It occurred to me recently that while many of you readers know me, there may be some of you that don't. And for those of you who don't, I hadn't really given you much to get to know me by, let alone why this blog even exists.

Shame on me.

So i decided to take the time to fix that and make my 'about' tab into more of an introduction than a list of posts. I feel like it serves the blog and you readers much better this way.

And of course I went ahead and changed the look of things again.{oopsy} I think I'll be sticking with this for a while though. I like it much more than the other header.

Onward and Upward!!

those days

You know those days when your eyes feel scratchy when you wake up because you didn't get enough sleep? When every little thing drives you to insanity? When 9am rolls around and you're already ready for a nap? Those days when hibernation seems like a great idea and you fully understand why gerbils eat their own young?

YUP....it's one of those days.

deep breathes.....deeeeeeep breathes.....

love. love. love.

Being a single lady, I've decided that Valentine's Day(tomorrow!! February is moving at a rapid pace!) needs to be more than a day to remind me of my single status. What exactly is the point of wallowing in bitterness over the fact that I haven't met anyone special enough to change my facebook status for yet? Pointless indeed. So instead of hating Valentine's Day I'm choosing to take a little love and make a little love.

First, I read this blog this morning and couldn't help but feel inspired and warm inside. I feel like more people should be finding ways to love themselves...and not just in the ways of shopping or eating their favorite junk foods. I fell like loving yourself can have a lot to do with slowing down and enjoying the little things...finding the things that really fulfill you in a way that nothing else can. And not feeling guilty or selfish for it. I think all too often people are so busy attending to everyone else's needs and wants that they don't take the time for themselves that they need to. One of the most important lessons I learned in college was to "take care of you".

If you don't love yourself, how will anyone else love you too?

Secondly, I feel like everyone needs to feel a little love, even if it's from a total stranger. And what better way than in a love letter?? For the last month or so I've been hearing about this organization called The World Needs More Love Letters through my friend Francie and The Violet. Long story short, you can sign up to become a writer of love letters or request a love letter for yourself or someone you know who needs one. If you want to write them, each month the site will send you the info for someone who needs one. You write the letter, send it to the organization, and they send it with others to the recipient. So for the cost of a stamp you can send your love to someone who truly needs it, in one of the most personal ways possible. The whole concept really tugs at my heart strings so I subscribed today and can't wait to be a part of it! And I encourage you to do the same.

So, whether you're single or not, I challenge you to spread a little love, not only tomorrow but on a daily basis!

Because, in the words on Sir Paul McCartney, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

knitting hiatus...

...IT'S OVER!! Yaaaay!!!!

I'm so glad I decided to take the month off. I needed a break from knitting. It was getting redundant and almost boring for me. But now! Now after my month off I'm SO ready and excited to get back to it! And I'm feeling so inspired to try new patterns and broaden my knitting horizons!

But as always, there are plenty of projects that I've started and I'm determined to finish them first! So yesterday I got back to working on a hat that I had started in December for myself. I wanted to get it done by a certain deadline but wasn't able to so it got pushed to the back burner.

Unfortunately I spent so much time away from this hat that I don't remember what pattern I was using. Something online I think since there wasn't one in the bag I had it in. Regardless I'm not too worried about figuring it out. A hat is a hat is a hat.

And YES it's Miami Dolphins colors! I was trying to finish it in time for the game I went to back in December but I was only able to finish the fingerless gloves. But I'm still determined to get it finished this time around! That way I can wear it next year if I go in December again.

I'm also thoroughly inspired by the fact that all of my friends seem to be having babies lately!! Which means baby knitting for Sarah!! So far I've only made baby sized hats so I'm very very excited to dive into some new patterns!

And speaking of new patterns, I found this book at Joanns the other day!! Now usually when I flip through a pattern book I'm lucky if I find 2 or 3 patterns that I like. Well that was not the case with this book! I think I like atleast 55 of the 60 patterns. And the other 5 I'm sure I could modify to my liking too. I was thrilled when I found it.

So needless to say, I can't wait to start picking out patterns to make. I have 2 friends who are about to have baby girls so it will be so fun to make some cute stuff for both of them! Now I just need some friends to have boys so I can make cute boy stuff too!!

Yay for knitting again!! I also hope to learn how to crochet this month too. I've been wanting to learn and I tried it one night a while ago but I wasn't' exactly sure if I was doing anything right or not. I think I'll have better luck with someone else there to show me what the right and wrong way looks like. Regardless I'm very excited to learn!

happy february

Rabbit, Rabbit!

