Update Your Readers!

Hey everyone,

I just want to make sure that everyone following this blog has updated their reader to incorporate my new blog on WordPress. The domain is: wearingmascara.com.

Go there and hit the "subscribe" button. Email me with any questions or concerns!

xoxo,

Julie

Woo-Hoo!

Google finally gave up my domain from the hostage situation!

I'm FINALLY switching to WordPress early next week! Here's the email I got from Surpass:

Hello,

I am pleased to inform you that your registration transfer for [wearingmascara.com] has completed. Your domain registration for [wearingmascara.com] will now expire on August 4, 2010 and is fully manageable via your client account at http://client.surpasshosting.com/. When you are ready, you can update your nameservers for [wearingmascara.com] to point to your hosting account with us through your account. If you would like us to do this for you, please reply back with your confirmation. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Thank you,
----------
Josh
Server Analyst II
SurpassHosting.com, Inc.

Dear Joshy-Washy,

You have been so incredibly helpful! Thank you for that email - you MADE my day :-)

Love,

Your-Blogging-Sweetheart Julie

Well folks, I'm finally switching over! I'm SO excited for you to see the new design. In case you missed it, go here for the design teaser.

Okay, now back to work - big project due tomorrow plus an exam I haven't studied for yet. Eeeek!

Julie

A GRAY hair?

Last November, I stupidly decided to dye my hair black. To make a long story short, it was dreadful and I tried so desperately to bring my hair back to its natural color.

More recently, I realized that indeed, I have achieved my pretty brown color yet again au naturale.

Yesterday, I discovered a gray hair.

WHAT?!

I am 24 years old. My mother didn't see her first gray until around late 30's (and is still not noticeably gray) and my dad found his mid-30's.

What is going on?

So I plucked it and examined it closely. From my observations it IS a gray hair but it also could be light blond. Today, I plucked ANOTHER one. I am not liking this vicious cycle.

Now I'm trying to decide what to do next. Do I dye my hair a semi-permanent color? Do I go to the salon? Do I leave it? I'm sure I'm the only one who notices but it does bother me.

Has this happened to anyone else at such a young age?

Julie

*Update: I re-examined my hair and I could be over-reacting. Geez I dunno! Maybe it's because my hair has been one color for so long and now it's back to my natural color which includes highlights? Eek I dunno.*

Have a Drink for Me

Hello fabulous people,

As I sit here, I am in the graduate lounge practically buried in assessments... scoring protocols, etc. I am trying to finish scoring a case (the easy part) so I can then muster up the courage to put it all together in one lovely comprehensive report that anyone will be able to read and understand it without any psycho-babble attached.

It's Friday and I wish I was doing what Nina just said on Twitter:

Time to start the transformation from casual-friday-not-so-chic into a tres-chic-cocktail-party-go'er

I wish that I had a regular job, was in regular clothes and I was trying to figure out what to wear for a night out. Instead, I am in crappy jeans and a bright yellow college t-shirt without any mascara planning to get into pj's the second I get home to do more school work.

Sigh... I couldn't even put on mascara today...

This morning, my classmate (who just so happens to be My Skinny Friend Who Doesn't Get Fat) had to present to the first year students (I presented 3-weeks ago) and I had to show up to their class at 10:30 to help with whatever they needed. Instead, I got a frantic phone call from my SFWDGF (Skinny Friend Who Doesn't Get Fat) telling me that she got in a minor accident and needed me to find a towing company for her.

Oh dear...

Anyways, she ended up being an hour and a half late and in the mist of the confusion I couldn't get properly ready for anything. So I have been discombobulated (wow, I typed that and it didn't need spell check) all day.

The one thing I do have to look forward to is tomorrow night is my friends birthday so we're going out. YAY! Actual socialization aside from blogging/Twitter/and my classmates! I feel like an actual human being :-)

Oh May... where are you? I could use you right now. I can't fricken wait for this semester to be over! It's going to be amazing. My classmates (and some fellow bloggers) and I are thinking that in May we'll plan a FULL DAY of drinking starting with Mamosa's. No, I'm not a drunk - just stressed is all. No need to over-react and call a doctor.

Wow, that was such a ramble of a post! Now I need to think of a proper title...

Enjoy your weekend and if you have plans, please have a drink for me :-)

Later,

Julie

Extremely Frustrated

Hey everyone,

This post will be quick because I'm fuming and I don't want too many negative vibes sent out in blog-world from me.

I am STILL waiting for Google (my current host) to release my domain name to Surpass (the host I'm switching to). I don't understand why it's taking so long and I'm beyond frustrated. Here's part of an email that I got from Google on March 23rd which inspired me to write this post:

Dear Miss Mascara,

Google Apps received notification on 3/22/2009 that you have requested a transfer to another domain name registrar. If you want to proceed with this transfer, you do not need to respond to this message. If you wish to cancel the transfer, you must do so before 26-Mar-09.

*yada, yada*

If we do not hear from you by 26-Mar-09, the transfer will proceed. If you have any questions regarding this issue, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're here 24x7 at: xxx-xxx-xxxx

Regards,
Domain Services
Google Apps

So, one would THINK that on March 26, my website would switch over to Surpass which would mean that my new design/website inspiration would be up and running. Also, you know how at the end it says "we're here 24x7"? B*LL SH*T! I just got back from class, called them, and after several beeps and clicks later they say that their customer service isn't open now.

I hate Google and the fact that they have made this process so damn impossible. Surpass on the other hand has been complete opposite. They have emailed both my designer and I DAILY since we started this. We even asked them for advice and even though they don't know what's going on with Google, they provide support and keep communication open and they will until the switch finally gets accomplished.

Anyways, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to continue to blog here and one day, it will be switched. Maybe I'll get notified by Google before it does (doubtful) but most likely you will just ponder upon a new site whenever it switches.

Thank you all for sticking with me. I appreciate your support and have loved reading your blogs this week! One post that really cheered me up recently was from According to Erin (Prep-E Girl) here. We all need a little silliness right?

Sending hugs to you all,

Julie

My Weekend!

I want to tell you about my weekend with Dan. We typically like to go away for our anniversary. The first year, we went to Williamsburg, VA and enjoyed a wonderful one-night stay in a fabulous suite. The best part of that visit wasn't Colonial Williamsburg (I didn't like it), but instead just being together and having a fun, silly time.

Last year, we visited Philadelphia because it's only 2-hours away and we both hadn't visited it yet. We stayed in a B&B and it was great! The highlight was on that Saturday night we both got SO wasted at a bar together (which we never do because someone always has to drive!). The next day, we couldn't remember ANYthing we talked about except that it was all very deep conversations (religion, philosophy, life in general) and at one point I cried. HA. So funny!

Now that brings me to this past weekend. About a month ago, I came across a deal on Travel Zoo for a cheap stay at a "nice" hotel in Easton, MD (near Eastern Shore). I'd never been there before and I wanted to see the Chesapeak Bay so we thought "why not?".

Here is a tip for you all: Never, ever, EVER visit Easton, MD before April. Just don't do it. Keep reading and I'll explain.

