I know this "how to" is a little late but I just had to share.  So I made my Christmas Cards this year.  

 

Basically I took

White card stock

Damask ribbon

Green and Red Ribbon (47 cents each! HOLLA!)

Which I attached with....

This awesome glue pen...

there are two ends (fine and thick)

which worked out well with the different sized ribbons.

Two Stamps...outside and inside of the card.

So the Merry Christmas Stamp was a bit pricey ($8) but the Warm Wishes stamp was $1!

Awesome ink pads....the ink really did dry fast!!

 And they were the cheapest brand!

This marker was great....only 99 cents!!

And then the Piece de Resistance.....

SPRAY GLITTER

priceless folks...priceless!

I will say that the glitter did come off of the cards so..

sorry folks but come on... it totally tied it all together!

Grand Total....too much!  But the end result was great.  

I think I'll be making cards similar to these for awhile.

I made one similar to this one for a co-worker...this one wasn't sent out since the ink smeared....

It took me all day to make them and there were some bumps along the way but I'm glad everyone loved them!  Overall it was fun making the cards and it felt great when people told me how great they turned out. 

KARDASHIAN HAIR UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!

So for Paul's Christmas party I was determined to rock some Kardashian Hair.  So I headed to Regis salon to have them work their magic....as you can see below.

So here was the result from the salon...great right.
The curls were a little tighter than I'm wearing them.
He did them tighter because my appointment was
at 4:00 and the party was at 8:00. 

Well it's always great when you can have someone do your hair for you but what about recreating it on my own.  So far I have had no luck.  Seriously I kept starting in the same spot that I literally damaged my hair on one side and it no longer curls on it's own.  So I felt helpless hence the trip to Regis.  So I told my hairdresser my curling iron woes and told him that I had literally given up on doing it myself.  He asked what size curling iron I was using.  I told him 2" and he told me....it is too big!  That I need a 1" which is what he used.  So on my way home I made a quick stop at CVS drugstore and bought a cheapy 1" curling iron for $9.99 and (drum roll) IT WORKS!  I can't believe it.  I can do it myself!!! YAY!!  The problem now is that it takes me  an hour to get all of my hair curled (two hours if I need to dry my hair first).  I'm thinking that this time will decrease as I get good at doing it but for now I actually have to wake up earlier to sport the K hair to work.  I know....Shia getting up BEFORE 8:00 that has to be some sort of miracle.  Seriously look it up.  I am sure it's like the 8th wonder of the world...my alarm clock being set for 7:00 am.  

Well last night, Paul and I took my parents and my Aunt Mary and Uncle Roy out to a nice holiday dinner.  I of course rocked some K Hair and my mom actually told me that my hair looked beautiful and that it was so long she touched it and also said...OMG how did you get your hair so soft!  My stepdad piped in...is it a wig?!?  No...all Shia!  Might I add that I find amusement to his wig comment because ANY time I go to a salon and state that I want Kardashian Hair the first response I get is...."THEY WEAR EXTENSIONS"  um I don't care...I've grown my hair out to get NATURAL K HAIR...so HOOK IT UP!!  

Okay so I'll post some pictures soon of my own work so you all can see that I CAN do it on my own!!!

Marissa

So here are a few pictures from that exciting day with the zoo trip, playground...more playground....

Creepy yet Cool

Season No's

Let me just say that this post might hurt some feelings but I just have to say that what I am about to tell you is the sad truth because so many women in the world have abused these "fashions" so now no one can wear them.

#1 Boots....

Okay so if you look at this picture and think...what is wrong with these?  I am here to tell you.  Let me just set the scene....slightly cool day in Jacksonville....an older (like grandma status) office lady wearing THESE with Bermuda shorts,  black nylons (her boots were slightly lower than shown above), flowly top, peacoat jacket and 80s white girl fro...full on poofy bangs and the sides pulled and sprayed straight out ....yes all of this was her work wear.  This folks is why these boots are a NO.  No matter who I see wearing these (majority of these women are at work) it just never seems appropriate.  Yet you see women on tv/movies wearing them all the time....so how is it that everyone I see just looks like a day stripper or a go go dancer?  (are those the same thing?)  Anywho, since there has been hundreds doing boots wrong or NO JUSTICE...I say um HELL NO! to boots.  I think the real problem here is more the quality of the boots, cut of the boots and um the outfits that accompany them. 

#2 Velour Sweatsuits

Okay you know I love me some Kardashians and yes Kim looks cute here in her velour sweatsuit but seriously folks...why are these still for sale?  Why haven't these jumpsuits faded away?  Again, I think it is more the ugly "soccer mom" get ups that are sold at like JCPenneys that give these sweatsuits a bad name.  If you want to wear a velour sweatsuit PLEASE invest in a good one.  Don't buy one from JCPenneys unless it's cute like Kim's scratch that...just say no to JCPenneys...go in search of cuter.....with pockets and a normal color....BURGANDY is not a normal color. 

Shopping with Paul woes....

I'm literally standing in Best Buy typing this blog on a demo laptop...who needs mobile stuff just go to your local Best Buy and use theirs.  Okay I wanted to come here at first.  I wanted to see the iPad because words cannot describe how bad I want one.  Well after browsing and knowing that I'm not going to tap into J Fund money to buy one I was ready to go.  Well, Paul is not.  He can literally walk around Best Buy and talk to an employee for hours.  I do mean hours.  So I decided to be productive and write a blog.  Well first I put every laptop on my blog so that when people check out the laptops they will be checking out my blog too.  I know .... GENIUS!  Okay seriously Paul is still talking to the guy.  GRRR! And men talk about women taking forever....hello!  Okay well signing off a worker bee is standing over me.  Muah ha ha Shia got a way with it....LOL!

Training for running a 5k (Week 1)

o today Taller and I discussed working on getting me to a point where I can run a 5k without stopping. So here's how I am going to do it....

Week 1

Start with 5 minute brisk walk then 60 seconds of running then 90 seconds of walking. Repeat for 20 minutes.

