friday favorites.

Yesterday I took my dog and Mr. Stubborn Bassett Hound for a walk down to the river.  I was perched on a rock attempting to take some photos of the two of them in the water, when Mr. Stubborn himself decided to maneuver himself up on my perch.  I shifted and slipped a bit to get out of the way, when clunk - splash.

It couldn't be.  Well yes, I think it might.

My smartphone, to the bottom of the river, playing so happily in the current. 

Goodbye smartphone, hello Zack Morris throwback.

Despite this, I'm as happy as a kid with pop-rocks that today is Friday. 

And as for my favorites, well here you go:

Ryan Gosling, I'm quite sure if we EVER encountered, we could fall madly in love.  For a number of reasons, but the top one: you love your dog lots and lots.

I'm often referred to as a hippie, or hippie-esque (considering I have yet to truly fully immerse myself in the culture).  But I really dig this blog on Why the Hippies Were Right.  It really breaks down how I see things for the most part.  For instance this ending:

Why were the Hippies Right? Simple….because they cared for the people. Because they didn’t hesitate to stand up and fight for their brothers and sisters. Because they knew it was up to them to make a difference and they met that challenge head on. You have to be the change you want to see in the world! 

I really like Emma Watson's style, even though I'm generally more of a Nicole Richie combined with an Olsen twin type of fashion embracer, and this photo gallery really shows the fashion changes she's undergone since she hit the scene.

Must create epic dive to submit to Leisure Dive.  If you haven't heard of it, check it out, so fun.  This one titled the Teton Shadow Dive, is way cool.

Being the grown-up the kid in you always wanted, enough said.  I read this a while back, but it was a necessary re-visit.

To wrap it up, not one, but two Bing choices.

First, I have to do it because I was there in 2007, and that to me screams amazing-ness.  Machu Picchu, fuck yes.

And this second one because well who doesn't love donkeys and Ireland.  AKA must plan trip as soon as financially possible.

While it's cloudy and overcast here, I'm hoping it drifts off for this evening in time to catch the double meteor shower.  If you can, catch it.

Otherwise, enjoy your weekend.  Me and my Zack Morris special are taking off elsewhere

fall classy.

I've been dog sitting, my friend's OOC and super young mix cry baby of a dog and my landpeople's old, stubborn, and hilarious Bassett who shouts at me constantly.

If dog sitting doesn't make someone further appreciate their own dog even more than they already do, I'm not sure what does.  I'm so flipping grateful that my dog is a rockstar.

Anyways, I had dog party raging at my apartment last weekend when I was invited to the city.

I was too tempted to pass up the opportunity so I recruited dog sitters, my bro's girlfriend and my sister.  I offered them a bottle of vodka and vegetables from my landpeople's garden (who wouldn't be convinced with those offerings, honestly).

So I headed to Boston for a night out.  I dressed in shorts and a tank, but had back-up attire in my backpack, as I wasn't sure of the actual plan and corresponding dress code.

I arrived and hung out with your typical city-ites.  There was a chunk of discussion on how different I was from them.  I mean I guess it's weird I go haying for fun and don't know what on-demand is.  The discussion more or less resulting in them dubbing me Pocahontas (which I found to be epic).

After chilling for a bit, the decision of where to go out to was made.  And the dress code was going to be uber classy.  Sweet, take a hippie chick who rolls in moccasins, cut-offs, and baggy tees, and expect her to have appropriate attire for uber classy.

I wore jeans, and not like slim fitting, dark denim jeans but rather a worn in, faded out pair of Joe's Jeans.  I'm 100% positive that a vast amount of girls at the bar eyed me with disdain (I'm fairly certain I was a topic of conversation for a number of the groups as well). 

Whatevs.

So drank some drinks and had a mellow, uproarious time.

Then we opted to head downstairs in the bar, because there was country music downstairs, and well I am a lover of country.

I wasn't even drunk.  Tipsy yes, drunk no.  But I was wearing flimsy flats and not my typical moccasins or crocs.

I should have known that I would only make it a few steps down the stairs until there was a major slipparoo.

Down I went, beer in hand.

Honestly, I must say it was the most mother fucking classy fall I've ever had.

Seriously, it was a minor slide down several stairs, after which I righted myself and took a sip from my still full beer.

It must have looked horrendous though, because those people going up the stairs all gasped, pointed, and shouted.

The guys I was with, all laughed, as did I.

When mildly embarassed, laugh.  It's your best bet, always.

For real though, if I fall in a bar again in the future, I really hope it's that mother fucking classy.

bring the barefoot.

So, I apologize for being neglectful and more or less MIA.

One of my best friends got married last weekend, you may have read a few previous posts about me ranting embracing all the extras an MOH gets to do, and it ate a whole lot of time up. 

Work also made me want to throw around a few judo chops because it was insanely busy with last minute crap my boss dropped on me.

Anyways.

The wedding was beautiful, my friend looked amazing, and everything went smoothly.

Thank goodness I felt inclined to fulfill my MOH duty and make sure some delish wine (Barefoot Moscato, YUM) was available for the night before the wedding (where we boozed like whoa and crashed in my bed with the a/c on arctic air). 

Thank goodness I also packed an extra bottle for pre-wedding jitters.  It also helped me to look like an alcoholic in all the pre-wedding photos. 

I mean what wedding would be complete without an MOH trucking into the venue in sweats and a bottle of wine under her arm.  Photos from our getting ready room also featuring me filling cups repeatedly, aka wine bottle ALWAYS in hand.

Suprisingly I didn't cry during the ceremony.  The only tear I shed was when my friend's Dad walked in the room immediately before and welled up.

I promised my friend I was her rock, and with a few "Word to your Mom, we came to drop bombs" thrown in to get a grin, we got through the ceremony, which was beautiful.

Then it was on to photos - where I swear I was such a by the book MOH it wasn't even funny.  Legit, I had 3 gin & tonics for the bride at one point, triple fisting, say whaat. 

I also fluffed the shit out of her train for every photo.

Then we had a pre-toast before heading into the reception.  Where seriously, no one knew what to say and no one jumped in - so I dropped a little Biggie Smalls into the mix.  Big hit, that one.  It also loosened the others up to encourage a few shout out toasts.

Then it was onto being introduced - where me and the best man threw a few punches, Rocky style, obv.

First dance, kisses, and all the jazz.

DREADED toast time.  I nearly peed my dress it came up so shockingly quick.

Somehow, I actually got through it, without passing out.

It was weird.

Without further adieu, here is the toast I gave (note 1: this wasn't given word for word I just needed some bones to work with, note 2: I also memorized the bones so that I didn't need to read from a paper):

First of all, thank you all for coming.

For those of you I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Twiggy, and J and I have been a part of one another’s lives since we were 4.  So, you know we’ve been through thick and thin.  From elementary school gym shows, embarrassing concert attire, and going for scary walks down the road in the dark, to varsity soccer play-offs and writing graduation speeches, to wearing matching sweat bands to our first soccer preseason away from one another, endless phone calls, and absurdly hilarious visits to one another’s schools.  Although a lot of things have changed for the better, like doing away with poorly chosen hairstyles and oversized attire, lots of things have stayed the same too.  She’s still a total crack up, the most loyal friend anyone could ask for, and an incredibly loving, capable, and fun person to have around.

So, of course I was beyond honored and happy when she asked me to be a part of this wedding, that’s the very first thing I felt.  The very second thing I felt was probably what a lot of Maid of Honor’s feel, fear.  Uh oh, I have to give a toast.  For those of you who know me, you know I do NOT speak in front of large groups of people.  So, J I must seriously love you a lot.  And you owe me, big time.

The funny part is, I knew both J and M before they knew one another.  I worked with M several times before summer fast approached and I was switching roles.  J informed she was to be taking my spot. 

The first thing I told her was wait until you meet this guy Mark, you are going to LOVE him.  I just know it!

