anne charlotte, pumpkin scarlet

truth be told

2011-01-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

okay gorgeous, imaginative, forgiving, tiny population of the earth that follows my blog,
i need your help.
i have a question.

it is going to shatter the fragile earth upon which we stand...
....are you sitting down....??
ok:
what
color
should
my hair
be ?

[i know. ridic.]

i put a nifty little poll thing on the sidebar of my blog. ------>
please vote?
hair is one of those opinion-questions that require a lot of backup.
much like;

what should i eat for breakfast?
who should i marry?
red coat or pink coat?
who decided january was a good idea?
is splenda really going to kill me?
does my cat need to see a psychologist?
and do i need need to see a psychologist?

blonde?

reddish?

as is?

[some background: my hair is naturally blonde. really really really blonde as a child, but then it turned into that mousey blonde by the time i graduated in 08. that fall, we died it raven dark. i haven't gone back since, really, though we've tried a few feeble attempts at lightening it for sport.]

please vote, you are the ones i trust!
i need your help, obi wons!

happy captives

2011-01-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

right now there's a guy in my apartment.
he's putting in a new sink.
and i can't leave until he's done.

it's making me saturday-afternoon-anxious.

[though lets be clear; it's worth it for a brand new sink. grateful am i.]

so mosie and i are just hanging out, happy captive homebodies, nestling and thankful we're not in the cold wind outside. see, when you look at it this way...it's really nice to just be home, even though i have no choice. i'm excited to show you pics of my new sink!

he keeps kind of burping or something, there in my kitchen.
even so, i am half-tempted to ask him if i can be his apprentice.

[see lately, i have been worried about my lack of handy knowledge...today i blew a fuse and almost had a heart palpitation because my hair was only halfway done and NO ELECTRITICY! then i realized...i know how to fix a blown breaker. duh. sometimes i get so caught up in all the things i dont know, that i forget about the knowledge i actually do have. so i ran downstairs, found my box, and flipped the power back on**. basic everyday thing? yes. heroic moment of independent victory for me? absolutely**]

now there are 3 guys in my apartment.
probably a record for me, lets be honest.

to make this post more worthwhile for those who take the time to read it... go here. the drawings are so charming, and it totally brings to life my peculiar obession with the charm and weirdness of craigslist missed connections. if i were an artist, i would wish i had thought of this first! i guess i could do [horrible] drawings -using PAINT- to interpet the kansas city missed connection posts. though, shockingly, they are rarely as charming as the ones in NYC.

**every time i see a breaker box, i automatically think of that velosa raptor scene in jurrassic park. where the lady doctor has that industrial flashlight, and she's limping along, trying to get the power back on in the park. she flips the switches one at a time, really dramatically. i channel that scene when i flip my breakers. is that weird?

quick thought on a friday

2011-01-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

when i was in middle school, i fancied myself quite the jewelry trendsetter.

i should mention, this was all in my imagination and it is only because i was there that i can visualize and believe how precisely obnoxious i was back then. otherwise i'd think you were making it up. [but who wasn't obnoxious in middle school? cringey. cringey for us all.]

example: i wore a monstrous stack of plastic bangles filled with water-glitter.
every day.

i also had this cool set of stackable rings. they were all the same shape, 3 rings each with a different color stone in the middle; pink, blue and green. i used to "let" other girls wear one of them, to bring them while we played kickball during gym class. i was "the cool girl with the stackable rings"... to myself.

anyway, in the years between then and now, i've been loyal to my HUUUGE RINGS.
you know,
the kind that take up multiple fingers, if not my entire hand.
the kind that require hinges so they can fit over my knuckles.
i liked HUUUUGE RINGS. but i already said that.
all the rings i make are enormous, the huger the better, i don't wear them unless they are monsters.

however!

lately all i want to do is return to my middle-school-gym-class roots.
smaller, coordinating sets that you can either stack or spread out across your hand.
or separate and share with your friends as you see fit.
viva la middle school!

anyway!

above are the ring sets Kate Bosworth** designs for her newish line, Jewelmint. (its one of those sneaky-tempting things where you pay a monthly fee and pick out a $30 piece each month.) she is wearing the flowery ones in the Lucky covershot above.

i don't think i'll buy those exact ones,
but i'm inspired to try a NEW ringmaking project for our line***!
what is it, you wonder?
could it possibly be coordinating sets of small rings, made out of our signature vintage wears?
how did you guess!
i'll show you soon.

next time i'll be typing to you with dainty rings smattered across my digits!

**i don't love dwelling on celebs, but i am a fan of her style. and extreeeeemely jealous of her multi-colored eyeballs.

***like with so many phrases, i use the term "line" really loosely...no offense to designers and artists that ACTUALLY HAVE lines.

asante sana january 20

2011-01-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

"May your coming year be filled with magic, dreams and good madness.

I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful,

and don’t forget to make some art.

Write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can.

And I hope, somewhere in the next year,

you surprise yourself." - Neil Gaiman

now tell me, is this quote dorkalicious?

yes. indubitably*!
still, i am charmed by the concept of "good madness".

so anyway!

in a few weeks my best friend finally returns from simba's home country...it's a little-known fact that the Lion King is set in Uganda. [a lesser-known fact is that i totally and completely just made that up! where does Lion King take place? uganda maybe? i dont care, i still imagine everyone at her clinic in a cheerleader pyramid formation singing "just can't wait to be king"**] last year, to assist in emotionally preparing her for the african departure, i used to dance around her like rafiki in his baobab tree. asante sana, squash banana, asante sana, squash banana. anything i could to do help.

[and it turns out, asante sana means "thank you" in swahili.
thank you, squash banana. thank you. that was one wise monkey.]

i came across the above photo today, taken during one of our jam sessions last summer before she left.

...i take pride in my loose interpretation of the phrase "jam session" considering ours typically include; candy, an out of tune guitar, our BOOK OF SONGS [pictured], numerous distractions in the form of studying/folding laundry/making popcorn/phonecalls, and limited-to-no musical talent. but if you called to ask, "hey A-cakes***, what are you doing?" during one of these times, i would proudly proclaim: "we're jammin'!!!" and then shake my tambourine right up next to the phone. yes indeed!

all of this to simply say,
i miss my best friend.
i am ready for her to come home in two weeks.
and write more horrible songs with me.
i can't write horrible songs by myself!
[technically, i can. i do it all the time. but our secret weapon is the "echo".]

this year, we are going to make up more songs- maybe we'll even go for a challenge and try to use more than 3 chords.
good goal.

in other news,
somebody left a love note on my car.
a love note!
on my car!
from a total stranger!
it's written on yellow legal pad paper.
what does this mean?
it means that there are guys out there that keep yellow legal pads in their cars.

you bet your buttons i'm putting this on my fridge,
A-cakes

*mary poppins anybody!

** everybody look left. everybody look right. everywhere you look i'm. standing in the spot light!

***i'm extremely wrapped up in Parks and Rec right now on netflix instant viewing...i have started referring to the characters as my friends.

redneck lace

2010-12-30T08:25:00.000-08:00

[please not that weird hair chunk that is neither a part of my bangs, nor a part of the rest of my head. o hair chunk, from wherst did you come? did i get scissor happy last time i trimmed my bangs? did i do this on purpose, in my sleep, thinking i was On To Something with the "demi-bang"? or did you just give in and break yourselves, tired of all that inky dye? o hair chunk, o hair chunk. send help.]

anyway.

today is unseasonably warm,
and normally i find this kind of thing quite unsettling.
cocoa for winter, lemonade for summer.
things only exist during the seasons in which they belong.

but today...it's springy out there.
[i sleep with a space heater 6.5 inches from my face, so i was practically sweaty when i woke up! sweaty in almost january! uncanny!]

and i kind of am liking it. on the temporary.

so i put on the red beady-strand necklace i found in a clearance bin last week when i was "shopping for christmas presents", and you know what i always say, beady-strand necklaces belong in spring and summer and if you're gonna wear a necklace in the winter it better be CHUNKY and full of heavy stones or metal. actually, i've never said that. until now!

something about this necklace i love.
probably it's the kindergarden colors.
something about my pleated dress* i also love.
deep thoughts, i know.

speaking of depth...

lets go swimming! it's springy out there!

*is it bad to sit all day in a pleated dress? does it like, smoosh the pleats that are under your bum? this is concerning me today. please stay in tact, sweet pleats.

pho-filled

2010-12-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

at work, we have a friendly exterminator.
he often brings us treats given to him by his other clients...cereal, big bags of candy*, etc.

today he showed up with a huuuge 2-pounder bag of peanut m&ms.
cha-ching!

nobody else eats the treats he brings us.
they are afraid of bug and rat guts getting blended with the food.
me, i am not so worried.
[i never washed my hands as a kid. and look at me now! strong as an ox with perfect attendance. i never get sick! votes for women!]

anyway,
we had a lovely christmas.
observe:

moses love christmas...for the discarded paper, boxes, and bags.

balloon wars! my little sister picks the best stocking stuffers. endless entertainment.

i, too, pick pretty good stocking stuffers.

do you recall my last post, when i mentioned how "beautiful" i am when i wake up? horror, under-eye bags, the face of nightmares. but: cute christmas mugs and high spirits!

annual christmas morning yummy-tree, and below, kirsty's rockin christmas morning outfit....complete with balloon-war balloon.

i wore the same thrifted giganta-saurus h&m sweater dress...
for 4 days.
christmas eve thru yesterday.
in my defense: it is quite the fantastic sweater.
[i am much more happy about it than it looks in this tuff girl photo]

in summary:
i eat from the exterminator van and never change clothes. lets hug!

yesterday in the car, my sistah and i were discussing 2010 (not my fave, lets just leave it at that) and the prospects of next year. i fall prey to the Expectations Monster around this time of year. I get myself worked into a selfish hope spiral; mentally gluing rhinestones to every upcoming season, writing a fabulous script for my life that includes amber highlights and the power to read minds, using phrases like "this will be the year!", and imaging myself as a jazzercise instructor with a tiedye tanktop and minty blue nails. the problem is-and has always been- that i've no concept of what is best for my life. i hope on the silly things. i'm a little girl confusing glitter flecks on a ceiling for real stars.

but i'm learning!

and i know it's not a bad thing to aspire to be a jazzercize instructor (because we all do, lets be real). with the minty nails. and the tie-dye tanks. my point is...that is not the point.

so i feel better.
i feel hopeful, but not in the way i feel when i wistfully toss handfuls of glitter at the impending Regular Days, willing them to turn to fairy tales, expecting christian bale circa The Newsies to serenade me on my fire escape.

probably 2011 will be gritty and not sparkly at all.
and maybe i am growing, because i sort of welcome it.
...and because i eat exterminator food and wear the same thing for 4 days in a row.
so yeah. gritty, i can handle.

