Monday, November 30, 2009

Gripes

A few words and phrases that irritate me, for your reading pleasure.

"Conversate" - Because it's not a word.

"Irregardless" - Also not a word.

"Orientate"- Apparently used widely in the UK, but I'm holding fast to my original belief that it is not a word.

"Myself"- When people use it incorrectly, such as "If anyone has a question, talk to Jon or myself." Jon or me, people, Jon or ME!

"That's a made up holiday." Yeah, well. They all were at some point.

"I'm a really good drunk driver."- No. YOU'RE NOT.

"Sherpa"- when used in reference to boots or other products with sheepskin in them. Because I'm sorry, but unless you've skinned a Himalayan mountain guide, your jacket IS NOT LINED WITH SHERPA.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Ring.

I saw New Moon on Thanksgiving day. It was fun, entertaining, ridiculous, tweeny, whatever. But I want to talk about the most disturbing part about it. And no, I don't mean how it glorifies suicide and reckless behavior or how Bella is a total bitch for stringing along nice, hawt Jacob the entire time while pining for sallow, emo Edward.

No, I want to talk about Bella's moonstone ring. Did you notice it? How could you not? She wore it throughout the whole movie. Every time you saw her hands it was like Look! Ring! Apparently this was something she had in the books. I didn't remember it but according to Wiki answers it's true.

Ring.

What could possibly be disturbing about this, you ask? Well only the fact that I have been wearing a moonstone ring on my right index finger for the past SIX years.

Here I am the day before Thanksgiving:

Ring.

And on Halloween:

Ring.

Probably two and a half years ago:

Ring.

Threeish years ago:

Ring. (Plus shorter hair and absent tattoo).

SHALL I GO ON?

Seriously. I HAD IT FIRST. I am so not looking forward to this becoming a "thing" and people asking me if I wear it because of the books/movies. Because no. NONONONONONONONONO.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

And then he had the munchies.

My nieces and nephews got Bowie a Christmas present. He found it and opened it just a tad early.

Look closely, he also gnawed his way through the plastic on that stocking. And then he spent the rest of the evening totally H-I-G-H off catnip... running up and down the hall, staring at things really closely, scooching along the ground on his back, getting startled whenever someone came near him. Now I remember why I don't usually keep catnip in my house.

Friday, November 27, 2009

You'd think I would have whiter teeth.

So I was halfway home before I realized I had left my entire bag of toiletries at my parents' house. I am most irritated about the fact that I left my new makeup. I had been doing essentially the same makeup routine for, oh, four or five years. But then a couple weeks ago I finally quit making excuses, went into Sephora and had the nice man there tell me what eye makeup to buy and how to put it on. It does look splendid, if I do say so. But then I left it at my parents' house. It's really no big deal but I DID want to wear makeup, say, tomorrow.

Fortunately, I do have spare deodorant, hairbrush, hair goo, etc. And toothpaste. Do I have toothpaste! Apparently dental care supplies are something I'm frequently worried (paranoid?) that I will run out of. So I buy them when I see them. Which means that when I opened my bathroom drawer to look for a new toothbrush and tube of toothpaste I found this:


Yeah. I think I'm all set.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thankful

I am absolutely brimming with gratitude this Thanksgiving. It may have something to do with the champagne.

Today I am especially thankful for...

... my family. For them sticking by me, no questions asked. For them loving me, wholly, fiercely. For the deafening chaos that reigns in the house during the holiday season. For the beautiful, amazing children who scramble about underfoot and drive us all up the wall.

... my friends. They who caught me when I fell, hard. Who believed that I was strong even when I didn't believe it myself. Everyone who listened listened listened when I needed to talk. The friends who gave advice and tangible solutions. The old friends, the new friends, and the friends I've never even met in "real life" who offered to help me in any way they could. The school friends who told me they wouldn't let me screw up, that they'd help me get through this quarter. Everyone who encouraged and cheered me on. Everyone who offered me a place to crash, a shoulder to cry on, a hug, or a snarky comment. Everyone who has been my drinking buddy.

