Christmas Wish List.

As I was crafting my Christmas(/birthday) wish list this year, I realized I was dreaming pretty big. Usually I don't want too much and all of it is moderately priced. Sure, there are always a few "reach" items - ones I don't expect but would be nice to have - but this time around those items seem to comprise my entire list. So, what do I want?

Kindle Paperwhite

(or any eReader, basically)

This is new for me, because I barely even read as it is. My thought process is that having an eReader will make it faster and easier for me to acquire and read books. This thought process could be completely incorrect, but I still want it.

 

Ridiculously adorable MacBook decor

(will accept any combination of pink, Hello Kitty, glitter, and/or Disney)

I found most of these things before I had a MacBook or even thought I would ever purchase a MacBook. So to say I want them is a total understatement. Of course I've been dreaming of having a MacBook decked out in a cute cover or decal with a colored keyboard since I knew it existed. Because that's the kind of person I am. You should know this already.

Clarisonic Mia

(in pink, obviously)

My face is not my friend. I rarely have actual acne (read: zits) any more, but my pores are always clogged. I go back and forth on this one because I don't know what will solve the problem and this seems a bit expensive (yes, even for a gift) for something that might not even work.

Various Pandora charms for my bracelet

This one's a given and I will likely receive this exact charm. Why? You can build a wish list directly on the website and send it out. This is at the top of the list and Erik is the kind of person who would pick the first one (or two) without bothering to look at the rest. (Now that I've said this, watch me end up eating my words when he picks another one.)

There are other little things I would also love to get, like all of those cute food-related gifts from Target (like the set of hot chocolate with awesome flavors or the popcorn tin!), nail polish, and money to spend on iTunes. In general, though, I tend to like surprises a lot more because I love when people find things they know I'll love without having a list to go off of.

What do you want for Christmas? Anything big?

P.S. - The winner of my Cake Pops book giveaway is Kate! Check your inbox for details, lovely.

P.P.S. - Don't forget to sign up to get a Christmas card from me (link goes directly to the form)!

Week in Review.

Whew, what a week! Blogging every day is tough when so much is going on. I didn't expect to be so busy but everything should die down by next week, at which point I should have posts with a bit more substance. Because I didn't really touch on all that's going on, here's a recap of my week and a look forward at my weekend.

1. Over the weekend, I went to Erik's and spent time with him and his friends. I watched him play hockey on Saturday morning - I went out for coffee and sat in my car, windows rolled down, while reading and watching them play.
2. On Monday, I stopped over at my cousin's house because she had her appendix out last Friday (which had me worried sick). Her grandparents and college roommate had also stopped by, so it was a nice little gathering. By then, my cousin was up and out of bed a little bit, and we all enjoyed pizza for dinner. I brought her an Edible Arrangements bouquet and also bought a few things at Target that she could do in bed: a coloring book with crayons, a journal and pens, and a puzzle book.
3. I was back there on Tuesday because she was going stir crazy and wanted to watch Christmas movies to give her something to get excited about. We watched The Santa Clause while snuggled up in bed - it was perfect.
4. Wednesday and Thursday were pretty uneventful. As I've mentioned about ten times by now, I'm finishing up my final set of work for my part-time job. It was a small division of a publishing company that they're now dissolving and outsourcing somewhere else. That's what I spent most of those two days doing and finally, the end is in sight!
5. I have a very lazy weekend ahead of me. Erik's coming over today when I get home from work so we can have an at-home date night, then tomorrow I have a dentist's appointment (yuck) at 12:15. After that? Nothing. Well, more work, of course, but I have no other plans. I might just have to go back to my cousin's house for another cuddle session (and to keep her from going nuts from having to be at home all week).

How was your week? What are you doing this weekend?

Friday Four.

Happy first day of November and NaBloPoMo!

Considering the first of the month falls on a Friday, today's post is going to be a simple list of some really awesome things around the internet you should check out.

1. Kayley is a friend of mine from college who set up an Etsy shop for her photography about a year ago. Her stuff is really great – if you're looking for some beautiful nature prints, I would definitely suggest checking out her shop! (Some of my favorites are Glass Lanterns and Take a Seat.)

2. Your Super Awesome Life. Ashley has some really awesome products and programs out there right now, including Motivation Miracle and Cake for Breakfast (aren't those the best names ever?!). I've worked with Ashley before and it's definitely worth the investment in yourself to get her to help light a fire underneath you so you can start working for your best life ever. Not enough room in your budget right now? Sign up for 30 Cups of Magic, a FREE daily helping of inspiration in your inbox. November's theme is gratitude, so get on that list!

