~Anna Sui's Fall 2008 Show~
A fusion of Native American, bohemian, and maybe even Turkish styles? Feel the bold and vibrant color that Anna Sui uses layered with crazy patterned tights and bright boots! Kind of reminds me of peace signs and gypsies dancing or better yet peacocks...ha ha!!!
Her use of purple, red, green and turquoise together is unexpectedly mesmerizing! Anna's fabric canvas is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure! Gotta love her sense of humor!

Somewhere hidden inside me is a free-spirited, bohemian "surfer girl" waiting to bust out! :) ha ha...Haven't ever seen SWELL before?...check it out! Great comfy styles!!!!

I mean I could wear any one of these outfits!!!!! Scarves and dresses and boots and beenie hats, oh so fun! I love the colors and textures and layers and comfort!



An outfit for each day of the week...











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~Picked up a bit of sunshine today at the market!~

Children find everything in nothing; men find nothing in everything. ~Giacomo Leopardi, Zibaldone Scelto

Last night I was sitting in my backyard with my husband having an in depth and serious conversation about our life and our marriage. It was quite somber actually. And then a few of the neighborhood kids peeked out from behind the tree at the back gate. They were chasing each other while playing a good ole game of hide and seek. After running through our yard and screaming they came back and introduced themselves and asked tons of questions as kids usually do. Ryan and I are the last of our friends here in town (married friends) who don't have kids yet so we found this funny and interesting. We used to teach at a daycare center when we were first dating so it felt really good to hang out with a bunch of kids together. I learned that one little girl named Jada, who is going to 2nd grade, is quite the fashionista with her large hoop "Hannah Montana" earrings. She told me that she wants to be a hairstylist when she grows up. And Karl, 9 years old, loves watching the Food Network. He told me about his dreams of being a chef when he grows up. He especially likes to watch Rachel Ray, to which I repsonded with excitement, because I love to watch her as well! Gabe is on the football team and he kept telling the other kids that he can't get hurt while playing outside because he needs to be in the best shape for practice! Suddenly Ryan and my problems seemed to just fade into the background as I listened to these wonderful kids. My heart was exploding with joy as we talked with them and listened to their little hearts filled with such big hopes and dreams that hadn't been shattered by life's disappointments. I got to thinking that life is not so complicated as I make it sometimes. I think kids are great! They are so teachable and open to life and people. I mean, hey, they didn't know me and Ryan from Adam yet they hung out in our yard for like 2 hours. I think I understand now why the Kingdom of Heaven is for those who have childlike faith. This brings me to this morning at church the sermon was about children and Ryan and I turned to each other and smiled because it was as if God was speaking to us in that moment. (And not about us having kids...haha, we're still NOT ready for that!) But seriously, I believe he was speaking to us through those kids. Never underestimate how and when God can speak to you. It is such a beautiful thing. And kids can be God's chosen vessels to get us grown-ups to take it down a notch with our complex life issues and learn to just find joy in the little things. Kids don't need much to create a game or have fun. The imagination of a child is so inspiring and now I understand why God wants us to be as a child and to come to him as a child.
(Jada doing a cartwheel and Karl watching while holding Tegan) The photos are taken with my iPhone so they are a little blurry...sorry. ;)
There's nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child. ~Frank A. Clark

right now my husband is on his way to see Radiohead. not fair. it was a guy thing so the wives were not invited. so i'm just hanging out with the other love of my life. isn't he adorable. hyper? yes. adorable? of course. That's why I put up with the hyper little guy.

I'm just wasting time on a beautiful Saturday afternoon until my friend Abby comes over. It's so nice to do nothing. :)

...reminds me of this (from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery)
"Goodbye," said the fox. "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye..."
"It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important..."
"Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it."

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Also wanted to share this...It's a Never Ending mix-tape! Download THIS! I got my music fix anyway!!!! Great bands like Fleet Foxes, The Dodos, Mirah, French Kicks, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Basia Bulat, Friska Viljor... Every month there's a new mix. Get your fix!

