Friday Five

Posted on May 18, 2012 by arielsinlove

My name is Ariel and I am a nail polish junkie.
I think this is a more recent development, I can’t remember really focusing on trying to find The One (color and brand of nail polish, that is), but I’ve been a woman on a mission lately and this nail polish is pure gold. I first discovered it at Target, looking for the color pictured, actually. I was in the Nicole section and just balking at the price. $8 for nail polish? My frugal heart wept. Funny, right below the $8 nail polish was the Sinful Colors display. I never heard of it, but the price was a whopping $1.99. I figured it couldn’t hurt, and the color was spot-on what I wanted from the expensive brand, so why not? I’m SO glad I did, the color is great, two coats will do it, and it LASTS. The paint doesn’t really show wear and tear until around day three. I work in an office and madly type away at a keyboard eight hours a day. My fingernails (and polish) always take a beating, but this polish is great. I wasn’t even wearing topcoat. Seriously, try it. I found it at Target, and apparently Walgreens sells it for the same price.

What to Reject when You’re Expecting: No, not pregnant. Or trying. This was a very insightful article about the dangers new mothers and babies face. I know the healthcare system is incredibly commercialized, but I never stopped to think that it’s so commercialized to the point of unnecessary c-sections and moving up a delivery to fit everyone’s busy schedule. I hope that when (IF!) we have a baby I can let nature run it’s course. Unless, you know, the baby wants to be fashionably late like my niece, then I might consider getting the turkey out of the oven.

I’m on the hunt to invest in a dress that will see me through a wedding and a cocktail-type party for my husbands summer work party. I really wanted something different, a little more daring that what I normally would pick up (halter top dresses, all I have are halter top dresses for summer!) My goodness am I in love with this dress. It reminds me of Marlyn Monroe (which brings me to me next bullet later…) ANYWAY. I’m in love. For $80 it’s a grown-up dress without being massively expensive (I’m surprised, really) My only doubt is I’m not really sure I have the hips to pull this bad girl off. All my assets ventured northward, I’m afraid. I will be researching the return policy, and while I’m at it, has anyone had any experience with Modcloth? Their dresses are all beautiful and I’d love to become a customer, but I have a hard time taking the plunge with something like this and it not fitting and then it’s a beast to return. Any thoughts?

SMASH! This is hands-down my favorite new show. It’s weird, I went from barely watching tv at all (Grey’s Anatomy was it) to having something recording almost every night. If you haven’t checked it out and you’re a music and/or Marlyn fan, you MUST start watching. There are some parts of the plot I could very much do without, but I think it’s a solid story. Who doesn’t love to watch someone follow their dreams? I have a love hate relationship with the character on the right, and a total crush on the actress, Megan Hilty. I’m very happy they picked it up for a second season, and the finale on Monday night was just the perfect ending to any season, it left your wondering what was going to happen next without leaving you absolutely hanging. Also, Debra Messing is my hair idol.

How I Knew He was Not the One : Cute little article that we’ve all lived. There’s always that one clarifying moment when we realize we need to cut our losses and move along.

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Friday Five

Posted on May 11, 2012 by arielsinlove

I thought it might be fun to round up five things that catch my eye every week. Be it news, pinsterest, products, other blog posts, fiction, whatever. Enjoy!

To the Queer Kids of the United States : This article is incredibly powerful. With the entire same-sex marriage issue, we only think of it in terms of adults and how they are affected, as they are the ones who are of legal age to marry. This article focuses on the people who have no voting voice, and what sort of message adults are sending.
“Perhaps when they cast their ballots yesterday, North Carolina’s adults weren’t thinking about gay kids sitting in their rooms contemplating whether it’s preferable to live in this world queer or not live in this world. Perhaps they were picturing other adults who those voters imagined could weather that emotional burden. Perhaps they were not thinking of human beings at all.”
Grey’s Anatomy Stars Coming Back For Two More Seasons : Okay, not as human-interest heavy as the previous article, but Grey’s? I’ve been watching since the beginning. It’s a very set-in-stone part of my Thursday night. Even Justin knows not to mess with it. No excerpt in case you don’t want your surprise ruined from the last episode.
I stumbled across this image on pinterest. If you’re interested in pinning it yourself, just search “you are not a tree” and you’ll find a hundred of this same image. I find that I feel really…stuck right now. Life just seems so static and it’s basically been SSDD, it’s kind of depressing! BUT! I am NOT a tree. This is a great reminded to stop wallowing and start planning. There are a lot of great adventures to be had if you have the initiative to get out there and find them! Also related: I think summer might finally be descending on Pennsylvania, so hopefully my blues are of the winter variety and will soon be over and done with.
White Jeans : Be still my summer-loving heart. I’ve never ever ever gone near white pants for fear of the see-throughy-ness factor. I’m going to take a look at what my local Gap outlet has to offer on this article of clothing, because hello! Perfect summer wardrobe staple.
I like how this post went from thought-provoking to shallow in a matter of seconds. ANYWAY. I’m obsessed with boho/hippy/gypsy accessories and I think these earrings need to make their way into my possession as soon as possible. Nothing says happiness like a pair of bright dangle-y earrings, and wouldn’t they go swimmingly with my imaginary white jeans that I do not yet own? It’s like pinterst, designing a closet full of clothes and accessories that are still alluding me!