... myself. I have a new found energy. I am lucky and happy and healthy and have a life full of love and possibilities.

For all this, and so much more, I am thankful.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Music to my Ears

Some people have those fancy newfangled programs on their iphones or ipods or whatevers where you hold up your device to a radio speaker and it will *ding!* magically tell you whatever is playing. Well I don't have that yet. When I hear a song that I like, I scramble for a scrap of paper and a writing impliment and I start scribbling down the lyrics as fast as I can. Then I google the lyrics and voila! I've found the song I want to download!

A few weeks ago I was wandering around Nordstrom and I came to a dead stop underneath one of their speakers because, wow, there was a good song playing. I whipped out my phone and franticallly texted myself the lyrics to this FANTASTIC song. I went home, googled it, downladed it off itunes, put it on a mix cd and have since been perpetually playing it in my car.

I am shamefully ready to announce the name of that song: Keep it Real. By the Jonas Brothers.

You may commence with the mocking.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Fluff Ball

I gave Bowie a bath the other day. He spent the rest of the day alternating between glaring at me and curling up by the heater.

I didn't rip your face off becuz you feeds me.

Monday, November 23, 2009

advice from my mama

We don't call boys.

Bubble baths are amazing.

Don't be such a smart alec.

Learn how to cook one thing really well so you can always bring it to parties.

When the person on the phone asks for you, you say "This is she."

If you find a pair of jeans you like, buy them.

Try new things.

Talk to your teachers.

If a relationship doesn't seem like it's going anywhere, get out.

People would rather hear wrong information than none at all.

You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

Go to college. Major in something academic.

Someday you'll be happy you had braces as a kid.

Celebrate holidays whenever the family can be together, God will understand.

Reward yourself.

Always bring a bathing suit.

Try to do something you love, but you're going to need money too.

Every woman alive loves Chanel No. 5.


(inspired by Miss Grace & Mighty Girl)

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Touché.

The following is a conversation I had with my smarty pants little niece:

Are you ever going to have babies?

Well, yes, I want to have babies. But first I have to wait till I have one of these (indicating my empty ring finger) like your mommy has.

You DO have a ring right there on your other finger.

That's right, I do. But it's not quite the same thing. First I want to get married and then I'll have babies. I'll give you lots of little cousins, okay? Does that sound good?

No.

Why not?

You don't even have a boyfriend!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

That time again

I need a haircut. Breaking news, right? Somebody call the president! Whatever. I do.

I like my hair's length and I like that I've finally given up on the idea that blond highlights look good on me (they don't). Last time I went in, the stylist decided that violet panels were the way to go. I'm very happy with how they turned out, how they faded into a color I didn't hate, and how they blend with the rest of my hair. She also gave me bangs. I am much less happy about those. I tend to wear my hear like this, to avoid having to deal with them at all:

I am not flipping you off, I assure you.

I think maybe part of the problem is that I asked for "sweep acrossy bangs" and so she cut them in such a way that they require a lot of styling but really my MAIN desire for hair maintenance is Low Effort. Maybe I didn't make that clear enough.

So. What do you think, shall I try for bangs again? And, if so, what specifically do I say?

Friday, November 20, 2009

Things I would have never done in LA

Since I lived in LA for eight years, I tend to say that I'm "from" there (despite the fact that I lived in the city where I grew up for eighteen years). I loved living in LA and I was sad to leave. But it turns out that I like San Francisco, too. I tell people this: "I thought I would just tolerate living here for 3 years, but I actually really like it!" and then they look at me funny because all they asked was "how's it goin?"

