Wearing Mascara

Update Your Readers!

2009-04-15T12:06:00.000-04:00

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!

2009-03-29T13:48:00.002-04:00

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?

2009-03-28T18:35:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-27T18:19:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-26T20:35:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-03-24T12:14:00.006-04:00

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

2009-03-22T22:55:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-19T21:35:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-03-19T14:02:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-03-18T13:54:00.009-04:00

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

2009-03-18T00:22:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-03-17T12:56:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-16T21:41:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-14T01:23:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-13T14:10:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-03-12T22:46:00.002-04:00

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?

2009-03-12T11:49:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-11T16:46:00.001-04:00

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

2009-03-11T11:16:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-10T13:45:00.005-04:00

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

2009-03-09T18:47:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-09T08:49:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-08T20:18:00.004-04:00

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

2009-03-08T00:23:00.002-04:00

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?

2009-03-07T20:21:00.005-04:00

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

2009-03-06T20:09:00.004-04:00

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

2009-03-06T16:21:00.004-04:00

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

2009-03-06T01:13:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-06T00:08:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-04T23:58:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-03T17:05:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-03-03T15:31:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-03T01:59:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-02T18:52:00.005-04:00

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

2009-03-02T13:03:00.005-04:00

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)

2009-03-01T21:15:00.004-04:00

...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

2009-02-28T18:48:00.001-04:00

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

2009-02-28T16:59:00.000-04:00

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

2009-02-27T02:07:00.001-04:00

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

2009-02-26T15:24:00.000-04:00

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?

2009-02-25T14:55:00.000-04:00

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

2009-02-25T13:00:00.001-04:00

Testing.

Julie

Boston Bound!

2009-02-23T23:23:00.002-04:00

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.

2009-02-23T15:40:00.002-04:00

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

2009-02-22T19:54:00.004-04:00

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...

2009-02-20T13:09:00.004-04:00

...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

2009-02-19T20:59:00.003-04:00

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

I Wear a Size Short

2009-02-19T02:03:00.004-04:00

Today (well, Wednesday... as I type this it's 1:00 am on a Thursday), I went to the mall with one goal in mind:

Find sexy yet professional and petite (I'm short) dress pants for Boston next week, on a budget. Sounds simple right?

Wrong.

My first stop was to head into New York and Company because this past summer, I purchased two pairs of cropped dress pants and I absolutely love them. I walked into the store around 11:30 am and it was completely empty except for two sale ladies who proceeded to ignore me even though I was their only customer. Fine, whatever - I didn't want to be bothered because I was on a mission. I head over to the pants section and pull out a few different pairs. I head to the dressing room and none of them fit me. I thought they were all too small so I went and got a different size. Then, I had to do this about 3 times until I finally gave up. Each style was so different and I didn't have time to guess my size for crying out loud! New York and Company, you really disappointed me! So warning to you ladies: Don't buy their dress pants online! Try that shit on first.

Next, I head into Express where they simply do not have my size in a short. Gah! Is my size very popular or something? And why is it that on most of the coolest/newest styles, they don't even make a short pant? Not everyone is a regular size!

I gave up. It sucks when all I wanted was some hot dress pants but noooo, not possible. I did find some luck though (yes, this story gets a tad better) on Express's website. They carry some short sizes in new styles - even a wide pant! Yay.

Does anyone else struggle with this? I know you do! What's annoying is that on What Not to Wear, Stacy and Clinton would tell us to get everything hemmed. Who has that kind of money? I sure don't!

Oh the frustrations.

Julie

BOCA Giveaway Winner!

2009-02-19T01:33:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone!

Thank you so much for entering my BOCA giveaway! There was a total of 54 valid entries to win this:

Using the Truly Random Number Generator, I picked the winner. The winner is...

kara battel from Battel Family! kara said:

"i love any 1 of the breakfast items-- during the week they are fantastic!

love your blog by the way"

Thanks kara and congrats! I will send you an email to get the process rolling :-) Thanks again to everyone who entered and especially to BOCA for making this giveaway possible!

xoxo,

Julie

Last Chance to Enter My Giveaway!

2009-02-18T21:01:00.001-04:00

Hey readers!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway by midnight tonight! Enter at this post.

Okay, I'm off to run now :-)

xoxo,

Julie

Landfills and Baked Lays

2009-02-18T07:40:00.000-04:00

There are two major changes/movements happening in the world today:

1. Care more for our environment (less garbage):

2. Eat in individualized portions to control our eating habits:

Does anyone else see a conflict of interest or is it just me?

My solution? Buy these:

It literally takes a minute to put food into a glass storage container.

Any questions? ;-)

xoxo,

Julie

My Morning

2009-02-17T14:59:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I got notified that I had an int*rpreting job for today and as usual, they sent me the address of a government building (there's only one of them) in SE DC. Last night, I went onto the metro trip planner website to figure out my metro plans for today. The website did not recognize the address (said it didn't exist) but suggested that it was in NW and not SE. The building I was going to is very well known building in DC so therefore, I suspected that the metro website would know and that my agency made a mistake (which is normal). To be sure, I checked Google Maps and they said the specific office/building was in NW as well so I went along with that. Reliable resources right?

Wrong. I ended up walking around NW looking for this government building in my heels...

...for 30 minutes until finally I asked a cross guard where this building was. I told her I was directed to NW by Google Maps and she said that the metro website AND Google Maps have the address wrong. I was furious but I couldn't decide who I was furious at. Google Maps and the metro website I suppose because they didn't recognize the damn address and have the wrong address for this government building! I talked to the meeting coordinators of my job and explained the situation. Luckily they were extremely understanding and it turned out that the meeting was started at 10 am instead of 8:30 am. Yes! So I proceeded to get back on the metro...

...and finally ended up to where I was supposed to be. Thank goodness. By this point, I was frigid and thinking about the blog post I would write regarding this experience. The job went well (even though I was completely scatterbrained by the time I arrived) and I left around 12:30. I thought it was all smooth from there but that was until I walked up to my car. I proceeded to trip over my heels and almost made a nose dive into the concrete. I saved myself but it was utterly awkward because the way I saved myself was so incredibly dramatic. Behind me was this army soldier woman walking in her uniform and she made a face like she wanted to laugh. I mumbled something stupid like "Oh my, that would have been bad if I fell!" I felt like a complete moron.

When I saw my car, it was like a mirage - it couldn't be real. Then, I turned on the ignition and it was! Now, I'm back home all curled up in a blanket watching Ellen.

That was my morning - I hope yours was better. What is it with DC transportation?

xoxo,

Julie

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway! You know you want to... ;-)

You Knew It Was Coming...

2009-02-17T00:29:00.007-04:00

...I knew what you were thinking when you walked through Nordstroms or another high-end store carrying none other but Marc by Marc Jacobs.

You, my readers, had to be anticipating my excitement over the delicious colors and new shapes of the handbags... drool. Here are my two favorites:

Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Softy Pocket Front - Small' Tote in pale grey. Isn't it amazing and perfect for spring? Also, look at the metal writing in cursive - awesome!

Marc by Marc Jacobs Posh Turnlock - Dot' Dome Satchel in mint or yellow, which do you like better?

Is there any bag you really want (but maybe can't afford - like me) for spring?

kisses,

Julie

Muppets Having Sex Plus Extras

2009-02-16T01:33:00.007-04:00

Hello loves,

This weekend was the kind of weekend I'd like to rewind, stop, and play again. From Friday night to Sunday evening it was awesome. Maybe it's because I have a fantastic boyfriend with a red beard? Possibly yes. Friday night we saw Avenue Q at the Warner Theater in DC and met up with my cousin Alyse and her bf (they're an adorable couple).

