GA GA OOH LA LA!

I can't get Lady GaGa's new song 'Bad Romance' out of my head. She's an absolute genious. After about a year of trying to dislike her, I finally gave in to the GaGa. She's amazing. So talented, so creative.

I used to absolutely hate her obvious antics at attention-seeking. Now I love them. I find them endearing.


Her hair bows. Her tea cups. Her bubble costumes. Her over-the-top outfits.

I just LOVE her! And she's such a gay icon which makes her even more fagulous!

Roomie is going to be GaGaLoo for Halloween and I can't wait to see pictures!

Book Club

The Last Song didn't do it for me. It will probably be the last Nicholas Sparks book I ever read.

Our next book is She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. This book was recommended to me by a co-worker and it was one of Oprah's Book Club books, so I'm looking forward to reading it.

The past couple of books we have read have been sappy, so I'm looking forward to a someone of a darker book. I can't do ghosts, or rapes or anything like that. But this book is about a woman overcoming a very tough life and all that she's been through.

I also got it for $4 on Amazon.com. Used books online are a great way to save money.

Take a Break

Dear Taylor Swift,

There is something called overexposure. You've surpassed it.


Sincerely,

A fan who's quite sick of you


o⋅ver⋅ex⋅po⋅sure  [noun] -
1. excessive exposure, esp. of photographic film or a sensitized plate to light rays.
2. the condition of having been seen, heard, or advertised so frequently or for so long that freshness or appeal is diminished.
3. Taylor Swift.

Is That a Rainbow in the Sky?

My boys are back in town!! Two of my favorite girlfriends will be back in town this weekend. Lovah and KiKi will be gracing the town with their presence. Lovah for a full week, which means I'll be sleep deprived and full of alcohol. KiKi for the weekend which means a FABULOUS time at Happy Hour this Friday! Note to self: Plan outfit accordingly.

Oh, a girl and her gays. Watch out world.

"Hello Lover. . ."

I tried, and failed, to find it on YouTube. There's an episode of Sex and the City that Carrie is walking past a store front window and spots a pair of shoes and says it. "Hello Lover. . ." That phrase runs through my mind when I spot a pair of shoes that I just have to have. There are two right now that are on the TOP of my Christmas list. (They'd be in the top of my closet if I weren't so broke.)

One pair is a Jessica Simpson peep-toe pump, 5 inch heels (hate the bitch, love her shoes). I would be happy with either the beige OR the gorgeous blue that they come in.


The other pair that I just die for are a pair of Steve Madden suede, open-toe ankle boots that knot in the back.

I can't wait for my feet to jump into these beauties!

Love Each Other Deeply

"Therefore be clear minded and self‑controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." -Peter 4:7-11

This was Megan's favorite Bible verse. It was the way she lived her life. Today, of all days, I hope everyone around me knows how much I love and cherish every piece of them.

At Home Hair Dye = A Messy Success

So for about the last year I've been letting my roots go QUITE a bit before I get them touched up. Budget is the main reason. Luckily, my hairdresser does a great job for a great price: cut & color for $80. However, $80 + tip hits the wallet hard these days. Roomie let me in on her secret that she dyes her hair at home quite a bit. The more I thought about it, I was willing to try it out.

Background on my hair:
I have EXTREMELY curly, frizzy hair. I started straightening/flat-ironing it after I graduated college a few years ago. After about a year of doing that, I ruined it. It's a hot mess most of the time with major heat damage. I also started dying it (professionally) a really dark brown, which then turned into black for about a year. I've finally talked my hairdresser into toning down the black and getting it back to a dark brown so we've slowly been working on that. Needless to say, it's damaged from coloring, too.

Anyway, I figured since it's so dark it'd be hard to mess up with at-home-dye.

Garnier Nutrisse was on sale for $5.99 at Target this weekend so I picked up a box. Last night I didn't have anything to do so I figured it was a good time to try it out. I was TERRIFIED! I put down a few old towels, and put on an old t-shirt and boxers. I mixed my solution and soaked my hair in the dye, which got EVERYWHERE. My clothes were ruined, my counter is now stained with dye, and my skin still has dark brown droplet that no amount of scrubbing can take off.

When I got in the shower to rinse, it looked like a muddy mess all over my shower walls and liner. I thought there was no way that I did this right! But, for right now it seems to look pretty good!

I'm still wearing it curly for a few days so I can't tell exactly what it looks like, but I think it worked out well! I'm hoping this is a good budget fix for my hair. This is the color I got: Soft Mahoganey Dark Brown (Rasberry Truffle).

My Old Friend

I don't know that many people my age who have truly experienced the worst day of their life. Sure- cars break down, tests are failed, the alarm clock doesn't go off and we're late for work, etc... Those are bad days. Those are crappy things that happen that don't affect us a year from that moment, 5 years from that moment, or the rest of our lives. I know a few people who have definitely experienced the worst day they will probably ever have. They've recieved life shattering news that you know will never again make them the same person. But not many.

The worst day of my life happend 5 years ago tomorrow. October 19, 2004. I was 20-years-old and absolutely not prepared for it. I had just gotten back to my college apartment after taking a test. A friend called to compare notes on how we both did. I had another call, my caller ID showed 'Home.' I immediately felt like something was wrong before I clicked over. It was strange- they say you can sense this stuff, and I guess I did. My mom sounded upset while she asked me how my test went. My first reaction was to ask her what was wrong, knowing it was bad. I could hear it in her voice. I figured it was probably my Grandma, that she'd passed away. I started crying, still not knowing what was wrong but, again, knowing it was going to be very bad news. "WHAT! WHAT!" I yelled at her to tell me. She started sobbing, "Megan died in a car accident today."