Here's a short list of things that I do now that I probably would not have done in LA:

- take public trans instead of drive
- walk instead of take public trans
- have separate garbage receptacles for trash, recycle, AND compost
- experience a reverse commute
- use the term "reverse commute"
- get farm fresh fruits and veggies delivered to my door
- eat farm fresh fruits and veggies
- drink water from a Klean Kanteen
- drink water
- wear layers
- use glass tupperware
- bring my own silverware to school
- use cloth napkins
- search high and low for organic milk in glass bottles

Look at me, I'm turning into a Bay Area hippie!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Shelvish

So the storage space in my bedroom has always kind of bothered me. Rather, the lack of usable and organizable storage space in my bedroom has bothered me. Let me show you what I mean:


The desk is too low and too in a corner for me to ever have the desire to sit at it. So I crammed some drawers under it and made it into a makeshift dresser area. But then I started piling stuff on top of it and that got out of hand. So now that area is a storage/mess region. And the shelves. THE SHELVES.

Notice anything missing?


Seriously. Want a hint?


See? MISSING SHELVES. So my question is this: why would they add built-in shelf space without including the shelves? What is the purpose of these large box-areas? Am I supposed to be displaying art or hunting trophies there? I know I know, the shelving would be be easy to add. I've already set this in motion by whining to most of the boys I know so hopefully it will happen soon. But still. Why aren't the shelves already there?

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Congrats Ms. Pants!

I had to pick a winner for my giveaway, and random number generators are just not that fun, so I made a sticky note for everyone who entered:


Then I crumpled 'em up:


And shut my eyes, mixed them around, and plucked one out:


And the winner is Molly Pants! Congrats, my dear! Email me, willya?

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Jules what now?

I was at Ikea today during my break, wandering the maze and spacing out. Then I hit up the "As Is" section, which I think is by far and away the best part of Ikea-- furniture that is cheaper BECAUSE you already assembled it for me? Yes, please. I ended up buying a little bookshelf thingy that will help me turn that weird desk/irritating cabinet area into something more useful and thus work toward the zenning of my bedroom.


I also found these:


?

Monday, November 16, 2009

Today,

I bought milk in glass bottles. I had been looking for them for a couple of weeks-- first at Safeway, then at Trader Joe's and then back at Safeway again because I wished so hard they carried it. What I REALLY want is an actual dairy service like they had in the days of yore (not you're or your). You know, where the delivery man would bring bottles to your doorstep and then father your illegitimate children? But for that to happen I guess you first need a dairy nearby. And a delivery man. And, well, a doorstep. So I'm settling for buying milk in glass bottles. I switched to organic milk a few weeks ago and YOWZA is there a difference. Num. That's all I need to say. And then it started bugging me that I was drinking organic milk from plastic bottles because that just seems wrong. So now, thanks to Whole Foods, I'll be buying glass bottled milk.

And, yes, my glass bottle milk buying is ALL I would like to talk about for today. I'm certainly not getting into this.

P.S. There is still time to enter my giveaway (that Tuesday Nov 17 deadline is pretty meh)! I'm throwing in a Flip & Tumble bag, for the winner, too!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Classy N Stuff

(Written by Miss Grace)

This weekend, we:
  • Drank vodka out of a water bottle in a CVS parking lot.
  • Found myself on the wrong side of watching the sun rise.
  • NARROWLY avoided an Everclear concert. At Club Disney (henceforth whenever you find yourself in a less than ideal situation, remind yourself, "Self," you'll say, "At least you aren't at an Everclear concert. In Anaheim."
  • While ragging on said concert, said that I (Jenny) couldn't think of a single band I would rather see LESS. Ten minutes later, we've sort of moved on to a new subject, Turducken says, "What about Nickelback?" Touché.
  • Watched this fight. And...um....enjoyed it? I (Jenny) don't like boxing. At all.
  • Drove. A LOT.
  • Changed in the street. As in, the kind of changing where you get naked. As in, the middle of the street.
  • Some other stuff, but it's not seeming very clear just now.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

A moment from our drive (redacted)

We spent a lot of time in the car. Having many conversations like this one:

[Redacted cuz it had a little too much work info in there]

Did you know that Jessica Rabbit wears a red dress? Jenny thought it was purple...

