Tina Fey, my hero

16 Apr

I don’t get to read a lot for pleasure any more. When you haven’t read a book of your choice in a while, you can forget how enjoyable it is.

When I read that Tina Fey had a new book out called Bossypants I knew I had to read it.

I dusted off my Kindle and downloaded her book. Literally within the first page or two I LOVED it. LOVED it.

I have considered myself Tina Fey’s long-lost soul sister for a while now. I know that pretty much every single woman in the world thinks that. But seriously, it’s true. When I watch 30 Rock the words coming out of Liz Lemon’s mouth are things I think or say. Here are some samples:

“Lizzing is a combination of laughing and whizzing.”

“Can I share with you my worldview? All of humankind has one thing in common: the sandwich. I believe that all anyone really wants in this life is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich.”

“Sometimes I pee in the shower if I’m really tired!”

“If I have learned anything from my SIMS family: When a child doesn’t see his father enough he starts to jump up and down, then his mood level with drop until he pees himself.”

“My mom used to send me articles about how older virgins are considered good luck in Mexico.”

“God, three weddings in one day, I’m going to be in Spanx for 12 hours. My elastic line is gonna get infected again.”

“There ain’t no party like a Liz Lemon party ’cause a Liz Lemon party is mandatory!”

Can any of you read these and NOT think of me saying them? Especially that sandwich one. All of you know I love a good sandwich. It’s all I eat.

Anyhoo….so not only is Tina Fey’s book just hilarious so far, but it’s touching, too. And you know what, it speaks to me. I really feel like I have a soul sister. Here is an excerpt from her book that I instantly knew I wanted to share. She’s taking the words out of my mouth.

“I’ve always been able to tell a lot about people by whether they ask me about my scar. Most people never ask, but if it comes up naturally somehow and I offer up the story, they are quite interested. Some people are just dumb: “Did a cat scratch you?” God bless. Those sweet dumdums I never mind. Sometimes it is a fun sociology litmus test, like when my friend Ricky asked me, “Did they ever catch the black guy that did that to you?” Hmmm. It was not a black guy, Ricky, and I never said it was.

Then there’s another sort of person who thinks it makes them seem brave or sensitive or wonderfully direct to ask me about it right away. They ask with quiet, feigned empathy, “How did you get your scar?” The grossest move is when they say they’re only curious because “it’s so beautiful.” Ugh. Disgusting. They might as well walk up and say, “May I be amazing at you?” To these folks let me be clear. I’m not interested in acting out a TV movie with you where you befriend a girl with a scar. An Oscar-y Spielberg movie where I play a mean German with a scar? Yes.

My whole life, people who ask about my scar within one week of knowing me have invariably turned out to be egomaniacs of average intelligence or less….”

–Tina Fey in Bossypants

This is a pretty good interpretation of how I feel about people who do/don’t ask me about my neck. There are dumbasses that walk about and are like, “Why are you holding your neck sideways? Does it hurt?” Uh…no you idiot. I usually then tell them I have scoliosis and then they ask what scoliosis and so on…yadayada.

I guess it’s kind of a lose-lose situation, though. I mean, if you ask right away or at a weird time I’m going to think you’re an asshole. But if you never ask I’m also going to think you’re an asshole. Are you really going to pretend like there’s nothing different about me? Come on.

I understand that some people think they should wait to for the other person to bring it up. But I think that it shows an interest and sense of caring when you wait for the right time (after we’ve known each other maybe a few weeks) and just ask.

So if you have a friend that you’ve noticed something different about–wait for the right moment and ask them! Do it in a nice way and they’ll appreciate it, promise!

Oh, and also, buy Tina Fey’s book Bossypants.

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Living and spending money in Chicago

3 Apr

Living in a really fun city with a lot to do has it’s downside…I spend way too much money.

Especially since starting my kick-ass job at Groupon, I’ve been spending money like it’s going out of style. Buying lunch most (all) days, sometimes breakfast, sometimes cabs (only twice–but it adds up), maybe a trip to H&M….you get the drift.

Well this week I’m going to try to not spend any money. Yeah, I’m sure some of you already do that, in which case, more power to ya, but this is going to be a challenge for me. No cabs, no buy lunch, nada.

My biggest challenge will be Monday and Tuesday I think, because I go directly from work to school, which means I will have to pack my lunch AND dinner in the morning, or I will just have to wait until I get home at 9:30.

I’ve gotten into the hang of setting out my clothes the night before, so I guess I’m going to have to start doing that with my meals, too.