3. Spell Block Tango is a YouTube video I stumbled upon on Facebook that combines the magic of Disney villains with the awesomeness of Cell Block Tango. Plus, Amber Riley's in it!

4. My fellow BiSC-uit, Almie, wrote this post on Thought Catalog that made me nod furiously the whole way through. I'm all about making people smile and sometimes, we can be nice to people in such simple ways.

Five Things Friday: Making Me Smile.

{♥}

1. Having the day off from work! We don't have too many of those at my office, but somehow Good Friday made the list. I was incredibly grateful to have the day to relax, take a mid-day nap, and run some errands.
2. The Happier app. It's basically a nifty little combination of Instagram and Twitter where you share moments that made you smile or feel grateful. Plus, you can change the settings so it prompts you up to three times a day to share a happy moment - it's a helpful reminder when life gets busy and it seems like nothing's going right.
3. Buying a new bathing suit. It's primarily for BiSC, but I also plan on having other summer adventures, especially at my aunt's shore house.
4. Flowers from my mom. On Monday I (regrettably) purchased flowers from the local food store, which promptly died Tuesday. I've made this mistake before. My mom got roses from my dad for their "when we met" anniversary, so she gave me a few for my room.
5. Picking up a random book at the library. I went it to return a book I never got around to reading and found one that piqued my interest simply by the cover (above). My urge to read has returned, so I hope to make some time to get through it before it's due (next Friday!).

What's making you smile this week? Happy Friday (and Happy Easter to those who celebrate)!

30 Before 30: Update 1.

When I got hired last April, it turned my world upside down. For three years post-college, I only worked part-time and had become accustomed to a very flexible schedule and a lot of free time. Once I started on the 9-to-5(:30) grind, I had little time and energy left to focus on anything other than work. All of the goals and habits that were in progress dropped off of my radar completely because I was exhausted by my new schedule.

Now that I've been working for almost a year (crazy!), I've settled into my new normal and am finally ready to get back to working on some goals and habits. To tie it in with my return to blogging, I figured I would take a peek at my 30 Before 30 list and see if I'd made any accidental progress. Turns out I did a handful of things without even trying!

Completed Goals

13. Get a job. This one's pretty obvious, so I won't bother explaining.

18. Go see the Radio City Christmas show. I can't say Erik thought of this completely on his own - I told him it was unofficially on my Christmas list - but he was the one who suggested going together and bought the tickets, so he gets the credit for it anyway. Needless to say, I absolutely LOVED it. I teared up when they first came out, geeked out over the full-on tap routine, and squealed with delight when they did the marching soldier routine. I'm 99% sure Erik slept through half of it, but I was in heaven, and we had a really great night in the city just days before Christmas.

29. Buy a smartphone. As soon as I got my job and saved up enough money, my first big purchase was my iPhone. I honestly can't imagine living without it, especially since I'm not really allowed online at my job except for work-related things.

In-Progress Goals

3. Travel by plane. As I've mentioned, the only convenient way for me to get to Vegas for Bloggers in Sin City is by plane, so this will be happening in May.

22. Attend BiSC at least once! My ticket is purchased and I'm cleared for vacation time, so it's pretty much a done deal. Won't cross it off officially until I've hugged dozens of bloggers, though!

Classic Movie Sub-List

I have a list of thirty-seven classic movies, thanks to the help of Erik, friends, and my lovely readers when I asked for suggestions. It's an arbitrary number; initially I said twenty, but the list just happened to come out to thirty-seven. The only one I've watched so far is Edward Scissorhands, and I missed a chunk in the middle because I was at Erik's and we were getting ready to go somewhere while it was on. Obviously I'm not making the best progress here, but I'm going to put a little more effort into watching more of these.

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There's still a lot of progress to be made on this list, but I think I'm doing pretty well considering I didn't put any effort at all into my accomplishments so far. Stay tuned for the return on monthly goals next week for the beginning of April!

Five Things Friday: Excitement.

Christmas and New Years and their respectable Eves are very exciting, of course. They're some of my favorite holidays all squished into two weeks. Here are five other things coming up that I'm super stoked about.

