Sticks To The Lips

I have a confession to make...
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Lipstick. Scares. Me.

There I said it.

So here's the thing. I LOVE a brightly colored lip. It screams "fabulous" "confident" "fun but at the same time a grown up" and "adventurous". I'll go through phases where I decide, "Yes. I shall become a lipstick lady." I'll wear it for a few days and then suddenly realize (or begin to believe), "Amanda you look ridiculous. You look neither fun nor grown up. You just look sloppy and slightly crazy."

But that admiration of painted lips never dies and here I am today in the same spot I find myself in so frequently. I want to be a lipstick lady! So many of my bloggers sport it so seemingly effortlessly. I want to be like them!

{Keiko Lynn}


{The Daybook}


<3 <3 <3 {Atlantic-Pacific} <3 <3 <3
Note: It's also abundantly apparent that if I wore lipstick like her I would acquire delightful fluff ball to pose with me in pictures while wearing incredible jackets and bangles. Abundantly apparent.

Knowing that in a few days time I will probably once again become disillusioned and begin to doubt my ability to rock a fuchsia lip, I am going to give it shot. Unfortunately when the aforementioned disillusion sets it I throw away all of my brightly hued lipsticks in a fit of fury due to feelings of inadequacy so I need to go out and buy a new shade or two. I'm thinking I'll go the drugstore route as my lipstick wearing mood is fickle. I'm going to try and seek out Revlon's Wild Orchid, Maybelline's Fuchsia Fever, and a red that I haven't quite decided upon yet.

Wish me luck. Photos to follow perhaps.

In the mean time lace up your roller skates and get your groove on to this little number:

Hello, It's Me...

... it's been awhile but here I am. Ready to get back to almost daily posts. With no further ado I will introduce you to a few of the thoughts floating around in my ole' thinker...


1) Last night I had a dream about the low end Nikon DSLR that I want for Christmas. Pictured below...
I have been on the fence about asking for it. Even though it's the cheapest in the Nikon series it's still awfully 'spensive. Also my new hobby of photography has been relegated to the convenience of my phone. Will I make the time to lug this out and be serious about my picture taking? I'm not sure but the dream I had last night which involved me racing around town trying to track this camera down so I could own it definitely has me saying "Yo quiero".

2) Other things I'm "yo quiero"-ing is taking a writing class. The pull to be more creative is growing. It feels right (or should I say "wright" bwahahaha. Lame.) Classes are spendy though. Spendy. Spendy. Spendy. And I am... what's the word?... oh that's right BROKE.

3) After seeing The Muppets on Sunday night I marched out and bought the soundtrack and have been listening to repeatedly since. I had a date last night. Date preparation looked like this... Drank chardonnay and danced around to Jason Segal, Kermit and the Gang the entire time whilst getting ready. 'Twas glorious. Not so much the date. But luckily for me I had the CD playing on my drive home and was serenaded by Miss Piggy and Amy Adams singing, "I'm having a me party, a party by myself, a me party, I don't need nobody else. Having a me party. I'm the first and last to show. There's no one at this party I don't already know!"

4) Speaking of my date... I'm a creature of habit. I got a text from my roommate reading the following, "Wine bottle wrapper on the kitchen counter = Mandy must have a date". I really thought this time around I could go on a date without the predate wine. I was wrong.

Not A Real Entry

Just some pictures from Thanksgiving and its surrounding days of merriment. Back on the ball this week... swears it!

Grandma (Lil' Reenie as she's known in these parts) enjoying a beer at Targy's. By enjoying I mean posing with my beer.


Resting up 'til FEASTING time!


Feasting started and my interruptions were not appreciated!




Some more feasting.

Tryptophan overdose!!




The slumbering beast wakes up quite nicely when it's time for Cranium!

K.I.T.
Amanda

Thanksgiving Eve

This week has been filled with family, happy hours with co-workers, drinks with friends, more family, a little work, minimal blog reading, and even minimal-er blog writing. Apologies. I am hoping to write something HUGE on Friday.