*he has also offered me meat...like raw cowhides, etc...i guess one of his other accounts is a...farm? slaughterhouse? i have yet to accept the meat. can't quite cross that bridge.

gwyneth paltrow

2010-12-22T08:08:00.000-08:00

i have kind of let myself go.

blame it on the demands of the holiday months.
or my laziness, or my winter ennui.
either way,
my favorite thing to do when i tumble out of bed every morning is army-crawl across my bedroom floor to the mirror, push the hair out of my face and straightup FREAK MYSELF OUT. after the initial shock wears off, i like to poke at my undereye circles and whisper "she's come undone...." to my reflection. then i go brush my teeth.

of course, none of us can be held responsible for how we look in the morning*.

but that doesn't explain why, overall, i have stopped taking care of myself. plucking my eyebrows, brushing my hair, what? people do that? not me.

so i just go around looking like the family from Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

all to explain...i feel weird about the idea of taking pictures of myself lately.
suddenly its unsettling.especially with my brillowpad eyebrows.

okay, anyway.

for a while now, i've had my eye on swedish hasbeens.
i like the idea of them.
retro vibe, fun colors, smooth leather.

see, charming right?
kind of makes you want to wear cutoff shorts, drink huge limeaids from sonic, and do sidewalk chalk with your favorite kids in the sunshine. maybe with "happy birthday" nailpolish from deborah lippmann on your fingertips. just saying.

BUT
they're expensive.
BUT
i still want some.

flash forward to this very day, when these popped up on F21 for $23...

not bad, huh?

a little more on the earthy/wearable side, but i could totally rock them as a valid substitute.

should i go for it? or are these really 2009? tell me honest, i'm out of touch. i haven't brushed my hair in 4 weeks.

also merry christmas, and i love you.

* in college, my best friend/roommate and i would wake up for morning class with rats-nest hair and puffy eyes and she would joke, "our husbands...are going to be sooo lucky,".... because we could not possibly look any less attractive. we said it on a daily basis between uncute yawns and awkward stretching, and i groggy-morning-laughed every time. back then, the simple idea of waking up with a husband was laughable in itself-- even before you factor in the fact that we looked like prisoners from Azkaban in the morning [the other girls in the bathroom of our sorority always looked all fresh-faced and rosy-cheeked...conspiracy!]. And now, years later, the whole "husband" thing is about to really happen for her- as of yesterday! ring and question popped. and i know no matter how "bellatrix" her hair looks when she wakes up beside him every day, that in our foggy-eyed haze of self deprecation so many years ago, we were actually right-- he's lucky!

siberian husky

2010-12-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

i struggle with winter.

i believe i have a disorder.
its called FOBYS.
Freaked Out By Snow.

i get ripples of panic about ice storms, snow storms, trapped cars, wrecked cars!
oh ! to be calm again.

at least its almost christmas. hark!

anyway,
i left many of my clothes in my car after doing laundry, and since the air outside is like a meat cooler right now, i didn't have the guts to run outside and get them this morning. i was left with the weak never-really-wear items already in my closet.

so i decided to wear my Little Boys Blazer.
i feel cool, having a thrifted Little Boys Blazer.
[not that i am actually that little. the size on the tag reads; "boy size 16- husky". husky!]

then, i went to work- my second mistake!

because the Little Boys Blazer was bullied, and bullied hard. points, laughs, comparisons to nineties comedians. namely, paula poundstone...

okay.
so i looked like paula poundstone today.

though i must admit...
part of me, in my deep dark depths...

still felt kind of cool about my [size 16 husky] Little Boys Blazer. and isn't that what is important, after all?

maybe you're wondering, why is her hat red, and her wall clashy orange?
or why are her bangs extra long in the middle?
or, are those shoulder pads*?
it was just that kind of day, people.

love,

paula p

*yes

the mean reds

2010-12-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

helloooo december!
you are lookin' hot, feelin' cold.
and thus best month ever.

the month of christmas!

oh, speaking of christmas, lets talk red things.
this time of year:
red is like a lightbulb. and i am like a fly at night.
red is like the sun. and i am like a houseplant growing toward the window.
red is like a cute nerd. and i am like....me, when presented with a cute nerd.

on to the reds, people!

these cupcake-liner balls are a delight to make and look so pretty! easy-peasy! i plan on hanging mine from the corners of my ceiling for the holiday...right now they are sitting on my dining room table, because i am so gifted at follow-through. ahem. note the red.

here is my essie silken cord [yum] modeling with the background of my red cupcake-liner ball. double red.

surely you are thinking, she must have edited this picture to make the red [okay, and orange and hot pink, but lets focus] of this skirt particularly acid-trippy. but no, i did not. it is that bright. i found it on a thrift store lunch break excursion and had to have it. it's made out of a really soft suede- like wearing a journal!

red earrings i found in my jewelry box, they are super cheapy plastic droplets that i've had for years, i think my mom gave them to me at some point. anyway, i've been wearing them for days. just feels right.

happy december!

the hole truth

2010-11-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

let me be honest about my outfit today.
it's pretty accidental-grunge.
meaning, there are holes in my clothes.
literally.
my sweater is riddled with ripped seams and random mid-sleeve gouges.
earlier today i snagged my leggings on a piece of equipment, and i'm rockin a half-inch wide thigh-hole**.
classy.

anyway, these boots are a long-ago clearance purchase that just resurfaced as something of interest for me. they are grey, which goes with stuff. they are knee-high, but super cheapy, thus they tend to slouch around. the slouchiness totally compliments the holes in my garments, so i consider my entire look quite "unified".

all i really wanted to do was tell you about my new essie winter colors.
yuummm.
i'm wearing "going incognito" which is this marvelous foresty-sprucey-blue deep green.
its like getting lost in a christmas-tree wonderland!
or, you know, something.
i painted the nails of my lil sis [home from college for the giving of the thanks!] "hot coco" which is this amazing smoldery taupey brown.
theres this dark redish plum that i still need to try. [those pretty and expectable shades always get pushed to the end of the queue. i believe there are some perfectly acceptable yet entirely unremarkable classic reds from essie collections past that i have yet to crack open. a bold confession, i know.]
"silken cord", i'm whippin you out for the holiday.

i am really trying to embrace the thankfulness this week.
there are so many little things to note. also big things too. big things too.

