Spying

I was working at the kitchen table this morning and I look over to see RJ peeking around the TV stand.  Do you ever get that feeling that you're being spied on?  Ha ha.

Julie came over tonight with Crisp and Juicy in tow.  Yum!  I tried yuca for the first time and they were really good. 

New Discovery

The card with RJ on it was well received at the office. So now it's on it's merry way to my coworker that's recovering from a heart attack.

I went to my parents' house after spin class tonight and Julie hands me this bag.  "You have to try these.  They are so good.  Mom and Dad don't like them though."  It's basically sesame coated sticky rice (?) coated peanut butter balls.  I ate one and was hooked.  I texted my cousin who is flying over here in a few days and dropped a big hint.  Fortunately, they had 1 bag left over in their house.  She also texted a picture of my aunt packing up.

Get Well Card

"Tina, can I talk to you for a second?"

Oh, yeah.  I love conversations that start like that, especially when you lead me to a private conference room and close the door.

"So, it's really scary what happened to R over the weekend."

o_0

What?

What are you talking about?

I could see the uh-oh moment that my co-worker had.  I seriously had no idea what she was referring to.  She filled me in on a co-worker that had gone to the hospital over the weekend due to a heart attack and she got some misinformation that I had gone to see him at the hospital.

Wow.  What a way to start the morning.

I texted him to see how he was doing and he said that the doctors were releasing him tomorrow morning.  I wish I had known sooner so that I could visit, but he didn't think it was necessary but he appreciated the thought.  I did the next best thing...making him a card for the office to sign. How could this adorable fatty cat not cheer you up, right?

On another note, I was on two interview panels today for a new hire.  The first one went really well.  It was clear that the guy had done his research, not only on the organization but also on the projects that each of the interviewers worked on.  He also sent us links to surveys that he worked on in the past.  It blew me away.  I have never seen someone prepare so much for an interview AND appear so confident and personable via Skype.  It was like we were having a conversation rather than a formal interview.  The second interview of the day did not go as smoothly.  After the lady started reading off her resume and asked questions about where she would sit in the office, I stopped paying attention.  It was one of those instances where I wish we could have cut the interview short because it was clear that she wasn't going to get a second interview.

Empties

Weird dream: I've been having lots of weird dreams lately.  Last night's had something to do with killer whales.  It had shades of the movie "Free Willy."  I woke up from the dream around 6:45 AM with a need to pee.  Ugh.  Worst timing ever, especially with getting out a nice warm bed.

At the office: I ran out of chocolate at the office, but the ~20 degree weather outside was enough to keep me from going to CVS to replenish my supply.

Oops: I was taking off my sweater today after work and I tore a hole in one of the sleeves!  Whoops!  Fortunately, this wasn't a sweater that had any sentimental value to me, so I think I'm going to donate it to Harry the homeless cat who hangs out on my parents' deck to give him some warmth.

Etsy: I got a custom card order on Friday and the customer hasn't purchased it yet even with a reminder on Day 3.  She even made a point to say that it was time sensitive.  Blah.  -_-

Product empties: In an effort to buy less makeup and beauty products this year, I've been consciously working through some stuff to get it out of my house.  I recently finished an Estee Lauder DayWear Plus and a Bath and Body Works lotion in Be Enchanted (I finished the companion shower gel a few weeks ago and forgot to take a picture).  While I enjoyed these items, they aren't something I'd spend the money to buy the full size because a) the scents weren't my favorite...Be Enchanted was much to sweet and b) for the face cream, I can find a good drugstore alternative.  This was a free sample I got from my mom at some point.

Songs of the day: "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)"- Luke Bryan and "Give Me Back My Hometown"- Eric Church.  I'm still on my country kick.

Erick's Birthday

My work week started out with sitting on an interview team.  I liked the candidate, but judging from the other ones that are in the queue to be interview, I don't think she's the most qualified.  Also, one thing she said stuck out when she was asked about her communication skills.  "When communicating amongst a team, I want to make sure that the other person sees my side."  I took that to say that she wants to make sure that the other person understood her position, but she wasn't necessarily requiring the other person to agree.  The other people on the interview team slightly frowned on that answer and didn't quite see it the same way I did.  There's a guy from CA that we're interviewing on Wednesday via Skype that looks more promising.

