Trying My Hand at Being,...uh...Handy!

When I heard that BlogHer and GE were offering us the chance to win $1000 and all we had to do was try a new product and tell them what we thought, I knew that this was the contest for me. I am all about giving my opinion. (whether you want it or not most days) In this case, GE asked us to try out their new product, Caulk Singles.

What you may not know is that I have a little experience using caulk...and failing miserably at the task, which is evident by the above photo. Now, don't judge, it was my first attempt. No laughing, that comes later. I sent off for my free sample and waited very patiently for it to arrive. (Hey, I was TOO patient!)

And, then, Monday! It arrived!! (See? Scrunched box and all!)
There are three varieties; waterproof silicone in white and clear, and the paintable acrylic that showed up at my door.

First! The job! This is my bathroom floor. See the crevice between where the tile ends and where the tub begins? No?

How's that? Better? Be glad you can't smell this photo, because I have a little secret. The problem with this crevice isn't its existence, but what is in it. You see, I have a cat. The cat and I share a bathroom. That's right, the litterbox is just inside the bathroom door. And for those of you who have a cat, you know that if said cat is unsatisfied with the state of the litterbox or just the state of the universe, a cat will show that displeasure by....well, peeing on things. My particular cat, likes to pee in this corner. That's right, the crevice is full of PEE. Say it with me now! EEEEEWWWWWW!!!!!!! I've tried cleaning it, over and over with little success.
GE Caulk Singles to the rescue!!!

First, let's back away. Whew! I feel better. Don't you feel better?

Next! Directions!

Hmmm, okay, seems pretty simple.

Step One!
Clean the area! Because of the eww factor, I decided to use bleach. Neato, it fizzed. Chemical reaction, cool. (Yes, I did say that out loud. I am a giant dork.)

Now, scrub!

And scrub some more!

Rinse and wipe dry

Much better! Now, go sit down, because your head is spinning from the bleach smell.
Note: You may or may not know that bleach can have a bad reaction to just about any other cleaning agent, which is why you NEVER mix bleach with another cleaner. What I did not realize is that cleaning product must have been hiding in the crevice and the resulting fumes gave me a nasty headache. Bleach hangover! Wheee! Learn from my mistakes!

Next afternoon and time to caulk! Much easier than caulk I used last time, it smoothed on easy as pie. (Where did that expression come from? Pie is NOT easy!)

Action shot!

Smoothing the bead with a finger...

.....or two.

Used a damp paper towel to clean up the edges....

Tada! All done! Beautiful!
Now, at least, when my cat decides to show me her vast displeasure, I'll have easy clean-up. :)
Thanks Blogher and GE!

My Favorite Things

I thought I'd start a new weekly series, though this one won't be on a set day. We'll see what happens, shall we? People have asked me about the hair stuff I talked about on a Naked Monday post and there are things that I've found that I really love, so this series of posts will be about things and places that I have found that I would consider a favorite. The posts aren't reviews, the companies haven't given me anything, they don't know I exist. ;) Since we're not talking about getting Naked, anyone who wants to join in is welcome, if you do, I'd love to read about your favorites, too. This week we'll talk about some things hanging around my place that you may like, too.

When visiting my parents a couple of weeks ago, I rediscovered this steak sauce, made by a little company in Centralia, IL called Country Bob's. It kicks A-1's ass. YUMMY! It isn't offered in local restaurants, but you can find it at Schnucks and Shop n Save, according to their website. I bought a big bottle before coming back home, just in case. ;)

This is my wallet, bought from Forever 21, though I have seen many more similar to it in other stores.


This is the view of it open. I LOVE it. It's the first wallet I've ever had that made life easier, rather than harder. It can be found on the website here or in your local store.

My yarn stash...the unraveled bits can be blamed on a frisky cat. I love yarn. I love the way it feels, the amazing colors, running it through my fingers and watching it grow into something beautiful. My favorite yarn store in St. Louis can be found here. Learn something new, take a class, ask questions, create something beautiful.....

This is my shower gel. It's not fancy or expensive, but it smells delicious and makes my skin soft. This one is the white tea scent. I like the green tea and honey one, also.

This is the hair stuff, which I heard about from The Pioneer Woman.

Biosilk Hair Therapy. This is the most expensive hair product I own and worth every penny. I bought it about a month and a half ago and have only used that much. What does it do? It makes my frizzy hair with curl tendencies soft, smooth and curly. Love that.

Naked Mondays # 15 Not to Skirt the Issue, but....

