Thursday, October 27, 2011

This is my favorite poem ever....


Nobody knows it but me

There's a place that I travel,
When I want to roam
And nobody knows it but me.

The roads don't go there,
And the signs stay home
And nobody knows it but me.

It's far, far away and way, way afar,
It's over the moon and the sea,
And wherever you are going,
That's wherever you are
And nobody knows it but me.
-Patrick O'Leary

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Can you hear me pee now?






I like cell phones.  I own one.  I actually have owned many over the years because I wanted the latest and prettiest, or I needed a new one because I broke one dropping it or worse…I lost one (OK really its been two and its too painful to talk about).  Cell phones have their uses.  Talking to people is the main reason that comes to mind but honestly, do we have to talk to folks while we are on the can?


I was in this office building the other day and needed to stop by the loo.  Walking in I heard a voice coming from one of the stalls.  A woman was having a conversation with a friend (I at least hope it was her BFF) while she was making a poop and pee.  I could hear a stream of water hitting the toilet and loud explosions of gases escaping from her body while she shared the latest gossip. I find that to be totally disgusting.  I don’t want to talk to someone while I'm doing my business and I certainly don’t want to talk to someone while they are doing theirs.  Who wants to hear that?  Just because we can take cell phones anywhere does that mean we really have to? 


Friday, October 21, 2011

Color Me Pretty Part Three- Take a clothes capsule and look marvelous in the morning

A quick recap:  We found our color group, know our body shape and organized our closet.  We are ready for our capsule now.
 
What's a clothes capsule you ask?  By definition it’s a group of 5-12 pieces consisting of a jacket, skirt, slacks, shirts, etc. that work in combination with each other in style and color. 
   
Here is a sample of one to give you an idea:





From this basic group of one jacket, one shirt and two skirts, I created at the least four different ways to wear them.  I can dress them up for work (if I had a job) or just go casual. A clothes capsule can make it look like you have more clothes than Macy’s warehouse before Christmas.   Keep in mind this is only a sample.  You can and should have more in your basic group like two jackets and two shirts.  Then you can really increase your wardrobe options.

Hopefully it’s clearer now why we grouped our clothes by item and then color.  This allows you to better see what you have and helps to provide a blank canvas for you to create a new outfit.  After I did this step, I spent hours putting together different outfits.  Considering I hate shopping and anything "dress up," I have to say it was fun.  It was like I had an entirely new wardrobe and it didn’t cost me a dime!

I created a couple clothes capsules for my work clothes and casual.  I am even able to pull some things from my work capsules into my casual ones.  Instead of wearing the exact same thing every day, I try to mix it up. I actually shock my friends now when we meet up because I’m not wearing my daily uniform of cropped khaki's, a white tee and flops. (don’t get me wrong, I still put those on when I’m not going to see people. I do loves my comfy clothes most definitely.)

To give you a better idea of the clothes capsule concept here's a video i found on youtube.com.





After you have played with your clothes then you may see some holes in your capsule. Maybe you need a new jacket or skirt to round it out. My suggestion is to check out a Goodwill Store (a resale shop), a consignment shop or even Marshall's or TJ Max,

I bought a brand new (tags still on it) suede camel colored jacket at my local Goodwill store for $10. You never know what you will find. One good tip, go to a resale shop in the rich area of town. Good pickings there!

Just because I am unemployed doesn’t mean I need to look homeless. Now more than ever I should care about how I look, dress and present myself to the world whether I'm interviewing or shopping at Wal-Mart.  I always reached for the easiest thing to put on without any effort.  If I don't care why should anyone else. 

OK boys and girls that concludes my topic on how to dress and not look a mess.  I know I didn't give a blow by blow detail on how to do it but what i discovered while researching is that you need to create your own style.  Don't go by what I wear, but by your own color type and body shape. Get creative.  Look at what you have in your closet and see how you can make it work for you. 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Savasana or Corpse Pose




This is my favorite pose in yoga.  I find myself doing it all the time at home......


except I'm usually on the couch with a remote in my hand.


Namaste

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Monday, October 17, 2011

Health insurance: FAIL


A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer.  It was suggested she have surgery but before she went under the knife  she wanted to get a second opinion.  Understandable. 

Her health insurance didn't allow for this specialist so she opted to pay out of her own pocket.  Calling the docs to set an appointment for the second opinion, she was told they won't take her without insurance to which she replied "but I'm paying out of pocket".  Their reply; "that will be $50,000".


$50,000?!  WTF! Not to run test but to look at the test already done.  To read her file... $50,000.  That's more than her annual salary!

I am beginning to think that it isn't cancer that kills so many people but rather our insurance providers and medical institutions.

SU2HMO

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Coming into the closet - Step Two from slob to styling


Last week we looked at finding out what colors looked good on us and incorporating those colors into our wardrobe.  By now we should have gone through our closets and become a radical clothes racist, kicking out all the colors that don’t belong. 

Now for Step TwoIf it Doesn’t Fit You Must Omit

Take everything you have in your wardrobe that’s left after your colorectomy and try them on.  EVERYTHING.  If it’s in your closet try it on. If it doesn’t fit properly get rid of it.  I know what your thinking cuz I had the exact same thoughts; “but I’m gonna lose 10 pounds and I will be able to wear it again.”. Then I realized I have been saying that for YEARS.  So let it go.  It’s OK.  If we really do lose 10 pounds we should go out and celebrate by buying something new (as long as its in our color plan).  Let me share a secret.  We can still lose weight if that thing isn’t in the closet.  Trust me, it’s for the greater good.  Don't let this be you:








OK, We have thrown out the tight stuff (don’t make me come over there and do it for you!)  Now we need to become aware of our body type.
Banana Shapes:  The Bust and Hips are basically the same size with no noticeable waist
Apple Shapes:  The Bust is larger than the hips
Pear Shapes:  The hips are larger than the bust
Hourglass shapes:  The bust and hips are basically the same but the waist is more defined

Knowing this helps with the rest of our elimination process.
Keep only what looks good on your body shape. You will need to do research on dressing for your shape.  There is a lot of information out there to help you out.  Pick what is flattering.  If you aren’t sure ask.  Be sure to ask someone who is honest (and don’t get mad if they tell you your butt looks big).  If it looks bad, chunk it. Be done with the uglies!

Whew!  That’s a lot of work but just one last thing to do and we are ready for margaritas.  Take all the clothes you are keeping and put back in the closet.  But group  items together.  In other words, all jackets together, all shirts together , all pants together.  Once you have your clothes segregated by item, group by color.  Example:  All your jackets are in a section together with all the black jackets together, all the brown jackets together.  See?  All jackets together separated by color.  Easy.

If you have a suit (jacket and skirt) then you must separate them.  Put the jacket in its section and the skirt in its.  You will see next week when we continue with....

From slob to styling – Take a clothes capsule and look marvelous in the morning.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Disposable Pets



Since I have a lot of time on my hands being unemployed I spend most of my time with the local animal shelter usually cleaning cages in the Cattery.  I clean up cat poo and give them food and water and a little love squish if they will allow it.
 
When people find out I work there they get all sad.  They couldn’t do it; seeing all the stray animals that come in.  “It’s heartbreaking”, they say.  Not to me.  For the strays that come in I know they are receiving medical attention if needed.  They get a warm/cool place to stay and two square meals a day.  They even get to go to the spa for a mani and pedi plus a new do. This is the Ritz for them.

The ones that break my heart are the pets whose owners don’t want them anymore; pets that they have had for 7 or more years and suddenly they don’t want just cuz.  I’m not talking about the down-on-their luck owners.  I mean the owners who get tired of their pets and trade them in for a newer version or they are just bored with them. 

Today I saw two cats that were 8 years old and they were surrendered by their owners because they don’t have time for them. How much time do cats really need from you?  You give them water, throw out some kibbles and clean their litter box.  Done.  It seems our society has become so use to things being disposable that we have decided to treat living creatures (human and animal) the same.

Here’s a little something about me.  I love dogs, Labradors specifically.  They are a dog’s dog.  They are big, fun and lovable.  When my dog Barney died, that was it for me.  No more pets.  PERIOD. THE END.  Then fate stepped in and gave me two cats.

Baelor (street name: Booger Boy)
He is waiting for me to stop taking his pic so I can give him his sugar spanks.
 All I ever knew about cats was that they were vicious predators.  They would claw your eyes out and smother you in your sleep and if you died they would feed on your corpse.  I didn’t know nothing ‘bout no kitties!

But after struggling to overcome my fear and lack of knowledge of cats, and then learned to become an exceptional servant to them, I could never give them away because I grew tired of them.  Once I made the decision to allow them in my home I made a promise to care for them for all their lives and I will.  If I need to give them away, it’s because I am dying or about to become homeless. 

