Blair Style - Red Dress

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the show Gossip Girl. The show itself it's that great in terms of acting or storylines. But I love the character of Blair Waldorf. She's so delightfully bitchy. And she has the BEST clothes. For me, it's worth watching just to see what she will wear.

In last week's episode she wore the most awesome red ballgown. It's a dress that I will never have an occasion to ever wear (or anything even remotely like it). But it's awesome.

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay

This past week, I read the book Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay. It was an impulse purchase. I saw it in the bookstore and was intrigued. Since I was on vacation early last week, I decided to treat myself. Usually, I do not like to like to purchase hardcover books by authors I do not know. It's just too expensive. But, I made an exception in this case.

And, I'm really glad I did.

It was an excellent book. It moved back and forth between present day Boston and post-WWII Moscow with ease. It also fluctuated between the point of view of a Russian ballerina (in her youth in Moscow and old age in Boston) and a Russian-born Boston professor in present day. The desire to learn the link between the two kept the story moving. I figured out part of it early on but there were a few twists that kept me guessing. I liked that because it kept the book moving.

It's been a long time since I've read a book that I did not want to put down. I was always frustrated to arrive at work because I wanted to keep reading on the metro!

I hope the next book I read is just as good. . .

Metro Song

GoRemy who created the Arlington Rap (which to this day remains my bad day pick-me-up video of choice) has done it again. He's captured the sentiment of true Washingtonians and our hatred and frustration of the metro. This video shows that he really gets it.

I hate the metro.

Let me say it again.

I hate the metro.

You may remember last year, that I wrote a little poem about the metro. This was during one of the many many days last summer where the delays on the red line were out of control. There were days where my usual half hour ride took a good hour and a half. Not fun. You know that there's a serious problem, when a non-poet by myself is driven to such extreme boredom while stuck on the train that she writes this:

Oh red line, how I loate thee

For you have stolen too much time frome me

Time spent standing with the human race

Crammed into such a tiny space

Hours upon hours of delay

With no cell service with which to relay

Scintillating tales heard while eavesdropping

Stories of marrige and break-ups and bar hopping

And no matter what the season

At each stop, trains stall for no reason

And me with nary a bottle of water to drink

For the cops will catch me and toss me in the clink

Precious time wasted in quite thought

Or people watching until caught

By a fanny-pack wearing tourist family

Mom, dad, two kids, and of course a crying baby

But now it's time to end my tale of sorrow

For I will be back at Shady Grove tomorrow

Anyway, enough about me. Check out Remy's video people and you'll see what I mean. It's genius!

Happy Birthday Fiance

Happy Birthday Mike!!!

Today was Mike's birthday. Sadly, we did not get to celebrate since he was away for the weekend. But that's ok. We'll have our own celebration on another day. In the end it'll be even better since we both got sick today anyway. I came down with a migraine and Mike got the stomach flu.

The stomach flu is NOT a good birthday present. In my opinion, healthier celebration is better than a timely celebration. :-)

On his next birthday, we'll be MARRIED!! Hard to believe it. But, I can't wait.

xoxo

Decisions Decisions - Bridal Jewelry

I never thought that trying to pick out jewelry to match my wedding dress would be more difficult than picking out the actual dress.

But it is.

I've gone back and forth between various ideas. I want something that will show up in pictures. I want something that's a little bigger - since I don't need a necklace with the dress, I can go for more than just a stud earring. And, I want something that I'll like enough to wear again.

Currently, I have two front runners. And, they could not be more different.

There are these from J. Crew. They seem very bridal to me but the gold gives them a little bit of punch. Plus, they are a classic style so I can definitely wear them again.


Then there are these by Alexis Bittar. I LOVE Alexi Bittar's jewelry. I have a few pairs of earrings and they are some of my favorites. His stuff is just so different and fun. These are cool because they'll sparkle a bit and definitely show up against my hair. The gold color will look nice with my ivory dress. But, I worry that they aren't "bridal" enough.

Good thing I have 8 months to decide. Or keep looking. . .

What's Awesome Now? This Clutch

I need another purse like I need a hole in the head.

But. . .I found this one online at Topshop and I think it's really cute. However, it's white so it doesn't really say "Fall" to me. However, that doesn't mean I could put it away until next Spring. . .

We'll see how the rest of the month goes. I may need a retail therapy pick-me-up.

Bridesmaid's Dress - check

So this past weekend was a good one. I found a dress for my bridesmaids! Yay.

