Preppy Nonsense

sharpie lovers, unite

2010-07-18T18:33:00.006-04:00

I have a confession - I love back-to-school time. I'm not in school anymore, and the husband and I don't have any little ones. So why do I love this time of year? Two words -

Office.

Supplies.

My obession with seemingly petty products is well known in my office because I'm so vocal about them. Generic sticky note pads? No way, sister. They have to be Post It brand Super Sticky notes. Sharpie pens? Yes please, but I prefer the capped ones, not the retractable variety. Though I have both - in mass quantities!

Today at Target I moseyed through the office supply section, maneuvering through the parents and kiddos with their school supply lists. I found an exciting item - Sharpie pens in new colors!

If only they made a nice dark pink... that would be great. I have a Bic dark pink pen but it's no Sharpie!

After looking at the Sharpie website, I noticed I've never seen the Sharpie Pen Grip - does anyone use them? Do tell...

i heart pickles

2010-07-11T22:31:00.002-04:00

If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I love pickles. If you like pickles as much as I do, you're certainly my friend!

Some time ago, I stumbled upon a recipe for dill pickle spears on the blog Annie's Eats. I've made them many times since then, but a few weeks ago I read a pickle post on Fly Through Our Window. I got some fresh dill and bought some ingredients, and one night I made the pickles.

Oh. My. Word. They are so good! They're slightly sweet, but not overly so, and the onion and mustard seed adds great flavor. I followed the Bon Appetit recipe pretty closely except for white pepper - my grocery store didn't have any so I just used a smaller amount of black peppercorns. I agree with Darby that I didn't have enough liquid, so I added some water to fill the dishes (I didn't use jars and went for rectangular glass storage containers with plastic lids instead).

I am almost done with my second batch of pickles and will be making some more. I wish my cucumber vines were cooperating but no veggies yet! If you're a pickle person, make some and tell me what you think!

you need to buy this

2010-07-05T22:11:00.004-04:00

I love this cardigan. Ordered it from Old Navy, of all places, along with its two other colors and four pointelle-trim cardigans. They're all cute, fit well, but best of all, they're CHEAP. I wore the yellow one on Friday and got lots of compliments. Definitely looks like more than $26.50!

it's been awhile

2010-07-02T17:34:00.003-04:00

Hello, world. It's been awhile. I took a little break from blogging. I was burnt out and tired, not from blogging, but from life's little annoyances and stressors that get in the way. Instead of filling each post with my complaints and diatribes, I took a step back. It was nice.

The husband and I have been busy around the house, whether it's yardwork, cooking, or vacuuming the endless amount of dog hair that shows up. Sometimes I really wonder if the dogs have friends over when we're at work - where does all the hair come from?! This weekend I have big plans of being lazy and catching up on my magazines.

But I do have things to tell you, including a recipe for the best refrigerator pickles EVER and my new cardigan wardrobe. Yes. Wardrobe. There are that many. It would be embarassing if I wasn't so giddy about them. So until next time - have a wonderful weekend!

signs of growing old, concert edition

2010-06-14T20:38:00.003-04:00

You know you're getting old when you eschew lawn concert tickets for pavilion seats so that you can avoid being around high schoolers. And when you pay a premium for said tickets, one of the perks is an air-conditioned VIP bathroom, which you are overly excited about.

Forget the days of getting lawn space or tailgating in the parking lot. I'm excited about not waiting in line for the potty! Is my AARP card in the mail yet?!

napa valley food review

2010-06-13T20:03:00.004-04:00

So - you want to eat well in wine country. The Napa Valley area has no shortage of delicious food and drink, that's for sure. When I made our dinner plans, I had two objectives - 1) I wanted to eat well; and 2) I didn't want to completely break the bank. So any chains were out, as was the French Laundry. Some day, Thomas Keller, some day! I like fresh food with local ingredients, especially seafood, so any menu with inventive seafood caught my eye.

