

Are you planning on owning 2012? How are you going to do it?