Jewelry Chest

Last night, I gave into temptation and purchased the Carmela jewelry chest I've been drooling over since I first saw it at the St. George Pier 1 at Christmas. Back then, I had absolutely no place to put it and buying a home was the furthest thing from my mind. Fast forward 7 months and I not only will I have a place to put the chest (in 25 days), but it was on clearance and I managed to negotiate an additional 20% off since the chest was the last one and a floor model. Score. Now I just need to fit it into the Beetle tonight. Wish me luck.

Objects of Affection

I adore the men in my life. They are crazy, out-of-control boys who keep me laughing without any real effort on their part (except when they put catsup bottles and place settings in my purse at restaurants). Despite the fact that most of them are now married, they are still in my life and I love that (and think their wives should be sainted). As I've been cleaning and packing up the apartment, I've found all kinds of random objects my boys have given me. My favorites?

This seashell was a gift from Cory during out last trip to Mexico. It was just months after LW had passed away and I still had moments of extreme melancholy in which I would lose my mind. I did pretty well on that trip up until the last day, when Cory was teasing me about something and locked me out of the house. And I lost it. I just burst into tears and ran down the little hill to beach. I walked for quite a while on the beach until I sat down and cried myself to sleep. Cory found me curled up in a ball, burning to a crisp. We walked along the beach and talked until the tide started rolling in and we couldn't dodge the jellyfish any longer. On our way back to the house, Cory scooped up this shell and handed it to me. For once I don't think he even said anything funny or corny. It was a wonderful gesture and I keep it on my nightstand to remind me that I may not always fit it, but I always belong.

In case you can't tell what this is, it's a flower made out of guitar strings. About a year ago, a friend of mine broke my strings while trying to tune my guitar. It became a sore spot with me when months went by without him replacing the strings. Finally, one night after going to see a movie, he ended up changing my strings. And making me this flower. That was also the night that I decided that, not matter what, I needed to tell him how I felt. I did and things were weird for a while. Then they got better. Now they are off-kilter again. This boy will be one of the hardest lessons I have to learn in life, I just know it. But I have also cherished our friendship.

And last, but not least, my insane friend Brandon gave me this rubber number 2. I was driving home one night and passed his house. He was out working on his truck so I stopped by. He sauntered up to my car window and proceed to leave dirty, grimy hand prints on my car. Then he bent down to pick something up off the ground and said, "I already have a #1 (his wife) but you can be my #2" and handed me this rubber #2. Totally random and totally part of his charm (he and Cory are brothers).

I've kept these objects because they remind me of people and places and emotions. They remind me not only of the person who gave it, but also, especially with the shell and the flower, of my own struggles and progress I've made. Yep, these little trinkets will be finding a place in my new home. How could they not?

Happy Birthday Big Brother

This is my big brother, Bowdy, who would have been 35 years old today. Bowdy passed away August 1, 1989 of injuries sustained when he was hit by a train while riding his bicycle. Words cannot even begin to describe the loss my family felt. In all my life, I will never, ever understand how awful it was for my parents to lose a child, their first born and only son.

My brother was two years older than I and we fought like two dogs, as a speaker at his memorial service said. We would argue and bicker and torture each other. Since he passed away only three days after his 15th birthday, Bowdy and I never grew to be true friends, the way I see my friends and their siblings are now. Sometimes I feel cheated of that brother-sister relationship. I'll never have blood nieces and nephews; I'll never have a big-brother to intimidate my dates and boyfriends; I'll never have anyone to help with my parents as they age.

It will be twenty years this Saturday that my brother passed away. Some days it feels as if it's been forever and other times it's as if it just happened yesterday. The pain truly never goes away, but it does get better. Over the years I've learned that faith is an amazing blessing- to believe, to know, that we go on after this world and that we will see our loved ones again. I cannot begin to imagine coping with life without this knowledge.

Happy birthday big brother. I miss you. Everyday.

Pardon Our Dust

All I can say is that my house better be spotless before they expect me to close.

The tile is in, although you can't see it for all the dust on the floor. And I'm pretty sure the workmen have been using my toilet. Grossss.

Random? Absolutely.

One of the pleasures of FaceBook is the instant messenger option. You can interrupt any one's day and give them a reason to smile. This blog title is brought to you by a good friend who said this to me today. Meaning that I, adorable I, am random. Okay, he's got a point. But, in that same conversation he also said I was flighty (he said it a bit nicer, but the intention was the same) and that I have a kind of insane charm. And he wasn't using insane to mean "totally cool." He meant insane as in crazy. But, again, he had a point.

Moving on.

Today, I am posting random things, such as:

• I once heard a rule-of-thumb for cleaning out your closet was: "If you don't love it, lose it." I am applying that theory to my entire apartment. One truck-load of junk has already found its way to GoodWill and another will soon be joining it. I'm discovering what it's like to live without every nook and cranny being full of junk. Now, if I can just keep that aesthetic going in the new place...


