post college project

.a.splash.of.happy.

2010-04-02T12:21:00.001-04:00

hello lovers! so to have been absent for so long.

i have moved on to a new blog .a.splash.of.happy. Please join me there and alex at room it up.

happy birthday blog!

2009-12-20T16:31:00.002-05:00

it has been 367 days since alex and i started this little blog and i have enjoyed every minute of it. however, due to some personal stuff i am going to be taking a break.

hopefully alex can continue to post in my absence.

wish you all a merry christmas!!!

xoxo
Anne-Marie

winter break!!!

2009-12-18T11:59:00.001-05:00

finals are over.

i am still awaiting my VCLA score, but so far i know i got 88% correct so i'm hoping that's passing!

whats on the list for winter break: staying in bed extra long today with my Hanukkah present from ALEX! don't you love the new print.

get it here: room it up

it is doing wonders for me today:

making my first morning of break amazing; next on the list coffee and Cheerios!!!!!

tonight i am seeing Coco Before Chanel at my friendly neighboorhood cinema. maybe my french skills will kick in and i will not have to read ALL of the subtitles.

perhaps i will bring my knitting project with me! i'm making alex an infinity scarf!!!

FINALS

2009-12-15T15:15:00.000-05:00

so ironic for me to write about finals on POST college project but i must.

oh gradschool why can't you be more like undergrad???

in undergrad i had a fabulous study nook in King Library. it was glorious and i could watch the squirrels and snow and wander aimlessly during study breaks. Food was allowed and was availble for purchase. it was heaven.

now i am stuck at the words LOUDEST starbucks because i cannot bring my coffee into the library and cannot leave my things unattended because they WILL get stolen. just like my id - i did not blog about this saga because it was too tragic- which has been found and i can return to the rec!!!

Even with my hotpink earplugs in (can you see them above they are a life saver!!!), i can tell you every problem the people at the table next to me have with their co-worker (she is not present) and what they are going to do to get her fired... The "boss" just told them their plan will not work because it involves falsifying records and that it is acceptable to take your PTO when your child is sick... SERIOUSLY. oh wait i just found out all these people are managers...

would it be rude for me to ask them to A. lower their voices, B. LEAVE or C. stop being so LAME

In other news it is getting colder here in va, no snow in the forecast, but colder is nice. Yesterday, a large brown box showed up at my house from room.it.up. i won't be opening it until Christmas so you too will have to wait to know what is inside. Today a brown box arrived from Kate Spade, i will not get my hopes up this is for me (last year i did and was disappointed).

update on the managers meeting: the "boss" will not be checking his blackberry over his break, he keeps referring to it as leave. all others are encouraged to call and message him but he will not be responding. he followed this up by saying he needs to know if the others make any important decisions they need to speak to him first. (this sounds like M.SCOTT) boy do i not envy any of these people.

hope you all are being more productive than i!

procrastination...

2009-12-10T15:12:00.000-05:00

did you watch glee last night???? AMAZING. lisa had us rewind it and watch certian parts again. i was consumed by the fact that qinn (in all her pregnant glory) had on my favorite winter coat from a million seasons ago! props to the BR!

here was the most amzing part incase you missed it:

ombre hair?

2009-12-09T16:26:00.000-05:00

do you get who what wear daily e-mails? if so then you saw the ombre hair e-mail blast that just went out.

your thoughts?

I don't know about this trend. in middle school my computer teacher had this look and we called her rainbow head. granted hers was a peroxide mess going from dark to white the comparison is there. as a fashionable middle schooler i know this look was WRONG.

however, i do think that done correctly ombre hair can look very natural. but agree with many of the comments on who what wear daily that this is not a new trend nor is it fashion forward (my hair naturally does this ever fall/winter as i let my summer sun kissed/chlorine lighten hair grow out).

maybe celebrities are forgoing their highlights to sympathize with the economic downturn...

ELF YOUR SELF

2009-12-09T10:21:00.004-05:00

a tribute to my sissy!!!

also payback for the 2000 photo booth pictures of her and 2 i-movies!!!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Gossip Girl

2009-12-09T10:12:00.001-05:00

IT'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if you did not watch it on monday... buy it on i-tunes NOW. best $2.99 you can spend this week!!

hope you are warm or dry like alex today! here its raining and i know in chi-town and elsewhere it is SNOWING and very cold. stay warm!!!

i phone

2009-12-04T14:11:00.001-05:00

as many of you know, i long for an i-phone but will not give up my free verizon service. (thanks lisa and pa-thug!) however, my need for an i-phone just grew to a large gaping hole in my soul.

today i got an e-mail from kate spade ~~telling me~~ taunting me with their new i-phone app.

are you in love? because i am. hopefully alex has already downloaded it (its free! my early chanukah and christmas gift to you fine reader with an i-phone/i-touch)

let me know how it works out. i can be reached on my second generation motorola razor...

winter wishes

2009-12-03T14:48:00.000-05:00

below are the three items i'm going to be asking Santa for (he only brings three b.c that's what the baby jesus got)

can be purchased at The Laundress

can be purchased (with free shipping) from Tory Burch

can be purchased at lululemon

what are you giving as gifts this holiday season???

Gossip Girl

2009-12-01T20:59:00.000-05:00

you know i love gossip girl. however, i must confess i have been speaking poorly of this season (even comparing it to season 3 of THE O.C.)

However, monday night's thanksgiving episode has given me hope! (also did you notice how hot nate was???)

SPOILERS BELOW if you have not watched do not read any further!!!!!

not only was eleanore waldorf back and dorota preggers but serena is off on another wild ride and blair is eating pie again!!!!! it was a glimpse back into season one and i was in heaven! (i would have liked to see eleanore pregnant as she was in the books -they baby's name was yale!)

back to how hot nate was... i would have picked him over trip any day ... sorry trip.

it is killing me to know what was in that letter and i think they might keep it from us for a while... any ideas????

do you think trip will really leave maureen? what is lilly hiding ???? when is nelly yuki coming back?

i cannot wait until next monday. also blake lively is on SNL this saturday so we don't have to go a whole week w/o gg!!

speech

2009-12-01T20:17:00.002-05:00

are you watching obama's speech? what do you think???

this and that

2009-11-30T22:11:00.002-05:00

it's almost december!!!!

tonight, i am going to bed hoping that the rain outside turns to snow and dreaming of snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes! (yes i am aware that it does not snow in southern virginia in december, but a girl can wish right?)

also, to put me further into the holiday mood pa-thug and i made a batch of Christmas cookies!

also, an update on our training: we finished the 10k just under 70 min!!! not 1/2 marathon pace but good for our first run together!

here is our official picture as we crossed the finish line (don't you love how my dad was sporting MIAMI!!!)

happy thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T13:30:00.000-05:00

image credit

hope everyone is having a great thanksgiving and getting very full off of good food!!!

thanksgiving cooking

2009-11-25T10:13:00.001-05:00

last night alex made some delicious cupcakes... hopefully she will post about them soon. if you follow her on twitter you saw the pic of JC loving a pumpkin cupcake.

at my house lisa (with my help) made hot chocolate cupcakes! her cowoker at work loved hot chocolate and its her birthday. we are waiting to eat the extras until k-dawg and grandma and grandpa get here!

got the recipe from CUPCAKES GALORE by Gail Wagman (it was a birthday present from MLF!!)

Missing AJH

2009-11-24T08:46:00.000-05:00

so many of you are beginning to make the long journey home for turkey day!!! for the first year in 5 years i am staying put! I am tres sad about this because this is also the first year in a few that i will not be picking AJH up from UD and transporting her home.

our trips home in summary:
it was my senior year at the most amazing place on earth and her (ajh) freshman year and she stayed up all night on tuesday crying with her roommates becuase it would be the first time that year they would be separated.