So don’t feel sorry for the strays in the shelters, feel sorrow for the pets that have been deemed disposable by their owners.  And if you feel the urge to get a pet, check out your local animal shelter, you just might find the perfect pet that someone threw away.

Not my real cat. This is a stand in for Baelee (AKA:Sister Girl, Miss Baby Girl). She does NOT pose for pics.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

If you could meet a famous dead person who would it be?

I have heard that question a million times (maybe not that exact question, it was probably re-phrased to be a bit more PC so not to offend dead folks).  Every big interviewer usually asks that question.  The majority of people asked will say the same thing; Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, even Hitler.  Those are all interesting choices but they aren’t who I would select.

My choice would be George Washington…..Carver (HA! You thought I was going to say George Washington didn't you?!)


I first learned about George Washington Carver in the 5th grade. 

“Do you know who invented peanut butter?” my teacher asked in class.

No one knew, but as 5th graders who had peanut butter oozing from every pore, we were all sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to find out who this god-like person was.

“George Washington Carver” she said. 
 
Ever since that moment I was stuck on him like peanut butter on bread.

I eat peanut butter every day.  EVERYDAY.  I love it.  I do limit myself on how much but still...I will have it on my toast in the morning or perhaps it’s a PB&J sandwich for lunch or even some spread on crackers for a snack.  It’s a main stable in my diet and I am not ashamed to say it. When Hurricane Ike hit and I had to evacuate my home...I packed the peanut butter first.

I know George Washington Carver didn’t really invent peanut butter, I think the Aztecs have been  credited with that, but if it weren’t for Mr. Carver’s efforts I don’t think peanut butter would have made such a positive impact in America.  It was his efforts in the south that influenced farmers to rotate their crops from cotton to another source of income that not only fed the farmers themselves but America as well. 

Mr. Carver did invent uses for peanuts; like shaving cream and peanut oil.  He didn’t just create a food source but a way of life.  Have you ever fried your Thanksgiving turkey in peanut oil? Yum!  What about shaving your legs to feel as smooth as a baby’s bottom?

All this is because of him.

Mr. Carver was a scientist, agricultural chemist, an inventor and instructor.  He was more than just about peanut butter, he was an exceptionally gifted man. But to me, he helped to create the mass production of a food deemed to be for the gods and I would love to have dinner with him just so I could thank him.    

I would serve Peanut Butter and Banana spread on fresh sourdough bread with  a glass of ice cold milk. For dessert, freshly baked peanut butter cookies. Now that’s good eatin’.


Friday, October 7, 2011

Color me pretty. From slob to styling one step at a time



I think every Friday I will share what I have learned about how not to be a slob.  That way you have the weekend to do whatever it is that needs to be done, like throw out the ugly stuff and organize anything that may be left. 

I have been doing lots and lots of research.  There is a prolific amount of info for stylishly challenged folks like me.  That's good because I don’t want to end up on the pages of www.peopleofwalmart.com. 

I have tried to compile this info into some sort of logical order. At least I hope I did.  I was a project manager after all; I should be able to map this process out.  I also am trying to keep this style refurbishment economical as possible.  I am on a very limited budget so I am going to suggest alternatives to paying the big bucks to look pretty.

 All righty then, let’s get going….

 Step One:  Know what colors look good on you.

Color is the foundation of your wardrobe, even your make-up.  If the color looks good on you, you radiate a positive look to the world.  Literally.  Colors can brighten your skin; even highlight the color of your eyes.   Color is important. Wearing a crappy colored designer dress will only make you look crappy. 
 
I thought everyone knew instinctively what colors looked good on them and would pick those choices out automatically but apparently not.  It seems I have picked some real color stinkers just because it was “in style”.  So never ever go by what’s in style, but by the color.
 
If you don’t know what colors look good on you, there are quite a few free color analysis sites on the web you can try. Here’s a couple: 



There are also books on the subject.   Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson is an oldie but goodie. It goes into a lot more detail, not just about colors in your closet but what color make-up you should use.  You can check it out at the Library.  If you don’t know what or where the library is try a used book store or www.amazon.com.

I am what they call a warm autumn.  Basically, fall color hues look best on me because of my skin tone and hair and eye color. 

http://www.shopmyclosetboutique.com/color_guide.html


Now that I am armed with the correct color swatches I am going to weed out my clothes based on that.  In other words, I am going to become a clothes racist and kick out all the colors that don’t belong in my spectrum! Don’t send hate mail, it’s only clothes and they will be placed in a loving home via a charity store. Keep in mind, I don't have to throw out everything.  Maybe there is something I could dye to make it fit into the color spectrum.  Still, pull it out of the closet and pile it somewhere out of the way until then. 