1. My birthday. Duh. Lyndsay and I went on our annual Christmas mall trip and had dinner after, where we discussed how I deserve a huge birthday blow-out. I handed the reins over to her to plan most of the fun stuff and I cannot wait to see what happens. No matter what, I get to wear a tiara, so I'm already completely on board.
2. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Will it shock you to find out that I've never seen the show? I KNOW. It's so "me" and I live an hour away from NYC, but my parents aren't city-goers and so I never went as a kid. I also never got around to it as a young adult. This year, Erik was a sweetheart and got me tickets to the show as an early anniversary gift. I have wanted to be a Rockette my entire life, so I will probably be crying when I see them in person. (This is not an exaggeration; I'm too emotional about everything, especially Christmas things.)
3. The NYC Ballet presentation of The Nutcracker. My friends are my friends for a reason, so when we collectively decided we were OBSESSED with it, Katie, Melissa, and I made plans to go see it. Again, I have never seen a live performance of The Nutcracker, nor have I been to a real, grown-up ballet. Eeeeee!
4. A pre-Christmas manicure and pedicure. Alright, I have honestly been really excited about this one... but I already went! I called yesterday during lunch, positive that I wouldn't get an appointment until the weekend, but she scheduled me for 6:30 that evening. So now I have pretty, red, Christmas-y nails that look fabulous.
5. Our anniversary in Atlantic City. As my gift to Erik for our anniversary, I booked a nice hotel room in AC thanks to LivingSocial. There are few things I enjoy more than staying hotels, though that may be because my parents considered that a "vacation." (Seriously. We'd spend an overnight in Embassy Suites, which is a half hour from home. My parents are clearly shakers and movers.) My last trip to AC with Erik and his friends was short-lived and a little lackluster, so I wanted to go again, just me and him.

What are you looking forward to aside from the holidays?

Five Things Friday: Christmas Edition.

{♥}

There is so, so much I love about Christmas, but there are a few specific things that top the list. I figured it would be fun to share my hands-down favorite things about this season.

1. Chocolate Advent calendars. You know, the cardboard kind with cheap, plastic-looking chocolate inside. This year I found out that Gertrude Hawk and Cadbury make advent calendars... for $12 a pop. What?! No thanks, I'll continue to spend a dollar or two and enjoy the taste of some no-name brand chocolate. I grew up with them and not-so-fondly remember several years where I was taking them as a follow-up to gross, liquid, non-penicillin antibiotics because I got strep every damn year. That memory aside, there was something really exciting about opening each little "door" every day and getting a piece of chocolate.
2. Light displays on houses. I love the crazy, set-to-music light displays as much as the next person, but I'm talking old school here. Whether it's a house that has every. single. square. inch. of their property covered in lights or one that did a really good job using moderation, it brings me so much happiness. When I was little, my mom would drive my brother around at night (in our PJs) and we'd "judge" the houses, pick a favorite, and drop off a pre-written letter.
3. Giving gifts. Listen. I'm going to say that thing that everyone says, but nobody believes anyone actually means it: I adore giving gifts. Do I love getting gifts? Yes, yes I do. But there is something so thrilling about finding the perfect gift and watching with anticipation as someone opens it. That being said, I think I beat Erik this year in our secret battle to buy awesome gifts for each other. I'll be sure to share once we exchange on Christmas Eve.
4. The original, animated Grinch movie. Jim Carey is the man, but the cartoon Grinch movie is the best Grinch movie there ever was, forever and ever, amen.
5. Going to the mall. This may be a side effect of growing up in New Jersey, but going to the mall at Christmastime is An Experience, and I'm not talking about the negative kind where shoppers are aggressive and angry and it makes you hate humanity. (Probably because I go during off-peak hours.) There's something I can't exactly pinpoint that makes a mall trip an integral part of my celebration of Christmas. Maybe it's the decorations, maybe it's the fact that Santa's there, maybe it's all the stores hawking gifts... maybe it's that I've been trained, through movies and TV, to connect walking through a mall with arms full of bags to be a very Christmas-y thing to do. Whatever it is, it gives me all the happy feelings when I'm strolling through the mall.

What's your favorite part about Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate? Or do you hate this time of year?

Life Update.

That was a pretty heavy post to drop on this blog after a nearly two-month-long hiatus, don't you think? I do. Because of that, here's an update of all the things I meant to blog about, but never did.

• Melissa's wedding was fabulously fabulous. There were cute details everywhere, like the book spine guestbook and pancake mix favors (because they met at IHOP, how cute is THAT), and they even had an epic Star Wars light saber battle as their entrance. Can't get better than that, friends.
  
  
  
  
  

• The following weekend was another weekend, this time for Natalie's MOH and BFF, Justine. We had a blast - their friends are all so welcoming and I love spending time with them. There was also a photobooth, unlimited wine refills, and the best cocktail hour food I've had so far.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• After that, life quieted down for a bit. There were some family and friend BBQs, a house party weekend at Erik's, and the dinner cruise this weekend. This past Sunday I had absolutely nothing to do, which was glorious.
  
