Yesterday I completely over-caffeinated and crashed around 2pm... hard. Today, I'm still feeling those effects. What to do? Drink twice as much coffee. Obviously.
Wish me luck?
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Coffee is a Magical Drug
Yesterday I completely over-caffeinated and crashed around 2pm... hard. Today, I'm still feeling those effects. What to do? Drink twice as much coffee. Obviously.
Wish me luck?
Friday, August 24, 2012
SEA > PDX
Should I be concerned that I've packed 5 pairs of shoes, three dresses, two pairs of jeans, one pair of jean shorts, a plaid shirt, a boyscout shirt (gotta impress the hipsters), two hot pink tshirts (different shades of hot pink... obvi), and two cardigans for a 2 night trip to Portland?
See you soon m'loves...
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Austerity Measures
As friends/family/panhandlers-on-the-street know, I'm perpetually broke. When I'm not broke it's because it's payday. And when it's payday that means I'm just one ill-advised spending binge away from my natural state of, say it with me, b-r-o-k-e. This constant state of financial destitution can 100% be attributed to my won't-quit shopping habit, not getting up early enough to make my own coffee before work (and so having to purchase it), concert tickets (can I get an "amen" for Avett Brothers on August 25th?! "AYE-MEN!"), and my taste for "fun-having" at bars and restaurants throughout all of north Seattle.
Things are out of control. Which brings me to the title of this post... Austerity Measures.
I am a religious NPR listener. Yeah, I have an Evergreen Membership, excuse me a moment while I go toot my own horn. *toot-toot*. And lately, it seems that nearly every morning my friends on the radio are updating me on the European debt crisis. Thanks guys! Please, for your sake, don't ask me to explain too much about what's going on. By the end of my nonsensical regurgitation of Morning Edition you'll be more confused than when I started, and so will I. Anyway, what I'm trying to get to is the fact that one key issue is always being debated: to austerity measure or not to austerity measure?.
Now, I don't think I need, or want, to go all Greek on my finances (because, as we all know, that's not really doing the trick for the ole' E.U., amirite??) but it's a fact, a well-known fact, that I could use some personal spending reform. And this statement was never more clear than when, a few weeks ago, I was attempting to clean my room. (Yes, I know, I'm always attempting to clean my room.)
While sifting through the rubble of a once (briefly) organized space I kept finding shoe upon shoe that I hadn't seen, let alone worn, in weeks. I had forgotten how many shoes I own.
As it turns out, I own many shoes. Many, many shoes. Oh, so very many, many, and allow me to add, MANY shoes. And all of them are lovely -- at least to me. What am I doing with all of these shoes? I only have two feet and there only seven days in a week. I hate to admit this but if I were to change my shoes 2 times a day for a whole week I would still not need to wear the same pair of shoes twice. This seems/feels (is??) wrong. Why am I constantly complaining about not having money when it's clear that I already own more than I can even use?
So, what did I do?
Well first, I purged... minimally. I filled a couple o' bags with clothes and shoes that hadn't been thought about in ages. Moved them to the storage closet, vowed to make a trip to Goodwill, and then marched into my roommate's room exclaiming, "I own too many things! For the next week I'm wearing a different pair of shoes every day! Join me!" And she did! For a week we did not wear the same pair of shoes twice.
I took pictures every day to document the challenge. But The last day was so hot and I didn't have energy for more than flip flops (which I hadn't worn yet that week). This was fine as all I really did that day was go to (free!) yoga, wait for AAA to come put my spare tire on after getting a flat on the way home from (free!) yoga, curse at my spare tire when it popped after AAA put it on, miraculously drove up the hill with my faulty spare, and lay on the couch complaining about the heat until it was time for bed. So here are 6 pictures from the 7 day challenge (no one needs to see my feet in a pair of flippy-flops):
Let's be honest... that was a fun little distraction from my over-consumption and under-saving. It made me feel resourceful without really sacrificing anything or making substantial adjustments to my lifestyle. But at least it got me thinking??