[poor Big Things. they are so neglected on this blog about colors and lofty dreams. poor Big Things, and their overwhelming nature that causes me to block them out from areas of my life in which i have control. Big Things can be kept out of my blog, but not out of reality. although i bet they've never made an evader as skilled as i.***]

**not that i am proud to be aware of ke$ha lyrics, but my stockins are ripped all up the sides, if you follow.

***yes i ended a sentence with "i". shakespeare, party of one.

off the cuff/around the horn

2010-11-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

this week has been a force to be reckoned with.
i've just been clinging through the goings-on, hoping that my life doesn't go careening off without me.

[i have this mental image of myself; running, breathless -its been years since i've attempted a 5k- as i chase the unicorn that has MY LIFE snagged onto its swirly rainbow horn, and it's billowing like an invisibility cloak just out of my reach. i am 20 steps behind no matter how fast i run, i can only watch my whole life in a weird blurry-distance sort of way as it happens before i can be fully present. how do i catch up? and how do i gather presence of mind enough to not have mental images involving unicorns?]

anyway, some of the things i've encountered in the past week have been pleasant and heart-warming; battery chargers and encouragements, moments of hilarity and bonding. shoot, it's thanksgiving season so i am going to reverse my focus from the negatives [cars breaking down, things i've done/said that i would love to take back forever, unwelcome advances, energy bills, wah wah wah, cry me a middle class american river,etc.] to the beautiful and undeserved blessings i'm currently enjoying.

to start, last night was the second holiday edition of ric rac roundup.
its one of my favorite local craft fairs put on my one of my favorite local boutiques.
i always help out with the event. its like, what i do.
anyway!
i walked away with this feather hair clippie thing by sodapop.
i know what you're thinking.
i have a million feathery hairclippie things.
but this one really spoke to me. it was like "hey, maybe you need me today?"
and i replied, "indubitably!"
[mary poppins anybody?]

to continue [with the thankfulness, in case you don't follow my very clear outline which i very much do not have], i am thankful for the midnight showing of HP last night. it was a total trip. not only did i stay awake the entire time [miracle], but i was enraptured. plus, the whole experience of getting to the theater itself was a comedy of errors shared with one of my ultimate favorites aka: draco.

next, we have my dear and darling family- not only are they the single reason that i can go anywhere or do anything this past week, but they are also the single reason that i was able to move into my blue haven. also they make me laugh.

speaking of my blue haven. though it is creaky and the smell of hash lingers in our kitchen via the hole in the wall that connects us to our incense-friendly neighbors...i am so thankful to have an oasis where i feel safe and inspired. i am just lucky to live somewhere warm at all. did i mention its the perfect shade of blue?

also, the people in my life that God has used to ease the sting of my best friend's six-month absense. my eyes have been opened to the many wonderful people who already exist in my life, plus i have made some dazzling new friends that i never anticipated to hold so dear so quickly. i view introductions, conversations, and invitations differently now.

i am thankful for the simple fact that my eyes are healthy. dont ask.

i am thankful that i get to live in kansas city, where we have four distinct seasons and smiley, helpful people.

i am especially thankful, during weeks/seasons/phases such as these, for the fact that i am not in control of my life**. it's honestly such a relief, especially after i look at how much i botch things.

[fingernails essie sew psyched from the fall 2010. winter 2010 is waiting for me at my moms house! i can't wait to try the new green! holding my proverbial nail-related breath until sunday.]

**the unicorn is.

***jk!

i write my A's like that, too

2010-11-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

i stumbled upon this vintage "love token" today.
it's been refashioned into a necklace by NY designer erica weiner.

i feel some sort of strange bond with everyone else in the entire earth who shares my first name.
i keep thinking, if you are annie, and i am annie, isn't that enough to make us instant friends*?
and honestly: it usually is.

so i am pondering right now...who is this annie of old, that was so dearly loved in 1883?
did all the boys adore her, and did they gift her with these engraved tokens to try to win her heart?
[if so...this annie and i really do have a lot in common. squirm-lie-squirm.]

what is it about names that is so important to me?
a rose by any other name blah blah blah, etc?

i dont know.
am i the only one that kind of "clings" to my name as part of Who I Am?
or is that weird?

* a similar effect happens when i encounter fellow lefties, middle daughters, blondes-gone-brunettes, and tall girls. also anybody that grew up watching lois and clark: the adventures of superman.

kindred explorer

2010-11-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

hark!
it's my hobo international explorer bag.

it works so hard, withstands abuse, and is the most trustworthy item in my wardrobe. [as all purses should be; keepers of the wallet, guardians of the tampon, etc.] i am quite attached to it. [actually, this is my second hobo international explorer bag-i used my old one so much, 'tis but a pile of elderly yellow leather by now...but what a full life it has led.]

anyway!

yesterday, one of my customers walked into my office.
my internal antennae spiked before i even knew why.
but there was a tingle in my tummy and i sensed...hobo international was in my midst.
and not just any hobo.
an explorer bag!!
just like mine, but in black.
i've never met anyone before who understands the loveliness of these bags.
but yesterday, i did.
and today, i've got another sister.

clearly, I am a doting fan.
clearly, my ~~boyfriend~~ cat is jealous.
but at least now i know... that i am not alone.

