The Clumsy Shoe Girl

This is a story of a girl, a shoe store, and the right pair of sandals.

Girl noticed a few days ago that her "pretty" sandals were looking quite grodie and were perhaps ready to be shown to the trash can. Girl thought to herself, "This must mean I need some new sandals!"

Note: Girl lives in Southern California, so this is a valid thought.

Girl ventured to DSW after work today to see what they had on sale. As Girl entered the store, she tried desperately to not be distracted by the beautiful full-priced shoes that smiled their glittery teeth at her. She gave in a little bit and went down every single aisle, just to assure herself that she did not need any of them. She perhaps failed at this, but remembered her purpose, and strode toward the clearance rack.

Note: Girl love shoes. Girl has a weakness for shoes. Girl loves sales. Girl has a weakness for sales. See where this is going?

Girl was temporarily saddened by the fact that she had no shopping buddy to survey in regards to her sandal choices. Girl decided to take pictures of potential sandal mates on her feet and send them to her Hubbs. Her Hubbs was sweet enough to reply promptly with his (sometimes harsh) honest opinion. Girl pushed hard for sparkles and Hubbs pushed hard for not sparkles. Girl kept finding new sandals to try on, so she gave up trying to sit and try them on like a lady. Girl fought the ankle straps and strange contraptions while standing. While girl wobbled and wavered, sweating in the non-airconditioned sale area (I think they make it that way on purpose), Salesman took pity on her. Great pity. It was actually kind of pathetic. Salesman approached sweaty Girl with giant bag and said, "Miss, lots of women prefer to sit down, relax, and try on a few pairs at once. It's easier."

Girl fought the urge to reply, "But I like making this difficult. I prefer to wobble. The danger of falling down keeps me going!" And instead turned red and said, "Thanks!" as she took the bag, a stack of shoe boxes, and sat on the strange velvety seat at the end of the aisle. Salesman was maybe correct. Perhaps it was a bit easier to try on shoes and wrestle with straps while sitting down. So girl went through her stack of shoe boxes...

"This one is too small," she noted. "This one is to bad-ass," she lamented. "This one mixes black and brown!" she cried in fear and frustration. Then girl picked up the last box. "This one has zebra..." she mused. Could it be? Did girl find the glass slipper sandal in the last box she pulled? She removed one sandal from the box. It was sassy. It was cute. It had some sparkle, but not too much. She slipped the sandal on her foot, zipped it, snapped a picture on her iPhone, and sent it to her Hubbs for evaluation.

The reply came back resoundingly positive! Hubbs had texted, "I like." Girl knew this was the pair for her and as she meandered toward the counter she thought of all of the cute outfits this sandal would complete. Ahhhh, shoes...

What? You want to know what they look like? Ok, fine. If you insist. :)

Kitten felt the need to be in the shoebox, so she made it in this picture.

Also, Girl likes how her stripey sandals match her stripey kitten. Unintentional. Promise.

Remember me? No? Oh, umm...

Hi.

It has been a while.

However, I've been keeping busy with friends, sewing, work, and apartment-y stuff. So don't worry, I didn't fall off the face of the planet. :)

I'm counting the days until I see hubbs again (six, in case you are wondering) and trying to keep my hands busy. I've posted two skirts to my Etsy shop but they don't look nearly as cute on a hanger as they do on a person. I'm hoping they sell, but even if they don't, I've had fun making them and putting my special touch on them. It often astounds me how wrapped up I can get in a project. I love the challenge of taking a pattern and changing it up or trying new techniques. Who would have guessed all those years ago that I would have loved sewing and crafting so much? Well, my mom probably would... :)

Hubbs made fun of me via Twitter about naming my Etsy shop after our kitty, but to be honest... am I supposed to make up a cheesy name for it or use my own name? Heck no. So, ElliePenelope seemed sufficiently fun and quirky, which is what I hope the overall look of my shop will be once I get a few more items in there. I'm hoping to eventually have a consistent photo style, too. Baby steps, right?

Anyhow....