I'm still working out what I need to do to assure that the Nation of Amanda will achieve Financial Stability within the next few months. Obviously I would prefer a nice stimulus package over austerity measures but my Financial Policy Committee (known to many as my parents) keeps telling me that drastic spending reform is really my only option. And so, with that, new policies are in the works and a parred down lifestyle has been enacted (who needs full price cocktails when Happy Hours are plentiful?!)
I will try my best to keep readers posted as I progress toward a brighter economic future.
Things are out of control. Which brings me to the title of this post... Austerity Measures.
I am a religious NPR listener. Yeah, I have an Evergreen Membership, excuse me a moment while I go toot my own horn. *toot-toot*. And lately, it seems that nearly every morning my friends on the radio are updating me on the European debt crisis. Thanks guys! Please, for your sake, don't ask me to explain too much about what's going on. By the end of my nonsensical regurgitation of Morning Edition you'll be more confused than when I started, and so will I. Anyway, what I'm trying to get to is the fact that one key issue is always being debated: to austerity measure or not to austerity measure?.
Now, I don't think I need, or want, to go all Greek on my finances (because, as we all know, that's not really doing the trick for the ole' E.U., amirite??) but it's a fact, a well-known fact, that I could use some personal spending reform. And this statement was never more clear than when, a few weeks ago, I was attempting to clean my room. (Yes, I know, I'm always attempting to clean my room.)
While sifting through the rubble of a once (briefly) organized space I kept finding shoe upon shoe that I hadn't seen, let alone worn, in weeks. I had forgotten how many shoes I own.
As it turns out, I own many shoes. Many, many shoes. Oh, so very many, many, and allow me to add, MANY shoes. And all of them are lovely -- at least to me. What am I doing with all of these shoes? I only have two feet and there only seven days in a week. I hate to admit this but if I were to change my shoes 2 times a day for a whole week I would still not need to wear the same pair of shoes twice. This seems/feels (is??) wrong. Why am I constantly complaining about not having money when it's clear that I already own more than I can even use?
So, what did I do?
Well first, I purged... minimally. I filled a couple o' bags with clothes and shoes that hadn't been thought about in ages. Moved them to the storage closet, vowed to make a trip to Goodwill, and then marched into my roommate's room exclaiming, "I own too many things! For the next week I'm wearing a different pair of shoes every day! Join me!" And she did! For a week we did not wear the same pair of shoes twice.
I took pictures every day to document the challenge. But The last day was so hot and I didn't have energy for more than flip flops (which I hadn't worn yet that week). This was fine as all I really did that day was go to (free!) yoga, wait for AAA to come put my spare tire on after getting a flat on the way home from (free!) yoga, curse at my spare tire when it popped after AAA put it on, miraculously drove up the hill with my faulty spare, and lay on the couch complaining about the heat until it was time for bed. So here are 6 pictures from the 7 day challenge (no one needs to see my feet in a pair of flippy-flops):
One - Steve Madden; Two - Salt-Water Sandals; Three - Sam Edelman; Four - Target; Five - Converse; Six - Target
Let's be honest... that was a fun little distraction from my over-consumption and under-saving. It made me feel resourceful without really sacrificing anything or making substantial adjustments to my lifestyle. But at least it got me thinking??
I'm still working out what I need to do to assure that the Nation of Amanda will achieve Financial Stability within the next few months. Obviously I would prefer a nice stimulus package over austerity measures but my Financial Policy Committee (known to many as my parents) keeps telling me that drastic spending reform is really my only option. And so, with that, new policies are in the works and a parred down lifestyle has been enacted (who needs full price cocktails when Happy Hours are plentiful?!)
I will try my best to keep readers posted as I progress toward a brighter economic future.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Injustices Endured While Online Shopping
A glimpse into the greatest frustration of my day...
2:36 PM me: Effing target.com
EFFING target.com
2:40 PM Alexis: ?
