pre- and post- christmas wrap-up
Feels like forever since I've done a proper update, so where to even start...?
The haircut: Okay, so as I briefly talked about before, I got the worst haircut of my life recently. I went to the place that I normally go--just one of those cheap, $12.95 haircut places since I have a cut that any cosmetology student should know how to do upon receiving their license [it's an inverted bob] and I refuse to pay an upward of $30 for it. It was late in the evening since I'd gotten held up at the office and when I got there the girl that normally cuts my hair was already gone. So whatever, I tell the girl that it doesn't matter who I see I just want to get it done. The first thing I hear is that the chick doesn't like my hairstyle and am I absolutely sure that I want it cut that way again? Can't she shorten the sides or put in some layers? I politely tell her that I like this cut and that no, I would rather leave it as is and just get a trim. She goes on and on like this, saying how she doesn't like it and she doesn't particularly like the girl who normally cuts my hair and can't she do the layers? All the time I'm facing away from the mirror and when she's done, she flashes the hand mirror at the back of it and whisks me out. So I get home and get a good look at my hair to find that it's a damn mess. The stacking in the back looks like I let a kindergartner loose with the scissors and the sides are completely uneven. And by completely, I mean that one side is up near my ear and the other is down on my shoulder. I don't really stress about it since hair grows back and the next day is a holiday, so I'll ask my mom to even it up for me a bit. Only the butcher job that the chick did is beyond my mom's abilities and so I wind up at the salon two days after I'd been there so that a completely different girl can attempt to fix what's been done. When it's all over and looking at least remotely like the style I'd had previously, my hair is just below my ears at it's longest [it had been down just past my shoulders] and shorter than I've had it in a good ten years. The look has grown on me, although I've taken to curling it again in the back to give it some kind of fullness [go thin, straight hair! >.<] Not what I went in for or expected, but not the worse by far. [I know there's been a request for pics, but I hate photos of myself, so you'll all just have to use your imaginations.]
Family stuff: As I also quickly posted before, my grandmother passed away on the 19th. It was expected as she was in her late eighties and in a lot of pain, but still hard to have occur and hard to have watched. It's been difficult on my mom since she was very close to my grandmother and out of her other two siblings she was the one who took care of her the most. I think it helped that both my sisters and I were around for Christmas since it gave her something to concentrate on. We had a funeral mass for her on the 22nd and in the spring we'll travel back to NY to bury her ashes with my grandfather.
Christmas: I was forced up at the crack of dawn on Christmas day so that I could drive out to my parents' house [which is a half hour away] to open presents and eat, etc. This is what happens when a nine-year-old and a pregnant woman are in charge of the timetables. D: I put Tashie in her best holiday frock [which is just a bandanna since for one, I simply cannot put clothes on my dog and two, there isn't a chance in hell she'd put up with it] and we gathered up a bunch of gifts and went off. I only asked for a few things this year since I'm saving for a new camera and I know that funds are tight for my family members, and I got them all. [You know you're getting older when a new alarm clock and a magazine subscription top your list of gifts--lol] My sister gave me a cashmere scarf that she found in NYC and which she claims came from a street vendor selling stolen goods. I've never owned anything made of cashmere, but I can easily get very used to how thin and soft it is. The gifts I got for my incoming niece/nephew went over well and everyone else liked what I gave them too. I spent the rest of the day eating, napping, and playing with the dogs.
It was also Christmas for Zeph, the still absentee Sashi, Jun Plushie and myself courtesy of the Mouse and her family. Zeph got the Vans checkerboard slip-ons that I've wanted him to have since before I even ordered him [and which they only used to make in MSD sizes]. He looks awesome in them and there will be pics at some point. Sashi got the most beautiful outfit from Lan that I can't wait to get pics of once he returns. Seriously, it's so gorgeous *__* Jun Plushie got a perfectly sized key necklace from Zeph Plushie, and we had a new arrival:
Sashi will hate to be home and away from Lan, but at least he'll have a stand-in to cuddle with ^__^
I also got spoiled with an excellent bar of handmade milk and honey soap, an adorable altered art matchbox with a bird tag/ornament inside, a hand blown heart ornament for the tree, and a sweet faux-vintage holiday garland. This little guy was also packed in with my gifts and I adore him:
[Too cute! >__<]
The rest of my weekend was tied up with family visits and shopping at the after Christmas sales. I managed to score this sweet new planner at Barnes and Noble for half off:
I love the old book look and feel of it and was happy to have something so pretty. Life seriously does not happen without my planner.
