we're bringin sexy back

 

I'm supposed to be packing for our four day weekend trip to Ann Arbor, but instead I'm scouring the web for custom shelving, pinning on pinterest and checking my facebook. What is it about packing -- and more so-- unpacking that is such a pain in the ass. I'll get to it. At some point. Before tomorrow morning. I will. Later. I am excited to finally get the chance to use my Gap bright yellow (I mean maize) raincoat that I bought in the summer like 6 years ago for..wait for it...$5 --originally $50-- that's the great thing about summertime and raincoats. 

I apologize in advance to all wives who despise fantasy football. Because I quite enjoy it. I am the problem, I support the addictive and unrealistic hobbies that men lust over. I think it's because I am, for whatever reason, kind of good at it. I can spot talent, and my mind works well with the auction draft style. Numbers, math, calculations, weighing cost versus value versus need. Stuff like that. I think I totally geeked it up and made it so unmanly, which is fine for me, and probably made myself sound like rainman, which isnt exactly fine for me. It is what it is.  The fact is, I sat through a 3-hour fantasy football draft on Monday. And now I have something/someone to root for on Sundays, I dont go to church, but fantasy football has now given my Sundays a meaning. That is, when I'm not baking or working or shopping or cleaning or anything. 

my new office chair, pink. love it.

Some light at the end of the tunnel...I think we've finally gotten the health insurance situation sorted. Found some plans that we feel good about and are about to commit. What a relief. The insurance world is so muddled and daunting. I have squeegeed off the bird shit insurance mumbo jumbo from the windshield and finally have some clarity on which way to go. Which means it will soon be baby-makin time! 

The Coops just re-signed up for the gym, that's right folks, sexy is being brought. Oh god, did I just say that. Not a big enough JT fan for that to be acceptable, shame. While we were being given a tour, the trainer asked us what we had been doing since we cancelled our memberships 4 months ago. Quickly and directly I said "gaining about ten pounds." To which, he didnt laugh. My husband did, then felt his stomach and said "that sounds about right." I love my husband. 

Carmageddon, really? Life goes on. and on. and on.

Carmageddon [kahr-muh-ged-n] noun: the overly dramatic uproar and panic over the temporary shut down of the 405 freeway from the 10 to the 101. 

Alright, so everywhere you turn there is something about..dun dun dun...Carmageddon. It's become almost entertaining. I heard the police on the news saying "treat it like a disaster," oh yeah and those $4 flights from Long Beach to Burbank, crazyness. There are cities in the midwest that have had tornados, storms and full on floods. Cities in the south that have faced hurricanes. Cities all over the world that have endured tsunamis and earthquakes. And here we are in Los Angeles, fussing over a freeway closure for two days. I get it, it's inconvenient, and it's "something" happening and like most cliche LA residents, we must make it more than it is, we must capitalize on it's happening. We saw shops with "I survived Carmageddon" specials and t shirts. It's become a thing. It's a noun known by all Angelenos. So to say the least, we are staying put at home on our side of town, staying update on street and freeway traffic via Facebook status updates.

Still packing. It feels endless. It IS endless. But the end is nearing and for that I see the light. On the bright side, I found a $100 Bloomingdales gift card that my father in law got me for Christmas. I decided to treat myself to a little shopping trip after my painful dentist appointment as it was right next door...why not, right? I am not a huge fan of shopping and I rarely splurge on a big purchase for myself, so as you could imagine, Bloomingdales isnt my usual place of perusal. It's nothing like Target. Love Target. But armed with a gift card, I went in willingly, with an open mind, though judging the $75 tank tops and $90 t shirts. I needed jeans, that gave me some direction. I found that they are in excess of $150- wtf. I looked at the sparse clearance rack of jeans, and found a great pair. The right darkness, soft,a great cut. But they were a size 29. I am used to being a size 7. Double digit sizes are a lot more depressing, but I get it, that's just the fancy pants sizes. Low and behold, I am a size 29! The pants I loved fit perfectly and flattered my..assets. They were originally $170 and I got them for....$85!!! A-mazing. And the most expensive single piece of clothing I have. I will not be enjoying spaghetti sauce, fruit punch, or ketchup while wearing these pants. Stains are not welcome.