This was not my first trip to Napa, and my parents have been there many times, so I had some idea of what areas we wanted to visit. I then checked Tripadvisor for current reviews and Open Table to see if there were reservations available. In some cases, I had to call the restaurant directly because of our party size. I started this as soon as the plane tickets were purchased, which was about 2 months in advance. On to the goods...

Tra Vigne, St Helena

I really liked this choice for our first night in the area. We had great service and there were several standout menu items - the mozarella cheese 'al minuto,' short ribs, and a special of the day - scallop risotto. The pasta was very good too. I would eat there again.

Redd, Yountville

This was our best meal of the trip, in my opinion. The fish was the highlight of the menu (halibut, skate, and John dory), as were the desserts. The boys mixed it up that night by having local beers and I had some fun mixed drinks. Unfortunately, I don't have more than 3 photos of the evening because we were so busy eating! I would definitely eat at Redd again.

Brix, Yountville

I have mixed thoughts about Brix. On one hand, the scenery is amazing. There is a lovely garden behind the restaurant that made for a nice little walk while waiting for our salads. And the sunset with the view was great, especially since we sat outside. But. The food wasn't great. It was good, but not great. I had two appetizers instead of an entree - the mussels and the onion pizza. The pizza was not very good, even though I love onions and everything that was on it. I think it might have been undercooked, but it seemed to be browned enough. Other dishes were better but not as good as our previous nights' fare. I would probably not eat at Brix again.

Girl and the Fig, Sonoma

I really wanted to like the Girl and the Fig, but it fell short. The dishes were good but nothing particularly stood out, aside from the cheese platter. Our table also didn't like the pickled figs - maybe we're in the minority but they were pretty gross. I probably wouldn't eat there again for dinner. Maybe for lunch though.

So that's a brief overview of our dinners - we also ate at Rutherford Grille, Cafe Sarafornia, and Pica Pica at Oxbow Public Market. If you're going to Napa I do have some brief points of advice:

Make reservations. You don't have to, but restaurants get busy quickly and you won't want to wait 3 hours to eat dinner.
Don't be afraid to stay at the bar. If you're not interested in a full meal, sit at the bar and enjoy a drink and appetizer or two.
Keep your wallet open because food and drink will be expensive. It's the way it is! That doesn't mean that you blindly turn over your Amex, but just realize that you will pay more than you expected. You get what you pay for in most cases.

weeks that suck and other nonsense

2010-06-13T13:04:00.006-04:00

This week has kicked my ass. It's Sunday and I'm tired. I was out of town Thursday morning through Saturday afternoon for work, and now I have one day to rest, get my stuff together for the week, and fix my hair issues because tomorrow at work is PICTURE DAY! We are having photos taken for the new website. I probably have note told you about my old website photo, but it is terrible. You know it's bad when you meet people for the first time and they say "You look nothing like your photo on the website! You look a lot better in person!" Seriously. It's that bad.

I begged my hairdresser for a Saturday afternoon appointment yesterday and she left me with highlighted, golden locks with a hint of curl. Just like the photo I showed her.

But when I try to do my own hair (because duh, I have to practice before photo day tomorrow), this is what I come up with.

If you couldn't tell, they're not the same. I have spent the last 5+ years using primarily a flat iron, so using a curling iron is a little foreign to me now. Also add to the difficulty that new hair requires the hair to be curled back, away from the face (a la Farah Fawcett) instead of toward the face a la 1995.

I now have our spare bathroom outfitted with curling irons, flat irons, and hair potions and it looks like Mission Control for hair. It is going to get fixed and I am not spending another three years on our website looking ridiculous.

I might need reinforcements. Or alcohol. Or a sick day with a retake. Please say a prayer.

for the husband

2010-06-07T22:38:00.001-04:00

While the husband and I were in California, we celebrated our second anniversary on May 31st. It hardly seems that two years has gone by... although last year I thought the same thing!