Well I bought a cheap Timex (kids) watch with a stopwatch and I've been timing myself to see how long I could run. So how am I supposed to keep track of 20 mins of this run/walk sequence (see table below) but using the stopwatch I'll time the 5 minute brisk walk. Reset the stopwatch run until 1:00 then walk until it reads 2:30, etc. until I reach 10 mins then I'll turn around and start again. (I know ... genius ... lol)

Week 1

5 min brisk walk (bridge)

Run 1:00

Walk 2:30

Run 3:30

Walk 5:00

Run 6:00

Walk 7:30

Run 8:30

Walk 10:00

Turn around - Repeat 10 mins

End 5 min brisk walk (bridge)

Perfect Storm

So last week I was a mess. I seriously thought about posting it on my blog ... listing all the stuff going on and how I was feeling but I was seriously afraid that it would read like a suicide note. Literally folks, I cried like EVERYDAY (Shia doesn't cry...just ask Taller... I think I even freaked her out with hearing/seeing me cry...thanks for dealing with me Taller) and when I thought to myself..."am I depressed?" I cried even more. I seriously thought I was going to lose it - quit my job - get in my car and just drive away. Well happily I can say that I am better but while it was happening I felt like it was just getting worse and worse. At one point, I thought if I told my mom - her response would be - is it your period? My response then would be NO MOM! I'M DEPRESSED! So alas it was the perfect storm....too much work stress....too much family stress....too much football (and Paul watching football...OMG is the superbowl here yet?!?) ...full moon (yes people the other night I saw a full moon and cried because I was convinced that I am crazy...crazy people get worse during a full moon...right?) .... not enough working out (0ff track because of the crying and holiday) which curbs mood swings, reduces stress, etc......and HANNAH MONTANA TIME (click here to see blog post) seriously when it started I was 1) relieved that I wasn't crazy or depressed, 2) thought OMG why is my mom always right about that and I didn't even talk to her...lol, 3) WTF! This is the SECOND time this month, 4) where was the tell- tale zit to reassure me that I wasn't going crazy? OMG I don't think I will ever complain about a zit again....apparently they are helpful...lol and 5) is it over yet? It's actually amazing how much better I felt instantly. How do people that take birth control that makes you not have HM time not kill someone?

Me Motivated?

So I would think that if people I know were asked to describe me that they would say that I am the most motivated goal oriented person that they know. However, even I have a mental "to-do list" that I feel guilty about not doing.

Things on that list:

1. Writing - I need to write MORE!  If only I could just plug a USB port into my brain and transfer all of it to the blog.
2. Exercise more - Taller and I run/walk almost every weekday at lunch - but I feel like I need to do MORE!
3. Work LESS - NO MORE OVERTIME!  JUST GO HOME LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES!
4. Weekend woes - I feel like I need more motivation on the weekends - because I'm on "mileage restriction" (click to see blog post) I feel like now I am turning into a sloth on the weekends.  I watch TOO MUCH TV!
5. Get a hobby - I don't think I have ever been able to answer the question "what are your hobbies?"  Any suggestions?  No....NO SCRAPBOOKING!!!
6. Save MORE money - The "J" Fund (click to see blog post) is prospering at a nice pace.  I'm right on the money (ha ha) for what I planned when I started saving but at the end of every month I think....I can do better than this!
7. C0unt Calories!!  I tell myself all the time that I need to keep a food journal and yet I never quite get it going.  (Today I actually did it.  I wrote EVERYTHING down...YAY!)
8. Cut coupons - There are tons of blogs out there telling you how to save a boat load of cash by using coupons - Why am I not doing this?
9. Drink more water - I get on a kick of drinking nothing but water then one tea and I'm off the water wagon.  (Today I actually drank my daily recommended amount of water...YAY)
10. Stop going to Starbucks - Okay this follows with #6 and #9.  I spend a lot of cash at Starbucks and I say that it is okay because I usually don't buy food at work.  Well no more excuses....I have a canister full of tea in my desk - why go to Sbux?  (Today I had a free drink coupon and that's my last Sbux until I complete a 5k (running the whole 5k) and hopefully by then...I won't want it!)
11. Eat breakfast - I hate waking up in the morning but I am gonna start making time for breakfast.  (Today I did it...YAY!)
12. Hair - I want it to grow LONGER!  Okay there's not much I can do there...it's pretty long now...I just want like 2 or 3 more inches.  However, I see no real point in putting a lot of effort into straighten, etc. the white girl fro (click to see blog post)... I just work-out and there goes all the effort.  Yet I feel guilty. 

As you can see, there's tons more stuff I would love to be doing on a daily basis. BUT I'm gonna start working on this list. I've already started! If you are feeling unmotivated, make a list and start checking them off. You don't have to fix all of them at once. Just knocking off one or two will give you a good boost to get more of them done. As always, I will keep you posted with my progress. (Also, I feel like once I have all of this part of my daily routine, I'll have a new list. I just feel like I am someone that always has stuff in the works...well at least I'll always have stuff to write about!)

4 year olds.....

The amount of energy my 4 year old niece has is amazing.  Today she got up early like 7 am to meet have Christmas pictures taken...then trip to Santa...more pics...then Circle and Marissa off to the zoo...playground....more zoo...ride to Circle's house...napped in the car for about 45 mins....playground...played on the steps in the pool...more playground....now she's running around the living room with Daisy.  How does she have all this energy?  It is INSANE!  Nicole we need to figure out how to bottle this and become millionaires.  Now the Wizard of Oz is on TBS...hopefully this wears her down...PUH=PLEASE...Aunt Circle can't keep up!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

(Paul's favorite...The Peanuts.)

 What am I thankful for?

I have four days off from work!  HOLLA!!!

It's the most gemy time of the year....

Nobody wants to get sick especially me and this year I have even more reason to stay healthy.  My boss is currently undergoing some serious chemotherapy and I see him about every other day to swap files and stuff for him to work from home.  As you all know we seem to be amidst of cold and flu season, I can already hear tons of people coughing up a lung at work.  I need to work on staying cold and flu free to not inadvertently pass it on to my boss.  However, if I do come down with something I will definitely tell him and have someone germ free take and pick of the files.  But for now, I have been researching what I can do to stay germ free and this is what I have found. 

In the November issues of Shape and Self, each magazine stated that exercise and/or dieting helps the immune system.  Self says if you want to stay healthier this winter - cut calories.  People who are dieting by calorie counting and dropping pounds have stronger immune systems with better functioning T cells to fight viruses.  Shape magazine states that 3 hours of daily physical activity can help reduce your risk of getting a cold.  Also a plus any physical exercise counts - as long as your moving your racking up the time.  