We arrived Friday night and realized our hotel was incredibly small. The shower was so small that I could barely take a decent shower ALONE. Dan even suggested we take one together (ya know, it is our anniversary!) and I looked at him and laughed. Soon, as we got settled, it also became clear that our room was incredibly hot. We tried to open the window and to change the temperature. NOTHING. Now, I don't know about you all but for me, temperature is everything. I need it to be cooler than normal to be comfortable. At least, I'd like to have control over the temperature for crying out loud! At one point, I was so hot that I considered throwing the TV out the window to break the glass. Ugh!

Saturday morning we woke up in a pool of sweat (exageration yes, but it seemed like it) and left to go shop around this small little town (that was all there was to do) and eat lunch. The shops were "eh" but our lunch was FAB-U-LOUS. I think our lunch on Saturday was the highlight of our stay in little Easton, MD. We went to a little pub nearby that was recommended by the hotel staff. The chips were perfect and our pulled pork sandwich was to die for. It was a lovely experience.

Now I want to fast forward to Saturday evening. Dan and I were back in the hotel after a nap getting hungry. Hmm... Some crabs and/or seafood would be nice, right? I mean, we WERE in Easton, MD! I took out my trusty iPhone and start looking for the best seafood restaurant around within our price range. Ah-ha! Found one in Oxford, MD and I called ahead and they said they were open 'till 9. We drove out to Oxford and arrived at this "restaurant". No one was eating, everyone was drinking. We felt incredibly out of place and their menu was terrible so we left. SURELY we'd be able to find another nice, quaint, seafood restaurant right? Uh huh...

I start to call other restaurants and check websites. EVERY RESTAURANT WAS CLOSED FOR THE "SEASON". Maybe I should have known this? That all seafood restaurants were closed until APRIL? Whatever. Dan and I are flexible people so we drove back to Easton, MD to look for a decent restaurant within our price range (think Olive Garden prices). To make a long story short, we attemped to eat at 7 restaurants per the hotel staff's recommendations. They were all either closed for the season, closed already (it was 9 pm by this point), or way too high in prices ($50 for a meal? I don't think so!).

Finally I looked at Dan. His red beard looked more red than normal - like it was on fire - from our frustrations. I suggested Applebees because we saw one on the way in.

After all that, we ended up at Applebees and had a lovely meal.

Then we went to 7-Eleven for large Slurpee's because we knew that once we got back to the room it would be stiffling.

With all our bad luck during the trip, I still had a great time. That's what matters most right? It's nice to know that even in a crappy situation Dan and I could still laugh at ourselves and the fact that we had no where to eat.

FYI: Please don't think that Easton, MD is a bad place. It's not! Just visit after April for some good seafood. :-)

BTW, I think my switch to WordPress will be happening on THURSDAY, MARCH 26th! If this site is down for a little, don't panic! I'll be up and running soon. Also, I will continuously be updating the new site so bear with me!

I will still be at this domain: wearingmascara.com

This may be my last post on Blogger because of all the school work I have up until Thursday. See you soon on WordPress or visit me on Twitter until then! Also, check out my design teaser here!

xoxo,

Julie

P.S. I am an idiot. I thought this was my 300th post but it's not. You know how on Blogger they tell you how many posts you have an they include your drafts? DUH. OMG I need a glass of wine or something.

My New Mantra

As most of you know by now, I'm training for the Cherry Blossom 10 mile run on April 5. That's 2-weeks away and my training is going pretty well! I have had some set-backs but I am honestly quite proud of myself.

So far in my journey, I have realized that I used to sell myself short when it came to running. When I described my running goals and new hobby, I would usually preface it by saying, "Oh but I'm not a runner!" That soon sparked a running question in my head:

What makes someone a runner?

Am I a runner? Can I use that word to define myself when I barely can run a 10-minute/mile pace?

A couple weeks ago, my training required me to complete long runs. Runs that I never thought I could do. Runs that, when looking ahead in my training schedule, I thought "Hmm... that's where I'll struggle." My first long run (from my perspective, this is different for everyone!) was 60-minutes long. The first part of the run, I was thinking "Wow, just think of the blog post you will write when you complete this!" Then I thought, "You probably won't complete this so don't have too high expectations."

I kept saying those things to myself and therefore I didn't have faith in my abilities. I realized right then and there that by talking like that made me not a runner. It was then that I decided:

"I am a runner."

I said that phrase over and over in my head and I successfully finished that long run last weekend in the rain. It was glorious and I cried so many tears of happiness.

That quickly became my new mantra. "I am a runner." There will be no more excuses for myself and even if I don't complete the run the way I want to on any given day, that's fine. As a runner, I will get back out there the next day and try again. I will no longer give up.

A few days later, I completed my second long run: 70-minutes.

"I am a runner."

"I am a runner."

I am a runner!

298th Post

Amidst all the craziness that is my life right now (blog design, switching to WordPress and the other gazillion things I have to do for school..), I didn't even realize that I'm utterly close to 300 posts! Wow! I can't believe I'm that close :-)

Anyways, right now I'm sitting here realizing how much crap I still have to do for school by next week. This isn't ideal since Dan and I are going away for the weekend to escape the craziness of life. Sigh. I guess I'll have to get some work done at our escape. Yes - I was on spring break this week and it didn't mean shit.

I. Hope. To. God. that I'll finally be switching to WordPress next week. I hate Google and Blogger for holding my domain hostage (that's seriously what they are doing) and I even feel better about switching after dealing with their terrible customer service. (Shout out to Surpass Hosting who has been PHENOMINAL!)

Anywho, I gotta run. Sorry for the quick post but I wanna say "good bye" now so I can go run and then come back and do more work for school (Is it May yet?). I'll be back Sunday night and hopefully I'll post then but I'll probably be running around my apartment like a deranged Ken Barbie trying to figure out what I need to do for school. Have a super weekend! :-)

Love you all mucho,

Julie

BlogBURGH? Big Announcement!

Hey everyone!

I have to make this post quick because I have so much to accomplish today but I do have an announcement!

I'm moving to...

PITTSBURGH!

I just found out that I am moving to PITTSBURGH for internship next year! Where are all my Pittsburgh bloggers at? Don't be too alarmed though - I'll be back in DC a ton next year on weekends and holidays.

I am super excited to secure a great internship in my favorite city! The opportunity is just rockin' and I can't wait to blog all about it! The logistics are still being worked out but I know I'll be moving around August and staying their for at least the school year. After that? Who knows.

BTW, I promise that my new blog design will be up soon (hopefully early next week). I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record but we've had another issue and how it's all about blogger/google and how they are making us jump through a billion hoops to transfer my domain name to a new host. So frustrating! I was on the computer yesterday practically close to tears. Please bear with me. Until then, please join in my happiness about my new opportunity in the 'burgh! :-)

xoxo,

Julie

Our 3-Year Anniversary!

March 18th is a very important day for Dan and I because it's our anniversary! 3-years ago TODAY we decided to date and for 3-years Dan has successfully put up with my crazy antics. I love him so much and really, that love gets deeper everyday. Wow, I sound so corny!

Anyways, enough word-corniness. Instead, here are some earlier pictures of us for your viewing enjoyment.

The first weekend we met while on the metro

At a bar in Ohio

At Dan's graduation!