It's Monday and we all know what that means! It's Naked Mondays! Whoooo! ;) Continuing on the summer theme from last week, let's talk about skirts. I love skirts, mostly because they're not pants. You may remember my issues with pants from a former Naked Monday, well this isn't a new problem and until I started my love affair with the belt, I solved it by buying lots of skirts and dresses. Did I say I love skirts? Cuz, I do.;)

Most of the skirts and dresses I buy are about knee length and a-line. Why? Both will hide a multitude of sins, big butt, thick thighs, chubby knees.... been there, done that for all of them.

This is an example of what I was saying...right at knee length, a-line, this one is a-line from the ribs...not quite baby doll, more high waisted.

(I know, I know, everyone hates baby doll, but I like them if they fit right. For some reason, they're flattering on me.) Anyway, the length hits right at the point that shows off the best part of my legs. My calves, or the part that most resembles a chicken. ;) Now, the next picture will show a skirt that may not be everyone's idea of leg happiness, but they came in to my store and my girl, K, talked me into buying one. She says if I still look like a 22 year old, there's no reason why I can't still dress like one. I figured, hell, why not, if it fits. She waited until I had decided to buy it to tell me she wished she had thick legs like me. I, of course, burst into hysterical giggles, cuz that's not how you give a girl confidence in her appearance, but she was totally serious. (sigh) So, without further adieu, me in a miniskirt.

So, there I am, Naked, at least a small part of me. (Ok, not so small, most of my height is legs, so this is, like, half of me...you get the idea.)



So, now I'm curious how many of you like skirts. How many of you wear them all the time? And guys, how do you feel about skirts? Yea or nay? Until next time, enjoy the weather! (Unless you live in St. Louis, then feel free to curse the weathermen or whatever. 60's one day then high 80's the next? Freaking weather! Gah!)

Note: I have Naked Mondays items in my cafepress store, which you can find the link to in the top, left hand corner.

Wanna Buy a T-Shirt?

The first step in my BlogHer fund is on the left side of the page...a cafepress shop. I put up my first design, tell me what you think. As I finish the designs I'm working on, I'll add them to the shop, I think I need a T-shirt for Naked Mondays, don't you? ;) If you are interested in a shirt with one of my flickr pics that isn't already up, or you're just dying for a black T, let me know. ;) Love you guys! Mwah!

Naked Mondays # 13 My Love Affair With the Belt

Yes, it's Naked Monday again. (Actually Tuesday, my long weekend put me behind, don't worry, I have lots of pictures.) This Naked Monday is brought to you today by suggestion and inspired by a conversation I had with some female family members about the current fashions in pants. Let's just put it this way, I was the only one not wearing mom jeans. Hee. So, here we go, time to get naked.

Pants do not fit me. At all. They never have and never will. That, my internet friends, is a fact. My legs are too long. My butt is too big. My waist is too short. All these things add up to difficulties making pants fit. (This is not to say that I consider these things to be flaws, well except the short waisted thing, that one annoys me.) Add to this the weight yo-yo and I own pants in 6 different sizes. 3 of which I can wear, though most of them now require a belt. So, belts have become my new best friends and one more piece of clothing that I collect.

The evidence:

Being short-waisted means that there is extra material where should not be extra material. This is highly annoying..(and not cute. ick.)

These are the best fitting jeans I have, I bought two pair

Without belt
These are new bermuda shorts. Notice how they gape in the back


All my pants do this, it's a common problem for women. You would think that they would, I don't know, SOLVE it. How hard could it be?

With belt
This is my solution, at least for now

And this would be my belt collection

So, there you go. It's me...Naked, at least a small part of me. ;)

Now that I've explained my issues with pants (though I'm pretty sure that Raquita and Heather have already heard part of this story), it's your turn. Guys or girls, what article of clothing will just NOT fit? Share and discuss.

How to Make a Shoplifter Scream Obscenities at You in 12 Easy Steps

Step one: Notice your manager calling your name from the register.

Step Two: Use your woman powers to read her facial movements pointing you in the direction of potential shoplifters.

Step Three: Ask potential shoplifters if they are finding everything okay and if they need any help.

Step Four: Smile pleasantly at their, "No, thank yous" and busy yourself straightening messy clothes racks nearby.

Step Five: When they stare at you, seeming more interested in your presence than the clothes in front of them, continue to smile blankly and attempt to look busy and overwhelmed. (This should not be difficult.)

Step Six: As they wander aimlessly about the front section of the store, growing more and more uncomfortable, pull mislaid items from clothes racks and mutter to yourself about "filthy customers" and "not your fucking mother". Stay within 5-10 feet of suspected shoplifters at all times, mostly for your own amusement.

