Well, hi. Long time, no see, huh? I don’t really have anything to say but thought I would post something just to remind y’all (and myself) that I’m still here.
I saw this over at Abnormally Normal (in her archives, I think) and since it’s one I haven’t seen before, I gotta do it. I do love a meme.
What accessories do you wear everyday? Amethyst ring, faith/hope/love necklace, silver earrings.
What is your beauty routine?
Morning: wash face with Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Anti-Blemish Cleanser (it’s just not right to fight pimples and wrinkles at the same time!); brush teeth; smooth Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Anti-Blemish Cream on nose and temples; philosophy When Hope Is Not Enough serum all over face; during winter, philosophy Hope in a Bottle on cheeks; philosophy Dark Shadows cream under eyes. (I would not date my skin – it’s so high maintenance!) Eyeliner, shadow, two concealers, blush, and mascara. Redken Anti-Snap leave-in conditioner on bottom half of hair – blow dry and curl or flat iron it even though the wind and humidity will destroy any style the second I walk out the door. Finish up with deodorant and Beautiful perfume. No wonder it takes me over an hour to go from bed to out the door.
Night: wash face with philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser; brush teeth; Vaseline petroleum jelly on elbows, cuticles, and lips; Curel hand lotion on hands; Fruit of the Earth Vitamin E cream on feet.
What was the last item of clothing you bought? Bad-ass biker chick platform sandals. A male co-worker told me that he really likes them – I figure that is a great endorsement!
Do you use a dresser, closet, or both? Both.
What type of earrings are in your ears right now? Lazy day at home, so none, but you will always see some kind of pretty, silver thing dangling from my ears when I’m out and about.
What type of figure do you have? I believe the technical term for my body type is endomorphic. I call it lush, round, plus-size, or fat depending on my mood.
Do you wear glasses? Yes but I wear contacts most hours of the day.
What type of handbag do you carry? I am on my third Vera Bradley Bowler. It would be the most perfect bag ever if they made it in black or red leather.
What is your ideal style? Classic with a punch of trendiness and a whisper of hoochie.
What jewelry are you wearing right now? None.
Do you wear knee-hi stockings? Hell, no.
Do you have to wear matching lingerie? No. I would LOVE to but bras that contain the architecture required to support my assets generally only come in white, nude, and black.
Do you wear makeup? Yes. I generally don’t leave the house without something on my eyes.
Do you wear nightgowns? Yes. I don’t like wearing pants in bed.
What outerwear do you put on when going out on a typical winter's day? Scarf my BIL brought from Afghanistan; mock-fur-lined, faux-suede black coat; black leather mittens. Yes, leather mittens. They rock.
What is your favorite perfume? Estee Lauder’s Beautiful. I have worn it for 20 years. Estee Lauder started the “Beautiful bride” advertising campaign during the year that I was engaged to be married so I figured I had to try it. I have tried other scents from time to time but I can’t find anything I like nearly as well. Plus, rarely a week goes by without a compliment on how nice I smell.
Is your motto "quality over quantity"? Absolutely. For example, I would much rather spend $100 on one pair of shoes that are comfortable and will last several seasons than on 5 pairs of shoes that make my feet hurt and will fall apart in weeks.
Do you wear rain boots? No, but I am mindful of the shoes I wear when I know it’s supposed to rain.
Do you wear socks or slippers when your feet get cold? First socks, then I add slippers only when my feet won’t stay warm without them.
Do you have a set of travel luggage? A matched set? No. My favorite travel piece is a Vera Bradley Miller bag.
What is your daily uniform? I guess the closest I get to a uniform is that I always wear pants. I love skirts but they don’t love me and I detest pantyhose – and anyone who goes without some sort of leg covering during a Midwestern winter needs to skip the head examination and go straight to the nuthouse. So, pants and a pastel- or jewel-toned top.
If you are married, did you wear a veil with your wedding dress? Well, I *was* married, and yes, I did wear a veil: a big, poufy, totally early-90’s number handmade by an Asian woman in Chicago.