New family members: As everyone probably knows already, my younger sister is expecting her first baby in early June and I thought that he/she would be the next addition to our family until the little surprise that occurred yesterday. After almost ten years, my parents got a new dog. He's a six month old Feist terrier/chihuahua mix whom they've named Cooper. They got him from a rescue organization and even though he'll top out at around thirteen whole pounds [and doesn't exactly qualify as a dog to my large breed loving self], I'll admit that he's pretty cute. The last puppy my parents had was when I was seven [which would make it twenty-three years ago for anyone not up on the math ^^] and they're freaking out a bit, but have already fallen in love with him. He's going to be one spoiled pup and I'll get some pics of him the next time I'm out there.
So that's pretty much it for the moment. I'm still busy working on a few gifts that I haven't given yet, so I'll be tied up over the next few weeks plus the office reopens tomorrow, so I have the joy of work to look forward to as well. [Yay. D:]
Book of the moment: The Collected works of Jane Austen
TV show of the moment: Project Catwalk season one
Music of the moment: Gravity Rides Everything [Modest Mouse cover] by Lenka; Little Boxes by The Shins; The Love Letter by Blaqk Audio; and Innocence by The Airborne Toxic Event
Food of the moment: None, since I'm deathly sick of eating right now D:
Addiction of the moment: collecting new kimono on Poupee. And those ladybug stilletto shoes. Do want >.<
Lastly, long overdue from my birthday, the awesome vintage teacup that Nezu gave me:
The haircut: Okay, so as I briefly talked about before, I got the worst haircut of my life recently. I went to the place that I normally go--just one of those cheap, $12.95 haircut places since I have a cut that any cosmetology student should know how to do upon receiving their license [it's an inverted bob] and I refuse to pay an upward of $30 for it. It was late in the evening since I'd gotten held up at the office and when I got there the girl that normally cuts my hair was already gone. So whatever, I tell the girl that it doesn't matter who I see I just want to get it done. The first thing I hear is that the chick doesn't like my hairstyle and am I absolutely sure that I want it cut that way again? Can't she shorten the sides or put in some layers? I politely tell her that I like this cut and that no, I would rather leave it as is and just get a trim. She goes on and on like this, saying how she doesn't like it and she doesn't particularly like the girl who normally cuts my hair and can't she do the layers? All the time I'm facing away from the mirror and when she's done, she flashes the hand mirror at the back of it and whisks me out. So I get home and get a good look at my hair to find that it's a damn mess. The stacking in the back looks like I let a kindergartner loose with the scissors and the sides are completely uneven. And by completely, I mean that one side is up near my ear and the other is down on my shoulder. I don't really stress about it since hair grows back and the next day is a holiday, so I'll ask my mom to even it up for me a bit. Only the butcher job that the chick did is beyond my mom's abilities and so I wind up at the salon two days after I'd been there so that a completely different girl can attempt to fix what's been done. When it's all over and looking at least remotely like the style I'd had previously, my hair is just below my ears at it's longest [it had been down just past my shoulders] and shorter than I've had it in a good ten years. The look has grown on me, although I've taken to curling it again in the back to give it some kind of fullness [go thin, straight hair! >.<] Not what I went in for or expected, but not the worse by far. [I know there's been a request for pics, but I hate photos of myself, so you'll all just have to use your imaginations.]