However, it was not without drama. First we went to the Macy's Bridal Salon and had a horrible experience. The saleswoman was just not helpful. It made me really stressed out. I won't lie - I had a bit of a breakdown. There were tears. However, I pulled it together after a little bit. My friend Steff found another shop to go to and April called to see if we could get an appointment. Thank God for my friends because I was so overwhelmed I could no longer think. They took charge and got us back on track.

And, we found a great dress that everyone seemed to like and it was in a color that I liked. It was a win-win. Plus, they all got a 20% discount for ordering together which made me feel better. The dress was more than I wanted them to spend so with the discount, it got it in a better price range for my comfort.

Summer Where Did You Go?

It's been forever since I last posted. I have no idea where the summer went. I cannot believe that today is the last day of August!! That's just nutty.

A lot has happened this summer that I cannot wait to blog about.

• I went to Scotland and Norway with my family. The trip was AMAZING and deserves many of its own blog posts. I'll be sure to post some pictures soon. Above is a photo from Scotland.


• I got to go back to London for the first time since I studied there. It was awesome to relive some of those memories.


• I made some wedding progress!! Mike and I know have a cake, flowers, a DJ, and a registry. I must say that registering was A BLAST. We went to Macys and Williams Sonoma (though the Macys one is the main one). Mike was sweet and let me pick out whatever china and crystal I wanted as long as he got to register for his beer glasses and knives (priorities).


• I found my wedding dress.
  
• I went to several concerts.

But the summer isn't over yet. Soon, I got on my second vacation - a mini one this time - to Canada. It'll be a blast because it's my first real vacation with Mike. We've done weekends away but that's not quite the same. Plus, I'm excited to show him PEI - one of my favorite places on Earth!

Here's to one last awesome summer weekend!!

Making Progress

It's been awhile since I've posted but it's been crazy busy.

We've actually made some progress with our wedding planning!! Whoo hooo. We now have an officiant. I affectionately call him rent-a-priest. He's a little on the shady side of the Church which works to our advantage since he'll marry us outside and make it kosher with the Catholic Church. That makes us happy and Mike's parents happy. It's all good.

We have a photographer. I'm really excited about her too. I hate having my picture taken and she has a much more casual, fluid approach. She wants to photograph everything and just blend into the background. There's less of an emphasis on formal pictures which makes me ridiculously happy.

I've also been hard at work on our wedding website. Originally, I wasn't sure I wanted to make one but I definitely think it has merit. We have a lot of people who will be coming from out of town so it's good to have location information easily accessible. Plus, it was kind of fun to do. . .

But, the most important part is that we have our bridal party. YAY. I am super excited that my sister and friends will be my bridesmaids. To make the event a little special, I had personalized cookies made for each of them. They are from this delicious place in Bethesda called Bundles of Cookies. They have the cutest designs and everything can be customized.

I had a cookies made for each of the bridesmaids and the flower girl. The dresses do not really reflect what the bridesmaids' dresses will actually look like. But, they do represent our wedding colors - dark pink and yellow. It was just a little something but I thought it was nice - and tasty.

Mike has also put together his groomsman. And, he has 5 of them so now we are all symmetrical - contrary to popular belief this really was his concern not mine.

So now we need a DJ. We need to pick menus. We need flowers. We need decorations. And I need a dress. Yikes! So much to do.

But we've made progress so I'll just focus on that for awhile.

Trying Some New Recipes

Since I've recently become engaged, I've been happily buying many many bridal magazines. There's actually a new bridal magazine out on the market. It's Shape Brides (a special quarterly issue of Shape magazine). The magazine is basically Shape with bridal advertisements. There are also some slim down quickly types targeted specially for brides as well as "bridal advice" columns.

In the latest issue, it had some tips to cut calories so that you could slim down before the big day. I have no expectations that I will miraculously become a size 2 before my wedding day. I'm pretty sure my skeleton would not even be a size 2 - I'm just not built that way. But, that doesn't mean that I cannot try something new. Plus, I've been really stressed out so that leads me to wanting to eat a diet of pure M&Ms - not so healthy.

In the last couple of weeks, I've tried a few of the recipes from Shape Brides. The article's concept is to always eat protein, fiber, fat, and carbs in combination. You should never have one without the other three. This makes sense to me and it's advice I've read in other places. However, usually that advice is not accompanied by easy recipes of things I'd actually want to eat. Luckily, the recipes I've found so far are really good. I've listed a few of them below in case you are in the mood to try them. I did make some minor adjustments based on my personal tastes, but I kept the concept and calorie amount the same.


Yogurt Parfait

- 3/4 c plain Greek fat free yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp nuts (I used sliced almonds)
- 1/2 c Kashi Go Lean Crunch
- 3/4 c blueberries

Mix together yogurt, honey, and cinnamon. Top with nuts, kashi, and blueberries.

Chicken Salad (you can also use tuna in this recipe but it will probably make 2-3 sandwiches instead of 3-4)

- 1 can chicken breast packed in water
- 2 tbsp light mayo
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
- 1 cup shredded carrots (you can add more to increase bulk and stretch the recipe further)
- 1/4 c. chopped celery
- 2 Tbsp sliced almonds
- 2 Tbsp raisins

Mix all ingredients together. Makes 3-4 sandwiches worth of filling. Serve in a medium whole wheat pita or a whole wheat sandwich thin (the more fiber the better)

Snack Mix (under 200 calories)

- 4 cups 94% fat free popcorn
- 2 tbsp peanuts
- 1 tbsp chocolate chips

Yum.

Anyway, it's been good to mix up my breakfast and lunch options. I've been getting bored lately so it's nice to have something new and healthy to try.

There are many more recipes to try. I'll post the ones here that I think are worthwhile.

Whataya What from Me

I should preface this post by saying that I have not watched American Idol in 5+ years. Also, I am not a huge fan of Adam Lambert.

But I cannot get his song OUT OF MY HEAD. I have been singing Whataya What from Me ALL WEEKEND. I swear it drove Mike crazy yesterday. Mainly because I really only know the refrain so that's what I just kept singing over and over again. I started to annoy myself. . .

Anyway, I posted the video below. Now you can get it stuck in your head too. Enjoy. :)

The Countdown Begins

The countdown begins!

In exactly one year it will be my wedding day. This is both equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. The exhilarating part is that I'll be married and then Mike and I will finally be living together. The terrifying part is the amount that needs to happen in the next year - planning a wedding, working out the logistics of living together, etc. It'll be fine I know, but there's a lot that's going to happen in the next year. It will fly by!

365 days to go!

Retail Therapy

This week has been a little nutty - work, personal, etc. It's all a little bit crazy. As a result, I feel like I'm in a bit of a funk. And how do I usually break myself out of a funk?

I shop.

But, I'm trying not to shop as much. Not for a noble reason like I should be saving money to buy wedding stuff. But for a more practical reason which is that if Mike and I are going to be moving into my condo, I have to get rid of stuff not buy more stuff. Yes, we'll put some stuff in storage, but I really should try and cut back on buying more stuff as much as I can.

Normally, when I'm in a funk I usually buy myself one of three things - a book, a piece of clothing, or a handbag. (yes I get that there's a huge price difference in this mix). And, what you may ask currently accounts for about 90% of my possessions and thus the bulk of what I have to get rid of?

You guessed it - books, clothes, and handbags.

And what do I want to buy myself to get out of my funk?

right again - a handbag.

This one to be precise.


It's from Anthropology. I haven't bought it yet, but it's tempting me. It would be so cute for the summer! Bright and happy. With lots of space.

We'll see how much I can resist. I mean would it really take up that much room?

Sculpture Project Opening

For the last year, I have been helping the National Museum of Women in the Arts fundraise for their New York Avenue Sculpture Project.


It's a really cool public art project in DC. Four statues were placed on the median of New York Avenue in front of the Museum. The goal is to extend the project for 4 blocks until it reaches the Convention Center. Every year or two, the statues will be changed for new statues by a women artist.

The inaugural statues are by Niki de Saint Phalle. They are colorful and cheerful statues. They are definitely not to everyone's taste. But, they are a vibrant start to the project.

Last Thursday, Mike and I were invited to attend the opening party for the Project. It was a really fun event at the Museum. It was a pretty fancy event but not stuffy. Everyone was all dressed up, but the atmosphere was very low key.


There was a jazz band performing in the Museum lobby. There were fun colored rum drinks chosen to match the colors of the statues. There were carnival entertainers who created origami type things for people. You could tell this man anything that you wanted and he would create it out of a paper plate. Seriously, it was crazy.


There was a man juggling a plate on the end of a stick. Mike got to try that and it was a blast to watch. And, there were performancee artists dressed like the statues.

We had a really great time.

One decision down. . .

I have a wedding date. On May 14, 2011, I will be married!!!! Whooo hooooo.