Do you wear a watch? No. My cell phone is always nearby and there are clocks almost everywhere.
Do you prefer zippers or buttons? Wow, I never thought about it. Except for pants, I’d rather have neither.
What item of clothing always makes you feel extremely beautiful? Dunno about a specific item of clothing but I feel beautiful and sexy in tops with wide, cleavage-revealing (but not so low as to be vulgar) necklines and high heels.
So, how 'bout you? How extensive is your beauty routine? What makes you feel pretty?
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Dear Daylight Savings Time
Dear Daylight Savings Time,
You get a bad rap. People hate you. They complain about losing an hour of sleep when you come back to town. They complain about how tired and sluggish they feel for days afterward.
I am not one of those people. I welcome you with wide-open arms. I gladly forfeit one short hour of sleep if it means I get to drive home with the sun on my face, and - more importantly - enjoy hours of daylight after a day of slaving for the man in my sunless cube.
Your arrival means that spring is here and that summer is not far behind. You are the harbinger of blue skies, blooming flowers, warm breezes, hot sunshine, birds singing, waving green grass, sandals, swimsuits, short sleeves, no outerwear. My frostbitten heart sings with joy when I the first whispers of your return.
So welcome back, DST! It’s nice to see you earlier than last year. I encourage you to hurry back sooner each year until you bump into that dastardly Fall-back Saturday and kick his miserable, lazy behind into next week. Or last year. Something like that.
Warmly,
Violet
You get a bad rap. People hate you. They complain about losing an hour of sleep when you come back to town. They complain about how tired and sluggish they feel for days afterward.
I am not one of those people. I welcome you with wide-open arms. I gladly forfeit one short hour of sleep if it means I get to drive home with the sun on my face, and - more importantly - enjoy hours of daylight after a day of slaving for the man in my sunless cube.
Your arrival means that spring is here and that summer is not far behind. You are the harbinger of blue skies, blooming flowers, warm breezes, hot sunshine, birds singing, waving green grass, sandals, swimsuits, short sleeves, no outerwear. My frostbitten heart sings with joy when I the first whispers of your return.
So welcome back, DST! It’s nice to see you earlier than last year. I encourage you to hurry back sooner each year until you bump into that dastardly Fall-back Saturday and kick his miserable, lazy behind into next week. Or last year. Something like that.
Warmly,
Violet
Monday, March 7, 2011
Since I Been Gone *
Since the last time I wrote, I
...cried a million tears (Like I predicted, our story is not over. But it is on pause.)
...hosted a Superbowl party (The neighbors complained about the noise. College students. At 8:35 p.m. What is this world coming to?)
...flew to the East Coast and back (Don't get me started on baggage fees.)
...danced more than I have danced in years (I'm considering a new life as "that weird old lady who hangs out at the club and dances all by herself".)
...drank some whisky (My life doesn't have enough whisky in it.)
...spent the night in the Minneapolis airport (Why does the tram announcement voice have a British accent?)
...hosted an Academy Awards party (Girls only. We ate, we gossiped, we critiqued the dresses. It was fantastic.)
...lost four pounds (Funny how that happens when one starts paying attention to what and how much one puts in one's mouth.)
Life is good.
*bastardization of Kelly Clarkson's Since You Been Gone
...cried a million tears (Like I predicted, our story is not over. But it is on pause.)
...hosted a Superbowl party (The neighbors complained about the noise. College students. At 8:35 p.m. What is this world coming to?)
...flew to the East Coast and back (Don't get me started on baggage fees.)
...danced more than I have danced in years (I'm considering a new life as "that weird old lady who hangs out at the club and dances all by herself".)
...drank some whisky (My life doesn't have enough whisky in it.)
...spent the night in the Minneapolis airport (Why does the tram announcement voice have a British accent?)
...hosted an Academy Awards party (Girls only. We ate, we gossiped, we critiqued the dresses. It was fantastic.)
