Chelsea's 10 on Tuesday movie-themed questions were written by the lovely Nora!
1. If you could watch only one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
You've Got Mail. I adore that movie! I just think Kathleen Kelly is one of the most likeable characters ever. And she has some great quotes in the movie that I can relate to, like this one:
"Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void."
2. Let’s say someone wrote a screenplay about you; what actor/actress would you choose to play you and why?
Maybe Rachel Weisz? I bear no resemblance to her, I just really like her on-screen personality.
3. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in theaters?I think it was Little Mermaid!
4. Did you ever make out at the back of a movie theater in middle school/high school?Nope!
5. Are you a Netflix-er, Blockbuster-er or a Redbox-er? (Or none of the above?)
I'm a Netflixer, and holy canasta, I am one profitable customer for them. I think I've had 2 discs since January. I should just cancel my service and resume this fall...
6. Name one actor/actress who you would give anything to have a dinner date with.
Maybe Ryan Reynolds? But only if he has a personality akin to his character if Definitely, Maybe. Then he would have the total package of looks + wit + brains.
7. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?
Most definitely Magnolia with Tom Cruise. Those are 3 hours of my life I'd like to get back.
8. Do you sneak snacks into the theater when you go?
If I am planning ahead, then yes. I will usually bring my own soda.
9. Movie theater popcorn: love or hate it?
I love it as long as you don't put butter on it... not a fan of buttery popcorn!
10. What is the all-time best Disney movie in your opinion?
I'd have to go with Beauty and the Beast. I adore that movie.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
On Being Back
A couple of Fridays ago, the weather was cold enough to warrant the wearing of a winter jacket. I scanned my collection of coats, picked the least dreary one, and headed out the door. As I waited for my bus, I put my hands in my pockets to shield them from the cold wind.
My left hand closed around a small piece of paper. I pulled it out of my pocket to see what it was and found that it was the metro ticket from my return trip to the Paris airport. Truthfully, my heart sort of sunk at bit as I pulled it out my pocket and looked at it. Yes, I smile when I think of that trip, but I can't say I really smile all that much about being back in Minnesota.
This post has been brewing in my mind for awhile now. It's been over 2 months since I returned from Paris and I keep waiting for the post-vacation blues to fade away. It sure doesn't help that this has been an especially cold/dreary spring. Spring is slowly making it's appearance, but it's taking it's sweet time.
I fully realize that my week in Paris does not = reality. Living there would be much different than vacationing there. I understand this. I am not trying to figure out a way to move to Paris - I know that is not realistic or feasible at this time (hello, I do not speak French, that would be a bit of a problem). So instead of fixating on Paris, I have asked myself this: Aside from being in a beautiful, charming city, what did I love about that week in Paris?
The answer is this: I loved not driving. I loved taking the metro everywhere. I loved going out to dinner and walking home afterwards. I loved shopping at the outdoor market and in smaller format grocery stores with 4 aisles instead of supermarkets with 10 aisles and a ridiculous assortment of processed foods.
So over the past 2 months, I've pondered changes I could make so that my lifestyle would be more similar to that week in Paris. Here are some of the options I've mulled over, with differing levels of risk/change.
Short-term Option: Rent out my condo and move into an apartment downtown. I am sure some people read that sentence and think: Way to move backwards in life. But here is the thing - I HATE LIVING IN SUBURBIA. Hate it. When I bought my condo 6 years ago, I NEVER thought I'd still be here. I thought I'd live here for 3-5 years, build up some equity, and move on. Then the real estate market crashed and I am now stuck with a condo worth less than 1/2 of what I paid for it. I'm stuck with this place for now, but it doesn't mean I necessarily have to be stuck living here. By moving downtown, I could walk to work (and say good bye to my 1.5 hour round trip commute to work). I could dine out and walk home. I'd have access to a lot of great running trails. It would be easy to walk to a coffee shop and study for the CFA. Right now I do almost all of my studying at my kitchen table, so I spent A LOT of time alone in an empty condo
Longer Term Option: Look into moving to a larger city in the US, such as Chicago. I need to establish some stability on my resume, so this isn't something I could do in the near future. But in ~2 years, if my attitude about living in Minnesota has not changed, maybe it is time to move. Especially if I am still single. Trust me when I say Minneapolis is NOT a great place to live as a single person in your 30s. If I moved to a larger city, I wouldn't feel like such a pariah. And I could possibly get rid of my car and rely on public transportation (or at least drive it very rarely). Of course, the possibility of this move assumes I can find a job, but I guess I will cross that bridge when/if I get to it. Chicago is a viable option since I have a brother in the Chicago area, there are cheap flights to Minneapolis so visiting family would be easy/affordable, and my employer has a sales office there so I could possibly work out of that office. Oh and Nora would be a relatively short drive away. Lastly, Chicago has a really strong running culture, so by joining a running club, I could probably make friends somewhat easily.
We'll see what the future holds for me. I don't plan on making any quick/rash decisions. I do feel a little better listing out my options, though - it gives me more of a feeling of control. One of my pet peeves is when people complain and complain about something in their life, but do nothing about it. I refuse to be one of those people.
Have you ever reached a point of your life where you recognized that you need to make a change in order to be more happy?
My left hand closed around a small piece of paper. I pulled it out of my pocket to see what it was and found that it was the metro ticket from my return trip to the Paris airport. Truthfully, my heart sort of sunk at bit as I pulled it out my pocket and looked at it. Yes, I smile when I think of that trip, but I can't say I really smile all that much about being back in Minnesota.
This post has been brewing in my mind for awhile now. It's been over 2 months since I returned from Paris and I keep waiting for the post-vacation blues to fade away. It sure doesn't help that this has been an especially cold/dreary spring. Spring is slowly making it's appearance, but it's taking it's sweet time.
I fully realize that my week in Paris does not = reality. Living there would be much different than vacationing there. I understand this. I am not trying to figure out a way to move to Paris - I know that is not realistic or feasible at this time (hello, I do not speak French, that would be a bit of a problem). So instead of fixating on Paris, I have asked myself this: Aside from being in a beautiful, charming city, what did I love about that week in Paris?
The answer is this: I loved not driving. I loved taking the metro everywhere. I loved going out to dinner and walking home afterwards. I loved shopping at the outdoor market and in smaller format grocery stores with 4 aisles instead of supermarkets with 10 aisles and a ridiculous assortment of processed foods.
So over the past 2 months, I've pondered changes I could make so that my lifestyle would be more similar to that week in Paris. Here are some of the options I've mulled over, with differing levels of risk/change.
Short-term Option: Rent out my condo and move into an apartment downtown. I am sure some people read that sentence and think: Way to move backwards in life. But here is the thing - I HATE LIVING IN SUBURBIA. Hate it. When I bought my condo 6 years ago, I NEVER thought I'd still be here. I thought I'd live here for 3-5 years, build up some equity, and move on. Then the real estate market crashed and I am now stuck with a condo worth less than 1/2 of what I paid for it. I'm stuck with this place for now, but it doesn't mean I necessarily have to be stuck living here. By moving downtown, I could walk to work (and say good bye to my 1.5 hour round trip commute to work). I could dine out and walk home. I'd have access to a lot of great running trails. It would be easy to walk to a coffee shop and study for the CFA. Right now I do almost all of my studying at my kitchen table, so I spent A LOT of time alone in an empty condo
Longer Term Option: Look into moving to a larger city in the US, such as Chicago. I need to establish some stability on my resume, so this isn't something I could do in the near future. But in ~2 years, if my attitude about living in Minnesota has not changed, maybe it is time to move. Especially if I am still single. Trust me when I say Minneapolis is NOT a great place to live as a single person in your 30s. If I moved to a larger city, I wouldn't feel like such a pariah. And I could possibly get rid of my car and rely on public transportation (or at least drive it very rarely). Of course, the possibility of this move assumes I can find a job, but I guess I will cross that bridge when/if I get to it. Chicago is a viable option since I have a brother in the Chicago area, there are cheap flights to Minneapolis so visiting family would be easy/affordable, and my employer has a sales office there so I could possibly work out of that office. Oh and Nora would be a relatively short drive away. Lastly, Chicago has a really strong running culture, so by joining a running club, I could probably make friends somewhat easily.
We'll see what the future holds for me. I don't plan on making any quick/rash decisions. I do feel a little better listing out my options, though - it gives me more of a feeling of control. One of my pet peeves is when people complain and complain about something in their life, but do nothing about it. I refuse to be one of those people.
Have you ever reached a point of your life where you recognized that you need to make a change in order to be more happy?
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wine and Love v1
Things that make me want to fill up a wine glass...
- Studying for the CFA. Nope, I'm not done complaining about this yet. ;) I'm done reading the 6 textbooks of material and am in the review phase. The test is less than a month away so I am really starting to freak out (and I am wishing I hadn't looked at the historical pass rates. Ignorance is bliss). Yesterday was my 10th day in a row of studying. I am taking today & tomorrow off, though. I need to for my sanity.
- Finding out that they are increasing my HOA dues by 10%. Again. Le sigh.
- A frustrating project at work that I think is kind of a waste of our time and resources. My boss feels the exact same way so at least we can vent to each other.
- Spring has FINALLY sprung. The weather has been great the last couple of days... here's hoping the trend continues!
- Running. I've re-discovered my love for the sport after months of being at odds with it. My pace is improving and it's something I look forward to - instead of dreading like I did in March and April. I even ran in the rain on Saturday - and enjoyed it!
- Online shopping. Remember that outfit I posted on Monday? I bought the white linen pants the model was wearing as well as some espadrille shoes. I blame the sunshine. It drove me to buy summer-like clothing. I will hopefully pick up that seersucker blazer this weekend!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Easter Recap
It's been well over a week since Easter so this recap is pretty belated! But better late than never, right?
Easter weekend got off to a fun start on Friday. My parents had a little trick up their sleeves- my sister and her husband flew in from Tucson for the weekend as a surprise! For reasons I won't go into at this point, I was wishing I had been privy to this surprise, but nonetheless, it was a great surprise as it meant that my entire family would be together for the holiday!!
On Saturday, we got together in the afternoon to dye Easter eggs and celebrate my youngest nephew's 3rd birthday. Here are some pictures!
On Saturday we all went to the Easter Vigil mass where my sister-in-law got confirmed. It was a very beautiful mass and a special experience to be up there as her sponsor. Unfortunately I did not get any pictures!
On Sunday we all gathered back at my brother's for a feast fit for a king! Here are the last batch of pictures!
It was a fabulous weekend! Of course, as usual, it went way too fast! I'm looking forward to us all being together again, possibly at the end of June for my new niece or nephews baptism!
What was the highlight of your Easter?
Easter weekend got off to a fun start on Friday. My parents had a little trick up their sleeves- my sister and her husband flew in from Tucson for the weekend as a surprise! For reasons I won't go into at this point, I was wishing I had been privy to this surprise, but nonetheless, it was a great surprise as it meant that my entire family would be together for the holiday!!
On Saturday, we got together in the afternoon to dye Easter eggs and celebrate my youngest nephew's 3rd birthday. Here are some pictures!
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| My nephew Kolin |
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| The oldest nephew, James |
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| Andrew |
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| The birthday boy, Matthew! By the way, if you have young kids, I highly recommend this technique for dying Easter eggs! You put them inside of a whisk! Genius, right? |
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| The birthday boy did not quite know what to make of all of us singing to him!! |
On Saturday we all went to the Easter Vigil mass where my sister-in-law got confirmed. It was a very beautiful mass and a special experience to be up there as her sponsor. Unfortunately I did not get any pictures!
On Sunday we all gathered back at my brother's for a feast fit for a king! Here are the last batch of pictures!
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| The carrot cake that my mom made!! Such an appropriate, festive cake for Easter! |
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| My nephew James reading to me - which was one of the highlights of my weekend! It's amazing to hear him reading to me after years of reading to him. And he LOVES reading, which makes me very happy. Perhaps I have rubbed off on him? :) |
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| The 4 loves of my life. I just adore my nephews and am glad I got them all together for a picture (which is NOT easy to do!) |
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| After all the running around, the boys were pooped! Matthew and Kolin cuddled up together to watch a movie at the end of the day. They are definitely best buddies! |
What was the highlight of your Easter?
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Ten on Tuesday
Another batch of questions from Chelsea of Roots and Rings!
