While shoe shopping online this morning at work (I know, I know - Bad Sarah!) a link caught my eye at the bottom of the Piperlime webpage for donating your shoes. I have a ton of shoes and I've been contemplating what to do with the ones that I don't wear and haven't worn for years. I'm moving in two months or so and I certainly don't want to have to take them with me, but they're not nice enough (aka - not designer) for me to try and sell them on ebay. So this Soles4Souls deal is perfect for me. You load up the shoes in a box and ship it to them and in 3 weeks they send you a tax deductible receipt for your donation. In short, you can clean out your closet and help people at the same time! Woo!
Websites that you might find useful:
http://www.soles4souls.org/
www.piperlime.com
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
My newest obsession...Etsy
I love clothes. I love clothes that fit me and don't look like the rest of the world even more. I have finally found the answer to my prayers/quandry/etc: Etsy.
I just discovered Etsy, though I've randomly looked on their site multiple times, I hadn't actually looked at clothing. Then I started following them on Twitter and suddenly, I'm obsessed! They have jewelry that is my style (quirky, eclectic, without being tacky and REAL) for reasonable prices and it's made to fit you. Same with clothing. This dress was one of the things that popped up on my twitter and it's only $60. You send her your measurements, she makes it, and sends it to you. On one of her other items, you can specify the color. I love the idea buying something that is handmade and tailored to fit MY body (which is next to impossible to fit into most dresses anyway). It's so personal. Most stores now aren't personal, everything is picked over, and it all starts to look the same after a while. Etsy is such a breath of fresh air when it comes to shopping for anything.
I am in love. And I highly recommend you follow them on twitter and sign up for their emails. You'll find the coolest stuff!
I just discovered Etsy, though I've randomly looked on their site multiple times, I hadn't actually looked at clothing. Then I started following them on Twitter and suddenly, I'm obsessed! They have jewelry that is my style (quirky, eclectic, without being tacky and REAL) for reasonable prices and it's made to fit you. Same with clothing. This dress was one of the things that popped up on my twitter and it's only $60. You send her your measurements, she makes it, and sends it to you. On one of her other items, you can specify the color. I love the idea buying something that is handmade and tailored to fit MY body (which is next to impossible to fit into most dresses anyway). It's so personal. Most stores now aren't personal, everything is picked over, and it all starts to look the same after a while. Etsy is such a breath of fresh air when it comes to shopping for anything.
I am in love. And I highly recommend you follow them on twitter and sign up for their emails. You'll find the coolest stuff!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Little Things...
Wow, it has been a really long time since I have actually blogged! For a while, I had nothing to write about and then, lo and behold, I got a life and now I have no time to write, but for some reason I feel compelled this morning to put my thoughts into words (not feelings, just thoughts).
Two days ago, I received a chain email from the receptionist in the company I work for. Normally, I hate chain emails and delete them before I even read them, but I had the chance to preview this one before I chunked it. It turned out to be exactly what I needed. It was 45 life lessons by a 90-year old woman and every one of them, in some way or another, resonated with my life right now.
It occurred to me this morning that while the past few weeks have been really hard and very trying, God has managed to put little things in my path to make it a lot easier than it would be otherwise. I wouldn't have realized this if I hadn't been going to Bible study, which is the first little thing. I started going to church with a girl from work, then ended up at Bible study, which I have been going to for a little over a month or two now, and from that I have gained an awesome network of friends. I've been able to have a life again, have people to talk to outside of work, and have had support through all this crazy stuff with my family and work.
The second little thing, which was actually huge to me, was to be able to see Sarah Dessen again. She happens to be my favorite author and has been for the past 10 years or so. I saw her when The Truth About Forever came out, but we'd had to drive to Charlotte and I didn't remember it all that well. I knew that she was going to be in Raleigh this Thursday, the 18th, but I have Bible study and for some odd, crazy reason, I decided to volunteer to do dinner (this happens to also be my compressed week, where I work 4 10-hour days). I was pretty sad that I wouldn't be able to go. Yesterday afternoon, I happened to read her tweets on Twitter and she mentioned she had a reading, so I looked it up and she did! It was at The Regulator Bookshop in Durham (which if you ever have a chance to go to, you should. It's such a cute and awesome little shop). I debated going, asked Mom and Michaela, and finally I decided I would kick myself if I didn't go. So I went, left work a lil early, and I had the best time. Grant it, it was me and like 50 squealing middle/high school girls, but whatever. I had been that girl too and completely understood their squealing. I had forgotten how funny she was and how much fun it was to meet her, talk to her, listen to her answer questions, etc. I got my second book signed by her AND a picture. Suffice it to say, I'm glad I went.