Step Seven: Listen as one of the women answers her phone and tells person on the other end about the "fucking bitch" who is following her around the store and all she wants is a long sleeved t-shirt, but she can't find one and the "fucking bitch" won't leave her alone.

Step Eight: Start to feel embarrassed, but realize that backing off won't do any good at this point and refuse to give her the satisfaction.

Step Nine: Watch as woman goes to register and throws tantrum that would shame a three year old, alerting entire store to drama.

Step Ten: Smile pleasantly as woman approaches you and demands your name. Give it to her and try not to laugh in her face.

Step Eleven: Watch as she stomps dramatically from the store in self-righteous rage, raise arms in the air and say, "That's right, I rawk!!"

Before anyone reads this and gets huffy, she and her friend were caught last week trying to forcibly remove a security tag from a shirt. After her dramatic exit, we were informed that she has actually been banned from the mall altogether. Had we known, we could have charged her with trespassing. She was not legally supposed to even be there. But, yeah, I'm the bad guy. Meanwhile, if she were to be stupid enough to call corporate and complain about me or "file a comment" as she put it, I would probably get a bonus for a job well done.

Naked Mondays #9 You have HOW many pairs of shoes?!

39. Yes, that's a 3 and a 9. Together. This doesn't include the box of shoes for good will. Or the flip flops. Oh, the old navy flip flops, how I love you! It's sickness, I tell you!

Here are some of my favorites:

There are more, these are just the ones I found right away.

The background is my favorite chair that a friend gave me years ago when I helped her move. I LOVE that chair. Probably more than is healthy.

So, this is me, Naked.....well at least my closet...and under the bed...and on the back of the door...and in the floor...and the car...let's just say you've seen a lot of my life in one little entry. so. sad. ;)

Losing my mind, that's all....

I was having a bad day Thursday and I went to the mall for a little pick-me-up (shaddup). I was wandering around a bookstore trying to find something, anything interesting when I remembered that some blogs that I read had mentioned this series of books that was seriously addictive. Since I am such a voracious reader, I am always looking for new authors to obsess over. Ok, problem. I could remember the general plotline of the first book. I could remember that it was known as a series and were referred to as the....something. Dammit. The author? Nope. The name of any of the books? Nope. The blogs who had mentioned reading and liking them? Not. a. clue. By today, I was seriously stressed out that I couldn't figure it out and was ready to make an ass out of myself by explaining here what I had remembered and BEGGING one of my readers to HELP ME! Thankfully, I used the truly scientific method of starting at the bottom of my reader and scanning each blog back a few weeks until I found what I was looking for.....violia!!! I found a mention of the series on OMSH's page here. And though I know at least one other blogger in the last few weeks has also mentioned it, I didn't feel like pressing my luck. I went to amazon.com armed with the title of the latest book and wrote down the entire list. And, since, the idea of making an ass out of myself doesn't faze me, I shared the whole ugly truth with the internet because I still have a question for you....what do you read? What authors make you grind your teeth and rend your clothing in agony because the waiting is just. too. hard? Help me out, people. Feed my habit.

Update: Kendra kindly pointed out in the comments that I didn't tell you the series I was talking about! Oops! It's the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

Naked Mondays # 6

Today is Naked Monday! And the people rejoice! Wheeeeeee!

Tonight is my belly button....not that I think my belly button is terribly interesting (in fact I know at least one person who will read this who is seriously squeeed out by belly buttons) but something that you may not know about me is that I had my belly button pierced two years ago. Even though this photo is terrible, you can see the scar the piercing left just over my belly button. There's a matching one inside. (Are you freaked out yet?) I had it for about a year before I finally got annoyed with it getting caught on my pants and took it out. I don't regret having it done, in fact, I wish I had done it many years earlier when I first had the idea. I am annoyed with the scar, but I'm sure it will go away eventually.



So, there I am, naked, at least a little part of me. ;)


Something else I wanted to share is a nail polish color that I found recently. I just lurve it, if that is possible. It's a very dark plum, which didn't show up very well in the photos. It looks very lush and sophisticated with just a touch of emo.

And then there was LIGHT!

The front room of my apartment didn't come with lighting...at all. I didn't think much of it when I viewed the apartment in daylight, but in winter, when I have to keep the drapes closed to hold in the heat (or keep out the cold, depends on how you look at it)...anyway, it's freaking dark in here. I spend my evenings working on art projects or knitting in front of the tv, and with inadequate light, that can be difficult. This is my third lamp in the room, I'm planning on hanging two smaller ones next to it. That corner will soon house an easel and a rolling drawer unit with paint and such. I love my drapes and the lamp, I bought both at IKEA. Now I just need to make it hang straight.