1. What is the weather like in your city today?
The weatherman says it will be 67 and sunny. I hope he is right. Yesterday it was 35 and overcast. I am kind of hating Minnesota right now, so I need some good weather to remind me why I live here....
2. Do you like the zoo?
I'm sort of ambivalent. I could go years without going... But I did enjoy the penguin exhibit at the zoo in St Louis when I visited Nora!
3. Do you eat coconut?
Not really... I'm not a huge fan...
4. Have you ever hammered a nail? Are you good at it?
Yes. Many times. And no, I am not very good at it. I always come very close to smashing the fingers holding the nail. I wish there was a "hire a husband" service or something like that because I HATE doing anything involving tools like hammers, drills, etc...
5. Does your family have a vacation destination that you visit often?
Yes, I spend as many weekends at my parents cabin in the summer as I can! It's my little slice of heaven on earth! It's nothing fancy, but we spend the majority of the time outside, so we don't really 'need' a nice place.
6. How many pillows do you sleep with?
1 pillow + a body pillow.
7. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Take the pills I am on for my acne (it's down from 3 to 2 now. Woo hoo!)
8. Will you send your kids to summer camp?
If my make believe children want to go, then yes.
9. What do you put in your baked potatoes?
A little bit of earth balance "butter", tofutti "sour cream", and a heck of a lot of freshly ground pepper.
10. Did you take swimming lessons as a kid?
Yes, probably for about 6 years I think? I loved swimming lessons. We grew up going to the various lakes in the area so learning to swim was not optional!
1. What is the weather like in your city today?
The weatherman says it will be 67 and sunny. I hope he is right. Yesterday it was 35 and overcast. I am kind of hating Minnesota right now, so I need some good weather to remind me why I live here....
2. Do you like the zoo?
I'm sort of ambivalent. I could go years without going... But I did enjoy the penguin exhibit at the zoo in St Louis when I visited Nora!
3. Do you eat coconut?
Not really... I'm not a huge fan...
4. Have you ever hammered a nail? Are you good at it?
Yes. Many times. And no, I am not very good at it. I always come very close to smashing the fingers holding the nail. I wish there was a "hire a husband" service or something like that because I HATE doing anything involving tools like hammers, drills, etc...
5. Does your family have a vacation destination that you visit often?
Yes, I spend as many weekends at my parents cabin in the summer as I can! It's my little slice of heaven on earth! It's nothing fancy, but we spend the majority of the time outside, so we don't really 'need' a nice place.
6. How many pillows do you sleep with?
1 pillow + a body pillow.
7. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Take the pills I am on for my acne (it's down from 3 to 2 now. Woo hoo!)
8. Will you send your kids to summer camp?
If my make believe children want to go, then yes.
9. What do you put in your baked potatoes?
A little bit of earth balance "butter", tofutti "sour cream", and a heck of a lot of freshly ground pepper.
10. Did you take swimming lessons as a kid?
Yes, probably for about 6 years I think? I loved swimming lessons. We grew up going to the various lakes in the area so learning to swim was not optional!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Music, Books, Miles, and Looks of April
Another month has come and gone. I'm ok with how fast life is going right now. I just want it to be June so I can have this test behind me. I am sure my friends & family want it to be over, too, as they are probably sick of hearing about it.
I digress. Here is the recap for April!
Music:
Violin by Amos Lee - When I finished the CFA materials last week, I treated myself to a couple new albums, including Amos Lee's newest album. Oh my goodness, it is so good. His voice is so smooth and beautiful. I highly recommend it you are a fan of low key, singer/songwriter type music! I am in love with this man.
For the Summer by Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - If this month's music has a theme, it's "chill". I also bought the newer Ray Lamontagne CD. I love the song For the Summer (and the whole CD).
Books:
Sammy's Hill by Kristin Gore - this is quite possibly one of the WORST books I have ever read. And it was my pick for the blogger book club, so I feel like I should be banned from making suggestions for awhile. It's a horrible book and the shocking thing is that they published a sequel... WTF?
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain - This is the May book for my local book club... which is dissolving after this month. :( It a historical fiction novel based on Ernest Hemingway's first marriage. The was a whole lot of infidelity in this novel. It was a good/interesting read, and it was well written, but it was difficult to read at certain times. I might do an actual review on this this month...
