Currently

Feeling: Thankful. Duh! I mean, as cliche as it sounds Thanksgiving is the time of year where I'm just extra thankful for all that is good in my life. I'm thankful throughout the year of course, but there's just something about the holidays that bring that feeling to the forefront of my mind.

Excited for: The 4 day weekend! YAS! It has been a very busy few months both at work and in my personal life. Dustin and I purposely made no plans so we could just hang at home and relax. We were invited to my family's for Thanksgiving which I honestly would have loved to go to but we decided to decline just to catch our breath and unwind a bit. Also, I have driven so much lately that I'm so over it. I've been to Ormond I don't know how many times. To Palm Coast. To Tampa twice. All of those trips were worth it but it just gets exhausting. We plan to stay in PJs, watch all the TV/movies, play all the video games, and just be together. Oh and we are going to take our Christmas photo. It's going to be a good one, let me tell you!

Watching:

Jessica Jones - Dustin and I are up to episode 9 and it just came out last Friday. We are loving it just as much as we loved Daredevil. They both are similar in that they have a darker vibe. I absolutely love (but really hate) the villains too. They just somehow seem 10x worse then those super big bad guys in all of the big Marvel movies. It's probably because they are more realistic. David Tennant is killing it! Literally. Ha! But seriously he does bad very well. Kristen Ritter is also great. I really love that she's this badass woman superhero who isn't like any other. She's got flaws. Tons of them. But she's good; she cares. I like that her go to outfit is boots, jeans, and a jacket. I appreciate superheroes, especially females, in all forms and although the spandex is fine, it's just nice to see a female hero kick ass without her cleavage being the main attraction. I cannot wait to see how the first season wraps up!

Twinsters - I first heard about this documentary earlier this year when it was playing at the Enzian. I didn't get to make it to the theater then but thankfully Netflix has it available now! I watched it a week or two ago and it's just such a intriguing and heartwarming story of two girls who live on opposite sides of the globe who look identical. I just felt like I was going on this journey with them of finding out if they are truly twins. It's things like this that make me so so grateful for technology! It's a feel-good story, if you're into that kind of thing (which I totally am!).

Star Wars - Dustin and I thought it would be fun to watch all of the old Star Wars movies in order before The Force Awakens comes out. Now I need to preface this by saying I have always liked Star Wars but I've never been a crazy super fan. I watched all of the films when I was in high school and enjoyed them but that's pretty much where it ended for me. Dustin on the other hand is a big fan. I remember walking into his bedroom at his mom's house for the first time and one of the first things I noticed was his little Yoda on his TV stand. We still have that same Yoda on display. Last year for Christmas I bought him the entire BluRay 6 movie box set. So far we have re-watched The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. I feel like I never appreciated these films the way I should have when I was younger. I'm pretty disappointed in myself but what are you going to do? Thoughts so far include: Anakin is pretty whiny, Jar Jar isn't nearly as bad as everyone says he is, Padme is badass, Yoda is even more badass (he was always my favorite), I can't stop saying 'Tattooine', and I want a lightsaber. We plan to watch the next two over the Thanksgiving break.

Listening to: Maria Mena's "I Don't Wanna See You With Her" - I'm so excited that Maria is coming out with a new CD next week because I think I've played her single a bazillion times. I've already got that shit pre-ordered so it'll be in my iTunes library when I wake up 12/4. Technology is something, isn't it?


Photo: One Two Three

Snail Mail My Email: Year Two

I signed up to volunteer again for Snail Mail My Email just as soon as I got word they were accepting submissions. I had such a blast last year that I was really looking forward to participating again. I knew pretty much what to expect so I stocked up on stamps and bought new colored paper. As silly as it sounds, I get really excited when I see the email pop up in my inbox. I just can't wait to read the letter, to see what the artwork request is, and of course what part of the world I'll be shipping it to. We all have different kinds of fun and this is 100% my kind.

I'm usually pretty good at figuring out what to draw for the artwork. 3/4 letters I received had fairly specific requests which I tried to accommodate the best I could.

Letter 1: Frogs.
Letter 2: Nothing was requested so it was all my own interpretation.
Letter 3: Anything anime. Dustin drew the guy for me. Anime is not really in my artistic realm and since I wanted it to look awesome I asked Dustin to help. He can draw anything and everything so it worked great.
Letter 4: Literally everything was requested which I thought was pretty fun. Panda, churros, Twenty One Pilots, Nachos, Pizza, and Supernatural. Thankfully Nicole was able to help me with the Supernatural part of it. I don't watch the show so I wasn't sure what to do but Nicole sent me a few different symbols I could use. It was perfect! (Thanks again, girl!)