[worn with my new "winter lace" dress. this was an impulse buy, encouraged by my visiting lauren-friend. i probs wouldn't have bought it had she not been with me, but let me tell you: i am so glad i did. hello, new winter uniform. this is why we shop with friends! say it with me!]

in other news, i bought the essie winter collection today.
ok..not the whole thing.
just 4.
and they are mini.
you can expect a full report!

trip the light fantastic

2010-11-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

i want a cape instead of a coat this winter.
i want a fur muff instead of mittens.
i want a bejeweled drawstring bucket bag to use as a purse*.

apparently, i am kind of resonating with retro glam, as of late.

...but not in a super-polished-grace-kelly way [couldn't pull that off if i tried]. instead, i plan on channeling miss havisham/miss hannigan/grisabella** on her dying breath, indulging in the jewels and rich textures of her youth in a last-ditch attempt to convince herself that a life invested in outer beauty was not an utter waste; smeary eyeliner, a ratty bun and gin swishing out of my glass as i perform classic show tunes from the balcony of my apartment, my seamed stockings gathering at my ankles as the snow falls.

or not-- maybe i just like fur capes! nuzzle nuzzle.

photo featuring h&g before the ballet a few weeks ago [a very retro glam event, if you follow my train of thought here, if i even have a train of thought here]. i always "break" one of my ankles for group shots when i wear heels. i think it is a subconscious attempt to be less tall. i find it sort of creep-o, the way our bodies do things like this in connection with our minds and insecurities, but in the moment we are none the wiser.

in 2011 i will not ankle-break for photos.
i will own my height! i will be Tall and Proud.

i call that a pre-resolution.

*what if i just glued sequins all over those felt bags they give you when you buy shoes and handbags? those are drawstring, after all. would that work? maybe i'm a genius.

**can you believe i just referenced CATS in a blog post? who am i?

bake me a clam as fast as you can

2010-11-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

may the truth be revealed!
let the record show!
exhale, ye of bated breath!

because the j.crew girls got back to me.
you know, how i was talking about that nail color? the color on the opening model of the j.crew nov 10 catalog? and you know how i sent inquiries to their customer service about it? and you know how they were really nice? you know?

essie clam bake.

that's the color. which, i was a bit confused when i first found out - so i asked again [if only i were this thorough in other areas of my life. we're still in october right?] just to be completely assured*. you see, the color looked too orange online for what i was expecting to find.

to further test my hot-pink-nails-need-not-be-relegated-to-summer theory, i snagged this rimmel color at target the other day. paired with a super-fallish color palette [can you get any more fall than army green? no? no.] it looks similar to the vibe of the catalog over which i became Savage Customer #420394.

what do you think? stick with the hot pink or get clam[bake]ourous?

i think i'd like it better in orangey red.
essie clam bake here i come.
[that or silken cord, a similar orangey-red from the upcoming winter essie line]

forgive my ramblogging.
my mind feels like a hardboiled egg with the shells picked off halfway.
or, a pretzel m&m...a whole lot of things going on at once.

*i am embarrassed about this, so of course tha means i feel the need to tell you. the first time inquired, i said my name was annie [it is]. the second time, i made up a name in case the girls in the j.crew customer service office would laugh at me or feel offended that i asked twice, like i didn't trust the first time. because how many people are clam[bake]mering for this nail color information? probably just me. so i made up a false name the second time. to cover my tracks...and i picked linda**. both annie and linda were curious about the nail polish color, what are the odds? and they have the same IP address, uncanny!

**i feel like this is a very common fake-name given during duress or when embarrassed. no offense to those actually named linda, but if you tell me your name is linda, i might hesitate to believe you for a second. i think anybody would doubt you, to be honest. especially if you are inquiring about nail polish.

because it's november

2010-11-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

happy halloween from king moses.
he really resented this look, actually.
[which that must mean I'm a great mom- because we all know that motherhood is all about enforcement of embarrassing outfits for the sake of memorable photos.]

but enough about halloween! because...

November marks the beginning of The Holiday Season! Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and you know what happens after Thanksgiving. oh yes. I can barely say the word, it's kind of a Voldemort effect, but opposite, like in a positive sense of reverence. Christmas!

Now, I realize my blog is kind of like a 365 running wishlist.
I guess it's hard for me to turn my squawky "I WANT THAT!" complex on and off.
[really charming quality, i know.]
but since it's the holidays, i don't feel so bad.

plus, maybe you'll get some ideas for gifts or for yourself! I don't know!

1. velvet hangers. they are skinny, which will help my closet storage situation. they are pretty, which will help my eyes. they are better for my clothes, which will help...my clothes. [image via hsm.com]

2. little star earrings, i can't get them out of my mind. plus who doesn't love little gold stars! they are like the one the shepherds saw in the sky the night baby Jesus came, except a million times smaller and less brilliant, use your imagination! so Christmas. only $14 for these! [via stevenalan.com]

3. I really need some kind of handy-vac thing. however, when i was browsing options, I came across this Pet Hair Eraser that seems like another answer to my cleaning dilemmas. i can just follow the kitty around with this thing...or vaccum straight off his body, which might save a few steps.