I am really excited about this date. It's what I had in the back of my head all along. I tried not to wish for it too much so that i would not be disappointed if it did not work out. But, it did! In fact, it was the only date in May that our venue still had open. It was fate!

I think it's the perfect date. It's far enough away from my birthday so that I can have two celebrations. It's early enough in May that it should not be too hot. And if it is warm, the evenings should still cool off.

Plus, Mike and I first met on June 14 so the 14th is a special day for us. We'll be married 23 months to the day we met! That's pretty cool.

We picked the Links at Gettysburg for our wedding site. We are going to do the reception and ceremony all here. That will keep it easy. Plus, the setting is really pretty so we'll have lots of nice pictures and it should be a lovely atmosphere for the guests.

The ceremony - weather permitting - will take place on this pretty little patio.
But, if it rains, the wedding will still be pretty. The ceremony will be by this quaint little fireplace.




Then, we'll get to take cool wedding pictures outside. Like, on this pretty little bridge.



or by this cool waterfall.

And then it will be time to party! The reception - in the room below - should look really pretty. Colors and flowers TBD.



Hopefully it will be amazing. But even if everything goes crazy, I'll still be MARRIED to Mike at the end of the day. And that's all that matters. :)

Where to get married?

Finding a place to get married sounds way more fun than it actually is. I am feeling really stressed out about it.

There's just so much that goes into this decision. We need to find a place that is affordable, in a good location, and is elegant. I do not want an overly fancy wedding but I would like one that is classy and memorable.

It's also hard because to keep it affordable we are going to be married in the Hagerstown/southern PA area. So, we can only look at places on the weekends. The last couple of weekends have been full of wedding location scouting. We've nixed a couple of places and are down to three. I hope that no other places cross our paths because I like being down to the final choices. I'm hoping to have a decision by the first weekend in May.

This weekend we are checking out the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, WV. I used to go here all the time for special dinner (i.e. graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, etc). It's also the place where Mike first met my parents - we met there for brunch. It's a picturesque Inn just over the Maryland border in West Virginia. It would be a fun place to have a wedding because people could easily stay at the Inn or in a nearby bed and breakfast or hotel. Plus, Shepherdstown is a quaint little town that would be fun for people coming from out of town.

One place that we've already checked out that is still on our list is the Waynesboro Country Club. This is right in my parents' town. It's a very pretty location and it gives us the most flexibility in terms of decorations, size, etc. It's also the least expensive. But, it has a few drawbacks - namely that it's in Waynesboro. Everyone would have to stay in either Hagerstown or Chambersburg and that would mean a lot of driving for people who are not familiar with the area. I'd provide directions of course but it's still a bit problematic.

A new venue that was just referred to us is the Links at Gettysburg. This is a golf course in Gettysburg, PA. It would be kind of cool to be married in Gettysburg because it is one of my favorite towns. The pictures are also really pretty. A big plus for this place is that a lot of things - including the cake - are included in the package price. Plus there are a ton of packages and all can be customized. That appeals to me. Another plus is that the ceremony could be outside and it's a very picturesque place. But, the downside to that is if it rains, we are screwed. Sure, it could be moved inside but it would not be as nice. However, we could decide to have the ceremony in a church and just have the reception here. There's a lot up in the air. We are going to visit this location soon. It's the last on our list and then it's decision time!

I cannot wait for this decision to be made. It's the one that has me stressed out the most because it will determine our date. I really want to have a date nailed down. Then, we can take our time with some of the other details and I can work out a schedule (I am a production person after all). But, until we have the date and the location we cannot do much else!

Wish me luck.

Happy Birthday to Me

It's my birthday today. Happy Birthday to me!

My 28th birthday is far different from my 27th birthday.

For example this time last year, I had accepted my dad's dare to try online dating. Today, I'm engaged and planning a wedding. And last year, I was watching some dumb movie about the apocalypse starring Nicholas Cage. This year, I'm LA bound. Weird.

All in all it's been a great year. And, I've received some kick ass birthday gifts.

Like these from my fianceAnd this from my parents.
And something from my sister to put it all it.
So now I'm off to celebrate. Hopefully a fun dinner in LA will be in my future.

Liberty of London

I am obsessed with Target's new Liberty of London collection. It's awesome because I cannot afford anything at the actual Liberty of London store so the Target version is perfect!

Unfortunately most of the collection is already sold out. Almost everything is sold out online. I was however able to find a few things in the store.