I have to admit I was pretty disappointed I only got four letters this time around. I was expecting a ton more since last year I did something like 18. But last year they also had to shut the project down 2 days early because there were so many requests. I'm thinking they probably added a lot more volunteers and each of us had a smaller load. That of course makes sense but I would've loved to do more.

I requested my own letter but it hasn't been delivered to the recipient yet. The organizers of the event tell everyone that they need to ship out their letters within a week of receiving it. Also, it could be coming from any part of the world so I won't be disappointed until it's mid December and the letter still hasn't arrived. I mean why volunteer if you aren't going to take it seriously? I hope it works out and everyone (including my requests) gets sent out to it's proper recipient.

Until next year!

A Tattoo Story: Part II

Two months and three more sessions later and my cover-up tattoo is officially all done!

You can read about how the first part of my tattoo journey here.

The second session was the worst healing-wise. Oh man, it was terrible! For whatever reason it was painful and extra scabby. I even texted Cortni to ask if it was normal because I have never experienced that in all of the tattoos I've gotten, but she said sometimes it can heal that way. I barely got any sleep that week because I couldn't sleep on my back. Whine whine. But no pain, no gain right?

Out of all the sessions, the third was the most painful. Apparently going over scar tissue hurts like hell. And I can now say from experience that it sure as hell does. It was the hardest sitting to get through by far. I winced and sighed and took deep breath after deep breath. It was no fun at all. But again, I signed up for this and I've got to say that through all the pain and uncomfortableness it was absolutely worth it. What was once a weird little lightning bolt in an odd place on my back is now a blooming heart.

My pores got really big in one area of the tattoo and the ink was not taking because of that during session 3. So I had to come back today for my mini session to touch up the area and fill in the last flower. It went by so fast. Cortni, Dustin, and I just talked about Star Wars. Cortni and I bonded over our shared love of Jar Jar. #TeamJarJar  But Jar Jar gets a bad rap and I don't like it. Ha!  She also informed us of Nintendo Land which is apparently coming to Universal. Basically we just nerd out the entire time I'm laying there in pain. It was great though. It made it go by fast and kept my mind off the pain. Mostly.

It's just so crazy to think this journey has come to an end. I've had this idea in my head for so long and it took forever just getting around to making the tattoo appointment. And now I'm all done. But I'm super pumped to just have this beautiful work of art on my shoulder forever. It makes wearing racerback shirts that much more fun!

Now it's time to get to thinking about what Harry Potter tattoo I'll get. Hmm...

If you want a badass tattoo, check out Cortni at All Saints in Ormond Beach.
Her work can be found on her Instagram.

 

Found

Mae Whitman talks about sex with her mom.

100 Years of Beauty. USA Men Edition.

Penguins Attempt Break Out.

I can relate.

People Stuck Their Arms In A Hole And Blindly Let A Tattoo Artist Ink Them

Hands down the coolest hair ever.

A Love Letter To AOL Instant Messenger

Do not adopt this cat. (Thanks for this Katie!)

Sex After Pregnancy. Well that seems like a lot of fun, except not at all.

I love that Scott Foley still loves his Felicity peeps!

Jennifer Lawrence is hilarious as per usual.

These women tried period panties. I still don't know what to make of them.

"They have guns but we have flowers."

"Fuck them sideways."

#ParisIsAboutLife

Rainbow Rowell: A Nerding Out Story

About a month or so ago an old high school friend of mine posted an EventBrite link for RainbowRowell on my Facebook page.  She and I follow one another on Goodreads which I'm so thankful for because I'm guessing that's how she knew I was a Rainbow fan. I couldn't believe Rainbow would not only be in Orlando but the event at the Downtown Public Library was completely free. I immediately snagged my ticket and asked my friend if I could tag along to the event with her. We have never been close friends, even in high school, but we've always kept in touch which is nice because we really do have so much in common. So that was the plan, I'd go by myself and meet up with her. I didn't even think to ask any of my friends because as far as I knew none of them were Rainbow fans (at least not yet). 