I am very lucky to have the husband. He's handy, patient, and above all, kind. He always sees the best in people. He's a good influence on me. He is so patient, in fact, that he spent multiple hours in a car with my family on our California trip - with no complaints! And when I have to work late (which is often), he makes me dinner because he knows I'll be tired. Like tonight. I love you bunches, husband.

photos of delicious desserts from our dinner at Redd in Yountville, CA

wining and dining

2010-06-02T13:01:00.002-04:00

The husband and I are in California for the week. We've been in the Napa area for a few days, and tomorrow we head to San Francisco. I brought along my new fancy dancy iPad, so I've been learning to use it. Typing takes me at least 5 times longer but I'm getting better!

Trip recap to follow when I get home- we have had the pleasure of eating in some darn good restaurants and I have to share them with you. Enjoy your week!

lost questions....

2010-05-26T22:40:00.004-04:00

Did you watch Lost on Sunday night? I ran across this video on Perez Hilton about all of the unanswered questions and thought it was perfect! If you're a Lost junkie you have to watch.

So You Want Some Answers from Lost

(sorry, I don't know how to embed!)

hola and bienvenidos

2010-05-17T21:35:00.014-04:00

The husband and I returned on Sunday night (actually, early morning... damn flight delays) from Mexico. We had a wonderful time, though we're happy to be home. Mexico was very welcoming and we would definitely go back again (oh Mayakoba, I will see you someday soon). I think the husband and I have decided we are not All-Inclusive People. Or Cruise People. And that I'm a travel snob. But that's a different post for a different day.

We ventured out on a snorkeling trip of cenotes (caves, complete with little bats, yes, BATS!) and the ocean. You walk through the jungle to a cave opening and the temperature instantly dropped a good 20 degrees.

I'm reluctant to post a photo of me in a bathing suit, but it's one of the few of us. I never get any good photos on our vacations! Our guide was awesome though and took some shots with an underwater camera. When we got back he made us a CD with all the images.And here are the caves, complete with stalactites. Or stalagmites? I'm not a geologist and I'm too tired to look it up.This is me freezing my ass off, which I'm very serious about, apparently. The water in the caves was COLD. After the cenotes, we headed to the ocean where it was hot but felt good. We jumped on a boat and went out to a reef. This photo looks nothing like me the more I look at it. But I assure you it is. We saw fish. And a semi-serious conch - you can't smile with all that gear. And some more fish. And a sting ray. All in all, we had a good time. But the water was rough it was pretty scary. Usually snorkeling is low key and easy but I kid you not, I was like flipping Finding Nemo out there! Between trying to keep away from the reef and keeping up with the group, I got a great workout, which lead to an early bedtime. The first reef area was the worst and I got burned by a piece of coral. It didn't hurt, but I did take a photo to send to my little brother (the PADI-certified expert diver) to show him how tough I am.

Also while in Mexico, we found two pieces of home - can you tell what it is from this photo?Oh yes, it's a Wal Mart Supercenter. In Mexico! We went there to buy some sunscreen and look around. It was oddly familiar but very different, if that makes any sense whatsoever.There were also two Starbucks in close proximity to our hotel. Starbucks is everywhere!

So when we were there, I didn't really want any trinkets. I'm not a big souvenir person. But I found two perfect presents... for my pooches!

Yes, I bought the dogs mini sombreros. I'm that pet parent! They were not thrilled with my photo request. But Linus (the yellow one) wanted the pretzels I had in my hand, so he kept pretty still.

Patty looks like she had too much tequila.

Ahh, much better. Pretzels solve a world of injustice and hat wearing ills.

my new ww love - thomas bagel thins

2010-05-05T22:06:00.005-04:00

Now that I'm doing Weight Watchers, I have the same breakfast every morning - a Thomas Light Multi Grain English muffin and a slice of melty Kraft fat free cheese. Although I like to eat a variety of foods in general, eating the same 2-point breakfast keeps me in a routine and makes things easy when I'm pressed for time.

Roaming around Costco last week picking up my standard double-pack of English muffins, I spied a new, low calorie option - Thomas Bagel Thins. They're the same point value as the English muffins (just 1), but they're bagels! Thin bagels! Of course I bought some to try, and you know what? I LOVE THEM. They're my new breakfast, along with a piece of my beloved (and strangely low calorie) fat-free cheese.