I've lost my train of thought...freaking ADD. Ooh, shiny!

My New Purse (and a hat I found on clearance)

New purse the color of fresh cut grass to remind me that winter doesn't last forever......

The first beret I've tried on that actually looked good on my head......for $2.98. Score!

I want, but I'll never get it and that's ok

I like purses and I like shoes......ok I REALLY like shoes. I would say it's genetic, but my mom is all about comfort with shoes and probably only owns 10 pairs and wears maybe 4 of them. I haven't counted in a while, but I probably own about 40-50 pairs, more if you count flip-flops.
But, today, this is about purses, which I like, and own quite a few of. I don't own any designer purses, and until today, I didn't see the attraction. I was perfectly happy with the Target knock-offs and had never spent more than $30 on a bag. While other women I knew were drooling over bags with a designer label, I was quietly gloating over my good sense and rolling my eyes at the idea of buying anything just for a name, but tonight I saw this......


I couldn't find it on the website, so I took a pic of the ad with my cellphone. It's by Prada, and it's quite possibly the coolest purse I've ever seen. How embarrassing. :)

Oh, and also....

I went to the laundrymat (laundromat?) to wash all my clothes, because semester end+holiday season+bad cold+lazy+procrastination= lack of socks and underwear and...pretty much anything else. I actually have a washer and dryer in the basement that I own, but the water pressure here sucks so it takes almost as long to wash a load of laundry as it does to dry it. (plus, I'm lazy and it's cold down there and mwah!) So I took all my dirty clothes, sorted them into like colors and such and hauled the whole mess to the laundrymat on South Grand that is open 24/7 and has free wifi. I would have taken advantage of the wifi, but I had a new book to read and all this knitting, so I didn't bring my laptop...another time perhaps.
I have a lot of clothes. Say it with me...I have a lot of clothes. I didn't bring towels or sheets or any of that nonsense, just clothes. But, uh, by the time I finished folding everything and putting it back in the laundry bags, it was a little embarrassing.

I noticed this guy watching me and he was frankly making me a little nervous, but when he finally came over to talk to me.......
Stranger: Are those all yours? (pointing at the MOUNDS of clothing)
Me: Yeah, I know, it's really sad.
Stranger: Wow, and I thought I had a lot.

Look at that! Random strangers are alarmed by how much clothing I own! (And I didn't tell him about the summer stuff I have packed away.) As soon as I get it all hung up, though, I won't need to do laundry again for at least a month, maybe two. That's gotta be worth something.

We may have hit a snag....

You may recall that the siblings andI were going to buy a DVR for our parents for christmas. We have run into a few problems. First, we found out through the company that it is next to impossible to surprise someone with a product from dish network. So, after MANY phone calls to customer service which consisted of some guy in India not being able to understand my sister and my sister getting increasingly pissed off, she spoke with a local guy who basically said, "Sorry, we can't do that." Shit. So, my sister and I discussed it and even though we didn't want to do it that way, decided that the only way to keep it a surprise from both the parents was to present them with a card christmas morning with a sort of IOU. Second, my brother just called me and said "Why didn't you tell me the DVR was being sent to the house? It came while I was at work!" Only, we couldn't order the damn thing so,.....? Uh, I think christmas is sort of ruined, at least our gift is. (sigh) My brother is going to attempt to be sneaky tomorrow and find out what's going on, but I may have to make an emergency run to the mall for two more gifts. Shit.

"He went to Jared!!!!"

Please! Please, for the love of all that's holy in the universe, come up with another ad campaign for your fucking store!!!!! I hate you and your stupid commercials! I would rather hear a marathon of Kay Jewelers ads from now until monday than hear one more "He went to Jared!!" Seriously, I'm gonna lose my shit. I'm not even gonna post a video, it will make you bleed from the ears.

Google Search

I haven't really paid any attention to the referrers from my counter thing in a while, and on a whim decided to see what had brought some recent visitors to this page. 3 out of the last 10 were here for this...

They were doing a google search for Bitten, Sarah Jessica Parker, or Houndstooth coat with one or both. I love this coat. Pink puffy heart love it. I bought a hat, scarf, and glove set from Target to go with it and I'm stylin, for cheap. If you have a Steve and Barry's in your area, check it out. I bought my brother's Xmas gifts there a couple of days ago (he asked for novelty t-shirts, and they have tons 2/$15), and ended up leaving with a t-shirt for my grandma, stuff for my nephew, and a couple of baby things for my friend's little girl, Mela. I love this store, it makes my bargain loving heart happy. (my previous post about the Bittten line)

Day 27: on black friday

Yes, I am one of the crazies that gets up at 3:30am the day after thanksgiving to fight the crowds for bargains. Why? I think it's fun. I know, I know. Let me explain.