Anyway, I’m going to blog about my daily money issues, etc. We’ll see how it goes.

 

Disclaimer: I do have to buy a textbook and a note binder that are required for class. So I’m not counting that.

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Knowing you’re in the right place at the right time

20 Mar First-time funfetti cake!

If you’re a regular blog reader (i.e. a member of my family), you know that I had recently struggled with a job decision.

Well I’m happy to report that I did indeed get the job, and the the job is at Groupon which is headquartered in Chicago.

It’s a full-time position that pays nothing, but that I already know I love.

When you make a big life decision, shortly after that you usually either:
a) Know you’ve made the right decision
b) Know you’ve made the wrong decision
c) Have no idea if you’ve made the right decision, you just have to wait it out

Normally for me, I end up Option C. And it usually takes a few months for me to realize it was Option B. Thus is life.

But this is different. I was so uncertain about whether to accept this job, and it’s turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life, and I don’t even know why yet. I just have this innate feeling that I’m where I’m supposed to be, and for maybe the first time, when I’m supposed to be there.

I’ll keep you posted on things that happen. But for now, here’s just some of the highlights at Groupon:

  • Flexible work schedule
  • Unlimited paid vacation
  • No dress code
  • Average employee age of 27–I don’t think I’ve met anyone over 30…
  • Game room with xbox, wii, playstation, etc. to go and take breaks in
  • Free “pop”
  • Friendly peers/co workers
  • A training system based off of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that involves me (and other trainees) getting parts of the TMNT uniform as I clear the levels. So far I have wristband and knee bands. Red–because I’m Raphael
  • Cussing in the workplace–which I’m a fan of
  • Random bursts of song–Friday a group of people serenaded someone, for no reason

So that’s about it for now–can’t wait to update you all.

PS–I made funfetti cake!

First-time funfetti cake!

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A better place

20 Mar After: photos lined up and new bedspread--much brighter!

So here are some apartment pictures. I’m loving the new stuff. Would still like to get a bed frame eventually, and maybe a rug and some more art work. But for now, small changes going a long way!

Before

After

After. Update: Unfortunately the "G" has fallen and it now reads: "LAUH"

After: My sad little photo collection.

Before

After: photos lined up and new bedspread--much brighter!

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Time, a philosophical post

12 Mar A puppy munches on some newspaper at the Anti-Cruelty animal shelter (but she has real food, too, of course!).

First off, I’m sorry that this is going to be a text-heavy post. Actually, I went to an animal shelter in Chicago for a project for one of my classes. I’ll put in some cute photos of puppies and kittens to give you something to look at.

Remember when you were a kid, and you had a field trip to look forward to, or something to do, but it was happening in a week. And remember how a week felt like FOREVER? And in high school when you’re a senior and you’re going to graduate in three months, and it just seems like it can’t get there fast enough?

Well I seem to be having the opposite problem these days.

I know there’s that saying, “when you get older, time flies.” (Note: Is this actually a saying? Or did I just make that up?) But it’s really, really true.

I’ve been in Chicago now for, exactly, 10 weeks. Whoa. This blog is even more on-the-nose….I’ll tell you why in a second.

OK, so I’ve been in Chi now for 10 weeks. And I’ll tell you, I can’t believe that it’s really been 10 weeks because it feels like I just got here a while ago. On the other hand, I feel very settled and like I’ve been here years. Do you ever get that feeling? Like you just got somewhere you’ve been for a long time? Indescribable, really.

So what’s interesting about this is that my internship with the State Department in D.C. was EXACTLY 10 weeks long. And as much fun as I had in D.C., I was VERY homesick the entire time I was there. I couldn’t wait to see my mommy and I couldn’t wait to get out of that city. Of course, the second I left I was like, “D.C. is so great!,” but whatever.

Ten weeks is also the longest I have ever been away from my mom. Is that a long time or a little time? Think about it for a minute. What is the longest time you’ve ever been away from your mother?

CUTE PUPPY ALERT!!

A puppy munches on some newspaper at the Anti-Cruelty animal shelter (but she has real food, too, of course!).

Anyway–back to the story. OK, so I’ve been here 10 weeks now, and while literally exactly a year ago (whoa, these parallels are crazy…I didn’t realize it was really a year ago almost to the day) I was dying to get home and had been counting the days I was away, right now I’m really feeling good about everything. I miss my family and friends, of course, but I’m also OK with the possibility of it being even longer before I see them.