This dude is the coolest. I want the green rug shown below for my dining room! I also love his throw pillows and plates (the folk and/or gothic ones...but I also love the artifacts and the aviary oh and the hongkong garden, and of course the coral (When I was in NYC a week or so ago I saw coral patterns a lot) ---ahhhh I love them all)



(Click on Pic to Enlarge)

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The Art of Being: Reflections on the Beauty and the Risk of Embracing Who We Are by Constance Rhodes

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is worth reading. I like that it's a quick read - good for someone who is on the go and doesn't have much time to sit down and read forever and ever. My favorite chapter was by Ginny Owens, a blind girl, who found a deep relationship with God in the midst of trying to find a job as a music teacher after college to no avail (b/c of her blindness). She is now a singer/songwriter and testifies to how God is faithful in the midst of our darkest moments. I have been inspired beyond measure b/c of her story.

View all my reviews.


P.S. I keep listening to her song "If You Want Me To" over and over again. I like that she is very childlike and simple because life is complicated enough. It's a relief when someone else out there has gone through something tremendous enough and had the depth within to release it in a way that someone else out there (aka me) can totally relate to. It's like she's singing my song. How did she get a copy of my journal? Actually this song isn't new - this is a song that I found when I was in Bible college and I was having the hardest time being away from home and in an environment that didn't really make sense to me at the time. And now here I am 7 years later and it gives me chills because it touches on where I'm at exactly at this moment too. I'm not a super huge fan of her other music but this song "If You Want Me To" just really means the world to me! Thanks Ginny!

indulge

Sorry that I've been MIA for almost 2 weeks! If you're reading this...Thanks for checking back! :) The reason I've been missing in the blogosphere is because I've been working like a maniac. I was just in New York City for 5 days. Right now my life seems like it's all work and while that is kind of depressing in some ways, I feel like I'm learning a lot AND growing in my ability to deal with difficult people.
While I was in New York City I went to a delightful Cacao Bar and Tea Salon called Marie Belle on Madison Avenue and I had the best lunch and of course dessert! I had a spicy hot blend made with a hint of chipotle, cinnamon and nutmeg. It was so yummie. It's kind of wierd to drink hot cocoa in the summer but I couldn't resist. It was perfect! After the cafe (pic shown below - I loved the decor!) we went and got our nails done.
But earlier that day we went to Barney's and sampled perfume but it was more like a wine tasting because we smelled the unique fragrances straight from France. There are stories behind every bottle. And I learned of a diehard perfume expert blog called Basenotes. Check out this interview with perfumer, Bertrand Duchaufour who worked on L’Artisan Parfumeur. This is the most unique perfume line that I ever heard of! Simply exquisite and irrestistible scents. I had such a great time smelling them and trying to figure out what was in them. It really was like a wine tasting! But my most favorite scent of the day was by Nasomatto and it was a tie between his two fragrances - Hindu Grass and Absinth.
I looooooooooooved these two bottles very very much! I enjoyed the whole experience of sampling and talking to the knowledgeable associates behind the counters. They are professionals who take their job very serious and the customer service is unlike anything you'd find at the Macy's counter here in my hometown.
There is something about indulging your senses and finding the art behind everything whether it's food, perfume, clothing, jewelry, writing, nature or music. I've been thinking about the fact that art is all around me everyday and if I would just take a minute to breathe it in and fully indulge my senses then I'm really living life to the fullest even when I'm broke or when life is very difficult.
So all in all I've been working really hard (harder than ever before) but still making time to indulge a little! Chocolate, Perfume and a manicure...sounds like a perfect way to spend an afternoon!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAZZY!

