Tuesday, December 30, 2008

#4 - Donate My Hair


photo courtesy of sheknows.com

I have been letting my hair grow out for the past couple of years. I had been keeping it short for years. I loved it when it was short. It was always in some funky style and I loved being "the girl with the fun hair". I was so nervous to grow it out because I was afraid it would just end up looking like my middle school yearbook pictures - long, straight, and parted down the middle. No fun. So I decided to get some extensions to see if dealing with all the weird growth phases would be worth it. The extensions kinda grossed me out and I barely kept them in for 2 weeks, but I was convinced - Long hair was definitely what I wanted.

I wanted to be able to curl my hair and have movie star waves, but didn't think it would happen with my half-Asian, straight-as-could-be hair. Whenever I tried curling my hair, it would go flat after 10 minutes. I don't want to know how much of the ozone I depleted with all the hairspray I used. Seriously, how can AquaNet hold up a 3 foot bee-hive, and yet not hold my curls?! 

When my hair had grown long enough to curl (it was above my chin before), I was pleasantly surprised when the curl held! I guess that's what happens when you damage your hair; I went from all natural brunette to auburn and blonde highlights, back to brown, then to black, stripped the black (twice), tried dark brown which ended up looking red, then finally put enough brown in it to get close to my natural shade again... and that was all in my first 1 1/2 years of college. 

I've wanted to donate my hair ever since my cousin Eva's funeral.
I figure that not everyone is as brave as she was - Getting tattoos on your head and baring your bald head isn't for everyone! Hair is a big thing for girls. It's a big deal to me. But it's something that I can do to help someone else out. I'm hoping to donate sometime this spring or summer... my hair's not quite long enough for the 8 inch minimum requirement. Still want to be able to curl it after it's cut... and I don't think you can do that with 2 inch long hair!



#27 - Day 29


"You guys are a little early on the tree though."

"Yeah, we never got around to taking it down.
When it got to be fall again... we figured, 'Just leave it up.'
Oh, my God. You're totally freaked out.
You're totally freaked out right now."


(12 points to anyone who knows what that's from.)

Took down all the Christmas decorations this evening. I didn't want to freak anyone out...


Monday, December 29, 2008

#27 - Day 28



I don't know why I bother buying bananas. I never eat them, they turn brown and gross, and I have to hurry and make banana bread before they start growing lovely green fuzzies!

Mmmm... I dunno... sitting here watching "The City" with the amazing aroma filling the room might just make it worth it!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

#27 - Day 27


Copper was super excited to see me when I came home tonight... but put a camera in front of his face and he refuses to give me the time of day. 



Crap. 

Please, dear Jesus, do not let me become one of those crazed pet lovers that speak about their pets like they are their children. 

I have no intentions of ever calling my dog "baby" or myself his "mom". He will never sleep in the same bed as me and he is not allowed on the furniture. 

Whew! I think I'm OK so far.

#27 - Day 26



My baby cousin Ty was so adorable! Someone pointed out that I could take him back to Oklahoma and he could totally pass as my own kid. We do have the same half-Korean eyes... :)

#27 - Day 25



On Friday I flew to St. Louis for a weekend with my dad's side of the family. I don't remember the last time I was able to spend Christmas with them, so I was pretty excited. It was good seeing everyone... all 32 of them! 

#27 - Day 24

Hooray Christmas!

The Fam

Phyllis & Jason opening gifts

The 'rents

Surprise gift! (I was so excited about the Dyson that I vacuumed the entire house when I got home!)

#27 - Day 23

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Sunday, December 21, 2008

#27 - Day 20







My sis asked me to take a few pics of her ultra-pregnant belly.

Can't wait to be an aunt! Less than a month to go!

#27 - Day 19



Another Saturday night at the Speakeasy (which is evidently under construction)! 

#27 - Day 18



Good times at work. Nothing like climbing on a roof in the wintertime!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

#27 - Day 17



Cake Balls Finished! (Look at Copper-face eyeing them...) 



And Kristi liked them too!

#27 - Day 16



When you have 2 roommates, you have to get creative when it comes to food storage. 
That means throwing out egg cartons when you one have 1 egg left (and crossing your fingers that you eat it before it expires). It also means trying to balance a cookie sheet full of unfinished cake balls on top of ciabatta rolls and coffee creamer.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

#27 - Day 15



When it's icy and way cold outside, I kinda wish I had my dog's life. He's got it made. He sleeps all day and doesn't have to work. He doesn't have 85 year old ladies asking him to climb on their roof in 32 degree weather. 

Then I remembered that he has to pee outside... I think I'll stick with the crazy old ladies. 


Monday, December 15, 2008

#27 - Day 14

I am a big fan of fashion blogs (see my faves list on the right). Love getting inspiration and seeing how others dress besides here in good ol' Oklahoma. I've thought about having a little fashion blog of my own - it could be fun documenting my various outfits... but then I reconsidered.

The focal point of any good fashion blog is the picture of the writer's ensemble. Therein lies my predicament. I am fine with showing my clothes, but I would feel like such a goof taking pics of myself. I would feel too "posey", just standing there in front of my little Canon with it's self-timer on. I can't even have someone else take a pic of me without making a weird face, just so it's not awkward - so that rules out having one of my roommates do the photos. So with all that in mind, the Internet has one less fashion blog.

I know this must make the world a much sadder place, so for the sake of all that is good in the world, I have decided to show you a glimpse of what a post would look like if I did ever get the urge to write one....


                               ****************

What to Wear: Fool proof outfit for freezing your ta-tas off

Flannel Top: Thrifted
Tank: H&M
Leggings: F21
Necklace & Bracelet: F21

I did a little Christmas shopping today. I say "little" because I cut the shopping short after realizing it was way too cold outside to be doing anything but sit inside and cuddle with a blanket. It probably wouldn't have felt as cold if I was wearing pants. But whatever - pants are so overrated.

Oh and here are the booties that I have been living in the past few weeks. Ultra comfy and one of my best finds this fall.

Ankle Boots: Wal-Mart


                                         ****************

Yeah, I don't think my fashion blog would be very successful haha.

#27 - Day 13



Having tons of presents under the tree has a way of making my little bitty tree look even smaller. 

Mr. Tree needs some roids. 

Sunday, December 14, 2008

#27 - Day 12

 
The holiday season just isn't complete without going to a Tacky Christmas Sweater Party. 

Here are my lovely roommates modeling their amazing $2 finds! Oh good times.


Saturday, December 13, 2008

#27 - Day 11



Work Christmas parties are always interesting. Due to a small budget, we had a pretty low-key party... but there was free food and free wine, so you can't really complain. We played a little Dirty Santa - I almost walked away with an Easy Bake Oven (I was pretty stoked about it since I never had one growing up and I was in the mood for some tiny tiny cakes), but it got taken away from me and I ended up leaving with The Dark Knight DVD. I was definitely a lot better off than the guy that left with the Jonas Brothers lunch box! 

After the party, we had a little after-party at my house. We lit up our fireplace for the 1st time, made s'mores, and good times ensued!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

#27 - Day 10



Had a craving for some Korean food today... Nothing like dduk mandu gook on a cold day! It just warms my insides :)

#12 - Stop Biting My Nails


I have been biting my fingernails for as long as I can remember. It's a really disgusting and embarrassing habit and probably going to be one of the hardest things on my list to achieve. I think the only thing out there that will break my habit is hypnosis. But I've got to admit, allowing a stranger to enter into my subconscious makes me a little nervous. Sure, the guy might be able to make me stop biting my nails, but who's to say that he won't also make me bark like a dog whenever I hear the word "apple"? No thanks buddy. Guess I'll just have to rely on pure self-restraint. We'll see how that works for me...

Photo courtesy of msnbc.com

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

#27 - Day 9



Spent a little time this afternoon at my neighborhood park. Froze my fingers off... it's a wonder how well I am typing with the stubby remains....

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

#27 - Day 8



First snowfall of the winter! Not much, but it still counts.

Monday, December 8, 2008

#27 - Day 7



"Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in..."

Took the day off today and slept in a LOT longer than I had planned. It was nice though. I like sleep way too much for my own good! It doesn't help when my bed is crazy comfy either...

Sunday, December 7, 2008

#27 - Day 6



Finally got all my Christmas shopping done! Only have 1 more gift to wrap and I am good to go! Woo hoo! (Notice my excitement as I punctuate everything with exclamation points...)

#27 - Day 5



During December, I love driving down Western Ave in OKC. I will go out of my way just to see the lighted trees on Chesapeake Energy's campus. My fave!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

#27 - Day 4



- Hey, Smalls, you wanna s'more?

- Some more of what?
 
- No, do you wanna s'more? 

- I haven't had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?

- You're killing me Smalls! These are s'more's stuff! Alrite now pay attention. First you take the graham, you stick the chocolate on the graham. Then you roast the 'mallow. When the 'mallows flaming... you stick it on the chocolate. Then cover with the other end. Then you scarf. Kind of messy, but good!

Ladies Night! A night of wine & fondue turned into a s'mores party! Fun!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

#27 - Day 3



"I've got an oscillating fan at my house. The fan goes back and forth. It looks like the fan is saying "No". So I like to ask it questions that a fan would say no to. Do you keep my hair in place? Do you keep my documents in order? Do you have three settings? Liar! My fan fucking lied to me. Now I will pull the pin up. Now you ain't sayin' shit." - Mitch Hedberg


Wednesday, December 3, 2008

#27 - Day 2


She's crafty...

I took a vacation day yesterday for my birthday and decided to do a little crafting. I made a bunch of these scrapbook photo books that I plan on listing on my etsy site sometime this week. 


#27 - Day 1



It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love the smells, the food, the decorations, giving gifts - everything! I always look forward to Thanksgiving, just so I can unpack all the boxes of lights and ornaments. This Christmas is going to be especially fun - I am flying up to St. Louis to spend time with my Grandparents and everyone else in the family... something I haven't been able to do for years. I can't wait!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Here's to turning 25 today!

I don't feel any older now than I did 40 minutes ago... no one ever does, and yet everyone always asks. There are very few monumental birthdays - You've got your 10th (double digit year), your 13th (officially a teenager), your 16th (Come on baby, drive my car!), your 18th (voting, cigs, porn & adulthood), and then your 21st (Pancho's Liquortown!). After that, you are just left with the decade years. 

After repeating, "I am twenty-five now... hmmm... twenty-five..." in my head for the past couple of minutes, it does feel a little strange. 

I am in my mid-twenties. 

I bet that makes my parents feel old. :)


Sunday, November 2, 2008

#25 - Read Every Book I Own

When I moved out of my old apartment and into my new house, I remember going through all of my books as I packed. There are some great books in my little collection, some of which have been read multiple times. As I was looking through them I realized how many of them I have not even read. I made a pile of unread books and they made up about 20% of my collection. It's a little embarrassing. I am not looking forward to the day when someone sees a book, asks me my opinion on it, and having to admit that I haven't a clue - even though it's been sitting on my shelf for 3 years.
I have this habit of starting a book and never finishing it. I will have time to read a chapter or two, put it down and then I'll get "too busy" to read and it will be months before I pick it up again. By that time, I would have forgotten what I read before and I have to start from the beginning again, and the cycle starts over.
I have set aside all of the unread/unfinished books and placed them in a neat pile by my nightstand. I am hoping this will remind me to pick one up and read it every now and then. I just wish all of them were the type of books you just can't put down. I love books like that. I found a great one this summer - Just Checking: Scenes from the life of an obsessive-compulsive by Emily Colas - just a random find while browsing around Barnes & Noble. It was fascinating and hilarious and I was reading every free moment I had. Definitely a re-read.



Unread/Unfinished Books:
A Long Way Gone / Ishmael Beah
Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences / Abraham Maslow
The Problem of Pain / C. S. Lewis
Mere Christianity / C.S. Lewis
The Screwtape Letters / C.S. Lewis
Possible Side Effects / Augusten Burroughs
The Case for Faith / Lee Strobel
MacBeth / William Shakespeare
The Five Love Languages / Gary Chapman

Currently Reading:
The Jungle / Upton Sinclair


Photo Courtesy of Montcopa.org

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Not on The List....


        After a few months of contemplation I got my second tattoo on Friday! I wanted to get a bird to represent Matthew 6:25-26. I was looking online and found Artista Blog as well as this lovely little sketch. It was exactly what I had in mind! 

       I went to Cannibal Graphics and Curtis did an awesome job. It even hurt a lot less than my 1st tattoo. 

       I called my ultra-religious, conservative, anti-tattoo mom and let her and my dad know that I had gotten a tattoo and got the expected response. She heard the word "tattoo" and pretty much stopped listening, only expressing how she didn't get why I would want another one and questioning how many more I was going to get - This was the response I expected. Then I got a call from her today... and at the end of the conversation she brought up the tattoo. She wanted to make sure that I knew that she wasn't mad at me for getting the tattoo (I did), but that she just didn't understand tattoos. I was finally able to explain why I got the tattoo and to my surprise, she understood and liked the meaning behind it. Definitely didn't expect that. 

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#8 - Wear a miniskirt/dress & feel fabulous in it!

          Like most women, there are things about my body that I am not fond of. I wouldn't call myself "fat", but my body type would definitely fall into the "curvy" category. My weight has always been an issue with me. I've been on countless fad diets: The Cabbage Soup Diet, Boiled Egg Diet, South Beach, Atkins. Open up my medicine drawer and there are almost-full bottles of diet pills, purchased in the hopes of a quick fix, but cast away after 2 or 3 days of using them. I could never get used to the jittery feeling or the guilt of taking the easy way out rather than doing what I knew would work: cutting back calories and exercise. 
         But here's the thing that frustrates me - I eat healthy. My meals consist of steamed veggies, grilled chicken or fish, and salads. I don't drink soft drinks - only 2% milk and water. I don't snack on junk food and never really have. I have had these eating habits my whole life and I don't see how I can eat less calories without just living on celery and water. 
         I have a pretty active job - I'm not sitting at a desk all day - so when I come home from working all day, the last thing I want to do is go work out. Plus I have a hard time motivating myself when I work out alone. In college it was easy to work out, there was a gym on campus and there was always someone around that would want to work out together. Now that I live with 2 roommate with different work schedules, it's harder to coordinate work outs. 
  I love fashion and shopping, but I am fed up with not being able to feel comfortable or look good in certain clothes. My legs are my biggest problem area and although I made a personal breakthrough this summer by wearing shorts in public (and not just around the house), I am still not to the point where I am willing to wear super cute short dresses and skirts. I am ready for a change.         
         I'm crossing my fingers... with this gym membership I just got, who knows, by Spring I might be posting a pic of me in a new mini dress... 

         

Saturday, October 18, 2008

#27 - Take a Picture a Day for 1 year.

Sad Day/Happy Day all rolled in one.

#27 on the List was to take one picture every day for 1 year. My thought process on this was to document different points of view I had for 1 year of my life. I also thought it would make a fun coffee table book by the year's end. 

Happy Day: I bought a new computer this weekend. (Background story - My laptop was stolen at a house party I hosted 2 years ago. For the past year I have been using my work laptop for personal use.) I was super excited & spent about 3 days uploading all my CDs. Then it was time to transfer all my photos. This is where the Sad Day comes in. For some reason (I think it was certain restrictions my employer put on the laptop), I was unable to copy all my photos from one laptop to the next. Then when I tried to just email them all to myself, none of the pics showed up. In the process of it all, the files had all been corrupted and I lost all my pics. :( 

I am going to start #27 over on my 25th birthday in December. I am actively going to search out photo opportunities rather than just using some random picture that I took at work during the day. I don't want to look back over the year and see 85 photos of roof shingles. My life is so much more than my job. So much more than climbing on roofs everyday. My photos will reflect that.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

#22 - Own a Convertible


When I was 14, one of my friends who was 16 would drive all of us girls around in her convertible. It was a cherry red Chrysler Le Baron. The car was as old as us and destined to fall apart at any given moment. You couldn't turn the engine off, unless you wanted it to stay off for at least an hour. But at 14, those things don't matter. The car was magic.

We would pass guys on the highway, and 9 times out of 10 we would hear them honking and whistling - Every 14-16 year old girl's dream. Boys were able to see how cool we were, hair blowing in the wind, singing along to the radio at the top of our lungs. Without the top down, we were just ordinary girls.

It is 10 years later, and I can't shake the desire to own a convertible. I have grown up and no longer want one to gain attention from silly boys (although a little flirting is always fun). I want to have that carefree feeling again. Wind in my hair, singing as if the other drivers are my audience. No longer seeing my vehicle solely as a means of transportation, but as an adventure in itself.
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Thursday, August 28, 2008

#13 - Explore a Cave

Every road trip I have been on, no matter what the destination, it seems as if there is always a big billboard advertising a cavern. I always poke fun at these tourist attractions. I can just picture the type of people you would see at the caves: a group of 23 screaming school children running around hyped up on sugar because they spent all their lunch money on gold nugget shaped candy from the gift shop, senior citizens wearing trucker hats adorned with pins from their many stops on Route 66, a newlywed couple in their 30's with matching fanny packs and mullets.

I imagine each guided tour is lead by one of the locals, dressed head-to-toe in khaki (think Steve Irwin), megaphone in hand. The guide tells illustrious stories of bandits hiding from the law and the children's eyes grow wider and wider as they dream of finding the hidden loot. The guide shows only the safest areas of the cave - the other (more exciting) areas would be too dangerous, someone might slip and fall and get their hands dirty...and that would be too much of a liability. The formations are lit with green, blue and red lights and there is a handy-dandy guardrail so you don't lose your step.

This is not what I mean when I say I want to explore a cave.

I want to explore a cave the real way. No electricity, no guardrails, no walking single-file behind 15 other tourists. I'm talking using the walls and the stalagmites as my handrail. The only light coming from flashlights being carried by the few people in my group. Yes, my tour guide is a local, but not a schmuck getting paid minimum wage for reading a script. My guide has no script. He laughs at the mere thought of it. He tells no folklore, rather he shows us the spots where he and his friends used to play Indiana Jones and set up booby traps when they were younger. And at the end of our journey, we don't see a red EXIT sign - we see a pool of water. We go for a swim and make our way back to daylight.

That's what I call an adventure.
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Tossing Aside Monotony

I often find myself caught up in the hum-drum cycle of life.

Wake up. Work. Come home. Watch TV. Sleep.

I live for the weekends when I should be living for each day.

I have noticed this is the same kind of life most of my peers are experiencing as well. I am at a point in my life where there is much expected of me and if I do not fall into the same complacent lifestyle as everyone else, then there is something wrong with me. Gone are the days of irresponsibility and freedom from the 9 to 5. Two weeks paid vacation and retirement funds are what I am being conditioned to find important.

Eyebrows raise when I say I hate my job. "But you have it so well, " They all say. "You are making good money and you even get a company car!" My happiness can not be measured by free gas. I need to find my place in this world - where I am contributing something of value to society besides being the model citizen that pays taxes on time.

Although I would love to just quit my job and become a hippie, I am in touch with reality. There are bills to pay, food to buy, and no national health care means I have to have my own health insurance.

Somehow I have to get myself through this rut. There needs to be something to break up the monotony. Something to entertain my mind and keep myself always on the lookout. This is what I call "The List". Some may compare "The List" to a "Bucket List". Although it does have some similarities it serves a different purpose. I did not create...Scratch that - I am not creating the list (it is in a constant state of editing) with death on the forefront of my mind. Rather I am creating it with life as my focal point. The List is my way of injecting little bits of fun/accomplishment/value into an otherwise normal day. There are some superficial things on The List. Some go deep and have the potential to be life-altering. I am going to go at it one day at a time and see where it leads.