Today I went to my uncle's house for hot pot dinner and blueberry cheesecake to celebrate Erick's birthday.  I even got a second slice of cheesecake to take home, yum!

American Hustle

My cousin Erick is visiting from San Diego for the next two weeks.  I called me up on Friday to see what I was up to this weekend, and since I had no big plans, he asked if I wanted to go see a movie and get something to eat.  He listed a bunch of movies that had been nominated for awards recently, but I didn't want to see any of them.  One of my coworkers said that she recently saw American Hustle and really liked it.  I suggested that movie and Erick said ok.

We went to the 11 AM movie, which was great because there weren't many people there.  The movie was good and I thought the actors did a great job, especially Jennifer Lawrence.  When I see her, I think Katniss from The Hunger Game series, but she definitely wasn't playing that type of role this time.  It's good to see that she's versatile.  I enjoyed it, but it's not something that I'd buy to add to my DVD shelf.

Afterwards we had lunch at a new Cheesecake Factory that moved in recently.  I'm glad that it opened because the one at a nearby mall closed because the mall it was in was closing.  I hope the workers were able to easily move to this location and not lose their job.  I was good and got a lunch size cobb salad (even though I had it last night) and no cheesecake.  While we were eating, I noticed that the news was on and they were talking about a shooting at a mall about 25 miles away. 3 dead.  Several wounded.  So messed up. :(

Julie came over for Indian food dinner and we watched some Cupcake Wars on TV.  When I was waiting for her to show up, I was on the couch, catching up on my YouTube.  RJ jumped onto my chest and got comfortable there.  Jerk.

 

Going to CA?

My boss and I were having a conversation at the end of the day about future meetings.  She's planning to head to Orange County, CA for a meeting.  "You wanna go?  It might be good for you to attend the assessment in person so you can report back.  Hmmm, Orange County is near Anaheim.  We can go to DisneyLand the next day.  Do you like rides?"

I work at the best place EVER.

My travel arrangements are still being confirmed, but wow, that'd be awesome!

After I closed up work stuff, I showered and went to Target and Panera.  I wanted to use a coupon for some Maxwell House mix, but the coupon wouldn't work because they were clearance holiday flavors: Cinnamon Spice and Pumpkin Spice.  Womp.  I ended up only buying a bag of Swedish Fish for Julie and I to share.  I went over to Panera to get dinner (there was minimal pickings at home).  I had my mind set on their roast beef sandwich, but they have since changed it to a steak sandwich.  Womp.  I settled on a cobb salad and headed over to my parents' house to hang out.

When I got there, I found out that my sister went to dinner with her friends, so I hung around, ate my salad and waited for her to come home.  Work has been really busy for her, so we haven't been IMing as much at work.  I was almost about to leave when she walked through the door, so I stayed for another 2 hours to catch up.

2-hour Delay Day

The Federal government got a 2 hour delay this morning, with an option of unscheduled leave or telework.  Well, if they are going to give me a telework option, I'm going to take full advantage of it since I already had my work computer with me.  It was a pretty light work day because I'm at a point where I'm waiting for people to get back to me.  I booked my flight to Little Rock for a trip in early June.  I've never been there so that should interesting.

I took a break from the computer to clean up my car.  Fortuantely, the snow was light and fluffy so it was easy to move around.

Cold weather outside means cozy weather inside.  Extra bonus points if you have a kitty to cuddle with.  Mine's 15 lbs for extra comfort.

Snow Day

Weather: The forecast called for 5-8 inches of snow to fall today.  Many of the county school systems announced that they would be closed last night, even before the snow started falling this morning.  I woke up around 4 AM, just out of the blue, and checked my phone and the radio.  Ah, the federal government is closed today, yay!  4-day weekend!

