Stroke Volume

yum

2010-02-12T20:04:00.004-05:00

these little sweetie pies needed a home so being the big-hearted person i am, i took them in. and with 20% plus 10% off, how could i resist?

this is for la raza

2009-09-25T10:04:00.004-04:00

today's entry isn't about anything in particular. i'm in the process of refinancing my house (we close today - woohoo!) and my loan processor is so cute. she sends me emails with exclamation points and smiley faces. at first i was disturbed by this bc if there's one area where you should be all about business it's home loans. but today it's sunny and almost warm and her email accoutrements are cracking me up. did i mention her name is spelled with an "i" where there should be an "a-y"? too cute.

earlier this week i had the most delicious plate of chicken and waffles at last legg in somerset. if i'm being totally honest the waffle could've been a tad bit crispier on the outside but it was still quite delicious. i can't wait to go back to taste the whiting and sides. thank goodness i don't live too close to this place because there would trouble (truh-BUHL). their prices are right and the service was quick and courteous. check them out if you're ever around that way.

special treat

2009-09-10T21:26:00.002-04:00

trying something new here. holler.

only 12 shopping days left

2009-09-04T03:01:00.006-04:00

here are a few things i'd be ever so grateful to receive for my birthday:

machine dreams - little dragon

a box of fresh chocodiles

lemon love candy

thanks in advance!

i broke my cherry yesterday

2009-08-02T11:19:00.003-04:00

and made my very first etsy purchase! it was just a couple of yards of amy butler fabric but the whole process was quite exhilarating. i convo'd the seller for a special order and they replied immediately and posted my listing. while i'm waiting for it to arrive i'm alredy ready to make another purchase! the fabric is a part of my very first amy atlas-inspired food display for my alumnae group's annual pre-freshman tea next sunday. if i get some good pictures of it i'll post them up. wish me luck!

in other news, i also wrote my very first guest blog over at rum and cake. check it out and leave a comment!

rest in peace

2009-06-25T23:07:00.004-04:00

flashback friday

2009-06-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

ok so i think i was in 10th grade when this song came out. whenever i hear it now it reminds me of the summer i spent at Rutgers in this science program. imagine a bunch of high schoolers stuck on campus with little to no entertainment - we had no choice but to make our own. well, someone had a strobe light and this song on cassette which of course led to our version of party machine without nia peeples.

yeah...

i honestly didn't know there was even a video for this song. anyway...enjoy!

me likey!

2009-06-02T22:26:00.003-04:00

nicole over at making it lovely posted this bag in brown on her latest style board. i much prefer it in this seafoam color and i wants it! i'm on restriction currently but my birthday is in three months so if any you lovely readers are moved by the giving spirit i'll be happy to supply you with my shipping address.

guess what i did this wknd?

2009-06-01T15:51:00.007-04:00

i made new valances for my kitchen windows!

for close to three years now i've kept the same old lady sheer valances that were inherited with the house up. i'd been wanting to change them and had in mind what i wanted but never came across it. that is until i just happened to take a stroll through the fabric aisle at walmart one day. imagine how excited i was when i saw exactly the striped fabric i had been looking for in not one but two colors (green and red) - both of which would work in the kitchen.

walmart doesn't give out fabric swatches so i left the store with a plan formulated: since the fabric was only $6/yd i'd buy both and decide which to use once i got them home. my mom was coming to visit so i asked her to bring her sewing machine. i did a little sewing in 8th grade home ec so i figured i could tackle the straight seam required by a valance.

on my return trip to walmart i decided to just go with the green stripes instead of getting both. i was so anxious to sew that i forgot about ironing seams. this is where things started to go a little haywire. actually things started going haywire when i cut my fabric with crappy scissors. unfortunately, the good shears were at my mom's house (along with the straight pins and other sewing accoutrements). (now is a good time to tell you that i am a perfectionist and what other ppl will gloss over and plow through i painstakingly agonize over getting it umm...perfect. this is an extremely stressful habit.)

okay so follow me here...we've got jagged fabric edges and me trying to iron a straight seam for the hem and rod pocket. in other words, i was driving myself bananas so my mom took over (thanks!). while she did that i sat at the sewing machine in anticipation. to make this long story shorter, there was an issue with the bobbin case and i COULD NOT SEW MY CURTAINS! you don't understand how disappointed i was. my mom was like it's not working use the hem tape. and i was like NO! I'M GONNA FIX IT! MAMA, I WANNA SEW!!

well, i'm no sewing machine repair person and the manual wasn't any help at all so i resigned myself to using the hem tape. the valances came out not bad at all if i do say so myself. they're a little crooked but i don't think anyone will notice.

me likey!

2009-04-09T14:30:00.004-04:00

in these hard economic times, shopping is no longer a priority for many folks. i wish i could say i was one of those folks but some of these sales are RIDICULOUS...just ask my homegirl over at rum and cake. anyway, i was perusing the internets and came across this sandal. for a while now i've been wanting a pair of sandals like i had when i was a wee lass and these definitely fit the bill. so cute!

SIGH

2009-04-06T10:27:00.004-04:00

i don't even want to talk about it.

and i don't want to talk about how what could've been the most awesome of all weekends turned out to be quite craptacular either.

fe-fi-fo-YUM!

2009-04-01T22:19:00.005-04:00

i have a new girl crush.

this is fo from cycle 12 of america's next top model. isn't she just the cutest? this isn't the best picture but i think she's so lovely. and i want my hair cut like hers. okay maybe not but i want something different.

boredom begets baking

2009-02-28T22:24:00.009-05:00

so like today was a lazy saturday and i'm just putzing around doing not very much when suddenly i was hit with the urge to bake. it's wonderful when u can scrounge up ingredients from your pantry and come up with something yummy. browsing around i came across this blondie recipe and decided to give it a try. i substituted dark brown sugar for the light and hershey chocolate chips for the dove bar. i also used pam butter flavored spray instead of buttering the pan. on first taste they're just okay...not overly sweet (i love overly sweet). they'll probably taste better tomorrow. i prefer my brownies the next day too.

i have...

2009-02-16T14:14:00.001-05:00

the most disgusting urge to wear leggings and hi-top sneakers.

in public.

:(

hi there.

saturday afternoon

2009-01-17T14:19:00.005-05:00

i've been sucked into an all day laundry vortex.

i woke up this morning around a quarter to eight
showered and dress, didn't want to be late
sorted my clothes and started the loads
but i'm still on the first one
man this shit blows

why why
won't my shirts dry?
why why
won't my shirts dry?

while the washing is stalled i turn on the tv
clean the bathroom, scrub the floor...i'm off the heezy
now living single is on and my stomach is growlin'
my shirts are still wet
and my face is scowlin'

why why
won't my shirts dry?
why why
won't my shirts dry?

another 20 minutes on the dryer should be good
i had plans today of leaving my hood
if these clothes don't dry soon

oh there's the buzzer!

this new computer is gonna be a problem.

by request

2009-01-15T15:19:00.004-05:00

new year, new update

today my match account expires. at least i think it does. i'm gonna log in when i get home and see.

i ordered a new computer. which means i may be blogging more once i get it. you don't understand how cold it is in my basement. the new computer will go wherever i go. my buddy!

i can't stop shopping. this anthropologie chair i've had my eye on for the longest time is on sale for 50% off. i'm slow-rolling on making the purchase bc i feel like i've bought so much already. but i should probably do it bc who knows when it'll be that price again.

is it possible to love a fabric so much you want to marry it? because i do. once my mom clears her stuff out of her old room it's being turned into a guest room/office. the color scheme will be gray, yellow, black, and white and i purchased this lovely fabric for curtains. oh i'm so into curtains now. i still need to hang my bedroom curtains but i bought new living room curtains and they look great. no pictures now i'm at work.

and that's my new year new update.

*curtsies*

oh and...

2008-12-28T19:27:00.000-05:00

i ain't get no snuggie for christmas eeda...SCRUB!!!

i'm on vacation

2008-12-28T18:50:00.003-05:00

i mean, really...i can't be expected to blog while i'm on vacation, right? besides, my home computer is in the basement and it is fuh-reeezing there. at any rate, here i am checking in live from the arctic inner sanctum.

despite it being cold, i've been enjoying my vacation very much. i hosted a dessert swap and made peppermint bark brownies, sock-it-to-me cake, oatmeal raisin choc chip cookies, and also a spinach & turkey lasagna as well as spinach dip. things were shaky at one point but by the grace of god everything turned out delicious. and there is still dessert left. i love hosting parties!

i also got to visit friends and family. my roommate's sisters held a scrapbooking party to collect memories for her daughter (she's such a little cutie!). my aunt made a sunday dinner for us and sent us home with a boatload of food. we spent christmas with my mom at her friend's house and both of them sent us home with food. i think they all believe we're here starving since my mom left. if i play it right i won't have to cook until tuesday or wednesday.

best of all though, i've met someone that i like a lot. like FINALLY! i can honestly say that i'm happy. yay for me :)

oh and i got to hit up woodbury commons for the first time. great outlet shopping. i probably bought too much. i can't (meaning i don't feel like) post(ing) pictures but i'll just say shoes, handbag, jeans, sweaters, blouse, serve ware, springform pans...holler.

flourished and sprayed with perfume...

2008-12-04T11:28:00.006-05:00

photo from lettuce_move's flickr

who: little dragon
where: le poisson rouge, nyc
when: november 28, 2008
set list:
forever
recommendation
new song
turn left
test
new song (sort of prince/777-9311ish)
after the rain
wink (extended)
encore: twice

over the summer one of my homies (he of infamous shoe advice, actually) put me on to this band from sweden. i immediately took to their sound and stayed on the lookout for live dates here in the u.s. imagine how happy i was when i learned they would finally be performing in the area!

some group named moisturizer opened for them and i really wish they hadn't. mainly bc i hate the saxophone (particularly 50s/60s happy days type saxophone riffs...i see you raphael saadiq & i don't likey) and the group was lead by saxophone. no lead vocals (which isn't awful) just lead sax (which is turrible). i had invited a friend to come along and i felt bad she had to suffer through it. however, we passed the time making real housewives of atl jokes and it wasn't so bad.

when little dragon finally hit the stage the crowd went kind of bananas. they opened with "forever" (which sounded great and made me love the song much more) then went into "recommendation" (my favorite so i did my little recommendation dance) and continued from there. despite the sound being a wonky at some points the band did not disappoint. they did two new songs (didn't catch any names) and i had in my notes (yes, i took notes at a concert...geek alert) that one of them sounded a bit princeish - like a perkier 777-9311. they closed the show out with an extended reworking of "wink" (my other favorite). this left the crowd begging for more so they came back and performed "twice."

overall i enjoyed this show a lot and i can't wait for their new stuff. the crowd was very much into them and there were lots of yukimi nagano fans in the house. i just thought it was cool how everyone was dancing and the band seemed appreciative of the love.

pop it

2008-11-24T14:06:00.004-05:00

umm...soooo...i took this exotic dance class over the wknd and now my thighs hurt.

the class focused mainly on lap dance techniques since the ceilings at the school are too high for poles. our instructor was a tiny little stereotypical jersey girl with a mouth like a sailor but she was cool. she ain't really show me anything i ain't already know how to do except make my ass clap. i mean she barely had an ass but was able to create shock waves and ripples. apparently, the clear stripper heels make this easier to accomplish bc you can balance on your toes and wiggle wit it.