4. Rescue Beauty Lounge has some gorgeous colors, but at $18 they are kind of too special to just go out and buy on a whim. I really want one of their newer colors, Anne, because a) it's a beautiful mature iridescent shade and b) thats my name too! [my fave colors Anne and Scrangie above, via rescuebeauty.com]

5. the Dark Crystal is a past-time in my family. we used to sit at the dinner table, perfecting the voices of the various characters and species. Anyway, we heard this summer that a sequel to the Dark Crystal is in the works, and of course, we are excited. I feel the need to rock some sort of Dark Crystal flair in honor of the film that contributed to Our Weirdness. [these are by nobletownvintage, on etsy]

6. a swingy, sequined cardi to pair with jeans and tees. [theory via ssence.com]

7. kate spade's twirl. i'm not a typical kate spade-r, but something about this...i like.

8. a subscription to All You magazine. It's full of coupons and all about saving money on the little things that are soo necessary but soo boring and soo frustrating to spend money on. like laundry detergent and paper towels.

i will probably add and improve upon my list as the temperature drops and the sleigh bells start really getting to me, but I feel solid about my starting point.

now, where's your wishlist?

i leave you with this...

confessions

2010-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

***update! the color is clam bake by essie :) ****

let me confess something: i am weird.

[pausing, to let the shock subside.]

and i also love catalogs, like reaaal catalogs that come in the mail. free entertainment! i treat them like magazines and dissect the pages down to the color of the couch, the length of the bangs on the models, the size of the font. everything from text to hair styles in an anthro catalog deserves full attention. every little trinket and tee in an urban catalog must be noted. every man in a j. crew catalog must be awarded the opportunity to play the role of Annie's Husband in my daydreams of chopping wood in the snow and sipping cocoa while our plaid-clad children open christmas presents aside the hearth in our vanilla-scented log cabin. he wears corduroys, we have an espresso machine and he makes me lattes every day, also our whole family has extremely cozy jammies...um, where am I?

oh! yeah, so i'm weird and i love catalogs. points made!

anyway, one fateful morning (yesterday), i opened up my new J. Crew Nov '10 catalog. as per usual, it was beautiful and full of genius layering that looks Stupid On Regular People but is so delicious to gaze upon in pictures. the subtle mix of sparkles for day, the cardis that make me want to die/own them, the tights! the shoes! the patent-toe lace-up boots! ok. i digress. because i am not here to talk about those things.

i am here to talk about the fingernails.

i want those fingernails.

i don't know why they have implanted parasitically in my mind, but suddenly i can scarce think about anything but owning the same nail polish that the Nov 10 girl is wearing! something about the hot-but-not-too-hot pink mixed with the red-but-not-too-red tones, it looks so amazing and surprising in contrast with your typical fall wardrobe hues. and whats worse, i own tons of red polish, and tons of purple.

but not hot pink.

nothing even remotely similar to this.

those grey tights, they could be mine! those hands, i want them!

okay so yes, i am taking this to the extreme. and i haven't thought about the nails like that much.

...blink...blink......

so i decided to send an email inquiry through j. crew online:

Annie Crandall

to contactus.jcrew

show details 11:06 AM (21 hours ago)

Hi!

I am in love with the Nov 10 catalog (as usual) and I am really intrigued by the model's hot pinky/red nail color. I know you carry certain shades of Essie polish, but I can't quite tell which one of your available colors she is wearing (maybe lollipop..?)

Anyway, could you PLEASE tell me what the name/brand of that color is? I know this is a weird question, but I had to try! I want that color!

Thanks, I love J. Crew, have a pretty day,

Annie
and they wrote back promptly! but with little success...

J.Crew

to me

show details 2:41 PM (18 hours ago)

Hi Annie,

We carry many different shades of the beautiful Essie Nail Polish, but
to better help determine what color you need, could you kindly respond
to this email by giving us what page number the model is on? As soon as
we receive your answer, we'd more than happy to help you decide which
color suits your tastes.

If there is anything else I can further assist you with, please feel
free to respond to this email, or call me via my contact information
below.

Best,
Jessica
1-800-591-3802

Annie Crandall

to J.Crew

show details 3:27 PM (17 hours ago)

Jessica-

Thank you so much for getting back to me!

the model i am referring to is on pages 1-27 of the Nov 10 issue, and also on the cover. Is that specific color carried through J. Crew? Thanks for your help, i look forward to hearing from you!

Annie
and i am still waiting...waiting for the info...

and when i find out.

i'll tell you.

i know we've all been on pins and needles about this.

[if there is anything practical or useful that you could possibly glean from reading this entire post, it's that J.Crew does a pretty good job with answering customer questions. i appreciate that. i will especially appreciate it when i find out the name of that color, ahem.]

the ugliest.

2010-10-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

oops.
it seems my frye boot situation is not yet under control.
[they were $50 okay!? justificiation.]

yet, on days like today, it is important for one's feet to be pretty.
especially when one has pinkeye.

oh. i said it.

i have pinkeye.

no, i am not a six year old child. still somehow, somewhere, one fateful recent day, i contracted this ailment + some kind of weird non-threatening staph infection [also known as: increased ugly factor] on my eyelid. so i am not the prettiest. i may in fact, be the younger sister of Sloth from the Goonies...among our facial similarities, i too like candy.

anyway, i haven't been wearing makeup and it's caused quite the revolution. parts of me want to carry on this way forever; to be a hippie-girl with no makeup, dancing in the prairie grasses with my natural fresh face and sheer lip balm. what a charming thought that is, until i catch a reflection of myself in the elevator door during work and literally recoil in fear at the sight. sooo. i may have to rethink the whole no-makeup-ever-again scenario. still, it's a noble concept.

on that note, don't you think the toes of my boots look like platypus faces??

yeah me too.

pus out!