I don't have any kids. Other than my parents and siblings, I don't have a list of people I HAVE to buy for. I rarely even buy anything on black friday. So, why do I do it? The thrill of the hunt.

At 4am, my mom and I were at JCPenney's when they opened. My only real purchase of the day was here. A chunky black necklace that was 50% off. But, we picked up the free mickey snowglobe for this year and some jeans for my nephew. By 4:30am I was standing in the toy dept. at Walmart, right up next to the pallet of Transformers toys that were on sale for $10. (The Walmart in my hometown is a superwalmart, open 24 hours, so you just go in and at 5am when the sale starts is the first you are allowed to touch the sale merchandise.) By 4:45am, it was getting crowded in there and I overheard a woman ask someone how this works. All wide-eyed she said,"You can't take anything until 5, when the sale starts?" (Seriously? Are you new here?) Keeping an eye on anyone who might try to edge me out of snatching distance, I silently snickered at the idiots still trying to maneuver around with a cart. (Suckers!) Most of the carts were being abandoned in the side aisles, which was going to make things difficult later. At 5am on the dot, the associates guarding the pallets gave the signal and I snatched up 4 of the Transformer 2-packs and made my way down the aisle to the tonka dump truck, snatching a pack of matchbox cars on the way. I detoured through an actual toy aisle and snagged an empty cart to deposit my booty. As I started to make my escape, a girl that I knew in high school spotted me and marveled at the amount of stuff I had already. (Yeah, I know. I Win.) Then, I met up with my mom (in charge of electronics) and my sister (charged with the task of getting the computer for $398). My sister hates this kind of thing and was appalled at the women scratching and kicking for the $5 kid's Pjs. My mom and I just looked at each other, we've been doing this for years, nothing shocks us. After Walmart, we went back to JCPenney's to get some more jeans for my nephew, with my sister this time, and then on to Bath and Body Works for the $5 Wallflowers (regular price $12.50, they make great office gift exchange gifts, and it's good to stock up). By the time we had wandered around Sears to find jeans for my brother and made it back to the car outside JCPenney's, the sun was finally up.
Whew!
to be continued.....

Save me now...or later...whatever.

So, I have a problem. A shopaholic problem. A shopaholic shoe problem. A shopaholic boot problem. These are on their way to my house right now.

I don't know when they'll get here cuz Alloy.com doesn't offer order tracking. (Who does that? How am I going to know to watch for the cute UPS man? Of course, it comes by USPS, but they have tracking, right? moving on.) Help. There is a support group for this, right? I. can't. stop. buying. cute. boots.

Soooo...I need your opinion

What I'm wearing: black t-shirt that says "The Goonies Never Say Die", arizona boot leg jeans and my chucks again (just cuz I love them that much)

I like hats. I never remember to wear the darn things, but I really like an interesting hat. I was at Target yesterday and I stumbled across a little section of interesting hats hiding behind the belts. Buuuut, I just can't make a decision. Help me out, would you?

Hat #1

Hat #2

Vote in the comments!

kthnxbai

Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker

I believe that I mentioned before about shopping at Steve and Barry's, especially the Sarah Jessica Parker line, well here we go, I finally got around to showing you some of the great stuff you can find at this store and the pieces I have already snatched off the shelves for my very own.

these are the "Boyfriend jean" which have already gotten me compliments
$14.98!

satin ballerina flats
$14.98

black and white Houndstooth coat
I ADORE this coat, comfy and warm and oh so cute.
$19.98

I bought this sleeveless ruffle shell in a pale blue-green that looks lovely under a cardigan sweater.
$7.98

I bought this waffle hoodie in grape and dark gray.
$19.98 each

I bought this 2 button lace trim nightie in blue.
It makes a great slip under all those sweater dresses you've bought.
$7.98

Last, but not least, this woven robe is just a light cotton which is perfect for throwing on over your pj's if you have to run to the door for the UPS man. (not that I've done that)
I bought it in light blue instead of this lovely pink.
$14.98

If you have a Steve and Barry's store in your area, they are worth a look. You can get great deals on graphic t's (2 for $15), basketball type shoes in a variety of styles and colors for less than $15, nothing in the store is over $20.

Check it out, they have a website, but you can only buy products in the stores.

Note: I don't know what's going on with the font and size, after the 5th time trying to fix it, I gave up. Stupid Blogger!