Sunday, November 27, 2011

Thanksgiving.

During this Thanksgiving, we trekked out to J's parents' house in Arkansas.

We had a lot of this:



(And by this, I meant delicious cake, not crazy eye.)

Although, come to think of it, there was definitely an abundance of crazy eye.


But you know what? It didn't really seem out of place. At one point, I found myself sitting on the porch with my leopard-print house shoes on while J's older brother handed me the "girl section" (re: Kohl's advertisement and sales circulars). To my right, J was sitting on the porch swing, eyeing the woods across the street, hugging his favorite new toy.


Happy Thanksgiving!


Peek.

I'm peeking out from under my rock.

Wow. Things have changed.

I'll be honest with you, I'm totally burnt out and kind of feel like a completely different person than who I was only six months ago.

Did I tell you I have a job? Like, a full-time, I'm-now-scared-about-identity-theft-because-I-actually-make-money kind of job?

I am a high school English teacher. I corrupt young minds, whole groups at a time. It's kind of fantastic, really.

Also, because I didn't think I'd be working, I had petitioned to take extra classes in my Master's program.

So right now...a few weeks before the end of the semester...let me just say, I just spent two straight days, lying on mountains of homework and papers to grade, rolling all over my in-laws' pull-out couch because I'm trying to stay out of the way. I could use a shower and it's a good thing they're feeding me. (My MIL is an educator, so she totally gets it.)

Also? Planning a big wedding bash, to take place during Christmastime, as basically a part  two to our wedding since we didn't do the whole big family celebration the first time around.

I look in the mirror now and every time, without fail, I think about Botox. Normal?

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Artist: Christian Cota

Christian Cota

Upcoming fashion designer. If I had a My Size Barbie, his collection is what I would put her in.

Christian Cota Spring 2011 Runway

Christian Cota Spring 2011 Runway



Saturday, August 27, 2011

Artist: Peter Lindbergh

Peter Lindbergh

Famous fashion photographer. If you were a supermodel in the 90's you've definitely worked with him.




Saturday, August 20, 2011

Artist: Francesco Scognamiglio

Francesco Scognamiglio

Something about his fashions totally freak me out, kinda in a Lady Gaga-esque kind of way, but I can't imagine ever being bored at one of his shows. 

Francesco Scognamiglio Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear

Francesco Scognamiglio Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear

Francesco Scognamiglio Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Artist: Alber Elbaz

Alber Elbaz

Fashion designer of Lanvin, his pieces always look effortlessly chic, comfortable, edgy and feminine at the same time. LOVE Lanvin.



Lanvin Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear

Lanvin Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear

Lanvin Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Artist: Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano

Fashion designer, starred on Project Runway, and his work is sigh-worthy. Sigh. 





Saturday, July 30, 2011

Artist: Vermeer

Vermeer

While I love this one, his better known work is...




this one.


Saturday, July 23, 2011

Artist: Chihuly

Dale Chihuly

Makes beautiful, surreal artwork in glass.






Saturday, July 16, 2011

Artist: Heather Bullard

Heather Bullard

Our wedding photographer! Super nice, super professional, super talented.





Friday, July 15, 2011

School News and Xenadrine

I got an email from one of my professors in the M.Ed. program.

She asked me to being a student rep on a panel reviewing the program, its effectiveness and brainstorming ideas on how to improve. 

That's kinda nuts. 

Also nuts?

Those "before and after" photos that weightloss pills have in their ads.


Before, I used to be all like, impressed. 

But then my brother told me about this guy he worked with at a carpentry shop. When they started working there at around the same time, the guy was jacked. Then, in the space of a month, the guy put on 30 lbs. When his co-workers gave him hell about it, he revealed that one of these weightloss companies put out a casting to take a  "before" photo. He, as well as the other people contacted, put on a bunch of weight. Then the company said they were doing the next shoot in two months and everyone who did a "before" photo needed to lose the weight and get back to their jacked selves if they wanted to get paid.




Unfortunately, this guy never lost the weight. 

My brother was killing himself laughing, thinking that this fool gained all this weight for a job not only to not get the gig but also ruin his body for absolutely nothing. 