Family stuff: As I also quickly posted before, my grandmother passed away on the 19th. It was expected as she was in her late eighties and in a lot of pain, but still hard to have occur and hard to have watched. It's been difficult on my mom since she was very close to my grandmother and out of her other two siblings she was the one who took care of her the most. I think it helped that both my sisters and I were around for Christmas since it gave her something to concentrate on. We had a funeral mass for her on the 22nd and in the spring we'll travel back to NY to bury her ashes with my grandfather.
Christmas: I was forced up at the crack of dawn on Christmas day so that I could drive out to my parents' house [which is a half hour away] to open presents and eat, etc. This is what happens when a nine-year-old and a pregnant woman are in charge of the timetables. D: I put Tashie in her best holiday frock [which is just a bandanna since for one, I simply cannot put clothes on my dog and two, there isn't a chance in hell she'd put up with it] and we gathered up a bunch of gifts and went off. I only asked for a few things this year since I'm saving for a new camera and I know that funds are tight for my family members, and I got them all. [You know you're getting older when a new alarm clock and a magazine subscription top your list of gifts--lol] My sister gave me a cashmere scarf that she found in NYC and which she claims came from a street vendor selling stolen goods. I've never owned anything made of cashmere, but I can easily get very used to how thin and soft it is. The gifts I got for my incoming niece/nephew went over well and everyone else liked what I gave them too. I spent the rest of the day eating, napping, and playing with the dogs.
It was also Christmas for Zeph, the still absentee Sashi, Jun Plushie and myself courtesy of the Mouse and her family. Zeph got the Vans checkerboard slip-ons that I've wanted him to have since before I even ordered him [and which they only used to make in MSD sizes]. He looks awesome in them and there will be pics at some point. Sashi got the most beautiful outfit from Lan that I can't wait to get pics of once he returns. Seriously, it's so gorgeous *__* Jun Plushie got a perfectly sized key necklace from Zeph Plushie, and we had a new arrival:
Sashi will hate to be home and away from Lan, but at least he'll have a stand-in to cuddle with ^__^
I also got spoiled with an excellent bar of handmade milk and honey soap, an adorable altered art matchbox with a bird tag/ornament inside, a hand blown heart ornament for the tree, and a sweet faux-vintage holiday garland. This little guy was also packed in with my gifts and I adore him:
[Too cute! >__<]
The rest of my weekend was tied up with family visits and shopping at the after Christmas sales. I managed to score this sweet new planner at Barnes and Noble for half off:
I love the old book look and feel of it and was happy to have something so pretty. Life seriously does not happen without my planner.
New family members: As everyone probably knows already, my younger sister is expecting her first baby in early June and I thought that he/she would be the next addition to our family until the little surprise that occurred yesterday. After almost ten years, my parents got a new dog. He's a six month old Feist terrier/chihuahua mix whom they've named Cooper. They got him from a rescue organization and even though he'll top out at around thirteen whole pounds [and doesn't exactly qualify as a dog to my large breed loving self], I'll admit that he's pretty cute. The last puppy my parents had was when I was seven [which would make it twenty-three years ago for anyone not up on the math ^^] and they're freaking out a bit, but have already fallen in love with him. He's going to be one spoiled pup and I'll get some pics of him the next time I'm out there.
So that's pretty much it for the moment. I'm still busy working on a few gifts that I haven't given yet, so I'll be tied up over the next few weeks plus the office reopens tomorrow, so I have the joy of work to look forward to as well. [Yay. D:]
Book of the moment: The Collected works of Jane Austen
TV show of the moment: Project Catwalk season one
Music of the moment: Gravity Rides Everything [Modest Mouse cover] by Lenka; Little Boxes by The Shins; The Love Letter by Blaqk Audio; and Innocence by The Airborne Toxic Event
Food of the moment: None, since I'm deathly sick of eating right now D:
Addiction of the moment: collecting new kimono on Poupee. And those ladybug stilletto shoes. Do want >.<
Lastly, long overdue from my birthday, the awesome vintage teacup that Nezu gave me: