Update: Tag your it

Just thought I would give a little update.

As I walked around my place this weekend, I was ripping off tags. All those ones
that appeared in pictures, are now tagless and whatever issues I have that go along
with keeping the tags on, I'm working on them

Thanks for the support!

Is it the weekend yet?

Tag your it!

In an effort to be the best me (doesn't that sound Oprah like), I've been working to declutter and clean up my big storage closet. You see, I have a TON of Christmas stuff and the last few years my parents have been nice enough to let me store it in their attic in lieu of it taking up precious space in my closet. After a couple of years of hauling it back and forth, I'm made the executive decision to make the space in the closet come hell or high water.


If you know me well, you know that I previously moved quite a bit. Six times in years to be accurate. And before you ask, no the FBI wasn't looking for me or anything. The moves lead to many jokes from friends that I take up whole pages in their address books. The one good thing I could say about the moves is that it forced me to limit the amount of stuff that I had.


I've been living at my condo for 3.5 years. As the anniversary of the first year approached, it felt strange to think that I would be staying. With that began the keeping of too much stuff! I have so many strange boxes and sterilite containers filled with simply, junk.

I think I'll be happy with the time I've spent this weekend purging. I also bought myself a new shredder. Very cool, has a handle for easy dumping. I of course managed to get it all over my previously vacuumed rug. Sigh...


So, while working away something struck me. I have a lot of stuff that still has the tags on it. I do use them and display them, I just never take the tags off.

Like Comet here for example.....

or this cute Teddy Bear, also from Hallmark.

It must be some weird OCDish thing that people like Natalie have pointed out to me in the past.

Why not just rip the tags off? I don't plan on returning them. (No, don't worry I don't do this with my clothes, just decorative items.) Do you think it is some weird carry over from those don't rip the tag off the mattress thing?

Here's one more- a cute new thing to put my mail in from the Jean Chatzky (Today show and Oprah guru) collection. I only bought this a week ago, but it's already hanging on my wall, and it still has the tag on it........how long do you think I'll let it stay there? I wonder what Peter Walsh, Oprah's new Clutter guru, would have to say about this habit?

Can Project Runway be saved?

To be upfront- I will admit that I stole this title from the Boston Globe. But my feelings were very similar to theirs, even before I read their article.

Many years back, my dear Stacey had a list of shows that she said were a must. And you see dear readers, that Stacey is most often right. One of those shows was my now beloved Veronica Mars, and another was Project Runway.

With the start of the second season, I bought in to the then Bravo show hosted by the surprisingly delightful Heidi Klum (now Samuel). Through several seasons of the show we were treated to a whole host of characters, and many talented designers. There may have been a little backstabbing and copycatting but it was a show that you looked forward too. I'm not a huge fashionista myself, but I know I'm a better judge of clothes construction than of singing completions. There was no denying the breakout star of the show was Tim Gunn. "Make it work". Who wouldn't want to have lunch and do a little shop with this guy.

Then, the show jumped ship to Lifetime. Fine. But NBC, Bravo's parent company, wasn't letting them go without a fight. As a result, we had to wait quite awhile before we got our new season. (I think Heidi Klum had five or six kids while we waited for the new season.)

Last August- Finally the premiere of the new season on Lifetime and it would be this time from L.A. (Thank goodness Mood has a branch there.) Part of my problem is that I watch it alone. This is one of the things that I miss about having a roommate. There are some shows (Lost) that people should not speak during. But there are others, where it's nice to have a little banter about. For my birthday this year, I actually asked my friends to come over for dinner and watch the show. It got my friend Melissa hooked for the first time. She ended up really liking the season. (I think. Maybe she will comment and tell us.)

I felt a little guilty because I kept telling her that Season 6 lacked something, a certain je ne sais quo. For me it can be summed up in a couple things.

1. Judges- This season shot in L.A. Fine for Heidi, she lives there now with her family. Not so for Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. Both had to fly back and forth to New York and as a result, I think the three of them were maybe in a total of two episodes. This left us with lots of guest judges. Most who didn't do too much for me. Lindsay Lohan, no thanks. Rebecca Romjin, boring. I would actually like to see a more permanent fourth judge, and a sometimes fill-in. I would kind of like to see Tim more at the runway.

