December 30th, 2012 Survey

Belle - gettin' shit DONE.

1. What quirk bothers you the most about other people? Snorting.  Go blow your nose!
2. Would you ever marry for money? No.
3. What outrageous career could you see yourself wanting to do? Write a beauty column for a glossy.  I think I could do a really good job!
4. Do you think world peace is truly a possibility in the future?: Unfortunately, no.  Until everyone wants peace, it's impossible.
5. What's the last thing you ate?  Double Chocolate Milano cookies.  I love those things.
6. What song lyrics best reflect your personality? "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper
7. Do you think it is important to tell the truth or spare someone's feelings?: It depends on the situation.
8. What is the most awkward moment you have ever had to endure?  it wasn't the worst, but the first that came to mind was when my straight-laced, very PC boss asked me what kind of candy I had in the dish on my desk and I had to answer that they were "coffee Nips."  Damn you and your lasciviously named treats, Nestle!  LOL
9. When driving down the road looking for an address do you turn the radio low?  Yes!  Unless we're in Jason's new car and the announcer just blares over The Boneyard that we've reached our destination.
10. Pretend you are a really good cook, what meal would you make?  I am a pretty good cook, actually!  My best dish is the potato, sausage & collard soup.  C'est si bon!
11. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your closet? Why? My bright pink J. Crew v-neck sweater.  It's so soft and pretty; I just love it.
12. What do you think of when you look at the stars? "Wow".  I also typically check out the moon every night.  I know this sounds weird, but I like the moon.  I can totally see the Man in the Moon face and it looks like a nice guy from a fairy tale is watching over us.
13. If you could say ONE THING to the president, what would it be? If I were to name a sandwich after you, what would be on it?
14. What is your favorite kind of weather? Sunny and warm with a slight breeze.
15. What's one thing you feel you must do in your life before it ends? Marry my J-Barty Party and go to FRANCE.
16. What Disney princess are you most like? Belle from Beauty and the Beast.  She was kind (but not a pushover) and she got shit done.  She wasn't above running errands, cleaning, cooking - normal stuff that most princesses don't do.  She also loved to read and couldn't stand arrogance.  Oh, and she lived in France!  Beauts!
17. Tell me about your worst fashion mistake: I loved to rock some Doc Martens with dresses in early high school.  Not just any Docs, but clear ones (so my crazy socks could show through, of course!) with glow in the dark soles.  Gorgie!

18. Do you believe in astrology?  Some of it seems true/believable.
19. Do you look into people's eyes when you talk to them? Yes.
20. You can have one of the following two things: cake or cookies?  Cake, especially of the sheet variety. :)
21. What's the last TV show you watched?  Law & Order: SVU
22. What would be harder for you, to tell someone you love them or that you don't love them? That you don't.
23. What do you think is the most important thing in this life is? Love and kindness.

Lovcat Wallet

I've been wanting a new wallet for a while and happened upon this bit of adorbsness quite randomly on the internets!  I love it!  It's got my 2 favorite colors for purses/wallets - coral and silver, and it's just fun and different.  It should be big enough for my giant phone to fit in the zippered part so I can use it as a clutch and not have to lug a purse around.  Can't wait for it to arrive!  ♥

Ze Return of Glambunctious

I've decided to shake the dust off of Glambunctious (my former beauty blog) and review products again since it's not like I've ever stopped trying new things and wanting to share my experiences.  I'm excited to do my first review in over a year!  Have a great week!

Resolutions for the New Year

1.) Exercise 3 times a week.

2.) Write a blog post once a week.

3.) Substitute water for soda once every day.

4.) Be more punctual.

5.) QUIT smoking.

6.) Be more confident.  Stop worrying so much about what others might think.  The truth is, they probably don't care!

Often, I don't make resolutions but I felt a strong draw to make some for the next year.  I think mine are realistic and manageable.  There's nothing on the list that hasn't been something I've actually done in the past year, minus the biggie: #5.  I want to be more healthy this year, plain and simple.  The summer after Jason and I met, we were each other's best exercise buddy.  We hit the gym 3, sometimes 4, times a week and we felt FANTASTICO and looked great!  We were both glowing in the pictures I have from that summer and fall.  I slept so much better when we were exercising, and we both felt better about ourselves.  I know the key is to find something you like to do and just do it.  I know I can do it because I want to feel that energetic and confident again.  The quitting smoking will be the doozy of the list, but I feel like I can do it.  Ever since we got engaged, I've had this mental picture of me being smoke-free by the time we get married.  I really don't want to be all gussied up in my wedding finery sneaking puffs on the balcony at Callanwolde.  I want to do this for me.  Nothing good comes from smoking, but amazing things happen when you quit.  :)  

I have been working on being more confident and worrying less about what people think of me.  It's something I've struggled with more and more as I've gotten older.  I find myself turning down the radio when I pull up to a stop light, worrying that someone in another car will overhear me singing along to "Call Me Maybe".  Why?  This is what I've been asking myself every time I automatically do something out of fear of being judged.  What is the worst thing that could happen?  Someone would think I'm a vapid moron with a terrible singing voice?  How, exactly, would that affect me?  Truth is, I'm probably never going to see that person again, and if I do, they aren't going to remember me nor will they chastise my inability to hit a high note in the privacy of my motor vehicle.  When I see people singing, and sometimes dancing, along to a song in their car, it makes me smile.  I LOVE seeing people enjoy themselves and feel free enough to not care what anyone else thinks.  One morning I saw 2 girls absolutely JAMMING out to Katy Perry's "California Gurls" on the way to work and I thought it was adorable.  My self-conciousness goes deeper than car singing, of course, but it's just one example of how much I automatically try to go unnoticed.  I want to get back to my spunky younger self who danced in grocery stores and enjoyed myself without worrying about how my behavior might be perceived.  In the long run, who cares?  Turn UP that Carly Rae Jepsen and ENJOY IT!

What are your resolutions this year?  I wish you all the best of luck in your plans!

Christmas 2012

Our tree and the Comcast Yule Log in full force!

Christmas was really fantastic this year!  Aside from both my mom and I having the flu, we all really celebrated the season in the best way - together.  Jason's folks drove in from NC and stayed with us.  Jason's dad, a semi-retired Lutheran minister, baptized me on Christmas day.  I studied the Apostle's Creed he gave me the last time we visited them in NC and was so proud of myself for having it down-pat when we all said it together as a group when I was baptized.  It was a great feeling, even though I got sweaty and nervous (swervous?) which I tend to do whenever the focus of something is on me.  Unlike TuPac, I don't bask in "All Eyez on Me"!  I am so happy Pastor Craig baptized me; it's a nice prequel to when he marries us in April 2014.  Not many people can say their father in law presided over their wedding ceremony, and I for one am very excited to have him perform the service!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't even know the proper way to review this book. It was seriously CRAZY! The first part is interesting, you have no idea whether or not the husband is involved in the disappearance of his wife, you waffle back and forth wondering if he snapped and is just lying when he says he's innocent. Then comes the second half of the book and you're thinking, "HOLY S--T BALLS!", right from the start. The psycho levels of one character are unmatched. Parts of this book reminded me of a really suspenseful, movie-quality episode of Law & Order: SVU, the kind that ends with a palpable "dun-dunnnnnn". I was REALLY disappointed with the ending, that one particular character's crazy ass "won", when I wanted that character locked up for life. Other than that, it's a haunting tale of calculation that will stay with you for days after you finish reading it.

Double Love by Francine Pascal

Double Love by Francine Pascal

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book made me want to add a new shelf titled "Barfy". This was horrible! I thought I'd read a couple of Sweet Valley High books as a kid but realized it was the Sweet Valley Twins series after I started reading this. There were so many hilariously bad things to highlight! Here are a few of my favorites:

"I make it a habit to know where all the foxiest chicks in Sweet Valley live." Shudder...

"She was so beautiful and fragile at that moment, Steven thought, her brown eyes shining, her hair floating about her oval face in a red-gold cloud." WTF does that mean? Whose hair "floats"? Was it a perm gone awry?

"Can we talk later? There's so much I want to tell you. How about a long conversation over clams and a shake at the Dairi Burger tonight?" The only proper answer to this inquiry is, "Who DOESN'T want to have a long chat over clams and milkshakes?" It's the combo of champions!

"Within seconds, he had jumped into his Datsun and was speeding after them." The mention of a Datsun is just amazing!

As a child, I only read books 1 and 2 of the Sweet Valley Twins series. After reading this book, I remembered why! Jessica is an insufferable brat and Liz is a wuss. These fools have nothing on Ramona Quimby.


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Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke

Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow. This book was incredible. At times, extremely difficult to read due to some of the horrifying content, but the writing and the characters were excellent. The writing, oh my goodness, can this man WRITE?! I thought he'd become the next Stephen King after I read "The Turtle Boy", and after reading numerous other books and novellas by Burke, I remain convinced. His talent for capturing emotion on paper is immense and I only hope he continues to write like crazy. This book had the feel, for me, of The Silence of the Lambs; that constant state of not being able to remotely predict what's coming next. Terror, despair, repulsion, misguided faith, loyalty, tension, treachery, redemption - this book has it all.
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