FAST FORWARD ONE YEAR: i arrive at UD to pick AJH up and she is a wee bit hungover and smells like stale bar, she also made me stop at 4 exits looking for panda express because it was the only thing to cure her illness (irish flu). We ended up getting a feast at Wendy's (they gave us the wrong order and our order!!- it was karma for paying for the cars behind us on the toll-way!)

I will miss her this year as she is not coming home. perhaps i will have an extra gimlet or 3 for her!

girls weekend

2009-11-20T17:35:00.003-05:00

its just me and lisa at home this weekend. pa-thug and k-dawg have gone camping with the boy scouts. Poor pa-thug.

tonight we are having buffalo chicken dip. in college alex and i used to make this on tuesdays and get a 1.5l of sauvignon blanc. this was not only classy but good on the waist line.

i am currently boiling the chicken and only wish lisa would let me drink a bottle or two of wine... i guess a gimlet will do!!!

recipe for buffalo chicken dip
1 pkg neufchatel cream cheese (low fat cream cheese)
1 can of chunked chicken (this grosses me out to no end so i boil chicken breast and shred them myself)
hot sauce (tonight we are using franks red-hot wing sauce)
cheddar cheese
blue cheese dressing

(if you have ever made sky-line dip (ohio people!!!) or chilli dip the prep will be familar)

decide if you want to cook in the oven or in the microwave (i always choose oven but its up to you!) if you choose oven turn to 350 and pre-heat!

take a glass dish such as a pie dish or a 9x13 (again this is your call) glass dish and spread the cream cheese on the bottom.
poor blue cheese dressing to cover all of the cream cheese
in a bowl put the chicken and put in hot sauce to taste (if you like heat add more!! with all the dairy do not be afraid to coat the chicken well!)
dump the chicken on top of the blue cheese
top generously with shredded cheddar cheese.

place in over and cook for 10 min until all cheese is melted or microwave (covered) for 5 min increments until cheese is melted. eat with chips!!!!

a picture will follow after we are done! (i told you i would add picutres!!)

swirl

2009-11-19T13:31:00.000-05:00

did you all sign up for daily candys new sample sale website???

Alisha Levine is the first sale and i am loving it!!! to bad i can't buy anything... (sad face)

lazy mornings with good friends...

2009-11-18T09:49:00.000-05:00

we all know that i do not have a job and do basically nothing on MWF, so while laying in bed today i was chatting with Alex while she was at work. this was the highlight of our conversation and pretty much encapsulates our conversation.

hopefully i can get a job soon...

New Obsession

2009-11-13T16:28:00.000-05:00

Over the past week I have developed a new tv crush: Mad Men. I just ordered season 2 on amazon.com and plan to watch this weekend, as I am almost done with season 1 episodes. I even got JPC to watch too. Below is a picture of one of my favorite characters: Joan. Seriously great drama. Great Fashion. What's not to like?

Hope everyone has a great weekend! AMH is currently on her way to Chi for the wedding. Hopefully she posts some pics when she returns!

plung-a-way

2009-11-12T08:25:00.000-05:00

have you all been seeing these folksy commercials for this product plunge-a-way?

its a "plant" to hid your plunger in the bathroom. you have 3 options the banana plant, the palm plant (these too look a lot alike) or an ivy plant.

anyway they have a facebook group too.... its the second like in the google search.

would you buy this???

nor'easter

2009-11-11T11:12:00.001-05:00

so there is a nor'easter moving off the coast. being the hypochondriac/weather follower that i am i have deiced this should occupy my life until i leave for chicago. weather.com says:

good thing my i know how to properly accessorize my hunter wellies!

perhaps in another life i would warm up my visa and purchase this to properly ride out this east coast situation: vinyard vines

she just looks so happy in a jacket that insinuates impending doom or just 4 days of rain and strong hurricane force winds! perhaps the winds will propel us to chicago FASTER!!!

Wedding Season

2009-11-09T13:13:00.001-05:00

for most of you wedding season has ended, for me it is about to begin! for the next 13 months i will have the privilege of celebrating the nuptials of 6 friends! The wedding marathon begins this weekend and ends in what can only be one of the best new years ever celebrations of my life on 12/31/10.

i don't know if this is true for any of you but i feel that wedding season is shifting from summer to fall for my loved ones and personally i am quite excited! fall and spring are the most beautiful times of year with all of the new growth of spring and the leaves and bright oranges and browns of fall. The robust colours of autum are some of my favorites and with it being the season of thanksgiving is there a better time to celebrate the joining of two individuals?

the best part of the upcoming wedding season is that 2 of the weddings will also be a celebration of homecoming for two soldiers overseas. Both my cousin and my dear friends KMW have had the most unimaginable task of sending their loved ones over seas to fight for our country! I cannot wait to celebrate with them!

i cannot wait for everyone to start having babies!!!!!

rant.

2009-11-08T08:34:00.003-05:00

while we try and keep this blog a happy positive place i have a rant to share with you today!

last night my parents, my brother and i ate at Fellini's. with all of us being new the the area we rely on the suggestions of friends and co-workers for places to eat! we arrived and were told there was a 25 minute wait. there was no waiting area except by the front door and it was quite chilly out side. so we attempted to move to the bar. i started as my mother went to get my brother and father. as i made my way to the bar i was GRABBED by the hostess. she litterly put her hands on me and yanked me backwards. She told me there was no room for me at the bar. Ok, i can accept that, EXCEPT just after that i watched 3 groups of middle aged people walk to the bar with out being stopped!!!! During my 30 min wait for a table, i only once saw the hostess stop another person and that was a twenty-something couple, possible college students.

I approached the hostes and ask to have a word with her where i shared my observations. She became hostile and continued to touch me. Told me she did not have time to police the bar, but that was what she was doing to keep anyone not middle aged away.

I would have left but my parents insisted we stay. I will NEVER go back. if you live in the norfolk-virginia beach area DO NOT GO to this restaurant.

Oh and one other thing: THEY ALLOW SMOKING!!!!! so not only was i treaty rudely but i was exposed unwillingly to a carcinogenic.

rant over, enjoy your sunday!!!

facebook.

2009-11-06T10:31:00.002-05:00

over the past week i have been doing some life evaluation. hence my sever absence from postcollegeproject. as john mayer says it i'm having a quarter life crisis. to he honest this has probably been going on for the past 2 years. (does this mean i'll live to 96??)

to alleviate some of the stress in my life i have decided to quit facebook. i have done this in the past for a week or so at a time but this time i think it might be for a while.

i have weighted out the personal pros and cons for my life and for me it is the best choice.

I was one of the original facebook members. It came out in 2004 my freshman year at miami and [lucky?] for us miami was one of the original schools with access. that's right facebook used to only be open to a few colleges!

i can now be reached at twitter, on the blog and in e-mail!!!

art we love

2009-11-02T14:53:00.000-05:00

how insane is this?

all credit to rune guneriussen

you owe it to yourself to get lost on that website for 10 min today!!!

busy week.

2009-11-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

the curse of the procrastinator is that everything is more exciting then the task at hand. my tasks for the week in a very important order are:

a. go to post office
b. study for test 1
b. see julie and julia (this could move down one...)
c. take test 1
d. go to class
e. VOTE!!!!
f. study for test 2 (and do the 6 chapters of reading that i just cannot DO!)
g go to class
h. take test 2

i got up at 7am to start on this nonsense and have been looking for jobs. my life has come to resorting to looking for jobs as my procrastination tactic. pathetic.

in more glorious news... I am loving my set of kiehl's rare earth . no i did not purchase these they were my prize for winning the contest all of you so lovingly voted for!!!!