I spent some time with a lovely friend today. I love how I am re-discovering these great female friendships. Even though I miss Hubbs so much, God has really turned this time into a blessing. I don't think I would have spent as much time with my lady friends this summer if it wasn't for Hubbs being out of state. Once he's back, I'm going to continue hanging out with the girls and cultivating those friendships. I think it will also make Hubbs happy to see me getting out more since I'm a bit of a homebody. :)

Well, I should probably get to making some things I bought fabric for this weekend. I've got a sofa pillow to make and (hopefully) a blouse out of a pattern I've drafted myself. If it works, I'll post pictures. Promise.

He's coming home soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a bit excited.

Adios.

Why Sephora Employees Scare Me (and other stories)

I think I've finally reached the point in my life were I realize how much genetics has to do with my body type. I finally caved in and went to the mall the other day to buy some new jeans because I now have my mom's thighs. They aren't twiggy like they were when I was younger. My momma and I have many similarities, and I'm definitely thankful that I'm like her, because she is a pretty and awesome lady, but I don't think I was ready to admit that my body has started to become an adult body. Just today a lady at Loehmann's asked if I had a child. Not in a mean or offensive way, but probably out of curiosity because her little grandbaby was having fun making faces at me in line for the register (and I've got those "childbearing hips" my family likes to joke about). I'm sure she had no idea that I was in line to purchase jeans that were "easy fit" so that I wouldn't feel/look like I was poured into them. And that grandbaby was all about the high fives, which is pretty amazing considering how young she was. And when a baby offers you a high five, you must take it. That's the law. Even if they offer you ten high fives. Take them all.

Rewind.

Friday I went to Express at the mall to get some new jeans since they were having a sale. I tried on 8-10 pairs of jeans (no joke) and wasn't happy with any of them. Especially not with the jeggings that somehow made their way into my selection (seriously, jeggings?!). They were all too tight, even the ones I sized up. Apparently, I'm not built like an Express model. I chose the least of the 8-10 evils and purchased the pair, feeling like I was making a mistake but that I needed jeans that looked decent.

Afterwards, I went upstairs to Sephora because smelling things and looking at makeup usually boosts a foul mood (also I needed to grab some face stuff). As I was inspecting something that looked like chapstick but had the coloring of lipstick I heard a Sephora employee behind me ask, "Do you have any questions?" I didn't really turn to look at her, because I was busy investigating the product and asked, "Can I try this? Do you think this would be a good color for me?" As she responded in the affirmative I stood and looked at her and immediately questioned my question. She stood before me with bleached yellow hair, tipped in hot pink and teased within an inch of its life. Her eyeliner was, appropriately, bright yellow and pink and her lips followed the same color scheme. At least she matched, right? Long story short, the chapsticky stuff looked awful on me. However, I'm always wary of these weird looking people in Sephora. They should be there to offer advice, right? But to be honest, I don't know how valid their advice is based on the face they present. That is why they scare me. I'm worried that I'll cave and ask for advice and then somehow buy something that looks awful and never know it because people are too nice to say anything. Also, they always want to help you find more to buy. That is dangerous when there is a large and sparkling tower of OPI nail polish winking at you.

Anyhow, I found my face powder, purchased, and went home lamenting my new jeans. Which is why I went to Loehmann's today. I only tried on a few pairs of jeans (and two dresses and three tops) and came out with a winner (in price, fit, and style) with Lucky. Phew! So now I have a pair of bootcut jeans that even out my shape and actually fit nicely. I promptly returned the dumb Express jeans.

Sorry this was all about jeans and makeup. But in my defense, those were the exciting parts of my weekend so far. I was very much hoping to see my parents at Carpinteria State Beach a few hours away, but because of this Carmageddon thing I was warned to stay local and I finally listened to the advice. :(

Mean Vegetable Guys and Micro Monsters

I thought I'd blog today during the commercial breaks of one of my favorite TV shows. Anyone else live vicariously through So You Think You Can Dance? Anyhow...

I spent the last few days with Hubbs in Vegas. My mom covered my flights as an early birthday present for him and I believe he was quite pleased. :) It will be a month and a half until I see him again (unless any of you want to road trip out over a weekend) but I know we'll survive.

Shuttle ticket.

