Things I’ve Bought That I Love, Vol. 2

I like my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet.
– Carrie Bradshaw, on Sex and the City

(I know it’s late, but you didn’t think I’d let you down so early in this NaBloPoMo, did you?  I wouldn’t do that to you!  I’m probably going to let you down later in this NaBloPoMo, though.)

1. Aveda Rosemary Mint shampoo – this was the shampoo in our room at the Palms when we went to Las Vegas in January, and I fell in love with it.  It’s not overpowering at all, but it’s so refreshing and energizing.  David hunted it down when we got back and bought me a GIANT bottle of it.  (FYI: I didn’t like the matching conditioner – it didn’t seem to soak in well.)

2. Old Navy Slub-Knit Active Skirt – it’s too bad they only have XXL left online because I bought an XL one (which is a little too big, but they only had S besides that one) in the store that I live in on the weekends now and I would buy one in every color if I could.  So soft, so comfortable.  That’s summer.

3. Flutter Sleeve Scoopneck knit dress from Ann Taylor Loft – I bought this in purple a few months ago in anticipation of summer and it is perfect!  Breezy and flirty without being overtly sexy, and totally comfortable.

4. Waterpik Aqua Fall Combo showerhead – we just bought this yesterday from Bed Bath and Beyond to replace the shower head that’s in our bathroom.  This one is the bomb – I love the “drenching rain” setting on the big shower head.  Also, you can use both of them at the same time, and the handheld one sits up quite high, which is great for David who is too tall for most showers and has to duck uncomfortably to rinse his head.

5. Bed Lifts – ever since we moved into our new apartment, we’ve had one quibble with the master bedroom: the TV table is just a bit shorter than the foot of the bed, which means that when we lie in bed and watch TV, the bottom of the TV is sometimes cut off.  And if Pico decides to camp out at the foot of the bed, forget it – we can’t see half the screen.  And, we have to hold the remote at odd, uncomfortable angles to change the channel or turn the TV on and off because the cable box sits in a recess even lower down.  We’ve been debating various solutions and finally went with this one yesterday, and it’s worked out perfectly.  These lifts (meant to give you more storage space under a bed) raised the TV table 7 inches, which means the cable box is now easily accessible from a normally held remote and ALL of the TV is viewable from a comfortable reclined position.  WIN! (And these are wicked strong, too – we have a 32-inch CRT TV on top of a  TV table that Target tells me weighs 100+ pounds)

What about you?  What are you loving these days?

Things I’ve Bought That I Love (Original Recipe)

Catching Up

It’s spring fever.  That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want – oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!
– Mark Twain

Boy, it’s been busy around here.  Let me try to catch you up:

Last Saturday, David and I went out to Loudon Valley Vineyards to “cash in” on David’s Christmas present from Nate and Molly.  Saturdays during the winter (well, November through March), you can go there and have a glass of wine and a bowl of soup for $12.  This past Saturday was the last one of the season, so despite the rainy weather, we decided to go for it.  And boy were we glad we did!  The soup was Beef Burgundy, which I’ve never had before, but it was SO good!  Look:

I don’t know if it’s traditional to serve Beef Burgudy over egg noodles, but I can tell you I never want to eat it any other way.  And if anyone has a tried and true recipe for this, I would be grateful if you’d share it.

That night, we picked up my mom from the Metro – she was in town last week for conferences – and then met my uncle in Old Town for dinner.  We had planned to go to a French restaurant, but I didn’t think ahead to make a reservation, so we went to the tapas restaurant where David and I had our first date and then my birthday dinner.  Everything was, as always, delicious, and my mom and uncle raved about the food, so I considered it a success.  We took my mom back to her hotel in Georgetown by way of the Tidal Basin so she could see the early cherry blossoms.  I took some pictures, but they aren’t that great, since it was foggy and dark; hopefully I’ll get down there during lunch one day this week and get some better ones.

