Veggies on my doorstep

I have so much I've been meaning to blog about. I didn't even write about my experience at New York Fashion Week, mainly because I haven't bothered to upload the photos from my camera!

And I have a bajillion other things going on. Like my yoga class finished. And I survived! I've even gone so far as to do yoga at home. Yep. Seriously. And my book arts class is still going. Check these bad boys out.









I wish I could find more time to make books, but I've been feeling really overwhelmed at home. I don't know why. I haven't actually been overly busy. I think the winter has gotten to me. All I want to do is sleep. I really need to change my habits. I'm starting to get frustrated with how messy I am too. It's like every day there's a new pile to clean up, but I get lazy and leave it. Did my motivation fade with the warm weather last year? I can only hope it'll return with spring!

In my quest to change my life for the better, I decided to order some organic food. And because I love shopping online, that's exactly what I did. I ordered a trial bitty box from Door to Door Organics. This means two things. I have to start eating fruits and veggies. And I have to learn how to prepare them. Ugggggghhhhhh. But hey, it's worth a shot. And maybe I'll even like some of them!


Anyway, I have more things to post, so hopefully I'll get around to it sooner or later. Happy March!

Wii Will Rock You!

I finished my second yoga class yesterday. I was proud of myself when I saw how many people dropped the class. And you know what? I didn't hurt half as bad this time. In fact, I feel like I might even stretch a little throughout the week. Rob asked me to accompany him to Dick's today, so I picked up some yoga blocks and a yoga strap while I was there. I'm doin' this!

I've been meaning to share something else with you guys. A few weeks ago, Katie from the ridiculously awesome Broken Umbrellas blog (of which I had submitted my own broken umbrella photo to in the past) sent me an email. She was hosting a "Wii Party" for area bloggers and asked if I'd like to join in on the fun. After getting some details, I realized it's a "marketing" party, put on by the fine people representing Nintendo. We get some goodies in exchange for spreading the word about the products.

Well, they picked the right person because I am a Wii proponent! You might remember my post from when we bought our Wii back in January 2008. This is the only system I've owned since the original NES, and I love it.

So I went to the party last weekend, and it was a great time! Great people, great food, great games. And even though I've had my Wii for two years (exactly yesterday), I learned a few things I never knew. First, for some reason, I never downloaded the internet channel. So all these times Rob and I huddled around my 12" iBook to watch a Youtube video, I could have just put it on our tv. Doh!

The second awesome thing are the game demos that they have in the WiiWare store. At the party, they were playing this game called World of Goo. It was way fun! I'm all about puzzle games. Those and music/dance games are all I really play. I'm just not into RPGs. But World of Goo is just building little bridges of goo balls, based on the laws of physics. Kind of reminds me of The Incredible Machine from my days of yore.



Anyway, World of Goo is available as a demo, so you can try it out before buying it, which is always nice. Because really, I'm not going to want to buy a game that I suck at. It can be a little frustrating, but watching those silly little balls of goo get sucked up a pipe makes it all worth it.

The only bummer of the Wii party was that nearly everyone left with a shiny new Wii. I had thought that everyone attending would receive a shiny new Wii (therefore I had planned to "donate" mine to my mother), but unfortunately there was a little miscommunication, and only the people who didn't previously own Wii's got one. Drat! Sorry Mom! But I can't be greedy. I did get a nice little gift pack with an extra controller and 2000 Wii points which I already used to buy the full version of World of Goo. :)

So it's obvious that if I had to officially "review" the Wii, it'd get two thumbs (and both big toes) way up. And this is coming from a girl who is definitely not a typical gamer-type. But I feel like it's not a typical gaming system. I can tell you that my mother wouldn't know what to do with an XBox or Playstation or whatever fancy stuff they have out there. But set up a Wii bowling match in the living room and she's all about it!

I was thinking about getting a yoga game. I have Wii Fit, which I have barely used lately. Then I go and try to use it tonight and I can't find the disc! Dang it! It's gotta be in my house somewhere. Anyway, maybe I'll try Just Dance, the game that makes me break a sweat and look like a total fool. Gotta love it!

Grown-up Furniture

After years of living without a dresser or night stands, and basically sleeping in a room with only a mattress on a box spring, Rob and I finally bought ourselves some grown-up furniture. It all matches! Incredible.

When we went furniture shopping yesterday, we didn't think there was any way we'd make the decision to buy, but thanks to a little haggling, we got a great price on this set from Raymour & Flanigan and couldn't pass it up. It comes on Saturday, which means I have four days to paint the bedroom! I put it off for a year, but now that the furniture is on its way, I have no choice. I have to get it done.

License to Grill

I have never used a grill before in my entire life. Unless you count my tiny George Forman, leftover from the college era. I have never wanted one. Rob is completely against the idea of owning one. So you can imagine my surprise when I found myself coveting this beauty from Crate and Barrel.



