yum

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?

me likey!

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.

me likey!

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!

i'm on vacation

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.

stuff i meant to blog about

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.

love, need, want...

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.

FOR SALE

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.

worst place on earth

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

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.

vacation - part 1

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!

are you there, blog?

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.

a shopper's lament

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.

my devastatingly exciting life

after yawning throughout cardio on saturday morning, the ladies joked that i must have been out all night partying. really i had been up until almost 3am trying to finish book 5 of harry potter (i actually finished after i got home from class). after sharing this with the class my instructor deadpanned, "we need to work on getting you out the house."

i could go into a long diatribe about how there's nothing to do here and the crowds suck and blah blah blah. but the truth of the matter is i don't particularly care to go out unless it's to socialize with ppl i already know and i'm not really into spending money for a mediocre time. i'm cheap and the last thing i need is to waste my money on wackness.

anyhoo, this entry is about me finishing book 5. i started book six and i'm excited because i have NO idea what happens. i've seen all the movies so i had a pretty good idea of what happens in books 1-5 - book six is completely new. i've avoided spoilers from everywhere (even the office...thanks schrute! i had to change the channel) and i hope to finish up with it this week or next.

other things i did this wknd:
-watched degrassi (is it wrong to lust after 20 yr olds?)
-shopped for my halloween costume
-impromptu philly trip (what's the big deal about tony luke's anyway?)
-started & finished the rise (it's for a book discussion)
-attended a pie crust technique class at williams sonoma (the pie wasn't great but i'll be attempting my own from scratch this holiday season)
-stopped laverne's oil light from flashing
-bought a framed matisse print for $5 at a yard sale (it's going up over the sofa)
-tried on a lovely coat that i will covet until it goes on sale and will no longer be available in my size.

and laverne passed inspection this morning (clap for her © mizrahi)

i've been a bad, bad girl

you ever walk into a store fully open to being finessed by the salesperson into buying whatever they push? yeah...that shit is dangerous. i was only supposed to buy some blot powder from mac and maybe a lip glass. i left the mall with the powder, lip glass, a creme pencil, two eyeshadows, a lip brush from the body shop, a pr of red wedge sandals from aldo (more than 50% off), and a chicken mole burrito.

:(

and yesterday i bought a dress to wear to my college roommate's wedding (it was a good deal though) and the day before that two sweaters from old navy (they were on sale). the whole point is i'm not supposed to be shopping. i've had trouble all this week practicing self-control. oh the cookies i've eaten!

but you know what? i'm not gonna dwell on this slip up. i'm gonna get right back on this horse and ride it in the right direction.

i know but still

i had to get shoes to wear to my cousin's wedding...



courtesy of zappos.com

you might want to take advantage of their free overnight shipping

love, need, want...

love: honey


i've been drinking lots of tea lately (thanks to my allergies) and rather than sweeten it with sugar i've been using honey. sugar has been really repulsive to me these days so i try to avoid it whenever possible. i just remembered a hilarious grad school episode involving honey. *chuckles*

need: ben westbeech


his album dropped back in march but i haven't purchased it yet because well...it's a $30 import and that's just not in the budget right now. i caught a live show of his on xmradio yesterday and the boy is just all around dope. the first thing i ever heard from him was the osunlade remix of "so good today". when i played it for my sister she remarked "it sounds like an old house song but i can't think of which one", which is exactly why i loved it. luis baro played a new cut from him (remixed by i don't know who) called "hang around" that's also on the album. i need to bite the bullet and buy this album. check ben westbeech out on myspace.

want: reebok freestyle


aka 5411's. i bought a pair back in april for my friend's 80s bday party in metallic blue & pink but these are the ones i really wanted...the reignbow joints. i can't decide which color but it doesn't matter because i probably won't get them. however, if any of you are feeling generous i take a women's size 8 and i'll be happy with yellow or turqoise or green.