*adds another item to christmas list*

but yeah she had us shaking and dipping and popping and clapping and now i'm here at work walking like an old lady bc my thighs are killing me. i'm sad about how out of shape i am. i need a new class pronto.

stuff i meant to blog about

2008-11-21T10:21:00.007-05:00

these are the things i've been meaning to share but i either never got around to it or didn't have a whole post's worth of things to say about it.

i saw janet in concert last month with my cousin and my sister. despite it not being a sold out crowd she put on an AWESOME show and both my sister and cousin had a ball. it was their first time seeing her in concert. i also took them both to their first prince show. my cousin said i was a whore going around poppin' everyone's cherries. lol at her. highlights for me were seeing janet dancing real hard a la american bandstand when she performed young love and when she did the first part of "got til it's gone" over slum village's "hold tight."

i also saw terence blanchard earlier this month. if you don't know he's the trumpeter guy that does the scores for spike lee's movies. they have this show they travel with where he plays his music from those movies with different featured vocalists. for the performance i attended, spike lee introduced the show and the featured vocalists were patti austin, bilal, and raul midon.

can i just say that OMFG patti austin is AMAZING and i'm in love with her? of the two songs she sang, her rendition of make sure you're sure (from the jungle fever sdtrk) had me nearly in tears. her voice is so pure and perfect and effortless. i was really only familiar with her work with quincy jones ("betcha wouldn't hurt me" is my JAM) and i didn't remember her sounding like that. bilal and raul were good too - especially when raul went note for note against terence with his mouth trumpet. that sounds nasty...heh.

i saw an elephant while driving to burlington coat factory.

i also saw a fapmobile when i was leaving party city. i couldn't get a picture of the guy driving it but he was pretty mature.

oh and i got those shoes i wanted. they were on sale plus i had a discount code. i can't wait to wear them. and don't say nothing about my pale, hairy legs.

the only thing i want for christmas

2008-11-12T09:00:00.002-05:00

ok i'd really like a new computer too but that's probably gonna have to wait. in the meantime...

it's a blanket with sleeves!

do you know how annoying it is to be all snuggled under a blanket on the couch (cuz i keeps the thermostat at 67°F) then have to maneuver your arm just so in order to change channels with the remote? do you know what a perfect solution this blanket is? i can just see myself snuggled up (with myself) watching law and order on a saturday afternoon.

found a cure

2008-11-10T17:36:00.008-05:00

i'll admit it - i've suffered from roasterphobia for a long while now. but this wknd i think i conquered it.

i'm not really big on cooking - i much prefer baking. i've had the comfort and convenience of living with my mom for the past four years and if i had to choose between my cooking and hers? mom wins EVERY time (except for her dressing, she makes it too dry so i'm in charge of that at thanksgiving). but yeah even in the months before i moved back home my meals had gone from protein/starch/vegetable to turkey pot pie hot pockets (10 for $10 at shoprite). even with the occasional party here and there, it'd been a long time since me and cooking had been acquainted.

now that my mom's gone i have no choice but to cook. when i did cook back in the day it was always something easy like chicken breasts or shake n bake drumsticks. never ever a whole chicken. my biggest issues being salmonella (touch the chicken, wash my hands, touch the chicken, wash my hands © me via filbert) and the chicken not being fully cooked. but i'm a big girl now and it's time to do big girl things. so i perused the grocery flier and saw that oven stuffers were on sale. i called my mom for help and she was so impressed at my attempt. i did what she said and a little bit of my own thing and viola! this is how homie the chicken turned out.

i seasoned it with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika (i forgot the pepper while caught up in touching the chicken and washing my hands). i also shoved an onion in the cavity for more flavor. i dunno why but it took almost 4hrs for this bird to finish and it was only 7lbs. after the timer popped up i checked by the leg and it was still pink. maybe i'll move the rack up a little higher next time. this lovely little bird was accompanied by fresh string beans from the farmer's market and yellow rice. i brought some in for my lunch today and it was DEEEElicious.

gold star for me!

they are coming

2008-11-04T11:02:00.003-05:00

little dragon
november 28 nyc
november 29 dc
december 1 philly

yay!

match dot com is wack

2008-10-30T14:11:00.003-04:00

© the mixmaster

okay so like this past january my homie and my sister convinced me to sign up for match. never one to pass up a bargain, i reluctantly paid $20 for a six month subscription. now they have this six month guarantee where if you don't find someone in six months they give you another six month for teh FREE. being the jackass i am i was determined to get my six free months - not because i wanted to be on there for six more months but because it was for teh FREE. needless to say, i got my free six months.

while many others have had success on match, i am not able to say the same. the most i've gotten is a phone call. i have a theory about why this is so but i'll save it for another time. at any rate, earlier this month i got all pissy about the current state of my dating life and was going to update my pictures and profile but something weird happened. men who weren't old enough to be my grandpa and could actually form complete sentences began emailing me. my hope was restored!

still nothing has popped off yet but i'm optimistic. most recently i've been emailing back and forth with this one guy who seems cool and funny. just minutes ago i got an email from him with his telephone number suggesting i give him a call. he made sure to mention that the female on his voicemail is his sister.

for real, son?

i mean...

really??

fk match dot com

ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-10-28T14:29:00.003-04:00

in a few days my mom will be starting her new job in another state. i have mixed feelings about this but mostly i'm happy she has a better job and that all her STUFF will be out of the house. STUFF is the amalgamation of things she brought from our last place that should've been sorted and thrown out but was instead piled willy nilly in the basement. Goodbye STUFF!

i'm probably gonna have to get a pt job. i've been kind of lax about it but i need to go ahead and find something before there's nothing left. i'm also gonna have to figure out a new workout routine. my beloved cardio kickboxing class was cancelled until further notice at the beginning of this month and i haven't worked out since. i'm gonna be fat and broke if i don't get a move on with these things.

mo' babies

2008-10-03T15:02:00.005-04:00

in the last two weeks i've had two new little cousins arrive. this brings my 2008 baby count to 5 - two taylors, one maya, a destinee, and a kiana. little peanut will be rounding out the year making it 6 in total. if i never see the inside of babies r us again, it'll be too soon. don't get me wrong, i love shopping for the kids (even though i get carried away with it sometimes...but little clothes are so cute) but the last visit i spent two hours trying to find/decipher item numbers and sku numbers because the registry didn't print out adequate descriptions. i was so turned around by the time i checked out the cashier had to point me to the exit.

at any rate, this is a wonderful and exciting time. i'm totally down with opb because i'm not trying to have any of my own anytime soon. i only babysit after they're potty trained though.

love, need, want...

2008-10-02T17:09:00.006-04:00

love:

law & order! yes this show has been around for years but it's only recently become sort of an addiction for me. i only watch it in syndication and when it's a particularly good episode i shake my fist in the air and exclaim "law and orda!" regular law & order is my least favorite bc i get mad at sam waterston for losing all the time. i used to hate criminal intent but it's my favorite now. i like svu too but sometimes i just want tell 'livia "it ain't all about you, boo!"

need: sweaters

it's chilly now and i need to transition my wardrobe into autumn. i hate all my sweaters from last year so i need to get up on some new ones. bargain shopping is the plan for this wknd.

want:

all of these! gimme gimme gimme! *sigh* the first pair is just plain cute. the second would go lovely with this turquoise dress i copped recently. and the third are my sort of odd. i'm hesitating though and i really am on restriction so i most likely won't get them.

sometimes i draw

2008-10-01T15:46:00.004-04:00

once upon a time this guy* shared a story with me about his encounter with the elusive metro area water mammal known as the muskraton. this story inspired the second ever drawing competion on a certain messageboard. participants were to submit a drawing of their vision of the muskraton.

since i was ROBBED of the winner's title in the first ever drawing competion, i decided to be a judge for the second. being the competitive person i am, i couldn't help but draw my own version (even though it wasn't eligible for submission). so ladies & gentlemen, i present to you...MUSKRATON!

*drops curtain*

*you should really ask him to share the story with you if you haven't heard it already. it's wonderful.

boo this woman

2008-09-26T13:45:00.002-04:00

all week i've been looking forward to having dinner with my peeps tomorrow night at mojave grille. one of my co-workers has raved about this place and i've been wanting to try it forever. so i sent out the evite and got the responses. i called today to make a reservation and all their big tables are booked. i have to do call ahead seating tomorrow and they'll add an extra seat to a four-top (is that restaurant speak?).

i'm sure to any normal person this isn't a big deal. but now i'm scrambling to find a back-up restaurant in case they can't accommodate us. and i had my mouth FIXED for a chorizo & chicken empanada.

but yeah basically i fkd up. i should've called the restaurant earlier but who knew this place was poppin like that? i mean it's byob for goodness' sake. there are four other ppl with their mouths fixed for mojave too and i let them down!

happy birthday to me

2008-09-16T10:33:00.004-04:00

yeah so today's my birthday and i decided that it'd be a good time to post 100 facts about me. sean asked me to do this like a year ago probably and i've been working on it since then. it's not that easy trying to think of 100 things about yourself. anyway, i finally finished (like 5 minutes ago) so here are my facts. questions about any of them may be posed in the comment section.