I had a conference call at 10 AM and kept up with my work email, but other than that, I had a free day.  I tackled some more organizing.  I was thinking to myself, "You've been in your townhome for 2.5 years.  How much more organizing can you do?"  Sometimes I even surprise myself!  This is definitely a trait I inherited from Mom.

More Organizing: My goal today was to bring some of my empty boxes and put them in the utility room.  I was watching a couple on YouTube and the wife mentioned that one of the annoying things that her husband does is keep boxes.  I laughed...and then realized that I totally do the same thing.  I like keeping that kind of stuff, in the event that I have to move (which won't be happening anytime soon, but it's nice to be prepared, right?).

The thing with the utility room is that it's kinda creepy.  There are some spiderwebs and I found a dead gross bug.  Armed with my vacuum cleaner, I took a deep breath, put my big girl pants on, and went in there to get some business done.  After I got over that fear, I assembled all my empty boxes to go in there.  Wow, I didn't realize that I had so many until I started stacking them up.  Small vacuum cleaner, table fan, laptop, food processor, KitchenAid mixer, etc.  Heh.  Oh well, at least they are out of the way!  I should have taken before and after pictures of my craft room closet, but I totally forgot and by the time I thought of it, I was halfway done and in the zone.  I also tackled a box in my bedroom walk-in closet.

If you can't tell, I love to organize and clean.  I was feeling extra inspired because I had just watched a Lean webinar at work recently and it's all about increasing efficiencies and reducing waste.

Fun with Makeup: I played with some untouched makeup this afternoon.  I bought a Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegrante Punk recently, but didn't crack it open until today.  I used a white Jordana white eyeshadow pencil as a base and swiped the slightly burgundy color on top.  I took one of the Loreal Infallible eyeshadows I bought recently (Bottomless Java) and put them on the outer V.  Another new product I used was NYX roll-on eyeshadow in Salmon (YouTube made me buy it) and I put that on the center of the lid for some shimmer.  I used Virgin from my Urban Decay palette to finish off the eyeshadow look.

 

More Weather: The snow is still going steady as I'm typing up this blog post. The picture below was taking around 5 PM.  The side roads look really bad and I'm pretty sure the main roads are getting slushy.  With the low temperatures, the news people are afraid of everything freezing overnight.  Several counties have cancelled school for tomorrow (Wednesday). We'll see what the Feds have to say in the morning. Who knows? Maybe I'll get another day off! ;) 

 

Fall-To Layout #275

Weird Dream: I dreamt that my car got towed while I was yard saling.  I'm glad that I woke up just before the panic was setting in.

I checked my phone when I woke up.  Yay, Etsy sale.  Ok, I guess that makes up for the alarming wake-up.

Shopping: Yay, day off!  My morning was spent scrubbing down the bathroom and shopping for a makeup mirror and another over-the-door hanger.  My current mirror is too small and the stand broke (I think during the earthquake when it fell off the shelf) so it's been propped up ever since.  I already have a hanger in my bedroom, but I wanted one in the bathroom too.  I was lucky to find both items at TJMaxx.  The mirror was on clearance for $10.  The hanger was $6.99.  Woot.

Card: Here's my take on Fall-To Layout #275.
Card Specs:
Paper: Making Memories- Chloe's Closet, My Mind's Eye- Countdown to Christmas
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan
Rub-On: Stampin' Up- Chit Chat (sentiment)
Stamp: Hero Arts- Envelope Pattern
Punch: Recollections
White Gel Pen: Uni-Ball Signo Broad White Gel Pen

Goodwill Goodies and Makeup Organization

Spin class: After eating that delicious meal yesterday, I HAD to get to the gym for spin class this morning to burn at least some of it off. Realistically, I probably burned off the appetizer...maybe half the appetizer since the meal was so rich and yummy.  One of the songs that was played was "We Built This City"...hello, 80s.

Spin class (check). 