That's us right before the show started. Avenue Q was hilarious because we saw muppets having sex, cursing, and talking about life in a strange but very weird way. If you don't understand, download "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" from the soundtrack. You'll thank me later. It's also important to mention that Dan and I went to McDonalds after the performance. Typically, I hate McDonalds, but I was craving it like woah so I got nuggets, a cheeseburger, and fries all for $3. Gotta love it.

Saturday, Dan and I lazily awoke in a happy Valentine's Day daze. It's definitely something about the day dedicated to lovin' that put him and I in the mood for a lovey dovey holiday. I know many of us perceive V-day as a Hallmark holiday (and I typically agree) but considering he and I had a rockin' time and just spend $20 each (our broke-ass limit) I know there is more to it than that. That night (after my run - thanks for the comments btw, my run today was awesome with no "mishaps"), Dan cooked me fajitas. He said he didn't do anything other than add taco seasoning, but they were incredible. He is a better cook than I am and it's hard for me to admit! We also exchanged our $20 presents. I got him a T-Shirt with the word "Meh" on it. For the back story on this, see this post.

Funny right? I found it on Think Geek. My gift didn't match Dan's gift to me. He got me my VERY OWN DRAWER in his closet complete with ribbon! Confused? Here ya go:

See the ribbon? That's MY drawer now - muhahahaha! He also got me some goodies to put inside the drawer:

The drawer included: 2 pairs of guy boxers (love to wear them at his house!), my favorite body lotion (Jergen's Cherry Almond Scent), a red Nalgene bottle, 2 candy bottles (yum!), 2 scarves (a black one - since I lost my other black one - and a white pretty one), and Puma socks! Pretty awesome - now I'm all prepared to stay at Dan's house.

Today, I saw Shopaholic with my girl friends. The movie was good but not as good as I hoped. I read (well, "listened" to some of the books as an audiobook) and I guess I was hoping for more. But you can never compare a movie to a book right? After the movie, we went to California Pizza Kitchen and I got the Thai Chicken Pizza which was amazing and I have leftovers for tomorrow - yum!

In other news, I made a Twitter friend named ForeverApril awhile back and on Saturday night she launched her website: Glimmer. Gloss. Glow. It's incredible! On the website you'll find video makeup tips, advice, product reviews, and giveaways! Please go check it out and support her website. You won't be let down - it has the Wearing Mascara seal of approval ;-)

Speaking of websites, I am still working on my redesign which should be up and running soon. We're still figuring out the exact design (and I'm picky which is never helpful!).

Well readers, I'm off to bed. I'm zonked from this weekend! Don't forget to enter out my giveaway! It's super simple to enter and for a great brand.

kiss-kiss,

Julie

My "Interesting" Run and a Question for Runners

2009-02-14T16:58:00.002-04:00

Warning: TMI ahead

As most of you know, I'm training for the Cherry Blossom which is hilarious because I do not consider myself a runner.

Today, I started off my 42 minute run (1 minute walk, 6 minute run x 6) and I was feeling good. So good that I was creating this beautiful blog post in my head. Something like "today was the day I realized I could actually do this", etc etc. The run was good, don't get me wrong. There was just a "minor" mishap. I was about 2/3 finished when I really had to go to the bathroom. Like really, really, bad. It wasn't just running gas... it was something else. Something I don't want to mention on this post. Anyways, I tried to run it out and let it go but I just couldn't! It got so bad that I couldn't run and instead had to walk back to Dan's house as quickly as possible.

Question for all you runners: Are there foods to avoid before a run? Here's what I had this morning/afternoon:

Water
2 eggs
2 pieces of toast
1 glass of milk (I'm thinking it could have been this. I don't drink milk often although I know I should so maybe my body was surprised?)

Sorry for the TMI post on Valentine's Day.

xoxo,

Julie

Facebook Stalker: Ex-BF Edition

2009-02-13T16:16:00.003-04:00

I am a Facebook stalker and I am not afraid to admit it. That's probably why I'm into blogging eh?

I recently noticed that my ex-boyfriend... let's call him Butthole... broke up with his girlfriend. We'll call her Buttlette. At first, I had thoughts of "aww that sucks" because it does, right? I figured they would be dealing with break-up issues, etc and while I can't stand Butthole, he is still human.

Let me back up. When Butthole and I broke up after a 20-month relationship, I was devestated (now, I'm relieved - thank GOD I'm not with him!) because I thought he was cheating on me with a girl he worked with. I never actually found out if he was cheating, but he ended up dating that girl (Buttlette) a month after we broke up. Throughout the time they were dating, I noticed (through facebook) that this other girl kept writing on his wall and such. Honestly, I felt bad for Buttlette because I'm sure she could have been jealous of this girl who was writing on his wall (we'll call her Dicklette).

Butthole and Butlette dated for a long time (since we broke up which was uhh... can't remember but it was a long time ago) before they broke it off. Honestly, I chuckled a little but knew that Butthole could never be single for long and I was right. Guess who he is dating now? Dicklette! HA! I always knew something was going on with them from his Facebook wall. He is such a tool.

Wow, Facebook is better than celebrity gossip sometimes. I hope Buttlette is over Butthole because I'm sure she could do better. In fact, from the looks of comments on her wall she has a date for tomorrow night. Go Buttlette!

P.S. Enter my super-cool-awesome giveaway on this post!

My Night Ended In a GIVEAWAY for YOU!

2009-02-13T11:50:00.009-04:00

Awhile back, I was invited to a BOCA DC Blogger Spa Night (for free!) thanks to Maxie. Only 20 people were invited and to be honest, I didn't know why I was invited! How am I special? I just did not feel worthy until Maxie got in touch with me asking if I replied to the invite. I decided to go only knowing one person: Maxie through blogging.
Yesterday was a looong day and after a very long ass class, I ended up in NW DC trying to find the Nusta Spa where the event was located. Finally, I found the place and when I walked in the doors, I just felt unworthy! The spa was beautiful and there tons of food and unlimited drinks from a bar. It was catered and of course had mini BOCA burgers as part of the feast. Here's a terrible iPhone picture of some of the food (my camera's battery was dead!):

Everyone was so nice and we socialized and chatted about whatever. Throughout the course of the event, we could get massages, meditate, or get a mani or a pedi (for FREE). I got a massage and woahhhhh my back is STILL in heaven. The masseuse (holy crap, I spelled that word on my first try!) was great and asked me how much pressure I wanted (tons!), etc. The chair massages were in the hallway near where the other girls were and honestly, the whole time I was scared that my pants were too low in the back and that my thong was popping out. Yes, that's what I thought about the whole time. Oh well, it still rocked.

It also must be said that the bathroom was amazing. So in true Wearing Mascara fashion, I took some iPhone pictures:

When the event was over, we left and went to a bar closeby. I wish I didn't have anything today because I would have stayed out with these awesome ladies I just met. I didn't mention this, but the bathroom had tampons galore... so Maxie stole some:

All in all it was a pretty sweet night that I felt totally unworthy for. The ladies at BOCA were incredible - so warm and friendly. At the end of the night, we could take 2 gift bags: One for me and One for YOU. What does that mean?

I'm hosting a BOCA giveaway! You could win this:

It includes many BOCA goodies including a Yoga mat and other ways for you to live better (it's pretty sweet!). How do you win? It's SIMPLE... just leave a comment on this post. In your comment you must have:

1. Your email
2. Your favorite BOCA product from their website

You must have both 1 and 2 to enter! You have until Wednesday, February 18th at midnight to enter! Goooood luck and feel free to post about it on your blogs!

xoxo,

Julie

Top 10 Worst Gifts to Give Your Guy

2009-02-11T22:09:00.016-04:00

Happy almost Valentine's Day everyone!