If you're doing Weight Watchers, or you just want an alternative to your breakfast offerings, I highly suggest trying them. I've only tried the plain version but according to the website, there are also multi-grain and everything varieties. I haven't seen those in my area, but they must be available somewhere! Even a teeny Lender's bagel is still 4 points, so it's a welcome change for this carb-loving girl.

you can't take it with you.... okay, well you can

2010-05-04T22:21:00.003-04:00

With the husband and I going on a beach vacation soon, I've been thinking about taking my engagement and wedding rings. Or not. Or maybe. I don't know.

(insert gratuitous photo of rings here - but then i decided it was kind of vain. like LOOK AT MY FANCY RING so no photos.)

I am obsessed with my engagement ring. Still. It's been more than 3 years since the husband and I got engaged and it still makes me ridiculously happy.

On one hand, I fully realize the point of having insurance on jewelry is to wear it, so this should be no exception, right? I should wear it. I like looking like a married lady anyway. Is that vain? Maybe.

But on the hand, at the beach, I don't really like wearing jewelry. Sunblock and sand = no good for settings. Add to that my paranoia of the diamond falling out - does anyone else worry about that?! My mom had a friend that had that happen, so that's always in the back of my mind.

Ugh. Decisions decisions. I am a Type A person that HATES losing things with a passion. HATES. In capital letters. It's not often that I lose things but when I do, it drives me batty. And I would just HATE if I left my loverly ring in our hotel room and then it went missing. What a pain that would be.

Maybe I'll just wear my wedding band only and call it a day.

lack of blog-spiration

2010-05-03T21:53:00.003-04:00

I've been lacking in the blog content department. Do you ever feel that way? Like there's nothing really interesting to write about? To document? To share? Life has been busy, but it's pretty routine. Can life be stressful and boring? What a lame combination.

Luckily, the husband and I are going on vacation this weekend - to Mexico! We're giving the all-inclusive route a shot again, which I hope will result in a stress-free, relaxing vacation. I hope to relax, get some sun, snorkel, and drink an impressive number of margaritas. I've been stalking our resort on Tripadvisor and I feel good about the place. Even better now that the husband confirmed that all rooms have wifi. Yes, I need the internet. Even on vacation!

Mexican sombreros and phone calls to Costco

2010-04-26T23:07:00.005-04:00

The husband and I are Costco members (duh, we live in the 'burbs) and I get their quasi-daily emails letting me know all the wonderous deals they have going on. Today's email had the following links, but my eyes got stuck on one of them. Maybe it's because the husband and I are going on vacation in 3 weeks... and I'm mentally already there!

Let me point it out for you in case you didn't catch it(circled):Because when I make phone calls concerning travel to Mexico, I always wear my WOVEN SOMBRERO.

The more important question is - why don't you?

spring is here, and I've got the flowers to prove it

2010-04-12T21:26:00.003-04:00

I love fresh flowers. If I could, I'd always have fresh flowers in the house. Luckily, the husband is sweet and indulges my floral obsession, like this bouquet he got me on Saturday that's hanging out in our kitchen. Along with my diet Coke and dog poop bags. Just keepin' it real.

But you don't have to buy flowers from a florist or grocery store... you can look in your backyard. Or your neighbor's backyard if they're not home! KIDDING. Maybe.

Here's a crystal bowl I filled with water and lilacs (they're not regular lilacs, they're some varietal - and were planted when we moved into the house). They smell delicious. They're sitting on our breakfast table.

And here's a little arrangement I'm taking into work tomorrow for my desk. It has mini daffodils, some... type of purple flower, and blossoms from a shrub in the backyard. I like plants but I'm no experts on what they are! Even though the blossoms from the shrub aren't a typical flower, they're kind of fun and add some interest.
I put them in an old milk bottle instead of a traditional vase. What flowers do you have growing in your backyard?!

diapers, cakes, and... bubbly?

