Butterfly in the Sky

:sigh:

What a strange last...well...while.

Waiting on our house stuff to come through has been stressful to say the very least. Finally, the paperwork that was causing the most anxiety arrived, and I believe we're a matter of days away from closing on our house! No official date yet, but it's so close I can taste it. WOOHOO!!!

This weekend, we were asked by my sister-in-law to watch their puppy. They even said we could bring our three doggies with us, to give my MIL a break, and give us some of our own space, which was a generous offer.
While space was appealing, packing up our dogs and stuff to move them somewhere else did not sound like fun (to me - My Love was ecstatic at the opportunity). So, we compromised. I decided last minute to take our dogs to the kennel for the weekend, so he and I could watch the puppy in reasonable peace and sanity.

All in all, I've really enjoyed the last 24 hours or so (despite having to get up super early to attend a conference), and plan to enjoy the rest of our time while we have space to even temporarily call our own. In other news, my hair seems to be progressing nicely. It seems to get straighter and straighter with each passing day. But I can't wait to wash it. I hope the straight "sticks." I'm getting used to it already.
We'll see in the morning.
I'll have to get up a little earlier to allow myself extra time to style it, but I'm hoping it goes well!

Tonight, the hubster and I are watching Star Trek. I love Levar Burton, but it's a little difficult to mentally avoid the Reading Rainbow nostalgia.

That's all for now! Our 10 day forecast seems to call for beautiful, sunny skies, so I'm hoping desperately to finish up my furniture projects!


Oooh, one more thing! I bought myself some beautiful flowers today at Central Market; freesia and alstroemeria. Aren't they beautiful?

Frizz and Fluff?

I have a confession to make...




Today, I had a Coke.
My countdown has to start over. I made it to 3 weeks and 3 days.
Absolutely HAD to have one today.
Something inside me was broken, for some reason. I was one unbelievably cranky human being.
(there are, unfortunately, witnesses who would vouch for the accuracy of this statement)
For the sake of my own sanity, and the well-being and happiness of those around me, I indulged myself.

And it was heavenly ^_^


In other news, I got my Keratin hair treatment today.
So far, it looks pretty good!
The smell was minimal, which is nice. I was afraid of something sort of perm-related. Which is fowl, and most unpleasant.
It wasn't.
Also, on that note, I suppose I subscribe to the belief that usually, things that are good for you taste gross, or smell bad, or whatever...so the paranoid side of me is a little concerned that, because it didn't smell as bad as a perm, it isn't going to change my hair as much.
But I hope to prove my pessimism wrong.

Much like a perm, I have to wait for 72 hours before I wash my hair.
That, I think is when we'll see for real if it worked or not, or to what extent that it worked.

I have to warn you. The pictures you are about to see contain a woman who is still sleep deprived. The woman in the pictures below is also desperate for her allergy medicine to kick in so she can stop looking twenty years older than she actually is.
I feel it is only fair to let you know that I have actually photoshopped some of the wrinkles/bags out from under my eyes because I look that ancient right now. Seriously. Sad day.

Without further ado, here is my hair at present, after the Keratin treatment:

Infinitely less frizz and fluff.

And with the exception of a few fly-aways at the top here, I think it's looking pretty good.

What with being limited in what I do to my hair at this point in time (as I wait for it to "set" or whatever), in conjunction with uncooperative allergies, I was unable to obtain a decent overall shot of my hair. That will have to wait for the big reveal when I get to wash and style my hair.


In conclusion, I thought I'd let you see what I usually encounter as I surf on the worldwide web...or attempt to write a blog entry.

To my left, Doggie Beau

To my right, Mr. Lars

And...front and center...attempting to convince me that absolutely nothing is worth my attention except for herself...the one and only Sadie Bear.


She's usually extremely persuasive
(here you can kind of get the idea of my hair, and it's not a wretched picture, though it looks shorter than it actually is)


And, if army crawling into my lap, "talking" to me, and staring at me fail, there are always doggie kisses :)

That's all for me tonight. G'night y'all!

Crazy Hair - Revealed!

I'm going to bed tonight with my hair wet.

So I can take a picture of my hair in the morning.

Because I have scheduled my appointment for my Keratin treatment on Thursday!

I have to color my hair at home tomorrow night (to get rid of all of the grays -- soooo sad that it's true!), I'm getting my hair cut by my most awesome lady on Wednesday, then I'll get my hair straightened on Thursday!

I have no idea what will happen with my hair in the morning - it's a little unfair that I'm sleeping on it -- it will no doubt be different than it would be if I just let it air dry. Regardless, you should get the idea.

Then, I will post a picture of the generic after the Keratin treatment, followed by one more of the results from air-drying, only after the treatment.

It's like a science experiment! Only not really.

***UPDATE***

Alright, so here are my pictures. These are actually from this evening, not this morning, as I could not find any batteries ANYWHERE in the house to power my camera. Fortunately for you, my hair still stays decidedly fluffy if not wrestled into submission.

I warn you: what you are about to see is not pretty. It's late February, which is apparently code for my-eyes-are-about-to-be-scratched-out-of-my-face-season, and I'm extremely sleep deprived. These things do not a model make.

Here's a bit of a close-up...frizzy, fluffy action going on here.

Not curly, not straight, not a flattering picture :)
But it gives you an idea of what I deal with on a regular basis.
And this is not it at its worst.

And I leave you with one final overview, with my face blocked out...
to spare you from focusing on my mug-shot mug...and focus on my hair.

Again, this is my hair after going to bed with it wet, and only putting leave-in conditioner and a miracle spray in it. I can get it to "scrunch," but it takes LOADS of mousse, and doesn't always cooperate. Whenever I straighten it, I have to take a shower at night, put it in a low ponytail overnight, then spend a few minutes blow-drying the part of my hair that was in the ponytail holder, because, no, it does not dry in as little as 24 hours. Once it's acceptably dry, then I have to flat-iron it, which can take anywhere from 30 minutes to easily an hour or more.

So, here's hoping that this thing works!

unValentine's Day?

I don't really "do" Valentine's Day.

Back in my high school years, Valentine's Day (aka S.A.D. for Single Awareness Day, or Bitter Day, or something of that nature) was a very strange and bizarre event akin only to something seen on Animal Planet. All the eligible females would preen themselves until they looked their best, in a feeble attempt to catch the attention of the single males around them. Only, instead of putting their best foot forward, or even thinking of showing others that they're loved, they chose to wallow...and whine...and complain; their lot in life was to be unrecognized on Valentine's Day...woe is them...as if, somehow, this would make them more appealing to those of the opposite sex. They made snarky t-shirts intended to poke fun at the holiday, had "bitter parties," and sulked about how they had nobody to commiserate with on such a "stupid" holiday.
Most of this was intended to be some sort of fishing for compliments routine; where if they complained enough about how nobody liked them, someone would surely jump in and reassure them of their worth and appeal.

And yet, they were the first to swoon if a boy made even the most infinitesimal gesture of affection.
To sing the praises of such a holiday if they were recognized on it.
To gloat over their trophies of love.
All the former scoffing would melt away, and where a bitter person once stood, a lovesick doofus remained.

I look back at those days and shake my head in exasperation...and I can't for the life of me understand why any of us behaved in such a manner.

I suppose I could go into a long discussion about people's most basic need/desire to be loved. To be accepted. To be the white knight or sought after princess of lore and legend...because surely, we're all meant to have our own "happily ever after." Aren't we?
Um, no.
Unfortunately, that isn't the case.
And is love about what you get?

Usually, the desperation of wanting circumstances to mirror a favorite bedtime story leaves so many projecting fairytale-like-virtues onto a hollow reality.
And makes them focus on what isn't important.