This picture always makes me laugh. This is us at the National Zoo and we were sad because it was closing soon and we wanted to stay!

Us at Williamsburg, VA for our first year anniversary (um, I just realized there's a woman behind us with her tongue out)

At Dan's alumni fraternity formal - I still love that dress :-)

Halloween two years ago: Fred and Wilma (kinda a rocker Wilma with PINK hair)

All those pictures make me smile so much and they are just a few of my favorites. Happy 3-year anniversary baby - I love you!

xoxo,

Julie

J-Sizzle

Okay let me preface this post by saying two things:

1. I may be tipsy right now and

2. I edit well when I'm tipsy but I'm not always careful

Anyways, I have so much to tell you and all of it may be nonsense. Tonight, I decided to head to Dupont Circle to meet some lovely bloggers (including Sweet Bea, The Northerner, Maxie, and LiLu and others).

Right now I'm staying with Dan in VA which is not exactly near a metro so I had him drive me to the metro. I planned on leaving around 5:00 which turned into 5:30 instead because I got in the shower late because I'm a lazy butt. Taking a late shower really screwed me over because I realized I didn't bring hair dryer with me! My solution? Well, as soon as I got out of the shower I went onto the front porch and head banged for a good 15 minutes and even then my hair was not perfect. While head banging, his neighbors across the street were staring at me like I was crazy. Probably true.

Before I put on my makeup, I realized I hadn't given Thurston (my rat) his medication yet for that day. Here's the conversation I had with Dan:

me: "Hey babe can you give Thursty his meds?"

Dan: "No. I can't I'm still getting ready." (remember, he's a guy)

me: "You don't have to put your FACE on and straighten your hair!"

Dan: "I (hesitation I swear) have to go downstairs to find my socks!"

NOT THE SAME THING. Finding your socks is nothing compared to what ladies (like me) do to get ready!

Once I finally arrived to the bar, I realized that the blogger's I was meeting already had some alcohol in them and I had some catching up to do. Let me summarize some of the things I heard from random anonymous bloggers (I got their permission to do this):

- One bloggers husband got arrested in college for stealing a carosel horse off the street (how it got there in the first place, I don't know but REALLY?!) Reminds me of a story book in a weird way.

- Another blogger's "first time" with her husband involved him tearing off her Lilly dress, throwing it on the bathroom floor to which she screamed "You can't do that! It's a Lilly!"

- All the bloggers are met are kinky. We all had great stories to tell!

There was more but now I can't remember them (damnit). I'm sure they'll come to me in my dreams tonight. That typically happens when I'm drinking.

When we left, one blogger had a BRILLIANT IDEA to get Shamrock shakes from McDonalds. I've always heard of these but never did the tradition myself so of course I went along with the idea. These were the best shakes EVER. They seriously made my night and probably my whole year.

Then we went over to another bloggers apartment to wait for our taxi's. Someone knew that DC was having this Sober Ride program where you could get a free taxi ride for $50 or under! Sweet! On the way into her apartment, she told us to be careful about her dog. We looked at her like she was nutso because we have both already met the dog. Apparently since the dog already knows us, she'll pee on us within the first 10 minutes because she'll get excited. This made us crack up for a good 20 minutes.

Now I am back at Dan's house waiting for him to come to bed. The poor guy is sick and missed work today. It doesn't seem like he's doing much better. Have you entered his giveaway yet? You totally should.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

J-sizzle (totally kidding)

A GIVEAWAY!

Hey guys!

I am posting in green font today in honor of a ROCKIN' holiday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Anywho, today I am (sadly) doing work all day. My car is in the hospital (or repair shop, however you call it) getting surgery on her wheel bearings. Everyone say a prayer for her.

I want to let you know that my fabtastic-awesome-sexy-handsome-nice boyfriend Dan (who is ALSO IRISH) is having a GIVEAWAY on his blog! Go check it out by clicking HERE! You can win TEA or ELECTRONICS! Woo-hoo!

Okay back to work!

xoxo,

Julie

It Has To Be Said

Ellen and Portia are freakin' adorable. Today, I had the pleasure of watching them on The Ellen Show and they are so cute how they interact with each other. If only more Hollywood relationships were like this? I thought it was cute when Portia said she was intimidated by Ellen and how famous she was! So cute :-) Here is a segment from today in case you missed it:




Also, I just want to say that my designer and I are having some issues with google and them letting me have my domain to switch to my host. It's taking longer than expected but hopefully it will be taken care of soon!

xoxo,

Julie

Dear Julie at Age 13

Writing prompt from Twenty Something Writers:

If you were able to communicate with your younger self, what would you say? Would you warn yourself of the things that are to come? Would you tell yourself to avoid certain people? Write a letter to yourself at a younger age. Feel free to tell yourself anything that you’d like to. Let us know what age of yourself you are writing to.

Dear Julie at 13,

Hello, this is you writing this letter only at the age of 24 and not 13.

This is going to be the most challenging year of your life: 8th grade. You just moved from Pennsylvania where you felt comfortable, at ease, and had the best of friends. Now you are in Ohio where the people are not the same and your friends aren't there. Here are some tips that I've come up with to help you get through middle school. Hopefully your experiences will be different than mine:

- Provide no reaction to people when they tease you. When you feel the tears coming on stop and walk away.

- Don't try to be friends with people who don't have your best interests or who make fun of you. They are obviously not worth your time.

- Befriend the classmates who are worth your time instead of being afraid of them because you think they're prettier or smarter than you. Don't become friends with someone just because they are convenient.

- I know you don't like the swim team because it's so different than the one in PA but join it anyways. Give it a shot - I'm sure you'll love it.

- Talk to your mother and tell her your honest feelings about school and friendships (or lack of). She will give you excellent advice if you give her the chance.

- Don't call a boy you barely know and ask him out over the phone. Get to know him first.

- Be proud of your body and take care of yourself.

- Continue taking art classes when you get to high school. Choir is fun but you will gain more from art. The choir teacher is nothing special.

- Help your mom around the house more. She does so much for you and you don't reciprocate enough.

- Right now you're not too fond of your older sister who lives in PA. Give her a chance because sooner or later you two will call each other everyday. Maybe she'd love to hear from you.

- Know that middle school does not define you. Nor does high school really. Try to see the future and look beyond.

- You're going to be excellent someday and living a great life in DC for graduate school. Guess what? You're going to be a psych*logist!

Julie, you can take this or leave it. If you take it, always keep this letter with you as reminders. In a way, if you do not take it you won't end up the way I am now. Either way is fine - just don't take anything for granted. Be you.

Love,

Julie at 24

Wow. That really felt good to write about that and I'm honestly close to tears right now. My middle school years were the worst. Maybe I'll blog more about that topic another time. I think this was a good start though.

FYI, about my blog transfer it looks like the website won't be down as I said before. It should be taken care of next week at some point so look for that.

BTW, remember how Marc got stolen back in December? Well tonight I parked in my apartment complex relatively close to where my car was parked when it got broken into. After I locked my door and walk to the entrance, I heard a crash which sounded like glass. I looked over and saw two males standing near another car (right where I was parked before!). I starred them down then kept walking. I called 911. Those a-holes! I hope the police caught them. I am nervous now because if they're smart enough (which I doubt) to put two and two together they may know my car. Ugh. I guess I have to be extra careful.