The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz - Yep, another book set in Paris. I just can't get enough - I bought 3 memoirs set in Paris last month... I'm clearly obsessed. I figure if I can't move there, I might as well read about those who have. This book was a fun read - it's a collection of short stories about adjusting to live in Paris as an Expat and each story ends w/ a recipe or two.
Miles:
Not my best mileage month. I was feeling under the weather for a good portion of the month... and then was overwhelmed by reviewing for the 7... and then I just basically took over a week off from running. I am back on track now, though, and 10k training starts in a couple of week. May will be a better month for miles, I just know it!
Looks:
I haven't purchased this outfit yet, but I am pining for it. I love blazers. I love stripes. I must have this.
I digress. Here is the recap for April!
Music:
For the Summer by Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - If this month's music has a theme, it's "chill". I also bought the newer Ray Lamontagne CD. I love the song For the Summer (and the whole CD).
Books:
Sammy's Hill by Kristin Gore - this is quite possibly one of the WORST books I have ever read. And it was my pick for the blogger book club, so I feel like I should be banned from making suggestions for awhile. It's a horrible book and the shocking thing is that they published a sequel... WTF?
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain - This is the May book for my local book club... which is dissolving after this month. :( It a historical fiction novel based on Ernest Hemingway's first marriage. The was a whole lot of infidelity in this novel. It was a good/interesting read, and it was well written, but it was difficult to read at certain times. I might do an actual review on this this month...
The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz - Yep, another book set in Paris. I just can't get enough - I bought 3 memoirs set in Paris last month... I'm clearly obsessed. I figure if I can't move there, I might as well read about those who have. This book was a fun read - it's a collection of short stories about adjusting to live in Paris as an Expat and each story ends w/ a recipe or two.
Miles:
Not my best mileage month. I was feeling under the weather for a good portion of the month... and then was overwhelmed by reviewing for the 7... and then I just basically took over a week off from running. I am back on track now, though, and 10k training starts in a couple of week. May will be a better month for miles, I just know it!
Looks:
I haven't purchased this outfit yet, but I am pining for it. I love blazers. I love stripes. I must have this.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Getting Crafty
I really thought hell would freeze over before I'd do a craft-related post. No joke. But here I am, bringing you a little craft project.
So here's the process in pictures!
First, cut a strip of fabric. Yes, it looks like I closed my eyes and cut this blindly. I swear I went to kindergarten, you just can not tell. The good thing is that you don't even have to cut it straight, it will still turn out.
I don't have a picture of the process of making the fabric flowers because it was hard enough for me to handle a glue gun without burning myself too much (there was a lot of yelps of pain from my corner of the table), so action shots were not happening! But you basically twist the fabric and start winding it around the knot, gluing it with a hot glue gun as you go!
And voila!
Pretty easy. And very, very cheap. And again, let me emphasize - if I can do this, ANYONE can. :)
Do you consider yourself crafty? The only crafty-type thing I am good at is knitting - and that requires me to follow a pattern, so while it counts as craft, it's a very methodical one. Go figure.
Last week, I got together with a couple of girlfriends for a little crafting. We get together every couple of months for crafting projects, and I am notorious for saying, "I am just here for the conversation," because my crafts never turn out (I am so not right brained!) But this project? Totally turned out! And if I could make it, that means you could make it, too. As could a 5 year old because that's where I'd peg my artistic ability... Well, a 5 year old that you'd trust with a hot glue gun.
So here's the process in pictures!
First, cut a strip of fabric. Yes, it looks like I closed my eyes and cut this blindly. I swear I went to kindergarten, you just can not tell. The good thing is that you don't even have to cut it straight, it will still turn out.
Next, cut a circle of felt... Or, if you are like me, ask your capable friends to cut a circle for you because otherwise it might look like this...
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| Yes, I know what a circle looks like. Apparently I just can not cut one. |
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| Tie a knot at the end of the fabric and glue to the felt. |
And voila!
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| I made the flower on the left, my friend made the other flower. You take another piece of felt and then glue the headband between the two layers of felt. |
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| I also made a little hair clip. |
Do you consider yourself crafty? The only crafty-type thing I am good at is knitting - and that requires me to follow a pattern, so while it counts as craft, it's a very methodical one. Go figure.
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