I bought this really cool picture frame which I am saving for when I have a picture of Mike and I. I guess this means that I actually have to take a picture. I hate having my picture taken so this is rough. I swear I'll be the only bride who wants to not have a wedding photographer. . .

Anyway, I also bought a really cool sun hat to bring on vacation.





And then I decided that since I now have a wedding plan to organize, I am going to be organized in style! I bought file folders and a box to keep everything in.


Might as well take advantage of necessity! :)

I'm Engaged!

As I write this post, I still have to pinch myself that this weekend actually occurred. It doesn't seem possible that I am actually engaged!


On Sunday, Mike and I had brunch reservations at the Kennedy Center. I won't lie. I thought that something was up and I was pretty sure that it was the day he would propose. But, I did not let that on to him because I didn't want him to feel pressured to change his plans. Being proposed to at the KC is like the perfect thing for me. I LOVE the Kennedy Center. Seriously, if I could have a relationship with a building - that would be it.

He was pretty nervous all morning which is kind of cute in retrospect. He had told me earlier in the week that he was going to give me my birthday present early because he wanted to do it over brunch. I thought this was weird but just went with it. It did throw me a little because I knew the ring was not my present so I thought maybe my suspicions about the proposal were wrong.

After we were seated, he gave me my present. It's a beautiful pair of small diamond stud earrings. I've always wanted a pair like this. Small enough to be casual to wear with jeans and such. I was thrilled. Then he gave me this card that was just adorable and talked about how glad he was that we were together. Then he said that since I already had the earrings, I might want something to match them. He pulled out the ring and proposed. It was very special.

I have no memory of eating at the brunch. I was in a state of shock - staring at my hand and alternating between thinking "did this really just happen?" and "holy crap I'm engaged!"

After brunch, we wandered outside for a bit and then drove down to Woodbridge to visit Mike's parents. His mom is having surgery so we wanted her to see the ring before she went into the hospital.

His parents were really happy and so was his brother. His brother was giving him crap about not getting down on one knee. I was totally ok with the no one knee thing because if he had done that in the middle of the restaurant, I would have died. I'm not big on public displays.

But it was adorable because when we got back to my apartment, Mike took off the ring, got down on one knee, and proposed again. It was so sweet and special.

So I got to say yes twice.

And now I'm engaged. CRAZY. The questions are all staring so eventually we'll have to start thinking about the when, where, what, etc. But for now, I'm just going to enjoy being engaged.

The Big Meeting

Yes, yes, I know. I've been slacking off with the blog! Here's what's been going on.

Two weekends ago, Mike's parents and my parents met for the first time. I will go on record as saying that I was kind of against this meeting. I thought it would be weird from them to meet while we were "just" dating. It seemed odd. But, Mike REALLY wanted it to happen so I gave in.

We each drove our parents to Maggianos. It's one of the few places where my dad will eat without complaining. We proceeded to order way too much food. I swear that we had enough for 3 meals. Needless to say, there were many doggie bags to go home.

Dinner went really well. My mom and Mike's dad kept the conversation flowing. There were no awkward silences. I think that I was the most quiet which is not typical. I'd been stressed earlier in the day by my parents asking me a million and one questions about where my future was heading. That's enough to stress anyone out!

So the first meeting is over. Now on to more. . .

Where did the time go?

Yikes! It's been awhile since I posted. I don't know where the last month went. It was nutty.

For part of the month, I was caught up in Olympic madness. I love the Olympics. I watch all kinds of sports that I would never watch during any other time - like skiing and ski jumping. But by the end of the Olympics, I was ready for it to be over. I'm good for another 2 years until the Summer Olympics of 2012.

For the last couple of days, I've been sick with a cold. It started on Saturday night. By Sunday, I could not talk because my throat was so sore. I stayed home from work on Monday and came home early on Tuesday. I'm hoping that the worst of it is behind me!!

I'm also a bit stressed about this coming weekend. M has been pushing for the "parents meeting." On Saturday, my parents and his parents are going to meet for the first time. We are all going to dinner. I kind of feel like it's a meeting of the Jets and the Sharks (the gangs in West Side Story). Like them, we are meeting on neutral ground to avoid a rumble. I'm not sure why I am so nervous about this meeting. I'm sure that everyone will get along fine. It just seems weird to me to have this meeting. I'm not really sure what the purpose is. I just hope that we do not run out of things to talk about. I'm pretty sure that with my mother there, a lack of conversation will not be an issue, but I'm still nervous.

