November 28, 2010

The Hair Debate

I'm getting my hair cut on Thursday.

Here's the debate:
a chop vs. a shape

Do I go pixie short? Do I keep it just semi-short? Do I get it cut for straight hair? Do I just let the stylist do whatever she wants? Do I debate and deliberate while walking away looking the same as I did when I went into the salon? Do I cut a heavy bang like I long for in my heart, knowing that with my hair texture a heavy bang is going to end tragically? NO.

This is one of life's dilemmas. Of course, I saw this picture in RealSimple and then I wanted to chop every hair on my head off.
But, it's winter, it's cold, I like to wear hats (if I wear a hat when I have short hair I end up looking bald, which isn't really my goal), so perhaps I should keep it longer and just put out the effort to straighten it more often. Why straight? Because it won't curl properly right now which brings me back to the whole reason it's DRIVING ME CRAZY.

Hair is a big deal.

What should I do with my hair?!?!?!?
PIXIE!!!
Keep it the way it is-ish (I mean, something's going to happen).
Chop it off in the spring.
Grow that mop out.
I do not care, stop asking me stupid questions.




  
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So, I'd like to take a poll. I'm not saying that I'm going to do what you vote for. I'm just taking it into consideration. Because my number one rule is: I do what I want

Thank you for letting me be neurotic and giving me your opinion. I really do appreciate it.

THE RESULTS:  
Well, I wouldn't call it a pixie-pixie, but it's short and I like it. ( :
Photo 100.jpg

November 25, 2010

Christmas Music

Now that it has been Thanksgiving it's officially time to break out the Christmas tunes. Of course, I have been listening to them for a couple of weeks now, so once Thanksgiving hits I'm not weird any more.

Maybe?

So perhaps I'm still weird. Whatever.

My top five Christmas songs:
5. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

4. Carol of the Bells
I especially love this song in an a cappella choral arrangement, which I could not find on YouTube. *sigh*

3. The 12 Days of Christmas, Straight No Chaser
Now, in general, I don't like the traditional version of this song...it's soooo looo-oooo-oooo-ooong. If you don't yet listen to Straight No Chaser, you should. I want to have their a cappella babies.

2. O Holy Night
I have some major love for Josh Groban. The man has talent and his twitter is ridiculous. Come, on. Are you really surprised I follow him on twitter? (Is twitter capitalized? Proper noun? Twitter?)

1. Mary Did You Know?
There is no version of this song that stands up to the arrangement my high school choir conductor created for our women's chorus. It will remain in my mind, one of the best pieces of music I have sung. I love it...and I totally have a contraband (Really, I have no idea, but I like to think of myself as rebellious.) copy and I got to sing it last year for Christmas Eve service in a trio with Emily and Becky and that too was delightful.

Today, I am hanging out before eating a delicious Thanksgiving dinner tonight with Viola, Josh and Christina. I'm having fish! ( :

Happy Thanksgiving! Welcome to Christmas music season!

November 22, 2010

Photoshoot

I'm not going to bog you down with a bunch of pictures (mostly because I'm not done editing the pictures), but today I had my first photoshoot ever!

YAY!

Mariel Elizabeth, one month old.
DSC_0527.jpg
I think she loved the camera. She made the best eye contact the whole time. And by "the whole time" I mean the times she wasn't fussing, nursing, peeing or pooping. It's what babies do.

And some more...
ME collage.jpg

Mariel

November 19, 2010

Awkward Moments

My life is kind of one gigantic awkward moment.

I get social anxiety when I meet new people. Only in social situations though because I pretty much meet new people on a daily basis at work. Then I ask them to get naked and under a sheet and I touch them in a completely appropriate way. It's the life of a massage therapist. (And it's not the strangers that this is difficult with--it's the people you know!)

Social situation=sweating, stressing, trying to think of conversation topics, trying to decide what to wear, stressing, deciding if I'm sick and I should call it off, etc. I'll tell you more about this some other time.
Work situation=calm, cool and collected. I'm down with my work.

Except today. You know those people who just go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about how awesome they think you are? That makes me feel awkward.