100 facts about me

1. i am my mother’s oldest child
2. i have a sister seven years younger than me
3. i got my first “c” in school after she was born
4. i have an older brother and sister from my dad that i don’t see all that much
5. i grew up with my mom’s side of the family including her two older sisters and their children (& their children); i consider them all immediate family.
6. i can attribute my musical tastes to almost each one of those family members
7. i was reading/memorizing books by age 3
8. when i was young my cousins called tv guide because i would read it and memorize the listings and synopses. i always knew what was on.
9. i attended a small private school in newark from pre-school through sixth grade
10. the couple that ran the school became my godparents
11. i suck at keeping in touch with them (and ppl in general)
12. my affinity for 80s r&b comes from all the radio i listened to during my commute to that private school
13. i skipped kindergarten
14. i stopped eating yogurt after vomiting from some bad yoplay yogurt drink in pre-school
15. i studied piano with my godmother for several years but i don’t even remember how to read music now
16. i was always picked to be narrator for our school plays
17. the few feature roles i had were mrs. claus, one of cinderella’s stepsisters, a random princess, and the back end of a cow
18. i attended catholic school for seventh grade
19. i tapped to “pyt” in the seventh grade talent show
20. i got in trouble for writing a scathing essay about my seventh grade teacher keeping our class after school
21. since the school was across town i had to take a cab home. i was left stranded a lot.
22. once i got stranded during a snowstorm and i had to stay at the rectory with the nuns. they made some nasty mac & cheese i refused to eat and we watched jeopardy.
23. i had my mom rewrite a note to my seventh grade crush so he wouldn’t recognize the handwriting and put it in his desk before school. i don’t remember everything it said but i do remember calling him dense.
24. wow...i’m kind of a jerk sometimes
25. when i transferred to public school in eighth grade i had no idea how to dress
26. i had a slight obsession with alf (his poster was over my bed for a bit)
27. i placed second in my eighth grade spelling bee. i misspelled abrasive.
28. i was salutatorian of my eighth grade class
29. my first science project was determining the effect of light on bean growth
30. my first boyfriend was via telephone
31. he subsequently broke up with me via telephone. babyface’s tender lover was playing on video music box at the time.
32. i didn’t get my hair relaxed until tenth grade
33. my first job was a summer internship at exxon r&e
34. i took latin for two years in hs
35. bloom county was my favorite comic strip (i still have my stuffed Opus)
36. my lunch throughout hs consisted of any combination of the following: cheez doodles, choc chip cookies, soft pretzel, fries, and a large mix (fruit punch & grape drink)
37. i graduated hs at 16
38. i was vice president of my hs environmental club
39. i was on the debate team
40. for mock trial i played a woman whose premature baby died bc she was a druggie. i cried on the stand and our team won.
41. my first concert was the ne heartbreak tour at msg
42. my favorite color is green
43. i heart margaritas
44. i don’t like wine
45. i’ve only been in love once
46. i’m a homeowner
47. i’ve had more crushes than relationships
48. i hate to cook
49. i love to bake
50. i’ve seen prince live at least 8 times
51. i enjoy the planning/anticipation aspect more than the actual event
52. i originally wanted to be a dentist
53. i’m a chemist
54. i’m a worrier by nature
55. i can be extremely shy
56. i didn’t start getting my eyebrows arched until after grad school
57. i change my hair often because i get bored with it
58. i lived in atlanta for 7 years
59. i worked at the high museum during the '96 olympics
60. i have a great rack
61. i’m not very patient
62. i used to be a bigger than average *nsync fan
63. i’ve seen them in concert three times
64. i sleep in a pair of USA shorts from the limited (mid 90s) during my cycle
65. i’m currently addicted to law & order (criminal intent is the fav right now)
66. i have a ridiculous sweet tooth
67. i didn’t learn how to ride a bike until i was 12
68. i haven’t ridden once since my brakes failed while careening down evergreen hill (i was 14 maybe when that happened)
69. i finally figured out how to do the roger rabbit six years ago
70. i can only do it really well to “every little step i take”
71. i didn’t know how to blow my nose until i was like 7 or 8 (maybe 9 or 10?)
72. as a result, i used to get my nose cleaned with bobby pins
73. i was constipated a lot as a child so my mom would stick suppositories up my bum
74. i caught the chicken pox in either pre-school or first grade
75. i still have a pox scar on my scalp near the nape of my neck
76. my most vivid memory of pre-school is dancing to disco inferno after nap time
77. speaking of pre-school, i got a piece of cellophane wrapper from a box of ludens cough drops stuck in my nose. it was there all day until my mom picked me up and got it out with some tweezers.
78. i have a mark on my left arm from walking into a curling iron
79. my left eye is bigger than my right eye
80. i used to have a wart on my right ring finger but it fell off one thanksgiving while i was washing dishes
81. i also had a callus on that same finger from holding my pencil the wrong way
82. i stopped wearing open toe shoes after this guy in hs told me i had fred flintstone toes
83. i’m not ashamed of my toes anymore
84. the first cassette tape i owned was al b. sure! in effect mode
85. the first cd i bought was brandy’s debut
86. i didn’t own a dvd player until 2002
87. i used to make clothes for my barbies out of paper towels. i would cut out patterns and stitch them together with whatever i could find in my mom’s sewing box.
88. i also used to set their hair with foil & water. i would cut their hair too.
89. i don’t know how to cornrow
90. or jump double dutch
91. i do know how to french braid
92. i’ve never liked rkelly and judge ppl that do (including my bff)
93. i hate my middle name but not enough to have it legally removed
94. the smell of cereal in milk makes me sick to my stomach even though i ate it as a child
95. i’m lactose intolerant
96. my voicemail greeting from sophomore year of college was me rapping over the instrumental to “it ain’t hard to tell”
97. i really do play the cowbell
98. in grad school my bf and i had a standing friday night date to watch homicide: life on the streets
99. i’m 5’1”
100. i have to sleep on whichever side of the bed is closest to the wall

ugh

2008-09-11T09:52:00.002-04:00

my bday is soon and i'm not happy
i'm happier than i was last week
but still i'm not all that happy
i wasn't gonna blog abt it
bc i really don't feel like explaining

i was a monster last week
and i wanna cry
but i haven't been able to
it just won't come out
i can't remember ever feeling this bad around my bday
i need fairy dust and new shoes
and lots o cake

tag i'm it!

2008-08-22T21:39:00.004-04:00

miss lenee tagged me with the following meme:

Rules
1. Put your itunes/music player on shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT
After you’ve answered all of the questions, tag 5 other people and then let them know they’ve been tagged to do the meme themselves!

ok. heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go...

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
"adore" - prince (live)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
"anotherloverholenyohead" - prince (i swear this is on shuffle...i'm cracking up right now)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
ok another prince song came up :(...i'm clicking next again
LOL still prince..."extraloveable" (it was "endorphinemachine" before)
btw i'm skipping the prince stuff from now on otherwise my answers will be all prince

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
"too high" - hugo montenegro

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
"kije's ouija" - the free design (i don't think i've ever listened to this song before)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
"don't disturb this groove" - the system

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
"cold blooded" - rick james (HA!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
"detroit winter" - ppp feat invincible

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
"always on my mind" - brandy (awwwwwwww...sniffle)

WHAT IS 2+2?
"closer" - slum village

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
"that girl" - stevie wonder (that's *my* theme song though)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
"one lovas" - dwele

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
"everybody wants to rule the world" - tears for fears

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
"far beyond" - locksmith

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
"happy song (tonite)" - blackstreet

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
"just like a baby" - sa-ra creative partners

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
"let me love you" - lalah hathaway (*does the wop*)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
"i love you" - cheri dennis feat jim jones & black rob

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
"i'd die without you" - pm dawn (that's kinda sick)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
"good love" - daru & reggie b (hubba hubba)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
"the smurf" - tyrone brunson (i'm dying yo)

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
"after the worries" - ppp

i'm tagging whoever reads my blog. that means YOU, pal.

FOR SALE

2008-08-21T14:05:00.006-04:00

size 8 gladiator wedge
worn approximately 5 minutes
gel pads included

wtf was i thinking?

i mean what in the world would make me think i could possibly wear 4" heels (even though they were wedges) traipsing around the uneven streets of nyc in search of sustenance and then stand for hours on the hardest floor amongst all music venues? must've been all that tunisian myrrh i inhaled (jokes n jokes n spaghetti).

i had this dress in mind to wear to the j*davey show last night (yup, saw them again) but i wasn't completely satisfied with my choice of shoe. so i hit the mall in search of something better and left with the aforementioned pair of sandals. now i knew in my heart when i bought them that they were going to hurt. but they were so dang'on meOW i had to get them. i told myself, "self, just buy some footpads. you'll be gellin!" when i got back to my office i compared my two shoe choices (the 2nd choice being a pr of kitten heel metallic slides) and even emailed pics to my homeboy for his opinion. he said the wedges gave the outfit more edge* (no he's not gay...perhaps he should've been).

with that in mind my plan of action was as follows:

1 - buy gel pads to cushion balls of my feet
2 - keep flip flops in purse in case i don't make it
3 - if worse comes to worst, put on choice #2

and here's what happened:

1 - bought dr. scholls gel pads
2 - realized they don't really cushion the balls of my feet
3 - changed to flip flops while driving (DO NOT RECOMMEND)
4 - changed back to wedges at venue
5 - back straight, shoulders back, chest out (rawr)...walked with my homie to find food
5a - calves began to throb (ruh roh shaggy)
6 - noticed cabbies, truck drivers, and the like giving me the slack jawed ogle
7 - felt like a hooker, stinging sensation grew in the balls of my feet (MAY DAY, MAY DAY...WE'RE GOING DOWN)
8 - changed into flip flops on somebody's stoop
9 - found food (Rare Bar & Grill chicken burger DO RECOMMEND)
10 - eventually changed into slides and threw those godforsaken torture devices into my trunk

really i brought this on myself. i knew it wasn't gonna work but i wanted to believe! i'm gonna try some different gel pads that actually cushion the balls of my feet. if that doesn't work these chumpies are indeed for sale. i'm determined to conquer heels though. i'm a grown ass woman and i need to learn how to make them work for me.
________________________________

*don't NEVER EVER EVER take shoe advice from a man. they don't care about your comfort and they don't see you in the shoe -- they just see a foot in a shoe. and they probably see that foot in the shoe in the air, on the wall or over their shoulder.

already preparing for next year

2008-08-12T13:18:00.007-04:00

i bought four boxes of this stuff over the weekend and they don't expire until 2010 so that gives me plenty o time to come up with something new for madness part 8 (oh em gee!).

so yeah like back in 2002 i had my first ever margarita madness party. i don't remember what inspired it or even when i fell in love with margaritas (my roomie used to always try to get me to do tequila shots and i'd be like nah b i'm good) but i do remember the first madness being a sausage party almost (thank goodness for fa!) with real margarita glasses and salt and paper umbrellas. i made food too...fajitas i think.

anyways, this somehow became an annual tradition for me and part 7 took place a few weeks ago. it's better to me now that i have a proper yard. last year it was more bbq like with the grill and everything but this year i went the catering route and was all the better for it. it was nice to actually enjoy the party instead of running back and forth with the food. the featured margarita flavors this year were mango and pineapple (i liked the mango best...last year pineapple was the hit). of course there was f r a l s a © jamal. and new this year was a dj and a photo booth. i think everyone enjoyed themselves.

i can't believe it's been 7 years. i'm in a long-term relationship with a party. lol :o(

o buddy...what a waste!

2008-08-11T12:28:00.003-04:00

there is a perfectly good thunderstorm happening right now and i'm at work. i'd much rather be at home enjoying it. alone or not.

i'm on the beach!

2008-07-30T12:25:00.003-04:00

© peaches

i couldn't possibly let july go by without posting at least one entry. especially since certain people have been on my back about blogging. trust me when i say a lot has been going on this month...it's all good stuff though.

like for instance, my homies and i took a mental health day a couple of weeks ago and headed down to the beach. it was the most awesome day of the summer so far (yes, awesomer than madness which i'll post abt another day) and i'm so glad i decided to go. we got down there a little before noon and stayed until early evening. with the beach being less than an hour away from home we were back in no time.

it's funny because as a child i HATED the beach. i had bad memories of sandy crotch and seagulls. i didn't like it at all until we had a family reunion picnic on american beach in florida. i got the best tan ever and collected some really nice seashells. ever since then i've tried to recreate that beach experience and i hadn't been successful until now. we all had so much fun we're thinking of renting a beach house for a week next summer. i wonder what all that entails. but yeah, hopefully we'll get to go back again before the summer is over.

well g-damn!

