Find a cure

After a short, but productive morning (watering my "garden," cleaning and repairing my window screen, and taking care of a scared little tort), I have made the decision to make an official 'inspiration wall' to help promote the new, more satisfied me.

My goal (ironically): Effortlessly cool.

I feel like this is the direction I've been heading, but I always seem to fall just short, instead looking a tad lazy. Not always, but more often than not. For shame.

So, give me your best! I need inspiration. I'm thinking Michelle Williams, Kelly Osbourne, Rachel Bilson.. something that never looks too over-thought, but with loads of funk and personality.


On another note, when I'm not working, this week's goal is to spend more time with my books and my pals. Let's build some bridges.. and some knowledge, eh?

Like a decimal sign

Today was my first real "lazy day of summer." And, boy, did it feel goood. The only truly useful things that I accomplished today were.. showering and folding my clean laundry. Beyond that, I cannot say where the day went (perhaps an hour and a half nap had something to do with that). Although I did manage to fill up and replace Lenny's swimming pool, read 20 pages of my book, and eat frozen yogurt for dinner.

So now, I prepare myself for three days of pushing overpriced shampoos and beauty products, and helping the out-of-townies locate the condoms. I will, of course, make time for fun and be sure to secure plans for a zoo trip next week. Ah, summer.

And now, to appease a wonderful friend and to introduce a very dear companion of mine, here are some fave photos of my pride and joy:

After Lenny's first taste of banana.

Hiding under his water dish.. little did he know, he wasn't fooling anyone.

And finally, in typical badass form, Lenny scales his house in an attempt to woo the ladies.

Gets 'em every time..

I've gotta catch a glimpse of these Warlocks..

And so the reform begins..

Yesterday, I spent a good chunk of the day going through my closets and my dresser drawers demoting and getting rid of old clothes. This is really a big step for me, as I have inherited my mother/father/grandmother/brother/almost everyone in my family..'s penchant for packratting.

Yes, I am, indeed, a collector, because you never know when something will come in handy, you know? Yesterday I had to fight with myself for a good 3 minutes over recycling some old, printed-out psych articles from a class I took last fall. And for some reason, I have saved all of my grocery receipts since February. I'm getting there, but I need help..

So, basically, I have decided to fully embrace the old adage, "out with the old, in with the new." It begins with style. I have always considered myself to have a good eye for style, but, due to a lack of funds, hectic schedule, and a little extra weight around my middle, many of my outfits are uninspired and, well, lazy. This will change. I have begun organizing my accessories (including shoes, hats, scarves, jewelry, glasses, etc.) and found that I really do have some good stuff, I just rarely see most of my fun possessions and then forget that they exist. So after blowing $95 on Target.com, hiding my hooded sweatshirts, and donating some of the items in my wardrobe that have been keeping me down, I am ready for a fresh start.

Inspired by some other fashion blogs, I may occasionally post some outfits in an attempt to keep myself honest and on track. So, if you see me on the street looking anything less than super adorable (or gym ready), please, let me know.

A New Beginning

After some inspiration from Ms. Brosnan, I have been reintroduced to the world of blogging.

Of course, before getting started, I wanted to go back in time to see where I had left off.. It took some finagling to find my old username and to re-create the email address my account was under, but before long, my old LiveJournal was revived after nearly five years.

It really took me back, but more importantly, re-reading a few entries brought everything back to the present. I won't elaborate too much, but it was really interesting to see how much everything has changed, yet how everything is so similar. Tom and I are still very much in love. I still find my parents to be a little too over-protective. I'd still do anything for my friends. And, I still think robots, rocket ships, and Disney World trips are the best.

Always being a fairly precocious child, many of my previous entries (beyond typical teen drama: boys, school, friends, parents, etc.) were about reflection and relationships; and I quote my 15 year old self, "How would you put these in a sequence: growing up, growing together, growing apart?"

I had forgotten how therapeutic it was to reflect on things so often and, in some respects, so publicly: myself, my friends, my life, where I've been, and where I'm headed. Now, I'm ready to delve back in, to reexamine myself, to reorganize my thoughts, and to stroll more confidently into the next chapter of my life.

So, here's to the summer: a time for reflection, reform, and self [re]discovery.