Week 28 and 29 of the 52 Week Challenge

So I've been a bit MIA recently but I was on vacay for a week in lovely NJ. And you can say what you will but NJ is very nice and I had a fab time (thanks for asking). So I just got home and want to post something so here we go:

Week 28 - read something for fun - you read the hard book so now read something you want to read. I'm going to read Chelsea Handler's book which I've had forever and keep putting off in favor of library books.

Week 29 - this relates to my last post about starting a new blog - I'm pretty much sure I'm going to start one - I just need to finalize my name and tell everyone. But the main reason is I'm going to use it to talk about things that I don't talk about here... more on that later when I intro it. But this all got me thinking about a Cosmo article I read on the ride home - it was all about moving forward with your life. You can't sit back and hope things are going to happen - you have to take steps to make things happen. And the first step was keep a running list of things you like or things that make you happy. You keep the list for a week then look for a commonality. Maybe you like things that are creative, or you like math (haha that won't make my list but maybe if you secretly dream of being an accountant...), or you like taking photos... I don't know. So I'm going to keep a list and see where that takes me.

I don't expect to move forward tomorrow or next week even but it has been playing in my thoughts a lot recently about where I see myself in five years, ten years, etc. And yes, part of me sees myself sipping cocktails on a Caribbean island somewhere (rich and carefree) but the realistic part of me is striving for the next best thing (a successful career and home somewhere near a beach in the US). So I know part of my list will be researching beach-front living on the east coast and see where that takes me. Where do you think your likes would take you? Let me know what you come up with.

Week 26 and 27 of the 52 Week Challenge

Hello All! Sorry for the delay but just forgot about this and I'm debating starting a new blog... more on that later.

So week 26 - read a classic. I picked Lady Chatterley's Lover. I've never read it before and they had it on a shelf when I first came in the library. So far it's ok. Not nearly as boring as I expected but not as racy as anything today either. I also have a Tree Grows in Brooklyn (I think that's the name). I haven't started that one yet but I've always heard about it... so we'll see.

Week 27 - I'm hoping to get the beach again sometime this summer. And as luck would have it - I do have to go for work in a few weeks. So this week - I'm all about my new medicine ball and this ab video I have... so I'm going to make my resolution the week to do my ab workout at least once a day. K says I have to do at least 100 a day to see any kind of results. So here's to a flat stomach in a few weeks!

Week 25 of the 52 Week Challenge

This one is more for me but feel free to tweak to make it work for you. I have a few writing contest coming up that I want to enter and I need to make myself get motivated and buckle down. Procrastination may be an art I've mastered but there comes a time when a girl has to get serious. So this week my challenge is to write ten minutes a day. Ten minutes! That's cutting out blow drying my hair every morning or not checking my email or having a twenty minute lunch - I can do this!

The thing is you can do this too. If writing isn't your thing - try something else. Work out, go for a walk, sing, paint, whatever... rekindle a passion you had for whatever hobby you want. Ten minutes isn't much a commitment and that's the entire point. I think if you sit down and say I'm working on this for three hours you probably won't even try. You'll think to yourself - three hours - I don't have three hours - I need to clean my house, meet friends, cook dinner, etc. Three hours is ridiculous. But if you say ten minutes completely to yourself. You can shut the door with confidence and stay in there ten minutes of three hours (if you get caught up). So good luck!

Excuse me are you pregnant?

Remember a while back we talked about annoying things people say... well one of them is "Are you pregnant?" Let me start by saying unless someone was about to drop a baby on my foot I don't think I'd straight up ask them. What if they said, "No I'm a bit bloated today." or "I swallowed a basketball for breakfast."? Embarrassing.

So today, I wore a cute sundress to work - bright purple and white and empire waist. I love empire waist stuff - one it highlights most women's skinniest part of their waist - right under their breast - two it highlights your breast in a non-sleazy way (I'm sure there are sleazy ways but....) - and three they are so comfy!! No need to worry about eating light with these babies on.

I walk down to the cafeteria because as usual I'm running late and didn't have two minutes to heat oatmeal and ordered a sandwich. And this really nice lady who I see everyday (hence you should realize that I wasn't looking pregnant Monday) asks, "are you pregnant?"

Augh! Really? I'll admit I'm no Kate Moss in the skinny department but I'm not walking around with a basketball up my skirt either. So embarrassing for both of us. Of course I said no. Then she played it off that I've been married for awhile and I'll be pregnant soon if not today. Wow... there goes me wanting to scarf down a breakfast sandwich. I'll just have a skim milk and cereal. Starvation diet here I come.

The funny thing is though - empire waist dresses are everywhere!! (Maybe because they are so darn comfortable/flattering).

Here are a few of my favorites:

All images are from: www.anntaylor.com and www.anntaylorloft.com.