Since we're two days away, I think it's time I share my Top 10 Worst Gifts to Give Your Guy for Valentine's Day. If you have already bought any of these, have no fear because there is still time to return them! Here they are:

10. The movie Mama Mia! This movie may have been your favorite summer blockbuster but that doesn't mean it should be added to his movie collection.

9. A gym membership. Seriously? There are other ways to tell your guy to "go to the gym". For his sake, save it for another day. (Until then, burn calories elsewhere wink, wink).

8. Diamond earrings for you to wear for him. Um... ladies? This is a no-no. While they look pretty on you what benefit does it do for him? Try some lingerie.

7. Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana concert tickets. Save these for your niece.

6. A manicure/pedicure. While we all can't stand when our guy has dirty finger nails, I doubt he would want his nails professionally done. Save this for your best friend and until then, lotion up his hands yourself! I bet he would enjoy that ;-)

5. A SeXy Mens Black Mesh Short. This is just wrong. Very, very wrong.

4. A vegetable platter. Unless there are porn DVD's hidden within the veggies, this is a plain no-no. Questions? See number 9.

3. Viagra. If you're going to go this route, buy porn or attend couples therapy instead (just not on Valentine's Day!).

2. A tattoo of his name somewhere on your body. Hmm... maybe stick with a cute flower or butterfly instead?

1. A Penis Enlarger. With 3 easy payments of $55, your guy will dump you for sure! This is not a good idea for Valentine's Day (or any other day for that matter!).

Any gift ideas that I'm missing?

xoxo,

Julie

Audiological Madness

2009-02-11T17:30:00.000-04:00

Recently, I had a very interesting experience: I had my hearing tested for my Audiology class. It was nothing like in elementary school because apparently that was just a "screening" and this was a full on test. I brought along my deaf friend with me because she had to observe in order to get credit for the same activity. This girl is profoundly deaf - can't hear anything except an airplane (maybe) so it's best that I got the test.

Man, technology has changed over the years! The test was neat but also very annoying because at one point, they were just sending vibrations and pure tones through your ears to see how your ear drum reacts. It wasn't the typical "raise your hand when you hear a sound" thing (that came later!), but instead it was just annoying. Basically, my politeness with the nice graduate student stopped about 10 minutes into the beeping. It got even more annoying with the probing and adjusting of my ear piece thing-a-mabobber. The worst was when they tested my threshold of loudness. They told me to wave at them when the sound got so loud I couldn't handle it. Once my ear drums starting vibrating uncontrollably, I knew I had enough and waved my arms like a deranged barbie (a deranged barbie has become the theme of my posts recently).

The test took an hour and a half and when I was done, I whipped on out of there with messy hair and my ears ringing as fast as I could.

The news? I'm still hearing.

Awesome.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-02-11T01:01:00.007-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

isn't she radiant right before her wedding?

with Liam (her grandson) while he's yawning. this picture always makes me smile!

This post is dedicated to my amazing mom who reads this blog on a regular basis. Every time I talk to her she says, "I read your blog today! Great stuff!" She is my biggest supporter and no matter what choices I make - good or bad, she is right behind me. She is the person I call on a daily basis about my successes and failures and provides great insight. Someday, I hope to be at least half of the woman she is while providing love and support to my future children the same way she does to my sisters and I.

Happy birthday, Mom! I hope this one is super and that you pamper yourself today or plan a major shopping trip. I'm sorry I can't be there but I foresee a visit happening very soon! I love and miss you!

Love, Julie

Woah, Shiny Legs

2009-02-10T20:39:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone!

Boy, I am wiped out! I spent the whole day in Philadelphia in a 5-hour interview for a possible internship placement. It went pretty well although I found myself stumped on some questions - but it's a learning experience right? I probably being too hard on myself which isn't uncommon. As soon as I was dismissed, I rushed around Philadelphia to find a cheesesteak and a soft pretzel. When I bought a cheesesteak, I was surprisingly disappointed. I ordered the kind with cheese whiz (ya I know - so healthy!) and it seemed like they didn't put any on. This made me sad but my mood brightened when I bought a soft pretzel:

from the Philly Pretzel Factory. It was delicious and literally melted in my mouth - a great end to a productive day in Philly! Next time, I'm going to try their cinnamon flavor.

Are you guys all caught up with the Rihanna and Chris Brown incident? If not, read this for updated information - it's all still vague. I hope Ri is okay!

In other news, last night I caught an episode of Jay Leno because he interviewed Heidi and Spencer Pratt. I just had to see this considering Jay always makes fun of them and they are ridiculous. The interview was superficial (of course), but it was hard to focus on nothing but Heidi's LEGS. They were SHINY. BARBIE DOLL SHINY. Did anyone see this? Did she pour vegetable oil all over her legs before her interview? Yikes. If you missed it, catch it here:

Okay loves, I'm off to go burn my cheesesteak and pretzel calories by running. Make sure to check out Good Gals, Inc today because her product was on the Today Show today - so amazing and inspiring!

xoxo,

Julie

Sudden Urge

2009-02-09T22:17:00.002-04:00

In Audiology class today, we went in depth about how it's unhealthy to use a cue-tip to clean out your ear.

I knew this. I have always known this.

Why all the sudden do I have the urge to clean my ear with a cue-tip?

Gross I know. Sorry.

*UPDATE*

I emailed my professor about this and here is her reply:

The official word is not to ever use a Q-tip because of the potential damage it can do. The wax, dirt, and dead skin will eventually migrate outward until is falls out of your pinna (or you clean it out). There are people who have serious problems with overproduction of ear wax and need to use the over-the-counter cerumen removal products or have it removed by an audiologist or a doctor. Not all audiologists are comfortable removing wax although it is in our scope of practice.

So, cue-tips are bad news :-) I still have the urge though...

Chris Brown Incident

2009-02-09T10:01:00.003-04:00

Have you guys heard about Chris Brown's arrest during the Grammy's?

Apparently, a "woman" called in a alleged assault and when police arrived, a "woman" appeared battered and not in good shape. The speculation is that he assaulted Rhianna... yikes. I hope it's not true! They were both supposed to perform at the Grammy's last night and never showed.

What do you think?

Starting My Monday Off Right..

2009-02-09T08:59:00.002-04:00

This will be quick because my Audiology class is about to start. I just arrived on campus and parked my car. Before I left the parking lot, I decided to dispose of my banana peel before it rots in my car (which has happened before). I had my banana peel and my iPhone in the same hand and proceeded to drop my iPhone in the trash along with my peel. GROSS! I was then forced to take the lid off of this public trash can and sift through all the wet, gooey trash to finally find my phone. No, it was not happily lying on top. The weight of it forced it to the bottom. My hands and part of my jacket was covered in filth! Luckily when I entered the building, I saw a custodial cart and stole some anti-bacterial spray (well, I hope it was anti-bacterial!) and cleaned my phone and washed my hands.

What a way to start the week off! ;-)

Julie

Weekend, Philly, and Michael Phelps

2009-02-09T00:08:00.003-04:00

This weekend flew by mostly because I was having fun. Friday night, my friend S celebrated her birthday at Cafe Asia in Clarendon. This restaurant was perfect for many reasons:

1). The food was amazing. Per S's recommendation, I order the Pad Thai and it was so delicious. I guess it's one of their specialty's. My mouth is watering thinking about it.

2). Cafe Asia will accommodate anyone! We had a party of about 15 and apparently, they've accommodated about 40 before. They'll do anything.

3). The price is right. My Pad Thai was only $10 and I had leftovers for lunch the next day!

So, if you live in the DC area you must make a visit to Cafe Asia. Saturday, I already told you about my swinging moves so I'll skip that. That day, I also had a great run (50 degrees!) and then Dan and I watched Scrubs that night while drinking some Miller Lites. All in all - a great Saturday! Today was a lazy day which included a run, the Grammy's and chillaxin'.