2010-04-11T08:46:00.008-04:00

On Saturday I went to a baby shower for a high school friend who is expecting in May. I wanted to make her a diaper cake, which I thought would be helpful for her AND a good use of my Martha skillz. Yes. Skillz with a 'z.' Here's what you'd need for the project:

a 40-pack of Size 1 diapers (yes, there are two here, but you'll only need one)
a cake base - I got Wilton brand thick silver covered bases
ribbon to circle your layers
a dowel rod
assorted small baby supplies - most of mine were from the registry
a jumbo clear poly bag
scissors and both single sided and double stick tape
regular rubber bands
clear hair bands - mine were Goody brand

It's helpful if you also have an assistant for this project. When I opened the diapers, I found that they had a design with Winnie the Pooh. At first, I was annoyed, but they matched the ribbon I got at Michael's so it was a happy accident. I really like the birds below - so cute! You start by rolling up each diaper and securing them with a clear band. There are tons of good videos on YouTube on how to do this here, here, and here. I actually rolled mine up backwards so that you could see the design on the diaper - so you could do it either way.

And now - my secret 'weapon' - a bottle of champagne! I'm sure this isn't new but in thinking about cutting the dowel rod (which this takes the place of), I came up with this. I think it's a good idea. You could substitute a bottle of sparkling cider if you so desired - but I think the new mom and dad need some adult beverages!

I started covering the champagne bottle with circles of diapers - two layers around the bottom and one around the middle and top. If you didn't use a bottle, you'd need both packages of diapers (80ish total). Here's what it looked like then:

I used a gift tag and attached a thin ribbon to the bottle in the middle wishing the proud parents well.

I stuck it on through the top with the ends of the ribbon a little visible. At this point, I'd also layered the ribbon by using double stick tape strips and layering them, and then covering the rubber bands with the ribbon pieces.

And here is what the cake looks like with the ribbon and gifts:

And the side of the cake:

We're getting there!

My assistant was pretty worn out at this point:

To make the cake easy to transport, I used a jumbo gift bag from Michael's. I wasn't sure if it would fit, but it did!

When they say 'jumbo,' they're not kidding.

I tied some more ribbon to the top after securing the plastic with a clear band. I wanted to make a big fancy bow but I was unsuccessful. I'm not really good at bows.

I didn't secure the little gifts - just stuck them into the spaces between diapers. I also took the clear plastic sides of the bag and taped them underneath the base so they wouldn't stick out so much.

The baby wash fell down in my car but I straightened it up after getting there.

So there you have it! It was a pretty simple project once I got the hang of things.

laundry room redux

2010-04-04T09:06:00.001-04:00

Last fall, I gave you a tour of our laundry room after we got risers for the washer and dryer. Shortly after that, I decided I'd like to do something about the sink in the laundry room. You might have a similar style in your house. It's very handy for washing paintbrushes, but it doesn't do much for me. Mine even has the SKU sticker still on the front. The house was built in 1989, to give you some reference. So I decided I was going to make a skirt for it. My mom gave me my grandma's sewing machine (she was going to anyway but it had to be taken into the sewing store for a tune up) and I ordered some fabric from www.fabricguru.com. Love that place! I got a cute plaid embroidered with bees for a steal. And the finished product...

Tah-dah! Nothing major but definitely an improvement. I also took the fabric and redid the window "treatment" in the laundry room by taking off the old fabric and replacing it with bees. It's this strange foam with a space in the middle. I'm almost positive it was purchased from an infomercial in 1991. But for now - it's fine. You just cut the fabric to go over it and wrap it up like a gift. So there's not much commitment there.

To make the sink skirt, I used Velcro around the lip of the sink and then hemmed the edges of the fabric on all sides, leaving room for the inward pleat. You might think it's tricky but I assure you - if I can do it, you can do it. The last time I sewed was probably in high school, and the majority of my knowledge is from my sixth grade home ec class. I didn't even sew on the Velcro, I just bought the kind with adhesive already on it.