Sunday was more unpacking.  You would not believe the amount of stuff we have, and we’ve already given tons of it away.  We still have two boxes plus a small vacuum cleaner to take to Goodwill sometime this week.  It’s unbelievable, truly.

Oh, we also went for the first bike ride of the season Sunday.  It was a perfect day for it, and we rode for about an hour or so, on trails neither of us had ever been on and discovered some new places.  It was wonderful.

Yesterday, I got up early and went for a long walk in the park nearby.  I love getting my exercise in early – then I don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the day.  It was gorgeous, if a little windy and nippy in the morning.

Later, we went to the nursery to pick out tomato plants.  I’m determined to have a crop this year, unlike last year.  David has done quite a bit of research (one reason we’re so compatible is he thinks, I do) and we talked to the guy at the nursery and we picked out two varieties that we hope will do well on our balcony.  Here they are after we transplanted them today:

They’re not that tall now, but we’ll transplant them again into bigger pots when they grow out of these.  We’re also going to plant cucumbers in early May.  I’m hopeful.  Cross your fingers for us.

I asked the nursery guy about seeds to grow in a window box out on the patio and he said it’s really too late for seeds, that we should go with plants that have already sprouted – I suppose that’s why my Alyssum didn’t flower last year.  At least, I hope it is.  In my zeal, I bought a whole flat of purple Alyssum that had already sprouted and flowered a bit, never once thinking that it would be too much, but it totally is.  So I have 3/4 of a flat of Alyssum if you need it.  Just let me know!

We headed to Home Depot for potting soil and more plants, but on the way there, we were witness to a pretty serious car accident, so we got waylaid for about 45 minutes.  We were in the right lane and a car was stopped to turn left from the left lane.  David slowed down just in time to see an SUV speed by us on the left and slam into the back of the car waiting to turn left.  David said he’d slowed down because he saw the car waiting to turn and saw the SUV and wanted to give the lady in the SUV space to get over and go around the car.  I don’t know what she was doing – she had kids in the car, maybe they distracted her – but by the time she saw him and slammed on her breaks, she had no chance to stop.

The car waiting to turn had its trunk completely totaled, and its rear windshield ended up in pieces on the hood of the SUV.  There were four teenagers in that car, and they all appeared to be ok.  I don’t know how neither of the two in the back seat were injured, given how far in the trunk got smashed, but what a relief.  I called the police while David directed traffic around the accident.  The police, fire, and ambulance came, we gave a statement, the mother got taken to the hospital on a gurney, probably as a precaution, and the kids’ father came and took them in his car.  So, all in all, everyone was very lucky.

After that, we finally made it to Home Depot and spent an hour choosing flowers and getting potting soil, window boxes, plant food, and cucumber seed.  $100 later, we headed home.  David put the window boxes together, and then we had a good dinner of pulled pork from the crock pot, baked beans, and corn.  Yum.  We also watched Milk, which was excellent, and I highly recommend it.  The bonus features were also very interesting (and subtitled!  Which, thankfully, is becoming more common, but unfortunately, is not yet required).

This morning, I potted all my flowers and put them in their window boxes.  Here are my petunias:

And here are my geraniums:

I love them.  I hope I don’t kill them.

I finally got the guest room in usable order today, though all the books are still in boxes, awaiting the arrival another bookshelf, which is coming from my parents, so god knows when I’ll get it.  Everything is coming together, and except for three boxes of David’s stuff in the den, and the books, everything is unpacked.  Thank goodness for that.

We went for another bike ride this afternoon, again on a different trail and again seeing all kinds of new things.  It’s so much fun!  The weather is beautiful again today, so that’s lucky.  Now we’re back, showered, and relaxing.  I’m waiting for 8pm, when my Braves take on the Phillies in the first game of the new baseball season!  In honor of the day, I’ve changed my Facebook profile picture to this one:

Yay for baseball!