2. Contestants- Season 6 was a pretty blah, bunch. I liked Carol-Hannah. I liked Althea. I didn't like Irina, but she was talented. Christopher cried TOO much. I really wan't passionate about any one of them. Sometimes too, a designer can do fairly well with the challenges they are given throughout the season but when it comes to their own collection, it's weird or boring.

3. Challenges- nothing too exciting. Was there one where they had to work with something natural? I missed the trip to the M&M store and the use of wrappers or something.

What does Season 7 hold? Back in NYC. Good. Familiar judging faces return, check. Nicole Richie.....eh. Contestants who look pretty talented, yeah. It's always hard to tell at the beginning because there are so many of them.

Do you watch?

Is it wrong to feel bad for Jennifer Aniston....

Happy 100th Post to me- didn't think it would be about this, but hey that's blogging right!


So, I'm exhausted as this was my first day back to school and I should be heading for bed but
instead I just checked the headlines on People.com to see the news that Vince Vaughan got married.


Now- I didn't read the accompanying article but I can only imagine that it mentioned poor Jennifer Aniston and the fact that they dated, and broke up and starred together in
"The Break-Up".


I can't imagine what it's like to be Jennifer Aniston. Your name is always in the press. You got divorced from one of the Sexiest Men alive, and he basically left you for the Sexiest Woman alive. You were always talking about wanting a family- and bang your ex has an instant one with this new woman.


You're constantly hounded and followed. You even talk casually with your latest co-star and your dating him, moving in with him, marrying him. (Of course, I buy all those junk magazines that stalk her but....)


I know many dislike her. I've always found her sweet, girl-next-doorish. She doesn't seem all that threatening. Not the world's greatest actress- but I always enjoyed her "Rachel" as part of the ensemble of Friends. (and I also never turn the channel when Picture Perfect is on.) Oh, and I definitely wanted that haircut.



So what do we think it really is? Is she unlucky in love? Is she a dud? Does she really not care, which is why she would date such a tool as John Mayer? Maybe she doesn't really want ALL of this anymore. Maybe it's just want everyone else wants for her or assumes that she wants. I'm not sure I would really blame her.

My hope for her is that she ends up in a Halle Berry situation- hot boyfriend, no ring, adorable daughter or just a little bit of peace from the paparazzi.

Your thoughts......

10 years ago....

Wow 2010. Wow. Weren't we all just fearing the stupid Y2K, millenium thing....

In January of 2000, I was half way through my student teaching year, and half way through my Masters program. I was loving both and felt like I had finally found the thing that I wanted to do.

This January 2010, I'm halfway through my TENTH year of teaching. Yikes!

In January of 2000, I was living with my parents and dreaming of moving out.

In January of 2010, I ironically live up the street from my parents in the condo I bought myself three and half years ago. ( I did live in a bunch of other places, before landing back in my hometown. I sometimes regret the move back to the 'burbs, but during a snowy winter I love knowing I always have a parking spot. And someone else will plow it out.)

In January of 2000, I was driving my second card- a red two-door 1992 Toyota Tercel. It was like my wind-up toy. I felt like there should be a giant key that goes in the back to get it to go. It had teeny tiny tires, and I always felt like I was being blown all over the highway. And it had no air conditioning!

In January of 2010, I have a 2009 Ford Escape. Yes, air conditioning. Blue tooth....love it.

In January of 2000, I had surprisingly short hair. It must have also been a non highlighting time, because it looks pretty dark! I'm going to work on scanning a picture.

In January of 2010- I maintain sunkissed locks all year long- and speaking of long, but hair is a little ridiculous right now. I have incredibly thick hair. Isn't straight or curly, but strangely wavy. I was supposed to see my beloved hair dresser this week, but she went on bed rest :( I'm scrambling to find someone to color and cut this mane.

In January of 2000, I think I weighed around 1** lbs.

In January of 2010, I weigh twenty lbs more. Ugh....I have done quite a bit of fluctuation in these last ten years. Including a brief time about four years ago when I was just about at that magical weight above. It really isn't about the number anymore, but how I feel and how clothes fit. There was a definite ephinany over this cookie filled vacation that perhaps I will write more about another time. (I could use a little moral support.)

In January of 2000, I got my first passport. (In hopes that I might visit my good friend Elizabeth while she studied abroad in Sweden.)

Guess what I need to renew before the end of January 2010......hmmmm......something I probably should've taken care of this week.

Where were you 10 years ago?