Just a Quick Hello

So I've been so busy with the move and everything that I haven't really had time for blotting and these apartment doesn't have internet yet (is typing on her phone). But I was sitting here munching my lunch and thinking about something very near and dear to my heart: the tomato. It is by far my favorite fruit/berry. I love them so much I like to just eat them raw like apples! They're. So versatile and awesome. So, next time you see a tomato give it a good comp and enjoy its raw perfection and mid of textures.

I'll he back soon with the info and stories from the move.

Under the Weather

Ok... so I haven't been up for writing much lately. I think I have some kind of flu. I woke up this morning with a headache that has yet to go away. I slept for most of the day (which of course means I got very little done). So when I woke up again at five (had been in and out of bed all day) I decided that I had to get something done. I called in to work today because I had a fever and spent the morning throwing up but I haven't had any stomach problems since around 1 and my fever broke at around 3. So I've been packing and doing dishes since then (I want to get everything clean for moving).

I haven't really done anything blog-worthy lately (sick isn't a good blogging topic) so instead I wanted to go on Etsy today and pick out five things that I would love to have for the new apartment. But I'm only going to do three. Ready? Here we go...

The Good Kind of Dishes

Maybe it's mostly because I've been doing the wrong kind of dishes for the past hour or so but this tea towel by dearcolleen really speaks to me. I'm major Colin Firth fan and happen to be obsessed with costume drama movies (insert girly flutterings and flailings here). It's absolutely darling (and true) and comes in blue and pink. It's a steal for $15 and will make a lovely addition to my kitchen! (whether to hubs likes it or not! (foot+down)

Tea Time!

Have I ever mentioned my love of Scandinavian style and design? No? I love it! Maybe it's because my family is Norwegian (I'm a third generation American). My grandmother's house used to have all sorts of Scandinavian goodies from her parents and family. And every Christmas we make julekake (Christmas Bread), sandbakkels (molded cookies), and krumkake (crunchy cone-shaped cookies). So tasty! But two weeks before my wedding in 2009 my grandmother's house burnt down and with it a lot of family treasures. But this print reminds me of some of the things she used to have in the kitchen! It's a lovely print by Czech graphic designer Jan Skácelík. It's $15 for a signed print. Hopefully I'll be able to grab one soon.

Dream of Paris

This is a super fun little lamp! When it's turned off you've got a lovely minimalistic picture of a vintage tandem bicycle... but when you turn it on you're suddenly transported to a romantic bike ride with your special someone through the streets of Paris! Well not really but it does display a beautiful image of the Eiffel Tower. The fact that the lamp is great either way just makes it that much better. There are plenty of these dazzling little "hidden message" lamps at the Etsy store Czechpub. And they're all very moderately priced. this little baby will only set you back $38!

Alright! I've done it. I think today was still pretty much a waste but at least I can say I got a little done. Maybe I can motivate myself to pack just one more box before bedtime. after all tomorrow is the one-week-until-moving mark.

Finds and Farewells

So today was my day off with Shawn. Since we did so much on Tuesday we wanted to take it easy (on our wallet) today. We did get lunch at a local po'boy shop and afterward headed to Goodwill to search around the mixed up and befuddled knick-knacks and kitsch looking for mixed flatware and colored glassware.

I ended up with a pretty good assortment of pieces. All stainless steel, but achieving the desired effect none-the-less.

Forks were surprisingly scarce but knives were plentiful...

They need some cleaning up but they're all in decent condition. The forks I will have to search more for. I'll visit the flea market this weekend to see what I can find.

While searching through assorted junk (with potential) I found an awesome mail organizer!

So lovely!

It's actually plastic!

There were no colored glasses. I honestly couldn't believe it. I remember there always being some cheesy colored glassware. Why is it that as soon as I want it, it's gone. (#notwinning)

Also in the "unwin" category was the fact that I had to pass up and say "farewell" one of the loveliest couches I've seen in a while. (a while being since I was a kid and my grandmother threw out the one she had that was just like it). For a whopping $50 this baby could have been mine (it's a sleeper too!). But the gods of logistics  were not smiling on me today as my poor little VW Beetle-Bug is ill-equipped for transporting large (and small) furniture.

what a beautiful disaster

Again the official diet is presently on hiatus but I didn't do so horribly today. We had po'boys for lunch and stew for dinner (I had carrots and cucumber for breakfast). I'll be back to work tomorrow and hopefully I can make up for the other day of no-sale awfulness. Until then...