Also, I thought why not do the "common knowledge" things to stay healthy.  1) hand santizier (check) 2) vitamin C (check) 3) Lysol (need to get) etc.  Well I just googled Vitamin C and was taken to Wikipedia which stated that intense studies have shown that Vitamin C doesn't really help with fighting a cold or preventing it...wow that sucks!  Also taking too much Vitamin C can lead to iron posioning because it can block your body from filtering it out of your system.   Needless to say the more I read the less impressed I became with the whole Vitamin C cure all.  

So I have also been thinking about getting a flu shot. First off I am not big on getting shots...I hate it.  One year I actually stood in line at UF waiting for my free flu shot and actually got it.  I tried to turn and run numerous times but didnt my mom was even surprised when I told her.  Well so I thought okay I've had a flu shot before....did it help?  I guess.  So I googled....I found out that the flu shot is dead viruses...okay so the shot itself doesnt make you sick.  And that it usually takes about 2 weeks to start working which is why most people say that they got sick after they got the shot...they were already exposed or the shot hadnt kicked in yet.  

So I guess my plan is to try to keep my desk germ free with hand sanitizer and Lysol and then I'm going to continue working out and eating right to stay healthy and make sure I get adequate sleep and ....womp womp...get the flu shot. I can be brave for my boss....he deserves it.

Why is it

anytime I feel like I haven't written a lot of posts I feel the need to explain myself or apologize on here. I mean let's just face the facts...life gets in the way of blogging. Sometimes there's tons of time to blog and other times not so much. Last week I literally worked 12 plus hour days and no I'm not a nurse or a cop. I work in an office - yes boo hoo Shia but OMG if you only knew the hell those 12 plus hours a day were you could sympathize. So anywho, I haven't blogged about anything real in a while. I think I'm still sort of struggling over that whole instance I wrote about under "doormat." I've been trying to do some soul searching because apparently my ego has been damaged and I have tried to step back and look at the situation and say...is it me? Am I just mean to people with drama? OR could it be that I really am just surrounded by self centered and bitchy people? I mean really, I offer up kind words to a friend and I receive back 1) I don't know because I'm not married and 2) wait until Paul cheats on you and then see how you feel, I'm supposed to just take that? I'm supposed to just roll over and constantly let people walk over me...okay see I told you I wasn't past this post and I didn't want to keep hashing it out on here. So needless to say, that is what I've been doing. The majority of it has been work but yes my writing mind is block by that instance I've already complained about so stay tuned there is hope...the blog will be back in full swing...without complaining about that instance.

Sold!

Kashi Go Lean Toasted Berry Crumble

So all you see on TV at the moment are these commercials that this cereal has as much protein as an egg and will keep you fuller longer.  Well folks, I bought some and honestly one day in and I am a believer.  First off let me say that I HATE HATE HATE cereal.  I just feel like it is a waste of calories and you get such a tiny amount for the serving size listed on the box for nutrition facts.  But I thought I would give this one a try since it states it has all this protein perhaps just eating at 3/4 cup of cereal will work.  And it DID!  Plus it was mighty tasty.  I got the one pictured above and it had cranberries and blueberries in it.  It was awesome.  I am totally adding this to my healthy new lifestyle...now if it would only go on sale...it was like $4.00 or so for the box...hello PRICEY!

I Voted

So let me just preface this with what I am about to say might come off as "un" American to some but guess what...it's NOT because it is my First Amendment right to say whatever I want - you know FREEDOM of speech - so technically by that definition this post is truly American! Yes folks I have voted and now I am up on my soap box -- hold on because this is a three part rant...

1) "un" American - how about calling out all the people that didn't vote. That's pretty "UN" AMERICAN! How can you say that you "support and love" your country when your sorry butt didn't go out and vote! Let me guess the million different ways of doing it weren't enough...PUH-LEASE! I voted last night at 6:45 pm! I made it happen after a long day at work and a LONG drive home with bumper to bumper traffic! I haven't missed an election since I turned 18 and could vote. Also, I was pretty disappointed that I turned 18 AFTER the presidential election and had to wait until I was in my 20s to vote for a presidential candidate. 

Also, why the heck do the non-voters not get called out. You NEVER see the media scolding the nation for low voter turnout. Instead they are like wow 30% voted this election. Really? That deserves a wow. How about saying what the hell is wrong with you America only 30% of you voted where the heck is the rest of the 70%? Seriously do you see how sad this is...not even half of the population voted. So when you get mad at the politicians for being corrupt and dirty just remember that 70% of America helped them get that way!

2) Okay so you voted but you aren't off the hook just yet. Did you do any research regarding anything you were voting on or did you just follow political parties, negative ads and paid political advertisements telling HOW TO VOTE? Because um...that's worse than not voting at all. Do you realize people that some of the STUPIDEST amendments were passed or rejected in our state because people didn't actually know what they were voting for. They just saw a sign that said Vote No on Amendment 4 so they did. Sad! Truly pathetic. There is this new invention called the internet try using it next time to educate yourself on the candidates/amendments/judges/etc before going to the polls. What? That's too much work? And you call yourself an American. I don't remember that part of the story about the Founding Fathers where they just said to hell with it because this is too damn hard and who cares the British are coming no matter what we do.

3) Military folks - I realize that there is a war going on overseas and many Americans are over there putting their lives on the line to fight it. I get that but here is my problem with putting these Americans on a pedestal just because the military is putting their lives in danger. Last time I checked, they signed up for the military on their own. There was no draft that made them go regardless if they wanted to or not. They CHOSE to join the military as their career and sadly it's BECAUSE of all the benefits that they get for joining and going to war that they probably joined. YES FOLKS...the military gets paid MONEY while they are deployment and quiet a sum might I add. But anywho, my gripe is that really all Americans that get up EVERY DAY and go to their job or JOBS and pay their bills need to be put up on a pedestal too. Because these Americans are the ones keeping our country going. They are helping our economy and the state of our nation. So next time when you want to give all the credit to the military remember we all deserve credit for doing what is right. It just sad that we always have to be a country divided. Divided by race, divided by wealth and now we are dividing ourselves as who is more American. 