There are certain friends that come into my life and no matter what seasons we go through when we reconnect it's like there has never been any distance at all! Jasmine is one of those friends! She just turned 29 years old and her husband and brother-in-law and his girlfriend threw her a "Lunar Lounge" party! Wonderful friends, good music, great food, yummie drinks and a romantic outdoor setting made for a really special time! It was so refreshing to see friends that I haven't gotten to see in so long. It felt so good to catch up with everyone! Jasmine is a really special girl and this is her last year as a "twenty-something"...omg! We're getting so old! ha ha!!!

my 2 favorite guys

I can't imagine a father any better than mine - I just wish that we would spend more time together. He's a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. I can't remember a time in my life where he was wrong. (Damn!) I'm so stubborn so I've always challenged him. Today he was teaching me about the oil open trade market. I never knew how all of that worked. And whenever he comes over to my house or when I go to his house he has New York Times newspaper clippings torn out for me or Ryan. He's so interesting. Gentle and kind, he always listens to me when I talk and offers the best practical advice. I had a great time with my family today. There's such a sense of feeling safe when I'm with them. And my aunt had me laughing so hard that my stomach and my cheeks hurt. She's a freakin' comedian. I never met a woman as funny as her! As we drove home Ryan told me that he really loved my family and that he enjoyed talking to them because of how kind and open they were. That meant a lot to me.

hee hee.

This is the cutest thing ever! hee hee.
I think I'm way late with the whole You Tube thing especially since this video was taken over a year ago - but I uploaded this video today...check it out! (I was just going through my photos in iPhoto and I found this little snippet video clip and I was like "OMG I have to upload this to You Tube". I forgot that I took the video b/c I just haphazardly took it with my camera. it's adorable!

I don't know what the heck I was talking about but watching Lizzy laugh like that is so cute! It's the day we brought Tegan home. We were so excited and we brought him over to Jarrett and Katrina's house so here he is with their daughter Lizzy!
POMERANIANS ARE THE BEST!!!!

And here are a few pics in honor of that day and my little guy...(that was probably one of the happiest days of my life)


July 21, 2007

The Voice of God.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.

5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.

8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.

11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.

My Fun Filled Fourth.

It was quite spontaneous you see...I had absolutely no plans for the 4th and then my friend Abby calls me at noon and invites me to her party. And it was so much fun! Even through the rain! Between the Beer Pong (personally, not my favorite game but fun to watch), a game of Taboo, crazy good food, alcohol, sparklers, and Abby's fire escape that doubled as a deck, we had so much fun! A few highlights for me:
1. Jaret's steak rub crusted burgers were amazing.
2. Abby's homemade beer battered onion rings and grilled corn on the cob rubbed with cilantro/mint butter mixture.
3. I wanted to make Mojitos but the state store was closed so I had to settle for the premade mojitos and just added my own fresh mint. Mmmmm, I love fresh mint. I've been putting it in everything lately! It's so refreshing!
4. I had a lot of fun taking pictures too!!!! I really like that photo of the watermellon that I took. It was vodka soaked watermellon except the watermellon didn't soak up the vodka. Oh well.
5. Old friends, new friends and just simply hanging out with some good music.
My totally unplanned 4th turned out to be a blast! Thanks Abby! Oh and I can't believe that the Bethlehem fireworks went on. Most of the group headed out for a quick fireworks show but with the rain I felt like staying behind.











More Photos HERE!!!!

:) Hope your 4th was fun too!

It's a

good thing that this BEACH TOWEL in all of it's 60" x 70" glory is sold out because I would almost spend my grocery money on it! Ha ha...well not really but it's tempting!

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I'm very amused by the artwork of Jeff Koons.


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Something about this modern, clean line office strikes me. Wierd, I know.



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Have you seen this blog? Oh it's so cool. I love it.

the book.