So back to packing it is. Been moving boxes and furniture all day. Sweaty and stinky. I stink. Like balls. And even still, I went out in my white slip ons, my husbands michigan shorts, a random t-shirt and hair up to get cupcakes! It's our savior. It's our joy. It is THE only thing that would be worth going out looking all mismatched and smelling like balls. 

I understand your concern of my excessive cupcake eating. Don't worry, I've been running, I'm not 500lbs. 

And for my fellow people of great taste. Harry Potter 7.2 was fantastic. I cried, I laughed and I wished it never ended. I'm a huge nerd for it. Random story. I was at home depot with a cart full of packing paper and cardboard boxes and an older, awkward employee comes up and blurts out "do you want to see harry potter with me tonight?" Was hilarious, after I informed him that I was seeing it with my husband that night, I walked away wondering how he knew I was a fan of harry potter. Do i walk with the stature of a Gryffindor, do I ooze the essence of a Hogwarts student or do i simply stink of nerd? Whatever it may be, I am proud. 

word of the week: deceptively delicious

Me and my best friend

Been busy catching up on my "social life" this week, as we were total recluse's during our packing frenzy last week. It's nice to reconnect with friends and it's also nice to know that you're best friend is the one you have the rest of your life with. We have lots of friends and we love them all. There's also this amazing comfort in knowing that the person you married is your absolute best friend and that you can be anti-social together. Yep, sometimes all we want to do is stay in, watch a movie and eat junk food and fall asleep by ten. 

drool....

So I love my most recent, delicious discovery. Morningstar Farms. I had "Chik'n Nuggets" for lunch the other day...but I'm a vegetarian! How is that possible??? Well..they were fake chicken nuggets that taste like chicken. And that's not all...they have corndogs! They look, smell, taste just like real corn dogs, but they arent real, they are deceptively delicious. Mmm...I've never been big into the "fake" meat stuff, but these two make me feel like a bad ass carnivore. Everytime I eat them I feel the urge to say "look! I'm eating meat...not!" 

This isn't me btw! ha! Not even close..

And after that meatless meat meal I decided to start lifting kettle bells again to work on my abstastic abs. I like them for some reason, because I can actually feeeel my abs working. I stand there in front of the mirror in just a sports bra while I do my kettle bell exercises so that I can stare at my love handles and non-tight abs and shame myself into another set of lifts. The shame. 

my photo of bronson canyon

I went for a hike the other day, it was about noon and over 80 degrees out. The ground was dry and everything was the same dry burnt brown color like hay. I was certain this was "rattlesnake weather." They always talk about that, "oh be careful, it's them there rattlesnake season." I'm guessing it's the heat or something. I was so certain I'd see a rattlesnake...I dont know why but I was...that I brought my camera. With the thought that I would have the mental awareness and serenity to pop off my lense cap, focus and take pictures if a rattlesnake was suddenly on the path in front of me. Thankfully I didnt see any snakes, and I was looking...watching the ground two steps ahead...glancing into holes as I passed by...listening for a slither. I don't know what I was thinking, there was no way in hell that if a rattlesnake had appeared I would maintain the composure necesary to not move and to take pictures. I would be high tailing it down the path at record speeds. Again, nothing to worry about as I didnt actually see a snake, just spent alot of mental alone time living out each of the possibilities. 

I've always wanted to be a magician, I just havent proven that I have the patience or discipline to master it. It's just an awesome thing that I've always loved to see and attempt. 

So back in January, James & I had a birthday party together since our birthdays are just one day apart. It was a lot of fun, we had lots of friends at our house and we hired this guy, Fantastic Fig the psychic magician to come and entertain our guests with cool magic tricks. This guy is pretty...bizarre and also amazingly good at the magic he does, it's mind blowing. Funnily enough, he's also an attorney. Anyway, he was on America's Got Talent this week and got selected to move on the their Vegas round. Here's the video below!

the things we find..

