Shopping, Drinking And Eating

We'll go in chronological order.

Friday night was Townie Night and it was actually really fun! We pregamed with some old friends, then went up to the bar. The ONE bar that was open Friday night in town. I feel like Townie Night is something everyone dreads, but secretly likes. It's fun to see old middle school and high school friends (and non-friends alike), see who got fat, who's still living at home, etc etc. I had a few glasses of red wine at the pregame, then I thought it was a fantastically good idea to order BOURBON GINGERS at the bar. Do I need to repeat? Bourbon. And I was also talked in to taking a shot of Jim Beam. These people seem to think that I still drink like I'm in college, and apparently I forgot as well. Saturday morning did not treat me kindly.

After the bars, we went to the house of a guy friend of ours, M. Waaaaay back like 2 years ago, M. and I had a brief Christmas Break Affair. We're totally over it, and luckily can just hang out and have fun. Rare, I know. My dear friend T. on the other hand is still under the spell of Mr. M and has been for oh.....12 years. They went to the same church growing up, you know that story. Precious. Anyway so it's me, T. and 3 other boys at M's house, and it was reDONKulous, you guys. We drank Bud Light Limes and ate key lime pie? I don't even know. And played piano. And wore silly hats. I slept on a fancy sofa in the formal living room that was most definitely not made for sleeping.

Then Saturday I cursed Jim Beam and slept until approx 2pm in my own bed. It was my mom's birthday, so we went shopping (duh) and then went to dinner at Bonefish Grill. Uhh Bang Bang Shrimp is to diiiiiiiiie.

I also bought this skirt at Banana, because I realized that all I wear are dresses and I need to mix it up a bit for the new job...

I'm envisioning it with a white long sleeved shirt and blue or black cardigan. I've also been thinking about starting to dabble in the wearing of the heels. I have so many pairs that I never ever wear, and I feel like at 23 years old it's a good time to start.

Sunday was morning mass and grocery shopping and napping, followed by my mom making a fabulous Barefoot Contessa recipe: Bay Scallop Gratin.

oh bonjour.


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Slight Breakdown.....Everyone Has Them. Right?

Today I was planning on going to the mall with my parents. Well I had a slight mental breakdown instead. Yesterday I was complaining about that zit on my forehead? This morning it seriously bothered me. I workout a lot, I don't stress eat.....so my stress manifests itself as eruptions on my face. And even though I got the new job, that comes along with a whole other basket of worries: an apartment, healthcare, new doctors, prescription prices. So to show for it, I have a zit right at my hairline. One zit is causing all this stress? You might ask. Well yes. I have had moderate acne my whole teenage life, and now I have the remnant scars on my cheeks and temples. I have good makeup (Laure Mercier) to cover up, but some days, like today, it's just too much for me. And add on top of that a botched haircut, and I felt SUPER UGLY this morning. I'm talking tears and throwing a fit at my mom and not even going out of the house today, I felt so ugly.

I watched some Project Runway an took a nap and woke up feeling better. I talked with my parents a bit. My mom had problems with acne until she had a hysterectomy. Well.....that's not happening anytime soon for me so it's just something I have to deal with. Birth control helps even out the hormones and I'm on several topical treatments. It's just such a hassle! I wish I had perfect skin and didn't have to mess with all this makeup. And I'm really afraid people look at me and think, "well, she's pretty but her skin is bad." No buts.

Ew. Anyway you guys. I just had to get that out there.

Tonight I'm going out with T. We're going to Townie Night. Yep. In my town, at the bars the night after Thanksgiving there's Townie Night and it's totally embarassing. I've actually never been because I always left home early to go back to college for our big football rivalry game. So this is going to be my first T-Giving Townie Night. I had my dad make me a double-shot latte so I can attempt to stay up like a normal 23 year old. I've been going to sleep at 10:30 lately, and at 10:30 tonight we'll have barely begun to start drinking. It's going to be a lot of people from my hometown that I barely know because I didn't go to high school here. I went to a private Catholic school out of town. So I went to middle school with these people. And let me tell you, I was no gracious swan in middle school. At the time I thought I was the shit, but I was awkward as they come, and whenever I see these people I'm afraid they still think of me as that little 13 year old. Must overcome.

Snacking Through Thanksgiving Day. I Do What I Want.

Would it be completely cliche to do a "Thankful List?" Probably, but I'm going to attempt one anyway, because it's good to be introspective and all that. I'm going to try and make this as minimally eye-roll-inducing as possible.

So here goes. I'm thankful for...

1. My parents, their generosity and their unconditional love. I'm starting a career with no student loan debt, no car payment and no credit card debt due to their financial education. They're also very proud I have a job now, but they would love me and be here for me no matter what, which I take for granted very often.
   
2. My various other extended family members. They're all on that side of crazy, but aren't we all?
3. My adorable puppydog this is her. isn't she the cutest thing?
4. My friends near and far, old and new. I'm semi-decent about keeping in touch with people, but there are some friends I have that no matter how long it has been, we always seem to pick right back up. They're good people. Since being in Atlanta, I've met some awesome awesome people and I can't wait to spend more time with them and create new friendships.
   
5. No more working at the deli. No more shady older men trying to flirt with me. No more teenage boys making fun of me for being a vegetarian. No more power hungry 19 year old girls getting all their authority in life from telling me how to clean a table. Never having to clean other people's tables. Never taking food services workers for granted. Never seeing a Reuben sandwich again. That shit is disgusting.
   
6. My car, because it's pretty and clean now.
   
7. Job. Duh.
8. I'm really digging my new bomber jacket, so I'm going to be thankful for that as well.

I don't know about you all, but I take a lot for granted in my life. I'm really very blessed (despite how much I complain...). I'm very fortunate to have the experiences I've had in my life, and I don't realize sometimes that not everyone has had the same privileges. So, in short, I'm very grateful for my life, regardless of the bitching and whining I partake in from time to time.