This week will bring me an adventure because on Tuesday, I have an interview in Philly! I'm making a day trip and besides that, I have no other plans. I had to waste the trip on just a day, but I don't have a place to stay overnight so what will be will be. I plan to accomplish two very important things though:

1) Eat a cheesesteak
2) Buy (or eat if I'm not full from #1) a soft pretzel

Okay my time has come to go shower, lotion up, and get into bed (oh and read for school - eek!). Remember to visit Danielle's new website (see the post below). Before I leave you, please check out Seth Meyers take on the Michael Phelps incident. Hilarious!

Cheers,

Julie

The Design Girl and $20 Off Designs!

2009-02-08T16:09:00.006-04:00

Hey readers!

My friend Danielle just launched her NEW blog design site, The Design Girl (previously Blogs by Danielle). She has a new domain, new design and new everything! Along with blog design, she'll be offering stationary too. Go Danielle!

Oh and guess what?

She is offering my readers $20 off (that's $5 more than her store-wide sale AND the returning customer price) of ANY blog design until February 14! Just make sure you tell her Julie from Wearing Mascara sent you.

So, visit her website, and shoot her an email telling her you want a blog facelift! :-) Keep me updated because I will be wanting to see your new design!

xoxo,

Julie

Swing Dance Drama

2009-02-07T21:04:00.002-04:00

Seriously, I love to dance. I really do and sometimes, I actually think I'm pretty good.

Sometimes.

Ever since I started Swing Dance classes at Dan's local gym, I'm starting to think otherwise. Gone is the time where I could dance freely and shake my booty as a freshman in college. Now, I have to follow steps. Steps of which I am oblivious to and know that the phrase "two left feet" applies to me completely.

I don't like to complain, but I must. The dance class is fun but there is a high girl to guy ratio. This means that there aren't enough "leads" aka guys. Dan is a guy and I am a girl (in case you forgot) and this means that I am a "follower" and Dan is a "lead". This also means that the class forces us to not dance together constantly. Instead of keeping your boyfriend you have to rotate the guys instead which is annoying because Dan is such a good dancer! If I could stay with him, I would be phenomenal. Instead, I get to be all "jealous girlfriend" and watch him dance with all these other girls. I'm not really jealous - just more jealous about the fact that they get to learn from him and I should be able to because he came with me! In addition, I am alone probably for more than half the class and dance with my arms in the air like a deranged barbie doll (since there are not enough guys). Grrr...

Okay, enough bitching. Have a good Saturday night! The "lead" is coming over and we're going to watch a movie.

xoxo,

Julie

Sex In 2010

2009-02-05T19:23:00.006-04:00

It's official! Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte will be back on the big screen during the summer of 2010, according to E! Online. How did I find out about this? Through Twitter of course (Thank you Miss Heidi).

The sequel I'm sure will be fab and I really hope they incorporate more of this into the movie:

or this...

oops! Is that a butt? I would never put nudity in my blog - never! ;-)

This show always brings joy to my daily life as I know it does for you. Frequently, I make references to the show and since I talk about sex in depth, my friend S refers to me as Samantha. S is definitely Charlotte :-) I relate to all of them in different ways... Miranda's career drive, Charlotte's homeliness, Carrie's purses, and Samantha's openness.

Which lady do you relate to most?

Julie

Tired In Class

2009-02-05T16:08:00.003-04:00

I am so tired.

Why did I stay up until 1:30 am last night doing work?

Ah, it's because I procrastinate.

I am so tired that I may spend money at the vending machine for a diet pop (I am trying to save money so this isn't good). Oh and I'm having a bad hair day.

Okay, back to paying attention in class,

Ciao,

Julie

Wearing Excitement

2009-02-04T22:04:00.006-04:00

Good evening!

Running really does the body good. I just got back to my apartment after a successful treadmill run and I'm pooped but feel great. I run in my little exercise room downstairs (when I don't go outside) and it's nice but often annoying because there are other people so close by sometimes. I'm lucky to go when no one else is there so I can watch TV and be myself. Maybe I'm being obnoxious? Ah, who knows. Anyways, tonight there were people there and when I arrived, I got on the treadmill (luckily it was free) and awkwardly looked around for the remote. The girl on the elliptical next to me had it so I had to suffer through some sci-fi movie instead of watching my reality TV. Sigh. Anyways, that's besides the point.

I won a Shakespeare's Bride giveaway recently from Saving Money for a Wedding! I am thrilled because it came at the perfect time because my best friend S is getting married in September so I am gifting her these cards! These are the ones she picked out:

Bachelorette Party
Best Man
Rehearsal Dinner
Officiant
Flower girl

Please take a look at each of them because they're fabulous. I can't wait until I get married to pick out cards like these (well, I guess I have to get engaged first eh?).

Well, my plans for the night include cleaning, eating, studying, and sleeping. Just the essentials. I have to wake up early tomorrow for a last minute int*rpreting job at 8 am in the district (I'll have to leave by 7 am - eek!).

Before I leave you, I want to celebrate two awards that I received! I am so sorry that some of these are very belated but thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Both A Preppy Girl Meets World and Montana Musings of a Southern Girl gave me the Honest Scrap award. Thanks ladies!

Here are 10 honest things about myself:

1. I have two lovely sisters and I am stuck in the middle. From this, I have been known to have "Middle Child Syndrome".

2. I struggle with procrastination everyday in my graduate school work.

3. I am an Amer*can S*gn Language interpreter and received my bachelor's in that. Now, I'm doing psych*logy with an emphasis on working with deaf individuals.

4. I love popcorn and make it almost daily on my stove - the old fashion way.

5. I struggle with my weight everyday but have a good body image. I just want to stay healthy and that is my goal. I would actually hate to be super skinny.

6. It's very difficult for me to get out of bed in the morning. However, after the first 15 minutes of my day I am way too awake and super talkative.

7. My boyfriend, Dan, and I are celebrating our 3-year anniversary in March. I can't wait and everyday is better than the last with him.

8. I am obsessed with making sure my grammar in correct in my blogs. I am currently struggling with the possibility of using "and" at the beginning of a sentence. Since a blog is more laid-back, that should be okay right?

9. Last November, I stupidly dyed my hair black. The dye is STILL there at my ends and I wish I never did it. Don't do it! Black hair dye = bad news.

10. Sometimes when I'm in meetings or in class, I secretively makeover people in my head. I always want to call, "What Not to Wear" and hope that Stacy and Clinton randomly show up.

My new real-life and blogger friend Laura from Prone to Wander gave me this friend award. It means so much to me because it's proof that blogging brings you so much. I know Laura and I will get together again soon.

Thanks everyone!

Lovelies, I hope you have a great night. Don't forget to vote for Landlocked Mermaid for the Sweet Sensation Giveaway and vote for Clyde in the Humane Society Online Pet Photo Contest!

Sweet dreams,

Julie

Mamarazzi's Swap: I'm IN!

2009-02-04T16:37:00.002-04:00

Hello!

Head on over to Dandelion Wishes to participate in a favorite things swap! This is gonna be great!

867-5309

2009-02-04T00:44:00.000-04:00

A night cap:

The famous number 867-5309 is up on eBay and the current bid is $1,000.

Cool, huh? I wish I had a hot number to sell!

Good night,

Julie

My Rat Story: Part One

2009-02-03T20:30:00.002-04:00

I've been receiving a lot of questions and comments about my rats so I wanted to do a post dedicated to them. First, let me answer this for you: Why rats?

I was never into rats and never cared much for them but I grew up in a household full of pets. At one point, we had 5 cats, 1 parrot (see picture at the side), 1 dog, 2 frogs, 2 hamsters, 1 guinea pig, 3 ducks (the hung out in our lake and during ice season, they stayed in their duck house that my very talented mom built!), and I'm sure I'm missing another pet.