Goodwill Shopping: I wandered over to Marshalls (didn't buy anything) and Target (came out with toothpaste and a toothbrush, armed with coupons for both items).  I also went to Goodwill, which I haven't gone to in a while.  I wanted to get some glass containers to put my makeup in.  I came out with 4 glass containers and a lamp shade.  The two dishes and vase were 96 cents each and the square container was $1.96.  The lamp shade was an exciting purchase because I had been wanting to get a new one for my bedroom lamp because the existing one had a small tear in it but I wasn't willing to spend $15 at one from Target.  I love the red color because it matches my bed skirt.

When I got home, I cleaned up the dishes and started putting my makeup items in their new homes.  The tall brushes fit nicely into the vase.  The shorter, but more used brushes didn't fit as nicely into the square vase.  I decided to buy some vase filler from Joann's (yay for having the new Joann's near my house...now I don't have to make the trek to Michaels) with my 40% off coupon and my brush problem was solved.

Before

After: "New" glass containers for my brushes up top, "new" glass dishes for my most used products, "new" lamp shade on the right. :)

When I walk walking around the store, I saw this cat sewing box.  I think it's so cute, but I have no use for it.   I will just admire it from afar.

More Organizing: The organizing kick continued throughout the afternoon.  I tackled my craft room closet and the white drawer container that holds more makeup (you can see part of it on the far left in the "After" picture above).  I didn't have any small boxes to put in the drawers and then a light bulb went off in my head.  Duh, I can make my own!  I used some colored printer paper that I had laying around and made four rectangular boxes that fit perfectly in the drawers. 

Before: eye products

After: eye products

Before: lip products

After: lip products.

Alexandria Restaurant Week

At the spa/salon: The lady that waxed my eyebrows was like "Is it okay if I trim them?  They are kind of straight."  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  (eye roll).  That's why I'm here.  Work your magic! :)

Alexandria Restaurant Week:  Hooray, it's that time again!  I met up with my friends Robyn and Meg for dinner.  While there were several restaurants that were participating in Restaurant Week (appetizer, entree, and dessert for $35, not including tax and tip), we always go back to our default place: the Wharf.  We went last August AND last January.  I got the lobster crabcake, the lobster/scallop au gratin, and a piece of chocolate cake.  Yum!

After dinner, we went back to Robyn's apartment to continue chatting (there was lots to catch up in person since the last time the three of us were together in person was Robyn's birthday back in November) and exchange Christmas gifts.  Meg gave me a container of hot chocolate and a framed photo of us from the cruise last year.  Robyn gave me an origami calendar and an RJ mug!

Makeup Fun!

Etsy: I got 6 orders this week...not too bad after December's shop slump. :D

Makeup: I played around with makeup earlier tonight.  My goal was to use some of this dark blue cream eyeshadow to create a dramatic eye look.  Of course, I wouldn't wear this to the office, but it was a fun exercise to see if I could do it.

 

Song of the day: "Compass" - Lady Antebellum.  I've been jamming to a lot of country music lately...I feel like I'm back in undergrad.

Etsy Custom Order

Etsy Order: I got the following custom order request on Etsy earlier tonight.

I need you to make me a card for my mom. My dad got her recirculating hot water for Christmas she has a huge tub and I got her some lavender bath salts/candles, Anyway could you make a card that says happy first bath on it?

Interesting, right?  The first thought that came to mind was an origami sea otter, hanging out on his back.  I submitted the sample for approval, so we'll see what the customer says.

CVS Update: On a random point, I was looking at my receipt from when I bought chocolate from CVS earlier this week.  They overcharged me on sales tax.  14% instead of 6%.  Fortunately, 14% from $1.50 isn't a big deal, but still...

At the office: There was goodbye cake for one of the employees at work.  I actually said no to cake...go me!  I felt like the chocolate that I ate earlier hit the spot already.

Office Oops

At the office: I released my laptop from the docking station at work and I forgot that my music was still playing.  So the second I undocked it, everyone heard what I was listening to.  Fortunately, it wasn't something embarrassing like Taylor Swift or Britney Spears (which I will totally own up to listening, I guess.  I still jam out to Britney's "Toxic" every so often).  The guy that has the cube next to me laughed, "I'm glad that happened to someone else besides me."  With me paniking and my brain scrambling from embarrassment, I tried to run into a conference room to hide, but it was taken up.  Luckily I calmed down enough to laugh about the whole thing and turn off my music. 