• I created a new pick-up line for FaceBook: Do you believe in love at first sight or do I need to reload your FB profile?" Yes, I am a genius.


• I gave notice today to my apartment complex. It felt so stinkin' good! I will miss the free gym, but that's about it. After six years, I'm ready to move on.


• The project desk I am lusting after at Pier 1 is phasing out. Hopefully I can still find one a month from now after I've closed on the house.


• My vacuum is on its last leg. Need a new one. Trying to decide between a Dyson and a Hoover. I've heard great things about Dyson but I've also heard it wears carpet out easily because of the powerful suction.


• Apple (light) green will be the accent color in my brown living room. I wanted blue, but a friend has a blue and brown house and I don't want to look as if I'm copying her.


• The other day I saw a gentleman sitting outside his van on a street corner offering windshield nick replacement for $25.00. I started crying because this man was sitting outside of his vehicle in 115 degree heat trying to earn money. He, like so many others, is a casualty of this horrible economic climate. I felt badly because he was reduced to working like that when I still have my comfy office job (at less pay, but still have it) and am buying a new house. I called my mom and dad and they were laughing because I was crying. My dad then said, "Well, take the money you would spend on the new house and all that stuff and give it to that man." Uh, no! So, perhaps I really wasn't feeling guilty. Or maybe I was but I'm just selfish.


• Two weeks from tomorrow morning I will be on a plane on my way to Wyoming (well, the first plane is to SLC, then Wyoming from there) and I'm counting the minutes to seeing my family and being able to do nothing but read and veg and fish and golf and laugh for 10 entire days.


• I ordered new organizational elements for my desk at work and can't wait to get them. I'm a dork that way.


• Sometimes, I get so wrapped up in life and wants that I forget how much I have been given in this life and how blessed I am. I have family who are friends and friends who are family and both make me laugh and feel loved and secure. I have a good job, a cute car, and, soon, a brand-new home (that I've waited 13 years for). I have my health, my sanity, my intelligence. I have a strong moral compass and am a genuinely nice person (if a bit sassy at times). I have peace that stems from my religious beliefs and yet a mind open enough to allow tolerance. For these things, and countless others, I'm grateful.

End randomness. For today.

No, there is no point to today's picture. It's random. I just liked it when I found it and I prefer to post with pictures.

House Stuff

Before coming down with a nasty case of sinuses (or would it be sinui?) this weekend, I was able to check out the progress on the new place. The counter tops are in and I'm relieved they look so good. The counter tops were my least favorite design element of the house, but engineered stone wasn't in the budget and this was the best laminate that matched the tile and cabinets. Other progress: my lights fixtures are all in, the correct doors and hardware have been installed, and my permanent balcony railing is up. It seems the closer we get to closing, the slower things are happening. :)

I also ended up putting a couch on layaway...after I had negotiated $150 off the price and free delivery and stain guarding. I love this couch...it's super comfortable!

And to top it all off, I received the address labels I ordered from Bohtieque on Etsy. Just looking at these make me happy.

Getting Older

Last night I was waxing philosophical about getting older and the changes I've been making in my life. Today, my good friend Nikki mentioned that fact that we were getting older, as well. And it made me think of this quote from the The Guardian with Kevin Costner and Ashton Krutchner. I hope some day I have this same grace and sense of humor.

"Hell, I've always been old Ben. Ya' know what though, I don't mind. I mean if my muscles ache, it's because I've used 'em. It's hard for me to walk up them steps now, its 'cuz I walked up 'em every night to lay next to a man who loved me. I got a few wrinkles here and there, but I've layed under thousands of skies with sunny days. I look and feel this way, well cuz I drank and I smoked. I lived and I loved, danced, sang, sweat and screwed my way thorough a pretty damn good life if you ask me. Getting old ain't bad Ben. Getting old, that's earned."

Hating on Pottery Barn

Well, maybe not hating, but definitely cursing them for all the cute new stuff on their website. I must, MUST have this:

It's fate, I tell you. It's vintage-antique looking; it has labels; it's a storage piece. Seriously, I think PB just might have machine that searches my brain for stuff I want and then creates it. Damn them.

The Spare Room

I have big plans for my spare room. BIG, I tell you. A wall full on bookshelves so none of my precious volumes will continue to be relegated to boxes in the closet. A Expedit shelving system from IKEA that will hold my craft/art supplies. A project desk from Pier 1 where I can spend hours creating, well, stuff. Also, all the cool display stuff I've accumulated over the years will finally have a home, like my Pottery Barn postcard stand and my vintage office supply carousel.



It's going to be so nice to have extra room/space. I'm such a nerd that I've already printed out my floor plan and have begun to plan where my furniture will go. I've even labeled my kitchen cupboards, on the plan, and listed what will go in them. Martha Stewart would be proud.