I became close friends with my scissors this weekend. The project at hand was to make a "vision book" instead of a "vision board" or "inspiration board". I thought that option would work better for me. I had an extra Moleskin brand journal/sketch book and some glue sticks and I got to work. The whole thing about a "vision book" or "vision board" is to fill it with things that inspire you. And this inspiration is supposed to help you to align your life with what you really are supposed to accomplish in life. For me I didn't really plan or think too much when I was tearing out pages and cutting and gluing I just went with my gut and pasted things that stood out to me or things that gave me a certain emotion that I was connecting with. And I feel like this book is something that I can look at when I'm feeling "blah". It's kind of like a creativite recharge or jumpstart when you feel low. I notice that when I don't do anything creative for awhile that I get depressed and lazy. But after making this book I felt totally recharged and happy and totally at peace with myself. I even took it outside in my neighbor's backyard and they were so intrigued by it. I spent hours on it and I filled the entire moleskin journal in a matter of a day. It was so fun. The colors and textures all mixing to create and inspire. Here are a few pages of my raw and messy collage...not a new idea by any means and I know lots of people make collages but I wanted to post these not only for you the reader (all 5 of you...haha) but for myself as well. A little bit of inspiration to get me motivated when I'm feeling low. Also, I learned something about myself this weekend...that I need to change my thinking. I need to think the right thoughts. Sometimes as human beings we think the worst things right away or give in to insecurities or worry and I understand that I need to decide NOT to think negative, discouraging or condemning thoughts. There are mornings when that's a challenge because the first thoughts that come to mind in the morning are worry about the day ahead or about bills or money. But all in all, "This too shall pass" and I know that God has great things in store for my future. I'm learning that I need to start out the day with "something great is going to happen today" and have proactive positive thoughts. If you walk around with negativity in your life then you just attract more negativity. I am taking inventory of what I've been thinking lately and I'm going to really work on being more gentle with myself and (dare I say) more forgiving toward none other than moi.

P.S.
This book looked interesting and it's only 13 cents on Amazon used so I snatched it right up!

True.

At first that typo drove me crazy and then I was like "oh duh...it's to prove the point!" ha ha!!!

Aren't

...these kitties cute?
Ryan almost convinced me to sign up to adopt one of these little cutie pies but I stood firm that the last thing we need right now is a kitty. But they are really really sweet. We went to the pet store yesterday just to kill time while my car was getting an oil change.

Advocating Artist

My lovely friend Jen did a post today about a quiz on your Personality and so naturally I took the quiz too b/c those things are just so fun! :) And here are my results. (Jen, you always find the best stuff!)

Click here to view quiz results or to take the quiz yourself!


you are an artist

Your appreciation of beauty, ability to think abstractly, and innovativeness make you an ARTIST.

Never one to be tied to a particular way of doing things, you let your imagination guide you in discovering different possibilities.

You would rather seek out new experiences than stick to your everyday habits, taking in as much of the world as possible.

Your eye for beauty and your willingness to consider different perspectives make your creative efforts interesting—even though you may not realize this yourself.

You prefer to think about things before voicing your opinion, considering a wide, diverse range of options.

While there are forms and styles that you prefer, you tend to keep an open mind when it comes to your artistic preferences.

You are curious about things, interested in the "why" more than the “how.”

You have an active imagination that leads you express yourself in a distinct way.

You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.

You are a fashion maven, up on trends, but distinct in your own style. You don't follow trends, you set them.


you are advocating

Being social, empathic, and understanding makes you ADVOCATING.

Some people find being around others exhausting—but not you! You are energized by spending time with friends, and you are good at meeting new people.

One of the reasons you enjoy conversation as much as you do is that you often learn about yourself while talking things out with a friend; you realize things about your own beliefs while discussing them with others.

You have insight into what others are thinking and feeling. This ability allows you to be happy for others, and to commiserate when something has gone wrong for them.

You are highly compassionate, and being conscious of how things affect those close to you leaves you cautious about trusting others too hastily.

Despite these reservations, you are open-minded when it comes to your worldview; you don't look to impose your ways on others.

Your sensitivity towards others' plights contributes to an understanding—both intellectual and emotional—of many different perspectives.

As someone who understands the complexities of the world around you, you are reluctant to pass judgments.


Not too suprised by my results...that was fun...now it's your turn!

Beat Beat Beat

hee hee...I love this song! :)
the beat, the beat, the beat...
and this song is so much fun too! Tilly and the Wall...uh...tap dancers on stage...who can argue with that?
Reminds me of my dear friend in the windy city (Chicago)...MOMO!
"...sometimes you just can't hold back the river!"

OMG!!!! And have you heard the new Weepies album? Uh...I love the Weepies.
The song "Can't Go Back Now" is especially meaningful to me. :) It's one of those songs where the words really speak something special in my life at the moment - I love when that happens.

