Day 22: #weirdwednesday

Good Evening, you lovely people, you !

Thank you for stopping by, again. It means the world that you would take even just a couple minutes to read the silliness I post here. AND shows that you, clearly, have great taste in blogs. ;)

So, today is Wednesday. Wednesdays are usually fun because the ladies at my job all wear matching colors and take a photo together and laugh a bit. But, the ladies picked fuschia this time, which, if I were a completely trendy person I probably could have made work with the whole red thing...but I'm not. 

So, I didn't. 

And, that meant (gasp) I had to wear a more burgandy/merlot colored lipstick today, instead of my usual blood red.

#fushiaproblems

The horror.

But, that wasn't the only weird thing about today. 

First of all, I woke up T-I-R-E-D. I'd been up late the night before getting my apartment as photo-ready as I could in one evening ...I'll spare you the why (If you want to believe House Beautiful was coming by, feel free). But, as I mentioned in a previous post, I'd been crazy busy the previous two weeks, so, suffice it to say, the job required a bit more than a light dusting and fluffing of the pillows.

As I cleaned, I had an old show playing in the background which featured my favorite forensic pathologist (yes, I have a favorite forensic pathologist #imweird), Dr. Michael Baden. The show was called "Autopsy." Long ago, when I was in college and no one had cell phones and computers used floppy disks, this shoe ran on HBO as a regular series. I made my parents record it...on their VCR (#imold)...for me because I didn't get HBO in the dorms.  

Let me just say this: People. Are. Strange. And. Scary. 

And engrossing. 

I couldn't stop watching, which meant I stayed up later than I needed to.

Which also meant I had really weird dreams that woke me up in the middle of the night.

Which then meant it was really hard to wake up and, basically threw off my whole morning. 

But, because I'm a "roll with the punches" kinda gal, I decided to throw routine to the wind and do everything different. That meant, instead of having quiet time with coffee at the kitchen table, I, um, had it with water, uh, sitting...um...somewhere else.

Sometimes, I share too much.
Instead of going for a walk, I changed the sheets on my bed,which, I promise, burns just about as many calories...and is far more likely to cause injury (I stub my toe EVERY time!) and bad words (see previous comment regarding stubbed toes.)

I also, for reasons that are still a mystery to me, left for work with about 6 mason jars full of food. I guess I thought the weirdness was going to make me super hungry?!?

(Author's note: This different routine was NOT, I repeat NOT because I slept too long and was feeling lazy. Not.)

I also did something else a bit different...

Can you guess what it is?



No, it's not the different lip color.



No, it's not that my skin looks like pure alabaster. But, thank you for saying so.

Keep guessing.

 

 Nope. I haven't lost weight.

But, you're now, officially, my favorite person.

Here, I'll give you a hint.

Look...over...there.

Wow, this is getting weird...and painful.

Do you see it?


Did you guess, yet?

No, I didn't get pink eye.

It's so obvious!

Here, let me give you one more hint.

This is me, yesterday, at "done o'clock."



And this is me on this very Weird Wednesday.


If you guessed "She parted her hair on the other side" YOU'RE RIGHT!!!!

If you are feeling jipped and like this is 10 minutes of your life you'll never get back, well, all I can say is...

You're also right.

But, think on this, if you'll indulge me another minute...

Parting my hair on the opposite side was the highlight of my day.

Well, that and this little pina colada yogurt parfait I made for a snack.

This. Was. Amazing.

I ate it and pretended I was in Hawaii. Not that I've ever been to Hawaii, mind you. As a result, all my imagination could conjure up was Biloxi but with blue water instead of brown.

#paradise


Ahhhh.
Don't I look all relaxed and tan?

I didn't think so.

Oh, well. Stay tuned for my next installment where I'll share how I did something wide and crazy like...only cleaning my lint trap every OTHER day.

Day 21: #imnotdead

Hello there! Long time no blog, eh? Did you think I forgot about you or fell into a coma or was abducted by aliens or something?

Well, #goodnews! None of those things happened.

"Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." ;)

#sorry

I've just come to the end of what was one of the busiest weeks of my life, which left little room for sleep much less blogging about all the busy. But, things are calming down just a bit, so I thought I'd check in with all 2 of you who were wondering how the whole "red" thing's been going lately. (Hi Mom & "insert random FB friend, here")

It's actually been going pretty well, thanks for asking. As you may remember, the #30daysofred thing was not just about enjoying the color red, but more about taking a beat to do something that made me feel good each day, and as a sideline to that, being intentional about finding things that make me smile/feel grateful or happy each day.

Let me just say, life is hard...but God is good.

I know that sounds trite, but I don't know if I've ever been able to say that and really truly mean it...equally strongly on both sides of that statement. I feel like over the past month or so, the things that were hard have gotten harder and more "hard" things have been added. But, as hard as things have been during this time, it's also been remarkably bereft of pity parties or breakdowns. Which, for me, whose Native American name is "Cries At Desk", and given my present circumstances, is pretty amazing.

That said, there is also a lot of good stuff going on...which I will share later. But, for today, because I have these silly selfies I've yet to use and because one's first blog in a week is not the time to get serious, here's a list of some of happy/silly from the past few days:

  1. Monday - I washed a much needed check. #imnotsmart I left it in my pants pocket and threw it right in the washer. I remembered somewhere around the first rinse cycle, or right about the time the last little chunk of the check disintegrated into nothingness.

    #yikes
  2. Tuesday & Wednesday - I attended two graduation ceremonies. The best part for me was hearing the interesting names some of these kids had been given. For example, there was a boy with the last name of "Gorgeous" and another with the first name "Righteous", and a girl named "Jennifer Lopez". But my absolute favorite was "Rick James".

    Those names make "Tina" seem not so bad. ;)
  3. Wednesday - Another highlight of the graduation festivities was the moment my family spontaneously recreated that famous scene from "My Best Friend's Wedding" where everyone sang "I Say a Little Prayer" at a seafood restaurant...except we sang "Let it Go."
  4. Another tidbit from the graduation celebrations - I learned that my hi-heel skills are equivalent to those of an 8th grade girl...or a new born baby deer.

    I'll stick with flats, thanks.
  5. Thursday - I told a co-worker "hashtag calm down." For real. Out loud. I then shared that story at our small group meeting, which led to lots of "hashtag" comments throughout the rest of the discussion. It was awesome. #andtherewasmuchlaughing

  6. Saturday - I sang "Let it Go" during a photoshoot. This knowledge has proved very helpful in coaxing a shy girl to open up and smile on more than one occasion.
  7. Yesterday, I used my knowledge of zombies to coax an adorably stubborn little boy (he folded his arms and pouted and everything) into not only not looking away from my camera, but actually smiling. I also got some cute "toddler doing a zombie imitation" photos...which are all the rage on Pinterest boards now. ;) #truestory

    Have I mentioned I LOVE red lipstick?
  8. Speaking of red lipstick, I bought 4 new tubes and two new red nail polishes last week. #itsasickness #sorrynotsorry


So, that's the listicle catch-up! Until next time...

Go buy some red lipstick. It's the right thing to do.

Plus, it will help me feel more normal. ;)

#thanks

Disclaimer: This blog is not a paid advertizement for red lipstick and is not sponsored by Revlon or Estee Lauder or Clinique or Cover Girl or any other maker of red lipstick. The opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the blogger and do not reflect the views of the makers of red lipstick or the general public.

Day 14: #iwontsayyesterdaysucked but...

Yesterday was, in a word, well...in a nice word: hard.
I was exhausted from two mostly sleepless nights, was in a foul mood most of the day, the "Call the Midwife" season finale was very disappointing and, to top it all off, in my exhausted stupor I washed a much-needed check.

But, because I don't want to be one of those people who fills the internet with griping and negativity...I'm going to list out the things that didn't suck were good about yesterday.