Progress

This past weekend, I went over to check on the progress of my new home. It's coming along nicely, with the exception that the work crew put in the wrong door hardware and doors. (I'm supposed to have two panel arched doors and venetian bronze hardware. What's in there now is brushed silver hardware and flat-piss ugly-panel doors.) I've been assured the change will be made this week...it had better be. :)

I was very worried about my cabinets; that I had chose the wrong color and they would be too dark. The minute I walked up the stairs and saw them in the kitchen, I knew I'd made the right choice. They are perfect! I would have stayed longer just checking out my place, but it was 1:00 p.m. and the temperature was hoovering around 115. And I was on the second story with no air conditioning. Needless to say I didn't stay long. But, my house is coming along nicely! Cannot wait to move in!

I Wish...

I wish:

I had more confidence in myself * I could look in the mirror and be happy with what I see * Those I love would never feel pain or sadness * Everyone could learn to get along * In N Out was calorie/carb/fat-free * We could all think of others before ourselves, even if only once in a while * Ryan Reynolds was not married and within my reach * A certain boy would love me back * I could sing * No one would ever go hungry * I really and truly wanted children * More people could be like my father * I could be like my father * I could devote myself to my religion without doubt or reservation * Piercings would heal faster so I could get them now * I was skinny * Life weren't so expensive * I could spend one year traveling the world * Library school weren't going to take so long * I could spend a year living in Washington D.C. * My parents lived closer * Just once a guy would like me instead of one of my friends * More people could find happiness *

A Hero's Tribute

It may not be evident in my sassy nature, but I am a deeply patriotic person. I love this country and have profound gratitude and respect for the men and women who have, and do, fight for this country. Even though my grandfather was out of the military well before I came into the world, he still had military honors at his funeral. I was doing fine until they played taps, folded the flag, and handed it to my grandmother. And I absolutely lost it when the volleys (three gunshots) sounded. It reminded me that our freedom, personal and collective, is not free. There is a price that will always be paid for it, often with the blood of our fallen heroes.

A Hero's Tribute- The tribute is incredibly touching. This is how every soldier should be welcomed home.

I found the above tribute on Karen Russell's blog.

Oakley Obsession

This is my seventh pair of Oakleys (including my prescription glasses and goggles). I think I might be obsessed.

And this is a cool picture I made on their website.

Caia Koopman

Sometimes, the best thing about the web is discovering cool new things. Like Caia Koopman. I hadn't been familiar with her work until I saw a pair of sunglasses she designed for Oakley. I immediately bought the sunglasses and went to her website, only to discover she has myriad products featuring her art. Art that is, in a very simplistic word, amazing. Check it out and then tell me if you don't just vibe on her art.

Dropping Out

I'm dropping out of Summer II. Just can't do another 16 week class in 5 weeks, especially with the big move coming up. I want a bit of summer before I start back in the fall. Time to read fluff fiction, lay out by the pool, come home from work and have absolutely nothing to do but veg for three or four hours. I'm a bit burned out and need the break. Plus, I need to start packing the apartment up before I go on vacation the beginning of August.

I'm feeling kind of guilty about dropping my class, but I've got to do what's right for me. And, at the moment, a little indulgence is right up my alley.

What I Read

Recently, a co-worker spotted me with a copy of City of Ashes, book two in the Mortal Instruments trilogy. When my colleague asked what the book was about, she was a bit taken aback to learn that I was reading [whispering] young adult supernatural fiction. I could only laugh at her surprise. Then I proceeded to tell her why I ready YA fiction, despite being an almost-33 year-old:

1) Most books are relatively clean. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not a prude nor do I think all books that contain sex scenes should be burned. But I have enough life experience, and imagination, that I don't need every gory detail laid out on the page in front of me.

2) I need the mindless entertainment. YA novels, in general, aren't very deep. They are quick, easy reads that entertain me. Between work and school, I get enough of the "serious" stuff. Give me the fluff, already!

3) Escapism. I'm an adult (though some might disagree) and I love to forget all my worries and live in some imaginary world that deals with with the supernatural. If you give me a choice between a dissertation on American foreign policy and a fat novel about demon-hunting teenagers, I'm going to pick the demon hunters every time.

Then, in the aforementioned conversation, I proceeded to make recommendations: The Morganville Vampires series, Vampire Academy, The Twilight Saga (with the caveat that Twilight is the best and the rest run downhill but you have to finish them because, well, it's Twilight), Mortal Instruments, Wicked Lovely, (warning: this series gives my nightmares...it's very dark). I have the first four books of the House of Night series but I've not read them yet. I'm also wanting to ready the Blue Bloods series.

So, there you have it, why I like YA fiction and my favorite books in that genre. If you have any recommendations, send them my way.