The only part I didn't like is that around the pleat, the bees don't line up, but it's not enough to look like it's meant to be that way. Oh well, it's just the laundry room! To finish off the skirt, I did use a piece of grosgrain ribbon on the top and bottom, and hot glued them on. I had already stuck on the Velcro, so I saw no reason to sew it on and worry about breaking a needle.

All in all, I'm happy with my little project. It's pretty low risk using cheap fabric and decorating a room that you aren't in for long periods of time! I hope to get out the machine again and make some new goodies.

To see other rooms of our house, check out the links on the upper left of www.preppynonsense.com.

garden plotting

2010-04-03T20:13:00.000-04:00

I picked up some seeds for my garden this summer - and then got out the seeds I already had from last year. Holy cow, I have way too many. I get all kinds of excited in front of the seed displays, and that I get home and realize my garden is way too small for all that activity. The carrots might not make the cut - I've never grown them so I thought it might be fun... but who knows. Can you grow carrots in a pot?
But the squash is going to happen, just not be in the actual garden area. The raspberry plants have already been planted on the side of the house as well.

I have like, 8 kinds of peas! I had so much good luck last year with peas, I thought I'd try some new varieties. And this year, I have three trellises (is that even a word?!) so I think things will be even better.

On Friday I tilled the soil and made my trellises.

Here's my little map:

I already have some exciting things growing - like asparagus, chives, and parsley. All were planted last year. In addition to the garden, I mentioned a few weeks ago that we signed up for a CSA this year, so we should have no shortage of veggies this summer!

macaroons and firing up the grill

2010-04-03T11:40:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had the day off of work, so I did some work around the house, ran some errands, and prepped my garden for spring (more on that in another post!). I also made macaroons. I get weekly emails from Real Simple that have recipes of the week, and this week's featured macaroons. Oh, I love macaroons! Even if you're not a big coconut fan, these are delicious. While I was at the grocery store I picked up some Splenda Sugar Blend. I've written before about my dislike for Splenda in baking but this fake sugar redeemed itself for me today. You use half the amount of the Splenda "sugar" that you normally would for baking. It doesn't have that acrid taste that some artificial sweeteners have. And here are the finished products! This is after I moved them all to one baking sheet for the evening - you don't want to bake them that close together. I'm taking them today to my family's Easter dinner. The coconut makes them look like little nests. And when the husband got home, he made duck risotto with peas and lemon. Now that the weather is nicer, we can eat outside! And I once again appreciate our lovely outdoor furniture. I finished the risotto with some grated Parmesan and pea shoots. And finished my dinner with a Cream Ale from Sun King.

Ah, spring. Nice to see you again.

when you should have just stayed in

2010-03-28T19:41:00.003-04:00

The husband and I went to a local Mexican place this weekend, expecting decent food with a beer or margarita. We try to frequent local places over chains, which, given where we live, is no easy task. We have just about every chain on the face of the earth within a 10-mile radius. I kid you not - name a chain, any chain, and it's probably in my backyard.

We walk into the restaurant and the decor is... questionable. Even for a Mexican place. Fake flowers, fake stucco... the works. We then proceed to wait 5 minues for someone to seat us. At this point, I kind of wondered about the place but talked myself out of it. We were both hungry and how bad could it be?

As it turns out, it was very bad. We left an hour and a flipping half later after being served a cheap ass beer instead of regular beer (those frat party college years yielded excellent taste buds to discriminate between Natty and Keystone and real beer), waiting half an hour to get our bill, almost throwing up from smelling the disgusting fajitas at the table next to us, and the husband being served a the most pitiful teeny tiny piece of brown avocado. And those are just the highlights!

Luckily, we don't have experiences like this often, and this time it was comical. But the next time I get a bad feeling about a place, I'm not going to apologize for high-tailing it out of there!

seriously, stein mart

2010-03-23T19:47:00.007-04:00

Have you seen this commercial for Stein Mart? Basically, it's a lady talking about how she loves to shop and how much money she saves. Nothing outrageous about it. Pretty boring, actually.

And then she says this line:

"....and you don't have to hide it from your husband, you can actually tell him about it!"