2008-06-26T16:56:00.003-04:00

my favorite hammie passed away :(

let me explain...

through my marvelous innerweb travelings i came across this flickr page featuring the most adorable hamster i've ever seen. i bookmarked the page and whenever i was feeling bleh i'd check it for new photos to cheer me up cuz i'm weird like that. but really how could you look at this face and not smile? ok maybe it's just me.

anyway...i'm feeling kinda bleh today and randomly craving onion rings so i clicked over to see what chmurka was up to only to find out she died. wtf kind of world is this where innocent hammies die from cancer? i mean, i was totally ready to buy a hammie of my own but now i'm like fk that it's just gonna die and i can't really handle that.

ugh

this entry is for rashad. i wish i could have written something more substantial but i'm generally dissatisfied for no apparent reason and it's rendered me stagnant in all aspects. sorry. honestly, this shit sucks. rejuvenation would be awesome. or maybe i just need to do it.

working on it

2008-06-12T17:00:00.007-04:00

at snail's pace but working on it regardless.

so a while back i posted about ordering fabric swatches for my bedroom curtains.

the first swatch had the look i was really going for but after receiving the swatches the last was the obvious choice. it's the morning glory fabric in gold from amy butler's lotus collection and goes so well with my paint color. i should have the fabric and the lining by tomorrow. hopefully i'll get out this wknd to pick up hardware and sheers.

i ventured out to ikea last friday and picked up a 2x4 expedit bookcase. let me just say that i wasn't happy with my workmanship. putting it together is really a 2-person job. i may at some point take it apart and do it over...and i may not. i also bought some magazine butlers (which i plan to decoupage or cover with contact paper) as well as some ribba picture frames (for my murakami postcards) and these kickass candle lanterns that were marked all the way down to $2 each (i got them in silver but i'll probably spray paint them). i still need to figure out how i want to store my things from grad school (thesis stuff, class notes, etc) and keepsake items. methinks the container store is in my future.

the next project after the curtains will be my nightstands. for a while i had my heart set on having mirrored nightstands. when i first started looking they were only readily available in europe. pieces i found in the states were either outrageously expensive or not at all the look i was going for. now there are plenty of options available from canada but they aren't in my budget right now. being the crafty woman i am i decided i could make my own.

i bought these drawer units from ikea a while back with the intention of covering them with mirror. i've changed my design plan a bit now - instead of all mirror only the drawer fronts will be mirrored (with plexi mirror which is much cheaper than glass) and the rest of the piece will be white lacquer (courtesy of rustoleum). i'm also thinking of doing some sort of pattern with bamboo or regular trim on the drawer fronts. since the drawer units come with casters i'll have to add my own legs. here's what it will kinda sorta of look like.

once the nightstands are done i hope to have enough $$ stashed away to purchase a credenza of some sort to store my drink glasses, fondue sets, etc. (don't ask why that stuff will be in my bedroom.) i like this one from cb2 but i'm keeping my options open (and waiting to see if it goes on sale).

this post is about food

2008-06-06T15:31:00.007-04:00

let me preface this entry with the following: i am an emotional eater.

last month i had a formal event to attend in a dress that *just* fit so i was on restriction during the couple of weeks leading up to said event. however, on my way home from the event i high-tailed it to wendy's to check out their new frosty shakes, which i read about on lex's blog. much to my dismay the shakes were not yet on the menu so i ended up leaving with only a small fry.

in the weeks to follow i would attempt to fill my strawberry frosty shake void with other food. shakes from all the majors (arbys, white castle, mcdonalds, and bk), coke floats, five guys burgers and fries, dairy queen blizzards, pizza hut, chick fil a, mickey d's chicken biscuits and this little baby here that i discovered by chance and desperation at walgreens.

oh nemo! thank you for your delicious single serving of real cake. unlike that nasty lemon pound cake with rubber icing, these little cakes taste like something i would bake. so far i've only tried the red velvet and banana cake but they also have carrot and chocolate.

i ended up seeing my long lost friend, qdoba's ancho chile bbq burrito, for lunch today. no pico de gallo to be had due to a tomato recall but i paired it with a smoothie from maggie moo's. the triple berry pomegranate smoothie had raspberry sorbet, blueberries, strawberries, and pomegranate juice and it was SO GOOD. like i want another one right now. i though the burrito/smoothie combo would rip right thru me but it didn't. thanks, digestive system!

i think i've satisfied all my cravings for now. although after seeing donald's birthday cake i really really want a slice of chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. but i weighed myself yesterday AND i'm kinda sorta constipated so it's back to my regularly scheduled program. plus it's about to be too hot to eat.

speaking of regularly scheduled programs, curses to panera bread for discontinuing the BEST salad on their menu! of course i'm referring to the fuji apple chicken salad. i'm gonna have to try to recreate it myself at home because i haven't found a proper substitute for it yet. i tried the bombay chicken salad at cosi but it didn't make me weak at the knees (their mojito lemonade is GLORIOUS though and would be even more so with some rum or vodka).

oh and i did finally get that wendy's shake. two thumbs up!

yay boo

2008-06-05T14:40:00.001-04:00

boo...
-i lost one of my everyday earrings and don't have a spare
-panera bread discontinued my fuji apple chicken salad
-the rcs conked out at work
-my hair didn't turn out quite right on tuesday
-bathroom reno is on pause (boo finding a contractor)
-i've lost almost all my desire to finish my bedroom
-i fkn hate my commute

yay...
-janet's going on tour
-jdavey show on sunday
-ppp performing in july
-n.e.r.d. drops on tuesday
-i'm having a party (?)
-summer hours are in effect

they're all gone

2008-06-04T17:30:00.006-04:00

this photo was taken after my grad school commencement ceremony. the three people pictured here with me were my closest friends during college and beyond -- our little jersey crew. they have all passed away.

i met warren and kyle my freshman year of college. one of my roommates was dating their friend and we'd all hang out on the wknds. warren was the oldest friend i'd had at that point so i used to call him "uncle warren" just to annoy him. kyle was really skinny and fond of singing/rapping along loudly to whatever warren was playing in his bronco.

i first met kira the summer before ninth grade. we were in a summer science program together at at&t. we would go on to be friends in high school since we had a lot of classes together and we ended up going to the same college and grad school. we weren't really close until college where i became her unofficial roommate first semester sophomore year (she had a single and i lived off campus) and official roommates from junior year through grad school.

we experienced a lot together -- all of us. good times and bad times. good relationships and bad relationships. a whole lot of fun though. even as each of us branched off into our own things we still all kept in touch.

kyle died first. i can't even remember what year...i wanna say 2001. it was cancer. i remember the last time i spoke to him on the phone we joked about his chemo. i asked him if he still had hair on his ass and he said he did...lol. it was kira who called to tell me he had passed. i didn't make it to his funeral.

warren had a heart attack in 2003. kyle's girlfriend called to tell me and i had to call kira. it was too much for her so she didn't make the service. i had to go though...it was my very first funeral. out of all of them i was probably closest to warren. he was like a brother to me and i could talk to him about anything. he used to clown my boyfriends and wash my car for free at his detailing spot. i still miss him so much.

kira passed two weeks ago. two days after giving birth to her first child. i blogged about attending her wedding last year and her baby shower in april. i'm still not exactly sure how it happened but i was devastated by the news. her funeral was harder than i thought it would be. seeing her family grieving was so heartbreaking because i know firsthand how close they all are. i just can't believe she's gone.

i feel some kind of way about all of them being gone. i never imagined they wouldn't be here with me. i can't even wrap up this entry with some they'll always be with me cliche because i'm still processing.

i really do miss them all.

smitten

2008-05-23T11:43:00.003-04:00

i was you

2008-05-18T22:11:00.008-04:00

Untitled from Tia T on Vimeo.

(kanye west glow in the dark tour, saturday may 17, 2008, susquehanna bank center, camden, nj)

i was you!

ok so i'm like officially a kanye fan now. i sang, i danced, i threw my hands up in the sky...i even cabbage patched! i will say this was a damn good show. mind you my concert standards are kinda high being a prince fan and all but kanye did his thing. he brings to mind my 8th grade english teacher mrs. reed (who recently passed away unfortunately). she didn't allow anyone of us to get by with our work. we were expected to go the extra mile and work harder to always give our best and that's just what homeboy did.

you can see from the video just how AWESOME our seats were. wooooo! we missed some of lupe's set due to traffic but what i saw was ok.

n.e.r.d was high energy as usual and chris brown came out on stage to dance when they performed "spaz". i still heart pharrell esp since he didn't forget to shout out jersey.

yo, white girls LOVE rihanna. i was in line for a pretzel when her set started so i was watching her on the monitor. my first thought was "damn, when did she get all that ass?" my second thought was "wow, chris brown is hittin' that? these little kids *smh*" when i got back to my seat there was a whole gaggle of seat poachers behind me singing loud and off key. rihanna did her thing though. i wasn't mad at all.

overall good show. would definitely see again.

out of the mouths of babes

2008-05-05T17:12:00.003-04:00

so yesterday i hosted my alumnae chapter's monthly meeting at my home and one of the women brought her daughter along. she's a precocious child, so tall for age that i can't remember if she's 4 or 5 or 6 and blessed with the gift of gab. i ended up sitting with her in the kitchen during meal time to keep her from 1) stabbing my chocolate cavity maker cake and 2)dropping food on my hardwood floor.

we conversed about a myriad of topics including what i put in the cake, what i put in the rest of the food, her neighbors, and my neighbors. she asked if my neighbors have any kids ("no") and are they getting any kids ("no"). then the conversation turned towards me...

do you have any kids?
no.
are you getting any kids?
no.
why not?
because i'm not married yet. you have to be married to have kids.

at this point her eyes opened real wide and rolled to the back of her head. then her neck swung to the right and came 'round back to the left as she sighed, "gurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl..." (she moved in close to my face)"...you mean you're not married yet?!"

this little girl sonned me in MY OWN HOUSE THAT I PAY FOR!

i couldn't do anything but laugh.

van hunt at s.o.b.'s

2008-04-30T13:34:00.008-04:00

so last night van hunt played a solo set at s.o.b.'s. i never got to see him live his first time around so i wasn't going to miss him this time. the show opened with a woman by the name of shae fiol.

this little white girl almost had me crying like a baby amidst a bunch of strangers when she busted out with "love is stronger than pride"...i'm hardcore though so i held back the tears and sang along with the rest of the crowd. good songs and lovely voice so i'll be checking for her.

next up was van hunt with only a keyboard, a guitar, and a rag on his head. i was a bit apprehensive when i heard he would be playing alone but i think i preferred him that way. he was very personable, cracking jokes and engaging the audience.

songs performed included "if i take you home", "being a girl", "highlights", "hold my hand", "down here in hell...", "character", "dust", "what can i say...", and "hopeless". he did some more too that i can't remember.

all in all i'm glad i went. the crowd was live - there were these two drunk dudes singing their hearts out (to each other?). the dj was good - i've never seen a crowd get LOOSE to "around the way girl" until last night. women? sure...but dudes too? everyone was jamming. (and i'm gonna pretend like someone else decided to play "secret lovers" and "three times a lady" before the show started.) i forgot to bring my camera so i only have these shots from my phone (which would have been much better if mr. broad shoulders hadn't planted himself right in front of me...loser). oh and i saw my party crush! i almost didn't recognize him and was all up in his face like "where do i know this guy from?" i didn't realize it was him until later.

things done changed

2008-04-28T12:07:00.003-04:00

yeah so some things that i thought might've happened or wanted to happen ain't really gonna happen. i'm cool with it. i just really hate when things don't come to fruition - part of my whole perfectionist deal. O WELLZ! lots of other things coming down the pipeline so my lamenting will be brief.

i got my kanye tickets yesterday and from the looks of the seating chart the seats are pretty suhweet. i'll be wearing my "i <3 pharrell" glow in the dark tee that i haven't made yet. (omg i can't believe i really used to make tees and wear them in public. i should unearth my donwill tee for the next tanya morgan show.)

my lil homie called me at work today and we had a full conversation (hi. how are you? good. miss you. mwahh!) it's so amazing to me bc she's not even two yet. i guess this is old hat to ppl with kids but it's very fascinating to me. i have video of her making her mean face (her dad taught her that) and also of her applying chapstick. i'm gonna be the WORST when i have my own - i just know it.

spring fever

2008-04-25T12:33:00.005-04:00

i got it bad!

despite my allergies (which aren't so bad today. i guess the claritin finally started kickin' in), i am so distracted by all this beautiful weather we've been having here on the east coast. last wknd i traveled a little ways south for a baby shower and i'm telling you i didn't want to go home. just being outside walking around for no other reason than to enjoy weather had me in a really great mood - not to mention the outdoor dining (nj really needs more outdoor dining).

my room is completely painted now. i've noticed some spots that could use another coat and the trim needs to be touched up in several places. i blame the colt 45. if i had to do it over again i would shell out the $$ for a professional to get things done in a timely manner but what are you gonna do?

now that the painting is done i'm picking curtains next. actually my mum is gonna make them for me so i ordered some fabric swatches. i've narrowed my choices down to the following:

out of these i have two favorites but we'll see how i feel once i get the swatches.

i'm also selling a bunch of stuff including a dining room set, a desk brand new still in the box, two rugs, lampshades, and pillow shams.

so far i'm going the craigslist route but i may end up having to do another yard sale. i just know i won't get as much money for the items with the yard sale and this stuff is in really good condition. i just need to find the screws for the dining table.

work in progress

2008-04-14T00:03:00.009-04:00

so my room is halfway painted

*running man*

my room is halfway pain-TED, my room is halfway pain-TED

i thought it'd be finished in a day but it didn't quite work out that way. it's gonna take another two days and more $ than i anticipated. BUT it'll be worth it once it's done. i ended up picking a ben moore matte finish in amsterdam with behr silver sky semigloss for the trim after seeing this post on AT.

i'm pretty sure i'm gonna end up with a full gallon of paint left over. i went ahead and bought this paint against my wallet's wishes so i'm hoping i can recoup my $ by selling it or bartering with my painter.

anyhoo, i'm displaced from the comfort of my bed for the next couple of days but it's a small price to pay for the completion of a project that has been two years in the making. i'll be sleeping on the couch in the lr until the primer fumes dissipate.

next up will be another great purge followed by a well-executed trip to ikea. i'll probably post my progress.

finally!

2008-04-10T14:04:00.003-04:00

it's like sixty something degrees and absolutely GORGEOUS outside. i hit the mall at lunch to pick up some thangs and enjoy the sunshine. i can't stop smiling even if this is only temporary. of course i'm totally not focused on work. all my stuff is in limbo right now. eh, i'll get back in the groove on monday.

today is my sister's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POOKIE! i couldn't wait until today so she got her gift from me two days ago...lol. i dunno if she likes it bc it's still in the box :(.

at any rate, yaaaaay sunshine!

time 4 sum aksion

2008-04-07T10:37:00.003-04:00

(red, u were kinda reaching with the phonetics there bud)

i've been getting on my own nerves lately talking about what i wanna do and what i'm gonna do. the time has come for me to put my money where my mouth is. i've never been one to dive head first all willy nilly into a venture - i'm a planner by nature. but you can only plan so much. there comes a time when you have to bite the bullet and go for it.

first up is getting my bedroom painted. if you've seen my bedroom you know that this is no small feat. my cousin is coming on sunday to work it out for me. that means i have a week to buy a ladder, figure out how much paint i need, pick out a trim color, buy paint and supplies, and decide how much i'm gonna pay my cousin. now, i have been agonizing over paint colors since 2006; i even submitted a post about it on apartment therapy. i've watched countless design shows looking for rooms similar to mine to see how they handled painting slanted ceilings. well, now i'm just going for it. it's only paint (she says nervously).

next up is the backyard. i got an estimate for the sump pump issues and while it's more than i want to pay it's not super duper expensive. we're also gonna get the yard cleaned up and a new fence by the driveway. in this same vein, i am currently looking for a lawnmower. my old lawn guy stopped by this wknd but i had to tell him we won't be using his services this year. it's just too expensive, especially when we can do it ourselves. really after paying him for three months i could've bought a nice mower. so yeah, i'm trying to find a nice self-propelled 20-21 incher. i still have no idea what kind of torque i need but hopefully my internets researching will lead me in the right direction.

third up is the bathroom. in a perfect world we'd have a gut reno that would only take a day or two to finish. in the real world i'm gonna try to get the most important things done (new subfloor, floor tile, new toilet & sink, medicine cabinet, lighting, fan installation, and paint) and save the other stuff (new tub & tile and window) for next year. my mom knows a handyman who's done work for her sisters and my grandma gave me electrician info. ideally i'd like to have this done by june.

so this is what will be occupying my time for the next couple of months. i'll also be attempting to have a more enjoyable social life. and since my sister keeps dissing me i'll have to learn to enjoy rolling solo too (luv u boo!).

flashback friday

2008-04-03T23:10:00.007-04:00

Uploaded by bebo.com/faiguerin

yeah yeah technically it ain't friday yet but whatevs. i can't remember if i was in hs or college when this song came out but i do know we had the cassingle in the house. this song was the joint! (haha) check the overenthusiastic high five around the one-minute mark. shout out to rich for putting this on his jack n jill mix that i finally got around to listening to only years later. i'm out of breath from DAYNCIN'! enjoy.

kanye is insane

2008-04-03T12:25:00.004-04:00

lol...how can anyone not love him?

from his blog re: the glow in the dark tour

I can't take it anymore. I have 2 show you guys a model of the stage. This is not a regular show. I tell people, hey, this show is gonna be crazy and they say, "I bet it is!", BUT THEY HAVE NO IDEA! People expect me to come with innovative stuff... I'm sure a lot of people expect some neon, lower east side, post everybody dressing like the 80's stuff or maybe the light up jacket from the Grammies, perhaps the robot girl and light spectacle they saw on Youtube from the European run. My friends..... NONE OF THE ABOVE!!! AN ENTIRELY NEW DESIGNED SET!!! ROBOT DESIGNED BY ACCLAIMED ARTIST CHRISTIAN COLON, CREATURE'S BY THE LEGENDARY JIM HENSON'S CREATURE SHOP, LIGHTING BY MARTIN PHILLIPS AND JOHN McGUIRE RESPONSIBLE FOR LAST YEARS FESTIVAL ANNIHILATOR, DAFT PUNK'S PYRAMID, POSSIBLY THE GREATEST LIGHT SHOW OF ALL TIME!! THANKS 2 PAUL, THOMAS AND GUYMAN FOR THE HOOK UP. SIDEBAR, MY SET DOES NOT HAVE A PYRAMID IN IT OR ANYWAY FEEL LIKE A BITE OF DAFT'S SHOW. WE'VE GOT HOLOGRAMS SHOT BY HYPE WILLIAMS!!! SAM SPIELGAL, MIKE DEAN, JEFF BAXTER AND I HAVE SPENT A MONTH AND A HALF RE-ORCHESTRATING EVERY TRACK 2 FOLLOW A NARRATIVE. WE'VE LEARNED TO SURVIVE OFF OF 1 HOUR OF SLEEP A DAY!

this negro broke into all caps. i can see the vein popping in his neck. i almost want to stop being cheap and buy a ticket. especially since i really wanna see n.e.r.d. (but really don't wanna see rihanna or lupe).

guns by the summer

2008-04-02T15:32:00.003-04:00

that's what he's promised me and that's what my mantra is now.

when he tells me to lean into my hook?

guns by the summer

and when my arms are shaking and he says "8 more!" instead of "last 8"?

guns by the summer

nothing has plagued me more than my matronly upper arms. i'm not ashamed of them and i have no problem going sleeveless, but i can't help but think of how cool it'll be to flex like angela bassett. i've already been practicing in the mirror.

*kisses biceps*

*wiggles triceps*

currently digging...

2008-03-30T18:29:00.001-04:00

kerri chandler - je t'aime

blah blah blah

2008-03-25T21:21:00.004-04:00

- i'm so ready for it to be warm. all this sunshine is such a tease because it's pretty much cold and i'm still wearing my winter coat, scarf, and gloves. today on the way home i cracked the windows anyway and blasted one of my summer songs.

- speaking of music, everything i have is old. my new car has a cd player (i miss my tape deck...how am i supposed to listen to my don't be cruel cassette now?) and all of my cds are old. i mean yeah i bought erykah and janet but umm...i guess i'm not used to them yet? typing this just now i realized that i like things that are familiar to me. but still, i need some new stuff to listen to in the car.

- speaking of listening to music in the car, i haven't quite figured out the best place to mount my xm radio. there's just no convenient place to put it. i'm thinking of having a unit permanently installed...or maybe i'll get rid of it altogether. i haven't decided yet.

- speaking of being indecisive, i need to figure out what to do. i haven't yet and i'm not sure where to start or how to approach it. at least i've decided that i definitely have to do something. and not the same thing i've been doing either.

- speaking of doing something, i'm having a shopping party next month at the local spa. it's gonna be fresh and i'll be posting more info very soon.

- speaking of fresh, why yes...yes i am.

- ok not really because although i've been having better luck doing my hair myself (new products, less laziness) i'm really ready for it to be grown out. at least another inch. next appt i'm getting a roller set.

- i semi-organized one of my closets this wknd and every time i walk past it i get a little tingly in my special spot because (almost) all the hangers match and i can see everything i have. i have way more dresses than i thought and i really need to start going out so i can wear them.

- i'm getting an estimate tomorrow for my sump pump issues. how much can it cost to dig a trench and lay some pipe? ooba dooba © george jetson...pray for my wallet.

- i ight-may e-bay oing-gay oo-tay uh-thay each-bay af-ay er-tay all-ay. i just had an urge to type phonetically in pig latin.