Friday, November 13, 2009

I wanna text you up

I recently had to change my phone number. Since then, every once in awhile I'll get a text message from a number I don't know saying something like this:

So I got c b a a b b d a d c c d c a d b d a b Tell me what u got.

Or,

I think num 17 is a not c right?

Today I wrote back: Wrong number... Maybe you should try studying instead.

Maybe they will?

Thursday, November 12, 2009

NP WK!

Guess what? It's National Nurse Practitioner Week!

As someone who is currently in NP school, I've noticed that many people seem to be unclear as to the actual ROLE of a nurse practitioner. How is it different from a regular nurse? they ask. Why would you go through all this extra training and not just go to med school instead? Oh, you'll be able to write prescriptions... will you write me one for Vicodin?

Even though I answer people's questions and I feel like I explain the role of an NP pretty well, it's hard to know how to say it in a succinct, easy-to-understand way.

Until today, when I saw this:


YES.

So, in honor of National Nurse Practitioner Week I'm having a giveaway!

Remember this book? And how it helped me transform my kitchen? And soon, my bedroom? And then, MY LIFE?

Want one for yourself? With an AWESOME NP Week bookmark to go with it? Well here's whatcha do:

- Leave me a comment by TUESDAY NOVEMBER 17, telling me about the area of your house that could use the most help from this book-- I'm thinking "cluttered" or "disorganized" as opposed to "dirty" or "in need of redecorating" but whatever, really. I'll pick a winner in one of those fair, randomish ways people do and mail you the book + bookmark. And then you'll be happy because you won a contest and got a little something in the mail and you never win contests or get fun mail (or is that just me?).

For bonus entries:
  • Take a pic of that area of your house and email it to me royaljewels dot feelings at gmail dot com. I'll post it here and use it for NaBloPoMo because I'm running out of ideas.
  • Go out and hug your favorite nurse practitioner and/or nurse practitioner student. Leave me a comment and let me know you did. Honor system, I'll believe you!
Sound good? Happy NP Week!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Life's a Piknik

There was so much awesomeness from this weekend, even more than what the pictures show. But here are a few of my faves.







I really wish there was photographic evidence of the following: An unbelievably awkward cab ride to the Castro wherein Aman horribly offended the driver by asking, "so how's business?" Swimming + bloody marys + Cody wearing my short shorts. Eating at that restaurant on Saturday morn and realizing that NO ONE was seated around us because we were being so charismatic* and boisterous.** Jenny instructing the boys on the CORRECT way to pull a girl's hair.


*obnoxious
**loud

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Grammar Lesson



Your vs. You're

Your= The possessive form of you.
As in: Your bad attitude. Your insane beliefs. Your inappropriate and disrespectful behavior.

You're= You are.
As in: You're spiteful. You're fired. You're not allowed to contact me anymore.

An example of both in the same sentence: You're trying to manipulate me and I will not play your games.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Bedroom: Before

The second section of my book on organization talks about making your bedroom into a sanctuary-- a "sexy, comforting, nurturing, inspiring, cozy, elegant, sophisticated, homey, fun, joyful" sanctuary. Apparently I'm supposed to do this in February. But then I was supposed to do the kitchen in January, so here we are. I'm going to move forward in the order of the book chapters, rather than the corresponding months.

Anyhow, my bedroom. I believe I may have mentioned that my apartment is rather strangely laid out-- it has a kitchen/hallway instead of a separate kitchen so that there could actually be separate bedroom nook in my 300 square feet of space. So my bedroom is tiny. You would think there wouldn't be much room for it to be messy or cluttered. You would be wrong.

The book invites you to consider your bedroom as it is now-- What do you like about it? What do you not like? Any quick, easy fixes you could do to improve it? Do you feel like the space truly reflects you? Is it full of things from your past that don't have as much meaning now? Are there old habits or tastes you still incorporate?

Picture your bedroom sanctuary in your mind, the book says. What does it look like?