Can’t Go Back Now - The Weepies

Yesterday when you were young
Everything you needed done was done for you
Now you do it on your own
But you find you’re all alone, what can you do?
You and me walk on, walk on, walk on
’Cause you can’t go back now
You know there will be days
When you’re so tired
That you can’t take another step
The night will have no stars
And you’ll think you’ve gone as far
As you will ever get
You and me wak on, walk on, walk on
’Cause you can’t go back now
And yeah, yeah, you go where you want to go
Yeah, yeah, be what you want to be
If you ever turn around, you’ll see me
I can’t really say
Why everybody wishes they were somewhere else
But in the end, the only steps that matter
Are the ones you take all by yourself
You and me walk on, walk on, walk on
Yeah, you and me walk on, walk on, walk on
’Cause you can’t go back now
Walk on, walk on, walk on
You can’t go back now

Personal Organization

My life is a constant overhaul or that's how it feels sometimes. Tonight after I got home from work and made dinner (grilled mojo chicken, jasmine rice mixed with brussell sprouts and black-eye peas) I went upstairs and looked through "the box". I'm referring to the box of stuff that I never unpacked from my old desk at my old job. I found some goodies in there so that was exciting (old pictures and nick-knacks from Singapore and China, a Napoleon Dynamite coaster that I used at my desk for my coffee mug or water glass). It felt so weird to look at my Rodale mug and realize that I don't work there anymore. Going forward is a good thing but it's hard to stop from reminiscing sometimes. It's somehow reassuring to know that 3 years of my life spent there were positive. I loved working there. But now it's on to new challenges. Now that the dust has settled and I'm in my new job I find myself looking back more often. I wonder where I'll be 5 years from now, 10 years from now. It's fun to think about that. I never thought I'd be an office manager for a jewelry designer, that's for sure. I wonder what the next 5 or 10 years holds for me. I hope only positive things. It's easy to give up hope when things don't turn out the way you planned but I'm coming to believe that no matter what choices we make in life something good always comes of it eventually if we place our hope and faith in God. I believe that he works in and through our choices. Ah, the beauty of free will. I look at the different crossroads in my life and it's interesting to see where my life would've ended up back when I was 17 if I would've gone to Penn State or Pitt instead of moving in with my ex-boyfriend. Or what would've happened had I not gone to Bible College back in 1999? Or how about now this choice I just made to work at Angelique de Paris instead of Rodale. Right after I got the job at Angelique de Paris, SELF magazine called me for a 2nd interview. Where would my life had taken me then? But then I think of the commute to NYC everyday and I get exhausted. Life is so fragile yet we human beings are so resilient. A lot of times I feel like I'm on a treadmill and I'm at that point in the run where it hurts so badly that I have to turn my run into a jog and then slow it down to a brisk walk. That's how I have been feeling with life lately. Today felt different though. I called my Mother-in-Law this morning and she said she would pray for me and then somehow later in the day I noticed that I had this overwhelming sense of peace. I think I had grace to get through my busy and stressful day. It felt lighter today. Maybe it's just that I'm getting more organized at my new job. It carried into this evening because after dinner I went to town with organizing my 3rd floor room where I keep my books and art supplies. I always feel refreshed when I look through my bookshelves. They bring me comfort for some reason. I think it's because they are so personalized not only with my books but with my favorite pictures and little knick-knacks and such. Now I'm in my home office and I organized my magazines and finally hooked up my printer that I got with my new Mac months ago. I was totally procrastinating on opening that box. Tegan is sitting here with me.
He follows me everywhere. It's so precious. I think he's wondering what got into me because I've been running up and down the stairs. It feels good to do some personal organization. It always refreshes me and makes me feel more like myself. And with all of the change I've gone through lately I need it.

And in closing, this scripture really brought encouragement to me:
Psalm 37:16 "Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;"
17 For the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous...
23 "If the Lord delights in a man's way,
he makes HIS STEPS FIRM,
24 THOUGH HE STUMBLE, HE WILL NOT FALL,
for the Lord UPHOLDS HIM WITH HIS HAND."
(Uh...so precious-it's good to know that God has my hand and no matter what I will not fall because HE is leading me if I will just trust him and let him guide me. I may stumble from time to time but eventually I'll get it. )

Restless.