So Sunday evening rolled around and as I was getting ready to go, I messaged my friend to see if she was still going. Unfortunately she told me she had decided not to. I was bummed but it didn't deter me in any way to not go myself. The thing is I don't mind going to (most) things alone. I'm not a super outgoing person by any stretch but I can hold my own around strangers if I have to. The only tricky part of the whole thing is that I do not feel comfortable walking alone downtown in the dark. It really is one of the disadvantages of being a woman. There's a fear that men will never understand. Of course Dustin would never let me even attempt to go by myself especially at night. So Dustin and I thought it would be best if he dropped me off at the door and then he'd find something to do for a few hours and come back and pick me up. That plan didn't exactly work out either. 

I parallel parked my car right next to Lake Eola. Dustin got out to make sure I was in the lines. I wasn't. A guy walked by and said something to Dustin that I couldn't make out through the closed windows but I imagine it was something like "women drivers huh?" followed by an eye roll. I kept moving the car up and then back. Turning the wheel. Straightening the wheel. Then another guy started to talk to Dustin. This time I made out "My wife cried last time she tried to parallel park" in which Dustin responded "She's good. She's got it." And yeah it took maybe five minutes to get there but I did get it with the help of Dustin. 

We walked to Orange Ave. in search of food but it was just bar after bar. Thankfully we came across Jimmy Johns and I got a turkey sub which I ate while waiting in line to the event. That's right, there was a fucking line. Us nerds know how to party! Dustin waited in the line with me even though I told him multiple times he could go. The event was sold out but they were giving out standby tickets in case some people didn't show. So Dustin got a standby ticket because he didn't want to leave me alone. I got my wristband and walked into the library with everyone else while Dustin waited in the standby line. I saved him a seat even though we were told not to save seats. But I had already made a story in my head that he was "just in the restroom". Ha! I waited for about 15 minutes and there he came walking down the aisle. My saved seat worked! 

Rainbow Rowell and David Levithan (another author) took the stage at 6:30pm. They talked to the crowd a little bit before reading a chapter out of each of their new books. I loved their interaction with each other. They just were like two friends hanging out together which is exactly what was happening but I somehow felt like I was part of that inner friendship circle. Me and a couple hundred other people. They were just both so endearing, genuine, and charismatic. I loved that they cussed. I love that they referenced Harry Potter, Star Wars, and cassette tapes. They honestly just seemed like some really awesome down-to-Earth people.  I laughed a lot! Dustin said it was like watching a Ted Talk and I kind of have to agree. After they read from their books they spent almost an hour answering the audiences questions. Questions like...

Will Rainbow write a sequel to Eleanor and Park? (She said she tried but her publisher told her not to. She also said if she ever did she would pick back up in their 30s).

What would they have been if they weren't authors? (Rainbow said she'd be some kind of creative director and David said a 5th grade teacher.)

I came for Rainbow and she turned me into an even bigger fan with her great personality. But it was a nice surprise when David won me over. I have of course heard of books he's written but I haven't read any of them. But just hearing him talk made me want to go crawl in a corner and read them all. And I will. Well, maybe not in a corner. But I'm such a fan of his now which is such a cool thing. It's like going to a show and actually enjoying the opening acts (which let's be real doesn't always happen). I kind of wanted to say to him "I'm so embarrassed and disappointed in myself I didn't know of you and more of your work before this event". Oh well, I do now. 

I would have loved to video parts of their talk but we were told before hand not to. I love recording just about everything to store on my hard drive to look back fondly of but I fully respected their request. And the cool thing is I was much more present than I would have been without a phone in front of my face the whole time. Thankfully we were allowed to take photos so I did get to document to a degree. Ha!

After their discussion with the audience they went to the other side of the library for the signing. The library staff dismissed us row by row to go stand in line. Dustin and I waited about an hour. We were told that Rainbow and David both would personalize one book each and sign as many as we brought. I only brought one book. I didn't own any of Rainbow's book books. I have read (and loved) every single book she has written but they all live on my Kindle - no hard copies.  So I bought Fangirl especially for this event. I was so torn though because I really love all of her books so choosing one to be signed was not easy. Some of the girls waiting in line had backpacks full of books. It was kind of crazy! I mean I get it to an extent but that's just a lot to carry around and a whole lot to sign.

Once it was finally my turn I walked up to the table and told her how excited I was to meet her. She was still so bubbly and cheerful when I would've understood if she had been pretty tired at that point. I told her the most cliche thing ever "I've read all your books. I loved them all! I'm currently in the middle of Carry On." She replied "I hope the streak continues!". I also told her to write whatever she wanted in my book. I think it's kind of weird when you tell an author or celebrity what to write. I rather it just be whatever they feel. After she signed my book she so kindly took a photo with me.  The interaction was quick but so incredibly fun.