The Kitchen and Why It Hates Me

I have truly put off doing any planning for our upcoming new kitchen because I get so mixed up and don't know what I want to do! So here are my ideas currently for the kitchen:

 

www.anthropologie.com

I fell in love with these glasses from anthropologie but couldn't imagine having only one. So instead I wanted to get all of them in all their various colors! They're adorable and I think it would liven up the kitchen a bit.

www.anthropologie.com

My husband and I both gave a kind of joyful cry/yelp/gasp when we saw this dinnerware collection. I can't help but feel that these plates were meant for us.

www.modcloth.com

I know it may seem overly simple but I adore this drying rack and it's antiquey look and feel. It's light and decorative which is something I look for in most things.

www.urbanoutfitters.com

This rug pretty much embodies everything I want my kitchen/dining area to be. It's colorful, serene, elegant, and somehow playful. I must have it.

So the only problem now is for me to decide whether or not all these things can go together harmoniously. As for flatware I had simply planned on looking through antique shops and thrift store for old mismatched pieces of silverware. Should make for an interesting... dun Dun DUN... collection (Sound the alarm! The pack rat is at it again!)

So those are my ideas on that. Until next time...

Catching Up

Well I haven't done any updating since Sunday. It's been kind of crazy around here. I'm not sure I'll remember everything but I'll give it a go.

Sunday didn't go as amazingly as I had hoped work wise. I only ended up with 2 sales, didn't pack anything, and didn't get the plan for the kitchen approved. I don't remember what I ate that day.

Monday was not fantastic either. Sales were slow and nothing got packed. Luckily both days I got a bit of exercise in with the help of my PS3. But I feel bad for not having the time to take Chase for his super walks yet this week.

Tuesday I was off from work and so was the hubs! So we decided to have a day of fun! We went to see the movie The King's Speech, it was wonderful! And then we went to an LSU baseball game (but the game was a pretty slow one). On the way home we got Jack in the Box and had a good time.

Today I got no sales and really fell off of the diet. I'm trying to not do much grocery shopping right now because moving day will be fast upon us (the 15th) and I'd rather not have to move all kinds of food. So, we're gonna try to eat what we already have in the house which will mean a week or so without the SlimFast shakes... just well portioned food.

I was also thinking of adding a good metabolic enhancer to my diet and exercise but need to do more research on it. I want to make sure it's healthy (and likely to work) before I buy it.

Tomorrow Shawn and I both have the day off again so we hope to get a lot of stuff packed and ready to go. I have tons of laundry to do (and bag) and I also hope to get all the dishes (minus one or two for us to continue to use) packed.

And about the kitchen plan... I think I'll hold off a little while. I think I might focus on the bedroom first which is going to be quite the arts and crafts project! Look forward to it! (I'll post a plan for it soon)

Well that about catches us up! I'll write more tomorrow!

Still Waiting...

Well yesterday was not as fabulous as it should have been but it wasn't bad either. I stuck to the diet...

1. SlimFast
2. banana
3. bento
4. applesauce
5. carrots
6. SlimFast

...and I did ok at work. I got a bunch of boxes packed and I got some time in with Hubby. Also, seeing as I can't stop myself from thinking of the new apartment and how great it will be (most anything is better than where we are now in the white trash ghetto... the price was right when we moved in but it has long outlived it's usefulness).

So I've been trying to come up with plans to decorate the main rooms. A sort of room by room theme, if you will. The only one so far that has been successfully finished with the Hubs approval has been the living room. So without further ado.... here is my base plan for the living room (items from www.googleproducts.com and www.urbanoutfitters.com):

 

Anyway so that's the plan so far for the living room. Next I'm working on a plan for the kitchen.
I found some adorable things I'd like to incorporate on anthropologie.com but nothing the Hubs has approved yet.

So today's goals are:

1. stick to the diet
2. make at least 4 sales
3. get some exercise in
4. pack more (can only happen if I can get more boxes from work because I ran out of boxes)
5. finalize a plan for the Kitchen

Ciao!