When I moved to DC, I knew I wanted a pet for myself but hesitated on a typical dog or cat because of the money and time commitment. I did not want a pet that would last 12-16 years because who knows where I would be in that time frame? I started considering a small animal and again, I hesitated. I had owned guinea pigs, hamsters, and hermit crabs in the past I considered them lacking in personality. I was stuck - what do I buy?

I then discussed this with my mom and Dan and they both recommended rats. What? Why rats? At the time, I believed these rumors:

- Rats are smelly
- Rats are dirty
- Rats bite
- Rats are mean
- Rats carry disease

Since mother knows best and Dan is pretty damn smart, I started my research. Here's what I learned:

- Rats are clean. In fact, they clean themselves more than cats do.
- Rats are smart and some people say they are smarter than dogs.
- Rats do not bite unless they are inappropriately trained (like dogs).
- Rats do not carry disease (if you take anything away from this post, take that)
- Rats live 2-5 years (typically 2)
- Rats can eat everything which is great because when you run out of rat food you can give them people food and they're happy.

In the summer of 2006, I decided to adopt two ratties from a breeder (yes, they exist). After reading tons of reviews, I went with Raffinhouse in Toledo. The reason I picked a breeder was because I knew the rats would be healthy and come from a good genetic line. This was important to me for my first set of rats because I had never owned them before. When I first picked them up (when they were 6-weeks old), I fell in love...

This rattie post will be continued. For now, please visit these websites for more information and please vote for Clyde:

Rat Assistance & Teaching Society (organization I belong to)
Dapper Rat (very cute pictures here)
The Rat Fan Club

Vote for Clyde!

2009-02-03T16:04:00.000-04:00

Hello!

As most of you know, I'm a HUGE rat lover and miss one of my first ratties, Clyde, so much. I decided that a tribute to Clyde would be a great idea so I entered him in the Humane Society Online Pet Photo Contest.

Please vote for him! It costs a minimum of $5 for five votes and you would be helping the Humane Society spay and neuter pets. I would really appreciate it! Please let me know if you vote! Go Clyde!

"Clyde Romeo"

xoxo,

Julie

P.S. Don't forget to vote for Landlocked Mermaid as well!

Life or Death Situation: PLEASE READ!

2009-02-03T13:35:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone,

Dana from Just Talk just did a post about her friends husband, Garrett, who has a rare disease and requires a kidney from a living donor NOW. This person must have O-type blood and be willing to undergo a 3-4 hour surgery. After that, you go on living a completely normal life and Garrett will be able to go about his life too. Please visit this website:

I Need a Kidney Now

They realize that not everyone will want to be a donor, but they are looking anyways for a willing and able person. If anything, please re-post this on your blog or post the info in your church or school.

Please do something proactive! Thank you,

Julie

New Bloggers, Resources, and Twitter

2009-02-02T18:00:00.001-04:00

Hello!

I know many of us are new to this whole blogging-thing and some of us are seasoned bloggers. I started this baby back in August and have been addicted ever since. If you are new to this or just want some more information about blogging in general, check out Problogger. This is an excellent resource for all types of bloggers. Don't be fooled: it's not only for bloggers who want to make money, they have resources for all types of blogging. They recently posted a new article especially for new bloggers which included a comprehensive list of resources (websites, books, etc) about beginner blogging.

Also, are you on Twitter? (Off topic: Are you following me? If not, follow away!). If you are a twitter user, follow Darren Rowse who is the guru behind Problogger and has excellent blogging resources on his tweets.

Speaking of Twitter, what is it exactly? I've been noticing that some people are indifferent. Twitter simply asks "What are you doing?" This resembles the Facebook status message although it's different in many ways. First, on Facebook you typically are "friends" with your real-life "friends" or at least people you've met or have a real-life connection to. On Twitter, you can be friends with anyone! For example, here are some of my twitter friends:

Photoexpert who gives daily photography tips
SteelersNFL with Steeler news and information
RunKeeper who gives information about an iPhone app about running
ForeverApril who gives makeup advice
nytimes with updated news you can use
nordstrom is even on Twitter!

What does this mean for you and your blog? Well, free advertising and yet another way to connect. Whenever I create a blog post, I will then "tweet" the post's link. Simple! It's amazing who you will find and who will find you and your blog. For example, do you remember my Nordstrom post? Somehow Nordstrom (on Twitter) found that post before we were Twitter friends and reposted it for me! From that tweet alone, I got new readers. For more information on Twitter, check out TwiTip which Darren Rowse runs as well (this guy is a serious guru!).

One last tid-bit. If you are a new blogger less than a month old, contact Newlywed Stilettos and let her know. She will then introduce you to the blogging world.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me or leave a comment. If I don't know the answer, I will try to find you a resource for it.

hugs and kisses,

Julie

Where Did Nina Go?

2009-02-02T17:28:00.003-04:00

Hey readers!

I want to inform you that Nina from Nina Knows Best has moved to According to Nina! Congrats Nina on your new website! If you are reading this, go pay her a visit and add her to your blog roll.

As most of you know, I am working on a website design too and it should be up and running in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned for more information about that! Until then, say "Hi Nina!"

xoxo,

Julie

Sweet Sensation Award: My Nominee

2009-02-02T12:05:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone!

I just came across The Reality of Happily Ever After and she is having a very cool award going on. Basically, you have to nominate a fellow blogger that:

...exudes kindness, support of other bloggers and spreads their sweetness like wildfire. While appealing to their audience, they are honest, sincere and stay true their authentic self. Their blog not only entertains, it also offers resources to help people excel in their lives such as using their blog to promote charities, spread the word about bloggers who want to become more well known and doing surprisingly kind things for no reason other than to 'pay it forward' --
This blogger is without a doubt an all around Sweet Sensation.

I thought about this and decided to nominate Landlocked Mermaid because to me, she IS the definition above. I met her this weekend and she is such a doll and is very true to herself. Every time I read her blog I am inspired and I leave feeling happy. She has such positive energy that she not only exerts from her blog but also in real life.

Fellow readers, if you have not visited her blog go now. You will be in for a treat! Please nominate her as well so she can win the lovely prizes! Go Mermaid! :-)

xoxo,

Julie

An Amazing Superbowl and a Hilarious Video!

2009-02-02T01:18:00.008-04:00

THE STEELERS WON THE SUPERBOWL!

...in case you haven't heard.

I am so happy and my voice is shot from an amazing night with friends! G and K invited us over to their apartment for food, drinks, a nice TV, and friendship. They truly know how to entertain - I love going over there!

At the beginning of the night, everyone intermixed on the sofa/floor in front of the TV. Sooner or later, it was evident who the AZ fans were and who was rooting for PA. Towards the end, we were separated and supporting each other. Tons of screaming and clapping happened throughout the whole game!

Around half-time, my friend M and I decided to take a picture. We wanted to do a "pyramid" shot, but decided against it. We decided that a "tigress" shot would do. Our friend S took picture after picture until finally J, interrupted and asked to be the photographer. Whatever works, right? So we posed... and posed... until finally... well... how about you see his VIDEO before I try and explain (Oh and please take note of M's snort towards the end):

Damn you J! Haha... it was funny anyways! We never did get a "blog worthy" shot, but this one was pretty cute:

Here are the Steeler fans minus K in the middle there with her thumbs down. Oh well, it's her house, right? :-) Notice my friend SNS with his black shirt and yellow button-up underneath. Snazzy right?

My heart is still pumping hard from this unbelievable game! Also, in case you aren't interested in the Superbowl and watch for the commercials, this link is for you.

Steeler Nation Forever!

xoxo,

Julie

Here We Go Steelers!