The night didn't go at all as originally planned but I just went with it because it actually turned out even better. As fine as I would've been going alone, I'm so happy and thankful Dustin decided to stay and keep me company. As in love as we still are, the heart of our relationship is friendship. Dustin is 100% my very best friend. I love that he supports me and my interests even when they aren't his own.  It was fun sharing that experience with him. I mean if he hadn't gone who would've made fun of me the whole way home for totally nerding out? Dustin did and he always does it in a way that makes me crack up. We had the best time.

Thanks Dustin for always sticking by my side.
Thanks Rainbow for being even cooler than I thought.
And thanks David for opening me up to new books. 

This Month In Photos

I asked nicely made Dustin try on this sweater in Target. I thought it would be hilarious but it turns out he really can pull off a preppy cardigan. I kind of wanted him to buy it. // Dustin was sick of seeing everyone else's artwork hang up in our local Which Wich so he contributed his own piece. And of course it is Rick and Morty related.



Only Dustin, Fiddy, and the other Buds will get this meme I made and that's totally ok. 

We always have fun in Target but even more fun during Halloween. We actually went to Target the morning of November 1st to see if there were any good deals on costumes. I did happen to find a really great one...for only $20. I'm not telling anyone what it is because it may or may not be used in our Christmas photo. // So I bought new "every-dayers" (aka glasses I wear every day) that are exactly like my old ones except a darker color. But I always like to have a back up more fun pair. I have been obsessing over these pinkish frames for months and finally went for it when I saw they were on sale. Although I still love them, I don't think the shape is quite right for my head. Also they are definitely a little too big. It was hard sending them back but I need the money to find another pair.

 

One morning a few weekends ago I noticed an orangey glow through the blinds. I stepped outside to witness the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen. I took a million pictures, not only on my phone, but my nicer camera too! And then I put down all the electronics and just stood and admired. It was a short moment but one of my favorite I've had by myself. // This is the new Winter-look for men that I like to call "Work Boot Hockey Man".



One of my fellow Felicity-loving friends tagged me in a Facebook article about this lovely reunion. Entertainment Weekly does reunions all the time but rarely do I care about any of them. Well, I cared so much about this particular one that I bought both of the covers. Felicity is and will forever be my jam. That show was just perfect on so many different levels and it's super fun to see the cast back together. Also, how do they all keep looking better and better? Still #TeamBen. Love you Noel/Leon!

My new frames! The same! But darker. // I am freaking out over the new emojis. The nerd one with glasses is my new go-to.

When I got out of the shower one morning I arranged my remaining tampons to spell out "HI" on the toilet for Dustin. He's barely coherent in the mornings so I wasn't even sure he'd notice. Oh he noticed and when I got home from work I was welcomed by his own creative message "YO!". Being married is pretty much the best thing ever. // I finally bit the bullet and took my rings to get cleaned and re-dipped (white gold is kind of a pain in the ass albeit very pretty). The reason I have been putting it off is because it cost $80. That's a lot of money to spend just to make your rings shinier. But I did it because I want my rings to look the best they can. And they were looking rough. My finger feels so naked without them which is why I put one of my fake tats on. It tells people that "She's totally taken!" and looks pretty badass. A perfect temporary fix. 

Dustin Says

Ball are like life; sometimes they're up and sometimes they're down.

Where do you think I learned stuff as a kid? Nick news duh.

Me: Who's that?
Dustin: Rand Paul. Ron Paul's son. Ru Paul's cousin.

After I tried to convince him that sometimes you're forced to go to the bathroom out in the world. 
I'm not that kind of person. I'm not a public shitter.

A Day Off

I had Veteran's Day off yesterday. It's weird to have time off in the middle of the week. Usually it means that you're sick. I felt perfectly fine. So fine that I went to visit my mom at her school. She has been asking me to come by for awhile now but even more so lately now that this is her last year.

From the time I was 8 or 9 I went with her every April for "Bring Your Daughter To Work Day". The teacher she used to work with had a daughter around my age and we'd talk and help out with the younger kids. We thought we were so cool. This continued through high school. But then I became an adult and had less and less time (especially on weekdays) to visit.