2:41 PM what are you looking at?
college bedding???
(jokes, but really what are you looking at?)
me: ha close... let me tell you...
i was at Target over the weekend
buying
things to organize with (as you know... I'm pretty much constantly trying to figure out
how to get organized because I'm constantly in a state of disorganization)
and I found (and fell in love with) a particularly beautiful knit throw
2:42 PM this throw is so beautiful and cozy that I know it will bring me great happiness and fill any void during those lonely nights alone in my bed
unfortunately...
I couldn't buy it at the time.
Alexis: HAHA "fill any void during those lonely nights alone in my bed"
that's hilarious
me:
Glad someone thinks my lonely nights are hilarious. ANYWAY, as I was saying, yesterday I got paid. After coming into what will certainly be short-lived financial means I said to myself... "GET YE TO TARGET.COM AND BUY THAT THROW!"
But guess what...
2:43 PM Alexis: what?
my luxious, tasteful, and comforting knit throw is not
2:44 PM Alexis: um he's hurting worse than you? You can
cuddle up with someone who understands loneliness right now? uh what
else could this all mean, I've got nothing
looking too deep too deep
2:47 PM me:further exploring injustices in my life as of late...
why are these shoes only for j.crew kids? I saw them in the catalog and about shit a brick (yes i was reading on the toilet)
Alexis: ooooooh now that's a real injustice
those are beauts!
2:48 PM okay I have to go work
boo
enjoy the shopping
find me a link to that throw!
me: Bye! Having not had nearly enough "whine about 1st world problems" time I moved on to my next victim.
2:48 PM me: http://www.jcrew.com/girls_category/shoes/boots/PRDOVR~49711/49711.jsp do you think the largest kids size would fit me?
2:49 PM Rachel: ahahah
your taste has not changed much
from the 6th grade amanda I once knew
i would ask a personal shopper at jcrew
2:50 PM me: well look at those shoes!
2:51 PM Rachel: p reeety fancy
me: I'm thinking maybe now I want a pair of saddle shoes
2:52 PM Rachel: oh i have always wanted a pair
especially since I wear skirts every day to work in the winter
| 16 minutes |
3:09 PM me: ugh! all of the adult saddle shoes that I find are labeled "halloween"
3:11 PM Rachel: hahah
bass should have some!
3:12 PM if they don't have them now they'll have them in the fall
3:13 PM me: Oh-Em-Gee
and then they don't actually have saddle shoes with polka dots ANYWHERE on the site to purchase
3:19 PM Rachel: lies lies everywhere
3:20 PM me: apparently the internet is being sponsored by lies today
"online shopping brought to you by falsehoods" is the motto of the day
I can get nothing that I want
how on earth am I suppose to go on without the cable knit throw that I saw at Target on Sunday?
3:21 PM I certainly am not going to drive back to buy it
and it doesn't seem to be available on their website! And what of those polka dot shoes pictured on the website?! They must exist somewhere! But why can't I find them?
3:24 PM Rachel: hahahah
comfort yourself with this: I've spent the last hour rereading email correspondence from david [ex-boyfriend] from years 07-present
at work That last tidbit of information from Rachel did in fact comfort me or at least distract me. From there I launched into questions like "WHAT?!" and "WHY?!" and "ARE YOU CRAY?"
I suppose some people would see today's failed attempts to purchase (unnecessary) goods from the comfort of my desk as a sign from God/Yahweh/Allah/Great Spirit/The Universe that I shouldn't shop and my pennies are best saved for a rainy day. To that I say... "Okay. Fine... I'll wait. It's Seattle. Rain should be along any second."
I suppose some people would see today's failed attempts to purchase (unnecessary) goods from the comfort of my desk as a sign from God/Yahweh/Allah/Great Spirit/The Universe that I shouldn't shop and my pennies are best saved for a rainy day. To that I say... "Okay. Fine... I'll wait. It's Seattle. Rain should be along any second."
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