10.31.09

2009-10-31T10:10:00.001-04:00

currently obsessing

2009-10-30T17:10:00.002-04:00

This afternoon Kate Spade (another one of AMH and mine's - many- obsessions) sent out an email introducing an artist they have started to collaborate with; bella foster. The illustration (as seen above) in the email was so cute I decided to hop on the website and check out the new desk and wall calendars featuring artwork by bella. So adorable. I must get my hands on one before 2010 starts. Yes, I know this is still months away. If you get a chance you should also check out some of bella's work online. Great things!

(pictures from kate spade email and online)

to defriend or not to defriend?

2009-10-30T08:29:00.002-04:00

today one of my good college friends posted this interesting link on twitter. it really makes you think.

i must admit i am an avid defriender and feel no shame in the act; however, the only people i am defriending are not actual friends. (this sounds defensive i know). do you really need to be friends with that girl on your freshman hall that you did not talk to but once on the first day of college because she transferred at winter break??? or how about that kid from chemistry 101 who friended everyone in the 300 person lecture?

I also defriend (on accident) a lot of sorority sisters who got married without my knowledge. oops!

But it goes both ways. after college ended, i was defriened by a friend of a good friend. (is the word friend starting to look funny to you too?) my friend was very hurt by the defriend and i was upset i would no longer be able to follow what this person was doing as we went our separate ways. this defriend was done maliciously and i think was a bad move.

personally, i like to reduce the amount of access a distant friend has to my information using the privacy features. that boy you had a great time with at the ZBZ/Gama Psi/Kappa Tau/Omega Chi 4-way (enjoy the greek reference) really does not need to or care to see all the pictures from your family vacation or your cousins wedding, and he probably wont be looking for them, that girl in your pledge class will be!

please read the CNN article yourself and let us know what you think!!!

A House?

2009-10-29T07:35:00.000-04:00

This morning I woke up to receive an email from my dad containing an article from CNN saying that it is likely that the senate is planning to extend the First Time Home Buyers Credit --- to April. Ok, now how who wants to buy me a house? Pretty Please!

Kiehl's love

2009-10-28T18:44:00.002-04:00

as you know by now i have a few obsessions in life. one being kiehl's. a few weeks ago i won a contest hosted by them on twitter @kiehlsNYC (they are always having contests so you should follow them!! (make sure you are also following alex marie @achauss and i @anne_mariehugh!)
as my prize i was able to pick of one their new Acai Damage-Repairing products for FREE!!!

i picked the Açaí Damage-Repairing Serum. lisa (my mom) and i have been using it inconsistently over the past 2 weeks and i must say i am very impressed!!! she used it first as i am so careful about what i put on my skin and wanted to have nice skin for my visit to see MLF.

she was v. put off by the sent at first but has grown to love the product. i did not really mind the sent that much (years of using any and every acne medication will do that to you). we both started wearing it at night and i have moved to putting it on after my shower in the morning (i use my acne topical cream at night). this morning i was so pleasantly surprised at how most of the red bloch-y-ness was missing from my face.

i must admit that i was bracing myself for something completely different. when i heard this was an antioxidant i was prepared for a serious breakout as all my impurities where drawn from my face. how wrong i was. i have not experience a breakout at all and i have less blackheads!!

As for lisa she is now a huge kiehl's fan and keeps asking for that stuff that smells and has noticed smaller pores. She has also started using my second ever kiehl's purchase Over-Night Biological Peel and is very happy with the results!

xoxo?

2009-10-27T18:48:00.002-04:00

AMH and I were true GG fans from the beginning. She read the books, and introduced me to the series our sr year of college. I have loved the show and been a big fan from the start. This season, however has got me worried. While I still love Blair and her cattiness I'm wondering where this season is going. While I have yet to watch the episode from last night, these are the primary questions I have for this season.
1. What is with Serena? Is she going to go to Brown? Is she still in PR? - I just can't get into that one.
2. Nate's Drama. So over it. And PS what is with that new haircut he was sporting in last week's ep?
3. Georgina- Where did she go? Did Dortota do her off for good?
4. Chuck and Blair. Can't they just be together? - together without that dumb 3some game
5. Where are all of B's headbands? - i miss them
6. How much longer of this Hillary Duff plot?

Tonight I'm going to catch up on the last episode. Let's hope some of my q's are answered and the show's plot starts to improve!

xoxo alex marie

i gotta feeling

2009-10-27T07:58:00.004-04:00

Hey all! We were so inspired by amh's post below we decided to do a little blog spruce up. What do you think? It's still a work in progress, but until we're done watch this fun video below. It's bound to brighten up your day. Hello power of Oprah!

the r-word

2009-10-26T17:02:00.000-04:00

now that i am in school for education i am learning about a lot of new things. i have a child and adolescent studies class which i am not a fan of. A. its from like 4-7 on thursdays, B. my brother is the case study for like everything we talk about (and his teacher is in my class so that makes me feel awkward) C. my teacher is very vanilla.

last thursday we were talking about disabilities and how the book we using uses the r-word and many people in my class were outraged. (most of my classmates work in special education). i was supprised that the word could evoke such emotion when used in a clinical setting. i know how much outrage it can cause when used as an insult.

i challenge all of you to stop using the word as an insult and take the pledge!

photoshop

2009-10-26T10:37:00.000-04:00

i have been really into editing pictures in photo shop recently. i secretly wish i was an expert photog. and was photogenic so i could fill my life with awesome pictures. here are some thing i have been working on:

the original:

the Polaroids are from: poladroid and it now works on pc too!

what do you think???

sunday ritual

2009-10-25T14:07:00.000-04:00

hope all of you took time to go to post secret today.

the work frank continues to do is amazing and so inspiring.

miz.

2009-10-23T15:28:00.000-04:00

i am sick and miserable.

watching my favorite TV show the tudors and its my only saving grace.

if you have never seen an episode i suggest you buy them now!!! back to season 2 disk 2.

jcrew 2010

2009-10-23T11:00:00.004-04:00

Well the crew does it again. Lucky.com was recently invited to the Jcrew showroom to see some of the Spring 2010 looks. i die. seriously die. Click here to see the posting by Lucky. What a fun friday surprise!

(photo is from here.)

inspiring spaces

2009-10-22T16:24:00.003-04:00

There was a recent post on one of AMH and mine's favorite blogs: Made By Girl, showing this inspiring living space. I have been on a heart/love kick lately in the likes of home decor (i.e: my previous post on Etsy, etc...). Click the link below to see the posting about Veronika's tres lovely space.
Veronika

holiday countdown

2009-10-22T13:44:00.006-04:00

At my job I have had the holidays on my mind for about a month or so, even though I know this is annoyingly early. However, I was super excited to get an email today from one of my favorite inspiration spots, CB2. They just released their new Holiday Flip Catalog! love it. Also gets me in the mood to start thinking about what I would like this year for the said holidays. Possibly that new mbymj cross-body bag I have been coveting? possibly....

thanks daily candy!

2009-10-22T11:21:00.001-04:00

if you ready daily candy today you saw these:

perhaps JC and MLF would like this!!!

more can be found at raredevice.net

love!

just in

2009-10-21T17:18:00.000-04:00

i just got my last birthday present from the ups man! oh how i love him and his little gifts.