**i just looked and this is my 200th post! 200! that's a lot! i think i'll go eat some cookies.

aPARTment 3

2010-10-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

these are my favorite kind of days;

for the morning drive, you need the heater on.

at lunchtime, you need the air conditioner.

in the evening, you just need windows open and to sit on the porch.

during the workday, you mess up everything and ruin the world, but then you make some [harney cinnamon spice] tea and gaze out the window and you're like "oh, like it really matters in the end" and you sigh and clutch your steaming mug and it warms your cranberry-red "limited addiction" by essie fingertips and you realize; fall is beautiful, and there is not much that has power to distract from that inalienable fact. not mistakes. not awkwardness. not the price of quality sweaters. not even ninjas.

so. do you see my little mosie, half asleep and completely unresponsive to my pesters?

he has been a snuggle-bug since we moved. can it be that my ankle-biting baby is turning into a tranquil, loungy, real-life cat?

probs not.

also, as of now, my new shelves are defeating me...
there are no pictures in my frames [i do not have a single print, photo, or anything in a 5x7 size...what does this say about me?!], and my shelf flair [which i read is a requirement; all books with no breaks makes for a weighed-down, ugly shelf unit. see, i am doing my research.] is my pair of sparkly bridesmaid shoes...

so um, i need some work.

have a good weekend!
if you happen to be going dancing, you can come over and borrow my sparkly shoes.
you know where to find them.
on the bookshelf in my dining room, of course. where else?

olive louvre

2010-10-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

i do hate to steal the spotlight from my lovely new boots so quickly, but when it comes to Pretty and Wonderful Things, there's always a lot of breaking news.

speaking of, look at my new ca-rayzie ring! i wish i had better pictures, because it's actually a double-finger ring. the [plastic] stone is this deep reflective green color, in the shape of a pyramid. it's like an olive-colored miniature louvre! or something.

granted, it's huge.
granted, i occasionally cannot coax it off my finger, it's so snug and bulky at the same time. [like all rings of this...magnitude.]
granted, sometimes i get it wedged inside my steering wheel and have to make turns with my elbow all caddywompus before i can maneuver my hand free. but, that is the price we often pay for Awesome.

like those huge baubly bib necklaces, as another example.
they don't put warnings on those things, and they should. like:
warning, this will make so much noise rattling around that you have to hold still as a statue during church or meetings so as not to distract the entire room.
warning, this will get caught in your hair. your shirts. your car doors. your everything.
warning, this beautiful item will cause you so much trouble because it is a 10 on the Rector Scale Of Ridiculousness.

but some of us don't even care, regardless.

oh so i wanted to model this ring in a really cool savvy way, so you could get the vibe of it as something other than a monstrous waste of space, so i thought maybe i could wear it while strumming my guitar all earthy-like...

warning, you can not do anything functional or useful with your hand when wearing a two-finger ring attached to a golfball-size plastic pyramid. also, you cannot pull off "earthy-like".

so i thought it would suffice to eat a freezer pop to model the ring.
you know cause, whatever.

...i'll just leave it at that.

mum-bye to my principles

2010-10-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

conundrum: i am not supposed to be shopping. the nouveau apartement is expense enough as it is- plus, like i told you, moving my life and wardrobe has been eyeopening re: i own way too many of everything.

boots included.

but who wants to hear about that drivel on a blog primarily functioning as a shopping diary about a silly girl that comes home waving bags around, screeching "look what i got!" and "...it doesn't count as spending money if this was on sale..."

my point is, i accidentally havered for a moment from my never-buy-garments-ever-again philosophy, and ended up discovering one of the greatest finds of my thrifting/discount disco/clearance rack career.

boots.

frye boots.

purple frye boots.

cowboy inspired purple frye boots.

low enough heel for everyday life cowboy inspired purple frye boots.

oh, wanna see em on my feet?

full body shot? if you insist!

did i tell you they were $60? reg over $325? did i mention i'm bragging, bragging hard?...wait, where'd all my friends go.

in other news, i've started wearing pearly white nail polish. i know, where'd that come from? just when i feel like i've covered all the bases, i get a new urge to try something else on my fingertips. this shade is moon over mumbai by opi. [great name for a color, if i do say so myself. it feeeels like a moon, when you wear it. as far as mumbai goes, i've got no firsthand experience to comment on the accuracy. and bla blah what am i talking about? india?]

anyway, i'm off to read hunger games all night long.

[many thanks to my mom, sister, lel, and others in the world who have specifically recommended this series. because oh em gee. i'm obsessed. i can't put it down. if you haven't read it yet...by now, that means you're stupid. ok sorry, no it doesn't. but go read it! no excuses!]

i'll try to take outfit pics again tomorrow, i'm going to the ballet [pronounced; BAHlay] as a patron sponsor rep for my company and we are going for the gossip girl glitz opera-night vibe. [ie: the coral oscar de la renta resort collection dress blair wore to the opera in season 2. not like i remember specifically or anything. pause pause.]

oh hi mosie-teary-eyes! i ALMOST love you as much as my new boots.

i kid, i kid.