Sleep tight,

Julie

Shammy Shamrock Fest

Hm... It's mid-March...

I'm seeing green more... (which rocks because it's my favorite color)

What could it be? It's almost St. Patty's Day which means Shamrock Fest is TOMORROW! It's where the beer flows, the people hang, and the music plays. All happening at the RFK Stadium. Kane has been teasing me about it all week.

Gotta love it.

Who's all going?

xoxo

Attention Readers!

Attention readers!

Okay so without going into too much detail (because I personally don't understand this stuff enough to be able to explain it!) I want to tell you that this website MAY be down at some point.

Don't know when or how but please bear with me!

Once it's all figured out, wearingmascara.com will be fully up and running on WordPress.

Make sure that you are following me as:

wearingmascara.com and NOT wearingmascara.blogspot.com

You will ALWAYS be able to access THIS blog on blogger through wearingmascara.blogspot.com BUT I'm leaving blogger and will permanently be updating on wearingmascara.com FOREVER so please make a note of this.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me: wearingmascara at gmail dot com

So, in summary make sure you are following wearingmascara.com

xoxo,

Julie

Wanna Laugh So Hard Your Bra Flies Off?

Yea sorry, dunno about the title but I wanted to get your attention.

I have had the pleasure of meeting LILU recently at a blogger meet up and she does this thing called TMI Thursdays (Too Much Information).

Do yourself a favor and head over to her blog now. Read that post and look at the other TMI links she has at the bottom to other blogs.

I would like to join this TMI Thursday thing... I'm thinking next week. Hopefully I can come up with something juicy and TMI by next Thursday.

Enjoy,

Julie

Updating Blog Roll

Hello again!

Just a quick note to say that I'm going to be updating my blog roll/list for the new design. Want to be included? If so, please leave a comment and I'll add you!

Thanks loves,

Julie

New Design Teaser

Hey everyone!

Yikes I just got back from a midterm and my hands/fingers ache so bad! Maybe it's because in this day and age we use the computer so much and not write? Or maybe it's because my professor assigned us four long essays towards the end (in addition to shorter ones already). My concern is not the content but rather if she can read my damn handwriting! Towards the end it looked like a 6-year old wrote it. Oh well.

This week is turning out to be very exciting for this blog because I'll be unveiling my blog design! I'm so excited so I want to give you a teaser:

Cool right? Yep, that's a mascara wand and a really cool minty green color that my little sister helped pick out (thanks V!). My blog designer is Shannon Landis and you can visit her website by clicking on her name. She and I went to high school together almost 7-years ago (wait.. what? 7 years!) and have kept in touch. Through Facebook I found out that she made herself into a graphic designer so I took a chance and asked her to do my design. This experience working with her has been so much fun and I've learned a lot from her and just the process in general.

Some of you have asked questions about me switching to Wordpress and this is true. I'm leaving blogger for many different reasons but essentially because I want more control over the webspace and to simply do more. I can elaborate on this later. What does this mean for you? Nothing at all because I will be carrying over my domain name (WearingMascara.com) so one day you will see me at blogger and the next, it will be Wordpress. I do ask that you make sure that you're reading my blog through WearingMascara.com and NOT WearingMascara.blogspot.com because there is a slight chance that you are (even though from day one I've been just WearingMascara.com).

In addition to my design launch, I'm going to be having a SEXY giveaway to celebrate so look forward to that. :-)

Lastly, do you guys have any suggestions for me? Do you have anything you'd like to see in this new website? Anything you don't want to see or object to? I'd love to see your comments and constructive critism. I'm always learning!

Thanks for being the BEST readers in the world :-)

Julie

I Think My Rat Has Depression

Yesterday I took my ratties to the vet because Thurston has been breathing heavily and I want to make sure he's okay.

Thurston

Going to the vet with ratties is always an adventure because people in the waiting room are either freaked out or intrigued. Yesterday I luckily met some intrigued people and realized that Thurston just isn't as friendly as Spencer in social situations or ever. In fact, I think Thurston's depressed although he has come a long way from when I adopted him back in the summer.

Spencer

I guess this is normal considering Thursty (nickname) was from a family who didn't take good care of him and he was poorly socialized. Poor thing. I find it funny though because Spencer is such a social rat! He loves everyone and even the vet didn't bother him. All he wanted to do was get out of the cage and mingle with new people. This is exactly why I own rats: they have such distinct personalities and yet can be best friends... or play mates:

Spencer usually gets his way when it comes to bossing Thurston around. :-) Oh my boys...


Julie

Blogging On the Today Show

Oooookay.

I really hope that mother nature isn't playing some sick joke on us. Last week it was snowing and school was canceled and this week it's in the 70's? What's up with that? Either way I'm totally loving it even though my mood sometimes doesn't match the weather. There is something about driving to school in the morning with the window down, feeling a cool comforting breeze while listening to your favorite radio show.

Right now, I'm lying stomach down on my bed trying to catch up on the news of the day that I've missed. One thing I missed was that Dooce (Heather Armstrong aka the Goddess of Blogging in my opinion) was on the Today Show. The specific topic covered was "Mom Blogging" but I think it connected to blogging in general. For example, Dooce was inquired about her feelings of posting her daughters picture on the web. I think this is something we all face on a daily basis. What do we post and what don't we post? Where is the line drawn? For me, I am still figuring this all out. I feel that when I started this blog I was one way and now I'm another. You notice that I steer away from even using real first names of people I associate with and I don't add their picture. That may change because I'm still trying to find my voice and how this blog fits into the blogosphere.

Readers and bloggers, where do you draw the line? Do you have rules for what you post or don't post? When you post pictures do you get a verbal approval first from friends and family? I'd be curious to know.

In case you missed it (like me), check out the Today Show's segment on blogging and an interview with Dooce.

Stupid Questions

Don't you hate it when you're in class and you have that one person who always asks stupid questions?

For example, we are having presentations in my Audi*logy class and this one girl always asks so many questions in every presentation. She picks apart your PowerPoint...

"Um, I don't understand. What does that number mean?"
"How does that make sense with what we learned last week?"
"But what you just said contradicts with the PowerPoint so, um, I don't get it."

The teacher doesn't even ask so many questions! Why are you putting your classmates on the spot? Maybe I feel this way because this class is not that important to me as my other classes but give me a break. If you don't get it, wait after class and talk to the teacher. Maybe I'm sounding rude but whatever.

Btw, I'm usually the one who asks many questions so I'm all about educational, thought-out questions (assuming that mine are) but she is just ridiculous.

xoxo

Taxes, Running, and Design

Hey everyone!

Thank you so much for your comments last night. I really needed to hear them and I feel a lot better. I do only have 56 more days until this h*ll is over. I just know it's going to be a difficult next couple months. Please stay with me :-)

As for my other post about testing kids, two readers asked what the outcome was. That conversation was just an example of many that I've had in the past year and a half. Most of them end favorably but sometimes they don't because they think I'm strange (haha).