(they are all actually from lisa and pa-thug)

a patagonia full-zip re-tool jacket and i have one word: LOVE

witty comment of the day

2009-10-21T12:34:00.001-04:00

This was my dear friend JR's gchat away status today. Thought it was witty enough to merit a posting.

JR: Thank God they found balloon boy, I was afraid that Michael Jackson was ordering take out from heaven.

twitter FAIL

2009-10-21T12:27:00.002-04:00

I hate when this happens.

HOOPS and YOYO BLOG!!!

2009-10-21T11:09:00.000-04:00

in college my housemate holly (said very slowly) introduced me to hoops and yoyo. she used to take study breaks in her room (she was pre-med and is now in med school) and listen to them. which was unsettling the first few times at 12am. soon we all joined in (you can send them for free via e-mail, my fav. you smell GOOOOD!!!)! even mlf is in LOVE with hoops and yoyo and gets a few cards a year from me to bright up law school!

now you can have hoops and yoyo all the time!!! they have a blog and from there you can get their pod cast!!!

i really enjoyed when yoyo called the halmark vp!

take a listen it will make your day tres better!!!!

fall spruse up!

2009-10-19T17:20:00.005-04:00

lisa took me to bed bath and beyond armed with a fist full of 20% off coupons and a mission: to make my nook of the house tolerable. i think it was a success!

i have looked at the website but cannot seem to find my purchases. First i got a set of 10 plastic shoe boxes. these are life changing and i suggest you go buy them now! they were only like $8.99 plus the 20% off!!!

Second we got these mesh cubes. you can create them anyway you want and they were like 18.99 plus 20% off! lisa is picking up another one of the metal build-able cubes. the green thing is going to be a great catch all for just putting things down before filing them away in their place. (you can also see my new cupcake cook book and kate spade style!!) while this is nothing too classy it makes my nook so much more bearable. hopefully we will move into a real house soon!!!!

here is a picture of the ceramic squirrel candy dish my mom and dad got me for my birthday! the candy is from them and from my good friend holly! yummy!!!!

i guess you can also see my love of kiehl's in this!!!

writers block

2009-10-19T16:50:00.002-04:00

sorry i have been absent for a while with my birthday and trip to cincinnati i have been busy/boring/unmotivated.

here is a run down of what has been going on with pictures!
in cinci MLF and i went to a pumpkin patch. this is our yearly ritual and even though we are far apart we have never skiped a year!

we named her constance. she lit up the october night nicely (yes i am aware this was tres early!)

we also went on ride the ducks in cincinnati. it was tres brilant. you go in a boat (that also drives on land) built in WWII (by women!!!)

this was not our trip... ours was mlf me and 4 octogenarians, and it was cold and rainy.

here's a picof mlf with his duck quack-er (everyone gets one!)

we also went to montgomery inn for dinner and visited AJH at college!

etsy LOVE

2009-10-16T16:25:00.006-04:00

I have officially found a new obsession: Etsy. You can get the cutest artwork made by original artists, and usually for a good bargain. Since I recently moved into a new place with JPC I have had home decor on the mind. Below are some images of a few pieces I would like to own from one of my favorite sellers, The Love Shop who just so happens to be located in Melbourne, Australia. Since my place is currently "pre-furnished" and I do not wish to add any more holes to the wall, than I already have, I may have to hold off on ordering for awhile. I love the je taime print for a guest bedroom. The other two would look great in a cute home office or bedroom.

All images pictured above are from here.

happy birthdays and a tory sale!

2009-10-16T09:31:00.003-04:00

What a great B-Day surprise for AMH. Starts at Noon today!!

crew raid - october

2009-10-15T21:04:00.005-04:00

One of AMH and mine's shared obsessions is our love for all that is Jcrew. That being said I just had to take advantage of the 20% off secret sale. Below is a selection of what I bought. I just can't wait for the package to arrive, and am really hoping that it all fits. Recently I have been having some bad luck with my crew online purchases and have been having to return them to the store down in PB.

*Bought the corsage tee in the Navy and Black combo. Can't wait to include these items into my "colder weather" wardrobe for the upcoming show season.

xox
alex marie

PS: You should all remember to wish AMH a happy birthday tomorrow!!!

Hello World!

2009-10-15T17:04:00.003-04:00

...Or more like hello to the Blog! AM will be so happy to see my post. I know I know I have been so MIA on the blog for such a long time, but I am making a promise to blog more often. Now I just need to gain some inspiration! In the meanwhile, check out this cute Etsy Shop I just purchased a couple prints from. Pics soon to come!
xoxo,
alex marie

airport outfit!

2009-10-09T08:50:00.001-04:00

in an attempt to be stylish and cute i am taking a cue form my bff alex maire. today on the filght i will be wearing skinny jeans a long cardigan and of course a white vneck. only problem i think its cold in ohio.

this brings me to my next point...

i am almost 24 years old yet if someone says well its going to be 65 degrees i panic. i'm talking severe anxiety attack. what the f. does that mean. for some reason i have been unable to pair the temperature with the warm/cold factor. i wish weather.com had a little picture of what would be needed for the weather. like if i should bring a jacket, cashmere sweaters, or nike shorts. this would be really helpful and reduce my zanix intake when preparing for trips!

and 65 is so fickle sometimes it means you can pull of shorts and a long sleeve top other times it means jeans and a jacket. MLF is taking me to a nice birthday dinner... are tights needed??? AHHHH.

ok time to get down to business and pack. (lisa left me the larger carry-on!!!)

i'm leaving on a jet plan...

2009-10-07T19:51:00.000-04:00

It's finally upon us! fall break starts tomorrow at 7pm and my flight to Ohio is on Friday at 11 am! only a few small problems...

1. i am now poor... like really poor and in an attempt to save money i am going to carry on. this is the source of a large amount of anxiety for me as i cannot recall a time when i have just carried on. I ALWAYS send my bags under. and added stress i am going to be gone friday to wednesday.

2. i cant bring shampoo and condition and due to the fact that i am poor (and in a serious fight with kiehls right now) i did not buy the really cute travel size of all my fav products! this was probs a bad idea on my part b.c i am going to be doing a ton of travel in the next 4 months but o well. maybe i will get a job (and kiehls will send me my prize that i won thanks to all your votes!!!!) and i can get them for Christmas!

3. i'm going to get 'prises from mlf while in 'nati and will not be able to bring them home in this tiny bag.

4. lastly... i have to bring my bag and carry it around the air port and yuck yuck yuck.

well i found this website so hopefully i can get my act together and pack.

lookie lookie

2009-10-03T13:41:00.000-04:00

well i may not be able to google myself... but people care what i think.

I was quoted on breakingtweets.com about my sadness over 2016.

happy early birthday to me!

google yourself

2009-10-01T19:57:00.003-04:00

i have a very unusual name. that being said i think it is an utter feat that at the age of 23 years 350 days when i google my name i do not come up.

i spent a few hours pondering this today... does this mean i'm irrelevant??? do i not exist because i do not come up in a good search for me? or am i an internet genius?? no awkward facebook pictures, no link to my linked-in page, no twitter feed. then again no race results, running or swimming. no reviews of my work.

the people who do come up; are much more interesting than i am? are they more "real" because they can be googled? should i be jealous of them?

perhaps my time has not come, maybe they have worked hard to be the number 1 amh on the google search. that is why i'm not in the first 5 pages of the google search? have i not worked hard enough, achieved enough?

Alex marie is the second entry in a google search of her name. she actually has alot of entries...

lastly one more question to ponder: why are all the other amh's from england??