I was listening to "19 You + Me," the New Heights and Colton Haynes version.   Although, I do appreciate the original version by Dan + Shay.  I didn't know that Colton Haynes could sing...I just know him from playing a jerk on MTV's Teen Wolf.  He's got a nice voice, which totally adds to his appeal.

This open office concept is just not for me and I am still adjusting. 

I had a committee call right after that incident and the BOD member asked me how people were adjusting to the new space.  I tried to put it nicely, "How well we are adjusting to the move depends on who you ask."  And then, to give some context and not wanting to come off as a brat, I explained that most of us are in cubes.  I think people on the phone understood.  I wondered during the drive home if that comment would come to bite me in the butt later on, but then I figured, it was a neutral answer.  I didn't name any names and I didn't incriminate myself.  And it was an honest answer.  Saying that everyone loves it would be a total, complete lie.  It's easy for the people that have hard wall offices to say they love it, but for many of us, the cube life is quite different.  I think it's good in theory, but in practice, that's another story..

Spin class: People have been chattering about the new spin instructor that teaches on Wednesday nights.  I've heard that he's Latino and said people have nicknamed him "Juan Pablo" from this season of the Bachelor.  While I don't watch the Bachelor, I wanted to see this guy for myself.  I can't say that he looks like Juan Pablo because his complexion is a little darker, but he is quite handsome. ;)

CVS Candy Win

After a day of sitting at my desk listening to program reviews, I HAD to get out of the building to get some fresh air and get away from the computer screen.  I thought a good errand to run would be to get some emergency chocolate in the event that I need to reduce stress and anxiety (read: hello, emotional eating).  CVS was having a sale on Hershey's Valentine's Day chocolate, 2 bags for $5.  I had 2 coupons to use too: $2/2 bags of candy and $1.50 Extra Care Bucks.  With the discounts, I got 2 bags of candy (York Peppermint Patties and mini Reese's peanut butter cups) for $1.71 total.  While these are not my favorite, I think they hit the spot.  A bag of M&Ms could be easily gone within a day or two, but since these aren't the type of candy that I'll eat a lot of, they'll last a little longer.

I hope.

Magnetic Nail Polish

Productive Sunday:

• Spin class (first one of the year for me...).  Apparently the new Wednesday night spin instructor looks like Juan Pablo from the Bachelor.  Hmm, maybe I'll investigate this week ;)
• Vacuumed my car.  All the dried leaves that made their way into my car are gone and the floors look like new!
• Finished the card order for the office.
• Made dumplings.  I had to use up the rest of the napa cabbage I bought for the New Year's round of dumplings.

While at CVS a few weeks ago, I picked up 2 Sally Hansen magnetic nail polishes for 75% off.  I got 2 of these for Robyn's birthday in 2012, but they were too expensive for me to justify buying them for myself.  At a clearance price for $2 something, that was more reasonable to me.  I had a few smudges in the beginning, but then I realized that a better way to do the magnet is to hold my finger at eye level so I could see if the magnet in jeopardy of touching the fresh coat.  The effect is subtle, but I think it's still a cool concept.  This one is Graphite Gravity.

Mmm, Ice Cream!

I tackled the office order after breakfast this morning and was determined to get a few done before heading to the gym.

After going to the gym (perfect place to watch Courtney Loves Dallas), I went to the grocery store to pick up some stuff because my refrigerator was looking pretty sad.  Vodka sauce, turkey sausage, yogurt, medium shells, etc.  I also picked up this ice cream.  The "NEW!" label totally got me.  I was hoping that it'd be like the cinnamon ice cream that I had that came with someone's dessert post-Light The Night.  Clearly, that ice cream was good because I still remember it a few years later!  This one was meh.  I'm not sure I really taste the cinnamon in it.  I think it sways more towards vanilla.  Perhaps I should have gotten the pumpkin pie one instead.