Until then yuck it up with Liz Lemon. My roommate sent me this genius 30 Rock moment today and I've been chuckling ever since...

Puppy Love

Yesterday I really wanted to post. I swear. But I was feeling mono-y. For those of you unfamiliar with the term "mono-y" it refers to the soul sucking exhaustion that goes along with having "the kissing disease". Last week definitely took its toll on my health (and I'm sure that Friday's merriment did nothing to help). Today I'm still feeling a little run down but certainly on the up-and-up.

Complaining aside I do have to admit that Sunday I had the best pick me up imaginable. Even better than the glorious sun that graced us with its presence on Sunday. What's better than a sunny day in Seattle? Puppy sitting an 8-month-old corgi, that's what!! To get me back on a posting roll I am going to start by entertaining my readers with pictures of the adorable nubbin-legged ball of fluff that kept me smiling all day!

"Hi. I'm cuter than you are. Do my bidding!"

Sister obliges but says, "I think I'm just as cute". Puppy's face clearly indicates his disagreement.

Corgi butt!!

It's tiring running around all day when you only have nubs for legs... being the handsomest dog in all the land is pretty exhausting too.

Can't wait for another play date with puppy-face!

My Backyard...

Greetings from the most beautiful November day imaginable!

Can't Look Away...

Last night I ended up having more fun than I had planned on and had to leave my car elsewhere. While waiting for my roommate to give me a ride to my car I have been catching up on my internets and google reader subscriptions. One of my favorite blogs The Jealous Curator posted a series of awe-inducing teeny-tiny pencil drawings by Scottish artist Paul Chiappe and now I cannot stop staring at them! Here are a few of my favorites that he has featured on his website:






The craziest thing about the pictures that I posted? They're actually enlarged from the original size drawing! Un-freaking-real! Sometimes I get so jealous of artistically gifted people!!

Gesundheit...

Since parting ways with Gentleman Friend on Monday I have been awash in emotions which in this situation also means awash in tears. Most of these emotions did not even have to do with him. I would say that the majority of the tears shed had to deal with my own feelings of quarter-life disillusion and confusion (that rhymed! ... almost). Whatever their reason, with tears comes a runny nose and quite often with a runny nose comes sinus blockage and with sinus blockage comes sneezes for days. I'm hoping that now that the flood gates have closed (knock on wood) my sinus' will have a chance to recover and I will return to the good health I had begun growing accustomed to since fully recovering from El Mono(nucleosis).

Touching on the breakup a little bit though... of course I'm a little sad. I will miss Gentleman Friend but I am pretty confident we will remain chums. I have to admit, though, that an entire 4 days without a beard in my life has been a bummer. I've been thinking about it more and I've always prided myself on being an independent lady. My 4 years in all-girls school was not for naught and anything a man can do I've been taught I can do for myself and this should be no exception! No, I do not want to take supplements and begin growing a beard but I do want to amuse myself with the wonders that is Piknik and so I bring to you a collection of photographs entitled, That Time We Took This Picture Would Have Been So Much Cooler If Amanda Had Had A Cartoon Beard. I hope you enjoy.

That time on Halloween when I was a unicorn? Yeah would've been cooler with a 'stache.

That time on Capitol Hill with Erin? Duh , the hipsters would've taken me WAY more seriously with a sweet bushy beard.

What about that time on Pebble Beach? Yyyyep it would have been super awesome if not only I had a beard but if I dyed it poop-y brown.

I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you that that time I was a bridesmaid in Caitlin and Jeff's wedding would have been made infinitely cooler if I had some grown out straggly scruff.

There I feel so much better after a few giggles!

But seriously... Crossing my fingers these sniffles clear up so I can go out with friends tomorrow and drink a smidge more cheap bubbly than is necessarily responsible.

Dancing my way out the door of work to this song... join me?

My Internets...

I thought today I'd be a little lazy and throw up some links that have been giving me food for thought and reason to chuckle. With no further ado here are some things to peruse at your leisure:

It's Not Your Fault Your A Mean Girl

Both a furry companion AND a place to sleep!

When a man teaches his cat to instant message...