Okay I am stepping down from my soap box now....feel free to comment and I will have any open mind when I read it - all I ask is for the same respect. Don't be a sheep and follow what others tell you as correct .... think for yourself!

Really!?!

Do I really need a countdown to my birthday on my Starbucks card? Do I need to log on to add $ to my card and see exactly how much longer until that inevitable day. Yes I am old and about to get older thank you Sbux for reminding me EVERYDAY. Yes folks here comes the new year and an older Shia. Scratch that...my Sbux card is counting down to my ring. Paul and I are STILL looking for my ring. It's seriously the biggest pain in the ass ever. I think we FINALLY found it but of course there are like a million things to check to make sure. Anywho....Paul says that I will get it no later than January to which I added sure then in January will he say February. I think his feelings actually got hurt because he said....ouch why would you think that. Hello...have we met...I like to keep it real and would rather just know than to keep my hopes up for something that is never going to happen. He has reassured me that it will be on my finger in January!

Happy Halloween

Justified!

So as you all are fully aware...I subscribe to Self magazine and I write about A LOT of stuff from it. Well in the November 2010 issue it seems like Self was using my blog to get some of their ideas.

Look familiar? It should it was my Sept 18 post for a Christmas Gift Idea for my family.

Check here if you don't believe me...Shia said it FIRST!

Okay I know what you are thinking. So what white watches are in hence why Shia wants one and duh Christmas is coming up and they are giving out gift ideas...maybe it's just a coincidence.

How about this one....there is no denying that Shia did this first.....

Come on people you all know that I went on a closet organizing frenzy back in AUGUST!!! Hello...this closet is like seriously close to what happened in my very own closet. If you don't remember check it out here! All I have to say is....why the hell am I not writing for a magazine because even my OWN thoughts/actions wind up in the magazine anyway! I could have gotten PAID for something as simple as organizing my closet...OMG!!!!

My Blog is 1!

I can't believe it's only been a year.  

I feel like I have been writing this thing FOREVER!  

Well happy birthday blog...

here's too many MANY more posts!

What's that saying...

Don't piss on my leg and tell me that it is raining? This is exactly how I felt this morning when I heard on the radio that "studies" show that the oil spill in the Gulf isn't as bad as they thought it would be. Really?!? I'm supposed to believe that the Gulf spill wasn't "that bad"? Here's another saying...that is sooo funny I almost forgot to laugh!

This dear readers is why I hate the media. They will tell the public ANYTHING and most people JUST BELIEVE IT! I mean the NEWS said it so it's gotta be TRUE...right? Um NO! I'm no marine biologist but I'm pretty sure that tons of oil pumping into an ecosystem isn't GOOD no matter what!

When it rains it pours ....deux

So I originally wrote this post when I felt like a friend needed some encouragement. Well homegirl here needed some encouragement herself so I scrolled through and found it. Seriously it helped. I was like yes Shia you can overcome this crap that is currently festering in your life. So in case you missed it or need a refresher like myself ... check it out! 

Also I just want to say that when all is going wrong at work I get a phone call from a jeweler regarding some sapphires for my "custom" ring with encouraging news...what? sapphires don't cost more than diamonds...nooooo (pretty sure I was already aware of this...why weren't you).

What a waste...

So this morning I am walking to the elevator in the parking garage and this girl comes around the corner in this old grocery getter with a Harvard badge on the back. Wow Harvard impressive but um...you went to Harvard and ended up downtown in Jacksonville driving a beat up grocery getter....REALLY?!? Wow that totally sucks! I mean Harvard...you would think you would have more job opportunities than just Jacksonville. I mean come on if you just wanted to work in Jacksonville you could have just went to the University of Florida like the rest of us. I mean it is the "Harvard" of the South...yeah I couldn't even type that without laughing that's what they were constantly telling us while I was there and somehow I never quite believed it....oh well. But anywho .... I guess it's hard for Harvard grads to even find jobs!

It's a mad MAD world!

So is it me or is this world just full of douches?  I mean I feel like I'm confronted DAILY by tons of them.  Is this what society has come to?  I made this comment yesterday to Taller while we were running, how are we supposed to concentrate on saving the planet when most people aren't even civil to other people?  I mean think about it...think about all the douchey (yes it is a word...the act of being a douche) people that just do douchey things on a daily basis to piss you off....do you think that these people care enough to not throw their beer can in the river?  No!  Cuz that is precisely the reason that they are a douche in the first place.  Look I can't say that I love people.  I truly truly hate most people BUT I am not a douche and the people that I hate well they are douches!  I don't just stop in the middle of the flow of pedestrian traffic or talk on my speaker phone all day with personal calls or merge into lanes without checking or cut in line at stores or stand right on top of the person checking out or park on the street blocking someone's driveway or smoke right outside the building's exit or okay you get my point there are a lot of douchey people in this world.  I am all for saving the planet but perhaps we need to start smaller....saving a douche...S.A.D....do you know a douche?  Perhaps help the planet by telling them to stop being a douche!  

Writer's note:  If I have offended you with the word douche...STOP BEING A DOUCHE and get over it!

Honey?

So we all know that I gave up sweet and low. Yep, it's been a while my friends and I think I'm pretty solid on never drinking that stuff ever again. So I've been making a mint green tea at home and adding a little honey to it as a sweetener. Well I just read in Shape magazine that honey is an immunity boosting sweetener, which is also ric in cancer-fighting polypheols. Also, it says that if your supermarket offers varieties that you should opt for buckwheat version, which has more antioxidants than the lighter colored stuff in the bear-shaped bottle. So finally...a sweetener I can drink and not feel guilty about it. What's the chances of getting honey from Starbucks for my iced green tea?

Running running and running running...

So today was Day 1 of Taller and Shia running at lunch.  I didn't expect much return from Day 1 but I think I made a pretty good effort.  I think at this pace I'll be back in full force in no time.  Thanks Taller!

Minus the 60

OMG isn't this clever and pretty?

Wedding Bee

Me?? CUSTOM?