- i'm still waiting for my uncle to send me photos from the concert. he took like a bajillion of them. he's performing in newark on friday so i plan to show up and harass him. or i could call.

i think that's it

you're too old for me

2008-03-21T10:38:00.003-04:00

i think i saw corduroy suit guy at the mall earlier this week. i can't remember if i ever shared the full story so why not do it now, eh?

a couple of years ago a friend (who is old enough to be my mom) set me up with a friend of hers from church. i wasn't dating anyone seriously at the time so i thought why not? y'know? she runs the stats on the guy - entrepreneur, christian, and about six years older than me. i didn't think this was a big deal because i have cousins and friends that age and they're cool. boy was i wrong.

sign #1 - he invited me to the ebony fashion fair show at his church. now, i've always wanted to go to one of these so it wasn't so bad. but he got there late and i ended up sitting with our mutual friend for the entire show. then she went to the diner with us afterwards. yes, ppl...i was on a chaperoned date with a 37 yr old man. i just watched the two of them talk.

sign #2 - he thought anchorman was weird. during one of our phone conversations he asked what my favorite movie was and at the time it was anchorman. well it just so happened that the movie aired on network television a short time after that conversation and he watched it (points for that). he thought it was weird and i was weird for liking it (i'll take those points back, thank you).

sign #3 - the corduroy suit. after a pitiful movie date i figured third time would the charm. he invited me to a boat show. i'd never been to one so i agreed to go. besides, it's not like i had anything better to do. the boat show consisted of climbing in and out of different boats in a big convention center. there were ladders and sometimes no guard rails involved. after slipping twice and only getting a "watch your step!" instead of a helping hand i was pretty much through with the boat show. oh, i forgot to mention that dude was wearing a corduroy suit. wide wales at that.

so after the boat show we go to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants. as we're sitting there i realize i'm not at all attracted to or interested in this man and i feel bad because the restaurant is not cheap. i'm thinking i can't go out with him anymore because he's spending money on me and i don't even like him.

and that's when it happened.

an older gentleman sitting at the table next to us got up to retrieve his cane from the corner of the room. he was wearing the EXACT SAME CORDUROY SUIT as homeboy. and the kicker was, dude stopped the old guy to say "that's a nice suit you got on there!"

just let that marinate for a while.

uh huh.

my best friend's dad attends the same church as dude and he thought the guy was much older. george told me to never go out with him ever again. my mom and my sister *still* find the whole situation hilarious (it is). i haven't talked to the set-up friend since this all went down (what was she thinking??) this is the type of thing that happens to me whenever i say "why not?" i'm not gonna lie - it was nice to get out the house but ehhhhhhh.

and that's the corduroy suit guy story.

the end.

ugh

2008-03-20T12:41:00.003-04:00

i just looked at my monthly budget and got depressed.

i really wanted to go to somebody's beach in may so i could get a tan before madness. but if i'm serious abt taking my bday trip i need to keep my happy ass at home and save. the beach trip is turning out to be more than i expected, mainly because i want to go alone. as much as i enjoy planning, trip planning doesn't tickle my fancy at all. factor in more ppl with different agendas and it's just a big hassle. all i want to do is sit on the beach and tan. a non-crowded beach.

last night i dreamed about a puppy again. this one was all black and sort of looked like a pekingese but it was so cute and cuddly and adorable. and i was holding it in my arms to keep it warm. then it disappeared and i thought maybe i put it under my shirt to keep it warm. but when i lifted my shirt only my satin cap fell out. never did find that puppy.

oh yeah...happy spring!

i started blogging on blogger a year ago today but i don't know if it really counts as a birthday because my original blog started before that. i suppose it's not too important to keep up with things of that nature but i wanted to acknowledge the fact in some way. so yeah. there it is.

and then it hit me...

2008-03-18T14:44:00.002-04:00

...all at once.

i am so tired right now.

like i wanna put my head down on my desk and take a nap.

everyone enjoyed the concert. i'm not sure yet how much we made because money is still coming in. there are several things i would do differently next year but for the most part things ran smoothly. my only regret is that i didn't get to see the girls perform.

i've been craving and indulging in sugar for the past three days and i feel like crap as a result. and i've been trying to write up this report for two days and can't even concentrate.

so this holiday wknd i'm hoping to reboot and get right. i'm confident i can do it.

i told y'all!

2008-03-11T20:46:00.003-04:00

it really is baby year. remember the wedding i attended last october? well, the baby shower is next month. i'm so excited for her :)

so yeah i think i'm gonna shoot for my own baby in 2010.

let's do this, sean!

(hahahaha)

slow and steady...

2008-03-11T20:43:00.001-04:00

...wins the race. but GOTDAYUM it makes the race boring as shit.

*pouts*

i get it from my mama

2008-03-07T12:43:00.000-05:00

my mom just called me at work to tell me she found some brand name jeans at lord & taylor.

sale + additional markdown + coupon = $11.99

lol she's so cute. she couldn't wait for me to get home to tell me so she called me at work.

see? i got it honest :)

mark of the beast

2008-03-05T12:12:00.002-05:00

so a short while ago i'm in the cafe deciding on what to get for lunch and i see they're offering small cookies for $0.50 (before there were only large cookies for $0.85). i think to myself, "hey! why not?" and pick one out of the cookie jar. after she rings me up, sylvia exclaims "UH OH!" because my whole lunch totals $6.66.

clearly, small cookies are the devil. i'll only be buying large ones from now on.

it's 9:48pm...

2008-03-03T21:48:00.002-05:00

...and i'm eating pizza rolls.

i baked six of them in the toaster oven.
they're pretty tasty.

i'm also watching family guy.

top 10 things about being sick that suck

2008-02-28T14:04:00.002-05:00

10 - my mom didn't make any soup for me
09 - no appetite
08 - voracious appetite (*burp*)
07 - sinus headaches
06 - dehydration
05 - can't talk
04 - night sweats (i am too old to be wondering if i wet the bed)
03 - hack hack cough spit
02 - sick hair (i have an appt at 5pm today)
01 - sick breath (like omg soooooo gross)

love you better

2008-02-26T08:43:00.003-05:00

i did something this wknd i didn't think i'd *ever* do - i paid to download music.

*shrieks of horror *

it was so simple and cheap. and i got exactly what i wanted...well almost. see i was looking for a particular version (the jesse rose mix) of jimpster's "love you better" but the mix i ended up getting was a lot different than the one i wanted . in a good way! i think it's the album version and it's so fn sexy i wanna slide across the floor on my belly (centipede!). of course i've been wearing it out since i got it. i still need to get the other mix though.

i also found a song i had forgotten i loved. the fanatix vocal bounce mix of sterling ensemble's "follow me" (not to be confused with aly-us' "follow me"). this is such a fun fun song featuring delouie avant on vocals.

i realize the futility of posting about music without links but like corbin bleu said, deal with it.

all i want is...

2008-02-22T08:57:00.005-05:00

ta mara & the seen - affection

a few years back this song could be found on a good number of my personal homemade cds. its very relatable sentiment has made it one of my theme songs. i recall rediscovering the song during my college years while going through a box of tapes at a friend's house. i didn't realize until much later that ta mara & the seen were part of prince's whole mpls funk/rock scene (i believe they were a protege group of jesse johnson) but the guitar on this cut makes that kinda of obvious. i had never in my life seen this video until the other day. it seems to be a different mix from the one i have (it's a bit more sanitized) and is of course weirdly 80s (aquanet, tigers, big hair...oh my!).

best toy ever

2008-02-18T08:50:00.004-05:00

i spent my sunday visiting family and playing with my little cousin. boy was she hours of fun! we played chase, hide n seek, read books, and jammed on the best toy ever - the kitty keyboard! it's intended for ages 2+ but michaela won't be two until the summer and she works it fine. the keyboard has several preset drum patterns including a rock one that sounds like prince and a techno one that sounds like nine inch nails. you can adjust the tempo and record too.

my sister recorded michaela singing/drooling on the mic. she got so into it at one point she had her eyes closed and was just singing away. i thought i would die laughing. i showed her how to play "mary had a little lamb" and she almost had it (the first two notes anyway). MUSICAL PRODIGY! lol. the best part was she was asking for me after i left (she calls me gee-ya...hard g...awwwwwww).

i want one of each now.

(a toddler and a keyboard)

worst place on earth

2008-02-17T13:29:00.003-05:00

you might know it as costco...i'd liken it to hell on earth. especially on a saturday. i knew better but didn't have much of choice. we were out of bottled water (don't judge my carbon footprint) and there wasn't any on sale at the grocery store. so i made the long trek to hell and made sure to park where lil v wouldn't get dinged. once inside i was accosted by oversized shopping carts, free sample mobs, and worst of all - slow moving ppl. o god i wanted to stab somebody. then on top of that there was this pushy asian man behind me on line "is this your cart?" hell yeah that's my cart stop touching it asshole. never again.

along the same lines, the following ppl should not be allowed at the mall:

-old ppl
-children
-old ppl with children
-couples
-couples with children
-ppl with strollers

again, i know it's my fault for going out on a saturday but that's when i had time. on a brighter note i did find a dress for the concert (sexy but tasteful, rashad...even my mom said so) and i got lots of cute earrings from old navy (!) and h&m. i might end up replacing the ear hooks on some of the earrings so they hang better. i also finally bought two urban decay metallic eyeliners i've been fiending over since christmas, in stash and baked.

no more saturday shopping for me though.

do it properly

2008-02-15T09:49:00.005-05:00

i was reading back through this here blog and realized i haven't posted a proper entry in a bit. but really unless you guys wanna read about swooning and skipping and permanent grins then i think it best i refrain from posting until i get my mind right. in the meantime, i'll try to talk about other stuff.

i went to visit the tax man last night and he was very good to me. so good that i'm looking into having some work done on my yard and bathroom. and my bedroom *will* be finished by june.

i taped an interview this week with a local radio station to promote my alumnae chapter's fundraiser. it was weird and fun at the same time and i'm kinda nervous about how it'll turn out. i may or may not post up when it will air.

how good was LOST last night?!?! my mind is so blown.

this week i dreamed that i was rapping "bitties in the bk lounge" over the phone with one of my crushes and that aretha franklin was wearing one of my sweaters :(

and last but not least, i went shopping in bklyn a couple of weeks ago at an undisclosed location with some friends. i got these hot shoes for only $30. actually i got two pairs of hot shoes for $30 each. i would share where the store is but kristy said she would cut me if i did.

twitterpated

2008-02-13T10:58:00.003-05:00

today

2008-02-11T12:52:00.001-05:00

(i had this one in my scrapbook)

introducing...

2008-02-08T12:56:00.000-05:00

laverne, jr.
little v
lj
v2
my new baby!

i went car shopping last saturday with my homie and his friend in tow to make sure i didn't get screwed over. the day ended with me taking an '04 honda civic home but leaving it in the driveway until we settled on a reasonable interest rate. after doing my own research (including consulting with my credit union) i decided that the civic was not the best buy for me and found a much better deal on an '08 sentra. in the meantime i had to return the civic (which i only drove to and from the dealer) and they tried to make that as hard as possible. now it's friday and everything's straight and i can think about all the good things that have happened to me recently.

and a lot of good things have happened. so much that i've decided that 2008 is the year of the upgrade. i'm upgrading everything in my life and it's gonna be fantastic.

plainfield chooses obama

2008-02-08T11:44:00.000-05:00

dan writes about it here.

i need a day planner

2008-02-06T16:55:00.000-05:00

i keep forgetting what i'm supposed to do.

more later.

rip laverne

2008-02-01T07:19:00.000-05:00

somebody hold me

2008-01-31T12:36:00.000-05:00

the damage to laverne will cost more to fix than she is worth. this means i have to buy a car. i'm numb right now. i've waxed poetic about me and vernie before so you can imagine how i feel. folks, we've reached the end of an era.

any car-buying advice is welcome. i think i'd prefer to get a used or pre-owned vehicle to keep costs down. i really wish i could take public transpo to work.

link-o-the-day

2008-01-31T08:23:00.000-05:00

Jumping in Art Museums

this is now on my 2008 "To Do" list.

ouch

2008-01-28T08:53:00.000-05:00

my friday was going swimmingly swell until i rear-ended this guy on my way to work. of course laverne got the majority of the damage and she is currently sitting in my driveway with her front bumper in the backseat (front seat too for that matter). one more thing on top of everything else i have to deal with right now. i sulked all wknd and woke up today with a better attitude about the situation. that is until my coworker said my insurance might not fix the car depending on the extent of the damage and how much laverne is worth and that i'll probably have to buy a new car. y'all already know how i feel about buying a new (to me) car. i'm really not trying to have another monthly bill. i'd rather just fix laverne and keep it moving.

thanks a lot, coworker. now i'm gonna sulk some more.