Cat Heater

At the office, I walked by two co-workers talking about pets and animals.  Ben was like "Oh, I want to cuddle with her kitty" (referring to RJ).  Aw, that's sweet.  Yeah, I'd let you, but you're allergic to cats. :(

My mind has been on pizza for the past two days.  I almost got some after I got home yesterday, but I thought that addressing my low tire pressure alert in my car was more important.  So, after a really busy day at work (only had time to eat a yogurt at 3 PM!), I dropped off all my stuff at home and used my app to call in a carryout pizza order.

When I got home, I noticed an email from the Human Resources lady at work.  "Are you coming to spin?"

Um, no.  I'm going to camp out on the couch with my pizza and cat and tv.

She replied saying that she was jealous.  Apparently, the spin instructor was looking for me.  Yikes.  I guess that means that I need to go to class soon.  Oops.

RJ used the pizza box as a heater when I was putting my stuff away and getting settled on the couch.  Opportunist...

I got working on my office card order today. Human Resources wants 55 of the top card (I need to change it to a checkerboard background) and 55 of the middle card. I finished about 20 of the middle card.

Atlanta, Day 2

Oh, super...all-day meeting.  So much fun. 

The goal of the meeting was to discuss the report that the consultant wrote on the focus groups.  My boss and I crafted an agenda that would help us address everything that we needed to in a one-day meeting. 

And then meeting participants started talking about other stuff that the agenda totally got side-tracked.  It was really frustrating to me because the discussions got really technical and I got totally lost and the agenda was pretty much ignored for the majority of the morning.  I wondered a few times if my boss was secretly not happy with me for not typing away.  I have no idea what people are talking about!  I'm frustrated too! 

Fortunately, there was an action item list created at the end of the meeting and that made me a lot happier because it clarified what my to-do list between now and June 30 would be.

The trip to the airport was smooth and there wasn't a back-up at security.  When I got to the gate, I saw another co-worker there.  She was in another meeting in ATL, and I had seen her yesterday.  I was expecting another co-worker, but she was able to get on an earlier flight to make it home for her son's birthday.  This co-worker ended up sitting behind me on the plane.  I joked that I'd be home in time to catch the subway home (this co-worker did me a huge favor when we traveled to Salt Lake City and I got back to DC so late that the Metro had stopped running and she drove me to the Metro station to pick up my car). 

When we got to the gate in DC, my coworker was like "There's no place like home."  Amen, I totally hear you.

When I got back to my car, I said a little prayer that my car would start despite the cold.  It did!  The low tire pressure light went on, which I was expecting because it turned on a few days ago.  I went to a gas station near home to see if they had air.  They did...for $1.  I skipped on that and went to the one near my parents' house to get air for free. 

I was so happy to come home to find my 3 C's doing okay: car, casa, and cat.

Atlanta, Day 1

Traveling to Atlanta this time wasn't so bad.  There was absolutely no line at security, which was totally bizarre.  Why doesn't that happen more often?!  My flight was only an hour delayed (as opposed to many more like last time).  It actually worked for the better because it shortened the time that I would have to wait at baggage claim for my boss.

After we picked up the rental car, we met up with other work colleagues that were in Atlanta for another work-related meeting.  We gathered who wanted to go to dinner and then we headed to Tin Lizzy's, a place that had a Mexican flair.  I had the cobb salad.  I really just wanted vegetables and I was nervous that the tacos or greasy food would make me feel gross later.  I shared a pitcher of margaritas with some of the people at the table.  After one glass, I was starting to feel very drowsy.  So much so that I started to space out and my boss had to wave her hand in front of my face to get me to perk up.

The entrance of the restaurant had this operation game guy.  It was kinda cool, but creepy at the same time.

Book #1 of 2014

I finished Sophie Kinsella's Wedding Night last night.  I enjoyed her previous books (i.e. the Shopaholic series), and I thought this one was pretty funny.  However, I don't think it's something that I'd buy to read again though because the pace is a little slow and the book is rather long (400+ pages).