So! I hope that wasn't as gross and saccharine as it could have been. Now on to other items....
I've been snacking all day, which I haven't decided whether it's good or not. It's good in the sense that now I won't binge myself at dinner (hopefully....), but bad that...I won't binge myself at dinner. I'm sorry! I just got super hungry. I've had crackers and cheese at like 3 different times today. I ate some for breakfast and I just had some now. My mom has recently developed several "dietary restrictions," (i.e. she now thinks she's gluten intolerant as well as lactose intolerant....according to her doctor) so there is all this weird shit in the house, and the only thing readily available was Kashi triscuit-style crackers and some cheddar cheese my dad keeps around. It's all very silly. I'm looking forward to my mom's famous Peanut Soup from a Colonial Williamsburg recipe. We've had Peanut Soup every year since I was 8 I think. I've started to request it at Christmas also. She's also making cornbread stuffing and mashed potatoes and asparagus, which might be my most favorite meal EVER. And red wine. My mom doesn't drink, so t's most likely going to be my dad & I killing a whole bottle, then fighting falling asleep when our neighbors come over for dessert. Our neighbors are an older Jewish couple who we have kind of adopted as our own Jewish grandparents (even though we're Catholic). They're so flipping cute, and have two Bichon Frises, Sammy and Ellie.

Can we talk about how my skin is great when I'm in Georgia, then I come home and have 2 monster zits on my forehead? I'm 23 years old. This should not be happening. Guh.

I went run/walking outside yesterday and this morning with my dad, and I am sore, you guys!

Ooookay well that is all I have to commentate on. Everyone have a great day!


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J'adore GOOGLE

I dare you to watch this and not D-I-E

La Ti Dah

Flew home yesterday afternoon! My uncle drove me to the airport, and I dropped off my deposit check for my apartment on the way there. Things are progressing in a forward direction, y'all!! I'm so flipping excited for this apartment. It's going to the be cutest thing in the whole entire world. I found it Monday afternoon, after going apartment shopping Thursday also. This is a tough process. Much more tough than I anticipated. The cold hard reality of working sets in.....taxes and bills, and I realized my budget and range that I had to stay inside in regards to rent + utilities. And I'm wanting to live alone, so that increases my costs, as well as the fact I'm a single female and I want to be super duper safe. Needless to say, being safe, in a hip area AND on a budget are very hard to accomplish all in the same apartment. But I found my prized little space in a WONDERFUL area in Atlanta. I'll be right in Virginia Highlands (for those that are familiar) in an ADORABLE little studio apartment which is in an old 1920's mansion that has been converted into apartments. I love the area, I feel safe, and the building is old but immaculately kept. I'm not too far from my new office either...maybe 10-15 minutes depending on how backed up the street lights become in the mornings. The currant tenant doesn't official move until 12/31, but he may move out sooner, so hopefully I'll be in before Christmas. I'm sooooo excited to decorate! Since it's an old apartment, I'm going to keep with that and to a vintage-y ambiance. I'm painting my wooden coffee table white then sanding through in some spots to expose the wood's color. I'm gathering ideas from various Tumblrs, so if you see anything, send it my way! OR if you have any tips for decorating in a small space. It's a spacious studio, but a studio nonetheless.

Back to being home....so far so good. My mama picked me up from the airport and we went shopping and got lunch. She kept offering to buy me all this stuff - like makeup and other things. I'm pretty sure it's because she knows I'm going to be fairly poor in the next few months. But ahh...c'est la vie of a new career!
I did buy some RED lipstick. NARS Flamenco

I've never bought full-on RED lipstick, so I'm pretty excited about this purchase. So Sassy.
I just got some other makeup odds and ends. We also stopped in this place called "TEAVANA" which is like....a tea shop. They sell alllllllllll kinds of loose tea and tea cups and fancy tea makers and they can blend you pretty much anything you want. I got a small tin of a blended chai and white tea. My mother wants to go shopping FRIDAY which I cannot even believe. I think I'm going to get a grey plaid skirt from Banana and maybe a ruffled cardigan from JCrew. We'll see how far this parental generosity will stretch!

Oh, I bought that black wool bomber jacket from Express, and my parents bought me Project Runway Season 4 (the one with Christian Siriano) on DVD for my birthday. I recieved everything on my list except for the Blackberry. By God....soon enough I will have that damn Blackberry. Sadly though I think the dream of the Marc Jacobs Stam bag is going to have to be hung up for a little while. A cute apartment in a good neighborhood is definitely a suitable alternative, though n'est pas?

This morning I woke up and had some of my new tea, ate a bit of breakfast and went for a walk/run around the neighborhood. Neithor of my parents were home, so I had no way of getting a ride to the gym! Back in Atlanta, I had been working out on my aunt & uncle's treadmill, doing .10 mile running and .10 walking for a total of 30 minutes. I enjoy it mostly, so I tried to do the same thing around the neighborhood. Eh....working decently well, but it's cold and the cold air burned my lungs a little bit. Oh well....I got my body moving and worked up a sweat. I will probably do some yoga tonight.

I had dinner with my dad this afternoon...he came home early from work. So far being home is so wonderful! My parents are bragging on me to anyone who will listen. They're so proud that their daughter is finally employed!

I hope you all have an absolutely fabulous Thanksgiving...regardless of whether you eat turkey or not!!!



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Friday night I received the greatest text message from C.:


"Woooooo ragoo in the Barr fcking love kol bc of you babayyyyy!!!!!!"

timestamp: 1:24 am.

Love it.

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