Gifter’s Remorse

The only gift is a portion of thyself.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Buying Christmas presents stresses me out.  Not for everyone – the kids are easy and fun to buy for, my sister-in-law is so laid back and genuinely appreciative of even the smallest thing, my grandparents send lists of very specific things they would like and will use, and my mom is also generally pretty easy to please.  I guess what I’m getting at then, is that it comes down to the men – my brother, David, and my dad.

Nate sometimes waits until the last minute to send a list of things he’d like, and I generally prefer to have my shopping done by mid-December, so that often means I’ve guessed on gifts for him, and I know he’s ended up with things I thought he’d like but that he’s never used. I hate that, especially because he and Molly are great at picking gifts for me – I always love what they choose.  This year, I procrastinated on shopping so long – for various reasons – that I was able to get him gifts from his list, so I feel ok, but still worry that they’re a little impersonal.  At least I know he’ll use them.

David is not really that hard to buy for, I don’t guess – he’s a gadgety, video game kind of guy – but those kinds of things don’t really seem to convey what I think a Christmas present for him should – Guitar Hero doesn’t really say “I love you more than ice cream.”

And my dad, god.  The anxiety of buying for my dad far outweighs the anxiety of buying for everyone else combined, and it’s been that way for quite some time.  I can’t remember when it started; maybe when I was old enough to notice when certain gifts got the obligatory once over and thank you, and then were put aside until they eventually ended up in the box for Goodwill (not just gifts from me, either).  I hated feeling like I’d failed; I’d work so hard to find something he’d love (he’s a late list-maker too, if you can get him to make one at all) only to be disappointed in his reaction on Christmas morning.  Last year I did great, at least on one gift, and the look on his face over such a small thing (a CD, actually) made all the fretting and anxiety worth it.

I’m the first to admit that this anxiety, particularly where my dad is concerned, stems from something deeper than just wanting to find the “perfect” gift.  It comes from my need and desire to take good care of the people I love, it comes from my need for approval from others in nearly everything I do, it comes from wanting to feel like I have enough – so much, in fact, that I can share it with my family. This year that’s a very hard one for me; there’s seems to be not enough, and even though I know no one’s keeping score, I can’t help but feel a little like I’m letting people down.

And the thing is, I’m not at all critical about the gifts other people give me, I’m just grateful to be remembered.  So why, when I know how I feel about receiving gifts, can I not ascribe the same feelings to people receiving gifts from me?  I mean, practically, I know the people in my family are not counting presents, or calculating how much I likely spent on them, or mentally figuring out who they’re going to regift my item to, or any of that.  So why is it so hard for me to just let all of that go and just relax?

Maybe that’s my problem in all of this – that my expectation of finding the perfect gift for everyone is unrealistic, or that I’m focusing on the wrong thing, that the gift doesn’t have to do all of the things I think it should – maybe I need to work on understanding that the gift is just a token, not a representation of the way I feel about the person I’m giving it to.  So I’m going to work on that.

Also, I’m going to Michigan for Christmas this year – any suggestions on a gift for David’s dad and step-mom (i’m good on his mom)?  I need something that says, “I hope you like me, since we’re going to be family one day, even though you don’t know it yet!”

Pssst . . .

Donors don’t give to institutions. They invest in ideas and people in whom they believe.
– G.T. Smith

Wanna buy a journal?

It’s my last item up for bid in the Team GDT auctions (winner gets the choice of covers), and the auction ends Saturday at midnight. But if the journal doesn’t strike your fancy, not to worry: There’s lots more to choose from this week, and every week until mid-August or so – new stuff is posted every Sunday on the Team GDT auction site.

Just a reminder that the total of all winning bids goes directly to Komen to help find a cure for breast cancer.

Thanks for your support!

More Waiting

I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.
– Margaret Thatcher

Oh my god. Tuesday night I could hardly wait for today. Because today is the day Pub Crawl Boy (I know – it’s totally romantic, isn’t it?) and I were meant to have drinks after work. He IMed me Tuesday night and we chatted and he asked when I was free this week. We settled on tonight at 6, at a place near where I work that, he says, has amazing mojitos, which he loves (and coincidentally, so do I). He said he couldn’t stay long but that he really wanted to see me.