While I am at it, I will also go through my make- up and throw out my lime green eye shadow.  I kid!  (as far as you know). 

If I need to replace any make-up I can get it cheaply at ….
Wal-Mart! But this time I will look soooo much better than the last time I walked through those doors.


Knowing what colors you should incorporate into your wardrobe and on your face is the foundation to a changing your style. 

 Well, that’s Step One.  Next week for Step Two we go into the closet!   


Thursday, October 6, 2011

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. The power of words

The title is a children's rhyme.  Kids would call each other names, usually bad, and the recipient of the words would chant that back to show it didn't bother them.  Well it bothered me.  I hated being called fat, stupid, ugly and four eyes.  It hurt deep inside even though I yelled that chant back at the top of my lungs. 

A few years ago I read The Hidden Messages in Water by Dr. Masrau Emoto.  This book was based on his research of how words can affect water and since humans are made up of about 70% water, how it can also affect us.

Basically, Dr. Emoto subjected water to words and sounds then caught the reaction of the water molecules through his microscope (I am sure it is a lot more complicated than what I am saying).


The results were eye opening:


I have always been sensitive to words, how they are said; in tone as well as content.  As I read this book it reaffirmed to me that words do have an impact on others and this world.  So we have a choice of what imprint we want to leave behind; words of love and encouragement or words of anger and criticism.
 
I came across this book today as I was cleaning out my bookshelf and thought it was something good to remind myself of; to be mindful of what words I choose to say not only to myself but to others.  I want to leave behind the most beautiful snowflake on someones soul that they have ever felt.









Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Round and round we go....Reincarnation




I don’t know how many people in this world believe in reincarnation but I bet it’s a lot. I myself do not know if such a thing is true.  I don’t have memories of them.  

Who knows, perhaps I lived a life in London enjoying time as a well-to-do lady of society or perhaps I was thrown overboard a ship by the man I loved only to be ‘et up by sharks.

Like I said, I don’t have any memories of them (thankfully so on some).  And since I don’t, I don’t think I should spend my time now trying to figure it out.  It’s over and gone, that past life or lives.  I need to focus on now. This life. Today.

Though I must admit, if reincarnation is real, I will be grateful to not remember the bad parts of this life, like the year 2009 and 2010!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Frustrations - Will I ever get hired?!


Honestly, sometimes I think I have a better chance of winning the lottery than I do of ever finding another job.

Monday, October 3, 2011

These threads they are a changin'



OK y’all; you know how disturbed I was last week about my threads when I went to my local Wal-Mart (see October 1st post to relive my trauma).  So much so that I decided to change my wardrobe and/or my style.


I will be the first to admit that I know absolutely nothing about clothes, fashion, style (uh that’s why I am at this point right now).  I hate shopping for clothes.  I hate trying them on. It’s just not a fun experience.  Honestly, I would rather wear capri cargo pants, a white tee shirt and my flops.  But that’s gotta change. It’s time for me to grow up.


Since I can’t hire a personal stylist I am going to have to do this on my own. That scares the hell outta me because I don’t know where to begin.  Trust me, I need a lot of fixing.  So I will begin where most people start….at Google.  I am sure there are plenty of tips and info out there to get me started on the fashion runway that’s hiding in my closet.  Hopefully this won't cost me a dime or at least not more than a dollar!


So if you are fashionably challenged like me….stay tuned.  Once a week I will post what I have done or will try to do and see where it takes me.


Wish me luck.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

My Fair Lady




OMG!   I am soooo disgusted with myself.  I know I am trying to be more accepting of my self and not be critical but honestly, today I was shopping at Wal-Mart and everyone there was dressed better than me.  E V E R Y O N E !  That's just wrong.

I need to pull myself together.  I can’t be a slob.  I need to start updating my wardrobe.  Actually, I need a wardrobe to update is more accurate, but the point is I need to figure out what to get, where to go. I just don’t have a clue as to what to get; what looks good for my build, etc. I’m not a fashionista.

I think what I really need is a personal stylist.  I want someone to transform me from this bulging, faded, wrinkled wardrobe Wal-Mart wanna-be to someone put together, someone who looks like she has order in her life.

But, being that I am unemployed at the moment getting a personal stylist is not a possibility. I gotta figure this crap out on my own.  God help me.

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