Today I've been busy as usual reading up for tomorrow and getting other things done. I even started my taxes! I was excited about this until I realized:

1. I wasn't getting a refund and

2. I could not complete my taxes because Turbo Tax wouldn't let me pass this one screen because I had a "error". I have no clue how to fix it and I tried every possible option! Why are taxes so damn difficult sometimes? I think next year I'll have to go face-to-face with someone. Ugh.

In addition to doing work all fricken day, I did go for a run to take advantage of the awesome running weather. It was 30 minutes and I did intervals on and off. This was difficult but towards the end I was like "Go me!". At the way end of the 30 minutes, I passed this adorable little family. It was a Dad and his 2 daughters (I'm guessing) and when I passed them they youngest daughter (about 5) held up her arm and gave me a thumbs up! It was all that I needed to complete the last part of my run. How adorable? It's the small things in life, really :-)

In other news my mom decided that she's visiting for my race. I'm so excited and it's just going to make it all the more fun to have both her and Dan there!

My blog is design is finished! One more thing may need to be tweaked but I think (hope) you guys will really enjoy it. I'm thinking it will be up and running by next week along with a very sexy giveaway. Look for a preview of my design soon :-)

Okay it's back to reading for me! Have a great night all :-)

Julie

School

You guys, I swear I'm not normally a depressing blogger. When it comes to May, I'm sure I'll be different. Right now it's just not the case.

I am sitting here at my kitchen table basically in tears. I'm not looking for sympathy but rather just a place to vent. School is so incredibly difficult and the ones who understand are only my classmates and no one else. I get it: I'm in graduate school and it's gonna be tough. DUH. I know this and I'm not saying that I didn't expect it to be tough COGNITIVELY along with other challenges. That is what I expected as an applicant. Here is what I did not expect but what I have witnessed since I've started:

- Evaluations are not constructive criticisms but rather hateful remarks like (taken exactly from my first semester review): "Can be impulsive" and "Only cares about what works best for 'Julie'" (yes, that was in quotation marks). Note: I enjoy criticism as long as it's CONSTRUCTIVE. There is a huge difference which must be identified. Realize that was my first semester review and since then I have questioned myself over and over about the times I was "impulsive" or the other 10 negative things they listed about me. I will never know. Did I ask my teacher? Yes. She said "Oh, I'm not sure. This list is a collection of what different professors said." I will never know.

- My professors always assume the worst. One time I witnessed a classmate being yelled at for NO reason before she started her presentation. She was yelling at her about not using overheads or something stupid. Something that we did not even know she wanted until she starting yelling (and I mean yelling) at my classmate. More recently (and the cause of my current stress and low morale) is that my professor decided to give us all reaction papers to do because she didn't think we were reading for class. We were notified of this change in an email instead of in person and therefore we weren't able to stick up for ourselves. I have been reading and I know a lot of us have been so basically in addition to all the other shit they are making us do, I now have to write a weekly reaction paper to PROVE that I am reading. Did I miss a memo? Are we in undergrad now? Ahem?

I can only clearly think about those two things right now. There are so many other issues related to my program but I don't feel like listing them at the moment. I am just so sick of it which really makes me sad. I used to be a life-long learner/lover of school. I craved going to class, learning new things, and partnering with my teachers. It's no longer the case and I am now in survival mode. In addition, I feel like I am not myself anymore. I second guess my decisions constantly because we never get positive feedback (or any feedback unless it's purely negative) and I'm sick of it.

What's sad is that I love my field. I'm literally obsessed with it. When I went to a conference related to my field in Boston last week, I was so motivated! Then, the moment I stepped foot on my campus it all changed. I just don't care anymore.

Will I do something about it? Damn yes I will. Just not now. Not now because I'm relying on these people to do my recommendations and let me graduate. I will work on something after graduation.

I hope this post gives you a clearer understanding about my schooling and why it always frustrates me.

2 more f-ing months, then summer, then internship, then GRADUATION.

I can't wait.

Julie

Cute Kid! Can I Test Them?

As part of my psych*logy training, I'm required to assess many kids both in and out of the schools. Each semester we have to assess at least 1-3 kids for an actual report... on our own (aside from the other ones that are assigned to us). This means that I have to find these kids myself which is very challenging considering I did not grow up here in DC. So I have had many conversations like this:

(me meeting my neighbor in the elevator with a kid)

Me: Hi there! How are you?

Parent: Fine. Happy it's Friday.

Me: Me too. She's cute - how old is she?

Parent: 9

Me: Ohh... interesting (wheels start turning in my head about which test would be perfect for her). What grade is she in?

Parent: 3rd...

Me: (this is my in!) Oh? Well, I'm studying school psychology. Can I test her?

Ha... sometimes it's not exactly to straight to the punch like that example, but pretty close especially when I become desperate. Ironically, I am currently desperate and I know those types of conversations will be coming up soon. It's so awkward! "Can I perform a psych*ological test on your kid??"

Weird and awkward. Yea I know, I seem psycho... but I really mean well!

:-)

Okay back to doing school work on this Saturday night. My friend is having a party and I'm either gonna miss it or go very late. That makes me unhappy but I only have 2 more months of school and then I can go out as much as I want!

You Love Me

Hey all!

I got two awards recently! YAY!

First, Sweet Bea gave me the Love Ya award! Thanks - love ya too!

Next, Jane from In the Waiting Line gave me the Sexy Blogger Award! Woo-hoo I'm glad someone thinks I'm sexxy ;-)


Since this is a new award for me, I'm actually going to follow the rules (!) which are to list 5 sexy things about myself (or try to!) and pass it on to 5 sexy bloggers. Here ya go:

1. I'm a curvy gal
2. I'm a brunette with silky hair (oo lala)
3. My eyelashes are long and good for winking at you ;-)
4. I laugh too much
5. I have no abs and I find that sexy :-)

Oooo is it gettin' hot in here? Damn nothing like a sexy award to get me feeling good about myself! Anyways, I'm gonna pass this on to 5 other sexy bloggers (which ALL of you are):

1. My sexy pregnant friend Irene who just started blogging. Go visit her blog! It's Visione Bella.
2. My cyber pseduo older sister, Jill over at Peeptoes Pumps and Pearls. Peeptoe shoes are extremely sexy, don't ya think?
3. Mrs. Smith over at Post Smith because she blogged from the bathtub. Nothing is sexier than that!
4. Chic Runner because a blogger who writes about running with as much passion as she does is extremely sexy!
5. Jackie from Always a Northerner because when I first met her in person, I was in awe of her beautiful green coat and her style in general. Can I borrow your wardrobe love?

Have a sexxxy Friday everyone!

Julie

Some Randoms

Some randoms:

- Is it really bad that I like to put salt on everything?

- I feel that my fingers look like short and nubby penis's sometimes. Is that bad? Do you like your fingers?

- Does it make me an alcoholic if I want to drink right now? (It's 3:21 pm)

- My right boob itches.

- I heard about some tanning bed specials on the radio today. "5 sessions for $20!" Didn't they mean to say "One step closer to skin cancer! 5 sessions for $20!"?

- Why am I so addicted to Doritos?