Once I deplaned (is that a word?) in Vegas, I headed out the airport doors. The plan was for me to take a shuttle to The Bellagio so that I could meet Hubbs after work and go home with him. So, I went in search of a shuttle. I entered into the 90 degree night and saw limos all over the place. Perplexed, I stood in one spot wondering how the heck I knew which shuttle was the right one. Apparently my lost look caused a gentleman to realize I needed help. He directed me to the shuttle kiosks and I went to purchase my fare. As I approached the only open window,  I noticed a rather curvacious lady applying her makeup. I stood back, thinking I'd let her finish, when she waved her manicured paw at me, urging me forward. "Where you goin'?" She mumbled at me, around her lipgloss. "The Bellagio?" I stammered. "Six bucks." Still working at her gloss. I handed her the money, she gave me a receipt and the chip in the picture above and said "Shuttles that way," with absolutely no definite gesture. So I did what any self-respecting woman would do.

I walked to the middle of the sidewalk and looked lost.

Yet again, a gentleman helped me out. He found my shuttle and showed me to it. Thank goodness I did my hair! Otherwise I'd probably still be at the airport. :) I arrived at The Bellagio, checked my bag at the Bell Desk, and played some slots!

This is the result of $1 in a machine while waiting for Hubbs. Winning!

And five minutes later... losing.

Hubbs and I had a joyful reunion and the next day I went with him to hang out on the Strip while he worked. I took a book and a walk and then got to see O that night again. It was even more awesome.

However, a night on the Strip alone wore me out and I decided to stay home the next night. I was nice and cozy in the casita while a decent thunder storm raged outside the window. The next day was our time to really hang out, so Hubbs and I went on a mission to The Cosmopolitan to find Secret Pizza (cue mysterious music).

Hubbs and I at the Cosmopolitan. This is the prettiest, gaudiest , coolest hotel ever!

The Chandelier. The Cosmo is built around this and it must be seen to be believed.

Hubbs and I found Secret Pizza and it was worth looking for. This place isn't advertised in the least. They are hidden down a nondescript hallway and they have absolutely no name. No real menu. No design on their boxes. And all of the beautiful deliciousness of the best thin crust pizza we've ever had. I didn't take a picture because I felt that would have been against the spirit of the place. :) We also had shakes/drinks at Holsteins on the same floor. Go there, too.

Holstein's Brown Cow. Rootbeer, vanilla ice cream, Absolut Vanilla, and vanilla poprocks!

Happy Fourth! This is where we watched fireworks explode all around us!

On Monday night, after Hubbs covered RAW, we drove a few minutes from the casita to watch fireworks. See above picture, sans fireworks because I couldn't catch them. It was lovely.

Birthday chocolate cheesecake from Jean Philippe.

Hubbs wanted cheesecake instead of regular cake for his birthday. I was only too happy to comply and we got a personal cheesecake from Jean Philippe. Yum!

We also got to spend Tuesday together before I had to fly back home. Strange feeling to be flying home but to feel like you are leaving it. I suppose that is what being in love with your best friend does to you.

Suffice it to say that I am going to be counting down the months/days until I see him again.

Oh, and in regards to the title? I bought artichokes for a steal tonight and their prickles bit me through the grocery bag. This caused me to call them "mean vegetable guys" in the middle of my parking lot. They drew blood! And no veggie makes me bleed my own blood! And micro monsters? I was heating butter for the mean vegetable guys when my microwave began to flash and buzz. This scared me and I cancelled the monster activity to eat cold butter on my artichokes. Apparently the micro is working again, but I'm still feeling cautious. 

The end.

For now.

Now back to my show! 

P.S. Sorry if this post is awful, I'm busy paying attention to dancing. :)

Oh, hey there!

I keep meaning to blog and find myself making up excuses about not having anything interesting to write about. Then again, do I usually? And do I let that stop me?

Heck no, techno.

So here I am, and here is the story of  George and Neil. This is a true story, perhaps embellished a smidge for dramatic purposes. In the interest of honesty and all that jazz I'll be sure to let you know when I'm lying bedazzling.

Neil is my Toyota Corolla S. I like to say that the S is for "sexy," but it's probably for "sport" or "super" or something. Neil was named after one of my favorite playwrights whose work always makes me giggle. Neil is a good car. Neil houses me during my lunch at work when I call up the hubbs to chat. Because of our opposite schedules, lunch is sometimes the only time we can chat.