It's so pretty! I'm sure I'd use it once, consider it a hassle, and it'd turn into a dust collector like our Target sandwich maker. But come on. It's green. It coincidentally matches the pillows I bought for our new bench. Wouldn't it look perfect on our newly decorated patio?

I know it's not much yet, but this is how I spent my Friday. I've even been out there watering the plants everyday, in hopes that I won't destroy them with my poisonous touch. I'd love to get some more cute accessories for out there, but the wind off the river can be so darn fierce. If it can blow a full garbage can three blocks away, I can imagine what it would do with a candle lantern. Maybe if I can manage to keep these plants alive for a week or two, I'll trust myself to buy some more.

Introducing The Bean Freaks

I went to my parents' house last weekend for my mom's birthday. Saturday night we had a friendly family (me, my mom, and my dad) poker game and I happened to win the big pot...20 whole dollars. I gave the $20 to my mom who was headed to Atlantic City on Monday and asked her to make me a rich woman. I wrote "Melissa's Lucky $20" on the bill and handed it to her.

Monday afternoon my mother called my cell phone while I was at work. When I answered, I could hear the huge smile on her face. She popped my $20 into a video poker machine and won $500! 2000 quarters, to be exact. Since she did all the hard work, we're splitting the winnings. But that gave me more than enough to cover the purchase that I have been talking about for weeks!


Oh yes! I am the proud owner of Rock Band! I played for about three hours last night while Rob was out, and I guarantee that this will stop all productivity in my household. No eating. No cleaning. Just rocking! I sang a bunch, but that was really easy. So I switched to the guitar. On the medium level, I was doing pretty well, so I switched over to hard and nearly had an anxiety attack! I should have video taped it. Maybe tonight I'll try drums.

Oh, The Bean Freaks? That's my band name. They asked me so suddenly and that was the first thing that came to mind. Don't ask why. Yeah Bean Freaks!

And so the obsession starts...

Yes, I bought my first feathered headband a week ago. Yes, I have already purchased another.

But get this! I wore my first one out last Friday and a friend of mine mentioned that his sister makes them. Come on. Now that's like feathered fate, right?? So I took a peek at her etsy shop. Her headbands are gorgeous! I couldn't resist and I bought one right away.

This one is much more "hey look at me!" so I may have to save it for nights and weekends. I don't know if my coworkers could appreciate the fabulousness of such an item. (Hey, side note. Fabulousness is a real word. Hmm.)

Melissa: The Last 10 Years

Yesterday was my 10 year high school reunion. I debated whether or not I wanted to go for over a month. I was one of those people that graduated and promised myself I'd never go back. But you know what? I'm glad I did. It was an enjoyable experience. I reconnected with some people who I wish I would have known better when I actually was in high school. And I also discovered that things haven't changed much, even though I have.

While watching everyone drink their $50 worth, I realized WHY I was an outcast in high school. It wasn't because I was a geek or a loser. It was because I shared nothing in common with nearly everyone else. I really believe that my high school was filled to the brim with one-dimensional, superficial people. Many of them came from wealthy families. And that just wasn't me. And it isn't me. So going last night was sort of an epiphany. Closure. I was truly happy that I wasn't "accepted" by the "in crowd" back then. As cliché as it sounds, it made me who I am today. And the folks who I enjoy spending time with usually had a similar experience in high school. So there must be something to it!

Also, I was talking with someone about the experience, and they stated that the majority of people peaked in high school. Not me. I'm peaking now. Late bloomer, I suppose!

But I will say this. I looked fabulous! Haha! Thanks to the voters, I went with the shirt dress and ended up getting a FANTASTIC pair of brown and purple snakeskin heels. So, here's me!



And just for fun, I scanned my senior portrait in and did a little comparison. My hair got shorter yet bigger. I'm much paler. But all in all, I think the years have treated me well!

I need help!

I've always joked that I have a shopping problem. But I think it's becoming serious. I honestly can't walk into a store without buying something. Lately, dressing nicely has been very important to me. Not sure why. But while I've always loved clothes, in the last year, I find myself wanting more and more. I need pants in every style and color. I need more skirts and dresses. I need accessories that match every outfit I own.

Luckily, I don't have any credit card debt. I'm fairly responsible when it comes to my finances. The only thing is that I could be saving A LOT more than I am. I'm hoping that once it gets cooler outside, I won't be going out to shop as much. As long as I can cut out the online shopping, I'll be all good.