- Last week when I was popping popcorn on the stove the oil almost caught on fire. Now I'm afraid to make more (which sucks because it's my favorite food).

- My feet are extremely ticklish. When they itch and I have to scratch them, it's the worst feeling in the world.

- I need to pluck my eyebrows.

- One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone touches my computer screen. LAY OFF!

Thanks for listening,

Julie

Makeup Confused? Solution Found Here

Obviously since my blog title is Wearing Mascara, it's a good assumption that I love makeup. I also need a little help every now and then with the best products to use and how to apply them. As with any hobby, you can always improve right?

That's where my new favorite makeup website comes in: Glimmer Gloss Glow. I met ForeverApril through Twitter back in January and was always impressed by her tweets about makeup and application. At one point I asked her if she had a blog and she said that she was working on putting up a webzine soon. She successfully launched Glimmer Gloss Glow on Valentine's Day and has been eagerly working on it ever since. Here are the reasons you should visit:

- The website has excellent and honest makeup reviews. (For example: be cautious when trying Urban Decay eye shadow because of the huge clumps of glitter in some of the colors!).

- They feature YouTube makeup guru's teaching you how to apply makeup step-by-step. I have learned SO much by watching these ladies! See an example here.

- They have a forum as well to discuss these topics.

- There is a monthly giveaway! For March they're giving away a MAC Cosmetics giftcard. Awesome right?

So go take a look! I hope you find it as helpful as I do!

hugs and kisses,

Julie

My First Group Run

All day, I was planning on doing a "fun run" at a nearby running store and I was so happy I did!

Here's what happened:

I walk into this running store completely nervous and scared for my first run in a group because I typically run by myself. The employees were sitting there chatting and I told them I was there for the "fun run". Honestly, I was intimidated by them when they asked me my "pace". As a new runner, how am I supposed to know? All I know is that I'm S.L.O.W. and that's all you need to know. I guessed and said "Um... 10 or 11?" I was freaking out. I kept looking to the door waiting desperately for someone who was new/slow like me.

Then she walked in. This girl who looked intimidated and nervous in her bright pink running outfit. I knew we'd become instant friends when she said this was her first time and her pace was slow like mine.

Thank the Lord!

The head running-girl explained the route and gave us these cute little laminated direction cards and L (the girl I met) and I nodded our heads like bobble heads. Then, all the sudden they told us to go ahead because we were in the slower paced group. Yikes. Where were we going?

We headed out and our pace matched perfectly. Well, to be honest she was faster than I was so she definitely kept me moving. Our conversation flowed freely and it was so cool to run and talk to someone. I've never done that before!

The run was great even though I took many walking breaks and therefore L stopped too. She was so reassuring that it was okay because without each other, who would we have run with? We needed each other in our pace group!

When we saw the store again it was so amazing. I almost cried. I couldn't believe I did it (even though it was a short run - 3 miles). I also made a new friend out of it and we already have plans to run on Saturday!

L, if you're reading this (she may be since we talked about my blog during the run) thank you for running with me today and I can't wait to do it again soon!

xoxo,

Julie

P.S. I'm sure some of you read my Twitter updates today and thank you for your condolences. I'm fine. Just cried in class and about something that was humiliating and really, I just want to put it behind me. School is so hard this semester and I am officially in survival mode (2 more months of class and then internship!).

Blog Design is Like Finding the Perfect Outfit

As many of you are aware, I'm going through a blog face lift right now with a wonderful designer who I went to high school with.

Right now, we are in the final stages but I am just so damn picky that I always have something I want to change. Bless my designer's heart because I bet she cringes every time she gets a new email from me because it's always something. It feels like I have a huge night out and I have every shirt, jean, skirt, piece of jewelry, purse, etc at my fingertips in a whole array of colors and I can't make up my mind. Do I dress in all black but add a bright accessory? Should my shirt be my favorite color and my purse be of a different color but how do I know they match? As you can guess my problem is colors right now. What's the best background (what won't make people fall asleep), what colors go with the banner, what colors portray what... etc etc. I have found several articles on this topic about color psychology but I still cannot decide on anything for sure.

Has anyone else struggled with this? Do you have an expertise in color (if so, please email me)? Do you have any opinions about the background color of a blog?

Crapazoid. I feel like I'm all over the place!

If you don't feel like dealing with my blog drama (totally understandable) head over to Chocolate Shoes and Coffee and see some HANDMADE BRA'S (you will thank me for sending you). Danielle, thank you for emailing me!

xoxo,

Julie

Running Nerves

So last week while I was in Boston, I ran about two times. I was proud of myself for this even though I should have ran three times. When I got back, I quickly became lazy and found every excuse possible to not run:

"I have to unpack."

"I have to study."

"I need to rest."

Today I finally got back into it and chose the treadmill because of the messy snow outside. I had to run for 24 minutes, then walk 1 minute, and then 24 again. I finished the 24 but it was rough. When I attempted the second 24 I felt like I couldn't do it. It's strange because I know my body could do it but I think my nerves got the best of me. Now that I'm almost halfway done with my training I am starting to get nervous...

Very nervous.

I'm guessing it's because at this point last year, I realized I may not be able to do this because of my injury's and other bad luck. At this time last year I went downhill.

Runners: Do your nerves ever get the best of you? Any advice?

xoxo,

Julie

Happy Birthday Nebraska Friend!

Hey everyone!

Today is Piper's birthday from Steak&Cakes. She and I have been blogging friends for awhile now and she is a very loyal commenter on my blog. I try to do the same for her and it's easy because her blog posts are always fun to see! My favorite birthday treat is a cookie cake so I thought I would post a virtual cookie cake for Piper.

Head on over and wish her a happy birthday! (Oh and it's midterms so she needs extra encouragement!).

xoxo,

Julie

Scars

Why are we so insecure? Maybe if we were more open we could help each other?

I want to rid myself of my insecurities. This is so personal, but when I get nervous I pick at my skin. I pick at pimples, scars, scabs - you name it. The result of my picking ends in scars on my body. Small scars that I can see and I think other people see. Maybe I'm making that last part up - maybe no one sees? On some days they are more noticeable to me than other days. On those days I feel that there is a huge sign on my arms that says "Here, look! I pick at myself." One time I asked someone who saw my arms daily if they noticed them and they said no. I really wonder if they did or not.

When I get anxious and overwhelmed, I pick over and over. I'm really not asking for help here - I know where to find help about my anxiety. Instead I just want to be open and honest. I want you to know and understand me.

We all have our insecurities. I wish we could all just throw them out there so we all know we're not alone. It's hard as bloggers. Sometimes I wonder if we hide behind our blogs... skimming over the truth and being vague.

No ones life is perfect.

Showin' Off the Arms

Hey everyone!

I hope this blog post finds you well. Many of us had the day off (like me!) and for those of you who had to go to work (like Dan!) I'm sorry. Your day will come.

The news is on right now and apparently there has been criticism about Michelle Obama's sleeveless dress that she wore to her hubby's congressional address:

as well as her Vogue cover:

Aren't there better things for us to worry about? First it was Sarah Palin's choice of expensive clothes and now this. Give me a break! In my opinion she looks fantastic - if I had arms like that I would show them off every chance I got. It's not like she's sitting there topless, showing cleavage and/or wearing short skirts showing off her you-know-what. Seriously media and conservative people (I am usually one of them) - lay off! Women should be free to dress as they feel comfortable and appropriate and Michelle looks comfortable and I think she's very appropriate. We're not in the old ages where showing off your ankle was considered slutty.