in related news, the rental car place hooked me up with a dodge caliber in black. i'm not sure how i feel about it yet. i don't really like how it has me sitting up so high. and there's no tape players so i'm without my xm radio. i'll be driving like an old lady until vernie is back in commission.

flashback friday

2008-01-25T08:46:00.001-05:00

lillo thomas "i'm in love"

anyone who knows me knows how much i LOVE 80s r&b. but most ppl probably don't know the special place i have in heart for lillo thomas. this cut is from 1987 and is one of my favorites. the video is so 80s - the makeup, the hair, the snake, and all the lightskinned ppl. lightskinned ppl ruled the 80s.
in addition to his solo material, lillo's voice can be heard on the works of other great 80s r&b artists like evelyn "champagne" king, melba moore, freddie jackson, and r&b genius (GENIUS i say!) kashif. enough of me babbling...enjoy the video.

things fall apart

2008-01-22T10:35:00.001-05:00

i'm grumpy today for a number of reasons. the most important being one of our instruments is down at work and i can't figure out wtf is wrong with it. my coworker who is normally responsible for the machine is on vacation in taiwan (visiting family) and not due back until next week. meanwhile i have samples to analyze. and now the autosampler on the dsc is acting up too. this isn't as big an issue because i can just disable it and run the samples manually but umm...why everything gotta wait until i'm here on my own to start messing up???

i'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the concert preparations. the photographer i really wanted to hire is way out of our budget so we'll most likely have to do with someone else. i haven't been on top of getting sponsorship like i should've been and now it's probably too late to get much of anything. my personal number went out with the press release so my phone will be incessantly ringing with strange numbers (the first was last night at 10pm - excuse me but 10pm is not a decent hour to be calling anyone you don't know personally). i know most of my anxiety is due to my pessimistic attitude so i'm trying to calm myself down.

lastly, i joined match.com for real for real last week. so far my profile has been viewed 25 times and i've gotten one email. my stats are terrible. but just browsing through profiles i didn't see a whole lot of ppl i'd be interested in. sean says i'm just gonna have to get some the old-fashioned way. i think he means pay for it.

a wake & a wedding

2008-01-14T13:07:00.000-05:00

during this recent phase of my dance life i've been fortunate enough to cross paths with some wonderful people. this past saturday one was laid to rest while another started a new life.

normally, i don't do death. i've only ever been to one funeral in my life and i don't look forward to having to attend more. but i felt compelled to attend miss v's wake, not only to accompany my sister but to show my appreciation for who she was - a woman dedicated to helping others. she was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year - too late for much to be done about - and was only 31. the many lives she touched during her time was made apparent by the long, winding queue outside the funeral home.

later in the day, the receptionist at the dance school got married. only 19! she left for florida the day after to live and attend school. i'm going to miss her being around but i wish her all the best with her new life.

baby makes three

2008-01-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

no, not me you silly geese.

when i arrived home yesterday there was a baby shower invitation waiting for me. my cousin (one of many...i have so many cousins) and her husband are expecting their first child in two months. i guess it's baby year again. last year was weddings (i attended three and there were a few more in my extended circle) and the year before that was babies. it seems to alternate. i recall reading somewhere that once you hit a certain age your life becomes a series of bridal showers, weddings, and baby showers. well la-dee-da.

i was gonna do a vacation part 3 post but i changed my mind. without going into too much detail, i saw my dad for the first time in a long time on christmas day along with my half brother and sister (and their children). numbers were exchanged and promises to keep in touch were made. i can honestly say i'm open to it although i haven't quite come to grips with being an auntie yet.

vacation - part 2

2008-01-03T13:48:00.000-05:00

food

yeah so you know i ate everything on vacation that i had missed so dearly. chick-fil-a, wendys, mcdonalds, white castle (3 times but two of those times were onion rings only and i still haven't had a milkshake), some other stuff i had no business eating. but it's cool i'm back on track with my regularly scheduled healthy living program. i feel like i've gotten it out of my system.

i made my cookies but i didn't send any out. here's the recipe (courtesy of 101cookbooks.com):

chocolate peppermint bark cookies

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chopped peppermint bark

Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler placed over but not touching barely simmering water in the bottom of the pan. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate and butter begin to melt. Remove from over the water and set aside to cool slightly.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until light in color and thick, about three minutes. Reduce speed to low, add the melted chocolate mixture and beat until blended. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll into balls, about 2 hours.

Preheat an oven to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

To form each cookie, roll a rounded tablespoon of dough between your palms. Place the cookies 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press 2 or 3 pieces of peppermint bark into each cookie (hs note: more!). Using the bottom of a water glass, flatten the cookies slightly. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the tops are puffed and firm, 13 to 17 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the racks and let cool completely. Dust the cookies with confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Makes 30 cookies.

now, between the time i found this recipe and actually made the cookies, the website updated the recipe. maybe i should've gone with the new one because this dough was not easy to roll. i left it in the fridge for more than two hours and while i was able to roll it, a lot of it was wasted sticking to my hands. maybe my hands were too warm, maybe i should've used a frozen ice cream scoop...i dunno. but i think the next time i make these i'll use my own chocolate cookie recipe. these were quite delicious though and were a hit at home.

i made my own bark too, which was pretty simple. i used a bag of semisweet chips, a bag of white chocolate chips, and peppermints. the chocolate layer spread smoothly but the white chocolate not so much. probably because i added the crushed mints to the white chocolate before spreading. next time i'll crush the peppermints a bit finer and sprinkle them on top. there was leftover bark and i was going to try regular chocolate chip cookies with it but we kinda got to just eating the bark by itself. YUMMERS!

vacation - part 1

2008-01-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

shopping

that's how i kicked off my vacation. in need of a new pair of jeans and simple (inexpensive) gifts for my mom & sis, i went shopping with my homegirl two days in a row. what was i really thinking? i love her to death but my wallet wants to beat her ass! i never come home empty handed when i go out with her but my pockets are ALWAYS lighter. i am so easily swayed sometimes but it wasn't that hard because i love to shop. it's like a sport to me and i think i'd make a great coach. i carry clothing coupons in my purse. i check websites and compare online vs. in-store prices*. i memorize inventory and wait for items to go on sale. there's nothing more thrilling than finding a good bargain. here are some i found:

from l-r:
tweed pleated lady coat - gap, $48.99 (originally $148)
blue metallic knit dress - h&m, $15
brown print dress - target, $10
green print faux wrap dress - tj maxx, $15
black empire waist dress - banana republic, $10 (originally $128, marked down to $20 minus a $10 reward)

ironically, i didn't find any jeans. i did, however, wear the h&m dress with my grey boots, grey tights and the tweed lady coat. i wanna pair it with something rust next.

*speaking of in-store vs. online prices...this jacket i wanted from target was marked down online from $20 to $13 but when i went to the store it was still $20. i mentioned it to the cashier and she gave me the marked down price on the condition that it was a final sale (no returns). a week later the jacket was marked down to like $10 in-store. L for me i should've held out longer!

bits and pieces

2007-12-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

i can ice skate at home. my driveway is covered in ice thanks to sunday's storm, me not shoveling it on sunday while it was just slush, and the front sump pump which expels fresh water every 10 minutes it seems. at least the water isn't in the basement, right? *pssh*

i've got a huge zit on my face. :( i put toothpaste on it last night. now there's a big toothpaste stain on my pillow. the zit went down a little though.

tomorrow is my last cardio class for the year. i don't know what i'm gonna do while i'm on vacation. i imagine myself gaining mad weight.

we're not celebrating christmas at our house this year. did i say that already? no tree, no decorations, no nothing! (except the cookies i'm baking which will probably contribute to my weight gain.)

there's a new white castle in my city. like less than 5min from me by car. my favorite items from there are the onion rings and milkshakes. i imagine this contributing to my vacation weight gain.

i hate unresponsive ppl. please tell me yes or no expeditiously. maybes are usually unacceptable but i'll take that (begrudgingly) over no response at all. acknowledge me!© printz

i need a handyman...like really bad. for the house of course.

o eff u, I FOUND DUDLEY ON FLICKR!!!

sittin' on blades like kristi yamaguchi

2007-12-17T16:21:00.000-05:00

the feet of a champion

a friend of mine asked me to help chaperone his youth group on a day trip to the city this past saturday. since i love the kids i happily obliged. our excursion included brunch at maroons, ice skating at chelsea piers, and crowd navigation at rockefeller center.

maroons is still yummy as ever and they've increased their portion sizes since the last time i was there (over a year ago). the waffle entree comes with four waffles which no one in our group was able to finish. and i don't know how they make their grits but they are the creamiest i've ever had.

now, i hadn't been ice skating since 1990 maybe so i am proud to say i didn't fall once. i'll even venture to say that i had FUN. i still don't know how to stop so i did a lot of skating to the wall, but i was able to take the curves and i managed to turn a couple of times too (purely by accident since i was trying not to fall). i only wish the rink had been a little less crowded with small children. i really wanna go again in the near future.

i hate crowds immensely so i'm not even gonna talk about rockefeller center. here are a couple of photos instead.

so fresh...

2007-12-17T11:07:00.001-05:00

photo courtesy of derreck's cell phone

what: ben westbeech live at cielo
when: wednesday, december 12, 2007
band:
ben westbeech, vocals
yuval gabay, drums
marc rapson, keys
benji muscat, bass
gus pirelli, samples
setlist:
(in no particular order and i may be missing a couple of songs)
so good today intro
dance with me (including "dance to the drummer's beat" break)
get silly
nautilus
gotta keep on
so good today (album version)
so good today (osunlade mix)
hang around
get closer

last wednesday night i had the pleasure of attending ben westbeech's first stateside show and BOY WAS IT GOOD! the show was to celebrate red bull on the move's 1 yr anniversary as well as part of louie vega & kevin hedge's weekly roots party so everyone was definitely there to dance (i think i spotted ball commentator extraordinaire selvyn mizrahi). after 4 hours of dancing and resolving of some technical difficulties, ben finally took to the stage around 2am.

i made the mistake of standing directly in front of the stage, which was fine when i could see ben side-stage dancing to the roots remixes of sunshine anderson's "force of nature" and the dreamgirls cast's "we are a family" but quite problematic when he was onstage as i had nothing but a fantastic view of his crotch (his shoes were very nice, no scuff marks or anything). i spent most of the evening with my head tilted back and doing this weird little clap two-step.*

he performed for about an hour and did a lot of songs from his album with some other stuff thrown in for good measure. his four-piece band was tight, especially the drummer. i know my mouth was agape in amazement a couple of times while he was playing. he was so good i had to compliment him on my way out the door.

all in all i was very pleased with the show and i'd be surprised if he didn't win over a gang of new fans with that performance. i'm ready to be his one-woman u.s. street team. redbullonthemove.com should have some footage up later this week so i'll try to link it.

* i don't know why i insist on standing at the front during live shows. i don't think i'm the kind of fan ppl want in the front because i'm too busy trying to take everything in and enjoy the experience to dance (on beat). i'll even close my eyes sometimes. i hope my face isn't showing in any of the footage.

from the moment i saw you i knew...