Moustache or toupee?

Is it possible to marry a pair of shoes?

I sent this to my sister and insisted I be on the phone when she looked at it so I could hear her laugh!

Aforementioned sister thought these were ridiculous... I slapped her across the face via the phone.

Enjoy my internets!

You Should Eat...

I have a great go to meal for those days when I have no money, no motivation, and no real appetite. I usually have the ingredients ready for me in my fridge but if your cooking doesn't always include hot sauce and chevre then here's a brief list of what you'll need:

• veggie burger patty


• bread to toast


• crumbled goat cheese


• sriracha sauce

It's pretty easy so I'll take you through it step by step:

1. Toast bread


2. Put goat cheese on toast


3. Put sriracha on goat cheese on toast
   


4. Cook veggie burger


5. Put veggie patty on sriracha sauce on goat cheese on toast


6. Eat


7. Get back to what you were doing (in this case indulging in 1 day of uninterrupted pity partying before moving on).
   

And Monday Took A Nosedive...

This post on the tumblr Animals Talking In All Caps about sums up what tomorrow morning might have in store for me:

http://animalstalkinginallcaps.tumblr.com/post/12520064070/come-on-just-go-to-work-snap-out-of-it-im-not

I don't plan on discussing this development in much detail but there ya' go.

The Update You've Been Anxiously Waiting For...

You didn't know you were waiting for an update from me did you? Man oh man, life is full full of surprises!

Before I unveil the update you didn't know you were dying to hear, let's first have a dance party, shall we?! I am currently working away at Caffe Vita in Upper Fremont and participating in my own PDP (private dance party) but I want to extend an invitation to a virtual dance party for us to share in! Below is the tune to which we shall jig. Press play and proceed to cut a rug...

Oooooeeee. Now that that's out of our system let's get down to the business at hand. The business of updating. Drumroll please...

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I officially finished my task of "taking charge".

What was once a disaster zone...
Has been transformed into this oasis of respite, romance, and reading...

Since completing this task of epic proportions I have read not 1 but 2 entire books and am half way through a 3rd! I know what you're thinking (because I'm thinking it too), "Girl you've come a long way since last week at this time." Thanks for noticing!

Before going off to enjoy some respite, dream of romance, and do some reading in my newly oasis-afied room I think I should update you on another topic... I have recovered (more or less) from the emotional beating that is reading Blue Nights. If you like Joan Didion I highly recommend it and if you want to read a book that will increase your awareness of the inevitability of aging and some of the heartbreaking issues that go with then I also highly recommend it. What I don't recommend is reading it right before bed. I needed to watch 2 episodes of Parks and Recreation followed by Up All Night before my mind would let me sleep.

With that I shall abruptly sign off with a "that's all she wrote"...
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That's all she wrote.

Got the Blues?

Currently wearing a blue sweater, kicking my feet around in blue Chuck Taylors, while reading

and listening to

No part of this convergence was planned but it does beg the question...

Am I blue?

An update to the original post (10:44pm): I just finished Blue Nights in one sitting. If I wasn't blue when I started reading it I definitely am now.

I've Been Out Walking...

Aaaahh 3 day weekend.

My big plan for day 1 of 3 consecutive days off was to get up at my leisure, walk to a coffee shop with a new book in tow, drink some coffee, do some reading, hit the gym, then head home and finally finish "taking charge" and getting my life organized. All was well until the gym hitting. I decided to forgo the eliptical in favor of a colorful fall walk. A two hour, colorful, fall walk. A two hour, colorful walk that halfway through I was wondering if I would ever make it home.

The jaunt started off innocently enough. I decided to walk part of the loop that I use to run. (I will touch more upon my current "out of shapeness"in an entry that will be entitled "Of Mice and Mono (and Occasionally Men)" but until then just know that while last year at this time I was training for my second full marathon I currently can barely run even 2 miles.) But I digress. While walking the familiar streets I thought to myself, "Self, isn't it great to be experiencing the sights and sounds of Queen Anne without the sweating and panting that go along with running?" I must admit that Queen Anne in the fall is beautiful... at least when it's dry (foreshadow alert!).
After some time with the familiar my feet got ansty and started taking me down streets I had never been. Soon I stumbled upon the Queen Anne Greenbelt. I had never been there and so explore I had to!