...lost four pounds (Funny how that happens when one starts paying attention to what and how much one puts in one's mouth.)
Life is good.
*bastardization of Kelly Clarkson's Since You Been Gone
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Self-Mutiliation
Me and Aron Ralston. Cutting off body parts to save our own lives.
He cut off his arm, I cut out part of my heart. With a dull paring knife. OK, maybe not, but it feels like I did. Well, that’s not accurate, either, because right now the ragged edges of my heart are numb.
Very long story very short, I finally ended my relationship with Himself. I (finally) realized that I will never have the place in his life that I want, or the relationship I want, as long as his life stays the way it is. I believe that he wants to change it but I haven’t seen any effort to actually make changes and I can’t wait anymore. Quite suddenly, I find that I am done. I’m empty.
I am very glad that our last conversation went better than I hoped. I was able to say to him everything I wanted to say and he listened and responded with kindness, understanding, and love. Neither one of us thinks this is the end forever but, for me, it is the end unless/until he makes changes in his life that will allow him to make me a priority.
There is a Himself-shaped hole in my heart and I miss him so much it truly is a physical thing. Even so, I know that if I were to allow myself to get involved with him again before he makes those changes, I would only end up back here again.
I am absolutely certain that I did the right thing. I know this is for the best. I know all that.
I know.
Knowing it doesn’t change how I feel. When the numbness wears off, this is going to hurt.
A lot.
He cut off his arm, I cut out part of my heart. With a dull paring knife. OK, maybe not, but it feels like I did. Well, that’s not accurate, either, because right now the ragged edges of my heart are numb.
Very long story very short, I finally ended my relationship with Himself. I (finally) realized that I will never have the place in his life that I want, or the relationship I want, as long as his life stays the way it is. I believe that he wants to change it but I haven’t seen any effort to actually make changes and I can’t wait anymore. Quite suddenly, I find that I am done. I’m empty.
I am very glad that our last conversation went better than I hoped. I was able to say to him everything I wanted to say and he listened and responded with kindness, understanding, and love. Neither one of us thinks this is the end forever but, for me, it is the end unless/until he makes changes in his life that will allow him to make me a priority.
There is a Himself-shaped hole in my heart and I miss him so much it truly is a physical thing. Even so, I know that if I were to allow myself to get involved with him again before he makes those changes, I would only end up back here again.
I am absolutely certain that I did the right thing. I know this is for the best. I know all that.
I know.
Knowing it doesn’t change how I feel. When the numbness wears off, this is going to hurt.
A lot.
Monday, January 3, 2011
By Request – New Friends
Make new friends,
But keep the old
One is silver
And the other’s gold.
I don’t make friends easily. Sure, I am friendly with people and comfortable starting conversations with strangers and new acquaintances, but I’m never quite sure how to make the transition from casual work/church/wherever conversations to real friendship, spending time together and building a relationship. Maybe I’m picky, maybe people only like me in small doses, I don’t know. It’s something that I think about sometimes, but in a curious way, it’s not something that bothers me.
When I moved to Nebraska in August, I knew it would take time for me to find friends. It’s hard to make new friends when you are a grown up. It’s especially hard to make new friends when you are a single, childless, petless, female grown up in a new town – where do you find like-minded people when you don’t have an automatic jumping-off point? Since I’m not a guy, I don’t hang out in sports bars, and I can’t afford my hobbies (quilting, needlework, and beading) anymore, so work and church are the only obvious spots.
I started my new job in late October. On my second or third day there, BossMan (hee, that makes him sound like a paunchy, middle-aged, middle manager which he is so not!) sent me to sit with three more experienced coworkers to observe and absorb some of the process of our work. The first two were pleasant, friendly ladies who were very nice but also very business-only. I enjoyed sitting with them but didn’t feel anything more than a collegial, workmate connection.
When I sat down with Sarah, the last of the three, it was one of those moments when my soul said, “Hey, I know you!” Maybe that sounds weird but it happens to me every once in a while – I meet someone and it’s like they’ve always been there but I haven’t seen them for a very, very long time. Sarah was professional and described what she was doing but we also started chatting and I liked her right away. I remember thinking, “Cool – I found my girl!”