Think about those words.

It's 2010 and as a woman, I should identify with hiding purchases from my husband so he won't see what I bought? Uh-hunh.

Missed the boat on that one, Stein Mart. Marshall's and TJ Maxx are lookin' pretty good right now.

feeling funky... and not in a good way

2010-03-18T22:39:00.004-04:00

I am in a FUNK lately. Maybe it's the dreary weather and overall lack of sun, but a more likely cause is the copious amount of fluorescent lighting in my office building. And the time I've been spending there! I am not, by nature, a particularly positive person. I'm okay with that - but prolonged Debbie Downer-ness is hard for even me to deal with. And when that happens, you know it's bad!

So to get into a better mood, I thought I'd make a list of things that have made me happy today, in no particular order:

Our dogs and their sweet dispositions
Reese eggs
Gap's Friends and Family sale, and new Banana turquoise earrings!
The husband, even though he is currently in NYC running into Kelsey Grammar in lobbies of hotels
Daffodils in our backyard that will soon bloom
Weight Watchers and the size of my arse getting smaller - though not much this week, see #1 on this list for why
Netflix and The Wedding Date I rented to watch for the 349085th time
Thank you notes
Magazines, especially the ones that just arrived today
Sushi takeout

makeup monday: maybelline eye studio color pearls marbleized eyeshadow

2010-03-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

Why the folks at Maybelline decided to go with an eyeshadow name 6 words long is beyond me! But I picked this up about 2 weeks ago in Ivy Icon (pictured) and really like it. It was $6-7 at Target. I use the right side in the crease of my lid (it's a goldish brownish greenish color once it's all together), and the left on an angled brush for some color on the bottom lash line instead of brown or black liner. To see more colors from the same line, visit Maybelline's website.

ww update and 10 year old pants

2010-03-14T14:00:00.006-04:00

I'm sure you're all dying to get an update on my battle against flabby arms and muffin tops. Maybe you're not, but let's pretend, shall we?!

Progress - I lost 2 pounds last week, which brings my total to 9! I also bought some skinny jeans this weekend, which oddly are WAY too long on me (which makes no sense, as the other types from Gap fit me just fine) and will need hemming (and I'll need to do a shot of tequila before I wear them because I'm not convinced they're a good look for me). I am now down a size in the Real Straight jeans, which is exciting. I know - size is just a number blah blah blah but it feels GOOD.

Setbacks - I kind of fell off the wagon this weekend, eating out a few times (PF Chang's is not at all WW friendly)and discovering Reese Eggs at the grocery store. I'm not going to beat myself up over it, but I have a feeling I won't lose any weight this next week because of it. It's disappointing.

I want to share with you a goal of mine - however shallow it may be - and that is to fit into these pants:

They have been sitting in my closet for a good long time now. They've moved with me from place to place to place. I do a decent job editing my clothes and getting rid of things I don't wear anymore, but I've kept these around with the goal of fitting into them again. I bought them in high school almost exactly 10 years ago when Mrs. H and I got jobs at a movie store in the mall and had to wear only black and white. We watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off a million and a half times at that job, but that's a different story for a different day.

The pants are from Aeropostale and they're a size TINY. Really they're a 2 but that is tiny.

Is it silly to fit into a pair of pants I wore in high school? Well... yeah. But it's not just about the pants. It's about the way I felt when I was able to wear the pants. At that point in time, I didn't wonder 'does this make me look fat' about every item I tried on, and I felt comfortable in a bathing suit. I didn't look at myself in photos and get disgusted. And my goal is to feel that way again. I think it's a goal for many of you too! College, for a number of reasons, brought out my insecurities and even though I was still roughly the same size, it wasn't the same.

I haven't tried the pants on yet, and I'm sure they're not going to fit me right now. But I have hope, which is more than I had a few months ago. But as I'm looking at the rise on the pants, I'll just be trying them on, not wearing them. Pretty sure that they would go past my belly button! And that's even less desireable than my hangups with skinny jeans.