2009-02-01T13:13:00.004-04:00

The time has come! It's SUPERBOWL SUNDAY! Are you ready? I sure am!

some friends and I from during the Superbowl XL season

The Fun Prayer

Our Father,
Who Art in Pittsburgh ,
Football Be Thy Game.
The Kingdom Come,
5 Super Bowls Won,
On Earth as it is in Heinz Field.
Give us this Day a playoff Victory,
And forgive us our penalties,
As we defeat those who play against us.
But lead us into a victory,
And deliver us to Tampa !

A-Ben

Have a safe and happy Superbowl,

Julie

DC Blogger Meet-Up: Quick Recap

2009-02-01T01:01:00.004-04:00

Hello loves!

I am frigid cold right now because I just got back from the DC Blogger meet-up and DC is cold (note to myself: wear Uggs next time). Anyways, here's a quick recap:

At 5:00, we all met up at Ella's Pizza in Chinatown. Typically, I am a "late person" but I was there too early so I sat alone at the bar drinking some red wine until others showed up (yes, I was "that girl"). Sooner or later, random girls-looking-confused and also some-girls-that-I-kinda-recognized-from-their-blogs came in one-by-one. Finally, we had a group of about 14 girls! It was really incredible seeing their faces and talking to them. It was like we were all old friends having a get together! I would list all of them, but since I just met some tonight I don't want to risk missing someone! I'll leave that to Kate. I will tell you that the lovely Jennifer from Life In the Cove and the president of Calista Cove was there and held a fantastic giveaway which included body products and accessories. I didn't win (grr) but she did give us fantastic coupons - she is such a sweetheart! Thanks Jennifer!

After the "official" meet-up, some ladies had to go home to tend to their younger ones. Some of us decided to hit up Zola for some drinks and chit-chat. This place was amazingly trendy and the bathroom was no exception! It had a REVOLVING DOOR and red lights inside. We were all amazed!

The bottom line: I had a GREAT time and I can't wait to see them again as real life friends. The blogosphere has given us a gift in making connections. Thank you ladies!

xoxo,

Julie

A Burn and Weekend Plans

2009-01-30T17:46:00.003-04:00

Happy Friday everyone!

Today has been crazy! I've been running around collecting things I need for classes (books, supplies, my sanity, etc) and now I'm starving! I think I'll have a banana after this post.

Last night I went over to Dan's to cook. The poor guy burnt his hand on a tray (that was 400 degrees) because he thought it was cool. Head on over to his blog to send your condolences. It was not pretty! Despite his injury, he did buy me a cute treat for Valentine's Day coming up:

Gotta love him! :-)

This weekend is super jam packed for me! Tonight, I am just hanging out with Dan but also probably doing some school work. Tomorrow morning I have a SWING DANCE class with Dan and his parents. I am excited but it's important for you to know that while I love to dance, I suck at it. Dan is an excellent dancer (has won awards) and will show me up. After that, I have to run (ha! If I recover from the dance class) and then I'm going to the DC blog meet-up! Meeting you lovely DC ladies will be swell I'm sure. I can't wait! Oh and if I show up in a leg cast from my dance class, I appoligize now. ;-)

Now, for Sunday. Sunday is the SUPERBOWL (as you all know) and I will be bleeding my black and gold to show my undying support for the Pittsburgh Steelers. My friends K and G are having a party and it's going to be great. After that, I suspect I'll be doing homework and/or procrastinating.

Steeler fans check out: Steeler Ladies

GO PITTSBURGH!

Julie

Giant Jewelry

2009-01-30T13:52:00.010-04:00

Yesterday, I got a pretty hilarious comment from one of my loyal readers, jlc from French Kiss.

She wrote:

"This has nothing to do with your post but can I tell you how much I appreciate the fact you put 'giant jewelry' as one of your interests????

Love it!!"

Thank you for your comment jlc! If you haven't checked out her blog, go now! You will love it - as I do. Here's my explanation: All my life, I have been exposed to "giant jewelry" as evidenced by pieces like this:

this:

this:

this:

this:

and this (as well as tons more!):

Who is the culprit? This extravagant lady:

That's right! My Bube (grandma) Shirley. All the pictures above are when we took pictures of all her jewelry (for her records) and wow she has a ton! That's where I get my love for giant jewelry! (Ha! It all makes sense now!)

xoxo,

Julie

Rue La la...

2009-01-28T22:07:00.002-04:00

Have you heard of Rue La La?

Awhile back, Preppy Little Dress blogged about this wonderful site that offers boutiques on discounted luxury items/brands. Since you have to be invited, she offered on her blog and I said yes! Since then, I have bought only a couple items because they are still expensive regardless. You do get lucky sometimes though! Right now, Rue La La has these boutiques coming up:

- Matt and Nat
- Stila

...and others. Do you want an invite to Rue La La? It costs nada to join and I'll invite you! Please send an email to wearingmascara at gmail dot com.

xoxo,

Julie

PETA Superbowl Banned Commercial

2009-01-28T16:56:00.004-04:00

With the Superbowl coming up soon, I know many of us are excited for not only the game, but the commercials. Recently, PETA had a Superbowl commercial banned from this weekend. Take a look for yourself and let me know your thoughts. It IS racy, so don't look at it in front of your kids! :-)

Discuss!

Express Yo'self

2009-01-28T15:43:00.008-04:00

Hello everyone!

Express is having a HUGE sale! Take 40% OFF of already marked down merchandise! Here are some awesome examples:

Ruched Sleeve V-Neck for 11.99

Ruffle Tank for 5.99

Belted Knit Dress for 11.99 (also comes in red!)

Wool Capellete for 17.99 (I really want this!)

Thanks to everyone who wore their pj's inside out last night. The plan half worked - we had a delay instead! I still think they should have closed school. It was pretty dangerous and my car was an ice cube! I couldn't even open my trunk. Either way, it's fine - I'm back home safe and sound.

One more thing: Are you a DC blogger? If so, visit Nautical by Nature and let her know that you're interested in a meet up! Today is the last day to sign-up. I'll be there and you should too :-)

Stay warm,

Julie

Missile Launcher

2009-01-27T23:01:00.003-04:00

Just in case you need one and for only 34.99, who doesn't?

Okay, the treadmill is calling my name.

Good night (for real this time!),

Julie

P.S. Wear your pajamas inside out and then maybe school/work will be canceled!

Um, Okay. Ouch.

2009-01-27T20:46:00.003-04:00

Hello!

Per my run yesterday, I am hurting all over. Really. I can barely cross my legs. In fact, I have to pick one up to assist it in crossing over the other. What's hard is that I have to run again today to follow along with my training. Later tonight, I'm hitting the treadmill because there is no way I am stepping outside in this wintery mix! I think that's why my muscles hurt to begin with!

Today was a great day, even with all the snow! I had an int*rpreting job near the Pentagon and while I got lost along the way, it was a great experience. It was a team job where I switched off and on with another int*rpreter. I love those types of jobs because I can watch the other int*rpreter and learn so much! It's hard though because some people don't like to be watched (me included) by other interpreters so I watched for a little and then read blogs on my iPhone.

When I got home, I was exhausted so I made some minestrone soup with crackers and then went straight to my bed for a nap. My days of laziness are numbered because the semester is officially underway. I have to enjoy my naps as I have them right?

Soon, I will go to the grocery store and Office Depot to pick up school supplies and officially organize myself for Spring 2009. Hopefully I can find some cute folders and notebooks because that always brightens up my day and semester! I'm excited to go food shopping because I have two recipes (one chicken tender recipe and one crock pot recipe) that I'm dying to try because they are low fat. Then, I have to hop on the treadmill before I become too lazy and ignore the training.

Ouch. I really hurt.

Have a great night everyone!

Julie

Photography Aspirations

2009-01-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

Hello all,

I have many aspirations and apart from psych*logy and Amer*can S*gn Langu*ge (ASL), I love photography.