Just to give you an idea of what I do, this is a list of all of the clothing items I purchased LAST WEEK. Now, just so you know, it's not like I haven't shopped in months or even weeks. I buy clothes every week. The previous week I most likely bought half as many items, but still. I'm going to need a second closet soon.

pink short sleeve button down
gray short sleeve button down
cream lace cami
black lace cami
light brown long sleeve wrap
black long sleeve wrap
yellow ballet flats
tiffany blue ballet flats
yellow corduroy blazer
purple scoop neck tee
purple scarf
white scarf
silver necklace
purple shirt dress
teal short sleeve scoop neck sweater
brown pin striped dress pants
gray dress pants
black pin stripe dress pants
black pin stripe vest
5 pairs of tights (2 black, 2 yellow, 1 burgundy)
black trench coat
gray long sleeve cardigan
pink long sleeve button down shirt
red skinny belt
black skinny belt

This is the only reason I'm happy to go back to work...so I can wear my new clothes. It's excessive, right? I wish I had photos of all these items so I could make a ridiculous mosaic. But check out these two pairs of shoes I bought! Aren't they the cutest?? I blame that purchase on Danielle.


I'm stopping now. I swear. If I post about anything else that I bought, please reprimand me.

I Can See (physicially and spiritually)

I came to my parents' house this morning for a few days of quality family time. On the agenda for today was a manicure, eyeglass shopping, lunch, and a trip to Barnes and Noble.

Picking out frames was much easier today than it usually is! I normally go through a good hour of indecision before I decide on a pair that I really feel so-so about in the end. But today I found about five similar frames, and I really did like all of them. But the pair I ended up buying was the easy winner. Check 'em out!

While waiting for Lenscrafters, my parents and I went to kill time at Barnes and Noble. At the recommendation of my father, I picked up Creative Visualization. I have this feeling inside of me that I should be doing something more meaningful with my life than formatting faxes or powerpoint presentations, so I'm going to see if I can find a bit of guidance. My father is a brilliant man, and I take his opinions very seriously. He truly believes in the idea of creative visualization, so I'm going to give it a shot.

I visualize myself doing some serious shopping tomorrow with my mom. I think I can make that happen.

Excited for a new look!

Next Monday I'm going to spend some time with my parents for a few days. The one thing that I'm excited for is picking out a new pair of glasses! I love buying new glasses. It's like a whole new me. I've been getting a lot of use out of my brown frames, which I got last summer, but I could use a new pair of stylish black frames. You know, to match my hair. Gotta coordinate.

So when my mom asked what I wanted for my upcoming birthday, I already knew my response. We're headed to lenscrafters! I was browsing around their website this morning to get an idea of what they might have, and I picked out a few of my faves.

I am absolutely in love with the top pair. It's exactly what I was looking for. So I hope they look right when I put them on!

Starting a Collection

Yes, I shopped again. So sue me. At least I went one day (yesterday) without shopping.

It all started at 12:32. I received an email from russell+hazel that happened to mention a "sidewalk sale." I saw this KIT Business Card Binder and couldn't resist. I always end up throwing business cards away because I don't know what to do with them. But I'd love to keep all the ones I gather, especially the really cool ones. Like a collection.


I also bought the KIT Binder with Paper, just because I have an obsession with binders and notebooks. I don't even use them! It's unhealthy, really.

Then during lunch, I made a teeny tiny little stop at H&M. Well gosh, everything in there is cute and inexpensive! I left with a cute short sleeved, gray and purple argyle turtleneck sweater, a chunky necklace, and the most adorable green dress with little black polka dots. I must take a photo of it because I can't find one online. I think I'm going to put it on before I head out to the movies to see American Teen tonight.

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag

As Devon wrote in an email on Friday:
"mel solves everything with shopping! lol. ;)"

Truer words were never written.

My shopping problem has been taken to a whole new level lately. Bear in mind, I only use my debit card, so it's not like I'm racking up the credit card debt. If it ever gets to that point, I may need help.

Anyway, I went out for First Friday, and one of our last stops was in J Karma. I was good all night, but when I saw the great bags available at what I consider to be very reasonable prices, I knew I wouldn't leave empty-handed.

I ended up buying this satchel from Sondra Roberts. (Excuse the crappy camera phone photo.)

I am absolutely in love with this bag! It's huge! It's split into two large compartments with little pockets in each. The strap is nice and thick, which is great for me because skinny straps hurt my boney Skeletor shoulders after about ten minutes. And it's very lightweight. When I walked out of the store with this in tow, Rob didn't hide his disapproval. But I don't care, it's such a great bag! Worth every penny!

In other news, we went to my parents' house for the weekend where I lived the Garfield life of eating and sleeping. For your viewing pleasure, here's a camera phone photo of my mother's dog, Mindy. Isn't she the cutest thing??

LOVE: Frock Shop

I received an email this morning from Justina over at On My Perch with a story for Operation NICE, so I took a little trip over to her blog. The first post showed these beautiful red shoes from Frock Shop! I had to buy them immediately!