I can tell you what my imaginary bedroom sanctuary does NOT look like. This:

The weird, too-short-built-in unusable desk/inconvenient shelf area:


A closer look at the desk and the drawers I have crammed underneath it. Also, my purse crate:


Those are all the boxes of childhood and random things that I brought from the storage room at my parents' house. I was planning to unpack and organize them. Yeah.

My bedside table:
Do you spy the book?

I do like that this table doesn't have drawers, because I think I would just cram stuff into them and pretend it isn't there. Also, I LOVE that lamp. It was in my bedroom at my grandmother's house when I was a little girl, then it was in the garage and didn't have a shade for a long time so nobody used it. Then, I, the genius, figured out that you could go out and buy a new shade.

My bed:


I LOVE my bed. I bought that fluffy blankie at Target at the beginning of the school year because I am ALWAYS cold, especially at night, especially in winter. And then I bought those jersey knit pillowcases. My bed is lovely and cloud-like and I love it.

I have a month to create a bedroom sanctuary. I'm thinking I might give myself a little extra time, due to extenuating circumstances. And that's okay because some of the book sections involve things like "Get your kids on board!" which I don't have or "Organize that cluttered garage!" which would involve me going down the my assigned parking space and giving it a thumbs up. But I'm excited. I had fun zenning my kitchen and it really seems like it worked. So maybe, hopefully in a month and change I will have a fabulous zen bedroom to show you.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Text Conversation of Magic

We are still broken. But it is also still NaBloPoMo. So here we are. This is a conversation via text message from yesterday morn.

Julia: Are you alive my darling??

Jenny: Barely

Julia: Where ARE you??

Jenny: In a gutter? Not oakland. And i just put on pants?

Julia: Oh my god come home

Jenny: Working on it? Aman is talking about a physics professor. How are you?

Julia: What the fuck why do you always text me things that will only make sense after I see you?!? I am good... hungover...

Jenny: Once we figure out where we are wanna get us?

Julia: Oh my god really I have to drive? I think that might be a bad idea. Oooh actually I will bring turducken

Jenny: I meant for car moving purposes? In awhile

Julia: Yes. But don't you want to shower and stuff before we go somewhere? Oh whatever I will come get u whenever u want... WHERE ARE U?

Jenny: In san francisco. South of you. We tried to come home but could not get inside.

Julia: Oh shit I am so sorry... why didn't you call me?

Jenny: I thought we called you but i was INTOXICATED. Actually we got into building but couldn't get upstairs.

Julia: Next time I will give u keys. So uh WHERE did you guys end up staying? I feel bad.

Jenny: The vagabond inn? Don't feel bad. Buy us breakfast!

Julia: Oh man... deal.

Jenny: Bring me my sunglasses when you come?

Julia: Ok... lemme know when.

Jenny: I don't think I can stand yet... also my giants shirt from my basket.

Julia: Anything else your majesty?

Jenny: No my darling. But ouch.

Julia: YES OUCH. Looking up directions... your hotel is located off many one way streets.

Jenny: Awesome. There's blood on the ceiling here...

Saturday, November 7, 2009

We are BROKEN

But still posting dammit (even if it's the same both places)



Friday, November 6, 2009

Allergic to Compazine

The other day at Student Health I was asked by both the doctor and the pharmacist if I was allergic to any medications. Both times I nearly shouted YES!

Yes! Allergic! YES! WRITE IT DOWN!

I am allergic to Compazine.

ALLERGIC TO COMPAZINE!!!

I may overemphasize this just a tad.

But, journey back five or six years with me, will you?

...

It was the summer before my senior year in college. I was in Fiji. I had managed to convince a travel company that they should pay my travel expenses and in exchange I would take hours and hours of video of the countryside, the villages, the towns, the activities offered by the company, and then give them the raw footage. It was a pretty sweet deal (for me).

The places I stayed ranged from beach resorts to family huts in tiny villages. It was incredible. I got to travel all over the place, meeting all sorts of interesting people, eating nummy food, learning about the culture. But then I got sick.

