to get a life or to not get a life that is the question

from blogging, and from basic observation of self and surroundings, i've noticed that i tend to switch between two modes:  a.) too much going on to juggle it all and b.) bored, idle, and lazy.

now the self improvement police would inevitably argue that this observation calls for an overhaul of my organizational strategies, and an establishment of methods and routines that can always keep me occupied  without laboring me with episodes of stress.

shut up self improvement police, you don't know me.  step off.

this week has already guaranteed itself as a weird one since it is the first time i'm alone at steve's and my place.  so far it's way less awesome than being with steve at steve's and my place.  since his departure on sunday afternoon, i have watched the entire third season of downton abbey (good and all, but unfortunately too slow between all the moments of tragedy... let's be honest, who really cares about bates enough to make up for killing off sybil and matthew? not me).  

i have also let the apartment turn into a total and complete dump.  it's funny how long stretches of my free time all get filled up immediately, but the short breaks in between turn into completely useless dead time.  well, i suppose not completely useless.  i fixed our tub drain and cleaned bert's litter box.  i also "fixed" my laptop for about 24 hours by doing a system restore.  this clearly wasn't the way to go, because now the laptop can't boot up.  yay.  sadly, this means those pictures of chicago and san diego are going to stay floating around in the world of someday-i'll-post-them.

it's just one of those unpleasant times where life layers a heap of guilt and anxiety, about everything that isn't getting done, on top of what should be a nice quiet week.

and since i don't need an extra reminder of everything i'm not accomplishing, i'm not going to bother posting my word count.  i'm not even sure what it is because i lost a couple hundred words to a computer that won't turn on.  *mope*

blogger faves

i always love when people leave comments on my and other blog posts with the URL to their own blog!  i follow a LOT of different blogs and i love seeing the diversity of tastes, passions, interests, and ideas floating around the creative zones of the internet.  i think i'm going to start sharing with my readers some of my favorites on a slightly regular basis.

to start off, i'm going to share with you the big 3.  the top 3.  the 3 blogs on the internet i would be saddest to see disappear.  here they are in order of preference:

3.  the locals (formerly copenhagen street style)

i follow a lot of different fashion blogs, but street style blogs are my absolute favorites.  i consider myself to have a pretty solid handle on my own personal style.  i love some fashion blogs because they really fit with my own fashion choices and offer great shopping inspiration for new pieces to fit my wardrobe.  

this is so far from the case with the locals.  street style blogs like this one feature really avant garde fashion choices on everyday people.  they challenge you to push the envelope with everyday style and teach you how to balance casual with couture.  it really helps me feel like i'm a step ahead of certain trends, and it's a great reminder that fashion is creative... not imitative.

2.  lang photographers (formerly underagedandengaged)

the mormon mommy blog has it's own magical little niche of the internet.  out of all of them, i enjoy following the lang family the most.

maybe it's the constantly sunny arizona weather around them, maybe it's the fact that stacie's references to profanity and dr. pepper make them seem the most relatable.  maybe it's because they are both unreasonably good looking, or maybe it's because they have two hilarious daughters with hipster names like ivy and lola.

i think what i really like most about this blog is the way stacie writes.  there is something about her sense of humor that really reminds me of myself.  i like to imagine in another life we may have been friends.  either way, this family is a riot and so inspiring to watch as they all grow up together.

1.  honestly wtf

in my opinion, honestly wtf is as good as blogs get.

the blog is a mish mash of pretty much everything that i enjoy on the internet.  it has editorial fashion shoots, orignal art, interior design, hair inspiration, recipes, crafty tutorials, but what ties it all together is its focus on extraordinary photography.  honestly wtf has an ever so slight edginess and artsy feel that i just don't get from other blogs that deal with this range of content, such as a beautiful mess.

because it has such a range of posts, it's difficult to put this blog into words, so i highly recommend you check it out.

and there you have it.  the creme de la creme of the blogs i follow.  so if you find your looking / reading list in a bit of a rut these are the places i recommend you start!

lip-sticky situations

one of my self-indulgent new years resolutions was to experiment more with bright lipstick.  in my opinion, bright lipstick acts more as an accessory than makeup.  beyond wearing enormous earrings i have never been much of an accessorizer until more recently, but looking put together in the professional world involves a few more finishing touches than i have been used to.  i'd been on the hunt for a good product for a long time, but i'd really been struggling to find something that didn't make me look like a clown, or a small child who has gotten into her mother's makeup case.  

a few weeks ago i discovered covergirl LipPerfection lipstick and i am hooked.  it is a matte lipstick that acts more like a stain, but since it's a lipstick you don't need balm to keep your lips from drying out.  i'm not normally the product review type, but if you've ever been the type to say "i can't pull off bright lipstick," this stuff really might change your mind.  my favorite shades which i'm wearing above are tempt (deep pinkish red), spellbound (hot pink), and hot (fire engine red).  give them a try and tell me what you think!

winter is for pizza and being comfycozy

it could be from my crappy oven, but has anyone else noticed the trader joe's pizza dough needing WAY more time to cook than the bag says?  and a tremendous amount of wateriness pooling on top while the pizza cooks?

excuse my frightening hair.

these were our noted failures while we attempted to make homemade pizza last night, but we had lots of fun making it, and it was still tasty (if only half-cooked).  fortunately I bought 2 extra balls of dough from trader joe's (it was my first time there and I might have gone a little overboard).  we will be trying again later this week.

apparently i wear a lot of blue stripes

my more successful creation was finished yesterday as well.  i am now the proud owner of the warmest, softest, coziest scarf ever knitted by me (or possibly anyone in the universe).

i always hate starting the work week, but hopefully a toasty warm neck will help me forget that i'm not in bed. happy monday!

i made us a blog

a boy and a girl from kalamazoo.

they grew up precisely 1.3 miles apart, but didn't meet until 18 years later, about 100 miles from home.

a little more than three years later she started a blog.

and now you're looking at it.

here's to a big new year.