Snowmageddon Part II

Before we had even recovered from the first blizzard, the DC area was hit with another one. This one had less snow but more wind. I think it was actually more dangerous than the first storm. At times, I would look outside and could not see anything. Total white out conditions.

The Federal Government has been closed for about a week. It's just nutty. I have a case of total cabin fever.

During my forced confinement, I have done the following:

• Cleaned my entire house
• Watched endless hours of Storm Watch on ABC 7.
• Reorganized my closets and put aside 4 bags of clothes for Goodwill
• Organized all of my household papers (bills, tax info, etc)
• Watched many movies including Sunshine Cleaning, 8 Seconds, The Ballet Shoes, and My Sisters's Keeper.
• Shoveled much much snow.
• Did some work from home.
  
• Read the Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah.
• Talked on the phone for more hours than I ever have in my life.
• Logged much time on Facebook.
• Caught up on my blog.
• Drank lots of coffee and hot chocolate with Bailey's.
• Did some online shopping.
• Watched some episodes of Castle - I'm still about 6 behind though.

These storms were definitely a case of be careful what you wish for. I had been hoping for a random day off to just relax. No plans - just time to chill. Well, I got 7 of them and that's 6 too many.

Oh well, it will be another 15 years before DC sees the same type of storm again. I won't complain too much. In another couple of months, I'll be wishing for one of these lazy snow days.

Grammy Performance

Last week, the Grammys were on TV. At times, I felt like the performers were picked just for me. All of my favorites were on - Bon Jovi, P!nk, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Beyonce, etc.

And of course - Lady Gaga!

However, Lady Gaga's performance, which opened the show, was even better because she sang a duet with Elton John. I adore Elton John and Lady Gaga so I felt like this performance was just for me. It was awesome. Luckily, it was available for purchase on ITunes so I can listen to it whenever I want!

Oscar Snub?

The Oscar nominations came out last week. There were not that many surprises which probably means that the ceremony is going to be boring. But I'm sure I'll watch it anyway.

There are a couple of omissions that people keep griping about. One is the exclusion of 500 Days of Summer from the best picture category. This year, there were 10 slots and many people felt this movie deserved one of them even if it had no chance of winning.

I've blogged about this movie before. I thought that this movie was good and I loved Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance. If anything from the movie was going to be Oscar nominated it should have been him. My largest complaint about this movie was that while I really felt for the male character I could not stand the female character in the movie. That's a problem when it's a romantic movie and you are supposed to sympathize with both.

However, I did love the musical scene from the movie. It was so cute. But then again, Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes anything adorable.

Color Personality Quiz

Recently, I took a color personality quiz. The results were pretty interesting. My top two categories - creator and organizer fit well with my current job which is basically advertising/public relations.

I guess I picked a good career. . .

Here are the full results:

Best Occupational Category

You're a CREATOR

Keywords

Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional

These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or places where they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.

CREATOR OCCUPATIONS
Suggested careers are Advertising Executive, Architect, Web Designer, Creative Director, Public Relations, Fine or Commercial Artist, Interior Decorator, Lawyer, Librarian, Musician, Reporter, Art Teacher, Broadcaster, Technical Writer, English Teacher, Architect, Photographer, Medical Illustrator, Corporate Trainer, Author, Editor, Landscape Architect, Exhibit Builder, and Package Designer.

CREATOR WORKPLACES
Consider workplaces where you can create and improve beauty and aesthetic qualities. Unstructured, flexible organizations that allow self-expression work best with your free-spirited nature.

Suggested Creator workplaces are advertising, public relations, and interior decorating firms; artistic studios, theaters and concert halls; institutions that teach crafts, universities, music, and dance schools. Other workplaces to consider are art institutes, museums, libraries, and galleries.

2nd Best Occupational Category

You're an ORGANIZER

Keywords:

Self-Control, Practical, Self-Contained, Orderly, Systematic, Precise, and Accurate

These conservative appearing, plotting-types enjoy organizing, data systems, accounting, detail, and accuracy. They often enjoy mathematics and data management activities such as accounting and investment management. Persistence and patience allows them to do detailed paperwork, operate office machines, write business reports, and make charts and graphs.

My Sister's Keeper

While I was snowed in this weekend, I was feeling really sad. See, I was snowed in alone because Mike got snowed in at his house in Woodbridge. So we chatted on the phone multiple times a day but it wasn't the same as if he had actually been HERE. But, oh well. S*** happens, right?