Then I spent two days furiously texting and emailing Karen discussing what to wear. I shopped last night for three effing hours and tried on 22 pairs of pants and NONE of them fit me quite right. I hate shopping. Malls make me crazy, but I did it because I didn’t want to wear my favorite dress (even though it looks smashing) and appear to be trying too hard. So I came home with a super-cute shirt from Banana Republic, but decided this morning that it was too low cut to wear to work, so I chose another outfit. The pants are really too big for me, but they were the best of a rapidly diminishing set of options in my closet. But by the time I got to work, though, they were stretched out from sitting on the train, and I didn’t feel confident anymore.

So I ditched work at 11 and walked 6 blocks in 95-degree weather to H&M, where I tried on 9 more pairs of pants and finally came up with a pair that were ok, and definitely better than the ones I had on, except that they were way too long. Luckily, though, I am so resourceful (and apparently careless with my employer’s time) that I stopped by CVS on the way back to work and picked up a sewing kit, and then locked myself in my office where I promptly cut off the cuffs of the pants did a quick whip stitch to get them to the right length. Have we not already established that I am a bit crazy? Yes? Ok, then.

So I was all set – I had brought make-up to touch up before leaving the office, and I was going to change just before I left for the bar. Around 3, I thought to check my gmail again, just in case, and there was the email I had feared I would get – he had to bail, he said, and he was sorry, but he hoped next week would work. My heart dropped. I didn’t know what to feel. Because he didn’t explain, my immediate reaction was, he’s having second thoughts. But then I reminded myself about the things he’s said so far, and I decided to trust the universe and see what happens. I emailed back: That’s disappointing; I was looking forward to seeing you. I hope everything’s ok. Let’s talk soon about next week. Almost immediately, he replied: Yeah, it sucks. I just have to finish this report for work today. Believe me, I’d definitely rather be drinking mojitos with you at 6 today.

So there you go. I have to wait til next week to see him, but he still wants to see me, and that’s what’s important, right? Patience, as I’ve told you, is really not my strong suit. And as much of an optimist as I am generally, I often have a hard time believing that new people I meet who act friendly really do like me, so my first instinct was to assume that he had changed his mind about me. I’m trying to remember that I know very little about what his life is like, and how busy his job is, and the only thing I can do is trust him and hope for the best.

And in a way, maybe it’s better – I ordered 7 pairs of pants online today, and they’ll get here before I see him again – maybe the perfect pair will be among them!

It’s Auction Time!

People always say congratulations. When you’re a successful bidder, it means you’re willing to spend more money than anyone else. I’m not sure if that’s congratulations or condolences.
– Eli Broad

The Team GDT auction site is up and running at teamgdt.com/2008/. New items will be available every Sunday from today until August 15. Each auction runs for one week, from Sunday to Saturday.

I will have two handmade journals up for bid the week of June 22 and two hand-painted flower pots up for bid the week of July 6.

There is going to be a wide variety of items available over the next two months, many of them handmade, homemade, and/or one-of-a-kind, so check back weekly to see if something strikes your fancy. This is a great opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping and support a great cause at the same time.

As a reminder, all donations support members of Team GDT as we Race for the Cure in Boston on September 7, 2008!

Clothes Questions

The finest clothing made is a person’s skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this.
– Mark Twain

I was sitting in a meeting Wednesday and found myself distracted. I realized I was staring at my feet, marveling at how hot they looked in these shoes. (sorry to make you click – I couldn’t find a still photo) With my magenta toenail polish peeking out, and my feet tan from a weekend at the pool, I couldn’t stop looking at them. I decided the shoes are the sexiest thing I own, and I feel amazing and confident when I wear them. (I also own a super hot pair of BCBGirl black quilted suede 4-inch peep toes, but they take a back seat to the other pair because they are less comfortable because they’re so high.) So I wondered, what’s the sexiest thing you own? It doesn’t have to be clothing, but I’m curious.