Doing Makeup on a Dreary Day

I told myself that I HAD to go to the gym today.  No excuses.  I skipped out on spin class because it was raining outside, but I did go and do about 35 minutes of cardio and watch Courtney Loves Dallas while I was there.  Multitasking at its best.

To get myself out of the house, I told myself that I could go to Ulta for one last purchase before going on a no-buy.  I picked up a new mascara (Maybelline's The Rocket) and a Maybelline gel eyeliner in Blackest Black.  I got a really good deal on these products because there was already a buy 1, get the second for 50% off, plus I had a $5 off $10 purchase, plus I reached enough points that I could get $3 off.  WOOT!  I am determined to perfect my winged eye liner skills.

I must have looked half dead, sans makeup, going up to the counter to check out.  Whatever.  No need to get decked out to go to the gym, only to sweat it off 30 minutes later.

There wasn't anything good on tv so I played with some of my recent makeup purchases as well as my Urban Naked palette.  I have to laugh at the transformation because it only took about 10 minutes to do and I'm really pleased with how much more alive I look.  The gel eyeliner was so much easier to work with (read: forgiving) than my liquid liner.  I got this winged liner to workout in one try.  The eyeshadow is darker in real life, but the bathroom lights are very bright.
Song of the day: "Va Va Voom" - Nicki Minaj.  Heard it this morning when I was watching Claire Marshall's YouTube video.  I thought it was a clever way to show lipstick swatches.

New Year's Resolutions 2014

2014 Resolutions to complete by January 1, 2015 (2015?!  Are we going to be driving around in flying cars then?  It sounds so futuristic...)

• I feel like my recent resolutions have had something to do with my house.  This year, I want to do at least one of the following:
• Get my windows replaced as I find them to not be very energy efficient.
• Get my shower door replaced with a shower curtain.  The door is so hard to clean!
• Get my closet doors replaced.  I think the metal ones that I have now are functional but I don't find them to be particularly attractive. 
• Read at least 15 books.  I'm hoping to curve my NCIS, Law and Order: SVU, and Real Housewives addiction.
• Utilize the gym more often other than going to spin class.  I'm paying for the membership, I might as well go!  Maybe this is where I can watch my reality television, tee hee.
• Limit new make-up, clothing, and craft supplies.  I have enough of all three categories. 
• Branch out a little more when it comes to make-up.  Rock a more colorful lip or a more dramatic eye every so often.
• Do at least 10 volunteer events.  I did a lot of donating last year in terms of clothes and some craft supplies, but I want to do more and focus on donating my time this year.
• Try at least 10 new recipes (baked goodies/desserts do not count).  I have my eye on this Taiwanese sesame oil chicken recipe and was inspired when I ate it at my parents' house recently.
• Get to at least 900 Etsy sales.  I'm currently at 824 sales.

Alright.  Let's do this.

Friday Frustration

We got a little bit of snow in Maryland last night.  While the county schools were closed, the federal government was open with optional leave or telework.  Since the roads weren't that bad, I decided to clean off my car and go to the office...where it was a ghost town.  I'm sure some people took advantage of the telework arrangement and some people aren't coming back until Monday from the holidays.  Anyway, not too long after I started working, I got locked out of my computer because I reset my password and then promptly typed it in wrong a few times.

If that wasn't bad enough, none of the IT folks were around.  I waited for about an hour for someone to show up, but alas no one showed up.  I had been texting my boss to keep her updated, and it turned out that other people were having technical issues that needed to be addressed.  Fortunately, I did a lot of work yesterday so I didn't have to freak out about any deadlines.  Planning pays off!  I told her I was going to go home because at least I could access SharePoint from my personal computer.  I later found that I could get into my computer, but the same password to get into my computer wasn't allowing me to log into my email.  Blah.

I had texted my friends Meg and Robyn about my situation.  They didn't have much luck today either.  Meg woke up to a freezing apartment and an iced over car.  Robyn had troubles getting to work.