• I survived a week in July where both of my bosses were gone. Of course, a bunch of random things went wrong and I had to keep calling my boss, but she was happy to help and everything was sorted out by the time she came back. When she did get back, however, she randomly taught me three news things in one week that I needed to learn and do because she was backed up on her work. So I basically had two stressful weeks in a row.
  
• My health has been pretty good lately. Not that I've improved any of my habits, but I rearranged when I take my medicine and it's really helped to make my mornings less stressful.
  
• My feelings about my job have gone back and forth. I want to discuss it here, but am afraid (paranoid?) that someone from work will find it.

What's up with all of you? If you're still reading, that is. I've been hitting "Mark All as Read" a lot in Google Reader - fill me in!

Master List.

I've recently become more and more agitated with the state of my life. While I have taken some steps forward to ease this feeling - applying to jobs, trying to get to bed sooner - it's still not enough.

Last night, my brain was wandering as it is apt to do just when I'm trying to go to bed. (Seriously, my day goes by worry-free and as soon as my head hits the pillow, my mind runs through every problem and stressor in my life. Fun!) I decided I needed a master list of Things I Need To Do to get over my frustration.

Before Natalie's Wedding...

1. Take my sugar-free project as seriously as possible, eat healthier, drink more water. When I make dietary changes, I let myself slide... a lot. This week I'm supposed to be having one sugary treat after dinner, but I've been having waffles (plain) for breakfast and two desserts. While this is an improvement, I would much rather be ahead of schedule than behind. These three steps will help me feel better, which is important for the long run but also so I don't feel like trash on Natalie's wedding day.
   
   
2. Keep applying for jobs. I have made vast improvements here already, but it's still not enough. I take one night a week to scour Craigslist, CareerBuilder, and HigherEdJobs (which is HUGE for me), but I'd like to up this number to at least three days a week.

After the wedding...

1. Go see a new gastroenterologist. I wasn't a fan of my first gastro doctor. He diagnosed me in one 15-minute session, scribbled down a prescription, and sent me on my way. I want to start fresh with someone new and explain a bit more of my story. And although it would be nice to have a prescription to help me get through the tougher days, I'd like a discussion about diet changes and alternative treatments, and maybe even a referral to a therapist.
   
2. Finish up my dental appointments. Right around mid-February, I cancelled a dental appointment and never rescheduled. I have three or four sessions left, but I know if I schedule them soon, that's just one more thing to stress about.
   
3. Keep applying for jobs and hopefully get one. Same goal as above, except I would hope to have some prospects by this point. Otherwise, I would make this my primary focus.

Eventually...

1. See a therapist if necessary. I can never decide if it's my IBS affecting my anxiety or vice versa, so I would have to see how my gastro appointment goes and what happens after that. If I'm still anxious and it's out of my control, I plan to go to therapy.
   
2. Move out. It's hard to know when this would happen because it depends on when I actually get a job and what kind of job it is. I can't really set a goal date or even a general time of year because I won't know until I get a job, see how much I'm making, and research places to live.

Everything listed here is something that eats away at me when I get down on myself. My health, my anxiety, my lack of self-control when it comes to making improvements in my life, and my lack of a job. My hope with this master list is not only to have a general guide, but also to avoid letting everything pile up on me. Putting the focus on two goals before the wedding, for example, will let me off the hook (for now) with worrying about going to a doctor or into therapy.

How do you handle frustration in your life?

January's Moments.

Last year, I saw a cool monthly recap on Stephany's blog that noted one memorable experience from every single day. I loved it so much, but I'm a stickler for doing things all-or-nothing, which meant I had to wait until the new year to start. Here we go!

1 - Ringing in the New Year by watching old-school Nickelodeon shows with Erik.
2 - The Rangers win the Winter Classic! Yay!
3 - We found out my cousin, who has some learning issues and has been struggling to complete her associates degree, will finally graduate in May!
4 - Wine and Doritos with Lyndsay, because we're classy.
5 - Going to the Rangers game to celebrate mine and Erik's anniversary.

6 - Ice skating with our friends Bobby and Kim.
7 - My party! Drinking a whole bottle of wine, dancing to Shakira with Erik in Just Dance, seeing almost all of my friends, getting tons of great gifts.
8 - Erik getting me Dunkin Donuts for my birthday breakfast.
9 - Using my new nail buffer from Lyndsay. My nails were so pretty after.
10 - Rewarding myself for going to the dentist with my first Essie nail polish (Power Clutch).