Looking back, I guess it had happened slowly, I had been feeling generally icky for about a week. But the worst of it came on suddenly. One minute I was chatting with the locals, getting ready to go into the dinner hut.

The next minute I was curled into a ball on the floor shaking, sweating, vomiting, writhing, hobbling to the outhouse and then collapsing onto the floor again. I could barely speak, barely breathe.

I thought I was going to die.
No, actually. I was certain I was going to die.

Your appendix has probably burst or something.

aaruuuugh. Okay.

We can either take you to the doctor in the next village, or down to Nadi to the Emergency room, but that's 3 hours away.

Nadi. arrrrrhghhhhhha.

So down the dirt road through the darkened countryside we went. The driver and another staff member in the cab and me lying on a mattress in the truck bed. Every fifteen minutes or so the other staff member would shine her flashlight on me and I would give a weak thumbs up to let her know I was still alive. I lay on my left side, whimpering to myself. As we careened down the mountain, sometimes I caught a glimpse of the moon. The cloud shapes looked demonic. I am going to die.

We arrived in Nadi. The people (not doctors, not sure who they were) in the ER gave me some opioid painkiller and I passed out. The next day, I was diagnosed with Giardia.

So I was given a variety of antibiotics, more opioids, and an antinausea medication that I now know is called Compazine. I started feeling better. After a few days I felt like I could function. I could walk around. I could eat. I could sleep. I wasn't paralyzed by the pain or throwing up and throwing up and dry heaving and throwing up bile.

But then after about 3 days my face started feeling weird. It started with just slight movements-- it was as though my lips were twitching and I couldn't control them.

Over the next hour, my jaw and neck grew tight and my tongue felt like it was glued to the bottom of my mouth. And then all of a sudden, I couldn't move.

My neck and jaw muscles started aching from being tensed but I couldn't relax them. My throat felt like it was closing up. I tried to call a taxi to take me to the emergency room, but they couldn't understand me so they hung up.

Now, in case you can't imagine what I might have looked like in this situation, here are some dramatic reenactment photos.

My head and neck could ONLY be in the following positions:
Looking rigidly up and back.

Or, looking rigidly down and forward.

I AM NOT EXAGGERATING.

I know it looks funny NOW, but at the time I couldn't control it and I couldn't speak so I was thinking things like: What the hell is happening to me. WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ME? I am going to be deformed for the rest of my life. Oh my god oh my god oh my god OH MY GOD what is going on. I think I would rather die.

I motioned to the other staff member staying in the house with me to CALL A FUCKING TAXI and he looked at me.

I think you're fine, Julia.

Cllaooolll a taaahksi
(Call a taxi).

You just need to drink some water.


Plsheashe shelelep meeeeee. (Please help me).

Finally, he sighed, rolled his eyes, and called a taxi and took me to the emergency room. They gave me a shot of... something? And it went away. And the relief I felt? Intoxicating.

So. I know. I KNOW there are people out there with much much much much worse allergies. But this was terrifying.

I sympathize with your allergies, big or small, confusing or straightforward, common or rare.

Because. I am allergic to Compazine.

Allergic to Compazine.

ALLERGIC TO COMPAZINE!!!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Girl Talk: Workin Girl



I would love to tell you all about my jobs and school and the several different things that I am doing right now with my life. However, I have an 8 page paper due tomorrow that I have not started plus a midterm to do tonight.

The thing about being a nurse is that most people have at least some vague idea of what that might entail. When I used to tell people "I'm an activity director. I work at an adult day health care center" they would tend to say "oh.... huh...." and then stare at my blankly or else look around the room for somebody else to talk to. Sometimes I really enjoy explaining the nuances of what I do, the myriad of different career avenues available in this field, the specific specialty that *I* have chosen and how amazing it is. And then sometimes I like to just be able to say this:

I'm a nurse.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Huh.

I came home from Chico with my leg looking like this:


I don't think this photo does the injury justice since you can't quite make out the multiple bruises but, well, it's hard to photograph your own inner knee area. Also, it's out of focus. Also, apparently I'm rather veiny.

