Zombie Jesus

Happy Easter everyone!  As promised, I have two acts of kindness today, but I don't really know if they count as part of the list.  I bought the family breakfast this morning, which isn't on the list at all, but I still think it counts, and I also bought my grandmother a calla lily plant for Easter, which I suppose counts as #2: Send flowers.

Cute Easter donuts.

Breakfast of a champion.  Poor bunny...

Pretty flower =)

Hannah and I dressed up and got a little silly taking pictures before leaving for my grandma's house.

It was pretty nice out today (50s, but still windy and kind of cold) but yesterday was absolutely gorgeous.  It was something like 55 degrees and sunny, so it officially started to feel like winter was really over.  Tom and I went to the car wash.  It sounds silly, but I love going through the car wash!

I hope everyone had a good weekend!  Walking Dead finale tonight!!!

Spring!

Happy spring everyone!

It's finally starting to feel more like spring here in Connecticut, meaning it's finally made it up to the 40 degree mark and has (mostly) stayed around that point.  I'm very excited for this weekend because it's supposed to be in the low 50's!  Spring is finally here, and hopefully to stay this time!  Who else is excited to start breaking out tank tops and flip flops???

Now, I know what you're thinking: Where was the act of kindness this past Sunday?  Frankly, I just didn't have time.  And for a selfish reason, so I plan to do two this weekend, especially considering it's a holiday and all that jazz.  So, my apologies, and I promise to get myself back on track as soon as humanly possible.

The reason I didn't go through with the act of kindness this past weekend was because I was at the casino with Kaeley.  It was my first time ever gambling, so that was a fun new experience for me, especially because I won a small amount, and Kaeley ended up getting lucky with a bit more than I had gotten up to.  Combined, we had made enough to make up for what we spent the night before at Ikea on new dishes and things for the house for when I move in with her in a few weeks.

On the note of moving, I've been trying to get things done more lately but I've been feeling stuck with the long To Do lists and large daunting tasks.  Tonight I made a large list to display for myself on my DIY dry-erase board, and it's all getting a little overwhelming (in a good and scary way).

Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Moving Stress

(DISCLAIMER: This is a very wordy post.  I apologize in advance.)

I'll be honest with you, I've moved a few times in my life.  Four times, really: once before I was old enough to walk, again when I was in fourth grade, then again when I was a senior in high school.  To some, it may not seem like much, but some people have been in the same house since they were born, and let me tell you, in a way, I envy the latter.

I'm only envious, though, of the fact that they haven't had the task of packing up all of the things they own into several cardboard boxes and then having to lug all of those boxes from one place into a car/van, then have to pick them up again and maneuver them awkwardly into a new space, then have to try to reassemble everything all over again.

I'm excited to move, trust me, I really am.  I've been looking forward to it for months, and now that the end is near, I am absolutely jumping out of my skin to just do it.  However, I forgot in the last four years how much work it is.  It's even more work, now, than it was then, because I need a new car and a new job and all sorts of new things.

First off, my issue was buying a new bed.  I have a bed currently, but the springs like to stick into my back.  Over all, the thing is just older than any that should be in use.  Luckily, Kaeley is the best and managed to swing getting a new mattress and box spring for herself, so I'm taking her old, very lightly used one (that saved me just about $250).

Next in line for the issues on my mind are the car and the job.  I've started applying to places online (Michael's, Ulta, etc.) but haven't heard back from any of them (if you get a call asking about me, please be nice!) and have been told they will call me when I call them.  So, that isn't looking very great yet.  Cars, on the other hand, I have found several that I really like that would be great, buuut, I don't have enough money.  Money is always an issue and cars are wicked expensive.  Hopefully, though, in the next two or three weeks, things will work out if I can keep myself from buying, literally, anything besides gas.  Once the car issue is settled, I feel like everything else is going to fall into place soon after.

My hopes are that I can start selling things on my Etsy (shameless self promotion) soon so that I can have a little extra money, especially since I plan to go see my sister in Oklahoma in April right before/after I move.  I really need to start working on things for my shop, and hopefully I'll have time and an idea soon... We'll see I guess...  I'm normally a high stress kind of person, so things like this really take their toll on me.  Any suggestions or help is welcomed and greatly appreciated!

Also, I'm sick of this snow!  Winter is over now, make the snow stop!

Week 11 and St. Paddy's Day

Good evening!  Sorry this update has taken so long to get posted, it's been a busy day for me.  This week, week 11 of the RAOK series, was # 32: Adopt and animal.

Now, we've had this fish for at least 6 months, which my mom took from a friend because her daughter wasn't looking after it.  Unfortunately, after taking the fish (his name is Dante), he stayed upstairs for about a month, then was put downstairs in the dark part of the hallway, where people often forget about him.  I would occasionally clean his bowl out and feed him, and I know other people would, too, now and again, but I felt bad for him.  About a week ago now, I cleaned out his bowl, bought him new food, and moved his bowl back upstairs to one of the kitchen counters.  He seems much happier now where he is and that he's definitely being fed at least twice a day.

 On a side note, Happy St. Paddy's Day!  Since we're a fairly Irish family, I made Guinness cupcakes with Bailey's buttercream and assisted my father with making corned beef and cabbage all day.  I love these cupcakes, and I can't wait to try more exciting new cupcakes when I move out in a couple of weeks!  Happy Sunday all!

NEW! Things I've Learned From...

Welcome to an all new addition to my blog that was inspired by one of my favorite blogs Little Things and Curiosities.  She had done this little section in her blog and I think it's adorable and very sweet to dedicate a little piece of something you have to someone who means a lot to you.  Hers seemed to be a little more random, and I'm sure mine will considering there's no set schedule to them, but I have them all planned  out to be posted around the person's birthday.