There have been other things that have happened within the past 2 weeks, but they're not as significant as these. I would like to end this by saying that Sarah is back. The Sarah that has awesome friends (the new ones and the ones that are still here), still loves reading (and spends most Sundays on her couch doing so), and actually has a life. God, I missed having a life.
Two days ago, I received a chain email from the receptionist in the company I work for. Normally, I hate chain emails and delete them before I even read them, but I had the chance to preview this one before I chunked it. It turned out to be exactly what I needed. It was 45 life lessons by a 90-year old woman and every one of them, in some way or another, resonated with my life right now.
It occurred to me this morning that while the past few weeks have been really hard and very trying, God has managed to put little things in my path to make it a lot easier than it would be otherwise. I wouldn't have realized this if I hadn't been going to Bible study, which is the first little thing. I started going to church with a girl from work, then ended up at Bible study, which I have been going to for a little over a month or two now, and from that I have gained an awesome network of friends. I've been able to have a life again, have people to talk to outside of work, and have had support through all this crazy stuff with my family and work.
The second little thing, which was actually huge to me, was to be able to see Sarah Dessen again. She happens to be my favorite author and has been for the past 10 years or so. I saw her when The Truth About Forever came out, but we'd had to drive to Charlotte and I didn't remember it all that well. I knew that she was going to be in Raleigh this Thursday, the 18th, but I have Bible study and for some odd, crazy reason, I decided to volunteer to do dinner (this happens to also be my compressed week, where I work 4 10-hour days). I was pretty sad that I wouldn't be able to go. Yesterday afternoon, I happened to read her tweets on Twitter and she mentioned she had a reading, so I looked it up and she did! It was at The Regulator Bookshop in Durham (which if you ever have a chance to go to, you should. It's such a cute and awesome little shop). I debated going, asked Mom and Michaela, and finally I decided I would kick myself if I didn't go. So I went, left work a lil early, and I had the best time. Grant it, it was me and like 50 squealing middle/high school girls, but whatever. I had been that girl too and completely understood their squealing. I had forgotten how funny she was and how much fun it was to meet her, talk to her, listen to her answer questions, etc. I got my second book signed by her AND a picture. Suffice it to say, I'm glad I went.
There have been other things that have happened within the past 2 weeks, but they're not as significant as these. I would like to end this by saying that Sarah is back. The Sarah that has awesome friends (the new ones and the ones that are still here), still loves reading (and spends most Sundays on her couch doing so), and actually has a life. God, I missed having a life.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Mortally Wounded Pride
If you know me at all, you know just how much of a klutz I am. As I've grown older, it has mostly dissolved itself from my daily life. Today, however, it came back and made up for lost time.
For the past month or two, I've been wearing flats to work because of how much I run around. So flying down the stairs like a mad woman is not such a big deal. Well, today I wore my tall Vera's that I love and completed my outfit perfectly. The color printer is upstairs, so I had had to run up to get an interest letter that I had completed for Steve and was running (my usual speed) back downstairs, when I missed a step, but luckily for me! my heel caught it. I stumbled and with a death grip on the banister, slid down the stairs on my knees in the oh so lovely crucifix position. To make it even worse, Warren was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a horrified, "oh my god is she going to hit me!?!" look. I couldn't even be humiliated in private, no no, I had to have an audience. Quite Bridget Jones-like if you ask me.
So, I've decided that I'm going back to wedges (which I seem to do better with) and flats until they hire someone else and I am no longer running up and down the stairs.
And to answer your question: besides hand hurting from the death grip on the banister, my knees and shins hurting from sliding down five stairs, and my mortally wounded pride, I am okay.
I'm just going to go hide under my desk now.
For the past month or two, I've been wearing flats to work because of how much I run around. So flying down the stairs like a mad woman is not such a big deal. Well, today I wore my tall Vera's that I love and completed my outfit perfectly. The color printer is upstairs, so I had had to run up to get an interest letter that I had completed for Steve and was running (my usual speed) back downstairs, when I missed a step, but luckily for me! my heel caught it. I stumbled and with a death grip on the banister, slid down the stairs on my knees in the oh so lovely crucifix position. To make it even worse, Warren was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a horrified, "oh my god is she going to hit me!?!" look. I couldn't even be humiliated in private, no no, I had to have an audience. Quite Bridget Jones-like if you ask me.