Besides, doesn't this look familiar?

'Nuff said. What are your thoughts?

xo,

Julie

Sephora, I Love You

Awhile back, I bought Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion because of many great reviews and yes, it is a great product!

THEN I started reading the reviews about the packaging. Basically the packaging is terrible because when you think you're out of product, there is still a ton of goop at the bottom and for $17 I want ALL my goop! Around the same time that I bought this, I had a free sample of Two Faced Shadow Insurance in a very small tube. This product is great, has better packaging and is the same price as the Urban Decay Potion.
I had the small tube for quite awhile and completely avoided the Urban Decay Potion as I desperately looked for my receipt for a long time. More recently, I was shopping in Sephora and I overheard a manager telling a customer:

"Oh just bring it in without a receipt and we'll swap it out for the other one."

I quickly walked up to him and told him about the Urban Decay dilemma and he said I could just bring it in to swap it out! SWEET! I finally got around to doing this at the conference in Boston (remember I told you about all the stores?) and it was so easy! No questions asked and I got my Two Faced Shadow Insurance.

Also, right now at Sephora you get 5 free samples with every order online! It's usually 3 so take advantage of this offer if you can! It's also important to become a Beauty Insider because the more points you accumulate the better your samples are.

**UPDATE: Sassy Little Ginger commented and said if you use the promo code FRESH, you get a free sample from the Fresh brand as well. 6 samples! Thanks Sassy ;-)

kisses,

Julie

Whenever I'm Sad... (Snuggies)

...I think about organizing a "Snuggie Bar Crawl"...

...and that automatically makes me happy. I heard that a local DC radio station may be organizing one. Can you imagine a bunch of people in snuggies walking to Adam's Morgan all wearing snuggie's in the color of their choice? Doesn't that make you smile and want to jump up and down in glee? It has that effect on me.

If you want a snuggie of your own please visit Live It, Love It. LiLu is giving one away! (Aren't we luuuucky?).

I love you all (is that awkward?),

Julie

Quick Cell Phone Etiquette Vent

I'm not even sure if "etiquette" is spelled correctly but I just
landed in Philedelphia and there is a man directly across the aisle
from Brandi and I who is so annoying! Before lift off, this dude was
on his phone (talking LOUDLY) all the way up until we physically took
off. We were trying to get some reading done and it just wasn't
happening with this dude yapping next to us. Then once we were in air,
he had to be reminded TWICE to put his seatbelt on. Who does he think
he is? Anyways right now he yapping yet again as we just landed. He
was talking so loud that we couldn't hear what the captain was saying.

Seriously I understand the right to be on your phone but come on!
Sometimes everyone around you just wants peace and quiet. I cannot
stand people like that.

Okay we are finally parking at the terminal. Mr. Yap-Face is still
chatting away. Ttyl,

Julie

Catch Ya Later Boston

Right now I'm at the airport ready to leave Boston. I'm sad to be
leaving because I did not get a lot of time to tour as much as I
wanted to but at the same time I learned so much and networked with
some amazing professionals in my field.

These next two months are going to be really tough because they mark
the last months I'll ever have class before internship. I could stop
now if I wanted to. It will be my third degree and enough is enough
for most people. The thing is that I don't think I can stop. I think I
still have to do more - especially after this week. My field needs
more progression and I want to help push it ahead.

Ah, I'm rambling. Well we are boarding now so I'll let you go. The
next time i post it will hopefully be from an actual computer. The
picture attached is the view from a high floor in a hotel that was
closeby. We attended a cocktail party from up there and I knew I had
to take a picture to show you.

Xoxo,

Julie

Canoli's and PJ's

Hello!

Tonight, Brandi (my classmate and hotel-mate) and I walked to Mike's
Pastry for dessert because of many comments and advice from you guys
and friends from this area. When we walked in, there was so many kinds
of desserts and candy's it was overwhelming. After picking up some
canoli's and other sweets we headed back to the hotel.

When we got back we quickly changed into pj's, got into our beds and
ate our dessert. We didn't finish everything but that just means more
for tomorrow! (yum).

I love trips like this when you can just kick it and put school and
work on hold. I laughed so many times tonight that my jaw hurts.

Life is good. Except that...

...remember how in a previous post I was all excited about my new hair
do? Well, the more I look at it the more I realize that it's lopsided
in the back. It's supposed to be asymmetrical, yes, but just in the
front. Ugh - I'm concerned that I may have to confront the awkward yet
necessary situation of me asking for them to fix it. Double ugh. I'm
going to have Brandi look at it more closely tomorrow - maybe I'm just
imagining it? Who knows.

Well I'm off to dreamland. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs
bite ;-) I'll post more tomorrow...

Julie

Mirror That Makes My Legs Longer

Hi all!

Just wanted to post quickly and say "hello"! I am still loving the
conference but most of all, I'm loving the mirror in our hotel near
the elevators. My classmate and I both have short legs and this mirror
makes our legs look extremely long. It's awesome and boosts our self-
esteem every morning! I really want to buy a mirror like this - loove
it! :-)

More later,

Julie

Oh Post, Where Art Thou?

Hey everyone!

This morning, I wrote a post while I was drinking Starbucks but
somehow it didn't show up nor is there even a record of it in my
phone. What gives?

Ugh. So I'm going to attempt to capture its essence in this post:

We arrived to Boston yesterday and luckily it was a smooth trip. The
only sucky part was that we had to pay to have our bags checked on US
Airways. Not cool!

When we go to the hotel, we checked in and checked into the conference
and received a variety of materials which include the conference
manual and the choices are overwhelming! The book reminds me of a
college course schedule book. Either way, I'm happy we have so many
choices.

Today I woke up at 6 am and ran for 45 minutes on the hotel treadmill.
It was a great run! Since then I've been attendings tons of meetings
and networking with professionals in my field. Conferences like this
really inspire me. I feel that we can really become change agents if
the motivation is there. Tonight I'm going to attend more activities
and go to dinner with my classmates.

I love Boston btw! Our hotel is fabulous and the view is spectacular.
One thing I loved about waking up so early was that I caught the
sunrise. Wow. It made my morning. Also what's interesting about our
hotel and the conference is that it's near a mall with really high-end
stores that I rarely see on a regular basis being the broke student
that I am. Examples include: Dior, Louis Vutton, and Jimmy Choo. To
attend the workshops I have no choice but to walk by these stores
several times daily! Oh dear!

Well I gotta run because I have a workshop to attend to. Have a great
day and I'll continue to mobile post when I can (I didn't bring my
computer so I'm posting from my iPhone).

I'm crossing my fingers that this post goes through! :-)

Julie

Testing

Testing.

Julie

Boston Bound!

Holaaa loves!