2007-12-11T22:16:00.000-05:00

donald's blog + don newkirk + "sweat you" = the black flames

this was one of my favorite videos in high school and it still jams. i saw those dudes perform at the big easter egg hunt at eastside park back in the day. i think they were from newark or irvington or something like that. i would give my right pinky toe for that cassette tape (it can't be on cd, can it?). i had a crush on don newkirk back then too.

oops

2007-12-11T10:28:00.001-05:00

i thought my performance review was scheduled for tomorrow morning, not this morning. i got to my desk 9 minutes after it was supposed to start. i feel like i forgot to do a homework assignment or something. the kicker is my manager is m.i.a. i never accepted the outlook meeting so maybe he figured i'd pick another time anyway. it don't matter bc i already ratted myself out on his voicemail. what can i say? i panicked.

rah rah rah

2007-12-07T14:14:00.000-05:00

i have to give a presentation on sunday.

yep. sunday.

i might've mentioned previously that i'm chairing my alumnae chapter's annual benefit this year. well, sunday is our holiday mixer/membership drive and this is where we kick off the push for the benefit. it's my job to get these ladies excited about selling tickets. so i'm taking it back to 8th grade book reports for mrs. reed. this basically boils down to putting my best foot forward.

the only way these women will be excited is if i'm excited too. so i'm pulling out all the stops. i've written my speech and i'm working on accompanying visual aids. i've developed a ticket-selling strategy that seems simple. i'm going to be a ppl person!

bleh...to know me is to know that i am not a ppl person. however, i am the same girl who cried on the stand for mock trial while i testified about killing my unborn child with cigarettes and alcohol, so i might be able to pull off "ppl person" for a couple of hours.

in other news, i have a much needed hair appt tomorrow. i wanna cut it some more but i'm gonna have wait until i can afford regular maintenance. tomorrow is also game/fight night at my bff's house. i'm looking forward to playing taboo and eating chicken!

thanks us government!

2007-12-04T12:55:00.000-05:00

my passport was waiting for me when i arrived home last night. i sent my application like a week ago, right before thanksgiving. that's some fast service right there. i should've curled my hair for my photo :(

are you there, blog?

2007-12-03T10:55:00.000-05:00

it's me...

things are winding down at work so i have a bit of time to talk. i've had a lot of things on my mind so i'll just chat about them randomly (cuz that's what i do).

lately, fear has been getting the best of me regarding several (ok maybe just a couple) situations. i have to keep telling myself it's not a big a deal and i don't need to put so much pressure on myself. but i'm a virgo, i can't help it.

i did some shopping last month that i probably shouldn't have. my guilt has caused me not to wear any of my new purchases yet. i mean, honestly i'm not gonna return them but i have to believe the option is there. consequently, i've been very disciplined with my budget for the past couple of weeks. unfortunately,it's wreaked havoc on my diet. i haven't had a salad since last tuesday. (*sadface*)

i'm participating in a toy drive this year and i have to buy a gift for 14 yr old male foster child. it has to be under $25 and he didn't provide a wish list. last year i had a teenage boy and i got him a watch and a book. he probably hates me. this year i have no idea what to get and less than a week to shop. i saw some inexpensive mp3 players on walmart's website but with my janky home computer i probably wouldn't be able to put any music on it. can't buy clothes because i don't know his size. please leave ideas in the comment section or homie will be getting a hat/scarf/gloves set.

remember that budget i mentioned? yeah that means no christmas gifts. but i will be baking cookies. i found a great recipe for peppermint bark cookies that i cannot wait to try. it's actually pretty simple you just substitute peppermint bark for chocolate chips. i'm gonna make regular and chocolate ones. i'm making the peppermint bark too. woohoo.

the only reason i'll have time to bake is because HELLO work is winding down. i am counting down the days until vacation. 11 more business days in case you were wondering.

why is there still thanksgiving cake left at home??

i finally finally applied for my passport. i'm hoping to get it stamped as soon as march. keep your fingers crossed for me!

and i'm spent.

he's coming! he's coming!

2007-11-21T22:09:00.000-05:00

dennis ferrer* too? i will be in the house.
i might need to switch around some vacation days.

*i don't like most of his songs but if he plays "how do i let go" i will lose my mind.

what happened to fall?

2007-11-19T09:52:00.001-05:00

as i type this there are even bigger snowflakes falling from the sky. i'm talking at least an inch in diameter.

it's supposed to be 62°F on wednesday.

my first house party

2007-11-16T10:39:00.000-05:00

inspired by this blog entry.

i was in 7th grade and attending a new school. my crush, micah, had invited almost the whole class to his birthday party. i must preface this story with the following: my education from pre-school through 6th grade was at a very small, private school. for the most part, we were a sheltered group of children not fully exposed to the ways of the world. my transition to blessed sacrament (yes, a catholic school) came with some emotional turmoil and exposure to lots of umm...new things. these kids were faster than any i'd met at that point (although the subsequent transition to public school would make them seem like puritans by comparison...and not the hester prynne kind either).

so anyway, micah's birthday party was my first grown-up party, so to speak. my mom called his mother ahead of time to see what kind of party this would be exactly. she took me to sears to buy a new outfit too. i spent some time getting dressed and i think i even put on lipstick and my favorite clear heart drop earrings. despite all this, i was extremely nervous when my mom dropped me off.

micah's mom led me down into the basement where all the other kids were. the first thing i noticed was that i was a bit overdressed (i don't remember exactly what i wore but i'm sure stirrup pants, a big shirt, and a diagonal belt were part of the ensemble...this habit of overdressing would translate to fabulousness in my adult life). the second thing i noticed was the boys were on the opposite side of the room from the girls. everyone was talking to each other though so i inconspicuously found my way to a seat. i sat there hoping not to be noticed but my nervousness had manifested itself in my right foot -- it was swinging like mad. in fact, after a short while it was swinging so hard that my shoe flew across to the other side of the basement. as if a record scratched, above the middle school chatter someone said, "Yo, whose shoe is that?"

of course i was mortified. and of course i had to get up and claim it lest i'd have been sitting knee-high stockinged out on the arm of the couch. so much for not being noticed. things weren't so bad after that. i didn't dance or eat anything but i did talk with some of my classmates. a game of 7 minutes in heaven had started up but thankfully my mom came to pick me up before it was my turn.

and you know my shoe was the talk of the class on monday morning.

i swear i didn't do it

2007-11-07T16:16:00.000-05:00

this was waiting for me in the driveway this morning.

umm...

cold weather or cat, i don't know. when we first moved in there was a neighborhood cat that used to leave mice near our doorstep. i always thought it was his way of letting us know he was doing us a favor. cool. but look at the little limbs...seems like he froze to death or something. i dunno.

of course now the question is, who is gonna dispose of the body?

not me, son. not me.

i hope nobody runs over it when they park this evening.

killing you hoes

2007-11-05T14:38:00.001-05:00

so after a lovely saturday evening of bootleg dvds and coconut rum, i returned home to a mouse in my kitchen. my intention was to reset all the clocks in the kitchen (two microwaves - don't ask - and the stove). however, while i was resetting the first microwave clock i heard a shuffle and in my peripheral vision i saw the foul rodent zip into an undetectable-by-the-human-eye opening in the stove. IN THE STOVE!! the one we (we=my mama...don't ask!) use to cook our meals! needless to say i never made it over to change the last two clocks.

i was so disgusted i stayed in my room all day sunday. i avoided the kitchen at all costs (i did finally have to eat and i don't eat in my room because umm hello?!). but then i swore i heard something crawling around in the walls. umm...eww.

now, i've read on apartment therapy recently about other ppl dealing with their own tiny marsupial issues...bandying about humane ways of ridding their homes of these nasty little creatures. pardon my french but fuck that! somebody's got to die! right now i'm all about the d-con and i am not above leaving bodies around the perimeter to send a message to the rest of little homie's crew. i'd get a cat if we all weren't allergic. i'd really like to call an exterminator (my ss's fine exterminator in particular) but we'll see how the d-con works first.

a shopper's lament

2007-11-02T13:10:00.000-04:00

i need winter clothes
or rather, i need *cute* winter clothes
boots, flats, sweaters, longsleeves for layering

i have my eye on a pair of grey suede boots but i need to try them on to make sure they fit (big calves, y'know). i also have to finagle the loot for them. the green flats i've been wanting from aldo are finally on sale but not in my size online. this means i'll have to call around to see which store has them in stock. i'd also have to finagle the loot. i'm on credit card restriction until at least the end of this year (see the laverne entries) so whatever i get must be paid in full.

i think i'm really gonna have to get a part-time job to supplement my income. these are the times home-ownership sucks. i'm just glad i'm not in alone. although a diet of rice and broth would probably have my figure looking hot(ter). anyway, this is about shopping not being broke (even though that's at the forefront of my mind).

i've got an old navy coupon so i can at least pick up a few sweaters and longsleeve tees for work. i still need cute going out clothes. i can't even imagine what i'd buy though. maybe that's for the better. i should just hibernate like my homegirl.

i did make some purchases not too long ago (probably shouldn't have but the opportunity may have never presented itself again). i got this purse

and these earrings
i already lost one of the earrings thanks to faulty design but i have to buy another pair bc they're just too cute not to have. and they look good on me.

in other news, i finished book 6 of harry potter the other day. what a sad ending! i'm anxiously awaiting book 7's arrival in the mail.

the aftermath

2007-11-01T15:35:00.000-04:00

photo courtesy of fun express

there were lots of kids. some cute, some smelly, some too damn old to be trick-or-treating. i wore my costume and one said "i like your lunch lady costume!"...smart boy. another said "you look like aunt jemima!" but his friend corrected him, "aunt jemima? it's aunt jemEEma! whatchu talkin' 'bout aunt jemima?"...i almost died laughing. then there was young lloyd the r&b singer whose voice was much too deep when he turned his backpack towards me and commanded, "hook me up." as the night went on the kids got older and their costumes were non-existent. that was our cue to turn out the lights.

so now all i'm left with is this vanilla tootsie roll addiction. o man. i picked them all out from the candy bowl cuz they are so yummm-ay. i need to eat like a whole bag so i'll be over them and not crave them anymore.

Stroke Volume

yum

this is for la raza

special treat

only 12 shopping days left

i broke my cherry yesterday

rest in peace

flashback friday

me likey!

guess what i did this wknd?

me likey!

*SIGH*

fe-fi-fo-YUM!

boredom begets baking

i have...

saturday afternoon

by request

oh and...

i'm on vacation

flourished and sprayed with perfume...

pop it

stuff i meant to blog about

the only thing i want for christmas

found a cure

they are coming

match dot com is wack

ch-ch-ch-changes

mo' babies

love, need, want...

sometimes i draw

boo this woman

happy birthday to me

ugh

tag i'm it!

FOR SALE

already preparing for next year

o buddy...what a waste!

i'm on the beach!

well g-damn!

working on it

this post is about food

yay boo

they're all gone

smitten

i was you

out of the mouths of babes

van hunt at s.o.b.'s

things done changed

spring fever

work in progress

finally!

time 4 sum aksion

flashback friday

kanye is insane

guns by the summer

currently digging...

blah blah blah

you're too old for me

ugh

and then it hit me...

i told y'all!

slow and steady...

i get it from my mama

mark of the beast

it's 9:48pm...

top 10 things about being sick that suck

love you better

all i want is...

best toy ever

worst place on earth

do it properly

twitterpated

today

introducing...

plainfield chooses obama

i need a day planner

rip laverne

somebody hold me

link-o-the-day

ouch

SIGH