So as you all can see from one of my last posts, Paul and I are shopping for my engagement ring. It's really not a big surprise I knew we would be getting engaged at Christmas this year but it's exciting that the moment is finally here. For two years I have been thinking about this moment where I would have to start making decisions as to the wedding, etc. and I guess I kept putting it off thinking...this is ridiculous I have PLENTY of time for all of that later. Well...it's a little daunting now that I'm approaching the engagement. There's SOOOO much to do and the craziest part is...I don't even want a big wedding. Seriously, I'm thinking like 10 guests with their plus ones and that's it and if that many. Yet, there is still this massive planning to do. Oye Vay! Let me also point out that because the word wedding is involved the prices for stuff go up and up. For example, my engagement ring, I just want a three stone two sapphires and the diamond in the middle and I'm told that this is CUSTOM! Custom? Seriously? And since it is CUSTOM, it's double....grrrr! I'm a simple girl. Nothing about me is "custom". I like things plain yet pretty...how I ask you is that custom? 

I realize that I think I'm starting to go through some of those things I read about in all of those bride magazines. I'm seriously having nightmares about my ring....like which one should I choose so maybe me helping to pick isn't the best idea...lol. Also, I (yes me Shia) am starting to doubt the whole yellow and black and white damask idea. Yes I just said that. Why? I really can't give you an actual sane answer to this...what I've come up with is...what if "this" looks better, what if "this" is easier, what if.... Yes folks, I'm starting to go bride crazy and that custom engagement ring isn't even on my finger yet.

Oh and you want to hear the craziest part? I thought at this point I would be freaking out more about the dress and my physical appearance...and? Nope. I feel like I have that pretty much under control. I've been making some pretty good progress and now Taller and I are stepping it up a notch tomorrow by running at lunch. So this is all good. No worries. Yet now, I am freaking out about everything else. 

First, all the books say to set a realistic budget. Hello what about wedding planning is realistic? As I've mentioned before just uttering the word engagement or wedding and the price doubles. So ... how I ask you can I budget realistically and also hello...realistically I want the budget to be like um I dunno....CHEAP! I mean don't get me wrong these 10 guests with their plus ones will get more than cheese and crackers...wait ... what if it's just fancier cheese and crackers...lol. My point is yes I want a pretty wedding but I really don't want to spend like a million dollars on flowers, a million dollars on food, a million dollars on a dress, etc. I want it to be special but I don't feel like I gotta pay for special. There aint nothing special about flowers whether they be for you living room or for a wedding. Flowers are flowers people so I shouldn't have to pay more just because they are for my wedding. 

Okay I have to stop this post...I'm getting a headache...lol. So, just know that my blogs might have a new topic....fretting over my big day...lol!

Falling in Love with Fall

So it finally seems like fall is right around the corner. As another year begins to wind down I would like to stop for a second and just enjoy the moment. Every year there seems to be highs and lows. The holidays wrap up and start the new year fresh. What's to stop us from just pausing for a moment and enjoying it now? 

When I think of fall, I think of cooler weather, cozy weekends and comfort foods. It's such a pleasant thought isn't it? I think Floridians really don't grasp the true essence of fall. Sure it's 80 out with a nice breeze and it doesn't feel like 150 when you go outside but I seriously miss those northern things that make you think of fall. The trees turning brilliant colors of yellow, orange and red. Apple cider being sold at the stores or on the road side. Man I miss the North!

So since we're in a cozy place think about what the last 9 months have brought. If you're someone (like me) who thinks in January what did I accomplish last year, start thinking about it now because hey if you don't think you've accomplished that much you still have three months to do it!

I think the whole new year vs. last year plagues me more because my birthday is in January. So not only is it a new year I'm also a whole year older. I think once you start ticking off those major boxes of your life years don't have to merit much more than happiness at the end. I think I had a quarter life crisis at 25. I remember just balling my eyes out all day. Thinking what have I done? Well now that I'm older I look back at that balling 25 year old and think...what were you crying about...you were moving in the right direction it just takes time silly. 

So this fall, think about your life. Are you in a good place or a bad place? If you're all good...congrats to you. But if you are in a bad place, step out of it and think....what can I do to make this better. Even if you can't fix the ultimate problem fixing other things in your life can feel just as good. Start with the little fixes and once you get all of them out of the way you'll realize that your bigger problems aren't so hard to conquer too. 

Let's say you just went through a huge change in your life and you're at the crossroads again. Instead of being like that balling 25 year old I once was thinking about what you should have done by now...stop and think...I can do whatever I want...what do I want? We're the ones that put limits on our lives whether it be time limits, expectations that we think others have of our lives, or expectations we had about our lives...there are really no limits. So break free from those limits and do what makes you happy.

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

I am taking the day off tomorrow because drum roll....PAUL AND I ARE GOING TO LOOK AT ENGAGEMENT RINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Duckies....

Welcome Home Duckies!

MALLARDS!  

 

Toe Update

Breaking news....I think my little toe is finally on the mend and ready to go wee wee wee all the way home. LOL No seriously though, next Monday Taller and I are running! Yes dear readers RUNNING at lunch. This sweat box called Florida has finally cooled off a bit and we're readying to kick it into high gear. I'm not gonna lie I'm a little nervous of how bad day 1 is going to be but Taller is a great coach and I know that we will be zipping along in no time.

In case....

it wasn't clear from the heading...this blog is about MY LIFE! So that would be things going on in MY LIFE, impacting MY LIFE, etc. Not what is going on in the lives of others so yes I can write about MY LIFE...if you don't like it...DON'T READ IT! because it shows that you don't care about MY LIFE!

Okay sorry to blog yell I just had to clear that up!

Too Cute!!!

Marissa and Leah napping...look how Leah is holding on to Marissa's arm...awe!

Nicole sent me this picture from her phone...
I thought I would share...it's just too cute!

Weekend Highs and Lows...

So, I'm becoming a biking machine. I made it about 4 miles before I felt like I was going to die on Saturday....YAY progress! (8 miles round-trip...I did the math for you Taller). Sunday Paul was off which rarely happens and I know you're thinking awe spending time with Shia....nope...he took it off for football...yep he drives me crazy with football. So, I decided to take advantage of the fact that I could drive his car on Sunday and went and did a little grocery shopping...I know too exciting for words that this is a highlight of my life...so I could miss out on some of the screaming at the tv which takes place when he is watching football. So, I go to Publix and I'm excited because I'm shopping for Ginger Pumpkin Bread ingredients.  So, it sounds like I'm having a fabulous time at Publix....yeah until I killed my little toe. I was wearing flip flops and I stubbed it on the wheel of the cart. It hurt like hell and there was some blood. I literally thought I was going to die...I thought I surely had ripped my poor little toe off. =( No just wounded. So anywho, I got home and made Ginger Pumpkin Bread and Paul's response was....this bread ROCKS. =) I'm sure I will get home today and he's eaten it all....lol. 