After her first evening of work, I received a phone call at about 11:15PM. 

I know exactly who you are talking about.  I was running a bit late, which if you know J is an everyday thing, I walked into a meeting and there was one seat left next to this guy.  He looked up at me and OH MY GOD, are you kidding me!?  Sigh, I’m in love.

From the get go I was getting phone calls on the update of their romance or it was frequently discussed on our morning runs.  It’s now progressed to me having dinner, wine, and watching a movie during the pauses of our dog's playing sessions, once a week. 

I have loved watching this romance bloom.  M is a fantastic guy!  He’s funny, friendly, super easy to get along with, and can be pretty talkative once you get him going, just don't bother trying to get him going when something important is on the tv.

J has just blossomed since M came into her life.  When J met M, it was obvious from the very beginning that he was the one.  There was something different about him and she seemed to light up more than ever before. 

I so look forward to the watching of the future of these two.  I know that J and M will last a lifetime with each other.  They just seem to have that certain something about them.

So please raise your glasses while I propose a toast: 

As you sit side by side through this roller coaster of life, remember to scream from the peaks, hold hands through the dips, laugh through the loop-de-loops and enjoy every twist and turn, for the ride is better because you guys share it together.

Separately you both are very special, remarkable people, but together you are complete.

So, to love, laughter, and happily ever after!

I love you both!  Congratulations!

Once that was over, I started guzzling some drinks.

friday favorites.

So I apologize for the complete lack of posts this week.  I ultimately decided if I wasn't going to write my MOH toast, then I wasn't allowed to blog.

I haven't written the toast.  Yet here I am blogging about my favorite finds this week.

It's going to have to be short so I don't have an epic guilt trip considering her wedding is a week away.

Peacock feathers rock and I need this hair excitement, asap:

Realistically, I have zero desire to actually ever own a home.  I want to live the gypsy life and have the freedom to make a move whereever, whenever.  But if I was to ever decide to settle in one place and want to have a home base, I would absolutely live in a pocket-sized home.  Me and my dog, we don't need a lot of space, especially if we have the outdoors.  And I just love the idea of having something small, easy to clean & decorate, and to have a minimal carbon footprint.

Music find!  Love when I strike it up with some superb new artist.  Check out Gardens & Villa.  Really cool, really digging it.  The first song I heard from them was Orange Blossom but then after streaming their disc at work, I fell in love with this song Black Hills.  Give 'em a listen.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.  Enough said.  LOVE THEM.

Emma Watson, again for a major fashion win!  Loving that Oscar De La Renta dress.

Finally, a National Geographic Photo of the Day homerun.  The photo was taken by Mrs. Wai Chun Turnbull while at Nakuru National Park in Kenya.  I want to go there, immediately.

On a completely separate note, the fox needed to be euthanized.  It had two really bad breaks in it's hind leg and all the other wounds were severely infected.  The doctor said it had gotten into a fight with something, and it wasn't hit by a car.  I was seriously disappointed, I was hoping for a huge rehabilitation success.

adventuring is not for ninnies.

So, I figured after all that went astray yesterday, literally what else could happen.  I had a nice hike planned, I was meeting a coworker at the top of the mountain so that I wouldn't have to walk back down in the dark alone (comfort for my Dad), and my dog was ready to go.

I got there a bit late, per usual.  I have a complete inability to ever be on time and being early is impossible.

I saw my coworker's car at the bottom, so I took off for the top.  Literally took off, like ran most of the way.

I got up to the top, saw a couple catching the rest of sunset, but I did not see my coworker.  I figured I must have some how beat him up, no biggie.  I'll take some pics and hang till he gets up here.

Twenty minutes later I get a voicemail (my phone literally never rang, what gives?!).  Hey, I see your Jeep down here.  I already came back down, can't stay, might get called into work.  Sorry.  Have fun.

Awesome.

Alright, oh well.  I'm used to doing my own thing with my sidekick. 

So I set my pack down to grab my sweatshirt out of it.  Yanked my sweatshirt out, completely forgetting that I had a summit beer wrapped up in it.