I am no longer a Valentine's Day hater.
And no, it's not because I have someone to share it with, though I do.

My Love and I have had an agreement, of sorts, not to "celebrate" Valentine's Day. I really like getting flowers and being appreciated as much as the next gal, but I hate how commercialized it all is.
Like, if you don't get flowers or chocolates, or whatever the commercials brainwash you into believing symbolizes love, then nobody must love you...right? WRONG!
And, while there are a lot of good men out there who truly love the women in their lives and use the holiday as a reason to show it...I feel a general vibe of guilt or fear of retribution around this time of year from men as they obediently pick out flowers, a plush animal, and a box of chocolates from the supermarket. Again, I'm not saying there aren't some, but have you seen many happy looking men standing in line the day before or day of Valentine's Day? I haven't.
Maybe they just don't like the lines? ;)

All that to say, My Love and I both agreed that we'd rather attempt to love and respect each other 365 days a year, rather than just try to get the standard gifts for one another on Valentine's Day, fight the crowds to go out, and pay more money on everything just because of what day it was.
And I think that is good.

However :#)

When I came home this evening, there were roses in the kitchen.
Roses for me, and roses for my mother-in-law (we're living with her right now, remember?)
When I found him in our room to say thank you, he asked if I'd seen my present.
I thought he meant the flowers.
I thought wrong.
He told me to turn around.
On the dresser in front of me was The Twilight Zone: Fan Favorites, and Castle: Season 2.


In summary,
-Being bitter and resentful for what you think you deserve while withholding it from others is ironic, not to mention selfish.
-Requiring gifts, or even giving them for insincere reasons is unloving...a sort of anti-love.
- When you don't "do" Valentine's Day, so you show love and respect throughout the year, February 14th is still a day out of that same year. It doesn't mean don't do loving things on Valentine's Day - just don't do them for the sake of the day...do it for the sake of the person you love, and the commitment you made to love them.

Oh, and unexpected, heartfelt gifts are a really nice surprise.
And I'm grateful :)

Tortoise, not the Hare (unfortunately)

Ugh, why is progress so painful? Today was relatively pretty weather, but still on the chilly side. I spent most of it going outside, applying a coat of stripper to my almost finished filing cabinet, going back inside, and waiting for it to do its thing.

At 9:39pm, I'm still not finished with it. I'm hoping to finish the side I'm working on in a couple minutes, then flip it over, and keep going. Depending on how awake I feel once it's finished (and how cold it is outside), I may or may not start on the other one.*
*I did not even finish the original one. What with it dropping below freezing, I'm going to have to pick back up where I left off tomorrow once the sun has warmed everything up.

I had returned to my original thought of painting rather than staining the filing cabinets, but I cannot imagine painting over the woodgrain after all of this to get the other paint off. :sigh:
I'm googling filing cabinet images to come up with ideas, though we'll just have to see.

There's the idea of incorporating color of some sort - I love that deep teal cabinet here:

I'm kind of in love with this Minwax color. It would incorporate both the bold color that I've been liking lately, as well as the wood grain that I've labored so hard to uncover. Plus, it would be beautiful with my silver hardware, doncha think?

There are also lots of cute ideas to incorporate paper or fabric onto the surface of the cabinet. If I did this, I think I'd put it on the side of the cabinet, but am still undecided:

I'll have some fabric left over from the canvas project you can see on the wall in the dining room here. I'm hoping to actually paint on that canvas once we're settled in our new place.
I like the color a lot, and it would be cute cut into sections for panels on the side:



There are also actually a lot of really cool filing cabinet hardware pieces to consider. My favorite one incorporates both the card holder and drawer pull. I'm just not quite sure how that would look on my specific cabinets:



There's also the option of picking out a decorative card holder, and keeping my current basic drawer pull:



Or, keep the existing card holders, and find new, decorative drawer pulls - look at this one!:

I hate to say it, but I may just have to wait until we actually move into our house to finish out these filing cabinets. I want them in my art room, and I am pretty sure I want them in the closet, like I mentioned here, but it's hard to know exactly how my art room is going to come together, what colors I'll use, etc.