So today I am hobbling around work with my wounded toe...hopefully it will heal soon...Taller and I are running at lunch starting Oct 1! 

Thanks Mom!

So last night I was talking to my Mom, she told me that she misses the time we spent when we went to Weight Watchers because we used to meet up, go to the meeting and then walk around and chat. I thought that was really sweet of her to say. Thanks to my Mom, I went to Weight Watchers and she was the best support I could have ever asked for. Of course, the weight crept back on but the foundation for losing it was set and I know what to do to take it off and keep it off. Maintaining is just the hardest part and I feel like I’m now focused on that and soon I will finally kick this hindrance in my life FOR GOOD. 

Also, my Mom joined Weight Watchers and stuck to the program as support. She didn’t need to lose the weight but she did it to help me. I’ve always appreciated her for that. I really wouldn’t be the person I am today without that initial step that my Mom helped me to take and stood by me and helped me through. 

She really is my biggest cheerleader! Thanks again Mom, that time we spent means a lot to me even now. 

Just imagine…without that initial step what would I EVER talk about on my blog. LOL!

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Happy Birthday to my 1st little sister!

Christmas Gift Idea

So here is what I suggest...Mom, Debra and Nicole...pool your money and buy me this ceramic white fossil watch for Christmas!

My style?

So, while recuperating from my mini bike adventure I decided to watch Season 1 of Bored to Death. It’s a pretty good series on HBO. It’s about a writer who decides to be an unlicensed private detective on the side. Anyways, I digress. So of course while watching this NYC based show I look at the female characters and see that they have style and I’ve thought…what’s my style and do I have style? 

Okay honestly I’m thinking…no I have no style. I just buy what fits or is on sale. Does that make style? I see these characters and I see that they have planned out outfits down to accessories, etc. I’ve just never been that type of girl who is going to pay $29.99 or MORE for some plastic jewelry to accessorize my outfit. I mean to me jewelry is important not something plastic. 

For our first Christmas Paul bought me a three stone diamond pendant necklace. I wear this EVERYDAY because it means something to me. There’s no way that I’m going to trade off wearing my diamond necklace from Paul to wear some plastic matchy crap from the accessory rack. 

Might I also mention that I no longer have pierced ears. Sure I went through that whole phase in my early 20s but I feel like I outgrew it. I feel like buying all those cheap earrings were totally not worth the infections, redness, soreness, swelling, etc. I just felt like what is the point and shouldn’t I be too old to wear earrings from Clarie’s or whatever. 

So putting the accessories aside since I obviously have some deep rooted aggression against them…what about the rest of the outfit? The dress with the perfect sweater and the perfect shoe….do I do this? Maybe…once in a while. I just feel like style should come naturally. You should just wake up go to your closet and the magic happen and some days the magic just isn’t there so you just make the best of it. Right? Or am I wrong?  

Maybe I’m just not cut out to be one of those girly girls with the style and accessories. There was a time in my early 20s that I thought I wasn’t girly enough. I wore little to no makeup and maintain my white girl fro to the best of my abilities. Well I got sick of feeling that way…bought Benefit cosmetics and got a straighter, had my hair chemically straightened (TWICE), highlights, hair color changes, the works. I then felt like I was teeter tottering on high maintenance. 

At this point, I feel like I just don’t care enough. I feel like wearing what I wear when I wear it. Granted it’s not like I can’t put together a cute outfit sometimes I’d just rather slap something on and go to work. Last fall/winter, I would wear trouser jeans to work. In order to keep wearing them I would jazzy them up with a nice top and a sweater and a cute shoe. It was like I was camouflaging the jeans with accessories. Honestly, it worked. I made it the WHOLE time without anyone saying ANYTHING about me wearing jeans. So see sometimes I can pull together some style. 

Also, Paul is a very down to earth individual. He loves me for me. I don’t have to straighten my hair daily…he actually complains when I do. He hated the make up I wore, i.e Benefit, and now likes my more natural look I’m getting with Bareminerals. It’s nice to know that I don’t have to be dressed to the nine for the man I love 24/7. He’s gotta love you at your worst anyways because it’s not going to last if he didn’t. 

Also, I just feel like having a style is just like eating healthy. It’s expensive! Just think about all the crap you have to buy to make an outfit! Since, homegirl here is working on the Jew Fund…I find it hard to invest in new clothes for work. Who cares..it’s work! I don’t work at a fashion forward law firm in NYC. I work in Jacksonville, FL. Home of the cracker…lol. My lack of style is still better than a lot of what is walking around that place. 

I guess to sum it up…my style lacks motivation. I just don’t care enough on a daily basis to make an outfit. I just get dressed and head out the door. So what you see is what you get. Granted…it fits and it matches. I’m not one of those sad befores from What not to Wear. So I guess it’s not too bad…or wait isn’t that what those people are thinking when they are wearing those hideous outfits?

Again, I’m so happy to get my laptop working again without it this blog would have ceased to exist. It was soooo refreshing to just type away on my random thoughts. This is why my blog became so one topic. The random thoughts were never making it to the blog because I forgot them before I got to my work computer.

Chicken Shi(a)t

So, as I've said, I'm on cutting back on my car usage. In an effort, to leave my house so I can remain sane and not feel trapped at home on the weekends, I got a bike. Well on Friday, I announced that I was going to bike it the 7.5 miles to Starbucks on Sunday. Well I thought, why put off until tomorrow what can be done today...so here's Shia's first attempt.

So you know that saying...once you learn to ride a bike you NEVER forget? Well I don't think it's a 100% true. The beginning of my journey was a little wobbly. Literally! I thought at one point I was going to fall over. Don't even get me started on stopping. Apparently most of the time I forgot that I had actual brakes and just decided to throw my feet down and stop Fred Flintstone style and if you don't know who Fred Flintstone is...you're too young to be reading this blog...LOL. 