End of the Month Blues

They're not the blues people sing about. I'm not sad... just anxious. I want to move into the new apartment. I want to get started on a fresh month of sales. I'm totally over February.

So today went well diet wise. Here's the food list:

1. SlimFast shake
2. banana
3. SlimFast shake
4. apple
5. Yaki Soba (470cal)
6. popcorn (butterless; 2 cups)
7. half of a tamagoyaki (50 cal)

I also had some time to make myself a bento for tomorrow's lunch. Wanna see a picture? Of course you do!

rice, soboro, tamagoyaki, carrot, and cucumber

I still need some practice with my bento-ing. But, I'll hopefully get better.

I finished watching Skip Beat!. The end of the series is such an awful cliff hanger that it makes me angry. I hate it when I'm just getting into the story and suddenly there's no more. i.e. A Song of Fire and Ice (books) by George R.R. Martin. Quite possibly the best books I have ever laid my eyes on. I love them. Problem is... it's an incomplete series and he hasn't published anything else for it in 6 years. A little piece of me died the day I found out I would have to wait to find out whether or not Sandor and Sansa will ever be together.

Anyway I'm kind of tired and still have to get up in the morning and pack some more so I'll set my goals for tomorrow and then say "goodnight".

Tomorrow I'd like to:

1. Make another bento
2. pack at least 3 boxes
3. make at least 5 sales
4. do laundry
5. go jogwalking
6. Give Chase a bath

Goodnight!

Three Days of Less than Great

Ok... so here comes the dreaded time on my blog when I have to own up for being bad. I haven't had much time to blog the last couple of days, but Let's start with Tuesday.

Tuesday went really well. I sold a ton at work (Almost made my 5 sale goal) and stuck to my diet (mostly). Until the end of the day. Here's my food log for Tuesday:

1. SlimFast shake
2. banana
3. Sonic Chicago Dog (sans peppers), tater tots (ketchup), diet Dr. Pepper
4. applesauce
5. carrot sticks
6. SlimFast shake
7. pizza!

Had I known that the Hubs was at home making pizza from scratch I wouldn't have had that evening SlimFast shake. I also got pretty much nothing accomplished outside of work that day.

As for Wednesday, I had the day off so I got up early and took Chase (dog) to the park. We walk/jogged our 2 miles and then I went to meet with the Property manager at the apartment complex we're moving into to see the apartment. It was great! Just what we need.

However, I forgot to go to the post office and pick up some mail. And I forgot to renew my driver's license. Luckily I was able to renew my DL online avoiding a trip to the DMV. After the meeting at the apartment I went home and watched a crap load of Skip Beat! (cute so far but lacking a major romance). And did nothing else. I seriously got absolutely nothing accomplished until Shawn got home from work. Then I gave the dog a bath and packed one box. ~.~;

I mostly stuck to the diet yesterday having:\

1. SlimFast shake
2. applesauce
3. SlimFast shake
4. tagomoyaki
5. carrots
6. Chinese Food (I know it had to have been more than 500 cal)

As for today... It's been pitiful. This morning we put the deposit on the apartment so as long as our credit/background check goes well we'll be moving on March 15th. But then I got to work and haven't sold ANYTHING. This is the first time I can say that. It's so depressing. I really wanted to rock today but there's been hardly any in-store traffic and all the people I've talked to were "just looking". The diet has gone ok-ish.

1. SlimFast shake
2. applesauce
3. Burger King (more than 500c ~.~)
4. banana
5. cucumber
6. SlimFast shake

And in all three days I haven't meditated once. I feel awful. I'm honestly surprised it's got me down this badly. I simply have to resolve to accept nothing less than awesome tomorrow! I will be ruthless! Tomorrow I will sell. And I will meditate (I think it would help with my mood).

Until then...

2/21 Recap

Well I didn't have time to write my recap yesterday so here it is!

I worked most of the day so ther wasn't a ton of time to get stuff done in. However, I did have a pretty good day at work. I'm really getting the hang of sales, I think.

I didn't exercise yesterday other than walking around at work. I do feel bad about that. I also didn't have any good time for meditation. Shawn had the evening off so after work I spent most of the time just hanging out with him.