11 - I had lunch with my grandparents and aunt, and they brought me cannoli cake. Yum.
12 - Hanging out with "the guys" (Erik and his friends).
13 - Date night with Kim to see Beauty & the Beast in 3D.
14 - Epic wine night with Lyndsay, which included lots of bonding.
15 - Giants win!
16 - Going out for fro yo and getting my go-to combo: vanilla with Oreo pieces.
17 - Video chatting with Erik.
18 - Finally applying to some jobs!
19 - Trying something new at half-off apps night at Applebees - I got the chicken wonton tacos and they were pretty good.
20 - Having the giggles with Erik (there may or may not have been alcohol involved).
21 - Hot chocolate with breakfast.
22 - GIANTS WIN AND ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!

23 - Braving work even though I wasn't feeling well.
24 - Getting chores done.
25 - I took an epic nap after my failed dentist appointment.
26 - Finding a top at Target to complete an outfit I was thinking of.
27 - Chinese food dinner date with Erik.
28 - The NHL All-Star skills competition. It was hilarious, especially during the breakaway competition - they all did really fancy (or silly) shots. Loved it.

29 - January's #twookclub chat
30 - I'm watching HIMYM for the first time (from the start) and I finished Season 1.
31 - Michael Jackson Glee episode!

What were some memorable moments from your January?

Five Things.

Five Things... I did this week that were out of my comfort zone:

1. Spoke up about my anxiety at the dentist so that they didn't keep me in the chair for more than an hour (even though I ended up having my appointment canceled due to a mix-up).
2. Bought something risque at Spencer's for Valentine's Day. Nothing too crazy, but enough to make me a teensy bit uncomfortable at the check-out counter.
3. Made a 30 Before 30 list and published it (which means now I actually have to stick to it).
4. Commented on this post by Nicole, which is a makeshift resource party. In the comments, everyone listed one or two big goals they had this year and anyone who could help responded.
5. Told Erik that we need to have a discussion about something that's been bugging me.

Five Things is a new semi-regular series to recap five things that happened in my week. I say semi-regular because these will only pop up when I can figure out five relatable things from any given week. (Also, spell-check is telling me relatable isn't a word. It's totes is, I Googled it.)

What have you done this week (or recently) that was out of your comfort zone?

30 Before 30.

For the longest time, I avoided the idea of Life Lists (and all similar lists) because I don't really live an adventurous life. I know that the point of such lists is to gently push yourself out of your comfort zone, but I always assumed I would never muster up enough courage or effort to get through the list.

In the past year or so, however, I toyed with the idea of making a 30 Before 30 list. To me, 30 tasks in five years is doable. Once I let go of the idea that I had to make a list containing outrageous tasks - like traveling overseas or skydiving - I felt like it was a much better idea.

So without further ado, here is my 30 Before 30 list:

1. Go to dinner by myself
2. Go to a movie by myself
3. Travel by plane
4. Take a weekend getaway with Erik
5. Learn to knit
6. Buy a sewing machine
7. Go to a(nother) major sporting event (this was on the list in my head before I went to see the New York Rangers, so it's on my list to go to something else)
8. Learn to make 10 meals well enough that I don't need the recipe
9. Open at Etsy shop (or sell crafty goods in some fashion)
10. Move out
11. Watch 20 "classic" movies
12. Go to disney
13. Get a job
14. Work in the event/wedding planning industry
15. Take a yoga class
16. Go to a dance convention/master class
17. Go to the tree lighting/Thanksgiving Day parade/4th of July fireworks/NYE in NYC (because I couldn't pick and I'm setting the bar low to go to at least one of these)
18. Go see the Radio City Christmas show
19. Go see a show on broadway
20. (Re-)Learn spanish
21. Host a dinner party
22. Attend BiSC at least once!
23. Start a Roth IRA
24. Save $10,000 for a down payment on a house
25. Get a tattoo
26. Watch Friends & Sex and the City from start to finish (I've never seen either all the way through!)
27. Go on six "real" dates with Erik a year (our "date" nights are usually staying in, or going out with a group of friends; by "real" dates I mean dinner/movie/activity together, just the two of us)
28. Take a pole dancing class
29. Buy a smartphone
30. Save $5,000 for a wedding

There you have it! I want to give a quick thanks to Allison for answering my tweet for some list inspiration - the last seven or eight were inspired by her list, which you can check out here.

I hope to blog about things as I complete them. I mean, some of them will be a given, considering I wouldn't miss out on blogging about going to Disney, my first plane ride, or going to BiSC. Of course, let's also see if I'm still blogging in five years! I hope to be, but you never know.

Birthday Confessions.

My birthday is still four days away, but as you'll find out in my confessions, today is the middle of my birthday week! In the spirit of that, I decided to share some birthday confessions.