Not knowing anything about the Greenbelt I really had no idea of where it would go... or where it wouldn't go. I kept trudging along, humming a little too myself, until I realized that perhaps I wasn't alone. After running into an only slightly creepy seemingly homeless man I started wondering if I should call someone and let them know where I was in case a police report had to be filed later. At that point I started thinking I should get out of the Greenbelt as fast as possible. Unfortunately my feet can only go so fast and it seemed that every time I thought I was getting close to a main I found more wooded abyss.
Since you are reading this I hope you have assumed that I did in fact find a way not only out of the Queen Anne Greenbelt but also back to the safety of my Wifi equipped apartment. The journey from the Greenbelt exit to my dwelling, however, was not simple. Once out I found that that the blustery fall day had changed. It had become a blustery, rainy, fall day. For twenty minutes I braved the mildly uncomfortable conditions until I finally found solace in a yet another coffee shop where I could once again read where I could gain strength before climbing up the hill and back to safety of my home.
Once I was home I was "le tired" and so neither "taking charge" nor organizing my life were accomplished.

The End

Taking Charge...

Yesterday someone (me! me! me!) got down to serious organizing business. As I was kicking ass and taking names (by purging my closet and underbed area) all I could think of was this Liz Lemon moment:



But hear me when I say that taking charge is not all song and dance. It is also exhausting! And so at 6 o'clock I took what I intended to be a "break" (i.e. an interruption to one's activity or occupation for a brief period).
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The cleaning hiatus is still in full force. To be continued tonight?

Anyway, back to last night and my "break". I met up with Gentleman Friend to drink some Boundary Bay IPA at a bar that both he and I agreed we do not go to nearly enough. The real highlight, however, was after. Earlier this week I stumbled upon a list of the 40 Most Amazing Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and so (upon my insistence) we did some 'sperimenting in the gooey cheese and crispy bread department. What we ended up with was quite stunning. Pepper jack, thinly sliced apples, goat cheese brie... YUM. My one complaint was that we made it on wheat bread. In the future my "sourdough only" rule will be enforced.

Next up on my "break" agenda was going to be meeting up with friends to imbibe yet another beverage. By the time I made my way back up the hill and to my apartment exhaustion set in and I ended up on the couch watching episodes of Sister Wives and canceling on both friends and drinks. An apology is owed to the friends but not so much the drinks. I had had plenty.

I think my decision to "just say no" to more alcohol paid off as this morning I sprung out of bed (and by bed I mean the couch as my bed is still unoccupiable) feeling like a hundred dollars. At our staff meeting this morning we were asked to go around and share what spirit/mood we were bringing to our work today. Most people talked about being tired and stressed but grateful. When it got to me I said, "I am in the BEST MOOD EVER! The Mary Tyler Moore theme song feels like the story of my life this morning!" And so with that I will leave you with a video that I am hoping will inspire you to toss your hat in the hair and remind yourself, "you're gonna make it after all".

"We'll Face the Music the Next Time We Roll In..."

Last night was crazy amazing; the show was i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e. I drank only 2 beers but left drunk on adrenaline.

Of course today was a little less than crazy amazing. I am utterly exhausted and it should be to no one's surprise I did not actually finish organizing my closet. This wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't for the fact that almost everything that had been in my closet is now on my bed where I would like to sleep tonight.

So I think a quick post work cat nap is in order before I head off to tackle this...

Monday Funday

Mondays are pretty "a-okay" by me. It's not because I am a freak who prefers working to weekending. It's because on Monday I do not have to go into the office. Instead I wake up, laze about for a bit, and then head over to the West Seattle Senior Center. I hang out. Help seniors find resources. Drink coffee. Eat cookies. Catch up on some work and then head home. Of course come Tuesday when I do have to go into the office I am singing a completely different tune.