Maybe it's the coffee I had around 3:00 or it's just the sheer boredom of sitting at home on a Saturday night...but I feel restless. I thought I was incapable of being bored because normally I'm so busy and the thought of being at home doing nothing but playing on the computer, reading a book or drawing would sound like a dream. But right now I'm at a total loss to what I want to do. Ryan is upstairs in his music room recording a music track and to be honest I am kind of annoyed with hearing him tap and hearing the drum beats or whatever that noise is. I just want to sit here in silence. Okay. Good. He's quiet now.
Tegan is totally chilled out and he's just sitting on the floor not too far from where I'm sitting. The ceiling fan is on and it feels good. Damn good. Normally I see my ceiling fan as such an eye-sore but right now I'm loving it. Today was a good day. I slept in. I cleaned the house a little bit and did some laundry. Ryan and I gave Tegan a haircut. We went to Wegman's and ate a sub and got some groceries. We got our week's groceries for only $46. Pretty impressive if I do say so myself. After bringing the groceries home I cut some watermellon and then just chilled out. I love summer. Although I don't think it's officially summer yet until what, the 21st of June or something like that? But anyway, I like being tan and wearing t-shirts or summer dresses and flip flops. I love the feeling of summer. I feel more like myself in the summertime. And who doesn't love day trips to the beach? I love corn on the cob. I love italian ice. I can't stand getting into my car after it's been sitting in the heat though. Hey, there are downfalls to everything.
I have the cutest little pomeranian in the world! Seriously. He's a cutie. There's one thing to be thankful for. Especially since I dreamed of owning one for such a long time. Every time I look at him I just melt. He cheers me up every day. There are so many things in my life to be thankful for so I don't know why I fall into the trap of feeling sorry for myself.
I think I just talked myself out of feeling restless. ha ha.
OMG! Vanessa Mae is an amazing violinist. I especially like the song "Storm". It's not on her website though but you can hear it here.
I discovered her like 5 or 6 years ago when I was living in Columbus, OH and I fell in love. I used to borrow cds from the library and that's how I found her.
Well I'm craving a snack so I'm going to the kitchen now and I'll probably watch some recorded shows from my DVR. Thanks for reading Y'all.

Wouldn't cha know...

My little Tegan is growing up. He turned 1 YEARS old last month and I was so busy with getting ready for my Vegas trip that I didn't even really recognize his birthday! :(

He's so cute! Ryan and I call his so many different nicknames - like "Baklava", "Monkey Poo", and "Breakfast". The wierdest nickname is "Breakfast" (I have to say)- Ryan came up with that one and I think it's silly but so so cute. He says he calls him that because he's so cute that you just want to eat him up.



I love my little Tee-Geeeeeee!!!!!!

Change of Heart | A New Earth

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

My review

rating: 1 of 5 stars
Ok. I only gave it one star. But this comes after much thought. I am a very open minded person. But after much prayer I feel that God revealed to me that the book is deceptive. It seems so true at first but then when Eckhart talks about Jesus and when he quotes the bible he used them way out of context. Reader beware! Sorry to say that but it is very contradictory to what the bible says and Eckhart is using the bible to support his thought process but it isn't conclusive. I loved reading the book and at times there were some pretty powerful truths communicated but honestly if you don't have a biblical knowledge this book will make you think that Jesus was just a good man and not who the bible says he is and that is misleading. I don't regret reading it though. I learned something-that's for sure.
I loved the book at first but in my pursuit of truth I found that it didn't line up with what I know to be true. We're all on our own journey and I'm no one to judge but I feel like this book was like an "angel of light" but not the right kind of light if that makes any sense.

The Diary of an Obscene Hair Obsession

It's crazy.
I don't know why I am never at rest with my hair. I'm never happy or settled on any one style. I saw these 2 pictures and I was thinking that they could possibly work for me but I was trying to let my hair grow. It's so annoying. I annoy myself. I really like the hair color that Ricci has below:

but also I like the style that Katie has below:


But...I was going to let my hair grow. Errrrrrrr, decisions...haha!