I’ve been trying to think of why it’s so different this time and I have a few theories:

  1. I have stuff. Superficial, part of one. This time, I have my own space (even if it does resemble a shoe box) and I have a television, a kitchen, a bathroom and a reliable Internet connection–none of which I had in D.C. If my apartment here is a shoebox, my room in D.C. was a shoe. (Did that make sense?)
  2. I’m not missing out on anything. I was in D.C. during the time that would have been my last semester in college. Most of my friends were still in undergrad, and I think there was a sense that I should have been there, or that I was missing out on some big thing. It was also really strange to come back from D.C. and feeling like I’d been away for years, and have my friends still in school when that felt so long ago.
  3. Tennessee isn’t my home anymore. First off, my mom is going to call me tomorrow and be like, “I read your blog…have I ruined your life by moving?” No, mom. There’s no need to call. As you might have seen on Facebook/Twitter, my mom has moved to Denver, Colorado and my home is gone (well technically it’s still on the market–but it’s empty). When I was in D.C. most of the people I knew were either in Knoxville, in the South, etc. I think I had this longing to be “home.” Well, Tennessee isn’t my home anymore. My friends aren’t there (or the ones that are won’t be for long) and I literally don’t have a house there. My permanent address is, begrudgingly, my shoebox.
  4. I’m maturing? Is it possible I’m just growing up and don’t have to rely on others as much? Probably not.

CUTE KITTY ALERT!!

Pretty kitty at the Anti-Cruelty shelter.

So this is a pretty self-indulgent blog post, but I was just thinking about time, and my tentative plan for the coming year. (Keep my job I’m about to start, and take two classes per quarter until I finish grad school, then move, possibly out West.) My plan is for a year and a half from now, and for some reason that doesn’t seem daunting. I am OK with that amount of time, and I feel comfortable being here alone for that long (although I am still trying to convince my friend Nancy to move here–let’s see if she reads this and finds her name!).

CUTE DOG ALERT!!

This is Remy, I think he was happy to see me.

I should have a more photo-centric blog coming soon, with photos of my newly cleaned and decorated shoebox.

Also, I start my new job at Groupon on Monday! Very excited to see what it’s all about.

As always thanks for reading!

 

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These are a few of my favorite things…music now

3 Mar

So here are some songs I’m really feeling at the moment. I love passing on music.

Stones by Barbarossa-This song was featured on Monday’s episode of How I Met Your Mother. Pay attention to the music on TV/commercials and search for it later. It’s a great way to get new music.



Go Do by Jónsi-Again, heard snippets of this in a FORD car commercial and loved it.

 

Power by Kanye West

 

The Cave by Mumford and Sons-I, like a lot of people, saw them perform at….the Grammys (I think?). Love this song.






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The Oscars best and worst dressed

27 Feb Fab Sugar

The Oscars are the Superbowl for women. And, WOW, what an awesome showing this year.

Here’s a question for ya, I hear these men say who they’re wearing for the night. Why don’t these rich men just buy a really great tux and keep it and wear it every time? Would anyone notice or care? I mean, I guess when they borrow they don’t have to buy it…but it just seems like they should all own their own tux.

Also, did anyone see Michelle Williams’s interview with Ryan Seacrest? She appeared to be using a fake accent during the interview, as did Christian Bale. It was so weird.

And throughout the show people were complaining how cold it was on the red carpet. Well, I looked it up, and it’s 55 and sunny. Shut up.

So let’s start it out, shall we?

The Best

Hailee Steinfeld in a one-of-a-kind Marchesa: She is a repeat on my best dressed. The 14-year-old told Ryan Seacrest she helped design this dress, and, once again, I found it so completely age appropriate. When you were 14 wouldn’t you have designed the same thing? A bubblegum-y, sparkly, tutu type dress? She looks so poised and her makeup looks fresh (although not sure I’m crazy about the lip color). The only real complaint I have is the hair. I think the headband makes it look so informal, and I’m not sure it really “goes” with the dress. Would have maybe changed it for a silver or pink headband instead of a plain white.

Fab Sugar

Natalie Portman in Rodarte: Love this look. This color is great with her skin tone, and personally, I just love this shade of deep purple. She is just glowing, and showing that baby bump off. And look at those tassle earrings! With a touch of gold, they seem to perfectly match the beading at the top of her dress. And I like that she (or her team) put enough thought into it to pull her hair to the side to show those details off. Effortless wavy hair, loving it.

Fab Sugar

Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang: She is KILLING it. This red looks breathtaking on her. I like a good, solid red. Some really great diamond stud earrings. And I LOVE that she kept the neckline clean and showed off the interesting dress cut. ONLY complaint here is that the purse seems to be a different red than the dress. And if you can’t match all the shades, I’d go with a second color like silver or gold. This time last year Sandy was at the Oscars with her soon-to-be-ex husband. Girlfriend, you’ve traded up.