Making friends is like dating: “Does she really like me? Does she like me as much as I like her? Should I ask her out for lunch? Am I coming on too strong?” For the next couple of weeks, Sarah and I chatted occasionally but I, with my typical reticence when it comes to new relationships (one of the reasons I call myself an introverted extrovert), played it cool. Then one day I was having a bad day, feeling really lonely, and I mentioned it to Sarah. She immediately invited me to a trick or treat party hosted by some other friends and I accepted. Sarah later told me that she’d been looking for an opening and my admission of loneliness was perfect timing. I guess I’m not the only one who isn’t completely secure in the friendmaking dance!
I went to the party and met Tonya and Gabrielle, and we clicked, too. Since then, the four of us have started meeting once a week for “girls’ night”. I feel so lucky that I found not only one kindred spirit here in my new town but three! They are so much fun, they are loving, compassionate women, and they seem to betolerating enjoying my neuroses quirks panache. I am enjoying them so much!
But keep the old
One is silver
And the other’s gold.
I don’t make friends easily. Sure, I am friendly with people and comfortable starting conversations with strangers and new acquaintances, but I’m never quite sure how to make the transition from casual work/church/wherever conversations to real friendship, spending time together and building a relationship. Maybe I’m picky, maybe people only like me in small doses, I don’t know. It’s something that I think about sometimes, but in a curious way, it’s not something that bothers me.
When I moved to Nebraska in August, I knew it would take time for me to find friends. It’s hard to make new friends when you are a grown up. It’s especially hard to make new friends when you are a single, childless, petless, female grown up in a new town – where do you find like-minded people when you don’t have an automatic jumping-off point? Since I’m not a guy, I don’t hang out in sports bars, and I can’t afford my hobbies (quilting, needlework, and beading) anymore, so work and church are the only obvious spots.
I started my new job in late October. On my second or third day there, BossMan (hee, that makes him sound like a paunchy, middle-aged, middle manager which he is so not!) sent me to sit with three more experienced coworkers to observe and absorb some of the process of our work. The first two were pleasant, friendly ladies who were very nice but also very business-only. I enjoyed sitting with them but didn’t feel anything more than a collegial, workmate connection.
When I sat down with Sarah, the last of the three, it was one of those moments when my soul said, “Hey, I know you!” Maybe that sounds weird but it happens to me every once in a while – I meet someone and it’s like they’ve always been there but I haven’t seen them for a very, very long time. Sarah was professional and described what she was doing but we also started chatting and I liked her right away. I remember thinking, “Cool – I found my girl!”
Making friends is like dating: “Does she really like me? Does she like me as much as I like her? Should I ask her out for lunch? Am I coming on too strong?” For the next couple of weeks, Sarah and I chatted occasionally but I, with my typical reticence when it comes to new relationships (one of the reasons I call myself an introverted extrovert), played it cool. Then one day I was having a bad day, feeling really lonely, and I mentioned it to Sarah. She immediately invited me to a trick or treat party hosted by some other friends and I accepted. Sarah later told me that she’d been looking for an opening and my admission of loneliness was perfect timing. I guess I’m not the only one who isn’t completely secure in the friendmaking dance!
I went to the party and met Tonya and Gabrielle, and we clicked, too. Since then, the four of us have started meeting once a week for “girls’ night”. I feel so lucky that I found not only one kindred spirit here in my new town but three! They are so much fun, they are loving, compassionate women, and they seem to be
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2010 in Twelve Words (plus two)
January - calm
February - goals
March - lists
April - grocery girl
May - planning
June - exhausted
July - boxes
August - Nebraska!
September - unemployed
October - content
November - new friends
December - lovefest
February - goals
March - lists
April - grocery girl
May - planning
June - exhausted
July - boxes
August - Nebraska!
September - unemployed
October - content
November - new friends
December - lovefest
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