However this is my favorite quote from new-effusively complimentary client:
"I hope you get up in the morning and you think, 'Damn, I'm good at my job.'"

This makes me giggle. To which I replied, "Um...can't say that I have ever thought that, but thank you?"

This moment brought to you by socially awkward Amy.

November 18, 2010

In just a few hours...

many of you will be going on an adventure with Harry, Hermione and Ron (or Wron-wron as I like to call him).

If you're one of the few unlucky people who didn't purchase tickets in time or your one of the lame-o people (like me) who can't stay up that late I bring you this gem via YouTube.

A Very Potter Musical

The sound is questionable, but this is totally awesome! (And if you're a GLEE fan you might recognize the guy playing ol' HP himself in this musical rendition as the new character, Blaine.)

Have a great night!

23.5 Hours

Yes, in twenty-three and a half hours many many of you will be enjoying a little movie we like to call Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

I will be waiting to get my HP fill because any time past 1:00am is grouchy time for Amy, and I am unwilling to stay up so late when I have to work the next day.

Sorry, I'm not taking one for the team. Plus, I don't know if you heard, I've been sickity-sick-sick.

You go visit our friends Harry, Ron and Hermione at the theater. Have fun, be safe, take a tissue, and be prepared:
It's a very, very, very, extensively long camping trip.

November 17, 2010

November 16, 2010

Scenes from my Bed

I love my bed.

Usually.

Except the past few days, I have spent waaaaay too much time in it.

This is my life.
IMG00133-20101115-1935.jpg

IMG00133-20101115-1935.jpg
I'm reading the books of Narnia again!
IMG00133-20101115-1935.jpg
My trusty water bottle never leaves my side.
IMG00133-20101115-1935.jpg
Yes, I'm watching trashy tv on the internet. ANTM cycle 14 to be exact. And I'm eating brownies while I do it because that's what you do when you watch 13 skinny girls battle it out to be the next top model. You eat brownies and google these girls to see if they actually did anything after the show. They didn't.
IMG00133-20101115-1935.jpg

IMG00133-20101115-1935.jpg
Also never leaving my side is Hank, and he gets annoyed any time I try to adjust my position.

Crappy pictures brought to you by my BlackBerry.

UPDATE: I have now gotten out of bed, taken a shower and--AND--brushed my teeth. I think there may have been unmentionable things growing on them. I also finished ANTM, cycle 14. Congrats to the girl who won whose name I can't remember, I think it starts with a K(?). I'm sorry if I ruined it for you. I'm going to leave my house too. I feel like I'm at least 78% normal! ( : Goals for tomorrow: take a walk, go to the grocery store, get a massage. I think that's all I'm going to plan on, it's a big day compared with today.

Three Days

(Updated re-posts of the HP Countdown will be occurring. I will attempt to blog about non-HP related things for those of you who could care less about Ron's gorgeous ginger locks.)

72 Hours!

YAY!

Don't tell me you're not excited. EEEEEEeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

(Sometimes I don't want to be the kind of person who squeals at things like books being made into movies, but that's just not who I am. I am excited. I do squeal. I am in perpetual 14-year-old-Justin-Beiber-fan-girl-mode. Of course, I'd never actually squeal for Just Beiber. I'd tell him to get a haircut.)

November 15, 2010

Four Days

(Updated re-posts of the HP Countdown will be occurring. I will attempt to blog about non-HP related things for those of you who could care less about Ron's gorgeous ginger locks.)

Why casting department?

WHY?

Why are all the bad guys so sexy? Ok, ALL might be a bit much, but really check it out:
Fenrir Greyback

Dave Legeno

Lucious Malfoy

Jason Isaacs

Barty Crouch, Junior

David Tennant

Voldemort

Ralph Fiennes

There's a lot of makeup involved in this process, but without the makeup?

Who am I to hate?

November 14, 2010

Today

It's my birthday, I'm 28 now.

You know where I am? In bed. You know why? Because my body is slowly killing me every day.

OK, so that last part was a little melodramatic.

This past week, I got sick. I don't know if it was allergies or a head cold or what but the sinus pressure-OH THE SINUS PRESSURE!- and the nasal drip-IF IT'S DRIPPING WHY WON'T IT JUST BLOW OUT?!?!?!?!?!? AAAARG!-and the massive headache-RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES-made it kind of a miserable time to be me.