• I treat the whole week as my "birthday week." As soon as the excitement of New Year's dies down - usually on January 2nd - I launch into birthday mode. It's not really something I advertise; mostly, it's me celebrating myself. Sometimes it means dressing up for work (I never do and I like dressing up), stopping at Starbucks for a latte, or taking myself shopping for something small. Or sometimes it's just as simple as wearing my pink 'birthday princess' tiara around the house all week.
• I love getting gifts! Christmas, for me, is honestly more about the excitement of giving gifts. Yes, I enjoy receiving my Christmas gifts, but I'm usually focusing on the reaction of other people opening my gifts. For my birthday, it's all about me, and I can't lie when I say I really revel in it.
• Checking the mail becomes my hobby for the week. Our mail comes between 1 and 3pm, so during those hours, I keep peeking out the window to see if I can spot the mailman.
• For the third year in a row, I'm throwing myself a birthday party. It's always really great because all of my friends come over and it's like a big catch-up session between everyone. Plus, I love having everyone who's important to me in the same room. I look forward to it all year.
• This year I wanted to do something special for my 25th birthday, but I dropped the ball. My friend Ashley went to Disney World for hers, and while I wouldn't do something that big, I wanted to maybe go to the Poconos, Medieval Times, or even just the local club-like bar to go dancing. I ended up getting busy and the logistics were too much to work out, so it's back to my basic birthday party.
• Facebook birthday greetings make me so happy. I know some people think they're impersonal because random people you don't talk to comment on your page and most people wouldn't remember if not for Facebook, but I can't help smiling at all the notifications popping up all day long.

Bullet List Friday.

{♥}

Happy Friday everyone!

I'm running on five hours of sleep and am buried in holiday-related to-do lists. In the spirit of that, this blog post will also contain a list... a Bullet List, that is! Everyone's favorite!

What I've been up to:

• My obsession with Hello Kitty is coming back. I say 'coming back' because I used to love HK in high school. It was my 'thing,' which basically meant I carried around a lot of HK paraphernalia and my friends always gifted me with more. Once I packed up and headed to college, an affinity for Tinkerbell eventually replaced HK. Slowly but surely, I'm growing to love all things Hello Kitty again - I saw a Hello Kitty microwave at Target the other day and nearly died. True story.
• On Tuesday night I made all of my Christmas cards! I just need to pick up some envelopes and write them out, then they'll be on their way. You can still get in on this - click here to jump to the form.
• Last night, Erik and I had a major disagreement (okay, call it an argument if you will, but I think that's a dirty word). We eventually worked it out, realizing along the way that we handle our anger and emotions in nearly identical ways (the jury's still out on whether that's a good or bad thing). More importantly, it was one of those fights that forced us to peel back some layers and by the end of it, I felt like we were closer because of it.
• I successfully spent $100 less on Christmas gifts for friends and family this year than I did last year. I felt really proud of myself. Of course, I quickly realized that the $100 difference was spent on Erik's gifts... at least I didn't spend more than last year? That's good, right?
• There are still a few Christmas movies I haven't watched yet this year and somehow, they're all of my favorites - The Nutcracker, Love Actually, and The Grinch (the original cartoon). How have I not watched these sooner?! I will definitely be remedying this immediately.

Playing Favorites.

On the list of BEDS topics, the first few are about our favorite things. Since I like common themes and I didn't use any of those topics on those days, I'm going the first five prompts.

Your favorite song
My love of music is far too expansive for me to only pick one favorite, so here are three: Only the Good Die Young by Billy Joel; The Middle by Jimmy Eat World; Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson.

Your favorite movie
I'll list my top five, just for kicks -- Ferris Bueller's Day Off; Dirty Dancing; Grease; Anchorman; Centerstage.

Your favorite television program

So You Think You Can Dance?

Your favorite book
It's a tie between the Harry Potter series (if I had to pick a favorite, I'd go with Deathly Hallows) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

Your favorite quote
"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." -- Ferris Bueller

Share some of your favorites in the comments - pick one or answer them all! I'm curious.

Wine and Love [Vol. 9].

 hosted by Nora!

Filling my wine glass...

• A couple rough days health-wise after the wedding. Like I mentioned, I had underlying anxiety and once everything was over, my body was done. I'd hoped to get my health in line for that exact reason because I'm tired of having to have "recovery days" after big events, but I didn't get it under control in time.
  
• It was really hot yesterday. No hotter than it's been all summer, but since we'd started to settle into autumn temperatures, yesterday's hot and humid weather wasn't fun.

Filling my heart...

• Playing Mario Party with E, even though I lost big time.
  
• Fall television! E and I watched Up All Night (we loved it) and I can't wait for the rest of the premieres, especially Glee, The New Girl, Modern Family, Castle, and maybe even some Dancing with the Stars, if I can put up with it.
  
