Ikea

I'm going to Atlanta this weekend in order to do an Ikea shopping trip. I've decided it's time to get something up on my wood paneling, and there are some other things I've been wanting to put the finishing touches on my apartment. I have all of the major stuff now, so now it's just that little stuff that gives it character, which honestly, I've never been great at. But I visited my bff's new apartment when I went to Michigan last month, and all of her cute stuff came from Ikea, and it inspired me to make an effort with my place. So I decided to plan a trip to the closest Ikea. I have a list, but I'm sure I'll end up with lots more. I'm so excited about it that I've been having dreams about it! Here's what I'm looking for:

1. Down comforter

2. Duvet cover

3. Curtains (for the window by my bed)

4. Rug for entryway

5. End table(s) - 1 for living room at least

6. Bedside table(s) ?

7. Lamp - for living room

8. Frames (a lot, I plan on doing a wall collage)

9. Art (2 spaces to fill)

10. Mirror (for over the dresser)

11. Bonsai tree - I've decimated my plant population since moving in here, and I need to start replenishing it

12. Bookcase (small)

I've been looking at the website each night, so I have ideas of what I want and what to look for, but I don't have anything specific picked out.

I'll let you know what I end up with. If I'm feeling really adventurous, I'll take before and after pics and post them.

Elliott

The Love At First Sight website said Elliott is going home with The Garners. Whoever they are. I hope that they take good care of my cat.

And Still

I still want that cat. FYI. But I did get some jeggings. I got black Mossimo ones from Target. Not a bad purchase for $20. They're not as magically flattering as I was hoping they would be, they still do the my-fatty-legs-are-stuffed-into-stretchy-pants crinkle that happens in the back of the thigh area, but, it happens in my jeans, so oh well. I like them well enough, and I don't remember the last time a pair of jeans only cost $20. Hopefully my health efforts will lead to a little weight-loss and make them look better in time.

Currently

I am obsessed with this little man right here. I met him on Christmas Eve morning, while I was waiting for my clothes to wash at the laundromat. I think we're soul mates. Too bad his adoption fees are kind of pricey. And that Tony is allergic to cats. Since that guy's still hanging around it would be kind of a death sentence to get a cat, since it's already hard enough to get him to come to my place half the time. Not to mention other friends who are allergic and would therefore avoid my tree-house after the introduction of the cat.

Nevertheless, I am one of those delightful people who likes both cats and dogs. I think that if I could find the right kind of cat (and I think Elliott here is that kind of cat) that Boom would be just fine with a feline in his life. I think that they'd even be friends. I even figured out where to put the litter box.

But alas, I am hoping that when I go back (because I'll end up making my way back soon enough), that he'll already have been adopted, and I won't have to long for him anymore. It's been so long since my Oreo left me. And this kitten is just so damn spunky. Oh, my heart is in knots over him.

Christmas List

So, since I'm full of stealing great blog ideas in December, I'm copying The Blonde Mule (check her out - she's on my blog roll down there) and listing the things that I want for Christmas this year. Normally, each year as Christmas approaches, when asked what I want, I draw a complete and total blank. For some reason, this year there are several things that I've had my eye on and can actually remember (but still can't afford). Funnily enough, this will be the year that my mom never asks me what I want.

Victoria's Secret Red Wool Peacoat - I've been craving a red peacoat since last year, but I'm afraid that once I get it, it will go out of style. This one's currently on sale for only $99. Someone please tell me that a classic red peacoat is a staple that will live on for generations so that I can justify its purchase!


An iPod. This is kind of self-explanatory. I already have a Shuffle. My musical collection has really expanded over the past year. I got a gift card to the Apple store for my birthday, but I haven't been able to utilize it yet. I don't know how I feel about the new nano's, and I'm not sure that I really need the gigantor Classic. It may be better to wait for the next generation anyway...but I need more space! I'd like to listen to all of my great music in the car!

A new Spartans tee. I've seen the kind that I want for other schools, but I have yet to find one for State. I want a v-neck burnout tee. See below, but Michigan State, obviously.



Knee socks from Target. They're only $2 right now! Various colors and patterns. I particularly love the argyle ones. Not the best picture, but apparently they're not available on the Target website.


A new phone. Mine is 2+ years old. The back-light on the keypad has gone out. And I've noticed that it's getting glitchier and glitchier. But in technology years, it's like 72 years old, so I can't really blame it. It has served me well. But I think it's time for a SmartPhone. I'm thinking one of the Droids, if I can convince myself to shell out the extra cash for the requisite data plan (like a grown up).