AH-MAZING

2009-09-25T17:47:00.002-04:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/macchiato1/3534790964/

i hope i can be so lucky as a teacher.

title?

2009-09-25T17:41:00.000-04:00

so do we like the new title? there is another option. it was up for a while today. basically the same thing but in a different font.

i like it... let me know what you think!!!

update on my social life:

today i am going out with friends!!! well one friend A, who has more friends. this could be promising... what to wear, what to wear, what to wear?!?!?!

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MLF's little sister who turned 16 today!!!!!

under contruction...

2009-09-25T10:00:00.001-04:00

sorry all,

the blog is under construction again!!!

SO...watch this over and over again... I DIE!!

you will have a D.I.E moment in a MAJOR way... a good die!

The Rachel Zoe Project--"Recession Fashion Tips" - watch more funny videos

VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!

2009-09-25T09:45:00.001-04:00

Vote for me, then upload your own pic!

"vote vote vote !!! only a few days left!"

Vote for my pic to help me win! If you want to win too, all you have to do is post a picture of yourself wearing a disguise, mask (or facial masque!) of some sort. The top 20 most popular pics will win the entire Rare Earth Collection!

View >>

off to a GREAT start!

2009-09-21T14:31:00.006-04:00

we all know that Mondays can be awful but today has gone surprisingly well.

i got out of bed at a normal human-beaning hour thus there was still hot coffee!!

killed like 8 flys (this is sick i do not know where they come from the house is CLEAN!!!)

went to spinning and it was a good class

went to the post and mailed a few letters (there is nothing like the act of sending a receiving a hand written note. i think it is one of the most valuable things you can do. and it cost all of 43 cents!)

WON the kiehl's acia twitter challenge... amaz! i am their number one fan so it does seem fitting
btw you should follow KiehlsNYC and go to the website!!!
AND found out that

JC alex's bf passed the bar!!!!!!!!!!

while this news does not include me it is most amazing and awesome and totally note worthy. JC gets to start his new job on Wednesday!!!! for any of you who are unfamiliar with this is it AMAZING and i am so happy for both of them!!!!

additional even more AMAZING THING....

kate winslet and daughter sporting room it up!!!!!

congats to alex and the gang what a awesome thing!

twitter!

2009-09-20T17:59:00.001-04:00

sorry everyone ... i had no idea the twitter links were broken.

They are fixed now so you can follow alex and i!!!!

gimlet green

2009-09-19T19:00:00.004-04:00

in honor of my favorite drink (which i am drinking alone, in a pint glass, while doing my "homework") the vodka gimlet, i have decided to post again, in gimlet green. the lack of postings have unfortunately not been due to an overly hectic schedule of friends and fun times. it is due to a lack of inspiration.

while many had fashion week to keep them going last week, here in eastern virginia i had school. LAME. there was much hope after tuesdays classes. both of the "friends" i have made we will call them A and L asked for my e-mail address and phone number. obvi i game them and have patiently awaited their contact. sidenote: i also have a third friend we will call E.

NOTHING.

apparently this is one of those situations where i should have also asked for their information (if i had i could possibly be drinking my gimlet at a bar not alone). making friends is super hard and i feel like the older i get (read this as my brithday is less than a month away and i will most likely spend it this same way with Veuve Clicquot and not vodka) the harder it is!

oh yes and to make myself feel better i am watching toddlers and tiaras on TLC. This show does wonders for me. minus the part where a 5 year old gets $1000 dress and a make up and hair team and false eyelashes. only because i know what i could do with $1000 and a hair and make up team and it does not involve prepubescent girls.

also, in january i am going to the Miss America Pageant to see my cousin Erin compete. watching this will de-sensitize me so my comments are at a minimum, i will also have MW to share my snarky comments. (side note they just has literally babies (0-12 months) come out carried by their mothers/fathers, they had life ambitions [go to pre-school, be a successful women, be miss america] they cannot even talk!!!!) and the humpback girl is about to have a "panic attack". GLORIOUS.

I would much rater be watching say yes to the dress, bridezillias or whose wedding is it anyway but this show will have to do. Also, on a fat day i am way thinner than all the moms, in my drunken state this makes me feel AWESOME!

I leave you with this wisdom just spoken from one of the mothers:

"REMEMBER CUPCAKE HANDS...SHOW ME CUPCAKE HANDS....THOSE ARE NOT!!!! CUPCAKE HANDS"

This should be illegal!

update

2009-09-11T12:09:00.003-04:00

forgot my card so i could not getin to spinning. going to yoga at 1:45. AHHH. i hope i make it into the room. (and they have a mat for me to borrow!!!

yoga was awesome !!!!!!

to yoga or not to yoga

2009-09-11T10:55:00.003-04:00

time has come my friends for a change. what that change is i am not certain. having made the giant leap back to school i have decided that i need to improve my life in more ways. engaging my mind everyday had made me realize that to be the best person i can bee i need to do more.

my whole life leading up to college i exercised methodically. but it was not exercise it was passion, fun, enjoyment. I have yet to find that in another sport. while i have tried to make running my passion it is nothing compared to pushing myself in the pool.

i think i am going to try yoga. while i find it extremely intimidating i think that making that jump and pushing myself into something so foreign will be a healthy exercise in expanding my horizons. my cousin MW swears it changed her life. i could use a life change!

now all i have to do is work up the courage to actually do it. BIG STEP. i don't know what it is. insecurity perhaps. i can not attend a class. i do videos at home even get Lisa to them with me; but walking into a studio paralyzes me. I can not even bring myself to attend a class at ODU.

in a step to overcome my fear i am purchasing this from lululemon! then i will go to class next week. promise!

until then its spinning for me! Happy Friday!!!

kooking with k-dawg

2009-09-09T16:46:00.003-04:00

today k-dawg and i are making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. yummy!!

while i do love my brother very much he is v. strange and has some odd quirks. First, he refers to lisa as "my mom" eventhough she gave birth to ajh and i and is currently mother to all 3 of us. Secondly, if he believes that something was done one way once he has to do it the same every time (pronounced EB-er-RE TIME). one might call this obsessive compulsive, and one might be correct. thus we made a new recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip raisin cookies on a metal jelly roll pan.

oatmeal cookies are a family staple. we always make the vanishing oatmeal cookies from Quaker Oats they are amazing and perfect. K-dawg is convinced that lisa makes the recipe on the back of the Toll House Chocolate Chip bag. she does not and i am sure of it. she might make the regular chocolate chip cookies from there but NOT the oatmeal ones. they are very different and the milk in the Toll House recipe plumps the oatmeal and sort of conceals it. good for the non oatmeal lovers. BAD FOR ME!

as for the metal jelly roll pan apparently lisa uses it. i think this was a lie on his part and when he goes outside to play and i am switching back to the cooking stone (better cookie bottom).

all in all my time spent with k-dawg was productive and we ended it on happy terms with cookies for lisa and thug when they return from work. I give it an A+!

VOTE NOW!!!

2009-09-08T20:54:00.003-04:00

lisa and i are on the kiehls website. and since i am their number one fan! i have made believers out of countless people. MLF, alex marie, JC, AJH, thug, lisa, julia... the list goes on and on.

this is lisa and i wearing the new mud mask... BUY IT NOW!!! it is AMAZ. in r.zoe speak: "i die" "bah-nanas" "AH-mazing"

so VOTE now!!!

then go here and start your addiction: Kiehl's

yummy yummy

2009-09-08T20:49:00.002-04:00

tonight in honor of the downpour and the fact that will it not let up until Friday lisa and i made wedding soup. this is my favorite thing and i disregard my gluten intolerance to eat vats of it. that's what my very own super secret recipe makes!

i love fall/winter/early spring because in all of them you can enjoy this broth-y meatball-y bliss. this time we subsutited regular meatballs for the trader joe's turkey ones. they are a bit bigger but taste the same!!!

picture will be up tomorrow! recipe will not follow sorry. its for the cookbook!