I'm so glad for the weekend!!

P.S. On a brighter note, the receptionist complimented me on my nail polish today (Ulta brand in Envy).  It was chipping a little so I went back to red today...China Glaze in Vertical Rush.

First Card of 2014 and Some Surprises

Surprise #1: My water heater was acting up the last few days.  The water would become scalding hot despite me turning the heater's themostat down.  A plumber came over today and installed new thermostats so I'm hoping that it's all fixed.  The kitchen sink seems to be working ok, so fingers crossed.

Surprise #2: I got an email from my friend Steph last night.  She got engaged over New Year's Eve!  Ok, I guess it's not too much a surprise.  I had an inkling that it'd be happening soon since she and her boyfriend live together and have been dating for a while.

Card: This is my first card of 2014.  One of the things that I want to do in 2014 is not buy so many crafting supplies.  I did pretty good in 2013, but I want to be even better in 2014.  With that said, I dug around my supplies on my desk and found a set of stickers I hadn't used yet and some rub-ons and an unused card base with an embossed panel already on it.

This card is for my friend Page as she begins another semester of pharmacy school.

Card Specs:
Embossing Folder:  Sizzix- Retro Circles
Die: Lifestyle Crafts- Hello. Goodbye.
Sticker: Martha Stewart- Stitched Fruit Stickers
Rub-On: American Crafts- Sentiment Phrases

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  As planned, Julie and Robyn came over to make dumplings last night.  It was kinda a food fusion night because we had Asian food w the dumplings and Robyn brought salsa and Julie brought tiramisu from Safeway (which was surprisingly good!).  Then we watched a lot of Food Network.  One show featured those Asian preserved duck eggs.  Mom likes to eat those, but I've never had one.  The color is kinda a deterrent.

Time to revisit my 2013 Resolutions to complete by January 1, 2014.

2013 Resolutions to complete by January 1, 2014

• Decorate my bedroom and living room.  Right now, the majority of the bedroom walls are still void of any artwork, so it's time to fix that.  I have some pieces that I have saved for my bedroom, but it's not enough to fill an entire wall.  I hope to find some good pieces in the spring during yard sale season.  As for my living room, I have one wall left.  The thought of putting up a vinyl quote in both rooms crossed my mind.  I'll have to look to Etsy for something inspiring. Done and done!
• Save enough money to buy a new car.  My youngest cousin will be graduating from college in the Spring, and the plan is to give him my car (2002 Civic) as a graduation present.  Which means that I'll have to figure out what I'm going to drive after I hand over my car. Done!
• A modified version of one of last year's resolutions: use 15 brand new recipes that do not use a crock pot and is not a casserole or baked good. 2 of those dishes have to include some sort of seafood. I got to 10 recipes, but some of them included baked goodies and I didn't do any seafood (maybe I just shouldn't force it).  The one that I'm most proudest of is learning how to make dumplings. 
• Continue to have an open mind about online dating.  I don't think I fully utilized my 6 month membership last year because I only dated 2 guys (1 only lasted one date and the other guy 4 months).  Yeah, that didn't happen.  I tried a round of Match and another round of Eharmony and I feel like there's a bunch of inactive, non-assertive people on there to make it worth the experience.  I would contact people, and they wouldn't even make an attempt to reciprocate.  Sheesh.
• Get to at least 800 Etsy sales. Currently at 824 sales :)

Things that I accomplished but were not on the list:

• I traveled to new cities for work: New Orleans and Raleigh.
• I took my first real vacation since 2011 and went on my first cruise to the Bahamas with my friends.
• I stepped a little out of my spin class bubble and did some weight training with the 30 Day Shred Jillian Michaels DVD.  I surprised myself by completing 2 rounds (1st round, 2nd round).
• I found a new income source with channeling my yard sale skills and reselling items on Ebay.
• I did 3 outdoor markets, my first ones ever.  (May, June #1, June #2).

I'm still compiling a list of New Years Resolutions, but it's nice to reflect on how the previous year went.  :)