So since I was already feeling sad, on Saturday night I curled up on the couch with a glass of wine to watch My Sister's Keeper on TV. This is a movie based on the book of the same name by Jodi Picoult. I read this book several years ago and was emotionally destroyed for a couple days after finishing it. However, I heard that the ending was changed for the movie and that it was "happier."

I'm not sure if I would describe the ending as "happier." It was really just sad in a different way. However, I do think it was a shame that the movie leaves out the twist at the end of the book. That twist was really powerful when I read the book. Without it, the movie becomes very predictable. That's not to say that I did not cry the whole way through - because I totally did. It's still a sad and emotionally charged story.

Mike called right as the movie ended. I was all congested and pathetic sounding because I had been crying for 2 hours. And he was like "Why would you watch this movie if you knew it would make you cry?!"

I guess I'm a glutton for punishement. Next time, I'll choose a nice comedy. . .

Snowmageddon

This weekend the DC area got hit with a MONSTER storm. The city itself received about 20 inches of snow. Where I live - in the Maryland suburbs - I got about 28-30 inches. It was INSANE.

The snow started on Friday. In anticipation, the Federal Government closed 4 hours early and since my company follows the government, we closed early too. I worked from home in the morning and watched the snowfall get more intense.

However, before the snow got too bad, I went on the hunt for a shovel. See when we got the last storm about 2 months ago, my snow shovel broke. And silly me - I forgot to replace it. So starting at 7AM on Friday, I went out to find a shovel. To my surprise, every store was sold out of snow shovels. I tried about 10 stores before I finally gave up. But, when I got home about 2 hours later, I called Home Depot and found out they were expecting another shipment of shovels on Friday afternoon. At about 12:30, I went out to Home Depot and got there just in time. They had a line of people waiting for shovels and they were handing them out behind a barricade. It was crazy. I guess they were expecting a riot if people did not get their shovels. And you know, they weren't that far off. The shovels were gone in about 10 minutes and the people who got their at 10 minutes and 20 seconds were MAD.

Luckily I got my shovel so my mission was accomplished.

Grocery stores were also insane. I have never seen the parking lot at the Bloom by my condo even remotely crowded. And on Thursday and Friday it was PACKED. There were no parking spaces left. It was nutty.

But I braved the store and got some food so I will not starve. That's a plus.

And you know, it was smart to get the shovel and the food because the storm was as bad as people said it would be. When I went to bed on Friday, there was maybe 5 inches of snow. On Saturday morning, I woke up to a Winter Wonderland. It was white as far as you could see. And, the snow was completely undisturbed. Not a footprint or plow in sight.

When the snow started to slow down around 2PM on Saturday, I braved the outside. I wanted to try and dig my car out a bit. Poor Hans - my car - was completely invisible. It took me about an hour and half to dig him out. I can't actually drive him anywhere as the parking lot is still snowfilled but at least I can see the car and get into the car. So, when they do plow - I hopefully will be able to get out.

Now it is Sunday and I am watching my neighbors try and get their cars out of the parking lot. This is hilarious as the parking lot has not been plowed so each car keeps getting stuck in the snow. I'm not sure where these people have to go that they cannot wait for the plow to come. I myself am prepared to be in my condo all of today and possibly tomorrow too. I am not going anywhere until I see that plow.

I figure that I am better off than most people so I might as well stay put. Half of Montgomery County has lost power - but I am luckily in the half that still has power. Yay. Buildings have collpased in DC because of the weight of the snow. The metro is still only operating below ground. The major roadways are still icy and dangerous. With all of this in mind, why would I even try to go anywhere. . .

Life will return to normal soon I suppose. But Snowmageddon 2010 will be a storm to talk about for years.

What's Awesome Now? Alexis Bittar

Lately, I've become obsessed with the jewelry of Alexis Bittar. I love his style - it's so different. I wear a lot of dark, classic style clothes and Alexis Bittar's jewelry adds some color and fun to my outfits.

Last Christmas, my parents gave me these earrings which are amazing. They are so modern and fun. I love them.

Then, I bought these earrings on sale. They are more ornate than what I usually go for but they are a lot of fun. They brighten up some of my darker colored outfits.But Alexis Bittar makes other really cool stuff. Most of it I cannot afford like this necklace.
Or these earrings.

But, luckily his stuff does go on sale. I'll just have to keep my eye out.