My world caved in. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. The only thing I could say was "Oh my God" over and over and over.

Megan was my cousin. To a lot of people that might not mean much. Most of my friends aren't very close to their extended family the way mine is. My cousins are like brothers and sisters to me. My aunts and uncles are like second parents. All of the cousins in my family are just a few years different in age so we've grown up being extremely close. But I was closest to Megan. We were just a year apart in age and when we'd get together as a family it was Megan and Ashley attached at the hip. We'd spend hours together hidden away from everyone else, while they all wondered what we were laughing so hard about behind closed doors. She was my favorite.

I always knew she was extra special. I was always kind of jealous of her. She was the Homecoming Queen. She loved Jesus above anything. She had natural bleach blonde hair, could get a gorgeous tan by just standing in the sun for 5 minutes, perfectly white teeth, beautiful smile, athletic, fit, hilarious, and more. Her friends called her Sunshine and she definitely was the light in any room.

It never made sense to me and it never will. This wasn't like a grandparent dying. That's supposed to happen. That is expected. A 19-year-old with an full life ahead of her isn't supposed to be gone in an instant. My family has forever changed and I've forever changed. Even 5 years later, when we all get together in our large family, something is missing and it will never feel the same. I cried every single night for probably close to a year. I wanted to hide forever until my time came to go and see her again. Life didn't make sense to me anymore and I didn't understand how the world just kept moving without her.

October 23, this Friday, would have been her 24th birthday. Last week my aunt, Megan's mom, sent our family an email just asking us to remember her. She probably doesn't realize that I've thought about Megan every single day for the past 5 years. She said she still doesn't understand why on October 19 the sun still rises and the stores and banks still open up. I'd have to agree.

My old friend, I recall
The times we had that are hanging on my wall
I wouldn't trade them for gold
Cause they laugh and they cry me and
Somehow sanctify me
And they're woven in the stories I have told
And tell again

My old friend, I apologize
For the years that have passed since the
Last time you and I
Dusted off those memories
But the runnin' and the races and the
People and the places
There was always somewhere else I had to be
And time gets thin my old friend

Don't know why, don't know why
Don't know why, don't know why

My old friend this song's for you
Cause a few simple verses was the least that I could do
To tell the world that you were here
'Cause the love and the laughter will live on long after
All of the sadness and the tears
We'll meet again my old friend

Goodbye, Goodbye

--Tim McGraw

Back to School!

November 4 is the big day! My first day 'of the rest of my life...' you might say. I start classes for the teaching program I am starting and I am so thrilled! I haven't looked forward to something this much in a really, really long time. Although it will be almost another year of the usual rut, there is a light at the end of the tunnel!



I can't help but wonder what sort of life changes this will lead me to. Location. People. Etc... Or it may just be a career change with no personal-life change. Which is fine, too. For now.

And for Our Next Selection...

We've chosen The Last Song for our next book club pick. I've never read anything by Nicholas Sparks so I'm looking forward to it. However, last night I did read the first 3 chapters and felt like it was written by a 15-year-old girl. But maybe it will change.

I like Miley Cyrus (yes she's 8 years younger than me) so I'm looking forward to seeing the movie when it comes out and comparing it to the book.

Apparently it is about "the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them," per Amazon.com. Barf.

Breast Cancer Awareness

It's October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Think pink! Check your ta-tas! Save second base!

Breast cancer awareness and research is my sorority's philanthropy and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of something as wonderful as this national cause for women.

Back to School, Back to School. . .

So after 3 and a half years of wondering 'what if' and 'where do I go from here,' I think I've finally figured it all out. The corporate, business-y world is not for me. And I've known that since probably the day I was born. I'm not really sure what I was thinking when I decided to get into my career field. "Event planning and entertaining, oh my!" Yeah, right.

Ever since I can remember I have said I wanted to be a teacher. When I was younger I was playing school with all of my dolls. I'd pretend to grade papers. I'd read to my stuffed toy classroom. I'd make my mom buy me stamps and stickers for the pretend papers I graded. (I probably had the best educated stuffed animals around!)

But when I got to college I was afraid of taking extra science and math classes that I knew I wouldn't be good at. I was afraid to take a few more standardized tests that I was afraid I wouldn't pass. And I dove into something easy, that I never had to study for and was able to just get by with. It wasn't until my last semester of college that I realized how much I absolutely hated my classes and the work I was doing and that was probably a good indication of how my big girl job would go.

I've regretted for years not following my heart in the first place. So, with much soul-searching, conversations with my mom and friends, and background research, I think I'm finally ready to do what's been nagging at me for so long. I'll be going home this weekend to talk to my dad about funding for my big plans (thank goodness for parents) and hopefully going back to school to do a 6-8 month program to become an elementary school teacher! It will be LOTS of hard work to be taking night and weekend classes on top of my regular full-time job, and between 3 weddings, bridal and baby showers, but I know it will be well worth it. I just feel like it's finally time to start doing what I WANT to do, rather than just getting by.

So, keep your fingers crossed for me that Daddy says *yes*...

Book Club

Last month we read The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski. It was a great, mindless book that can definitely lift your spirits. It started out a bit slow, but about Chapter 10 it really picked up and finished very well. I'd recommend it to someone just looking for a quick read.

We had to postpone book club last week since Best Friend was sick, so we couldn't discuss. Tomorrow we'll be discussing and having girl talk, and I can't wait!