(image courtesy of Frock Shop)

I'm always a bit nervous buying shoes online because I'm a little particular about fit. But seriously. These shoes?? Amazing!

And camera phone pics of my big, yellow, Sharma Designs earrings:

Love the earrings!

Got my Sharma Designs earrings the other day. So cute! I'm not used to wearing any at all, let along large ones, so I'm getting used to it. But they are so light, I barely feel them. I can't believe they were only $10!

Love for Sharma Designs

Sharma Designs got some blog love on Modish today and no wonder. Her jewelry is so adorable and affordable. Can't beat that combo. So I picked up these three pairs of earrings for ten bucks each!



I don't wear/own much jewelry, so I'm trying to change that. A good accessory can really add oomph to an outfit. I'm just picturing those yellow earrings with the white skirt, black sweater, and black and white striped ribbon belt that I'm currently wearing. I need a pop of color like those.

How Romantic

I went shopping with Rob this past weekend. I was pretty good, I promise. But Banana Republic had a great pair of trouser jeans on sale for $28, and I couldn't resist!

I haven't really been interested in the Gap for a few years now. Nothing caught my interest. But on Saturday, that changed. Their new Romantic Collection was so lovely. Those pinks, those browns. That ribbon, that lace. For someone who had pretty much only been buying black lately, I was ready to revamp my wardrobe! I didn't though. Well, not yet.

I shop less in the winter.

But in the summer, it's so nice outside, and all I want to do is get out of the office.

Today I went to West Elm and I finally got the honeycomb quilt and shams that I had wanted. Now maybe I can sleep tonight without having dreams about suffering in the firey pits of hell, only to wake up realizing that my humongous down comforter has swallowed me up.

Ehem.


In other news, I'm dragging Rob to Karaoke Obscura tonight. I had no idea that there was a karaoke night that had Belle & Sebastian, Built to Spill, Arcade Fire, etc., so I'm über-excited. I've picked out a few songs I might try. "Just" by Radiohead is my front-runner. But Lily Allen, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Weezer also look tempting.

Maybe if you're lucky, I'll have Rob take some video of my "performance" for all of you.

Mama needs a new pair of shoes!

Or three new pairs.

I went to the mall today. After the last few months of trying very hard to only buy things for the house, I exploded into a shopping rage today, buying myself all sorts of new things. The most exciting purchases had to be these three pairs of shoes from Macy's. I found the black and brown ones first on super duper clearance. I got both pairs for $51, and they are so comfy. I saw the red ones, but since they were full price (still only $69), I held off until the end of my trip.

But I ended up going back because I have been dying for a great pair of red heels for a year now. I wear so much black and a good red shoe would be the perfect accessory. So even though they weren't the most comfortable, I couldn't resist after seeing them on my feet. So cute!



I needed a little work wardrobe revamp. Every once in a while I fall into a frumpy zone, and I never want to give a frumpy image. In addition to my shoes, I picked up three tops, three skirts, a scarf, a dress, and a blazer. And now I am forbidding myself from buying clothes for, well, at least until Maria comes to visit in a few weeks. I think I can make it.

Join the Club

So many of the blogs that I read daily promote wonderful independent designers and real fashion design icons, but you know what? I can't afford that stuff, as lovely as it may be. So for the most part I stick to the usual "mall" stores. Maybe that's uncool, I don't know.

But one of my favorites, that I don't frequent as often as I'd like, is Club Monaco. If I could own a store's collection as my wardrobe, this would be it. Heavy on the black and white. And abundance of stripes. Classy enough for work, funky enough to make me feel like I'm not another corporate drone.


Lucky for me (unlucky for my wallet) it's within walking distance of my office, so I took a stroll over there today and my oh my, they were having some incredible sales! I picked up a tank, two light sweaters, three tees, and that scarf in the picture on the right.

C'mon, I needed some new clothes to go with my new hair.

I Want It All

I have a serious shopping problem. And having a new house, I am finding that I can pretty much justify the most unnecessary purchases. What do I want now? A quilt/coverlet. During the summer months, we still sleep with a big ole down comforter on our bed. It's fine for Rob because he'll sleep without the covers, but I have this weird thing where I NEED to be covered, even if it's sweltering.

And now the addition of the ceiling fan has made it worse. I hate having cold air blowing on me. So I tuck up under the huge comforter and then in two minutes I'm sweating like crazy. I pull the comforter away and in two minutes I'm freezing. I need a light quilt/coverlet that I can hide under without melting.

After doing a little looking around in my price range, I found this one from West Elm. I love the green! I kind of lean toward green, have you noticed?


But I really shouldn't buy anything else right now. Everyone tells me, "Buy a little bit at a time," but what if you want everything at once???