Also, I need pants. Badly. Every single pair of my work pants are too big – some by a lot, some by just a little, but it’s getting to the point where I really need to get new ones. And I’ve been looking, but since I’ve lost weight, I don’t know where to shop anymore. Ann Taylor Loft is my new, favorite go-to for tops and dresses, but none of their three styles of pants fit me right, so I have to find something else. I’ve tried Macy’s, but that’s hit or miss mostly, and I haven’t found anything I love there. Where do you buy pants? I live in a major metropolitan area, so I bet if you name it, we have it, and I can check it out, but I don’t want to just go from store to store getting frustrated. I want recommendations, please.

Things I’ve Bought That I Love*

* with apologies to Mindy Kaling (aka Kelly Kapoor, on The Office)

The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her.
– Marcelene Cox

Ok, here’s a brief list of things I’ve bought recently that I adore, and want to share with you in the hopes that you might love them too:

• Gap Essential cut jeans: I’ve had to find new places to shop since losing weight, because I sized out of the places I relied on for years. That’s a great feeling, to be sure, but it’s also been kind of a pain in the ass, because before, I could walk into a store, pick my preferred style of jeans in the size I’d worn forever, pay for them and be done in under 10 minutes. Now I actually have to try stuff on, and I have to take three sizes of everything into the dressing room because I don’t know how the sizes run in “normal” stores. Anyway, when I was in Houston with Aimee, we went to the Gap at the Galleria and she patiently waited while I tried on about 20 different pairs of jeans – different sizes in different cuts and different washes (shopping is hard) – but it was worth it, because these are the jeans I was meant to wear.

• Naturalizer Leisure Plus knee-high boots: I have been on a quest to find knee-high black boots for I don’t know how long. Apparently I have freakishly large calves, because I could never find a pair that I could zip up. I tried everywhere, even Zappos, the online shoe mecca. Everything I bought, I had to return, and I was convinced I just was not meant to wear knee-high boots. But then one day, I was perusing Zappos again, convinced it was hopeless, sure I’d tried every boot they had to offer, and lo, I came upon this pair. I ordered them without much confidence (but with great security – Zappos offers free overnight shipping and returns, so I wouldn’t be out any money if they didn’t fit), and they arrived the next day. I opened the box with trepidation, slid them on, and then, the heavens opened up, the sun shined down, and angels started singing – they fit! I wish they were leather, but hey – beggars can’t be choosers, huh? Now I just need to find a brown pair and my life will be complete.

• Canon Powershot A720 IS: This was my birthday present to myself, as you may know, and I love it. 8 megapixels, 6x zoom, video capability, and a ton of other stuff I don’t even know how to use yet.

• Cadbury Creme Eggs: Maybe this one’s a little silly, but I know Spring is just around the corner when I see these at CVS (who, luckily – or not – sells them for the low, low price of 2 for a dollar). I know some people are repulsed by them, but I love them better than any other Easter candy (except maybe jelly beans, but you can get jelly beans all year round). In case you’re not familiar with these, Wiki helpfully explains: “The egg has a thick milk chocolate ’shell’, with a white and yellow fondant filling designed to resemble the yolk and albumen of an egg.” Sounds gross, tastes great!

• Trader Joe’s Organic Jasmine Rice: This is genius. It’s a box of three bags of frozen rice – no additives or preservatives or anything. All you have to do is cut a small hole in the bag, pop it in the microwave for three minutes, and next thing you know, you have perfectly cooked rice for two! They also have brown rice, which I love as well – the brown rice I cook from a box does not turn out like that – but they never have both at the same time. The guy said it had something to do with customs, I don’t really know.