In college, an English professor told me that in order to have a month of good luck you should say 'Rabbit, Rabbit' on the first of every month. And if you don't say it, well lucky for you if you say it backwards on the last day of the month then you'll still have good luck!

I don't know that it's ever really mattered but oh well. Who couldn't use a little good fortune right??

I'm wearing red lipstick today. Why you ask? Well why not! I've never been a red lipstick wearer. I've always been a little intimidated of it to be honest. Something told me it wasn't a look I could pull off. But the other day I said to myself, well why the hell not?? So today, while doing laundry and other things around the house, I'm wearing bright red lipstick!

And you know what, I think I like it.

let's be honest

disclaimer: this may become an on going series of posts that include my opinion on things that I observe in everyday life. it is strictly that...my opinion. nothing i say is meant to offend anyone. it's simply the way i see things. :) thanks for understanding!

Let's address a topic that I've had an issue with for years now: Pigtails.

I could go on for days. All too often do I see women my own age and older with this hair style and all I can' think to myself is "How on earth can you expect ANYONE to take you as a serious human being when you walk out the door with your hair like that??" It's absolutely ridiculous. After the age of 10 I feel like pigtails should be banned from the hairstyle repertoire, especially if you're going out into public. If your sitting around the privacy of your own home, pigtail away, but if you want to be out in the world and seen as a functioning citizen of society DO NOT think that pigtails are the way to go.

Now, of course I'm not banning all pigtails and there are very certain and specific circumstances where pigtails are acceptable. Let's look at the examples.

 Babies: Do I even need to explain myself?? These babies are adorable in their tiny pigtails! And they obviously love wearing them! If that doesn't just melt your heart then nothing will!

Just precious. So innocent and wispy and AGE APPROPRIATE!! How society has managed to ruin such a symbol of youth just blows my mind. It's shameful.

French Braid Pigtails: ONLY acceptable on athletes and incorporated in an up-do. For athletes it's a hairstyle of function, not fashion. It's a great way to get your hair out of your face and off your neck for your sport. I feel like volleyball players in particular who have this do become more intimidating than childish. Get it Girls!!
As Kate Hudson and Sarah Michelle Gellar have pulled off, the french braided pigtails when swept into a chic up-do are youthful without become kinky or childish. And when paired with the right outfit you can either make it look sleek and classy or messy and casual. Either way the hair is still slightly sophisticated.



Costume: This is still a bit of a stretch for me but I can't judge too much since even I as a young college girl, thought it was appropriate to pull this off for a Halloween. I can't say that I'm proud of my decision.
So, I suppose this hair is alright as a costume for that ONE day a year. And again I can't help but feel like a 20-something is more able to wear it successfully as opposed to a 40-50 year old. I don't want the visual image anymore. Moving on.
Outside of Halloween, the only other time this hair/outfit combo is acceptable is in the privacy of one's bedroom! Keep it to yourself and your man!! And if you feel the need to take pictures of yourself, DO NOT put them on facebook. No one wants it and you just look like a big slut. Those are the facts Jack.

Rachel Green:  Come on, it's Jennifer Aniston. She can do no wrong. Soooo maybe I'm a little biased since I'm Team Aniston but I don't think anyone can pull the tails off quite like Jen. I could be because they are down and not dangling over her ears. Regardless, I'll let it slide.

TEAM ANISTON FOREVER!!







Alright, now that we've seen the good, you know I can't just end the post without pointing out the bad. Oh it's so bad.

 I could vomit. Now I know I'm going to seriously upset some people with what I'm about to say, my own family included, so to all you Abbey lovers, you might just want to skip this section.

I HATE ABBEY!!!!! Ugh. that felt good. Let's be absolutely honest for a moment. NO government agency, of any kind, would allow a professional to dress like this in their workplace! NONE! Yes I know, it's just a show, but come on. How am I supposed to take this show seriously when they've got this clown running around in her pigtails and spiked chokers. SERIOUSLY?!?! ish.

A pair of ass clowns. In both life and their choice of hair style. Sure Britney was young at the time but it was NOT a good example for girls in those days. And I can't help but feel like it brought the pigtail craze back. Tori Spelling.....it's not even worth it. 

 Can we say Daddy issues??? Geez Louise. If you do this to yourself the morning, look in the mirror and tell yourself that this is the do for you.....you're delusional. How could anyone expect to be taken seriously looking like this??