In the grand scheme of things it's really not that important but these are the things that plaque my thinking as I'm watching television or a movie or looking at a magazine. But that's the curse of being a girl. Well, not all girls are this way. But anyway, I want to find that "it" style for my face shape (as every woman always does). I like when the hair color matches the skin tone perfectly like on Ricci's picture above. It makes your skin look like it's glowing! I want to do something new for the summer. But I'm not totally sure.

Sorry! You're probably wondering why you took the time to read this silly post! ha ha!!!!

Wierd little factoid: Did you know that the word "coiffure" means hairstyle? I didn't - and it sounds obscene.

And one last thing: I am drawn to this wierd hairstyle for some reason but my husband wouldn't like it. Not that he would try to stop me but I do want him to like my hair too. Of course.

I just like the tossled look of it and it would look so cute with a headband or a fun hairclip pulling the bangs to the side. I always liked that look. It's so cute. But hmmm, probably would never ever do a short cut like that again.

Ok. That's enough of my hair talk. It's silly. But it's addictive! :)

My prayer...

Dear God,
Generally speaking (for myself), there are times when you feel like testing the waters and sometimes those waters almost take you asunder. There are times when you feel like nothing makes sense. There are times when nothing comes to fruition in your life and you really really want it to. Dear God. Oh Dear God. Thank you for rescuing my soul. For saving a wretch like me. This letter is for you but also I want the world to know that you are a rescue-er. You reach to the depths of our being. You create life where only death remains. You destroy poverty. You destroy depression. YOU create, educate and inspire. Thank you. You chase us down and remind us of your Spirit. Your Holy Spirit. Let me hear your voice and let those in my life hear your voice and penetrate their hearts. Bless everyone who reads this whether they think I'm crazy or not! You do crazy things, God. Yet you are not crazy. Quite the opposite. Thank you for speaking through your people and for giving your gifts so freely. I love you. Yes, more than life, I love you. "Thank you" is not enough for what I feel inside.

Isaiah 54:11 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


11 "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise,
your foundations with sapphires.

Like a Christmas bulb on the tree of life, your light will shine through me forever and ever alongside my husband and future children and their children. God, let your light and your life shine through me and all future generations thereafter! A new day has dawned and it's a new season. I feel a new strength within me and I want to stomp my feet and run as if I just won the lottery. God, thank you for writers - thank you for artists. Thank you for creativity. Surround me with it and fill me with it in this new day!
Love Your Daughter,
Denise

spa time

well not totally...i can't afford a trip to the spa so I thought that I would just pamper myself at home. I'm dying my hair right now and while the hair dye is processing I'm painting my nails, drinking a glass of wine and eating caramel chocolates. Hmmmm, yeah that's right. I'm pampering myself. I was going to do a face masque after I rinse the hair dye out. It's been a very busy and challenging week so this is really refreshing me right now. It's been such a "blah" rainy cold day so I went tanning earlier. My skin always feels so good after a little tanning sesh. I want to have a little glow when I go to Vegas at the end of this month. I've never been to vegas and I'm really not into gambling at all and I've always thought of vegas as being very tacky but we'll see. I'm getting more and more siked to go. I'm going for my new job for like 5 days. I will miss my hubby and puppy tremendously. That's what I'm dreading most about the trip. Well the buzzer just went off...gotta go rinse out the hair dye. Happy Friday!!!! go pamper yourself!

Julianne Moore: A Work of Art

Ok, so I didn't realize that I liked Julianne Moore until I saw her in the movie The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (which by the way if you haven't seen - RUN out and rent it). It's not a new movie or anything but my friend and I were talking about it recently and then today I saw this photoshoot with Julianne. She's absolutely special, fabulous and stunning! Seeing these photos that are recreating pieces from art history grabbed me. I couldn't stop looking at them.

EDGAR DEGAS/Philadelphia Museum of Art

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EGON SCHIELE, Seated Woman with Bent Knee, 1917, The Gallery Collection

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Ingenius photoshoot!!!
I love it.
(Photographer: Peter Lindbergh)

Cirque

this.
oh how i would love to see this!
(and I will just so happen to be in Vegas at the end of this month where it is playing exclusively...hmm, I just might have to get tickets)

I see myself walking the strip in something similiar to this:

(as seen on Forever 21 website)

and these shoes look waaaay too comfy and a must for all my standing and walking...