This post will be quick because I have a ton of packing to do! I am leaving tomorrow for Boston and I'm so incredibly excited. While this is school-related, I know we'll have some time for fun too. I have yet to decide if I'm bringing my computer with me (and even then, I'm not sure if I'll have internet!) or if I'll be mobile posting. Either way, I'm sure you can expect some mobile blogging and I will be back in full swing by Sunday.

This afternoon, my Express pants came in the mail which is perfect because I need them for this week. I ended up ordering 3 pairs online (in short). I'll try to post some pictures later this week. They fit perfectly by the way. I recommend them for people you need either longer or shorter pants. What's nice is that their sizes are pretty standard online so you know that they'll fit. This was true today when I received 3 different styles and they all fit like a glove.

One more thing: Megs from Newbie New Yorker is hosting a giveaway for her 100th post (congrats!). She is giving away reusable grocery totes in different colors. They are so adorable and I love the lime color. Head on over there and tell her I sent you!

Well, that's all I got for tonight. It's time that I finish my preparations for tomorrow - it's going to be a long day. I hope you all have a great night!

xoxo,

Julie

P.S. Did anyone see the Bachelor tonight? I'm so excited for next week! Oh the anticipation...

P.P.S. My new site design is almost finished! I just know you will all love it :-)

P.P.P.S. Is it possible to have too many "P.S.'s"? haha

Worst Hair Experience E.V.E.R.

Remember when I got my free hair cut back in October? Well, since then I haven't been keeping up with it because I've been low on cash. More recently (January), I had the worst hair experience ever.

Let me back up. The result of my free hair cut was this amazing asymmetrical style that was so me: simple yet unique. It was a precision hair cut because it was for the hair stylist's training which meant I was in the chair forever.

Anyways, this past December (or January?) I was in Ohio visiting my family and needed a cheap yet precise hair cut because I knew my free hair cut was growing out quick. Per my sister's recommendation I went to a place near my mom's house and it was the worst hair experience E.V.E.R.

Here's what went down:

- I walked into the place asking if they had any available appointments. It turned out they could fit me right in (score!).

- I sat in the chair while a woman who looked like the manager asked me what I wanted.

- "A trim" I say and quickly try to explain the "asymmetrical" part but I felt rushed (don't you hate that?).

- She "seemed" to get it and there she went... snip* snip* snip*... chewing gum... chatting with co-worker... looking around (not at my hair)... snip* snip*...

- Like 6 minutes later: "Done!" she says.

- Shit. That was way too fast - what just happened? So confused. I felt like I was on a rollar coaster and my eyes were blurred because of the fast scissor movements.

- I paid my $12 and I was on my way. Shit. Shit. Shit.

The result was terrible to say the least. My hair was awkward, strange, lop-sided (not in a good way), and random. Ugh.

Since then I haven't worn it down much (I should have went back, but I went out of town the next day).

Fast forward to today: I went back to the first salon that offered the free haircut and I told the nice stylist what happened and she felt really bad and we both laughed at the situation. It took awhile for her to figure out exactly how to fix my hair though - I felt like a challenging word problem that you have to think about from different angles in order to come up with the perfect solution.

Finally, she figured it out and I feel like a goddess. My hair is still asymmetrical (which I love) and I can't wait to wear it down again! :-)

Sunday Evening Rants and Raves

Some rants and raves:

Last semester:
Right now, I am trying to get myself organized for this semester and it's just not easy. Do you ever feel like you want to rid yourself of evidence of what happened last semester and last year in order to move on?

Let me explain. Last semester was terrible - absolutely terrible. I don't want to continue to dwell on it, but I'm the type of person that takes awhile to let things go (anyone in my life can tell you that).

To assist with my cleansing of my past semester, I switched planners. Lame huh? Yea, I totally did. The reason I did was because all of my assignments, scribbles, and annoyances still linger earlier in my academic year planner. My solution? I have a nifty annual planner (started in January) to help heal my soul. It's all about the little things right? I figured this will be good because I have so many transitions coming up (moving, weddings, trips, etc) that I will be planning for next year. What better time to have a new planner? It feels so good that maybe I'll burn my old one. Hmm...

Passions:
You know what also sucks? The time school takes up. Seriously. I have no time for anything or any of my passions. While psych*ology is a passion of mine (it has to be... I wouldn't be studying it in grad school if it wasn't!), it has taken over my life and I don't have time for my other passions. My main passion, aside from psych, is photography. Everytime I take time to take some photos, I feel guilty that I'm not studying or working on more projects. Hopefully come May, my Nikon D40 and I will reunite in a retreat to downtown DC for some photos. Until then, she will wait patiently on my desk for the occasional photo of my rats or an event I'm forced to go to.

Boston:
Tuesday morning, I am flying to Boston with my classmates for a conference. I am superrr excited because I have never been to Boston and I need the break. We'll be there until Saturday afternoon and we'll be back in the District by Saturday night. Does anyone have any Boston-related advice? Unfortunately, we won't be able to do too much touring but I am still open for suggestions because you never know! Specifically, I'd like some top day activities, some amazing restaurant/dessert ideas, and nightlife ideas. Anyone?

It's 7:00 pm and I gotta go run. My plan is to run on the treadmill while catching some red carpet madness :-) Then it's back to work (ha, l.a.m.e.).

kisses,

Julie

My Heart Goes Out...

...to Rihanna.

I'm not going to post the picture that's all over the news because I think it's terrible. If I were beaten up by my boyfriend (which would NEVER happen), I would be humiliated, possibly ashamed, and embarrassed - at least initially. Knowing me, I would later speak out against abuse and try to help other women. I just can't imagine Rihanna's face when she turned on the news/internet/TV and saw her battered face looking back at her. I bet she feels so lost right now within all the publicity and the news. No matter what happened, no matter what she said to him or what he said to her there is no excuse for abuse at any time.

I'm going to end this post with some information:

If you or someone you know is being abused, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or email them at ndvh@ndvh.org. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call 800-787-3224 (TTY) or email deafhelp@ndvh.org.

xoxo,

Julie

My Skinny Friend Who Doesn't Get Fat

We all have them right?

Well, tonight my skinny friend who doesn't get fat and I went out to TGI Friday's for dinner because I had a buy one entree get one free coupon (get yours here!). We arrived to the restaurant and the whole time I'm trying to convince myself not to eat bad.

In my head: "Julie, don't get poorly! You'll regret it later because you still have to run tonight."

Then, I have my skinny friend who doesn't get fat saying, "Ohhh food! I'm SOOO HUNGRY! I'm so hungry that we can't wait for our dinner. We need appetizers. How about some fried green beans?"

In my head: "Julie, you don't need an appetizer! Just wait for the entree!"

Skinny friend who doesn't get fat: "Okay, fried green beans it is!"

Later in the dinner...

Skinny friend who doesn't get fat: *points to dessert menu* "Ohhhhhh look at those desserts! I want this one, this one or this one... which do you want?"

In my head: "You do NOT NEED DESSERT. You are full! Your brain is telling you that you're full!"

Skinny friend who doesn't get fat: Brownie ice cream it is!

I love my skinny friend who doesn't get fat but I ate so much tonight. I wish I had more self-control. I still have to run tonight and I plan to around 10. Ugh - it's gonna be hard!

xoxo,

Julie