But for now it's still Monday and here is a list (a bulleted list!) of things that are making this Monday particularly "a-okay":

• I visited a friend's blog and have become inspired to make reading a much higher priority. Luckily last Thursday I popped into Queen Anne Books and had them order this gem that is set for me to pick up today! Next in my queue (and on the other end of the literary mood spectrum) is this!


• I was so inspired by aforementioned friend's blog that I sent him a text message requesting his company at a watering hole of his choice this evening. He accepted.
  


• Today's the day I finally finish organizing my closet. At least that's the plan and since it's only Monday I can always remind myself "If you don't get to it today you still have the entire week to do it!".


• Pho will be consumed in approximately 36 minutes.
  


• I'm going to see Deer Tick at the Tractor Tavern tonight. In case you're wondering, Deer Tick is a band. And don't be thrown by the name; Gentleman Friend turned me onto them and they're awesome. Super awesome!
  


• Because of Seattle's Seattle-y weather I can wear my new Hunters and go hunting for puddles!

Yeah, I know. Pretty spectacular as far as cold, rainy, early November Mondays go.

Here are a few Deer Tick tunes to properly introduce you to said awesomeness and sign off on this post with:

Inspiration

The night I decided to start a new blog I was overflowing with inspiration. There was like a bazillion posts that I wanted to write and even jotted down notes for these brilliant posts. Today as I review what I had thought were inspired ideas I feel decidedly underwhelmed and a little frustrated. For awhile now I've been a little on the depressed side and I think it's because my life is lacking in the creative outlet department. I am going to make a more concentrated effort in finding inspiration. Today my roommate and I are having a day of adventure. I am making a promise to myself to keep my senses and heart open to new inspirations.

Fingers crossed.

Make Yourself At Home

Writing the inaugural post for a blog is tough stuff. I spent at least 3 hours last night writing and re-writing, drinking wine for inspiration, and erasing and editing my initial attempt at this blog. In the end all I had to show was a confusing product with no decipherable point that made me sound like a babbling idiot. So today I deleted the whole thing. Below is my fresh start but I can't promise it's any better…

I decided to take to the internet when I realized that I have been spending an inordinate amount of time stressing over the state of my current romantic endeavor; and while romance is great (when it's not busy being confusing and stupid) I have plenty of other interests that deserve some of my head-space too. I thought that by creating a new blog where I could explore and share my many and varied interests I could take a step in the right direction of not being pathetic and boyfriend-obsessed.

Harsh. I know. I guess I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. After attending 4 weddings in the last 6 months and receiving “save the dates” by the second keeping my self-worth unassociated with my relationship status can be challenging at times. As much as I rage against registries, bridal showers, and wedding gowns a part of me knows it’s just as much a defense mechanism as it is a real criticism of heteronormative marriage rituals. Why is my life any less worthy of celebration? So if I never get married I never get to blow a crap-ton of money on an incredible dress and have a viable excuse to do so? What the what? Humph.

I have no idea how long my singleness is going to last for but why should that be a bad thing? How great is my life right now? I’ll tell you. It’s actually pretty awesome – a fact that I frequently ignore. I live in an incredible apartment that I love with a roommate that I love even more. My unattached status means that I only have to answer to myself (and occasionally my parents – I am a millennial after-all). Can I decorate with outlandish area rugs and floral pillows? Yes. Can I go to dive bars and order cheap champagne to chase down my even cheaper beer on a Wednesday night? Yes. Can I spend my Sundays painting my nails, playing super Nintendo, and watching Bridesmaids 3 times? Absolutely.

And so to make a short story long that is how My Bachelorette Pad came to be. It is a new place where I can write down my many and varied musings about my equally varied interests. These interests include (but are not limited to): wearing tights with boots, glitter nail polish, craft beer, feminist theory, wanting to play the banjo, table settings, vegetarianism, Jon Hamm, cooking, fun ways to procrastinate, and pondering "what would Liz Lemon do?". I don’t care if anyone likes it. In fact I don’t care if anyone else reads it. I’m doing it because I want to. How great is that?

It is my hope that my writing will improve... but that I can not guarantee.