Well, today I was gabbing with hubbs about all sorts of gooey lovey dovey stuff and waxing poetic (lie, I'm not poetic) when I noticed something white moving on my left mirror. I tilted my head to examine the movement further. It was a huge, giant, scary spider with fangs (lie, not very huge, not nearly giant, and no visible fangs)! I mentioned the spider to hubbs and he dismissed it, not knowing the inherent danger I was in (lie, probably some sort of garden spider). As the spider twiddled his legs creepily, I decided to take action and rolled up my window as quickly as I could. Which is pretty much the only speed it rolls up because of the electronics. As the temperature in my car rose higher, I contemplated ways to catch and kill the beast, because on an 80 degree day, a the thought of a breeze is so tantalizing that one might become brave. Anyhow, the white spider with the long legs hid inside my mirror. Hubbs and I finished our conversation and I launched open my car door, rocketed out, and then pushed it shut again with my foot (lie? perhaps slight exaggeration since I was quick, but not that quick). Crisis averted.

Or so I thought.

Apparently Neil and the spider became fast friends and in the remaining hours of my day they decided to hang out more. I got back in my car at 5pm, shut the door, and noticed the spider. Again. Peeking his ugly little head/body out, whispering my name (lie, no whispering unless it was really quiet and I didn't hear it). So I decided to speed through the parking lot in hopes of tossing him to his death. When that didn't work I decided that I had to name my foe. I settled on George because it sounded squashable.

George hung on through the ride to get Costco gas and it was all I could do to act normal in front of the 5 million (lie, maybe twenty) people in line for gas. Again, I did the door slamming routine but to no avail. In fact, as I drove away, George climbed his invisible thread of death (not a lie, it is death for bugs) to my window. I started to panic, but managed to maintain safe driving maneuvers. George hid, cowering (lie? do spiders cower?), while I was on the freeway, but showed his vengeful face once I parked at my home. I chose a spot far from bushes in order to let George know I didn't want him to feel comfy. Then came the drama of The Car Exit.

I'm not proud of this. But the truth must be told.

I climbed over my front seats and middle thingy in a skirts and heels in order to escape out the passenger side of Neil. I just couldn't face George and I didn't see any neighbors so I acted like a ten year old girl. I can only hope that he gets the hint and leaves Neil and I alone. No room for a third passenger with us! Well, actually, we can fit five total, but no spiders allowed usually.

And that is my story. May it please be on the record that not once did I scream.

Happy Monday.

PS I get to see hubbs soon! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oops. Um, oops.

I was planning on going to an audition tonight. It was a last-minute decision made last night after talking to Hubbs on the phone and deciding I needed to audition again. As I was getting ready to fall asleep I checked the usual site that I watch for auditions and Oh My Gosh! there was one for today. I got all excited and fell asleep.

I woke up this morning and went to work, checked out the play (which I had never read) from the library on my lunch, and read it all through lunch. I went straight to the audition site after work, grabbing fast food so that I'd be early enough to glance at the script again. I was ready to have fun. Perhaps ready to play with a goofy character. And certainly ready to audition again! So I texted my audition buddy with the opportunity. When 6:30 rolled around, I went to the door.

It was locked.

There was a young man whom we shall call George. He didn't make eye contact but introduced himself, we exchanged niceties, and he noted that the door was locked. I agreed, seeing as how I had tried the door, and commented on how that was funny. Our conversation continued like this:

Me: Yeah, I'm surprised no one is here yet.
G: It is still early. Why are you here?
Me: I'm here for the audition.
G: Why are you here?
Me: (wondering at the repeated question) To audition.
G: What are you auditioning for?
Me: The Miss Firecracker Contest. Aren't you here to audition?
G: Nope.
Me: Oh, what are you here for, then?
G: Rehearsal. Seussical.
Me: Oh, that is pretty cool. What a fun show!
G: It's funny. That you are here for an audition tonight.
Me: Why?
G: You won't be able to rehearse for another month. We are rehearsing here.
Me: (suspicious of myself) That is funny... (start surfing the web on my iPhone)...
G: Haha. Yeah.
Me: (surfing still... until... I find the website) Oh my gosh.
G: Haha. Yeah, funny.
Me: (aghast) I'm a month early for my audition!
G: Haha. Yeah.
Me: Wow, thanks for asking me about it! I'm going to go. Home. Now. Aw, sheesh.
G: Haha. Yeah. Too early. *

I exited stage left walked to my car, got inside, and started cracking up. First I texted my audition buddy to not come. Then I texted Hubbs. Then I called mom and we had a good laugh. I've got to say, that is the first time I've ever done that. I feel like a dummy, but at least I'm a dummy who can laugh, right?