Did you make any interesting discoveries this week?

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Another Step in the Right Direction

Posted on May 9, 2012 by arielsinlove

So, I really don’t post political things. This just needs to be spread as wide as possible. Obama officially backed gay marriage. This is a big deal and just a positive step in the right direction. I’m sure same-sex marriage will stay put on the state level for now, but I feel confident that if I have kids, they will see a world where bigotry has been reduced. If any of my hypothetical kids are gay, I’ll be able to still throw a wedding. They’ll be happy and secure with their place in society.

I suppose every generation has their human rights movements, and our today is marriage equality. I hope this is the beginning of the end of people trying to harm others with their beliefs. We all get this one shot at life and happiness, shouldn’t we support our fellow human beings rather than voting against their love and happiness?

The 2008 election was the first presidential election I was old enough to vote in. Besides Palin making all women look bad on a daily basis, I was excited to learn about the people running and what they stood for. I’m a Democrat. (No really! You couldn’t tell?) It wasn’t really hard for me to decide. Also, did I mention Palin? If McCain had a prayer before her it was soon smooshed under her poof. The only thing I didn’t like about Obama was his stance on same-sex marriage. I’m so glad that’s changed now.

So basically, Bravo, Mr. President. I’m incredibly proud to have voted for you in 2008 and look forward to doing it again later this year.

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Nothing

Posted on March 27, 2012 by arielsinlove

My poor, neglected little blog. It’s not that I don’t love you, I do, it’s just that I have nothing to say to you right now.

No really. There’s simply nothing going on. This is like the after affects of winter in PA. The weather has been incredibly, unseasonably warm. I managed to get some sun and we had our first little fire a couple weeks ago.

Justin tried, without success, to set the woods by our house on fire:

We live in the country, relaxing around the fire is basically the past time around here. It looks like we’re in for a hot summer, so I’m looking forward to many, many nights spent in our backyard.

Running is going well, surprisingly. I have issues with battling treadmill boredom, to be honest. The treadmill is my main running partner, as our back roads out here, while pretty, are a tad treacherous. There are a lot of hills (which do not make for happy running) but people fly on back roads, I think it’s a law somewhere. I also saw a snake on the road last year and I never ran so fast (in the other direction, of course) in my life. The weight loss isn’t going well, per say, but I think a lot of my clothes are fitting better. I’m trying to not let the numbers discourage me and let the clothes talk.

St. Patrick’s day we went to our favorite local bar, and I had a college flashback:

Nothing like those college days where the kegs were full of cheap green beer. I’ve never been a light beer fan, but the green is festive

To be honest, I feel really uninspired right now. I’m so restless I could scream sometimes. My not-so-new-anymore job continues to be interesting and pretty great, I can’t deny it. I think I found my place in the working world after all the customer service abuse. Work, however, really isn’t enough. Blame it on my gypsy heart, I get it from my dad, but sometimes I feel like I just need to get out of this town and do something different. Most of the time it’s a struggle to get to go to Pittsburgh or anything remotely different from the same day in/day out. I feel agitated to the point of distraction lately, and I’m not sure what the cure is.

In appriciating the small things, though, I woke up to this the other morning:

I’m convinced there is no creature alive that is cuter than my cat. Yes, I’m that pet owner.

Anyone else still holding on to some cabin fever/winter blues?

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Happy Birthday!

Posted on March 21, 2012 by arielsinlove

To my most favorite person in the world. Happy birthday sweetheart!

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Let Me Tell You About the Time I Willingly Ran a Mile

Posted on March 20, 2012 by arielsinlove

At the beginning of February I joined the gym.

I’ve been thinking about it for ages now. I really wanted some structure in my life, where I would feel compelled to work out. You know, that Jillian Michaels DVD sounds like a good idea, but it really just sits there. I have no desire to work out in my house, not when there’s so many other fun things I could be doing (eating cupcakes, for example). Joining a gym, literally paying a monthly fee to exercise , has lit a fire under me in a way that nothing ever really did before.

I ran my first mile since high school about three weeks later.