Awesomeness.

JASON THiELKE.
This artist's work stopped me in my tracks today...take a look!
I can identify with the way he draws circles to feel where the cheekbones are in the face and the composition of his faces is flawless! When I took drawing courses I remember doing the same thing. He's awesomeness though. I love how loose and flowing his drawings are.
So inspiring!

Friday.

OMG. It's Friday! Whew! I made it! I was working in my new job without the person who trained me. I felt like I needed 8 arms! Learning a new job can be very challenging to say the least! But I made it and we're headed into the weekend so that's exciting!!!!! I don't really have too much to share except for pics of my little stress reliever

and Ryan...

and laying on my couch watching my favorite shows (i.e. The Office, The Colbert Report, The Hills, Oprah, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, American Idol, The Fashion channel, The Equator channel, Myles of Style) Ahhhh...I love laying on my couch...it's my guilty pleasure!!!!!

Well the weekend has only begun! And I'm off to have dinner and watch a movie with my husband!

Happy Anniversary to us! (7 years!) | FEIST Concert

7 years. Sounds like a lucky number. The 7 year itch...I think that was a movie. We made it through 7 years so far. And it hasn't been easy. The thing about marriage is that sometimes (for us anyway) it's easy to grow apart and to just kind of coast through life together, take each other for granted and well lose that "first love" that you had in the beginning. Ryan and I talked about that today. I realized that I really don't give as much as he does and well I need to change that. I am always so focused on me, my career, the bills, my friends...and everything else seems to take priority sometimes over the person who really should be the most important to me. I take him for granted sometimes and it's easy to (excuse my french) shit on the person who is closest to you. (Sorry Ry!) But I realize it's normal and that I just need to consider him first sometimes instead of my own needs which always seem to scream the loudest. And he's so kind and gentle that he can sometimes become a doormat. Wow, all of that may have been a little too personal to share but I just made my blog private so that I can share more intimate details of my life and not worry who is reading it.
For our 7 year anniversary we went to dinner at White Orchids Thai restaurant, got a coffee at Starbucks and then hit 476 S to Philadelphia to see FEIST in concert at the Academy of Music. IT WAS AMAZING/FANTASTIC/BREATHE-TAKING/SUPERCALAFRAGALISTICEXPIALADOSIOUS/BEST CONCERT I EVER WENT TO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here are a few pics of the night...







The Academy of Music is SO beautiful. It suited Feist's beautiful voice and style. It was just the coziest concert I've ever been to. Ryan and I thouroughly enjoyed it.


And our seats were great! We were front and center on the 2nd balcony so we had a great view. The pictures are from my iphone so they make it look like we were much further away than we really were.




FEIST had such a creative entrance - There was this transparency thingy (kind of like the ones that we used in my high school history class to view the notes on screen) that projected sillouetted artwork on the big screen-it's hard to explain. But the shadowed images moved to the music like a shadow painting. There were 2 girls running the transparency thingy and they did all kinds of creative things with it. It was like finger puppets onscreen but on a much more artistic/design level. So back to how Feist made her entrance, there was the lantern sillouette on screen and then it looked like someone grabbed it and it was totally dark on stage and then Feist came running out on stage with a lantern but it was totally dark except for her lantern.

And then after the lantern went out this white screen lit up and she appeared behind it and starting singing and all you could see was her shadow/sillouette. It was brilliant. The concert was so good I almost cried.

More examples of the hand puppet/transparency/artwork on stage...


Sometimes they just put video closeups of the piano player's hands playing or the bass drum...it was great.


Here they were painting to the music on that transparency thingy and it projected on the big screen. It was so creative. I never saw anything like it.

Well that's pretty much it. We had a great night. The concert was amazing. I love Feist.
Happy anniversary to us.
the end.
:)

m.i.a.

I've been m.i.a. from my blog lately. Since I started my new job I've been trying to remember things like the color order for the Mata Hari Vermeil bracelet and so I've been studying flash cards with pictures of jewelry