Old Navy & Target gift cards - for aforementioned Target socks. Plus, they have these fantastic boyfriend tees that I want 8,000 of. I also want to peruse Old Navy for glorious sweaters and cardigans. And some new leggings. And patterned tights. And Target seems to be the only place that sells the refills for my planner (because I am an old lady).

A good dictionary. I read a lot. Sometimes I don't know the words I read (or how to say them in real life). And by good I mean unabridged. And good.



And last but not least. This. I don't believe that any explanation is necessary.



Merry Christmas! What are you hoping for this year?

This is what I wish Coffee tasted like

Green Hills

So I hate going to the mall. That being said, I decided yesterday that I would make the trek out to the land of compact parking spaces and S.U.V.'s in order to see if Bare Minerals make-up was all that the informercials cracked it up to be, and to use my free panty coupon at Victoria's Secret.

I wasn't super impressed with the make-up at first, but I liked it more the longer I wore it. And yet somehow, with that original goal in mind, the cashier at the Victoria's Secret store managed to sell me on Armani Face Fabric and #10 Sheer Blush with her amazing face get-up.

Now I just need someone to give me $300 spending money. Ha.

Neverland

Apparently I'm not the only one who doesn't want to grow up.

I'm. In. Heaven.

Enjoy This Today

Sort of reminds of Prince. The video's super cool. Kind of an 80's vibe. I love the end when they start singing about the Tootsie Roll. And that smile at like 2 minutes. God. That is a life-changing smile. Wish I were more musically knowledgeable so I knew the proper words for describing the things I like.

Dance At My Funeral

Ten Things

I'm stealing this from my friends. Call me a plagiarist, I don't really care.
1. The Spartans made it to the Championship game but didn't win. I still won my office pool though.
2. I am helping with baby shower preparations for next weekend. I'm actually somewhat excited now that I've Googled some activities to contribute.
3. My boyfriend is going to Vegas for almost a week. I don't mind. I think the alone time will be therapeutic, barring the roaches which will no doubt appear on a daily basis once he leaves.
4. I cannot wait for the steamy summer weather. It's around the bend, I can smell it.
5. My dog's face smells like @ss. It's his anal glands. It's disgusting.
6. I am reading This Side Of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald for my book club, even though I won't be attending it (due to the baby shower). This statement probably makes me a plebeian, but I don't get it. I didn't get The Great Gatsby either. I wonder if that would change now if I read it as an adult, but given my current project, I'd guess no.
7. We finished The Wire. Season 5 didn't live up the precedent set by the first four seasons, but all in all, it's still one of the best shows I've ever watched.
8. I want to go to Africa - Namibia. Botswana. South Africa. Ghana - I'm not picky. I just need to figure out how.
9. I'm starting to sort of like running. I still only do it in 3-6 minute intervals, but that's a hell of a lot more than I ever thought I'd do.
10. I need to buy a new bathing suit this season. Blegh. I don't want to.

She Wants That Old Thing Back

You know, that thing called sunshine. Every winter I hit the skids when the cold sets in. I have a little whiny spell of longing for the summer and the things that it entails. Like flip flops, tank tops and jeans. Like a tan. Like being warm. Like not staring into my closet for fifteen minutes each morning, panicking about what to wear in the 40 degree weather. Much less the hour I spent freaking out about what to wear on that night out. Well, that whiny spell is here.
I hate the winter for many reasons. One being that I spent half of my childhood in Michigan, with snow. I then returned for my college years, where I trudged to finals each year in a foot of snow and/or ice. Where the snow that falls in December is still there in March, April and sometimes May. Sure you love cold weather...it's 'cause you've never really had to live in it. Trek to class/work/bar in the dead of a Michigan winter (which lasts for five to six months rather than two) and then tell me how much you enjoy sweater season. I hate being cold. I hate it. I hate bundling up. I mean, I like scarves, but I wouldn't miss them if I never had to wear one again.
The other reason that I hate the winter is because I hate shopping, I suck at fashion, and I'm cheap. Actually, maybe those three reasons are all interrelated...you know, if A=B and B=C, then A=C? Anyway...since it's cold in the winter, you have to wear layers. Shirts have sleeves. Cold weather cuteness requires lots of layering and accessorizing and having a great coat/bag/boot for every flipping outfit. My ideal ensemble consists of a white tank top, jeans, and some high rise flip flops. Thanks. All of that extra fabric and those extra layers require extra effort, and they require more money too. The task of searching out all of those cute separates is daunting. And scary.
And a tan. Dear god, I hate being pale. It makes me sad. It makes me depressed. It makes me hate my body. Give me the sun. Yes, I know it's bad for me. But I love it. I love a sun-kissed glow. If you're not Nicole Kidman, or the EmoMullet, you look better with a tan. Everyone does. Healthy. Slimmer. Thinner. Freckled. Happier. Yes.
Okay, so that's a lot of whining. But really, I could handle the cold and the wintry mix of rain/sleet/snow we've been having lately, if a little sunshine would come my way. But I swear it seems that it hasn't been out for weeks. I need some Vitamin D! I'm not even asking for a tan at this point, just a little brightness on a month that's been looking more like Seattle than Middle Tennessee.
So, I guess, Santa, what I'm asking for this year, besides a WiiFit and a pair of jeans that won't fall apart after two months, is a bright, clear, sunshiney Christmas.