I guess tomorrow, I'll keep stripping them down, then move on to the nightstand (and maybe the mirror, if I'm lucky enough!), then clean the filing cabinets up and set them aside for the time being. :sigh: I hate being practical.

Tomorrow's Forecast

I checked the weather online, and here's what I found:


Overall, looks like it's going to be a pretty decent day - hopefully decent enough to get going on my projects! I picked up the other odds 'n ends that I needed at the hardware store today, so I'm REALLY looking forward to getting started!
(if I get enough done, maybe I can start work on my mirror!)

VERY Belated Christmas Countdown DIY Update

I just realized that I forgot to post the finished product of this project:



What do you think? It ended up a lot different from my original vision for it, but I was very pleased with it. I think the hardest part was putting the tiny number stickers inside the raised circles.

Maybe this year I'll make some more, and start earlier :)

FREAK OUT (updated)

Is trying REALLY hard not to freak out right now. Obviously, it's a bit late.

Wait, wait, wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Earlier today, I was on facebook cyberstalking looking through pictures of some people who I hadn't talked to in a long time.

I found this picture:


I was absolutely in love with what I saw. So much so that I saved it for inspiration at a later date. Just LOOK at that mirror!
Little did I know that "later date" meant Wednesday, February 9th at approximately 1:00am.

On a whim, I decided to try to at least figure out the proper name of the thing I coveted, and for which I would later search. I found a few things that were similar, but nothing exact. I did a google image search, found a few things that were even closer, and then...a bolt of inspiration struck.

I went to my Achilles' heel, craigslist, just to see what was available.

And, lo and behold, I found it.
Not something similar.
Not something kind of like what I was looking for.
EXACTLY what I was looking for.

As is the case with most things on craigslist, its beauty and potential are currently masked beneath layers of paint and deceptive ick-factor...which is okay, because I'm hoping this fact alone will enable me to snag this treasure.

Please, oh please, oh please, oh please.

They didn't have an email for contact, just a phone number; and I didn't figure it would endear me to the seller to attempt to text them at this time of morning for a couple reasons 1) they might not have free texting, 2) they might actually have their phone on/nearby, and waking them would probably not be a good "sell-me-that-thing-I-want" tactic.
But, let me tell you, it's taking all the self-restraint I have, and I'm hoping 9am isn't going to be too early to call.

I will post...as soon as I know...well, maybe I'll try to wait until I have the item in my possession. I hope so very much that I get it!!!!


**UPDATE**
Well, I got it!!! After finding it on craigslist last night, and resigning myself to waiting until a civilized time in the morning to contact the seller, I researched how much this sort of thing sells for, on average. The number I came up with was $225, and I got mine for...wait for it...

$35!!!!!

Here she is (pictures taken by the seller):



Unfortunately, it's unbearably cold outside, or I would add this to my list of projects I am hoping to complete this week. It looks like it'll be sunny, and slightly warmer tomorrow, so I'm going to try to get work done on the filing cabinets and the dresser. The mirror will have to wait.

I am, however, going to swing by the hardware store and pick up some paint stripper and wood stain, so that when the weather is right, I'll be ready.

What do you think of my find?

Teaser

Do you remember this? And these?

Well, depending on how long this arctic front lasts, I intend to finish both projects next week.

I got some good tips for stripping from Centsational Girl, and I am definitely going to look into that RustOleum London Gray she mentioned for another project I have up my sleeve in the near future ;)

Here's your last look at them before their side-by-side with their newer, improved selves!

Nightstand

Filing Cabinets

Eyes

Oy vey, I have been unmotivated to post anything on here lately. Life has been a bit of a DOOZIE lately. In general, I think I'm still holding my head high, so that's something :)

Let's move on to the second part of my not quite resolution plan.

First, we talked about my hair. Not all of these things are going to be physical changes. Actually, most of them won't be. Take, for example, the eye segment of my little graphic here:

Well, I can see what you're saying...there are no eyes on this graphic. But, let's not be so critical, okay? ;)

Basically, I love to read. I've always loved to read. But I don't always make time for it. And, unfortunately, sometimes when I do finally get around to it, I neglect everything else.

Case in point, I just picked up the fifth and final book in a series I read on Wednesday evening. I finished it last night. That means, for almost 48 hours, I was essentially useless to everyone around me.

So, I'd like to strike up some sort of balance. I've found that, with my teaching schedule, audio books work really really well for the commute...but there's no replacing actual reading.

I also have a bad habit of only reading what I want to read. I have many books that would be beneficial for me to read: Fearless, Self-Esteem, and some others that I've no doubt forgotten about. Time and time again, though, I make the time for the fun reads, and not the ones that I say I want to read.

Aside from reading more, I'm also reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Audrey Hepburn:

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."

I want to be better at looking for the good in others, for finding the positive in a negative situation, and for recognizing the needs of those around me so I can try to meet them.

I don't feel like I was as articulate with this as I had originally intended, but I know what I mean :) Stay tuned for the other "un-resolutions."

Vomit Complaint

No, I'm not complaining about vomit. Though I admit, I am not a fan.

As a general rule, I try really hard not to complain about stuff. I'm sure that I fail often. Especially when there are a lot of things going on...seemingly competing for worst or most frustrating current life experience.

Sometimes, my friends and I "complain vomit" on each other - you know, that sort of purging of emotions and thoughts that gets all the toxic worry and stuff out of your system...not usually even to be addressed, but just to keep it from saturating your brain or heart any longer?

That's kind of what I wanted to do today. Because, right now, I really really REALLY want a Coke.

As holds true for many of you, regardless of your geographic location, it's VERY cold outside. It's ridiculously cold for where I live...I'm trying to remember if it has ever been this cold. I suppose it has, but I can't remember when (watch it was last year or something - my memory is so quick to exaggerate). I woke up this morning literally because it was so cold. This is no easy task. I have a husband, three dogs, currently live in a room with little air circulation, and we all sleep in a full-size bed. As recently as the beginning of this week, I kept waking up sweating and overheated, and quite uncomfortable. However, I was woken up today by the FREEZING weather. I told My Love that I didn't think the heater was working. He was getting up anyway, so he opened the bedroom door, the dogs scuffled out, and he inspected the thermostat. It was set at 61. Granted, that's much warmer than it is outside at present, but it's no tropical paradise either. He laughed, came back in the room, and we talked...
...when all of a sudden I heard one of our dogs barking next to the window of our room. Outside.
Turns out, one of the contributing factors to the immense cold of the house was that the back door had been open for who knows how long. Our dogs ran straight out the back door, and our two biggest dogs decided to go for a joy run. They jumped the six foot fence, and ran off into the neighborhood. This is the third time this has happened (under different circumstances) since we've lived here (which has been a month).
Fortunately, I had figured it out quickly, and My Love and I scurried out of the house to our respective cars, hoping to track down our dogs before they got seriously injured or lost in the Texas tundra. This is the first time that they've gotten out that I haven't seen them. I drove all around the neighborhood (which, I'm noticing is EXTREMELY open, with a bajillion roads and paths, which makes locating runaway dogs difficult), and didn't see them once. I drove home to get my cell phone, in case anyone called (this is what happened the last time) to say they'd found them...but nothing.
Finally, I saw My Love's car, and the two faces of my escape artists in his passenger seat.