Here goes:

  1. I woke up, mostly healthy and able to function...and there was coffee readily available.
    True. Story.
  2. My car got me where I needed to go and didn't break down or run out of gas or anything like that.
    Go, Goldie, Go!
  3. I had a job to go to that pays me money for the time I spend chained to my desk working.
    Um...whistle while you work?
  4. I didn't get bitten by a brown recluse spider. (Do yourself a favor and DO NOT google "Brown Recluse spider bite. Or click that link right there. #nightmarefodder #welcometomynightmare)
  5. I got through the whole day without encountering a single terrorist, nazi, or ne're do well.
  6. When I returned home, my house was just as I'd left it: messy, but intact.
  7. I didn't break a single Mason Jar! #andtherewasmuchrejoicing
  8. There wasn't a zombie apocalypse.
  9. I saw a dog...and it was an Irish Wolfhound!!
  10. I got to spend the evening with one of the sweetest families I know...and there was much laughing.
  11. Thanks to coconut oil, I smelled delicious all day AND the pain in my sunburn was almost totally gone, allowing me to sleep again...which means, I will no longer be Miss Hannigan.
     photo doihearsinging_zps08e62ed6.gif


  12. I didn't get lice or ebola or ecoli or botulism or even amoebic dysentery. 
  13. I was not attacked by a bear.
  14. I was not abducted by aliens...at least I think I wasn't. #sneakyaliens
  15. I didn't develop alopecia and lose all my hair.
  16. I had food to eat.
  17.  I didn't spill anything on my shirt. #thestruggleisreal
  18. I did not drink a single shot of wheatgrass or eat a single piece of tofu.
  19. I ate meat at every meal.
    20. Oh, and, of course, I had beautiful red lips!

    Mwah!
    So, I guess yesterday didn't suck was good after all. ;)

Day 13: #moodswings

Emotions are fun, aren't they? Especially if you're a girl. They like to do all sorts of interesting things that, not only effect your mood but how you feel physically, how you relate to people, and what food you want to dive face first into eat. 

The most fun days are ones where our emotions decide to either get stubbornly stuck one a particularly unpleasant emotion or to rapid cycle through the full range of emotions in a very short period of time. #good times.

This morning was one of the "stuck on stupid" moments. 

Enjoy.


Me - 7:30am: "We are not amused...and forgot our mascara."
Me 9am - "Ah, mascara. That feels at least 3% better."
(Author's note: A friend actually sent the mascara to me via a coworker! As a fellow fair-skinned girl, she knows #thestruggleisreal.)


Though I don't look it in the photo above, I was very grateful!
#andtherewasmuchrejoicing


Me 10am: "Ok, Tina, shake it off."

Me - 10:05am: "Did that person really just ask me to do that?"


Me - 10:10am: "For Serious?"


Me - 10:45am: "Ok, I'm starting to get on my own last nerve now."


Me - 11:00am: "Could I go home 'ticked off'?
Could I get a doctor's note for that?"


Me - 11:30am: "Maybe enjoying a cold, refreshing beverage
from an adorable Mason Jar will help?"

Me - 11:45am: "Ahhhh."


Me - 11:50am: "That WAS refreshing!"


Me - Noon: "Ok, That's better."

(Author's Note: I did not actually take these photos in real time. I have a job that requires me to do actual work. I just took a few minutes of my lunch break to recreate some of the highlights from the morning for our mutual amusement. #yourewelcome.)




























Day 12: #ouch or "I heart Mason Jars!"

First things first, if it is at all possible, my sunburn is even redder today. 

And, it hurts. Even the smallest touch is like a million pin pricks. #goodtimes


It feels worse than it looks. ;)

In happier news, my love for Mason Jars has deepened. 

They're not just for cute drinking glasses anymore. ;)

I was first turned on to the miracle that is Mason Jars by my friend Danielle and have spent the past couple of weeks using them in various ways and acquiring every shape and size imaginable. 


First, I started using them to make sure I got enough water to drink each day. 

I don't think I've ever been this well-hydrated in all my life.


Staying Hydrated!