All of his stuff is awesome. And what I love most about it is that the jewelry is so light! Usually more ornate earrings are really heavy and thus painful. But the material that Alexis Bittar uses is so lightweight that you barely realize you are wearing earrings. It's awesome.

New Bag

A couple of weeks ago, I broke down and bought a new work bag. It's the patent leather campo bag from J Crew. I'd been lusting over it for a long time but had managed to resist. However, when J Crew put the bag on sale and then offered me 20% off sale items and free shipping - I just couldn't resist.

Anyway, this bag is great. It holds all of my personal and work items without looking huge. I bought it in this dark grey color which is great for work (the picture is the purple version which was sold out). It will match anything in any season.

Anyway, I'm a big fan of this purchase.

National Guilt

I've been thinking a lot lately about the concept of national guilt. It's a subject that first became interesting to me when I read the book The Reader.

Unlike the movie version, the book The Reader focuses more on the post-WWII generation in Germany coming to terms with the actions of their parents' generation. It's an interesting phenomenon. How do you accept the shameful actions of your country's past? How do you have pride in a country that has done such awful things? But, if you have no national pride, what keeps the country and people together? Is national pride and therefore the denial of national guilt necessary for the advancement of a culture?

Recently, I read the book Sarah's Key. I found this book to be particularly interesting because it focused on a subject of which I knew nothing. That is the Vel d'Hiv round-up in Paris in July 1942. This round-up effectively sent thousands of Jews to their deaths. Jews that were forced from their homes, taken into custody, and sent to gas chambers by the French police - not the SS. It was the French imprisoning the French.

Of course, the round-up is a shocking and horrific action, and the part of the book that describes the events is particularly heartbreaking.

But, what I found to be fascinating in the book was the feelings of the witnesses. So many people witnessed these round-ups and did nothing to stop them. Realistically, they probably could not have stopped them, but no one even seemed to try. The people who lived near the Vel d'Hiv and knew that thousands of people were being held hostage in the building, did nothing. Sure, some people tried to sneak in some food but that was the extent of their assistance. From the description of the event in the book as well as research that I did after reading it, it seems like most French citizens turned away and pretended that they had no idea what was going on. They pretended not to know why apartments were suddenly vacant or why areas of the city - Jewish areas - were empty.

After the war, it seemed that the witnesses tried to forget these events. When forced to remember, they placed blame on others - namely the Germans - and not on themselves or their countrymen. In fact it took an entire half a century for the French government to recognize the part of its people in these actions. To accept blame. To acknowledge guilt.

It's true that all cultures have historic actions of which they are or should be ashamed. America is no different. You just have to look to the Trail of Tears, slavery, and the Iraq War for examples.

And I suppose that the only way to move beyond the knowledge that your country - or yourself - participated in such actions is to either forget the actions occurred or place the blame on others. Otherwise, how do you live with yourself?

If I was still in school, I think I would be moved to research and write on this topic. I may still do the research aspect as I truly find this phenomenon fascinating. It would be very interesting to look at parellels in Roman history, German history, French history, American history, Russian history, etc to see how powerful cultures that perform abhorrent actions manage to persevere. Do their people feel a sense of national guilt? How do they overcome it? Is regaining the sense of national pride integral to the future success of a nation?

I'm not sure that there are any clear cut answers but I do find the concept to be an intriguing one.

100th Post!

I cannot believe that this is my 100th post! When I started this blog back in July, I did not think it would last more than a week or two. But, hitting this milestone is kind of cool.

In honor of it, I am sending myself virtual flowers.


And chocolates.And champagne.


Of course, feel free to send me real items in celebration. I won't turn them down. :)

2010

I cannot believe that we are already 2 weeks into 2010. That's just crazy to me. Time is flying by.

This year is already off to an interesting start. If anyone had told me at the start of 2009 what I would be doing at the start of 2010 - I would have thought that they were crazy. It's amazing how quickly life changes - for both the good and the bad although in my circumstances it's for the good at the moment.

2010 is bound to bring many surprises, but I have a good feeling about it. I've decided not to make any resolutions this year, but I have decided to set a goal. Some people may think that resolutions and goals are one in the same, but I disagree. I think a goal is something that you systematically work toward whereas a resolution is something that you just decide to do. And let's face it, resolutions are all too easy to break.

My goal for 2010 is to strive to have a better work/life balance. I will be the first to admit that I can put work in front of anything else. And while I do not plan to start slacking off at my job, I am going to work to shift my focus to a more equal balance between my personal and professional life. Who knows that could actually make me more efficient at work. We'll see!