REALLY???? Is this a joke??? This hair is BARELY acceptable on Willie Nelson(a stretch for sure) but with a dress shirt and tie nonetheless. Either you have no friends or your have very awful friends because obviously not one of them cares about you enough to stop you from this train wreck of a photo.



So let's be honest. Pigtails are more unacceptable than they are acceptable. If you're not a baby, Jennifer Aniston, or a professional beach volleyball player, keep the tails in your home! No one wants to see them and you look like an adult child. Not a good look.

Friends don't let friends wear pigtails.

self survey

My best came across this little survey the other day here and filled it out in her own blog. It's a collection of questions meant to help you survey your life and where it's going. It seems fitting for me as I'm starting to look to the future and what that will look like. So here they are:

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? 21 or 22. Still in that middle phase of not being a child but not quite feeling like an adult yet.
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying? Never trying. If you never try things you won't know what you're truly capable of.
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do? I think it becomes a sense of necessity. People aren't encouraged enough to find the things they love to do and make a living out of them, so often we find whatever will make us money whether we like it or not. Then years down the road we realize that we are miserable and don't know how we got ourselves into such a hole.
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? I hope not but looking back at my life currently that might be the case.
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? People's hateful attitudes. It's ignorant and pointless.
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? Any work involving helping others and spreading some love!
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? Settling currently. While I do enjoy my work on some level, it's not entirely fulfilling.
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I'd start expressing my true feelings more. I would stop being afraid of them and really embrace them I'd stop worrying about my loans and just do what I love.
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? The majority but there have been curve balls along the way that I had no say over. 
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? Doing things right. I feel like there is this path I "need" to take instead of "should" be taking.
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do? I mention that she is my friend and ask that they kindly stop. I would hope that she would do the same for me.
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? laugh as often and as hard as possible.
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one? It would depend on the situation but more likely than not.
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? Two Words....Lady Gaga.
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? View relationships. I have a pretty old school idea of how relationships should go and I don't think many people feel the same way.
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? Because everyone's unique in what gets them going.
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back? Pack up and travel somewhere without a plan. It's frightening! And potentially expensive.
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? Yes.
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? State- Georgia. It was always where I said I was going to live when I was little. Not too hot, not too cold. Country- Greece. I've never been but it seems gorgeous and so natural still.
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? No. I came to terms with the way elevators are many many years ago. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? Joyful simpleton. Worrying is a terrible disease.
22. Why are you, you? I'm a product of my childhood and my parents. They set me up with a great foundation that I've been building on throughout my life. And no matter what I put on top of it, I've always got that foundation that will never change.
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? I'd like to think so. I try to treat others the way I want to be treated.
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? Losing touch with a near by friend. If it's a true friend no amount of distance will effect your friendship.
25. What are you most grateful for? Living in a country where I'm free to pursue whatever I want!
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? Lose the old ones.
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first? Yes.
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true? Not yet.
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now? No. No.
30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special? Sunday lunches at my Gramps' house. It was a family tradition that kept us all close and after my Gramps died we stopped doing it.
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? When I'm working in a theatre, doing what I love.
32. If not now, then when? SOON.
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? Not a damn thing.
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? Yes. Those are the best.
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? Because religions tend to have blinders on their love and they want everyone else to love the same way. There isn't enough tolerance included in their love.
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil? Yes.
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? Only to start another one.
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? More work I enjoy. I'm a much more productive when I'm busy AND loving what I'm doing.
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? YES and it's frustrating.
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? Too long ago.
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today? My family.
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? No. Neither will get your anywhere.
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living? Being alive is functioning normally from day to day...just surviving. Truly living is enjoying your life and thriving in what you do.
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right? When it becomes stressful to calculate.
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? Sometimes even though we've learned from a mistake we feel some shame in it.
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? Say bold things. Wear crazy clothes. Fall on my ass.
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing? A few nights ago when I had trouble falling asleep.
48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love? Theatre. Crafting. My friends. Yes Yes and Yes!
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that? Probably not. Unless is something specific I wrote about in my blog.
50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you? More than ever I feel like I'm making decisions for myself. And it feels great. 

What an eye opening survey. Even if you don't fill it out for all to see, I encourage you to ask yourself these questions. It really makes you look at your life and think about some things you'd like to change or improve on. Maybe you'll even surprise yourself with some of your answer. Thanks Violet! 

The journey is part of the experience - an expression of the seriousness of one's intent. One doesn't take the A train to Mecca.