I always have. It started when I was in high school and I took a class. My parents bought me a Canon Rebel G for my birthday and there I went shooting everything in sight. Since then, my camera has disappeared (cough, cough, I think my sister lost it cough cough) and last year, I made a spontaneous purchase. I bought a Nikon D40 and haven't looked back. Since then, I have taken tons of pictures. I even had the honor to be the photographer at my mother's wedding (small wedding needed a free photographer ;-)). That day gave me such joy I can't even begin to tell you. The pictures that came from that day are priceless to me and my family. I'm sure that they aren't "professional" one bit, but they are my pride and joy. Here, I would like to show you some pictures I have taken in the past year. I don't have a lot of good ones (in my opinion) but here are the ones I think are decent. Enjoy!

In DC

Bird in DC

Clyde who passed away last year. He was so sweet and photogenic!

Another Clyde picture

Here is Dan at Shenandoah State Park in VA (Old Rag)

This is one of my favorites. It's a dock at my favorite place in Pennsylvania!

My mom and her new hubby

Another wedding shot

This picture makes me smile every time... look at her happiness!

This is one of my ratties, Thurston. He is very timid because I adopted him from the Humane Society. I don't think his first family treated him well but he has turned into such a sweetheart!

Of course, no post with pictures would leave out a Liam picture! Here he is at Christmas, 2008!

With advice from a blogger that I found, I recently purchased Photoshop Elements. I want to learn Photoshop, but I simply do not have the money right now. Also, I feel most pictures should become their best in the camera itself but I do want to learn more editting techniques. I can't wait to start using elements. Andrea also recommended a book for me to read! She's great, check out her blog and get inspired!

Also, for all you photography enthusiasts, check out Digital Photography School. It's an awesome website with tools, tricks, forums, fun, and even assignments (for free!).

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Happy photos,

Julie

Few Things and I Need Photoshop Advice

2009-01-26T16:34:00.006-04:00

Today was my first day of class since last week I was absent. Wow, I'm going to have a ton of projects to do that are very involved. I guess this is expected during my last semester of classes, yes?

Very exciting things are coming my way and I know that 2009 will be exciting. I was offered a psychology full-year internship and my professor hinted that she knew of another place that may be offering one to me as well. I am really excited and both are promising opportunities to do what I love. With the two offers comes the reality of moving either here:

Pittsburgh (where I grew up... GO STEELERS!)

or here:

Philadelphia

Awesome right?

In other news, I had my first run for my training today. I ran in between classes all over campus and wowwww... my throat hurt, I'm not gonna lie. It's cold so my run was difficult! I just had to keep reminding myself that the first run back is always most difficult. Tomorrow will be easier!

Question for all you Photoshop users:

I want to buy Photoshop (well, I think I do at least!) and I can only find Adobe Photoshop Extended for a student discount. From what I'm reading, it's different than regular Photshop. Are their pro's or con's to buying the extended version? Are there educational discounts availbale (cheapy!) for regular Photoshop (CS4)?

Any advice is helpful!

Thanks all,

Julie

Training Starts Today: My Thoughts

2009-01-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Well ladies and gent's, my Cherry Blossom training starts TOMORROW.

This is rather scary and exciting for me for many reasons. First, it's important to know that I do not consider myself a "runner" - I never have. But since I tried and succeeded the Couch to 5k program two summers ago, I found out that anything was possible. My mother was a runner for most of her life. She ran about 5 times a week - it was her thing and she always told me about the adrenaline rush or runners "high" (which I never believed until I started running myself). Several years ago, she had problems with her knee and the doctor told her she could either

a) stop running and be able to run if she needed to or

b) continue running and risk never being able to run again.

For safety reasons, she stopped running and focused on walking everywhere all the time (with my dog!) instead. So, with inspiration from my mom (and dad because he ran too!), that is why I decided to try running.

Last year, I trained for the Cherry Blossom but did not show up on race day. There were many occurrences that attributed to this and here they are:

- The Cherry Blossom training program had something wrong with their email system. It wasn't until about 2-3 weeks after the training began that I realized that I wasn't receiving emails and training already started - without me. I tried to jump in where they were but that didn't work out too well because...

- I got shin splints terribly. This was probably because I started training late.

- Early in the program, I emailed the "virtual coach" and asked him if I can train on the treadmill off and on. He said yes so I proceeded. What I didn't know was to always put the treadmill on a little incline to try and match the resistance of being outside. Basically, treadmill + running outside are NOT equal so you must be careful.

When the day of the race came, I did not feel ready. I switched to the Cherry Blossom 5k (which I was ready for) but didn't go to that either. I was disappointed in myself. I trained so hard with so many drawbacks that it was difficult for me to face race day. The training itself though - whether I was ready or not - did wonders for my body, my mood, and my motivation in all aspects of life. Ironically, last spring semester was a great time for me. I wanted to do work, I was more alert and extremely healthy. Indeed, I correlate this to my training so even though I did not show up for the race, I was a success in my own right.

As I start this training program, I will have a good attitude and not be so hard on myself. There were times last year were I cried - feeling like a failure. I refuse to let myself do that again because by training and trying, I am doing more for myself than other people can say. You, my readers, are also working hard for something. We should be happy and thankful that we have goals and are trying our hardest. We can do it - whatever our goals or aspirations may be!

Julie

Real Life Sleeping Beauty

2009-01-26T01:31:00.002-04:00

I'm home safely and now off to bed.

Before you go to sleep or whenever you wake up, here is an article for you to read. Fairy tales do come true. ;-)

Julie

Pillow Barrier

2009-01-25T00:36:00.005-04:00

I love to cuddle. Who doesn't? I think cuddling makes any relationship stronger.

When Dan comes over, or I stay at his house, we have a little problem: The Pillow Barrier.

What is this you ask? Well, when I wake up in the morning - excited to cuddle - there is a pillow in between us. Like a line young siblings draw to separate their sides of a shared room. Dan swears it's not his fault.

Oh, but it is Dan, it is. You see, Dan likes to cuddle with a pillow at nighttime and this is where we differ. I like one pillow. Just one that lies beneath my head. Call me simplistic maybe but one pillow will do. Dan, on the other hand, has to have layers upon layers of pillows. Pillows that we simply don't need and pillows that I end up throwing off my side anyways. Why does he need so many and why cuddle with a pillow when he has me? I'm soft! I'm cuddly! Sometimes, I get purely jealous of his plaid pillow. In my half-asleep daze in the morning, I just want to easily cuddle with Dan without taking the time and energy to move the Pillow Barrier (especially since I haven't had my morning coffee yet).

Dan needs to get over his pillow relationship so then maybe we can wake up without the Pillow Barrier. Or, he needs to reserve it for when I'm not there. It's nonsense! I just want to cuddle 'cause I love him!

Does anyone else have a similar problem? ;-)

Julie

*UPDATE: Dan posted a response here. Check it out!*

It's Cold!

2009-01-24T19:20:00.010-04:00

Hello loves,

I got to Ohio yesterday around 7:30 pm and have been hanging out with family ever since. While I was in Pittsurgh, I had an interview for a full year internship in psychology (for my final year). It went very well and I now have a decision to make :-) I will give you more information I promise!

This morning, my sister and brother-in-law made eggs and bacon for breakfast (yum!) while I hung out with the little man:

Liam's Christmas picture, 2008

This morning, I attended my friend's memorial service. The service was beautiful and was attended by much of the community and a sea of blue police officers. Tons. It was unbelievable and know he would have loved to see the community support. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

On a more happy note, my blog designer sent me her first idea for this website and WOW... I cannot believe how beautiful it is! She is going to send me some more ideas, but I was extremely impressed with what she has come up with.

Another piece of news is that my boyfriend Dan has a new blog! It's called the Laughing Soul and he picked the perfect name. It describes him completely! Please go and give him a gigantic welcome! (I know he would love it!).