Okay now I am realizing that I should have taken some pictures...but believe me I was just concentrating on staying on the bike. 

So, I start off....I immediately realize how much we take for granted how far things are away because we are spoiled by our cars. Every time a car passed me I got a little angry....well aren't you SPECIAL....you'll be at your destination in NO time!

THANK GOODNESS I'M RIDING ON THE SIDEWALK! Apparently, I didn't think about certain things when I planned this trip. Like um....stopping at intersections, crossing streets, etc. Luckily there wasn't much going on and most of the road is a divided road so I only had to worry about one side of traffic. By the time I got to the two lane road I was doing A LOT better and at this point in the road the sidewalk was FAR from the road.  A lot of grass for my buffer.

Well I started off at 12:45 and.....got home at 1:30! No, I didn't make it to Starbucks. I made it 2.5 miles before I had to stop. I stopped....realized my bottle water was hot, the backpack containing my laptop was killing my back and the bike seat was hurting my bum. Also, at this point I was feeling like I was about to throw up. Also, my arms were killing me...apparently I had the Vulcan Death Grip on those handle bars. 

This is where Shia chickened out. I knew I could rest and keep going but fear set in. How much further could I go and what would happen if I couldn't make it home? Believe me I was too proud to give up but I was even more "too proud" to have to call someone to come and get me. 

So all in all my first attempt was successful because it was a learning experience. Things that I will do different next time....

1) COLDER WATER

2) When there is shade....which isn't much...stop (with brakes) and drink some water.

3) Make more realistic attempts. First time on a bike in like forever isn't going to yield a 7.5 mile one way trip. Next time I will attempt to go to the end of the main road of my neighborhood (I made it half way down this road before stopping) and that will be 3.25 miles. (TOTAL 6.5)

4) If I make it to the end of this main road and feel like I can keep going. I will stop at a few roads up which will be 3.8 miles. (TOTAL 7.6)

So, to sum up....7.5 and 15.0 miles total is TOO FAR! I have to build up to this. I'm gonna do it every weekend so hopefully within a month or so I'll be sipping on some Green Tea writing a blog about how I finally made it.

Soooooooooooooooo

I feel like every time I go to write a blog that I want to start of with …..

So, ……

So (lol), I looked it up to see if I could find another word because I felt like I was overusing the whole “so”. Too funny….so’s definition is…..

Main Entry: so

Part of Speech: adverb 

Definition:Accordingly

Synonyms: consequently, hence, then, therefore

ACCORDINGLY!!!! HELLO….World According to Shia! So “so” fits! SO THERE!

I'm gonna use so sooooooooooooooooo much!

DOH!

I like to think of myself as an intelligent person so when I have a complete moment of stupidity I find it hilarious. Here’s what happened: All last week I was having trouble sleeping and felt quiet ill. Paul asked if I was drinking too much caffeine at work. I said no…Green Tea NO Sweet and Low or an Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte with Soy. Okay well here is the problem, since I stopped drinking Sweet and Low I’ve switched from Iced Coffee with Soy to an Iced Latte which has more “milk” and since the Soy is sweetened and has a vanilla flavoring I’ve chose more “milk” to offset needing to add sweetener. Also, I started drinking the Cinnamon Dolce Latte because of well the cinnamon and vanilla from the soy was magical. So anyways, I was under the impression that I was actually drinking LESS caffeine with the whole more “milk” in a latte. Um no, today I find out that a Venti Cinnamon Dolce Latte has THREE shots of espresso….THREE! I was drinking like maybe a Venti and a Grande a day…FIVE TO SIX shots of espresso! No wonder I felt like I was dying and didn’t get any sleep …. I’m an IDIOT!

Thank you Thank you THANK YOU!!!!

Here's a shout out to the best IT guy around he fixed my laptop that hasnt worked in probably over a year for $10!!!!!  All I needed was a new powercord!  HOLLA!

Woe is me!

There is/was this contest in Glamour magazine about writing about a real life event. I really want/wanted to write something and see what type of feedback I get. The only problem is....the past winners have had tragic stories. One girl had Hodgkin's and died before her story was published. Another winner wrote about how she overcame sexual abuse. Life is hard for everyone but I just don't think I stand a chance. Topics I thought about writing about were:

• Being the child of a teenage mother...look how I've turned out (shut it Bill). Basically this would have been about how I am the person I am today because of my mom and that even if your mom is/was young it doesn't mean that she can't raise you right. 
• My niece Marissa....my sisters are my half-sisters in a sense and it wasn't until like 4th grade when a schoolmate pointed that fact out to me that I ever even thought that. They have a different dad than me but we were all raised together. My sisters are the exact opposite of me. Skinny, blonde, blue eyes...do I need to go on.... and I've always just felt like the odd man out. I mean there are two of them and one of me. They look alike. People can just look at them and know that they are sisters. Anytime I would meet their friends for the first time they were like...she's your sister. So it wasn't until Marissa came around that I truly felt like me and my sisters do have similarities. Face it folks, Marissa is mini-me and I felt this bond with her the minute she was born. Also, I'm never going to have children. Honestly, there are some moments when I do think....will I regret that choice one day to not have a little girl like me. The fact that Marissa is that ideal little girl to me...the one I've thought about what if....it just amazes me. Also, Marissa is going through a lot of the same things that I went through at her age. Her parents are divorced and she's got a new little sister which is her half-sister! I hope no one ever tells her! I just know how I felt when I was young when my dad constantly disappointed me or didn't keep his promises. I never want Marissa to feel that way and I want to be at least one grown-up that she can always count on. Anyways, this is the leading topic. I just feel like this is the most heartfelt story I can think of other than talking about my mom. I just don't know if it is enough to win and I just feel like I really need to figure out how to make a smooth transition between the layers of this story. So I have about a day and a half to make this happen....I've wrote 20 page papers for UF in less time but who knows.... 

I just feel like I've hit a brick wall because I'm so intimidated by the past winners thinking that my story isn't going to cut it. I'll keep you posted.

Too much of a good thing?

So I’ve been thinking about my blog. Is it really random? Yes….well kinda. Sometimes I do talk about the same sorts of things over and over again, could it be getting old? I’ve tried to shake this fear with reassuring myself that I do break up the monotony with my random rants so all is good…right?