• I got a pumpkin spice frappuccino on Saturday and it was glorious.
  
• Making cheesecake for the first time and having it be a big success! I was worried the consistency and/or flavor would be off, but it tastes just like we bought it from a bakery. (Recipe here, from Bakerella!)

Wine and Love [Vol. 7].

...hosted by Nora!

Filling up my wine glass...

• Hurricane Irene. We were actually really fortunate because we had pretty much no damage or flooding. The worst was that our basement flooded very slightly around the perimeter and we lost internet/cable for most of the day on Sunday. But it just threw a wrench in all of my plans and was extremely tiring, because we expected, worried about, and prepared for much worse.
  
  
• When I babysat in high school, my primary client was a family with three kids who live down the street. Since they were also my neighbors, I hung out with them all the time, both before and during my time as their babysitter. The oldest one graduated high school in June and went to boot camp recently, and his sister just put up on Facebook that he's having a really tough time (the upperclassmen apparently chose him as one of their targets to pick on the most). It just breaks my heart because they're like my babies - I still remember him being my partner in helping corral his younger brother and sister and it hurts me to know that he's struggling.
  
  
• I have made pretty much zero progress on getting back to a healthy schedule. I mean, I've scaled back my wake-up time to before noon (yeah, that's how bad it was), but my eating is still way off and I haven't been feeling any better. From here on out, my only plans are for this weekend - the bachelorette party and some quiet time down the shore with Ash - and I'm really putting myself on a strict schedule and diet.

Filling up my heart...

• On Friday, during my visit to see E, we hung out with his friends and played drinking games all night. I'm usually not so great because I never drank in high school or college, but I was doing pretty well and holding my own. It's a silly thing to be proud about, but I am.
  
  
• Yesterday I went to the library after not having visited in such a long time. As I walked out with my books and put them in the backseat of my car, I was overcome with nostalgia about summers past. When I was a kid, they had reading challenges at the library so I would go every week, leaving with an armful of books into the humid summer air and piling into my mom's car.
  
  
• E moved back into school on Tuesday! We took immediate advantage - I headed over there after work to meet his friends and hang out in a dorm room (memories!), then he came home with me and slept over my place. These next few months are going to be amazing.
  
  
• Last week I picked up my bridesmaid dress for BFF Wedding #1! I can't believe how close we're getting... it's only eight days away. I can't deal.
  
  
• The weather post-Irene has been gorgeous here. I've been laying out every day for a little while in the hopes I'll pick up some color so that I don't look like a ghost at the wedding. And surprisingly, it's actually been working!
  

Where I've Been.

At the Ke$ha concert last Friday with Lynds and two of her friends.

I’ve become inadvertently pretty busy these days, except not with anything super crazy. It’s a mix of the following:

• VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August). Not that making videos itself takes a lot of time, but editing them takes a bit of time and watching and commenting on others’ videos takes up a bunch of time. When I’m not reading blogs, I’m watching vlogs. (And loving it, by the way.) Check out my channel here.
  
  
• Wedding fever. Okay, I know I mention the upcoming wedding of one of my best friends a lot, but you must understand that I am wedding obsessed in general, and this is the first wedding I've actually attended, never mind the fact that it's someone to whom I am really close. Being a bridesmaid is a lot of fun for me, and I’ve been busy with dress fittings, finding shoes, finding a good strapless bra (arguably the hardest part), putting together a special gift, and planning the logistics of that weekend.
  
  
• Time with friends. I’ve recently: had a girls night with Lyndsay; seen the Glee 3D movie with Ashley; baked cupcakes and gushed about wedding details with Melissa; went to a Ke$ha concert with Lyndsay and her friends; watched the SYTYCD finale with Ashley.
  
  
• Time with E. I typically spend at least half of every weekend with him, since that’s the only time I get to see him. Luckily, he’ll be back at school starting next week, meaning he’ll be a twenty minute drive from me! Of course, that likely just means we’ll spend more time together.
  
  
• Working and doing chores. I’ve been doing my best to pick up as many hours as possible at my part-time job so I can keep up with wedding costs. The job hunt is on hold because I'm trying to keep my anxiety levels low as we get into the last two weeks leading up to the wedding. Also, in lieu of paying my parents rent, I do odd jobs around the house. Recently I let my hours fall by the wayside (I’m supposed to clock five per week), so I’ve been doing a ton of things from yard work to scrubbing the shower to re-painting the banisters.

So basically, life got in the way of blogging. Which is totally acceptable, but I miss it a lot. Once VEDA ends and the wedding is over (in two weeks!), I should be back to a more normal posting schedule.