This one is very special because it's kind of a two-for-one deal.  I decided to dedicate this first entry to Tori (whose birthday is today! Happy birthday!) and Jess (whose birthday is tomorrow!!!)

Things I've Learned from Tori...

• Even though you may tell yourself it wont happen, in the right company you will pull all-nighters before 8 hour shifts (even if it is before inventory time).
• Songs about coffee and sad bumble bees scare ghosts away at 4 in the morning.
• Sometimes you just need someone who knows you well and isn't afraid to blast the music in the car while you drive aimlessly to make you feel better.
• No matter how long you don't speak to each other for, a true friend is someone you can be yourself with them once you come back into contact.
• Home usually isn't where you live.  Never stop searching for where you feel at home.

Things I've Learned from Jess...

• Occasionally, it's necessary to drink until you forget who you are (but very rarely, and keep an eye on your glasses).
• Nothing comes between bestbians, not even 8 or so hours and nearly 600 miles.
• Long drives through the back roads and red light serenades are all you need to restore the love for your hometown.
• You don't have to be at 100%, 100%of the time.  But those are the days bold makeup may be necessary to make up for your mood.
• Doing crazy makeup and having it come out (nearly) perfect is one of the best feelings and it's okay if that's the highlight of your day.
• Starting over is always an option.

Week 10

I'm not entirely sure if this one counts because of who it involved, but in my head it still counts.

This week, #9: Give someone home made art, was given to Tom, my 'boything'.  He has been talking about getting a tattoo for a while, and if you have access to my Facebook page, you may or may not have seen that he got his first one (yay!) a little over a month ago.  As those of you with tattoos know, you can't just have one.  It started a whole new addiction in his head, like it does most of us, and now he wants another one before we go up to Boston for Zombie March in May.

Unfortunately, his idea for the tattoo is pretty unique and after several hours of searching and poking around on the internet, we have only found one other person with this particular tattoo.  That being said, someone had to draw it and (even though he draws what are technically blueprints for a living) I volunteered.

So this is the idea, please ignore the spiral in the middle, I have a very shaky hand and I can't draw a nice circular shape to save my life.  Rulers are my friend.  Happy Sunday!


(Speaking of Sunday, who's excited for Walking Dead tonight?  It's going to be INTEEENSE!)

Favorites

If you've ever bothered to ask me about the subject, you would know that I've always sort of hated the idea of choosing favorites.  I think everything deserves an equal chance, but I have come to realize in the last couple years that sometimes, some things are awesome, amazing, I can't live without it good.  Other things just suck.  All of this is beauty related (I know, surprise!) but there's only four things for now.

#1 - Dove Cream Oil lotion.
Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about this.  I have eczema, so after trying a billion and a half lotions and creams and the like, this is the one I will buy over and over again.  If they ever stop production of this, I will set myself on fire.  Okay, I won't be that dramatic, but I'll be really upset.  Winter skin can suck it. Eczema, forget it.  AND! It smells good and isn't greasy. Ah-may-zing.

#2 - This one is actually a two for one deal.  Thank you to my friend, Kaeley, who introduced me to , not only the products themselves, but the use of them together.  I'm not very gentle with my hands. Ever.  I also hate painting my nails Sunday night and having them chip (badly, I might add) by Monday night.  Color Club's Stuck On You (used as the base coat) and Riummel's Lasting Finish Pro Top Coat have introduced me to the world of having nearly perfect nail polish for at least three or four days at a time, which was beyond my comprehension before discovering these little babies.  Although they're a little more expensive than polishes I normally go for, I definitely recommend it. They pay for themselves ten-fold with the amount of other nail polishes you'll be saving instead of repainting over and over again to keep your nails looking good.

#3 - This and #4 were both purchased because my older sister and her fiance gave me an Ulta gift card for my birthday.  I've been slightly obsessed with lip stains lately because they aren't sticky or drying and they don't come off for hours (even if they're cheap).  This one was kind of a tester for me because I've always used wine or red colors before and I'm usually not a big fan of pinks on my face.  I love this one, and it's the only one I've been using since I got it.  It's just dark enough to add color but not so dark that I look pastey white (which happens often).  If you're pale and not into reapplying lip color every hour or so, definitely look for this lip stain.  It comes in other colors, too, which you can see here.

#4 - Since I am a pale girl, my paper white face could use some color during the not-so-sunny months of winter.  Enter, Nyx Matte Bronzer in Light.  This is the first bronzer that is A) Matte, B) Easily blended because it's SO soft, and C) Light enough that I don't look like I rubbed dirt on my face.  Despite my love of glitter and all things shiny, I HATE shimmer bronzers. HATE THEM.  So this was a nice (and inexpensive) find!  These are also on the Ulta website, and come in Light, Medium, and Dark.

Let me know if you like this sort of posts so I can either start thinking of more favorites or completely scrap the idea! Happy Wednesday!

Week 9

Hello, hello and welcome to another Sunday!  This week's act of kindness was #18, which will be carried through tomorrow as well.  I bought a few packets of seed today to leave for a coworker tomorrow or Tuesday morning.  I specifically bought her cucumbers because I know last year she grew string beans with her preschool class and when they were done growing the kids got to eat them.  A lot of the kids get cucumbers in their lunches, so I figured it was an appropriate choice.

I also bought some seeds and starter pots for myself because I would really like to start growing my own veggies.  If anyone has any tips or tricks to growing your own food, I'm all ears!

Happy Monday Eve!