Puts things in perspective.



Wednesday, July 13, 2011

My husband is haaaandsome.

Just look at this face.


He's a ninja of attractiveness.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Creepy as hell, and right next door.

For the most part, I really like living in our apartment complex.

It's conveniently located, has two pools, big laundry rooms, and the complex manager has yet to hit us up for another pet deposit even though we ran into her at the dog park with two dogs in tow. Turns out she's a trainer, and she's not really supposed to have a job outside of the management gig so I think we're in the clear. Sweet!

Most of my neighbors are really friendly and pretty much all dog people, so a lot of us will chat while our dogs play. I think this must be what parents do by the side of jungle gyms.

There are some issues, obviously. I mean, I am pretty sure one of the guys downstairs is dealing drugs. I know I should be more worried about that, but he's always very nice and respectful towards me. Maybe I'm just jaded from living in Cambridge, MA in the shadiest complex you've ever seen, where I literally had to politely ask homeless people sitting on our porch if I could just squeak by to get to the front door.

So it's not really the drug dealing that creeps me out. It's this one elderly gent I often see. When I first met him I felt really bad- he's living alone, in his 60's maybe, and he's had several strokes and a lot of medical issues. He always made a point to come over and talk when he saw me around. Then he started making comments about my looks. I laughed them off, thinking he's just trying to be nice. And then he got into super-weird territory.

He always asked me when J and I are going to have kids. Which is fine. Then he told me he had a dream.

A dream where J and I couldn't get pregnant. A dream where he then "offered his seed".

Ick, blech, yuck, so f*cking disgusting, skin crawl.

WHAT THE HECK DO YOU SAY TO THAT?

I ran away.

Icchhh, gives me the creeps.


Sunday, July 10, 2011

Outings and Mommy Issues

Yesterday was the All American Beef Battalion Barbecue for J's battalion.

The organization is made up of a bunch of volunteers who are connected to the cattle industry and, out of kindness, put on free cook-outs for soldiers. Isn't that really nice of them? What soldier would say no to free steak?

I usually like going to stuff like this. I like putting faces to the names I hear so often and I get to meet other spouses and play with babies. Everybody always complains about the "mandatory fun days" but I think it's similar to how you b*tch with the people around you during college freshman orientation. Like, "I would like to start talking with the people around me and make friends, but I want to look cool and indifferent, so I'll strike up conversation by complaining." And you know what? It works. Pretty much everyone I saw there complained, and then immediately made plans to hang out that night.

We invited some people over and it was a pretty packed apartment. It was crazy. Plus, it was so hot yesterday (108 F) that the kids were inside the whole time. I love kids so that was fine with me, but one of the parents seemed to really hate them. Like, out of control, constant screaming.

I know this is typical- a married lady without kids commenting on someone else's parenting style. I'm usually pretty laid-back and try to always keep in mind that I don't know everything that goes on behind closed doors, but both J and I were shocked by this one mama. When I say constant, I meant constant screaming. And it wasn't just at her kids. Her husband caught hell, too. I think I heard her say four sentences at a normal decibel range. Not only that, but I could see that her oldest already wants to rebel against her.

I'm not really sure what to do in this kind of situation. I mean, they are her kids. But her screeching was out of control and her husband, seemingly used to this, proceeded to get pretty wasted. (J also tells me he's usually an hour early to work every morning.)

What do you do in this situation? I feel like it's not my place to say anything, but keeping silent and still socializing makes me feel like an accessory to a crime.

Suggestions are appreciated.


Saturday, July 9, 2011

Artist: Dominique Cabrelli

Dominique Cabrelli

Wedding photojournalist based in Paris.




Friday, July 8, 2011

Tough Life

I just came home from running an errand.

I walked in to see my dog, lying miserably on the floor, tangled up in a leopard print bra. 

It's a tough life to be a pup.

Puppy Park

Yesterday the pups and I went to the puppy park.

They love it. The pretend they're on safari, hunting wild beasts.


They run around, trying to strike fear into the hearts of the birds who stand just on the other side of the fence- tantalizingly close.


They think they're tough guys, but really, they're just little meatballs.


Little meatballs who love each other.