In the meantime, tell me what you've been up to! I've been trying to stay up-to-date on blogs, but catch me up anyway.

monday is for bullet lists.

• This month, in an effort to be more connected to the blogosphere, I'm participating in VEDA, which stands for Vlog Every Day in August. (Never heard of it? Go here to get the info and sign up if you'd like!) I rarely vlog - I've only done it twice - but I've always wanted to do it more often, so this is the perfect way to accomplish that goal. Plus? I think it's going to be super fun. I won't be posting many (or any) videos here, unless I find one particularly worth sharing. If you aren't participating but still want to follow along, click here and subscribe to my channel.
  
  
• I'm coming off of another awesome weekend today. After an afternoon of (successful!) shopping, I headed to E's house on Saturday and we went to a graduation/birthday/new job party for one of his friends. It was a laid-back barbecue, so I spent most of my time lounging in lawn chairs with a beer in my hand, watching the boys plan Kan Jam and bonding with a few of E's friends. On Sunday, we slept in and spent the early afternoon hours snuggling in bed, E with his new Macbook, showing me all the cool stuff on it, and me with my crappy Dell laptop, enviously glaring at him. We headed out to meet Natalie, her fiance, and a couple of their friends for dinner, a last-minute addition and great end to our weekend.
  
  
• My youngest cousin turned seventeen yesterday and I just feel so old. Being seven years older than him, I can vividly remember playing with and taking care of him when my mom babysat. The fact that he now has a job, will be able to drive, towers over me, has gotten past the awkward teenager phase and now hugs me when I see him? I can't deal with it. He needs to stop growing up.
  
  
• I've restarted my sugar fast, although this weekend I definitely cheated. A lot. I got through Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday without any at all. On Friday, plans fell through with E and I got moody about it, so I splurged and had an ice pop. Saturday I had two cookies, and Sunday I went all-out and had a green tea frappuccino from Starbucks, two cookies, a Kit Kat bar, and some peach rings. Whoops. I plan to start it up again tomorrow and go most (or all) of the week without it.
  

wine and love [vol. 6].

hosted by Nora!

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Hand me the wine glass...

• For whatever reason, we've had an influx of bugs in our house. Not a crazy amount - it's not like we have an infestation or need to call an exterminator - but over the past week, there have been about four or five, found either in the den or my bedroom. They're all the same type of bug and I'm getting really tired of them flying around suddenly and scaring the crap out of me.
  
  
• When I was painting my room, I did a sloppy job around the edges and got some of the purple paint I was using on the ceiling. So, I went to touch it up... only to find out it's not the same color. I thought my ceiling was white, but I was mistaken, because I touched it up with white and the shades don't match. Which means I get to repaint the whole thing, and that's just a royal pain in the ass.
  
  
• I weighed myself the other day and I it turns out I lost about three pounds since last month. The reason this is on the wine list is because I really shouldn't be losing weight -- I'm already skinny as it is and dipping below the 120-pound mark (I'm 5'7") makes me uncomfortable. More worrisome is that I can't tell if it's from changing my eating habits (more fruits/veggies/protein and less pasta/bread) or if my IBS is getting that bad that I'm losing weight from it, which really wouldn't be good.
  

Things I'm loving...

• I've reached this point in my relationship with E where... I feel really secure, I guess is the best way to put it. I've stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop and wondering if my quirks or flaws are going to drive him away. It's a really great feeling.
  
  
• Speaking of my relationship, sometimes I still have to pinch myself to make sure this is real life. I'm a pretty lucky girl, I must say (and a happy one, too).
  
  
• I applied for my dream job last week. It involves working with students on a college campus to plan activities and events, which is basically what I was doing in college (I was part of the Residence Hall Association). And the icing on the cake? I would get free housing... and the campus is mere minutes away from E's house. Obviously I'm most excited about the job, but I can't help adding an extra bit of giddiness at the prospect of living about twenty minutes from my boyfriend. Please cross your fingers that I get an interview and that they love me!
  
  
• Aside from the mismatched ceiling paint, I absolutely love the color I picked for my room. Eventually I'll stop being lazy and take some pictures to compare the before and after.
  
  
• Even though we've had really hot weather here, I've been able to manage without air conditioning at night. Instead, I open my window, put on my fan for a breeze, and fall asleep to the peaceful sound of the crickets chirping outside.
  
  
• I picked up my shoes for BFF Wedding #1 (which is the nickname I've given Danielle's wedding in September; #2 is Natalie's in April, and #3 is Melissa's). I welcome any opportunity where new shoes are a necessity, because then I don't feel guilty about buying them.