CRASH.

Glass and beer everywhere. 

Fantastic.  So I spend the next 10 minutes picking up shards of glass because I don't want anyone to get cut up.

While I'm doing this my dog takes ntoe of something nearby.  No biggie, that happens.

Unless it's a fox only a few feet away.

So my dog chases it off.  Now there is a fox running, my dog running, and me running.

Ultimately my dog stopped and I grabbed ahold of his collar.  The fox is going nutter in the woods, like totally barking mad.

I finish up with the glass shards, filling up my koozie.  Then I find a nearby trash can and shake the shards from the koozie into the can. 

See ya later koozie, clearly my grip sucks.

I can't allow this to happen.  More or less say I won't, take off the trash cover and retrieve my koozie and proceed to disinfect it once I get back to my car. 

Anyways, the fireworks shows begin, so I check out a few of the shows, and stay up there for a bit.

Then, I ultimately decide I will head down.  Considering I'm alone, I determine the best option is for me to take the trail through the woods down, the one I know best.

There is a road headed down, but there are other roads that connect with it, several turn options, and overall it just makes me panic. 

I'm more comfortable in the woods.

I grab my headlamp and head down.

I turn on said headlamp.

The batteries have croaked.

Of course they have.

Considering I had no light option besides my cell phone and there was no full moon, the trail with all the rocks and steep slopes was going to have to be out.

Damn it. 

So I headed down the road making sure my dog stayed a specific distance around me in case of any lurkers or animals.

I got down safely. 

Apparently my sense of direction has improved somewhat.

I shouldn't be in charge of my own finances, among other things.

Considering I left my last post with a photo of fireworks and signed off with well wishes for the 4th, you would think it would be safe to assume I wasn't going to post until after the weekend.

Too much happened already.  If I waited until Monday, the post would have been agonizingly long and some of you might have dozed off while reading it.

So instead, here I am on a Saturday evening.

To start off let's discuss bills.  I HATE them (realistically, who doesn't).  The majority of mine are set to automatic pay because otherwise I'm continuously late because I hate bothering with them.

I have propane heat for where I live currently.  This winter was a doozy and I went through an awful lot.  I paid the bills as they came.  And then weirdly the bills kept coming, even after winter was already over.

I was suspicious about how I kept owing more and more despite the fact that I kept paying them.  It got to the point where I wasn't even paying the bill in full, but rather just parts of it each month.

I got a $300 bill from them yesterday.  I was astonished and rather dismayed.

Then I saw the - sign.  WTF does that mean?

I brought the bill to my parents house for an explanation.  Low and behold I have overpaid my bill by $300. 

Really?!  Who thought it was a good idea to think I could be an independent adult?

Sigh.  I'm unsure on whether or not to consider it a savings account with my propane company or request a check back.

This morning I woke up with a plan of enjoy the day, clean like a crazy lady, and hike up a mountain this evening to view fireworks from all over.

It was gorgeous and sunny, so considering it was around 9AM and I was unsure of my true plans I opted to just put on my bikini.  It made the most sense considering the weather.

Then I decided well, I'll just go outside for a bit.

Then, well my dog wants to head down that path.  Let me just grab my crocs.

This meander down the path turned into an hour long hike down by the river in a bikini and crocs.

I suppose it still made sense.  I mean what if I got real hot and needed to cool off?

After I got back, my sister called asking if I wanted a pedicure.  OF COURSE I want a pedicure.  My feet look like they are peeling off from my Nicaragua trip through the jungle in knee high rubber boots with 95 degree heat.

So, I do a quick change head to my parent's house and hop in my sister's car.  I figure I'll be back home in like approx. an hour.

I sit in the pedicure chair the lady looks at my feet.  Are conversation went a bit like follows:

Can I please offer you the complete spa pedicure treatment?

That bad huh?

Yea, they are pretty horrible.  I haven't seen someone's feet this bad in a long time.

Well, uhhh thanks.  I suppose I'll go with give me the works. 