Not that the picture actually tells you anything, but I mostly snapped it for posterity anyway. It was a big deal! In high school I was involved in track, but I did the throwing events and stayed as far away from the running aspect of the sport like it was the plague. I never would willingly get the urge to run. In retrospect, I actually have an idea about one thing that really deteered me. I think it comes down to the fact that 7+ years ago there was not a sports bra in existence that made running even remotely comfortable for me. Now with jogging and running becoming a much more popular pastime I have seen leaps and bounds in the world of super support. I was your standard early bloomer, and with that came the extra northern baggage. I don’t remember a time when running wasn’t an extremely uncomfortable, almost painful chore. Not to mention the self-consciousness of a teenager, you’re absolutely sure everyone is staring at you.

I wrote about my sports bra discovery over the summer and I’m about to buy stock in those bras. It’s an entirely different experience and I couldn’t be happier. I love going to the gym. I love the routine of it. I am a creature of habit and I have a need to stay busy. My gym is about a minute from where I work, on the way home from my office. I get off work around 4-4:30, spend about an hour and a half at the gym, and complete the 45 minute commute home. I feel great when I’m done, even when my mood is sour going in. It helps battle the loneliness of coming home to an empty house since Justin is on second shift indefinitely.

So a little after two months I feel like I have an established routine, something I truly look forward to every day, and a 30lb weight loss and 5k goal in mind.

My first 5k is on May 5th. Let’s hope I do not die or finish last

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Birthday Part II

Posted on February 25, 2012 by arielsinlove

I was lucky enough to get a second birthday celebration with some of my favorite people at my favorite country dive bar a couple weeks ago, and after being sick for the entire week of my birthday last year it was fantastic.

I think I’m going to have to insist my friends wear 5-in. stilettos from now on for our group standing shots, yes? That may or may not have been the only actual bridesmaid request I made of all my friends for my wedding. HIGH HEELS! Don’t make the bride look like the jolly green giant. Aha.

Sitting down. That’s better.

And our favorite men. It’s strange how few single people I’m friends with anymore, or maybe that’s a symptom of marriage?

Not pictured are all they well-loved used up shot cups. We discovered many new favorites that night and it’s a nod to my new found maturity that I don’t post any pictures of the birthday girl in question looking like a jackass

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My Niece has Arrived!

Posted on February 20, 2012 by arielsinlove

Meet Evolette Mae, who has already won the hearts of dozens within a week:

Even Justin, who is not usually susceptible to the charms of tiny humans was smitten:

In short, she is absolutely perfect in every way. I still cant believe my brother and sister in law are parents. That seems so unbelievable, even though I had plenty of time to get used to the idea. I saw a cute sign on facebook the other day that went “one of the first signs of getting old is when all your friends start having babies on purpose.” Isn’t that the truth? In any case, two people I love very much couldn’t have been any more blessed with a more beautiful baby and my sister in law was nothing short of a rockstar bringing her into the world for all of us to love and adore.

So does a new baby bring about any maternal stirs in my own heart? Eh, that’s a post for another day..

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Turning 25

Posted on February 1, 2012 by arielsinlove

So. I turned 25 on Monday.

To be honest, I’m not really sure how I feel about it. I don’t feel like a 25 year old. 25 feels…not old, more like grown up, mature. I always thought I’d have everything figured out by now (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA). Now that I know that’s not the case, I have some adjusting to do. 25 feels like an adult, and more often than not I really don’t FEEL very adult-like. I’ve spent most of my life being told I act older than my age (and was actually just recently told that a couple months ago). Sometimes I wonder if I’ll look back on my early twenties and wish I did more. Not that I didn’t do a lot, but more early-twenties sort of things. Bars, clubs, going home with strangers. Not that I would go home with a stranger (I try to learn people’s names first, you know. Keep it classy) But that’s not what my life was heading to.

I met my husband when I was 18. YOUNG! When did 18 start sounding so young? We became a couple when I was 19, married at 22. That is really young, but that was what was in store for me. I always think it’s a little funny when people tell me I got married too young. What was I going to do, put Justin up on a shelf and tell him to wait around while I aged up a bit? Maybe tell him I’d like to test drive a few other cars before I settled on one? No way, even as a car analogy it sounds tacky. Justin was always the one for me, we had been living together for two years, and there was no point in waiting until some imaginary socially acceptable age to tie the knot (although I am awfully fond of the phrase “living in sin” and use it as often as possible). I didn’t get married too young, I was simply lucky enough to find my soul mate a little earlier in life. Lord knows I would have managed to get myself into all kinds of trouble had I been left to my own devices.

Instead I found a guy who I adore. For my birthday we went out to Pittsburgh to check out a restauraunt I’ve been really wanting to try, The Church Brew Works (I also wrote up a review over at Food Lush). It was a fantastic dinner, with some delicious beer:

We really lucked out with the seating and got a small table all to ourselves in a pretty private location. It was really great to just hang out and talk (and drink!) and connect. We miss out on that a lot now that we have opposite shifts for work.

This Saturday we’re going out with a big group of friends (I get two birthdays!) and I’m excited to see some long lost friends and have some fun. All in all and adulthood aside, 25 is shaping up to be a pretty good number.