As mentioned a few days ago, the Mr. has sprouted a green thumb. He's been fixing up the backyard and the front, and yesterday I hear "Babe! Come look at what I found!" Expecting to see a chest full of gold medallions or a buried treasure map, I was quite surprised and totally geeked out about this natural history museum status discovery...

...okay maybe not museum status, we're guessing it's a squirrel. But I'm used to catching them like this...

Packing [slash] organizing inside the house -- which is my realm of duty these days -- has had it's own discoveries. I found a $100 Bloomingdales gift card in a purse I havent used in months, that I had suspected the cleaning ladies of taking. I'm horrible. I have also found myself becoming more and more sarcastic. But that's who I am -- a bit rough, a bit inapropriate, I guess much like a pirate, and all is escalated when we play Halo & Gears of War-- but anyway, I found these questions I think are really valuable to get you in a positive place and have really helped me, but amidst the task I think otherwise. 

"What am I most proud of in my life right now?" 

[The fact that I finished all those cheese and crackers from last nights meeting.]

"How has today added to the quality of my life?" 

[I am now that much more sore and ready to ditch everything just so I don't have to pack it -- well except for those mini Buddha statues that I love, oh and that sweater, and those vases...okay shit, I can't let go.] 

The weather is beautiful,  I want to be running through a field...naked...taking pictures of butterflies...chewing on grass...wearing a straw hat. Or..not, but apparently thats my stereotypical view of a hippy/free spirited/person nakedly taking pictures of butterflies while running through a field.

In reality -- which I am more and more often losing track of-- I want to be in a sun dress on a hammock with my husband and a glass of peach raspberry crystal light while snacking on Crumbs black bottom cheesecake brownie cupcakes. That is bliss.

Oh bliss I yearn for you.

Boxes and packing and prepping, oh my!

Gone are the days of collecting clutter, saving those Iron Man Dr. Pepper cans just because RDJ's face is on them and hoarding every last bridal magazine I scavenged through. It's time to purge, to strategically pack and stage the house so that it looks so quaint, organized and clean that other people would want to live here. 

We love the house, we love the location, it's all so great. It's just too much, we are downsizing, a lot less land, a little less house. We're married now, we want to find a place of our own, to make our own -- so grown up it's ridiculous. 

Not to mention, a place to start our family in. No bump yet, but we are very excited to make some babies. Cute, cuddly, awesome, kick ass babies -- yes, I'm baby crazy. It's not my fault though, friends are having babies, getting pregnant and invading the hormonal part of my psyche. I've been browsing the website Project Nursery and searching baby names on Baby Center.  I've always known I was impatient, so this whole, 9 month gestation period will be full of decorating, shopping and baking. Again, not pregnant yet...just enjoying the things I get to look forward to. The more I see cute bedding and awesome names, the less I think about the weight gain, morning sickness and insane mood swings. 

Anyway..about packing..

The task is eternal it feels. Packing, moving piles to another room only to face it later. Some things arent meant to be put into square cardboard boxes -- how do I pack 2 big monkey cookie jars?

This means nothing, it came up on a
google image search for Garage Sale

A giant adventure (that's the word I use instead of CHORE -- i trick myself into excitement), a giant adventure we are conquering together. And at the end of it all -- a big garage sale! Here ye, here ye, ladies & gents of Los Angeles...a sale of household things from within a garage will be sold in the coming weeks. I don't think I've ever had a real garage sale, but it looks all folksy and fun, so yeah, that'll happen in a few weeks. 

Added the rock border and all the flowers/plants inside

Created the levels, added brick,
 rock, tree, plants, flowers

Oh ps my husband has apparently become a gardener/landscaper. Hot. The mexican in him emerges. The mexican in me emerges as I pick up Sharkys for his gardening lunch break. Yes, we are both part mexican, I apologize for blowing your mind.