And today I came home to find Bowie sitting on the bed like this:


Leaning on his haunches like some beer-bellied couch potato. And then he just STARED at me. He even sat there long enough for me to run into the other room and get my camera.

I'm not sure to think about either situation.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Halloween

Well I can't really explain it any better than Miss Grace's post does, but it's only day 3 of NaBloPoMo and I can't give up YET so here I am. Halloween weekend in Chico was ridiculous. This is partly due to the fact that the moment I enter the city limit of Chico, I seem to acquire a condition wherein I just SAY whatever comes into my head to whomever is around. Call the guys in front of us in line douche bags? Sure! Tell someone their first name blows? Why not!?

As for my costumes, I had planned on being an owl (I bought this mask off Etsy) but I couldn't manage to get the whole costume together so instead I went down to my storage closet and hauled out every costume I already had and brought them all so that Stella and Jenny could help me decide.

I ended up being a Zebra on Friday night.



And then on Saturday night, Jenny and Stella tried to convince me to join them as a Marvel comic book character.


But I decided to be a very culturally sensitive Native American instead. It's totally legit, I'm part Shoshone.


I thought we all looked amazing and awesome but now that I look at the photos, it appears that better descriptive words might include "haggard" and "intoxicated."

Monday, November 2, 2009

My Zen Kitchen

Oh man. I can't even begin to get into all of this insanity. Lets just say I'm VERY HAPPY that October has ended. A brand new month for a brand new start!

So. Remember how I mentioned I have this book? About organization? And I was going to talk about it? And then I didn't? Well here we are! This here is the book: One Year to an Organized Life. My sister raved about it and I was like "oh, suuuure." But then she sent it to me and I started reading it. And I think it's working.

The first chapter encourages you to start with January-- even if it's not January! That's okay! Just start with the January chapter in whatever month you want to start. And the January chapter involves improving your kitchen. There is a lot of stuff in the book that makes me roll my eyes. Make a dream board? Write dedicated journal entries? Yeah, I'll get right on that. But even some of the foofy stuff worked for me. Like: Imagine your dream kitchen. What's in it? What is NOT in it? How can you change your kitchen to make it a organized, functional, and pleasant?

I had a whole month to turn my kitchen into a zen space. And I am learning to think about appreciating the SPACE in my life, as opposed to hanging onto clutter. I'm also learning to not keep stuff just because I bought it or somebody gave it to me or because I think I might need it.

Okay, so, remember how my kitchen looked before? I think I will re-post the before photos so you can really appreciate the change.

Before, left side of the sink:


After, left side of the sink:


The book also encourages you to take note of your habits and then try to change them. This area on the left side of the sink represents my attempt at that-- I always tended to walk into my house and dump all my stuff onto the counters. Now I generally keep the counters clear, except for this one area by the sink where I'm allowed to keep important papers for the day/week.

Okay, anyhow. Before, right side of the sink:


After, right side of the sink:

Notice my new jars from the Goodwill that almost match the old ones?

Before, left side of the stove:


After, left side of the stove:


Those little colorful jars? Vintage tupperware spice containers that I got off Etsy (after this happened). And those yellow bowls are vintage Pyrex that I'm using to keep my fruit (the large one) and my teabags (the smaller one). That little yellow sugar bowl is also vintage from Etsy. I decided I was allowed to buy stuff that would make my kitchen a more pleasing space....

Before, right side of the stove:

After, right side of the stove:


Whatcha think?

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Me Too!

The loverly Miss Grace is BORN TO BLOG (according to the awesome-not-nerdy-at-all t shirt she was wearing in Chico) and so am I. For a month. Yikes. Setting myself up for failure, I wonder?


Okay. Apparently I am already failing because I can't even manage to put up the NaBloPoMo badge here EVEN THOUGH Miss Grace emailed me the html code. Things are getting off to a great start! Suck.