Dear God, I Love This Woman

Also...I want to be able to dance like that. Or rather, I want the kind of coordination that allows you to do choreographed dancing. Ha. I'd like to just learn that dance, but I have no such skills. I can't move one leg and one arm together at the same time. The only dance I've ever mastered is the Electric Slide. Choreography is not for me. Anyway, enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVEGfH4s5g

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I also love her shiny thighs, her giant booty, and her big, glorious hair. God. The woman just exudes sex and confidence. I've been singing this song to my boyfriend all weekend.

Dream Job?

Teaching English in a foreign country.
Talking about dialects all day with other people who get as excited about them as I do.
Traveling the world.
Something that's not the same thing over and over and over again.
Something that's not in an office building.
Hmmmm...

Endorsements

I have about a bazillion of these Old Navy Women's Long Rib Knit Tanks. I kind of love them. If your mind still works in the land of Crayola markers, they come in both Bold and Classic colors. They have also been revamping the colors each season (I started buying them at Christmas). They are cheap and wash well. I just thought you should know.
Last night we went to see Wanted. It was pretty good as far as action flicks go. Quite funny, and I liked the plot. It got a little weirdly gruesome in some parts.
We also saw Walle last week, and it was amazing. They went way beyond the whole computer animated-child oriented thing this time. It was aesthetically beautiful, and because the main characters don't really speak, a lot of the humor was visual - in gestures and facial expressions and situations. There was also a great moral, a moving love story. See it. Really.
That's all I've got for now. I feel like I should do a weekend update, 'cause we lived a full life this weekend, but I don't have the energy or time. So, this is all you get.

Bush Check

Does that sound dirty to you? It's 'cause you're dirty. No really...this is what my bff from high school calls that stimulus package tax rebate that we'll be getting in the next month or so. She's not being ironical either...and I find it to be incredibly funny.
I've been surfing etsy, and I think I've found a few items that I might want to spend my Bush Check on. Besides a wax, that is...
1) What the Heck Pillows - from littlelegwarmers.
2) Mathilde or Corinne - among others from Unconventionalida (or the eyes, or the albino twins, or ophelia...oh so many). I pretty much like everything listed here...so I don't know how I'll decide...probably by price. As you can see from her displays, they look even better grouped together, so I don't see how I can buy just one.
3) Yellow Aviary Purse from theseawithin...and there are so many on here as well! I think this girl might be after theorangebicycle's own heart when it comes to fabric...
Bush that check, girls! Buy handmade.

A lot of things

A lot of things make me wish I had a rockin' body and big ol' flashy titties, but nothing so much as this, of late. Talk about an inferiority complex.

Look What Wii Found Yesterday

Happiness, in a box.

Mama Wants a Wii

So yeah. I have the Wii bug. I've only played it once, but I want one real bad. There's this cow racing game, where your little Mii sits on the back of a cow and you run down a little track. There are hurdles that you have to jump over and little scarecrows that you get points for hitting. We also played this fun fishing game and some kind of Brain Quest game that I was mucho good at. Tony and I were talking about how so many people like the Wii because it's the anti-video game. I have to kind of agree, because it does not require the traditional hand-eye coordination that most games need. Once they went 3D I pretty much lost all hope. Well, Wii is the game for me. And I will have one.
I also want this super-cool mirror that's hanging out at the Opry Mills mall in a store that I can't remember the name of to save my life. The mirror's kind of quirky and seems pretty one-of-a-kind. We still don't have anything on our walls, and it's the first thing I've seen that I really liked. I'm debating whether to purchase it or not. It costs slightly more than I want to pay for it. I'm wondering whether I'm allowed to haggle or not.
I won the $400 pot for our Super Bowl squares last week, and there was this entire list of things that I wanted to splurge on. But I ended up not getting any of the big ticket items that I wanted...so I guess that's what this blog is about. Other things I want:
-new clothes...lots of new clothes
-a new bathing suit
-teeth whitener
-photos and frames for my apartment walls
Ah...I suppose that's enough coveting for now.

Want, want, want.