BAH-nanas

2009-09-08T20:40:00.004-04:00

i love R.Zoe. maybe to much... perhaps not enough. i want to be her. obvi i am glued to the RZP. i found this on funny or die and laughed out loud. lisa (aka my mom) was sitting accross from me and could not understand why i found it so funny! hope you enjoy!!!

Rachel Zoe Outtakes - watch more funny videos

room it up

2009-09-02T13:39:00.005-04:00

lately alex maire has been super busy at her J.O.B. i decided to bring a bit of her job to the blog!

thus we give Room It UP some love.

you can find them on Twitter: @RoomItUp and on Face Book.

The Room It Up products are amazing! and i have loved being able to watch the company grow and transform over our friendship! the LapDesk is the original product and is a MUST have for anyone with a laptop, in college or prone to doing work in bed!

i really like the train cases! i have a few and used them for a variety of things! as a lunch box, a make up holder, a head band case, and lastly and jewelery holder! i am tres in love with the Merci print but just palced an order for a few pieces (a new train case for mommy!!!) in the fun flower!

my other favorite part about room it up is that practically EVERYTHING is monogram-able!!!

this is one of my train cases:
note the awesome fishtail monogram!

the are your one stop shop for everything back to school i.e. a pencil case that can hold your calculator! and MINE should be arriving any day now!!!

whats for dinner??

2009-08-31T19:41:00.003-04:00

HOME MADE PAD THAI...

i got the recipe from Chez Pim. it was amazing. only mommy was not totally in love. she would have rather just had noodles and shrimp in peanut sauce.

first day jitters

2009-08-31T16:22:00.003-04:00

This morning i got up early to go for a run with my dad, we refer to him lovingly as pa-thug or just thug. (this is all because my good friend Jess saw his aim name pathug### and was like who is pa thug. it stuck)

anyway he and i are going to be running the 1/2 marathon in Virginia Beach this coming march.

after i had this funny feeling in my stomach. At first i assumed it was just a post run thing. i did run faster with him. then i thought maybe it had to do with my diet.

i ignored it and went about my list of things to do today, then i realized what it was...

i have first day of school jitters.

i guess no mater how old you are some things never change. i just hope i can get a good night sleep before my 8am!

dissapointed

2009-08-28T14:23:00.004-04:00

so after my big move and because the great state of NC keeps asking me to do jury duty i got a new Virginia license.

normally this is a hassle. surprisingly it was not horrid. AJH and i headed to the DMV located closest to the rental home. after hiding our water-bottles -no drinks or food allowed- we made our way to the front desk. this is where a kind woman checked to make sure we had all the proper documents. although i had checked the VA DMV site multiple times neither abby nor i had the appropriate documentation. Abby is not in possession of one crucial piece and i did not have my passport. we went home and i grabbed my passport. after waiting a mere 30 min my number was called.

this is where the fun began. my eyes where checked and i was passed once again without glasses or contacts. then it was time for the dreaded picture. i have had very good luck with sweet taking the people at the NC DMV into always allowing me to check my picture. no such luck. in addition to this VA just started enforcing that secure ID procedures from Ws days where you can not smile in government documentation. MLF says this is because no one smiles when the get pulled over... well i mainly use my ID to get into bars and i am ALWAYS smiling there so i decided to sneak a smile. CAUGHT! she made me do my picture again and told me not to smile or open my mouth. AHHHH. i quipped is this like a mug shot to which a gentleman in line behind me laughed. the DMV worker was not ammused and i was left with the picure below....

its not even in color... ugh... at least its only valid until 2016...

choco chip pancakes

2009-08-27T20:27:00.003-04:00

k-dawg and i just had a delicious and nutritious dinner of chocolate chip pancakes and turkey sausage and grapes.

we went to the v. classy food lion where there is a security guard packing heat and green graps were on sale and those are the only type of grape k will eat so we added that to the menu.

i think this is totally acceptable because

the chocolate chips were organic (trader joes thank you!)
the sausage was turkey and jenny-o.
i made him eat grapes!

oh yeah and i forced him to have sierra mist because the 2-litter i opened last week was going flat.

i think i am a prety good babysitter.

reading list

2009-08-05T20:51:00.007-04:00

so right now i am reading EMMA. if you have ever read Jane Austen you know that it can be hard to get through.

i was telling my good friend Jess about (she is very in to books and all things cultural) how i feel like i'm cheating on Jane because i keep devouring trashy summer novels and can't finish Emma.
this was the convo that ensued:

hi friends

2009-08-04T21:32:00.004-04:00

i have been in hiding but i have BIG news...

1. i quit my dead end job

2. i got into grad school (the fact that i got accepted to the wrong program is moot)

this is GREAT news for all of you because now i will have so much time to blog.
-downside i am leaving chi town - i need a new twitter ID
but i am moving to Va and going to live by the BEACH!!

right now abby is here with me. i just love love love my little sis. we have not been having that great of a time because i was sick and now im going to work everyday. she flies home on tommorw.

MLF was also here over the weekend. it was our last visit before he starts L-school. EEEK. i am so proud of him. he will be enrolled in Univerisity of Cincinnati's law school. this will mean that we will be back in the same time zone but now a plane ride away.

this also brings me to my new Pet Peeve. why when you say that you are in a long distance relationship do people ask if its hard, say it has to be so hard, say they could never do it... on and on and on. -eh life could be worse.

i will post about alex maries trip soon!!!

bad

2009-07-19T20:46:00.003-04:00

sorry i am such a bad blogger.

so much has been going on...

MLF got into Cincinnati LAW so the plans changed a bit, i'm still off to VA in august for grad school and super stoked about it.

Alex Marie comes to chi town on Thursday !!!! a much needed visit. we are going to have so much fun. Hopefully we do not have a repeat of PBI last year and have a little too much fun at night so we can do fun city things!!!

hopefully we can also go the reds/cubs game. three tickets the week of the game should not be impossible to find

MLF comes the weekend after for the last time to see me in chicago. this is sure to be sad. we are going to go on the architectural boat tour and seeing 500 days of summer

on other notes:
apparently BB is back on. this is a sick guilty pleasure.
Tuesday is free pastries at S.Bucks get excited!

Toronto

2009-06-29T21:49:00.005-04:00

mlf and i had a great trip to Toronto! it has been a childhood dream of his to go there and to see a Blue Jays game in the Rodgers Center and we took in 3.

We also went to Casa Loma and the top of the CN tower.

My fav part was our AWSOME hotel room the amaz buffet breakfast and the sail boats outside of our windows.

view from the top of the CN tower looking at our hotel

baseball game !!! go Blue Jays

CN tower from our hotel room

view from our hotel room!

MISS ILLINOIS

2009-06-23T07:40:00.005-04:00

cousin EOC was crowned MISS ILLINOIS on saturday night. here are a few of the many pictures I took.

with the Disters, Dad and Grandma!

Back of the BEAUTIFUL Dress

We are so very proud of her!!!!

grad school...