So, I've decided that I'm going back to wedges (which I seem to do better with) and flats until they hire someone else and I am no longer running up and down the stairs.
And to answer your question: besides hand hurting from the death grip on the banister, my knees and shins hurting from sliding down five stairs, and my mortally wounded pride, I am okay.
I'm just going to go hide under my desk now.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
ADD Strikes Again!!
Yet again, my horoscope has somehow managed to articulate feelings that I couldn't really put a finger on. Here it is for the day:
"You are feeling even more internalized than you usually do around this time of year. With ten out of twelve planets clustered in your subjective 3rd and 4th Houses now, it's challenging for you to take what you know and turn it into anything productive. And who says that you should? Even if your attitude begins to pick up this afternoon and on through tomorrow, it's still okay to take it easy instead of doing work, work and more work."
So there IS a reason my ADD is off the charts and I feel like I can't concentrate on ANYTHING (which is why I'm doing this quick blog before I go answer phones). And I feel like others can sense my craziness and are disappointed. Being an overachiever is not all that its cracked up to be people--it will drive you mad. Heck, you will drive yourself mad. And today, I am there.
I'm just saying...
"You are feeling even more internalized than you usually do around this time of year. With ten out of twelve planets clustered in your subjective 3rd and 4th Houses now, it's challenging for you to take what you know and turn it into anything productive. And who says that you should? Even if your attitude begins to pick up this afternoon and on through tomorrow, it's still okay to take it easy instead of doing work, work and more work."
So there IS a reason my ADD is off the charts and I feel like I can't concentrate on ANYTHING (which is why I'm doing this quick blog before I go answer phones). And I feel like others can sense my craziness and are disappointed. Being an overachiever is not all that its cracked up to be people--it will drive you mad. Heck, you will drive yourself mad. And today, I am there.
I'm just saying...
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
"Even if your personal history is stranger than fiction, you may be ready to take center stage today and share your story. Oddly, you might want to keep certain bits and pieces of your private life totally to yourself. And as much as this is your prerogative, think about what you leave out, for it can alter someone's perspective of you in ways you don't realize. Be radical and tell the whole truth."
This was my horoscope for the day. Generally, I don't pay much attention to my horoscope, its simply there to take up space on my iGoogle and entertain me when I need a break from the craziness that is my workday. But sometimes, like today, it catches my attention because it eerily parallels my life.
I do tell my story once a month to hundreds of readers in Fayetteville's "Women's View" magazine. It started out about a year ago with me writing a column called "University You." I was the spokesperson for Methodist since I worked there and had the awesome connection that is my mother and, of course, was a writer. When the column first began, it was fairly mundane and boring to me. Then I hit on the subject of lateral entry teaching, which is huge in NC where a lot of graduates can't get jobs out of college, and all of the sudden I had responses and avid readers. For that one article, I received about 20 emails and 10 or so calls. Unfortunately, I had to give up that column once I moved to Raleigh and began my current position. I didn't feel right writing the column when I'm so obviously out of the University scene.
Imagine my surprise when I found out that my readers missed me! They were asking my editor where I had gone, if the article was gone, etc. My mom, prompted by my editor, approached me about writing about "The Big Girl World" as I have so lovingly come to call this new life of mine. She had heard my stories about crazy job interviews, dates, and moving experiences and decided that her readers would love it. I thought it would be fun, but when I started writing it, I was at a total loss for words. Looking back, the interview process had its absolutely hilarious moments, but that's because everything was so ludicrous. I couldn't make it funny because mostly it was depressing. Moving to my own apartment and dealing with fleas was also hilarious, but I wasn't quite ready to jump into that. I'm not a fan of in medias res (ha, english major strikes!) and I felt like I needed to give readers a glimpse of me before I started telling the tale of my life. So I wrote this super perky article that I didn't really like. I wrote it as me, not as someone else. I wish I could take that back, but thankfully, most of the readers are in Fayetteville and not in Raleigh. And it's not like I really hold much back anyway; I'm terrible at keeping my own secrets. But I still worry.
If I tell the world about most of my life, will I be given a chance? Or will they look at me and go, "Spoiled little white girl having to live on her own, oh so sad. Not." Or will they go, I remember that! Or I've been there! I don't mind sharing my story, 0therwise I wouldn't have a blog, but I want people to appreciate it, to want to read it, to miss me if I don't make a deadline once. I know I will censor some of my life, obviously, my mother reads that thing! But I want them to get a real picture too. It's weird how things, like horoscopes, really bring into focus the things that have been lurking in the back of your head.
This was my horoscope for the day. Generally, I don't pay much attention to my horoscope, its simply there to take up space on my iGoogle and entertain me when I need a break from the craziness that is my workday. But sometimes, like today, it catches my attention because it eerily parallels my life.
I do tell my story once a month to hundreds of readers in Fayetteville's "Women's View" magazine. It started out about a year ago with me writing a column called "University You." I was the spokesperson for Methodist since I worked there and had the awesome connection that is my mother and, of course, was a writer. When the column first began, it was fairly mundane and boring to me. Then I hit on the subject of lateral entry teaching, which is huge in NC where a lot of graduates can't get jobs out of college, and all of the sudden I had responses and avid readers. For that one article, I received about 20 emails and 10 or so calls. Unfortunately, I had to give up that column once I moved to Raleigh and began my current position. I didn't feel right writing the column when I'm so obviously out of the University scene.
Imagine my surprise when I found out that my readers missed me! They were asking my editor where I had gone, if the article was gone, etc. My mom, prompted by my editor, approached me about writing about "The Big Girl World" as I have so lovingly come to call this new life of mine. She had heard my stories about crazy job interviews, dates, and moving experiences and decided that her readers would love it. I thought it would be fun, but when I started writing it, I was at a total loss for words. Looking back, the interview process had its absolutely hilarious moments, but that's because everything was so ludicrous. I couldn't make it funny because mostly it was depressing. Moving to my own apartment and dealing with fleas was also hilarious, but I wasn't quite ready to jump into that. I'm not a fan of in medias res (ha, english major strikes!) and I felt like I needed to give readers a glimpse of me before I started telling the tale of my life. So I wrote this super perky article that I didn't really like. I wrote it as me, not as someone else. I wish I could take that back, but thankfully, most of the readers are in Fayetteville and not in Raleigh. And it's not like I really hold much back anyway; I'm terrible at keeping my own secrets. But I still worry.
If I tell the world about most of my life, will I be given a chance? Or will they look at me and go, "Spoiled little white girl having to live on her own, oh so sad. Not." Or will they go, I remember that! Or I've been there! I don't mind sharing my story, 0therwise I wouldn't have a blog, but I want people to appreciate it, to want to read it, to miss me if I don't make a deadline once. I know I will censor some of my life, obviously, my mother reads that thing! But I want them to get a real picture too. It's weird how things, like horoscopes, really bring into focus the things that have been lurking in the back of your head.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Wonderful World of OnLine Dating
I completely blame all my dating mishaps on Katie Culbertson, my lovely best friend who thought that I should get on Match.com. I paid for a month of it and have now decided that I am going to pay for that month through free lunches and coffee. At this point, every guy that I have been out with is odd, weird, and has horrible teeth. Oh and they're all clingy. Whatever happened to the dating game? You know, where they make you sit by the phone and wonder how it went and if they liked you? Yeah, I don't get them. I get the "hey, it's the end of the date....want to see a movie tonight? how about lunch next week??" dates or my favorite the "let's just give Sarah coffee on her lunch hour because I obviously don't know that by not feeding her, it makes her hate me". Those are my dating experiences. OH or today, the guy that looked awesome and turned out to be super weird that barely talked, but he loved how easy I was to talk to. Thankfully, this one did not try to hug me.
So now I move on to my next dating site. Please understand that I am still using my $35 that I paid for one month of Match.com to find more guys to buy me lunch and/or coffee (as long as it is not on my lunch hour). I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere with them. So, I've moved on to trying OK Cupid, which Sarah suggested.
Reasons why I like them:
a) They're free
b) They have lots of random questions that you ask and can make your key questions
c) I love their tests
d) They'll show you people that match you as a date, friend, and enemy
e) Did I mention they're free??
I obviously don't mind putting myself out there and there's a part of me that likes going out and doing this whole dating thing because I never really dated. Ryan and I just kinda happened and when from BFFs and acting like we were dating to actually dating. Bryan actually took me on dates, which was nice, but I didn't really have to do any of the work. Now I do. Not so sure how I like all this. It's fun and I like the free food, but I'm getting tired of the wierdos. Plus, I really don't want a relationship right now. I just want some people to hang out with, go out with. Really, is that so much to ask??
NORMAL!
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