...i love them a lot more than you.

aPARTment 2 - la cuisine

2010-10-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

this was my lil kitchen, when i first got it.

white, clean, simple.

sterile,you could even say.

aka: not preferred.

and considering my budget for "renovations and decorations" is technically, well, $0, i decided that some simple touch-ups in the color department were all my cooking-space* needed.

clover-leaf green painted on the walls, vintagy red knobs for the cabinets [hobby lobby has a great selection at a fraction of the go-to anthro cost!], a red accent rug [my mom feels the rug is too bathroom-y, the jury is still out on that one. for now i shall keep it. sucker for flowers am i.], and other pops of reds and browns.

i'm kind of having a knob love affair, lets be honest.
anyone standing within earshot the past couple weeks has heard me squawk about how much i love my knobs, my knobs this, my knobs that, your knobs could not possibly be as awesome as my knobs...i hope people don't assume it's some sort of euphemism for boobies.

speaking of squawking.

this is my kitchen flair.

she's a chicken**, i've got a Thing For Chickens, and i always have. you may hate on my 5.99 marshall's homegoods chicken purchase. or you may come over, you may revel in the beauty of this chicken alongside me while we stir our soup over the stove. your choice.

*or shall i say, heating-up-leftovers-from-my-mom's-house-space.
**you don't say!

so what do you think!?

rin tententen

2010-10-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

i thought maybe something magical would happen today, granted that it's 10-10-10.
so far, however, things have gone kind of normal.

oh well! it's only noon.

i want to do a study on what compells girls to chop their bangs. today, without any pre-mediation i grabbed some scissors and just went at it. weeks of patient "growing-out" and all of it ruined- in a matter of minutes!

when i get the urge to alter my appearance, its like i am Sleeping Beauty in a pre-needleprick trance, and there's no stopping me. i reach toward the scissors, slow and creepy-like, while ghosts whistle behind me and my eyeballs do tiny figure-eights. do you do things like that, on a whim? whether its color, or piercings, or even...tattoos? [i'll never have the guts to tattoo myself- too much permanence, but i have a high level of reverence for the brave ones that do.] my impulse is always bang-chopping. i think it's a natural reaction to frustration; to change something tangible. maybe?

all to say, i have bangs again.

oh well!

apartment update pics coming soon! i can't wait to show off my new red kitchen knobs! they are like my children, and i'm that braggy mom at PTA. "today my red knobs did this, they are so advanced for their age" and "this morning my red kitchen knobs did the cutest thing", etc.

aPARTment 1

2010-10-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

this weekend, i did laundry.

in fact, that is basically all i did.

it has been ages since i've washed all of my clothes at once [which is literally impossible, as it took over 20 loads to complete] and it was quite laborious. there was no where to dry my jeans so we hung them outside, retro-style. things were hanging around the entire house, too. insane.

honestly, its made me really excited to simplify.

to own less and to get more out of things i do own.

and to move into my blue heaven-haven apartment on the third floor, with a balcony for sipping coffee and tea in the morning.

i plan on sharing pics of decor and progress as i get things put together!

we already did some painting and moved some things in, but there is a ways to go until everything is parfait and homey. until then it will be a lot of sweaty jaunts up and down the stairs, a lot of floor-meals, and a lot of this uniform:

minsky's pizza (walking distance cha ching!), sneakers, boy plaid, and sparkly elastic headbands from the halloween section of target. oh yeah...and no makeup. (as if i had to point that out)

**please note how weirdly i sit. #27 on the list of How I Scare People Away. now you know this about me.

haunted

2010-09-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

if you like [relative!] pain and horror, please read on. it's halloween season, after all.

date: yesterday
time: killing about thirty minutes after work before babysitting at church
place: ATC-- its nearby, and kind of like a drug that only works half the time [ so it just makes you want to do it ever more often. ]

I am browsing, bearing in mind that I've just Turned Over A New Leaf of saving money and watching my pennies. I refuse to buy anything. that is my new stance. kind of like going cold turkey, you savvy? a method known to work for...many people I've just happened to never meet. anyway, so I am browsing. I pick up a trina turk skirt but I can tell it won't fit right in the waist [translation: i like cookies] and the silhouette is a little 2005, so I proudly put it down and keep looking. I spot some studded suede flats and I think, maybe? but alas, my New Leaf pops in my mind and I steer clear. I am doing so well! I am on a high about all the temptations I am resisting. I even put back a velvet clutch, and you know how I feel about velvet. [do you know how I feel about velvet? let me introduce you to my not-yet-born ova, Velvet Louise.] and then this pretty, cool, kind of punk-style girl is looking on the same rack as me. sometimes that bugs me, but she is harmless enough so i just roll with it.

and then.

something sparkles in my eye.
no, annie.
oh my goodness, they are low-heel booties, hanging out two inches from my face.
don't look!
they are covered in black glitter.
so are a lot of things!
they are one of those pieces that you wear, and you instantly look cool, even in your granny sweaters.
you look cool enough in your granny sweaters as is!!!
well...good point. i do.
honestly you look quite the frump, but oh well.

they are size 9... size 9 is my size. they are $7. they are the cure to my lack of inspiration, and the thing that is going to get me through the Winter Drab!

before i know it, punky-style girl beside me is eyeing them too. suddenly, we are both kind of holding them together, not hostile-but not friendly. we are chattering about them. we are discussing outfit options. [she is far more narrow-sighted than me about styling possibilities, ahem]. she too, is size 9.

because of my New Leaf.
because i am a coward. '

my glitter booties walked away with somebody else last night. I know, it's terrifying.

i feel like a jilted lover.
it's possible Cold Turkey may not work for me.

.

[the ones pictured are f21]