So I left work early yesterday (Saturday, Nov. 13th) with hopes of feeling better. I slept. I watched How to Train Your Dragon and the first 2 episodes of GLEE (Thanks, M&D for great birthday gifts!). I took a bath. I felt better. HOORAY!!! I felt like my nasal drip wasn't quite so constant, my sinus pressure was bearable, and the headache was beginning to wane.

YESSSSS! This is everything one hopes for when going home sick from work!
Points: Amy-1, Body-0 
(Obviously I didn't start keeping score until I took some time to recover because my body was totally blowing me away before then.)

Then the sun set. It became evening. I went about my normal Saturday night stuff and THE PAIN FROM HADES SETTLED IN MY LOWER BACK.

Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.

Apparently you can control lots of pain with your breath. If I'm controlling any portion of it, I don't want to know how bad it really is.

This happens to me every once in a while. See, I used to throw the hammer back in college.
(That's not me.)
The hammer creates a lot of torque on your back. Between that and lifting weights, I totally have screwed my body over for pretty much the rest of my life. 

Yay, me.

Every once in a while I have flare ups. It usually happens when I've been coughing, sneezing, riding wave runners over bumpy waves, or generally being stoopid. (I have also decided that I only like the word s-t-u-p-i-d when spelled with two "o"s.)

I blame coughing and sneezing this week.

Now, I sit in bed trying not to move trying to make the spasm reaching from my lumbar vertebrae through my glutes into my hips down my legs STOP.

Score: 
Amy-1, Body-27239
I'm losing, but I'm gonna sleep it off.

Best birthday ever? I think not. Could it be worse? Always.

Perspective is wonderful.


I totally found this picture of my dad when I did a google search for myself.
Awesome! 
I love your hair, Dad.

Five Days

(Updated re-posts of the HP Countdown will be occurring. I will attempt to blog about non-HP related things for those of you who could care less about Ron's gorgeous ginger locks.)

Hello my fellow Muggles!

(I can't believe I just said that. I am now entering the depths of dork-dom.)

You can take my super-easy quiz today!




How well do you know the Harry Potter movies?
1) How many total Harry Potter movies will there be when all is said and done?
12
4
8
7









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QUIZYOURFRIENDS.com









YAY!

November 13, 2010

Six Days

(Updated re-posts of the HP Countdown will be occurring. I will attempt to blog about non-HP related things for those of you who could care less about Ron's gorgeous ginger locks.)

I'm not sure if you knew, but the Harry Potter movies, they're based on books.

Yeah, I'm not joking. It's true.

Do you remember reading them? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone came out back in 1997. I was a sophomore in high school, but I think it was a year or two before I started reading them. It was so long ago, my memory is fuzzy!!! Ahhh!

Whatever, the point is that I read them. I love them. They are in my personal library.
The question I give to you is, which one would you read again? Which one is the one you say, "oh, well you have to keep going because once you get to ___________, you're hooked!"? Which one is the one you want to cuddle with at night? 

What's your favorite Harry Potter book?
Sorcerer's Stone
Chamber of Secrets
Prisoner of Azkaban
Goblet of Fire
Order of the Phoenix
Half-Blood Prince
Deathly Hallows


  
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Give me the deets. Please and thank you.

November 11, 2010

Eight Days

(Updated re-posts of the HP Countdown will be occurring. I will attempt to blog about non-HP related things for those of you who could care less about Ron's gorgeous ginger locks.)   
 
DUMBLEDORE!
(Do you know the Potter Puppet Pals? Just wait until tomorrow...)

The other day I may have mentioned that Rupert Grint (Ron) had changed the most. I lied.

Dumbledore has changed the most, but mostly because the actor changed.
Richard Harris (1930-2002)
Mr. Harris was in Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets before he passed away from Hodgkin's Disease on October 25, 2002.

Michael Gambon (1940- )
Mr. Gambon took over the role of Dumbledore from Prisoner of Azkaban and will carry it through Deathly Hallows.