2009-06-18T08:20:00.004-04:00

HERE I COME!!!

i have been away devoting all my time to studing for the gre. it all paid off last night as i got a rocken' score (they tell you right away!). it is over and beyond what i need for ODU so hopefully they accept me!

tonight is hughes cousins happy hour at Poag Mahones. should be v. entertaining. however we are going to be missing a few of our favs. EC competes in MISS ILLINOIS today. so exciting. she is the current MISS MCCOMB and we are all SOOOOO proud of her.

her platform is skin cancer prevention. she lost her mother and my aunt to this disease and does a great job of spreading knowledge!

everyone say a prayer for her. if/WHEN she is in the top ten i get to go and cheer her on on saturday!!!!

the working life

2009-06-10T22:35:00.004-04:00

i am just so proud of alex... here is what she has been up to (probably why she is always absent from the blog!)

ROOM IT UP!

as for me i am getting more and more excited about the post-post college life... i.e. grad school.

7 days until the GRE

i took my first practice test today. (i know all you over achievers out there just winced but its going to be fine i will be prepared)

the results:
while you cannot tell from my lack luster language on the blog i pride myself on having a large vocabulary. its all in vain. apparently i know nothing.

good thing i want to be a math teacher... i scored well in the math!

new pet peve

2009-06-09T21:06:00.002-04:00

why is it that everyone else on the bus or the el is more important than me??

so your in line to get off the bus when all the sudden someone is pushing past you saying excuse me. where the hell are they going?? you can see i am leaving too thats why i got up from my set and am standing behind everyone else.

or your on the el and as the doors open someone about 10 people back starts yelling 'cuse me and pushing. like we are all not trying to get off???

sorry for the vent i just really had to put that out there!

GRE

2009-06-07T19:14:00.003-04:00

i am loving me new gre book. i have taken the initial assessment(which panera kicked me out of the first time UGH) and am almost done with the verbal assessments.

my only complains is that on the Kaplan on-line syllabus they keep mentioning a CD... my book did not come with a CD. and i cannot take the pratice quizzes without it... i got this book b.c its supposed to be all on-line and the cd does not work in a mac....

its like i am not suposed to study for this test or something.

days to GRE: 7
days to Toronto: 17
days untill i quit my job: less than 40!

Panera Bread

2009-06-07T18:48:00.003-04:00

my new study spot is Panera Bread. For a few reasons 1. unlimited usage of internet 2. food or drink if needed 3. close to the apt and normally quiet.

today however i have a few complaints

its like the artic tundra in here, i have sweet pants and a zip up hoodie on and am so cold my nose is running. not to mention is JUNE!
during the lunch hour they limit internet access to 30 minuntes and that messed up my pratice test.
every mother of a child under 1 year brought them here and then pinched them. constant cries.
ITS REALLY COLD.

on a much happier note MLF might be comming to chi-town again!!!! if this happens it means that it will be only a little over a week untill we see eachother again for TORONTO!

the last time he visited i did not fully express how happy/excited i was on the blog. it was much better than the 1 line i gave it.

this time we will not get to spend as much time together becuase i have chicago cares all day saturday and my grandma and grandpa are visiting on sunday (more about this later).

still i hope we get to atleast have dinner!!!

now as for my grandma and grandpa coming to visit. this is bad! they a. do not know one of my roommates is a man. b. will be so discusted by the apartment they might disown me. c. what i am going to do with them in chicago for a whole day??? we CANNOT sit at my apt.

G-ma really wants to go to Navy Pier. this will take all of 15 min. once she realizes there is nothing to do i will need something else. we will also have to go to mass. good think MLF's brother moved in by a church so now i can claim it as my own!! if only the priest knew me by name...

the g-rents moved from chicago roughly 20 years ago, perhaps a little less. according to them every area is the GHETTO and i am on the verge of death at every moment. also the fact that is only 50 degrees needs to change or i will NEVER hear the end of it. PRAY FOR NICE WEATHER!!

if anyone has suggestions of fun things to do with the grandparents i will FOREVER be greatful!

oh yes another part to this story. Grandma is still pissed that i will not let them spend the night in the apartment.. GOD HELP ME!

CB

2009-06-05T23:28:00.005-04:00

this post is a the request of my high school friend CB. he has yet to be mentioned on the blog, mostly because he has not come to visit me. (choose Charleston instead??)

photo from laztday.com(taken at a bar in a drunken stupor i am told)

anyway CB and i were actually not friends in high school. mainly because i had no friends from CCHS (thats an exaggeration but mostly true). anyway we became friends the summer after sr. year. and we are still friends. mainly becuase we hate all the same people. our mutual friend and class mate c-tina introduced us(not really because we went to school together since the 6th grade but as i said i really had no friends). sadly c-tina and i are no longer in contact but CB and i are!

CB works at my fav. store. Harris Teeter. mentioned here and every time i go to JEWEL(yuck). we had a lovely phone chat today. good talks with old friends are always good!

Customer Service

2009-06-05T23:07:00.006-04:00

i have had some v. bad customer service experiences. however, in the past 2 weeks i have had 2 great experiences.

COACH - i have had a trust pair of coach sunglasses for a while now. i got them after a mom at the coutnrty club hijacked mine.(no i am not still extreamlly bitter and yes she wore them the rest of the summer) they were black and square and had sparkle detail. so yes they were a bit out dated but i loved them. I went to put htem on the other day and there were two large scratches from the ear stems. i took them to coach expecting them to send them away and replace the lense. no, they let me pick a new pair.my new glasses.
Boarders - the GRE study book i had (PRINCETON REVIEW 1,014 Practice Questions) had the wrong answers!!! how annoying. so after i had written in it the lovely staff at Borders let me return my book and i got a new one. i will review it after my day long study session tommorow.my new book...

sorry

2009-06-04T19:43:00.002-04:00

sorry all.

i have been supper busy with studying for the gre/sleeping/talking to bristol that i tots forgot to blog.

nothing much happening here. roommates dog destroyed more shoes, MLF visited, i saw a movie at the brew and view.

ok off to the Sbucks to study... im bringing mac this time so maybe/possibly/DEFINITELY i will have more posts soon.

sad

2009-05-30T21:12:00.002-04:00

twitter is broken??? now what am i gonna do?

the crew

2009-05-27T22:41:00.004-04:00

happy moment. i own the outblush item today. it was a purchase i had to make for KH's first communion. i love love love it. only its a bit tight. as you can see on the model. i got mine a size up so its more comfortable!

i rarely get clothes now a) i know how cheep they can be if you are employeed by the store b) im a poor post college girl c) im really poor. so i was happy when i bought this (MLF was in for the weekend) and i am happy now! totally worth the 29.50 which was like $34 after chi-town tax (i'll leave that for another post!)

new blog

2009-05-27T22:37:00.001-04:00

MLF has started his own blog. OverRatting. i guess he wanted to be cool like us!

check it out.

old obsession

2009-05-24T15:35:00.003-04:00

i used to be really in to stuff white people like. then alex and i submitted an AMAZING post and they did not use it. i got away from check the site and missed some interesting post (taking a year off, girls with bangs). i mostly like this website b.c it is spot on and while it is overly sarcastic and sometimes bourgeois, i find comfort that i like almost everything other white people like.

here is what alex and submited and was denied:

Madras, the colonial capitol of Tamil Nadu, India, is becoming a fashion must-have for a white person's wardrobe. White people are beginning to recognize that it is unacceptable to wear just one pattern of plaid, and now demand that their clothes have a menagerie of multiple plaids stitched together. Be sure to familiarize yourself with this staple before attending your next white wedding, weekend at the cape, cocktail party, barbeque or fraternity party.

While white people were once satisfied with the one print plaid, they now understand the need to combine all different plaids of the same color scheme, in order to create a uniquely preppy short, blazer, pant, skirt, dress or tie. One must be careful when deciding which pieces to purchase and examine the quality of plaid match. As all plaids are not created equal. It would be embarrassing for a white person to be caught with the same plaid patched together.