Fab Sugar

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab: I LOVE this hair. So shiinnnny. How do movie stars do that? Are they using something other than Suave? Hmm. I love the layered, flowy effect of the frock. And the lace accents. I’m also really liking the see-through part of the dress. She’s still covered up and respectful but you can see some skin. The diamond teardrop earrings are classy. Makeup is flawless. Something I just noticed–where is her purse? Is he not carrying anything? Because normally the purse is an additional accessory.

Fab Sugar

Helen Mirren in Vivienne Westwood: THIS is how you dress. It’s also how you rock short hair, show off your cleavage, and make your waist look even tinier than it is. Wow, talk about a sexy 65-year-old. This grey is so classy on her.

Fab Sugar

Makeup/Face: So I wasn’t crazy about Anne Hathaway’s dress. Although she looked gorgeous, I am not a fan of the shiny-looking taffeta type fabric. I also didn’t think it fit her as well as it could have. You can see the dress below, but I LOVE the look of her makeup and hair. Her caramel highlights really light up her face. I love that her hair is pulled back, but is still loose and wavy. Her earrings and necklace are TO DIE and the red lips pop. Her eyes look amazing…I have a girl crush.

Fab Sugar


Other notables:
Michele Williams in Chanel

Fab Sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amy Adams in L’Wren Scott

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Anne Hathaway in Valentino

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Scarlett Johansson in Dolce and Gabbana

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Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein

TMZ/Getty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Meh

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy: I know there were mixed reactions to this on the red carpet, and some of you will disagree with me…but I loved this look. Her hair is so simple, the purple looks so lovely on her fair skin. And I love the pop of color on her shoulders and how it is mirrored in the gold earrings. Now, I think the baubles on the dress are a little weird, but I like the small amount of texture on the dress while the rest is simple. The cut out I actually like, and I think that it works because her figure is so slim. UPDATE: This was originally in Best dressed, but I moved it after seeing her present. The sleeves are too severe.

Fab Sugar

Reese Witherspoon in Armani Prive: Reese is a style icon for me. She rarely gets it wrong. I don’t have the heart or the conviction to put this in worst dressed, but I’m not a huge fan. I literally think I had a Barbie that had this exact hair style and outfit. It’s just so much poof, and the dress is so…I don’t know. I don’t know how to describe it. Maybe it’s just not what I pictured for her…I don’t know. I do love the emerald earrings and the makeup. Thoughts?

Fab Sugar

Mandy Moore in Monique Lhuillier: I love this dress on her. But here are the problems I have with this look: the lip color. Wouldn’t it have been great if they were just a deep red or a lighter color? I don’t like the orange hue this has to it. And, again, I’m not crazy about slicked-back hair. I think with the slicked-back hair and the huge round earrings she remind me a bit of Leia Star Wars. But, again, really like the dress on her.

Fab Sugar


The Worst

Melissa Leo in Marc Bower: This is just dreadful. It looks like a doily. Oh, wait, a doily with glass shards in it. That really classes it up, right? Oh, and a popped collar (I think there’s a name for that but I can’t remember it). This dress just looks so stiff and lifeless. And tacky. I can’t think of other ways to describe it.

Fab Sugar

Nicole Kidman in Christian Dior: No, no, no. I do like the makeup, I think her skin looks glowing. But The hair is too flat for me. I also do not like the necklace with this dress. The dress appears to have gold embellishment and the necklace is silver, a no-no in my book. The necklace also has a very distinct shape, and the dress is so busy by itself, there’s just too much going on. She looks like she’s about to go to a lobster dinner and she decided to just go ahead and attach the napkin to her dress.

Fab Sugar


Justin Timberlake’s mom: I know this isn’t a good picture but she needed a bra ASAP. Her boobs were just all over the place.

Daily Fill

Florence from Florence and the Machine in Valentino: Because it’s ugly and it looks exactly what she wore to the last awards show.

Fab Sugar


Marisa Tomei in Charles James for Lily et Cie: So I’m not sure who she was wearing, sorry. But here’s my main problem with this dress: the fit seems off to me. I am also not crazy about the lack of eye makeup, which I think she could have used to make more of a sultry statement. The top just seems way too big for her. And the bottom makes her look like she has a pooch, which I’m sure she doesn’t. The ruffle is just TOO BIG.

Fab Sugar


And tell me what you think—

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