They're now in their crates for an indefinite period of time, and I'm trying to get PVC pipe to put up on the fence to try to keep this from happening again. :crosses fingers and toes that this idea will work:

I'm now about to have to go to the IRS, and see what, if any, progress has been made on our taxes, as this is holding up our entire closing on our house operation, and is causing an UNBELIEVABLE amount of stress and worry on my part. They have not proved themselves helpful in the slightest, but there's always a first time...right? Seriously, there's at least once that things work out, right?

:sigh:

My head is splitting, I'm about to take some ibuprofen, I'm freezing cold, I have all sorts of things I need to take care of (today is catch up on paperwork day), I have to go to the IRS, and all I want on this tiny blue planet is a Coca-cola.

Like that would fix it all anyway, right?

:sigh: And my little counter is only at three...can't stop him when he just got started.

And there you have it, Ladies & Gents, my complaint-vomit. Brought to you today by inclement weather, compounded stress, lack of Coca-cola, and the number 3.

**UPDATE**
I still have not had a Coke. I made it through today without it! Bittersweet victory!
Still no helpful information from the IRS. If prayer is the sort of thing you do, please pray that our taxes process in the next few weeks. We're just having to wait for now, and I'm getting rather impatient. Guess this is one of those character-building-moments.

Tic-toc-tic-toc

So, for some reason, I am not talented enough to sort through all this html code to attach this ticker to the bottom of my page, and the side is coded too narrow for it to fit and still be legible.

Without further ado, here is my new ticker, that should update on its own as time passes:



I'm hoping the number on here will go up substantially over time. I'll re-post the code every now and again to show you where I'm at.

And no, there's no significance to cute little mice edging ever-closer to the castle. I just liked those two images best from www.tickerclub.com

Okay, I mentioned to My Love what I was doing, and he suggested I go ahead and register for an account so I can make my own image/background/whatever...so, here is the new new ticker:



I might should explain that Coca-cola is essentially an addiction for me.
I suppose I like the way it tastes, but it has gotten to the point lately that it is an essential chaser to whatever life throws my way.
If I'm stressed, I need a Coke.
If I'm tired, I need a Coke.
If I'm happy, I need a Coke.
If I've had a bad day, I need a Coke.
Celebrating something? I should grab a Coke!
Hmm, today is sort of a ho-hum kinda day - I should drink a Coke!
And the reasons (or lack thereof) keep coming.

Unfortunately for my health, waistline, and sleeping habits, I despise water.
Really. It takes a lot (usually the unbearable Texan summer heat) to get me to actually want to drink water. Usually, I drink it because I have to, not because I want to.

I've tried flavored water, and the only kind I really actually liked, I can't find anymore.
(After a quick google search, I've discovered that one of the flavors of the line had a high benzene content, which is linked to leukemia. Awesome. I guess they just went ahead and pulled the whole line then.)
Sad day.

I've recently invested in some of the flavored, carbonated types to try to bridge my affinity for Coke to the basic and mandatory H2O. I'll let you know how that goes.

Someone recently asked on facebook "Have you ever gone through withdrawal from an addiction? What was it like?"
I somewhat jokingly responded, "Does Coca-cola count?" And they answered "yes."

That got me thinking quite a lot. About how much I was relying on Coke. About how it was impulsive rather than conscious.

Don't get me wrong - I was about to start a new health plan, and that surely didn't include Coke, but to think about describing "withdrawal from an addiction," and to realize typing out what I think and feel about Coke made me uncomfortable and embarrassed because it sounded an awful lot like what people who have addictions to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco experience...that was eye-opening.
(As a side-note, please don't think I'm down-playing severe addictions to drugs or alcohol to be identical to caffeine addiction. By saying what I just said, it is not my intention in the slightest to down-play the severity or deny the reality of those issues.)

So, because I like some variation of competition, I made a ticker. And he will tic on, counting the days I'm Coca-cola free. Motivating me to keep going, so the number can keep getting bigger. I'm not sure how long I'm planning to go yet. I'm sure I'll eventually allow myself a Coke or two, but not as an impulse.

Tic-toc. Tic-toc. :D