When one encounters a madras-clad individual be sure to notice the different plaids matched together. Upon receiving a compliment on their madras belt, dress, skirt or blazer, a white person will become extremely happy and proud, as if they hand picked the plaids and sewed them together themselves. Other topics of conversation with madras-sporting individuals include: living by the water and graduate school education. Please note that while there is the option to build a full madras suit, this is to be advised against. This will make you look as if you are trying, white people will notice and lookdown upon this failing effort.

While Madras is very prevalent on most college campuses, it has expanded well into suburbia and the office. This expansion has been fueled by many retailers, J.Crew in particular. To wow a fellow white person, match your madras with a sweater (see Sweaters) and a pair of boat shoes. Your look will become the envy of the event you are attending, prompting others to ask where you found your fantastic outfit. It is best to keep this a secret. White people are sneaky and may rip off your one of a kind item.

just keep running.

2009-05-22T19:12:00.002-04:00

tomorrow is the day. i would like to say it is the day i have been training for. that i have been preparing for. but no, i guess i have a bit of that college slacker still in me.

Solider Field 10 Mile

i have JH to run with and i think MW is going to come watch. that's the good thing about have close to 30 cousins. esp since i feel like an orphan since lmh and pa-thug wont come visit me.

on to bigger and better (more intoxicating things). in the true spirit of self disctruction i went out with KL last night. (KL is a soro sister of alex and a friend of mine) i digress. we after work last night i met up with KL with at her work and we took the water taxi over to rivers. great times. while everyone else in the group sipped wine i made the first SDD of the night and went stright to kettle one gimlets. after a few rounds and the jolly company of the guys at the tables next to us we went to Market. a short side note ( i am not a cool person. i subscribe to the polo/j.crew/wasp like lifestyle. try as i might i am not nor ever will be hip.) this said i did not enjoy market. it was v. LAX, Le Deux, i seriously looked for heidi and LC the whole time.
the ups: great view from the bar, good drinks, good food (yoga pizza and hummus platter were my favs)
the downs: two bottle table service for a table on the roof top, rude wait staff

well i'm off to make pasta to carb load for my race...

fustration

2009-05-20T21:03:00.001-04:00

sorry for the ugly blog!!!!!

why can i get the jpeg to be transparent??? ALEX i need your photo shop skills.

eh. i'm done with this for today the blog will be ugly until tomorrow.

Blast From the Past.

2009-05-19T22:11:00.004-04:00

today has been a great day for my social life. i have heard from so many old friends.

my luxie lover called out of the blue (read: i called her forever ago and she finally called me back!!!) and we are going to hang out this weekend! i die
a high school friend messaged me. apparently we live in the same neighborhood. drinks are in order!
i hung with my cousin JH. not a old friend but i have not seen her in like a month. we are running the 10 mile together on SATURDAY -eek-
dinner on Thursday with another college friend

i'm so social!!!

catching up on old friends is a great way to break the dullness of the work week up. AND ... its a holiday weekend. off at 3 pm on friday!!

Trader Joe's

2009-05-17T17:12:00.003-04:00

i'm in love...

with trader joe's. so much so that today on this perfect day i walked, took a bus and the el to get there. (there is one that is just a bus ride away but whats the fun in that on this beautiful day) AJH has the jeep now.

but i now have all this glorious food! and i got to spend some time outside. Good thing MLF got me that L.L Bean Boat Tote. its also on Nina Garcia's The One Hundred so everyone should have one!

back to trader joe's. reasons why i'm in love:

amazing product selection all private label
best organic yogurt i have been able to find (and always plenty of frozen raspberries!)
cheep prices
great produce
AMAZING wine (for the non-post college palate you might not agree)

Down sides

cannot use coupons (this is major for me)
relative small selection of non healthy items

all in all it beats the Jewel and Dominics but if i had a Harris Teeter i would probably split my shopping more evenly!

tour de oxford

2009-05-16T17:49:00.005-04:00

For Those of you who did not get to spend 4 (or more) GLORIOUS years at MIAMI.

as Robert Frost put it "The prettiest campus that ever was"King Library where i spent many hours but i never road a bike.

Upham Arch and alex marie. (if you kiss your lover under the arch at midnight you are denstined to become a MIAMI merger

Close up (also i spent alot of time here b.c it used to be the business school before they bulit a new one)

MLF and his house mates. so handsome!

MLF walking in to graduation (i got great seats!)

I am so J. they got to wear red so much better than black, but i guess they are the bicentinnel class.

Also, off my check list Alex Maire, JC and I accomplished skippers, lunch boxes at Steinkellers (no fries tho), fiesta chara, 3 mind probes (no mongolians but thats ok), 1 bloody mary, lots of beers, and FUN TIMES!!!

Recovery

2009-05-16T17:15:00.001-04:00

hello blogosphere

i have finally recoved from my tour de Oxford, MLFs visit and a visit from my sis, AJH, however my room has not. i sware i will clean it soon.

anyway who knew that next weekend was memorial day. that means solider field 10 mile... EEK. i ran 8 today so i think i'll be ok.

Also, if finally STOPED rainning in chi town. wahooo!

graduation deux

2009-05-06T23:31:00.007-04:00

pictures will surely follow but...
OXFORD ON FRIDAY!!!

this weekend both MLF and alex's BF we will call him JC (as in jesus christ) graduate. good thing we get to relive our glory day on friday. Fiesta Chara, Skippers, Mongolans at CJs, strongbow (on tap), and french fries as Steinkellers. we are going to do it all. -translation: probally none of this will happen but much fun will insue)

while JC is graduating from Law School and MLF from college(heading to law school) they will both be in the cincinnati area.

if only we can have one moment like this:
This is my uncle and Alex eating skyline after the bars closed (they are sitting on the curb). we proceeded to go home and sing Piano Man.

few times in my life will i talk about something as fondly as MIAMI. bailey my dog ranks about as high, so does kiehls. thats about it.

ok maybe alex, AJH and MLF make the cut.

i'm back...

2009-05-06T23:24:00.003-04:00

so i have again been a v. bad blogger. (not as bad as Alex but bad) and here are my excusses:

the cable was out
it keeps raining
i have been v. boring lately
the cable was out (again, this happens alot)
i have been in a deep depression about the fact that a year ago i was graduating college.
my internet time has been devoted to Linkedin and finding a new job!!

JOBS

2009-04-28T22:05:00.002-04:00

your whole life you hurry up to get to "the best part of your life" perhaps we've passed it. What if it was between the ages of 2-5. the hardest thing you had to do was remember to tell your mom you had to use the rest room.

I wanna go back!

do not get me wrong. i firmly believe that i have a few good years ahead of me. probably after the age of 50. RETIREMENT!!!!

if your getting the theme of this post it is that i do not think work is for me. i know that is it because i have a horrid job, that i loath. but just the thought of doing something everyday for the rest of your life... ICK.

that is why i think my calling is to be something whimsical. here are some of my top choices:

heiress - ala Athena Onassis, Anna Anisimova
writer - ala plum sykes (and she writes for VOUGE)
muse - i think involves doing nothing!!!!
Anne Curry - this is alot of work and i do not think i would be good at (PLUS you have to get up v. early)
washed up sports pro - too bad swimming did not take off for me
mob wife
LOBBYIST - if only i knew how to become one. perhaps there is a wiki how!!!

as to the best part of my life... well perhaps it will start when i wake up in the morning. a good thought for a good nights sleep!