So now I'm at home, contemplating watching WWE's Monday Night Raw (habit because of Hubbs), while cuddling a kitten. I probably won't do too much since I strained my back and right shoulder scrubbing the tub/shower last night, but I will enjoy the time to look for more auditions online! :)

*Just so you don't think the guy was rude, I'm fairly certain he was mentally handicapped, so his laughter was not so much at me, but more nervous. He was a sweetheart and reminds me of a friend I had growing up. I'm thankful he took the time to talk to me!

"O" My Gosh.

Hubbs and I drove to Las Vegas last Sunday morning to get him settled for his three month internship with Cirque du Soleil on their show in the Bellagio. It is called "O" because that sounds like the french word for water, but I'm pretty sure it is called "O" because that is the shape my mouth was in almost the entire time.

I love him.

This is how she tried to keep us from leaving. By sitting on or in our luggage.

Our first sublet plan for Will fell through and we spent quite a bit of time searching for a healthy replacement. However, Sunday night we halted our search to see "O" from the booth of the theatre. It was seriously one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Cirque definitely knows what it is doing with the mixture of performers and water. If you ever have the chance and the money, you need to see this. Apparently the show is at 99% capacity on a regular basis so it has been popular ever since it opened. I won't say much more because I feel like I can't do it justice without a million copyrighted pictures. Just know this: if you want to watch something powerful, graceful, beautiful, amazing, and technically challenging... this is the show for you. I am even more proud of Hubbs getting this internship now than I was before (is that possible?).

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake that we shared. :) Delicious.

Me in the vintage dress that inspired my current healthy lifestyle.

The rest of Sunday night was spent walking around Vegas (my shoes earning me a 3/4" blister on my big toe) and enjoying the flashing lights before checking into our hotel. We booked our room through hotwire.com and paid about $30 for a pretty decent place. It wasn't glamorous, but it had the bonus of being named Arizona Charlie's. Yep. Arizona. I double-checked with Hubbs that we hadn't left the great desert state of Nevada. We're still not sure why the place is called Arizona Charlie's but hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?

Monday we found a good little place for Hubbs to stay for his Vegas time just down the street from a friend. We visited a Costco and a few of the other important places that he needed to go and then headed to the strip again. Can I just say that Vegas is HOT? I can see why their malls are indoors now. We walked around outside and inside and ate some food. The whole time I felt nervous because I knew I had to leave him there soon. We didn't even do any of the Vegas slots or anything because we just wanted to hang out together.

I'm not going to dwell on my feelings in this post because, to be honest, I feel like they aren't justified enough. There are women whose husbands get shipped off to Iraq (or any number of dangerous places) and here I'm crying about a lousy four-hour drive? I feel foolish, but I still feel. Does that make sense?

Enough of that.

I flew home safely. I greeted an angry kitty who yelled at me until I fell asleep. I went to work the rest of the week. That's how things work.

I've noticed that there are a few distinct disadvantages to not having my Hubbs around (besides missing him like crazy). Hubbs always made the coffee in the morning and now I have to. Hubbs makes the bed warmer faster, which I am a fan of. Hubbs holds the kitten in a special way that she now misses and I have to do it to stop her from crying now. Hubbs is strong and can open things (jars) or lift things (30 lb cat litter) that I struggle with. Hubbs is fun to look at because he is handsome. Hubbs likes doing fun things while I'm a bit of a homebody. Hubbs is funny and also laughs at my jokes. The Fluffy One is not so good at that. Hubbs will sing with me on car rides. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Hubbs just makes my quality of life better. :)

I get to see Hubbs again in 20 days, 3 hours, and 45 minutes or so! I've already caught myself trying to plan what to pack. I know it is silly, but that is how very excited I am to see my best friend and husband again. To hug him and hear him sleeping next to me. :) Many thanks to my awesome Momma who gave him a visit from me for his birthday!

Maybe tomorrow I will blog about the awesome symphony I went to with my brother and friends last night. In case I don't, here is the breakdown: The Great Gatsby, Gershwin, and Rachmaninoff. Yep. Brilliant.

Au revoir!