It was nice being back although it wasn't really back. They recently built a new school so the one I remember will just be a memory from here on out. The new school is extremely nice though. The security and the technology are top notch. I was very impressed. My mom reintroduced me to people I met back when I was a kid and introduced me to new faces as well. Everyone was incredibly nice and welcoming. After the tour, we went in her class and she and the teacher introduced me to the class. I watched them do a few funny dance moves (Kitty High Five, Whip & Nae Nae, etc). Then we all watched a video about Veteran's Day. The teacher asked the class what they thought the holiday meant and I was surprised at how much they knew. One little girl even came dressed in uniform. It was really sweet. Then we all moved to "our" tables. Each table sat 5 kids. I sat in the seat of the one that wasn't there. I forgot how small those seats are. Ha! We all made flowers and colored a little Veteran's Day page in honor of the day. I had fun coloring my own little project and helping the kids finish theirs. Once everyone was done, it was time to go play on the playground. I miss the days where playground time was just part of your every day routine. The good ol' days!

I came home and ate lunch and pretty much just laid on the couch for a little while. I was exhausted. Kids will wear you out! Once I regained some of my energy I had a stupid idea to clean the grout. We have tile floor in our kitchen, entry way, and bathrooms. And all of that grout is pretty gross because I've never played Cinderella aka gotten down on my hands and knees and scrubbed the hell out of it. But I was scrolling through Pinterest recently and came across a natural way to clean grout. All you do is spray the grout with vinegar, let stand for a little while, and then come back and scrub with baking soda. The good news is the concoction totally works but the bad news is it's time consuming and pretty damn tiresome. Needless to say I only got the bathroom and part of the entry way done. I plan on scrubbing more this weekend. Maybe. 

It was a fun and productive little mid-week day off. So another thank you to all the Vets! You guys are awesome. And speaking of an awesome vet, Dustin's grandpa aka Pap was honored in a Veteran's ceremony over the weekend. We're so proud of him! Miranda sent me the photos below and I just think they are the cutest.

Benton Baby Shower

I can't believe the shower has already come and gone. It just seems like yesterday Rachelle was telling me she was pregnant! I mean, little baby girl Benton will be here in no time.  

I drove to Palm Coast where the shower venue was located. It was actually in an area in north Palm Coast that I wasn't very familiar with, but I didn't have any trouble thanks to my trusty GPS. I was blown away when I walked inside. The room was filled with little pieces of fall (pumpkin centerpieces/favors) and tons of pink (duh!). I loved the pink roses everywhere. It was decorated beautifully. 

Since it was a brunch there were a variety of breakfast-y dishes. I honestly don't know what some of them were but I can say they were all delicious. There was a egg casserole and then there was this french toast like concoction with bacon sprinkles. Ridiculous! 

I knew a few of Rachelle's family and friends so it was nice seeing them all again. Rachelle introduced me to her boss who knew Dustin when he was a kid. She was very sweet and we chatted for awhile. Palm Coast is such a typical small town where everyone knows everyone which I've always thought adds to it's charm. 

After everyone got enough food, Rachelle and Matt opened the mountain of presents. They seriously might need a U-Haul to bring all of it home. Ha! Baby Benton got hooked up! I was so excited to finally give them the giant bag full of goodies I had been collecting since I found out they were expecting. I got them a few outfits because little baby clothes are so fun and every girl no matter what age needs a jean skirt and skinny jeans! The baby shower invite requested books instead of cards which I think is a wonderful idea to get the little library started. I ended up buying 3 books because I just couldn't decide on one.  Also I'm a huge reader and I want all kids to enjoy books as much as I do. I gave them If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (a classic!), Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever (a favorite of mine growing up), and Jimmy Fallon's new one called Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada. I gave them a canning jar sip cup which I hear are great (and a tad hipster but aren't we all?). But my most favorite gift I gave was a baby quilt I had made from a variety of fabric. Some of the fabric was bought from a fabric store and others are pieces of shirts. I had a vision in my head of what I wanted it to be and somehow I exceeded my own expectations. I purposely made it not really matchy matchy but yet the fabric pieces still work as a whole. And I love the navy blue border/backing. I just was really excited about the eclectic look. I hope Rachelle and Matt love it as much as I do. 

I had a really good time celebrating with them and their other friends and family. I was a little nervous going alone but it worked out just fine. Dustin isn't into baby showers (which I totally get and it's never bothered me) and plus it was football Sunday. He actually picked out (and paid for) a little outfit all by himself which I thought was so sweet. Dustin is just as excited for them as I am but he just goes about showing it in a different way. 

We cannot wait to meet this little girl!

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