Then, I started experimenting with using them in my weekly meal prep. I stored salad in them and chopped fruits and veggies. Danielle swore they would last for days and days. I admit, I was skeptical. But, I'm here to tell you that it really, really works!


Mason jar food prep!

I bought some strawberries almost a week ago and they are still fresh in their jar. I don't know about you, but sometimes my strawberries barely make it a day or two in their plastic container without getting all bruised and moldy. But, in the mason jar, 5 days later, they are still as fresh as the day I bought them.

Carrots, peppers, and salads have also fared equally well.


This week, I'm trying other berries and radishes and chicken taco filling. #yum

SO, if you're tired of throwing food away, get thee to the store and buy some Mason Jars, post haste. You won't regret it!


I just love them! They make me so happy...and save me money...and help me make sure I have good, real food on hand so I am less tempted to use the drive-thru...and they are just so stinkin' cute! The only thing that could make me love them more was if they were red...or cured sunburns. ;)

Day 11: #beach

OR "Today's red brought to you by the letters S, U and N."

Me and the sun have never really been friends. Don't get me wrong, I love it. I love how it makes everything brighter and more vibrant and just generally happier looking. But, it doesn't love me. You see, the problem is, because my main goal in all of my clothing selections is covering as much flesh as possible, my skin doesn't really see the light of day much. As such, I'm practically transparent. So, when I do venture out in the daylight with some skin exposed, it immediately burns...generally skipping the whole 1st degree thing and going right to 2nd or 3rd. 

Also, because I am not often in the sun, when I do find myself basking in its warm glow, I make really bad decisions. For example, sitting out on a pier talking to my cousins for 3 hours with shorts on and no sunscreen. I was unable to wear pants for 2 weeks after that and cried whenever I had to sit down or get back up again for at least 4 days.

I wish I could say that was the first and last time I tempted the sun's rays in that foolish way, but no. 

For me, it's Expose flesh. Bake. Repeat, apparently.

Today was no exception. 




I decided to drive down to the beach with my niece. I actually did bring super strong sunscreen for her and applied it liberally. What's more, I actually did apply some for myself. But, apparently, I only applied it to the front of me. #imnotsmart


Laying on my front (where I applied sunscreen) exposing my back (where I didn't) to the sun.

I didn't realize that, of course, until I got home and saw this:


#nofilter
I'm pretty sure I could cook an egg on my back right now if I wanted to. Not that I would want to, because that would be gross. I'm just saying, the heat coming off that thing is...oh, you know what I mean.

Despite the self-inflicted injury, my niece and I had a wonderful time. She is quite the character and there were many quotables from the day. I'll share some to make up for the unappetizing egg reference above.


Me: which one would you pick: the ability to fly or breathe under water?
Mia: Flying. Because, then, I could fly to Macy's whenever I wanted to.

Me: We may have to go soon, I have to potty.
Mia: Just go in the water, act like you're playing, and just pee in there. I do it in Ma Ma's pool all the time.
Me (thinking I sounded sarcastic): Timia Jane! You are banned from the pool!
Then, she got upset and almost cried. I clearly need to work on my sarcasm skills.

She asked a lot of questions, like: how much does a vanity license plate cost, how does someone hack a bank account, and What I thought about when I was her age. You know, the usual.

I told her I thought about Barbies, being a mommy, singing and dancing.

Mia: Me too! We have a lot in common. Both our names start with "T". We both like red beans. And, we both love Ma Ma (my mom). Oh, and nail polish!" 


This girl right here. She has my heart.


...and keeps me laughing!


We connect on a very deep level, as you can tell. ;)

My two favorite quotables, though were:

Mia: I need to do my duty. (pause) Not pooing. I mean, like, work. #thanksforclarifying

Mia (sung to the tune of the song from Frozen): Do you want to get a snoball?!?!

She settled for an icee from the corner store instead so I would wouldn't be tempted and wind up with a migraine. Sweet girl.


#snuggleselfie

So, though my "red" came in an unexpected and painful form, it was still a beautiful, joyful, silly day with my beautiful, joyful, silly niece... 

and her almost equally silly aunt.