• Simply Enjoy Thai Peanut Asian Sauce: I think this is the store brand from Stop & Shop, but I bought it at Giant, and I think it’s available at Safeway as well. It’s delicious – it’s the only store-bought dressing I’ve found that comes anywhere close to the peanut dressing on my favorite salad in the world, the Santa Fe Chicken Salad at the Cheesecake Factory (I have them leave off the cilantro dressing and just bring me the peanut dressing). I’ve not actually used it on salad myself (but now that you mention it, I think I might try to recreate that one at home), but I dip pot stickers (another Trader Joe’s favorite) and egg rolls in it, and I add it to chicken stir frys. It is delicious, and not bad calorie-wise (70 cal, 4g fat – no saturated or trans fat – per 2 tablespoons, which is more than enough).

• Cover Girl LipSlicks: This isn’t a new find, but it’s really the only lip stick/gloss I’ve worn for 5 years (I remember that I bought it for the first time to wear in Nate’s wedding) so I thought I’d spread the gospel. I wear Daring, which is a wine/red/burgundy color, but there are lots of others to choose from. It’s sheer, not sticky, and gives plenty of color and shine. It’s the perfect lip color, in my opinion; I keep one in every bag.

That’s it for now. But tell me: do you love any of these products, too? Or is there something else you’ve loved forever or just discovered you can’t live without? I want to know!

Happy Belated Birthday to Me!

Sometimes cameras and television are good to people and sometimes they aren’t. I don’t know if it’s the way you say it or how you look.
– Dan Quayle

After much research and consultation with the people at Circuit City, my brother, and you commenter-types, I finally bought my very own digital camera! I went with the Canon Powershot A720. I had my eye on one that had a bit more zoom but was otherwise mostly the same, but chose this one because it has a viewfinder, which I think will come in handy on sunny days when the LCD screen is obscured by glare. The guy at Circuit City said the difference between the 6x zoom I got and the 10x the other camera had was not a big deal. I was hoping to score one with a tilting LCD screen, but they don’t make very many of them anymore, and the least expensive one was about $150 more than I wanted to (and could, reasonably) spend. Oh well.

Also, because this one was a bit cheaper than the other one with more zoom, I got the camera, a carrying case, a 2G memory card (on sale for the same price as the 1G), and a Duracell 4-battery rechargeable battery dealio for only $3.91 more than the amount I told myself I could spend (which, thanks to Aimee and Tim and my grandparents, was about $150 more than my original budget!)!

I got it yesterday and got it all set up. I don’t really know what to show you; I’ve only taken pictures of my cat so far, and that’s kind of boring. But he’s pretty handsome, so let’s take a look, shall we?

Hmm. I don’t really get why I have to resize all of these pictures (I had to do the ones from Houston too, which Aimee burned onto a CD from her camera). They’re HUGE, and I’m having to edit them in Microsoft Photo Editor to be 80-85% smaller than they are when I open them. I wonder why that is? Seems like they’re going to take up way more space on my hard drive than they should because of that.

Anyway, so that’s done, and I’m pretty excited about it. Thanks for all the advice and suggestions; it was very helpful!

Pick My Birthday Present

You may send poetry to the rich; to poor men give substantial presents.
– Marcus Aurelius

It’s almost my birthday and I’m getting a fat tax refund check this year. No, I’m not blowing it all; in fact, nearly all of it is going to pay off my credit card. But I am saving about $200, give or take, to buy myself something nice. So far, I have narrowed it down to three things:

1. Food Saver (for a persuasive argument on why I need one, see here)

2. digital camera (I may be the only person in the world without one, and until now, I haven’t really wanted one, but blogging is more fun when there are pictures, I think)

3. scanner (this is the one I’m least familiar with – I really just want to scan old photos so I can save them on my computer, but space-wise, it might make sense to replace my old ink jet printer with a scanner/printer, but I don’t know what any of the technical terms mean, so it’s hard to know if I have my eye on the right thing)

So, thoughts? Brand suggestions? Things to beware of or look for specifically? Any other ideas? All advice is appreciated!