Recently, the blogosphere has been having a ton of giveaways! This makes me very excited so I want to share two for you.

- Monogram Chick is giving away an Aqua Polka Dot travel mug.

- Danielle from Blogs by Danielle is giving away a blog makeover.

Tell them both I sent you :-)

In a few minutes I'm going out (yes, in the bitterly cold!) to pick up my favorite subs for family dinner. Then we are having family game night complete with beer and wine. Have a great night everyone and again, thank you for all your support in the past few days. It means so much to have such supportive readers!

hugs,

Julie

Shiva for Grandpa

2009-01-23T17:22:00.001-04:00

Hello and happy Friday!

I am posting on my iPhone again. Look at me being all mobile :-)

Yesterday was very difficult but I am happy that my grandfather is at
peace and died so peacefully in his sleep. Isn't that how most of us
want to go? The hard part is that my grandmother was left behind.
She's the one with progressing Alzheimer's and yesterday she kept
forgetting that Larry (my grandpa) died. I think she forgot about 10
times and said "Where is Larry? Is Larry dead?" Then once we told her
it was like her finding out for the first time all over again. I can't
link this because I am posting mobilely, but I wrote a post a couple
months ago about them and their love. They had such an amazing
marriage - like newlyweds all the way until the end. I actually found
out yesterday that he wrote her love letters during their whole
marriage. I hope that we can find those someday! I also hope that when
I get married, I have a love and connection like they did. I wish the
same for all of you as well.

Today, we are sitting Shiva and mourning his death which in Jewish
tradition is 7 days but we are sticking to 3 days. Soon, I will be
heading back to Ohio.

About the picture: my cousins Alyse, Cassie, Max, and Adam were eating
and playing with clemintine's. We find joy in peeling them into spiral
shapes. :-)

Well I will leave you now. Thank you for all the amazing comments and
support. Also, special thanks to Alex for her very informative guest
post earlier today! If you haven't read it yet, see below.

Xoxo,

Julie

P.S. To respond to one if the comments: I am posting from my iPhone by
using email. I am emailing to an address I set-up through blogger
settings. I will go more in depth when I get home.

Guest Post: Cold Weather Running

2009-01-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

As promised, allow me to introduce my first guest blogger Alex from Running Just as Fast as I Can. Since it's becoming cold outside (or is already!) I thought it was important to provide information about cold weather running. It's January and many of us are signed up for races or just want to exercise more! So, without further ado, here's Alex:

The lovely Julie, asked me to put together a post about cold weather running. As I am a guest blogging virgin, be gentle with me ladies!

In the past I have stuck to the treadmill in the winter. It is obviously a lot easier and you can watch TV (yeah!). But in the past three years, I have been training for marathons and I have found that you can’t train on the treadmill. You have to do some outside running.

Obviously, Maryland and Pennsylvania aren’t the arctic, but it is still cold in the winter. So here are my tips (some stolen from other runners, but I will take credit):

Experiment with layering. I still haven’t mastered it! I find that lots of thinner layers are much better than one really thick layer. For example, a long sleeve t-shirt and my North Face Denali jacket are okay for short runs, but for longer runs I will wear a short sleeve technical t-shirt under a Nike cold weather turtleneck and then put a fleece vest (L.L. Bean) over that. For me personally, my chest and butt get the coldest, so that is where I load up on the layers
I have always been really partial to Nike, but I am recently finding that Under Armour is also really great for cold weather. I know that running clothes are really expensive too, so I only buy 2-3 pieces of each type of clothing. (2 pairs of tights, 2 turtlenecks, etc.) I just wash my clothes all the time.
Keep moving. I know there are times when you want to slow down or walk, but the minute I do, I am so cold. That makes it so hard to start again. For that reason, I try to push on through. If I am really hurting, I will shorten my mileage rather than walking.
Always wear a hat and gloves. I am a hat girl. I have a Nike fleece hat that has a hole in the back for my ponytail. I absolutely love it! Also, a guy from my running club recommended mittens over gloves because it allows you fingers to stay warmer.
In regards to hydration, I am a big drinker. I consume fluids like crazy, so any run that is 8 miles or over, I always run with a water bottle full of Gatorade. My running friends don’t drink anything and it drives me crazy!
Make sure to change out of your running clothes as soon as possible. If we run away from home, I always bring a spare set of clothes in my car. I change as soon as we are finished, so that I can keep my temperature up. Otherwise I am freezing!!

Obviously I am not expert, but this is what I have found from my experience. I hope this helps and any suggestions are always welcome!

Smooches,

Alex from Running Just as Fast as I Can (alexandrarusso24@gmail.com)

200th Post: Mobile Style

2009-01-22T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hello loves,

It's my 200th post and I am posting from my iPhone! I will be
celebrating with something on my blog later on. Maybe when my new
design is up?

I am en route to Pittsburgh to be with family and I am stopped at the
Quizno's along the way. Don't you love Quizno's and how they always
have Sunchips? Mmm..

I am ordering 4 Sammies (2 turkey and 2 italian) for Dan and I because
they are ultra portable for our trip.

Tomorrow, I will have a guest blogger so look for that! Today is going
to be very hard for me but you're comments have been so uplifting -
I'm reading them all the time.

Have a great day everyone!

Julie

Where Are You?

2009-01-22T01:39:00.004-04:00

Dear black scarf, red scarf, remote control, and telephone,

Where are you guys? Scarves: I need you! Why aren't you showing up when I need to pack you in my bags for Pittsburgh tomorrow? Don't you see how happy we were together in my profile picture?

Remote control: You can come out now! It's been months since I've seen you!

Telephone: Come on sugar, did I say something wrong? Are you shacking up with the remote control? Whatever I did wrong, I am sorry.

All four of you, I need you in my life. You each have a special place and I have torn up this apartment looking for you. Whatever I did to deserve you running away, let's just put it behind us. The past is the past.

I hope to see you soon,

Love,

Julie

198th Post

2009-01-21T17:40:00.002-04:00

Hola,

This is my 198th post! With everything happening right now, I completely missed that I am close to 200. I want to do something fun on my blog to mark this milestone, but it will have to wait until my life lightens up a bit.

I hate to make this post depressing (I feel like it's becoming a trend), but I need to vent. This morning, I got onto Facebook and someone (who I am "friends" with and honestly don't really know) had on their status message "RIP Officer Jarod D***". I paused and I thought "No... it couldn't be..."

Jarod was one of my friends from high school, we lost touch for a few years and then this past summer reunited at a random meeting while I was out to dinner. He became a police officer out of high school and really enjoyed it. On Monday morning at 5 am, he was called to clear debri from a previous car accident. He parked his car on the side of a highway and was struck by a truck while doing his job. He died instantly and was 24.

It's just amazing how in one split second you can lose your life. Just. Like. That.

Thank you for all your wonderful comments and words of encouragement about my grandfather. I am still feeling pretty numb about it - I'm sure that will change. The service is tomorrow in Pittsburgh. Dan and I are driving separately (he's taking a day trip) and I plan to then drive to Ohio to stay with my family for the weekend. Saturday morning is Jarod's service so I will most likely attend.

On a brighter note, I have will be having a guest blogger talk about running in the cold! I am very excited because I'm usually clueless when it comes to exercising outside. I hope you will enjoy what she has to say.

Please forgive me if I don't post regularly for the next few days.

xoxo,

Julie

Rest Peacefully Grandpa

2009-01-20T23:01:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone,

This will be short and brief because I am numb. My grandfather peacefully passed away tonight. I am trying to be joyful rather than sad because I know he is singing happily and is celebrating the wonderful life he had...

doesn't that photo make you smile?

His funeral will be either Thursday or Friday. More later...

Julie