Do you have a favorite Dumbledore?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Now, we all know what happened to Dumbledore at the end of Half-Blood Prince. It was sad, tragically sad. If you haven't read the books, you don't know this, but I think Dumbledore will be showing up again in Deathly Hallows.

I'm just sayin'. I'm not trying to spoil anything.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (2010)


...and just for giggles:

November 10, 2010

Butter Cookies

Today, I'm going all Paula Deen on you. If you don't know anything about Paula Dean, I will tell you this one important fact: the woman loves some butter. If one stick is good, two is better!

I heart butter.

A few weeks ago MG went to Asheville (where I long to go someday) and brought me back this special treat:
sugar

sugars
SUGAR! Flavored, fancy sugar from The Spice & Tea Exchange. Three different kinds and I had to decide how to use them...what to make?

Oooooh---BUTTER COOKIES. Three ways.
Three Ways
This was one of the first recipes I remember making as a kid. I mean, we're talking four ingredient easy, peasy business here.
ingredients
Butter, flour, sugar and vanilla. I recommend salted butter, both because I like salty-sweet together and because it's better. Why is it better? Because I said so.
vanilla.jpg

vanilla.jpg
I also recommend busting out the good wah-nilla here. I bought Vanilla Bean Paste when I was in Chicago last September. I searched all over the Triangle for it, alas, no vanilla bean paste. The first grocery store I walk into in Hyde Park? BAM, wah-nilla paste. Then I stuck it in my one quart baggie for my flight home hoping no one would notice that I had a *gasp* 4 oz bottle of liquid in my carry-on. (Technically you're only allowed 3 oz bottles.) AND it apparently contains bourbon, which I don't think you're allowed to take alcohol through security. I did it though. No one even glanced in my direction. I'm such a rebel. Mah-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Just look at those glorious bean seeds. I love vanilla.

Stick all those ingredients in a bowl, mix it up and then form the dough into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and then flatten slightly on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 375 and you've got basic butter cookies. They're tender, lightly sweet, delicious little buggers. Great with tea or coffee.
Cookie balls

Of course, I can't leave well enough alone. It's just not who I am. If granulated sugar is good...you know what would be better? Flavored sugar!

First up: Blueberry
 blueberry sugar
I just stuck with the basics for these. I combined the blueberry sugar with some granulated sugar and rolled the cookies in that before baking. I use a glass to flatten them slightly and I dampened the bottom of it and stuck it in the sugar before pressing each cookie for a little additional sugary goodness.
blueberry cookies

Next: Espresso
espresso sugar
Going in a new direction, I decided to do a little slice-n-bake action with this one. I formed the dough into a log-ish (sounds dirty) shape and popped it into the freezer. This dough is very soft, so I wanted it to be a little more firm before I worked with it. After about 30 minutes, I took it out and rolled it in the espresso sugar, pressing the sugar into the dough. Then I sliced it and baked it.
Slice-n-bake

Coffee Cookies

Last up: Lemon
lemon sugar
These were the favorite of many. I'm giving the credit to the lemon. What a great fruit. 
Lemon
I slightly flattened the naked balls on my baking sheet and then cooled them on wire racks. Once they were cool, I made a simple icing with powdered sugar and milk (and I totally did this in a baggie and stirred it by squishing it around) and then drizzled it over the cookies, while the icing was still wet I sprinkled on the lemon sugar. Yummy.
lemon

So, there you have it, butter cookies three ways. (Or four if you count the basic, plain jane way which I didn't actually make.)
Cookies
I really enjoyed these cookies, the flavored sugars were very subtle, but very tasty. I still have some leftover sugar and now I have to decide if I want to make these again or something new...decisions, decisions.

Butter Cookies
1 cup Butter
5 Tblsp Sugar, plus more for rolling cookies in
1 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Flour

Mix ingredients together, roll in balls, roll in sugar, flatten slightly and bake for 12 minutes at 375 degrees.

In other news: I took all these pictures in full-manual! YAY ME!!! I know, it's not that big of a deal, but going manual with my camera makes me want to pee my pants. I still need to do more work with the white balance, but I TOOK THESE PICTURES ON THE "M" SETTING! I rule! ( :