Now I have lovely pastel purple toe-nails and peeling skin free feet.  Let's see how long this lasts.

So we headed for my parent's house. 

As we were outside talking with my brother and his girlfriend a young fox hobbled through the backyard.  It had clearly been hit by a car (you bastards!) and had a leg that was bobbling along.

I pointed out that if we left it there it was going to significantly suffer or someone was going to call animal control, which in town entails an old man with a shot gun.

Obviously it's best chance of survival was if we caught it and I brought it to the wildlife clinic.  Which I had brought an injured red squirrel to about a year ago - and I can only offer positive feedback, seriously they are amazing!

We dragged out an old dog crate, laid down some blankets, aired out my Jeep so it wasn't scorching, and prepared for the catch.

My brother put on his motorcycle jacket, he figured it couldn't bite through that.  My sister grabbed a long stick.  His girlfriend headed the opposite way to help corral the fox.  I spent the time on the phone organizing with the clinic to get someone on the wildlife team in there by the time we got there.

My brother caught him, we loaded him up, draped a sheet over the crate, blasted the a/c, and headed off for an hour drive with a nearly empty tank of gas and a serious need to pee.

I had a serious struggle with driving absurdly slow, avoiding every bump, and seriously making sure we weren't going to crap out of gas on the side of the road.

But alas, we arrived.

We checked him in the crate and he was curled up on the blankets.  So me and my sister each took a side and carefully carried him into the clinic and put him in extremely competent hands. 

After which I tore ass down the hallway to find the bathroom.  Then we hoped in my on "e" car and drove off in search of a nearby gas station.

So my easy-breezy day turned into a flippin' nutter of a day.  Per usual I suppose.

Anyways, now I'm off to hike up a mountain and catch some fireworks from afar with my dog.

Think some positive thoughts for the fox, he was in real rough shape.

friday favorites.

I am horrendously ADHD today.  Like can't sit in my seat for longer than 2 seconds without shaking so I go interupt my co-worker who has threatened to wring my neck approximately 20 times so I then go do little jigs up and down the hallway, ADHD.

So this post might not be all that it could be.  But I'll give it my best shot.

First: Rosie Huntington Whiteley.  Not only is she dating Jason Statham, who is a pretty bad-ass good looker but she is stunningly gorgeous.  I get she's a Vickie's Shhh model, but pulling off some red carpet looks for movie premieres is kind of a different story.  Here are two of my favorite looks from her recently.

Tee-shirt alert!  I love a good unique tee-shirt that I can rock for a variety of occasions.  RAYGUN just became a new web store frequent for me.

I'm a terrible driver, really because of my ADHD and history of being late (ALL OF THE TIME).  But I'm pretty enthusiastic about a road trip in my future.  I think some (or all) of these scenic roads might need to be added.

I love eye make-up.  Particularly black eye liner and a good mascara.  I do wish I had more reasons to rock eye make-up that is totally out of the box though.  I found this blog with all of these magnificently, creative eye make-up examples.  This one, inspired by the movie Up really caught my eye, literally.  I think I'm gonna need to hit up an art class to glam my eyes out successfully.



 Dear photograph, I want to play.  New agenda item: must find old photos and return to the scene!  Seriously, how cool?!

Finally, my latest blog find, You're Kick Ass Life,  could the name be any better?  Then you get the tag line because life's too short for it to not kick ass.  Andrea Owen, you just hooked me.  After, a bit of exploration I came across this post on doing epic shit.  I am now OBSESSED with this post (can you tell I like things that make me feel like I can totally whoop ass day in and day out?).  Anyways, one of my favorites bits of it:  

Life is for living. Scratch that. Life is for grabbling by the testicles, and through gritted teeth saying, “This life is mine. I will live it with all I’ve got. I won’t take crap from anyone, won’t play small, or safe. I will admit that I’m a badass. I can break through after a break down. I can get up after I fall down on my face.”

I am a bad ass and I want to start doing some epic shit.

Enjoy the 4th and get out there for some fireworks!