He bought FIFA 2010 and came home with Little Big Planet 2 for me with the new PS Move controller! The new LBP2 is so fun! I'm loving the cake/lace/victorian/steampunk levels!!! My pod shall resemble this.

If you're reading this and want to play you can add me on the PSN. My screen name is CupcakeBomb.

I also thought it would be a good idea to start keeping track of what I eat each day here on the blog. Seems a convenient place. So yesterday's meals consisted of:

1. SlimFast shake
2. applesauce
3. SlimFast shake
4. banana
5. half a patty melt sandwich
6. weight watchers 100cal ice cream

I don't have any pictures today. Sorry!

Alright well now onto the today list for today:

1. Go walk/jogging
2. stick very closely to diet
3. cook some basics to stock in the freezer for bentos
4. clean my bathroom/bedroom
5. do some packing
6. make at least 5 sales at work

That's it! Talk to you guys later!

A Little More; A Little Less

Ok. So... of all the things I planned to accomplish today here's what actually happened:

1. Went to the park with Chase (dog) and walked/jogged 2 miles.
2. Had dinner with Shawn (husband)
3. Cleaned a little (a very little)
4. Dyed my hair
5. bought some groceries
6. Finished watching Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama! (10/10 on the awesome I-Love-Shoujo! Scale)

And the ever present list of things that didn't get done:

1. Meditation (Really need to work on making this a daily thing)
2. Cooking (Shawn will be home for dinner tomorrow so I'll have a meal shake for lunch instead of a bento)
3. More cleaning
4. Packing for the move

All in all I think it was a good. day. I'm still fawning over Maid-Sama! It was a great story! Now I need to find something just as awesome to watch next. I was thinking maybe Kare Kano.

Here are some pictures from the (moderately) awesome day I had:

Added the blond stripe in the front.

Walking on the nature trail!

IDEA: Glass Bottle Windchimes

I have always loved the idea of hanging tons of colored glass bottles from a nice big tree! They would catch the light, and be generally very pretty (I think anyway but I can't find an example picture so it might be just me). But, if I made each bottle into a sort of mobile they could be musical as well!

The idea would be to

1. drill two holes in the lip of the bottle to run a string through for hanging
2. fill bottle with water (tune to whatever note I want)
3. Cap bottle
4. Run string through holes
5. fill holes with silicon to stop the water from evaporating or rainwater getting in.
6. Hang bottle from the center of a 6 inch rod
7. on each end of the rod hang a small metal object (like a spoon or an old key)
8. Then hang the horizontal rod with the three objects from a tree branch that will have an ok amount of movement (nothing too crazy though I don't want the bottle to break)

The idea is that when the wind blows the branch with sway causing to the spoon or what have you to bump into the glass bottle making a lovely chime sound in whatever note I've tuned it to!

Sounds super fun! -files away idea for later-

Sans Introduction

Needless to say... I am not a writer. I have no journalism degrees or any experience to speak of. This will simply be a place to chronicle ideas and progressions in my life.

Presently I have 3 major goals in mind:

1. Lose 100lbs
2. Convert to Buddhism
3. Make super cute (and healthy) bento lunches.

My life is simple. I sleep, eat, work, repeat. But, in that space I do have plenty of thinking time. For example, today I was thinking on the subject of light and what an interesting phenomenon it is. Simple thoughts catch my interest and carry me away as I try to explain them to myself.

I'm generally rather quiet so this will be my place of sharing.

Anyway so today I had my first real bento lunch in my new bento box (a pretty blue set from ho no ka that I got from J-List). I had white rice, egg tamagoyaki, beef soboro, carrot kinpira, and some pumpernickel bread. I would've taken a picture but I forgot.

This morning I also tried to do a loving-kindness mediation but I struggled a little. I'll try again tomorrow and will hopefully have better results. I'm almost done reading the little beginner's guide to Buddhism I have. www.buddhanet.net has some audio files of lectures and guided meditations. Hopefully I can listen to those and further my knowledge some more.

Also in the plans for tomorrow... the park! I thought about taking Chase to the dog park but I really need to jog a bit and even though he gets plenty of exercise there, I don't get much. We'll do the dog park another day.

So long for now!