I FINALLY finished another book! I had started one that I had a lot of trouble getting into. It was a tough read and as much as I was interested in the topic it just wasn't clicking for me. So when another book came along, with a small amount of guilt, I surrendered and switched to reading it.

Over the summer I was loaned "A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines" by Anthony Bourdain from one of the chefs at the hotel. He said it was a great book and thought I would really enjoy it. I'm happy to report that he was totally right.

If you like food, have a desire to travel, and don't mind profanity, then this is a good book for you too! It's an account of Bourdain's adventures as he was filming his first show "A Cook's Tour" for the Food Network. From Vietnam to Cambodia, California to Mexico, and a few other places in between, Tony (as he usually refers to himself) gives the reader a candid account of his personal feeling and opinions on the locations, the foods, and his disdain for making a t.v. show. It also gives a look into how he grew up as a boy visiting France with his family as well as his life as the chef of Les Halles in New York City.

One particular place that Tony writes about often in the book is Vietnam. I didn't know much about Vietnam beyond what I learned in school and growing up in America I feel like that education can be somewhat skewed. So when I began to read the chapters on Vietnam I wasn't really sure what to expect. The way Bourdain describes the food and the people and the culture...I'm hooked. Is it a tourist friendly place like Europe, not quite, but it's certainly not the uncivilized jungle that many try to portray it as. It's a country of people who have been through hell and back and are still growing and rebuilding. Oh and the food....sounds amazing. If I ever had the chance I think I would definitely go to Vietnam.

I can't help but wonder if I would feel as inspired/comfortable to travel to distant lands as I do from reading this book, if I hadn't gone to Egypt in college. Growing up (and a little still) I was an extremely picky eater. I didn't like anything and certainly didn't try new foods. When I went to Egypt it was like I turned into this fearless foodie who was willing to try anything and everything. It was liberating! Sure there were things that I didn't like but there were also SO many things that I did. It was such a great experience that opened my eyes to traveling and exploring really different places.

But enough about me. Moral of the story, this book is a great read. It's as if you're sitting at a table across from Anthony as he regales you with the stories of his adventures. You can practically smell the food as he describes it. I will make one warning statement though. If you are a hardcore vegetarian/vegan/peta person, this book might not be for you. Although there is a chapter where Bourdain talks about his venture into raw food, there are many many more describing his deep love for all things meat. That's just his nature.

what a silver fox

So if you love food and travel and candid reading then I think you'll really enjoy this book. You don't even have to be a chef or world traveler. Big thanks to Chef Brian for letting me borrow his copy....it may come back to you a little beat up but it was well enjoyed! :)

hats upon hats

UPON HATS!! I feel like 2011 was the year of the hat! If I had to guess I'd say I probably knit over 20 hats last year. Maybe that's not a high number in the scheme of things but it's a lot to me. No complaints here though. When I look at the hats I made at the beginning of the year and the hats I made towards the end, I can see so much progress in my skills. My hats seems to have less errors and little slip ups. It's pretty exciting. Since most of the hats I made were gifts I wasn't able to put them on here. (Again...I just can't ruin Christmas...you never know who's reading these things!) So here they are, some of the swell hats I made in the last couple months of  2011!

Hats I made for some super sweet chef friends!

Mom's hat

Man hats for my cousins and me sisters BF

Swirly hat for Charklie

Baby Hat for an Etsy customer

A slouchy hat for a secret santa gift

So many hats!! And I know there were others that I didn't get to take pictures of. I don't know how my fingers kept up! So, after all that knitting, I've decided that a knitting sabbatical was in order. I needed some time off to reboot and re-energize my knitting. So for the month of January I have not been knitting in hopes that when February rolls around I will be ready to tackle new projects. I really want to start working on bigger items and challenging myself.....clothes maybe? I also want to learn how to crochet! The idea of only having 1 implement is kinda strange to me but from what I've hear it's waaaaay easier and quicker than knitting. So here's hoping.
My knitting hiatus has also given me some time and energy to work on some sewing projects too which has been very exciting. Again, they are gifts so noooo peeking just yet. One of these days I'm gonna work on something un-gift related!! I promise! Until then, there are still plenty of projects to show you from the holidays! :)

As you can see I've changed some things around here.

I'm not sure if I like it yet....maybe because I'm not used to it, maybe it's not what I was really going for. I'm not sure.

I'd love your input tho. Lord knows I'm fairly terrible at making decisions most the time.