Book Review: The Swan Thieves: A Novel - by Elizabeth Kostova

So I picked up this book because I saw it in a magazine and then it was on the past best-sellers cart at the library. I had doubts because I read Kostova's last book The Historian and thought it was just ok. Ok meaning - slightly boring at times and a bit too long - and I don't really remember it. A good book I can remember. A bad book I can remember. An ok book just sits there in no where land and every now and then I'll be like did I like that or not and the answer is usually not so much. Still I took The Swan Thieves home and started reading because it was on a 2 week loan and the book is long!

The story flip flops between a few characters: Marlow, Mary, Kate and Beatrice (who lives in the late 1800's) and revolves around Marlow trying to figure out why a painter Robert Oliver went crazy on a photo called Leda and tried to stab it. Mary and Kate are his ex-lover and wife respectively and Beatrice is a painter who Oliver is obsessed with. Following me still?

First - the mystery is pretty easy to guess. Kostova gives a pretty big clue in the beginning of the story and Beatrice pretty much confirms it as she goes along.

Second - the story is long and kind of boring (hence why I didn't like The Historian). The book could have been shortened by a good 150 pages at least. Kate and Mary's parts aren't that interesting - they just highlight how Oliver went off the deep end and half of what they say could be summed up - do we really care how they met and the painting classes Mary takes (I didn't). I found myself actually skimming over their parts and the endless descriptions of useless stuff. For example, Marlow visits some painter in Acapulco and Kostova spends forever describing the hotel, the area, the painter's house... skim, skim, and more skimming.

I'm only hoping no one in book club picks either of her books and I'm stuck rereading them because I can guarantee I'm going to read Amazon reviews and random websites for a summary. Three out of five stars at best - I'm actually more inclined to say two but I don't want to be too mean. The story is actually interesting and the mystery if you don't pay attention or maybe with fewer clues is a good one - I just think it could have been better done and in a shorter manner.

Week 24 of the 52 Week Challenge

So I know late again. I promise to be better. I just need to de-stress first. This week - try something new. I've already got my new thing planned. I'm going white water rafting on Saturday. How fun, right? So I'll let you guys know how it goes. I really want to take a camera but a. don't want shots of me in a bikini unless I photoshop my head on Jennifer Aniston's body and b. I don't want to damage my camera. I'm thinking I might get a disposable water camera - if I do I'll post those - minus the bikini shots of course!

And speaking of cameras for my birthday gift to myself I got a new camera (yay). I've been wanting one forever and had my eye on two Nikon's. I did all the research and I got... a Nikon I didn't research. The deal was great though - it does everything the camera I wanted does except the zoom is 7 instead of 10. But the camera came with a case and a memory card. It's so much smaller than my last camera and takes amazing photos. I'll try to take a few to post soon. But if I was doing a favorites post today - my favorite thing would be Nikon. I've had two digital cameras and one film camera from them and they all still work perfectly (ok one digital camera is like three days old so I hope it still works)! I've never had a problem with any of them. I was actually wishing my digital would die so I could have a reason to buy a new one!!!

Week 23 of the 52 Week Challenge

I know late but I have a valid excuse this time... personal stuff I'm not getting into on her. lol.... Anyway, I have a great idea for a week but again I have to save it because I just don't have the time or energy this week. Sooooo frivolous and easy it is. I don't know about you but I am a magazine junky. I'm probably who magazine people want in focus groups. I will subscribe to magazines like they are candy. Those puppies aren't cheap. I currently have 4 subscriptions going - although one was free and ending so I'm on the prowl for a new magazine (I'm debating between Shape and Self - thoughts anyone???).

So with all these magazines lying around I got to thinking how often I actually try something other than a recipe in them. And came up with the challenge this week.... drum roll please. Find a magazine and try one suggestion they have - whether it be a recipe, a friend date, a sex tip, a make-up tip, a hobby idea, I don't care... you can pick whatever you want.

I've already nailed a few options. Glamour (my current magazine of choice - I'm only hoping one day they'll read this and see what a brilliant guest columnist I'd be and that they should give me free mags for life) - had how to do an easy messy updo and since my pin-straight hair is usually down - I gave it a whirl on Saturday. I haven't worn it out yet because I feel a bit like a ballerina but it was super easy and I loved it for summer. Basically it's a bun - what did you think I'm going to actually curl and pin it into something elaborate??? And I also tried the "it" nail color of turquoise - I do have to work so it's on my toes and I'm not sure I love it as much as my go to dark purple in the winter but it's a cute unexpected alternative to white. On the nail polish note - I swear I think these mags have a deal with OPI because the "it" color changes more frequently then change socks. It's green, it's yellow, its grey, its purple... hows a girl to keep up.

One thing I'm not trying? Cosmo (a magazine I'm debating dropping) suggested that a hot make-up tip for summer was different color lips, red on bottom, pink on top or some other combination. If the model can't pull it off - I know I can't. Seriously whoever thought that up was ridiculous. It's def. a runway thing that cannot be pulled off in real life. She looked ridiculous.

So let me know what you try. I think this one could be fun.