Well, I will have to say that Eminem being back on the scene has totally helped me embrace…if it’s working keep doing it. I mean seriously he is STILL complaining about the same old stuff. I can understand back when you hit it big and you were straight out of the trailer park from Detroit…sure complain and rant about your life. But now? Shouldn’t you have moved past this? I guess not. So thank you Eminem for the life lesson! Shia will go shelling out what works cuz if it aint broke don’t fix it!

Are you ready for this?

Shia’s got a brand new magazine subscription. I’m now getting Shape magazine for 3 years! YAY!

Return of TMI Tuesday

On the last TMI Tuesday (click here if you missed it), I shared my Victoria Secret collection. Well I think it’s time for me to try some of those bad boys back on and see if they fit because today my regular plain -black boyshorts were falling off…literally! I was afraid they would wind up around my ankles because I’m wearing a dress. So, I had to take them off and wear my workout shorts (with built in undies) under my dress. Hello, can’t do it up Brittney Spears style at work!

Restricted!?!?!

Right now I feel like I am restricted from everything. As you know from my last blog entries, work has tightened up on internet use. Currently, our IT tech guy is working on getting my laptop running. He thinks I just need a new powercord. That would be soooo awesome because if not I am going to have to buy a new laptop or risk my job every time I post something. Because, hello…I can’t NOT post on my blog. 

I’m going to get a new car in April 2011. To insure that I receive the maximum amount for my trade-in Paul wants my Jetta to be under 50,000 miles so it will still be under VW warranty when we trade it in and since I live like a million miles from work I’ve now been put on mileage restriction so no long drives to Gainesville anytime soon and hey I think I deserve people to come see me. I obviously have made my fair share of trips over given the amount of miles I’ve put on my car minus my daily commute. So also to keep mileage down I’m limiting going anywhere on the weekend. Well on one hand it will totally help Shia stay on a budget because I won’t be doing any weekend shopping. 

In order to not go insane, Paul and I went to Wally World on Sunday and bought me a bike. So when my neighbors are driving me crazy (no pun intended) or I’m about to go mad from sitting at home with nothing to do, I can now ride my bike around the neighborhood. I can’t wait to post about my first adventure. Hopefully, it will be this upcoming weekend. We had to buy the bike in the box to fit in Paul’s car so hopefully he will be putting it together before Saturday and if not Shia will put her own dang bike together!

Well as I’ve posted about numerous times, I’m on a healthy kick of limiting “bad” food items and I’ve given up Diet Coke, Coke Zero, etc. and Sweet and Low. See more restrictions. I’m going pretty strong on this whole thing. I’ve kinda felt like I was doing it all for nothing. I mean don’t get me wrong Taller tells me EVERYDAY how well I am doing but it’s like my mom telling me I look like I lost weight…at a point I just think she’s just saying it. However, TODAY a lady I work with told me that she can tell I’ve lost weight. AND HOLLA I have!!! I’ve lost 17 pounds. So see restricting does pay off!

Money restriction is the other kick I am on. I’m doing pretty well with this as well. No frivolous spending anymore, especially now with the whole no driving kick. For a bad economy, I’m doing awesome! I think more Americans should just cut out some of their money wasting and more of us would be doing just fine.

Honestly when the whole mileage restriction came up I was literally like can Shia not do ANYTHING. I have soooo much restricted at the moment, but I’ve taken a few days and thought it over. It’s the best thing to do in every situation. I’m eating/drinking the best. I’m saving the most money that I can, etc. Every restriction is really a positive step. Okay not the no internet at work. That one really sucks especially since I don’t have a working computer at the moment but regardless that one will end up working out I’ll just have to use some of that money I’m not spending on a new computer.

What kind of restrictions are you making? Or am I the only one?

Quick Update

Our firm has implemented a new...NO INTERNET policy and since I don't have a computer at home this is cramping my blog style. Have no fear...Shia is right now risking her job to tell you this...LOL....I'm working on getting SOME computer to do my blog on. Our IT guy is looking at my laptop please OH PLEASE let him fix it...Shia's problems would then be solved. Anywho, it's killing me because I have like a million blogs to post. But I'll get them up...don't worry!

Blog-tastic

Hold onto your seats folks there is a lot in store today!  I was telling Taller that I have sooo much to post that I wish I just had a USB port to transfer the info from my brain directly onto the blog to cut out all the blog preparation.  


Work is cutting down on our internet...stay tuned...greatness to come...just not today..womp womp wommmmmp!

BOOO-ise State

Boise State #3? I just saw on USA Today this statement "Florida fell three spots to No. 6 after a mistake-filled win against Miami (Ohio)." Really? How about Miami of Ohio isn't our hardest game this year...unlike Boise State. You wanna get ranked? PLAY SOME REAL TEAMS! Also, sure Florida didn't go out and steal the show on Saturday but how about the fact that Florida is a new team. No Tebow to carry Florida to #1 unlike Boise State that has nothing but returning Seniors. I saw a lot of mistakes by those Seniors of Boise State last night. Also, reality check they won by the SKIN of their teeth. If it wasn't for that penalty at the end (half the distance to the goal) they wouldn't have gotten that last touchdown and then boo hoo Boise State would have LOST! Yes, I know I should be happy because a little dog school has made it to the rankings but REALLY? Should we now just let everyone in for hype? Notre Dame has a legacy of greatness...should they just be #1 every year starting out? I'm not one to really care about or focus on more than UF, FSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State and a few other SEC teams, but you better believe that every week I'll be checking up on #3 Boise State. They play nobodies and they better beat them 72-0 every game to keep that #3 spot or even HOPE to go to the National Championship! 

It's not fair that little schools don't get ranked? Well it's not fair when they are #3 and this is their schedule:

Mon, Sep 06	Virginia Tech
Sat, Sep 18	Wyoming
Sat, Sep 25	Oregon State
Sat, Oct 02	New Mexico State *
Sat, Oct 09	Toledo
Sat, Oct 16	San Jose State *
Tue, Oct 26	Louisiana Tech *
Sat, Nov 06	Hawai'i *
Fri, Nov 12	Idaho *
Fri, Nov 19	Fresno State *
Fri, Nov 26	Nevada *
Sat, Dec 04	Utah State *

PUH-LEASE!