All the colors of the wind.

Oh yes I did just quote Disney’s Pocahontas. Although the quote has almost nothing to do with nail polish.

By request, my nail polish collection:

Does this look like a lot to you? Because it looks like a lot to me. It’s certainly more than I thought I had.

Also, you might be thinking that I am not very adventurous, as my collection runs from clear to white to blush to pink to red to purple to black. No weird colors here, folks. Unless you count OPI’s You Don’t Know Jacques, which is taupe!

And you’d be right. I’m forcing myself to branch out, away from clears (fingers) and reds and pinks (toes).

Lemme break down the collection for you, lest you think I’m some sort of nail connoisseur:

• 25 percent is at least four years old and should probably be thrown out.

• A full 50 percent is less than one year old, as I am making a concerted effort to be more nail-aware.

• The last 25 percent are random college buys, 1-3 years old.

You know what you won’t find in my collection? Shimmer.  Hate it. Only do “flat” colors. Call me a purist.

Also of note, you owe it to yourself and @LisLoves to run out and buy a $6 bottle of Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps clear coat. It is the most fabulous top coat you have ever used, I promise. My nails stay just-polished shiny all week long (my toes are 2+ weeks old & still look salon brand new) and it does wonders for preventing chips on even OPI polished nails. It is thick, shiny and makes my nails (artificially) stronger. Thanks, Lis, for sharing this find!!

How long do you keep your polish? What’s your favorite color? My current fave is the aforementioned You Don’t Know Jacques. I’ll always be a sap for a french manicure, and I love a deep red.

Also, my nails look tragic today. I need a manicure.

B

Gettin’ carded. V-carded.

Oh no, I am not going there. But it is almost V-Day, so get your mind out of the gutter. I’m talking about stationery.

I love, love, LOVE stationery.  I love sending cards to my favorite people on silly holidays and even  just because.

May I present my Valentine’s cards 2010, courtesy of Old Navy.

Confession: I actually kind of love Valentine’s Day, too. Sure, it’s a little artificial and retail-inspired as far as holidays go (but aren’t they all, if you are really honest?) Since there’s nothing worse than feeling left out and unloved on a day to celebrate love, we celebrate it, goshdarnit, and let me tell you why.

A million years ago, when we both went to a different universities than our alma mater (big mistake, but that’s another story), Mr. and I were SEVEN hours apart. SEVEN. The first few months of freshman year we took it as it came, not entirely sure whatsoever where our relationship was headed, if it was even headed anywhere at all. Because oh, you know, SEVEN HOURS. But Thanksgiving 2005 came and went, and as I drove away after yet another tearful goodbye in his parents’ driveway, my phone rang that familiar ring tone (All For You, Sister Hazel). My boyfriend calling. Me: “Hello? I just left two minutes ago. What’s up?” Him, “I love you.” And there you have it. It was love, for the first time.

Flash forward three-ish months to Valentine’s Day. By then, we’d both applied to transfer from our freshman year schools to the university that would eventually become our alma mater. We knew we wanted to see where our relationship could go, not to mention that I was absolutely miserable at freshman school and needed to get the heck out of there.

So anyway. Valentine’s Day. I was lonely and miserable.

Did I mention that I was miserable? And lonely?

Practically every other girl on my floor in the dorm was in a long-distance relationship and beginning around 10 a.m., teddy bears, flowers, balloons and candy galore began being delivered from thoughtful far-away boyfriends. Girls up and down my hall would squeal with delight as they got a notice of a package for them held at the mail desk in the basement and would come back 10 minutes later with an armful of Valentine’s Day goodness. Before I tell you how pathetic I was, you should know that my wonderful boyfriend had told me he had sent me something, so I was excited for (what I thought was) good reason. Now, I lived on the sixth floor of the dorm. It was a long, sketchy elevator ride to the basement. Which I then made every single hour to check my mailbox for a package notice or even the regular mail. Which never did arrive, or at least nothing for me arrived, and I admitted defeat at about 10:05 pm.

Well, then a certain boyfriend received a very tearful phone call. My package was never delivered.

Ummm. Then it got awkward. He didn’t send a package. No flowers, no teddy bear, no candy or balloons. He just sent a Valentine’s Day card. And he didn’t send it until February 13. So I got nothing. Nothing.

Well, I felt like a big, miserable, lonely pile of poo.

In his defense, after that teary call, he wrote me the one and only poem he’s ever written, and I printed it out and hung it on the wall next to my bed. Not as good as flowers, but flowers wouldn’t have kept as well in my scrapbook.

Anyway. THAT is why we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Because the  year we didn’t celebrate it completely sucked.

Even Mr. Wonderfuls occasionally drop the ball. Don’t worry, he’s forgiven : )

Just six days til Valentine’s Day!

B

It was a long weekend?

All I can say for myself this morning is WARDROBE FAIL.

I didn’t post my OotD Friday, but here it is:

American Eagle, Spring 2009

And here’s what I wore today, Monday:

Old Navy, January 2010

Look familiar?

At least I am consistent in what I like?

Geez.

Case of the Mondays! Hope your day is off to a better start than mine!

B

And the award goes to…

Me!

Mrs. Jones at A Real Life Wife has so very kindly decided that my daily driveling is worth reading, and for that I am so very grateful! She’s awarded me the “Beautiful Blogger Award,” and since I haven’t ever posted a picture of my face, I don’t think she means the superficial kind of beauty ; ) Thank you, Mrs. Jones!

Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award and insert a link to their blog. (Check!)
2. Pass on the award to about 15 other bloggers who you recently discovered and think are great! (Too hard!)
3. Contact the other bloggers and let them know they have been chosen for this award. (Working on it!)
4. Say 7 things about yourself. (easy peasy)

Here are five blogs I read daily! And seriously, it is hard to name 15 anything off the top of my head, so please don’t feel slighted if I forgot you! In no particular order:

1. Jessica @ Acting Adult (Married to a law student)
2. D.A.R @ Just Another Day in Paradise (A newlywed lawyer)
3. Sage at Sages Advice (Married to a 0L…someone applying for law school)
4. Mrs. D @ Life of a Doctor’s Wife (kind of self-explanatory!)
5. Katherine Bee @ Bees and Bows (Married to a newly minted law grad!)

And now for the seven things about me:

1. I’m a Libra born in the year of the Tiger. Even though I don’t really believe in all any of that, if you ever read a chapter out of an astrology book about a Libra Tiger, it describes me to a T.
2. My wedding venue (someone else’s wedding) was featured  on Style Me Pretty and it looked very similar to my own. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so smug and giggly in front of a computer in my whole life!
3. I think I would actually enjoy cooking if I didn’t HAVE to do it. I cook every night to save money, which makes it very definitely a “chore.” I think I’m a good cook for my age, and I’d like it a whole lot more if it were a choice, not a chore.
4. I am one of the most indecisive people you will ever meet. There are too many examples to even begin.
5. I put my foot in my mouth all the time and always want to curl up and die on the spot from embarrassment and regret. I’m known as the “sassiest” person in my office. I hope that’s a good thing…
6. I’ve driven a truck since I was 17 and I LOVE them (I love driving trucks, but I really hate big/tricked out trucks, so tacky!), which might sound cliche if you aren’t from here, but is completely unusual to people who are from here. I will probably never own another truck after we sell this one, but I would if I could.

This is not my truck. My old one was "Arizona beige," and Mr.'s is white.

7.  I sound like a sixth grader on the phone. And I have finger toes. I guess that is eight things!

There you have it! Five great reads you have got to check out if you don’t read them already, plus seven random things about yours truly.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

B

I’m finally getting really excited!

1. I’m a bridesmaid for a wedding in April, and I am as-of-yet not too excited.
2. Mainly because the bride picked a color I look absolutely horrendous in for the bridesmaid dresses.
3. And I haven’t been very involved in the planning process/engagement.
4. Which has drug on forever.
5. We got engaged within a week of each other and I’ve been married nearly eight months.
6. Just to put it in perspective.
7. Anyway, I haven’t been involved because the bride has been as laid-back as possible and there’s not been much to be involved in.
8. Oh, and I’m on a budget and being a bridesmaid is eating up about $700.
9. Because her MOH is in the Middle East with her husband and is completely uninvolved.
10. And I’ve been asked to step in and do the MOH duties, which mainly means pay the MOH’s part plus my own.
11. So no, I’ve not been too excited.
12. But tonight!
13. I stopped by Old Navy this afternoon for some therapeutic shopping ($2 camis).
14. And a blue dress I’ve had my eye on for about a month caught my eye yet again.
15. And I realized I have the perfect excuse to buy it!
16. The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner!
17. Long story short…
18. I went to THREE Old Navys (Navies?) to find the dress in an Extra Small.
19. And even though it wasn’t on sale and I hate buying things full price, it was already sold out online in my size.
20. So tonight for $70 I scored a blue dress, a gray “blouse”, a black blouse, a coral blouse, three pairs of earrings, a cami, an umbrella (mine broke. sad day.) and a set of Valentines cards!
21. Not bad!
22. I used a $10 off $50 you can print online.
23. But back to my point.
24. When I imagined myself wearing this dress as I stood up for her, I was able to put myself in the moment: My girlfriend walking down the aisle, the smiles and the tears, the flowers, the toasts, the magic!
25. And I am FINALLY excited!
26. And I am so excited for her; it is FINALLY happening!!

Now let’s all play a little game of make-believe. Let’s pretend that:

1. I have a medium tan. Or at the very least am a little sun kissed, as opposed to the deathly pallor I’m rocking now.
2. The black belt is actually gold: To be bought, I’m thinking this one from Forever 21 for $3.50:

But what about my feet? This is the only pair of gold shoes I own since I don’t often wear gold, and which are admittedly not my favorites, but maybe they could do and save me some money?

This is a long tangent, but bear with: I’d prefer to wear heels or espadrilles, but the groom is only 5′7 and heels, especially my espadrilles, put me put me up to 5′11-6′. And since this is much more about the bride and groom looking good in their pictures, I don’t want to tower over the groom for the next 50 years just because I wanted to wear heels. The bride doesn’t even wear heels because it makes her taller than her groom, so I’m pretty decided it has to be flats. But maybe mine are too casual since they are flip-floppy? I saw this pair at Target:

Maybe? Or are they too grandma?

I think I like these better, but the gold seems a little too pale in the picture:

Here’s where the wedding will be, in case you need to picture me there:

Here’s my rehearsal ensemble! Don’t forget to use your imaginations!

(Nail polish is OPI Lincoln Park After Dark)

And my blue earrings I am super excited about!

Like I said, I really hate buying anything full price. But the dress was just $30, the earrings were on sale for $5, and I can wear the dress to work when it gets warmer. Even with the purchase of a (cheap) belt, the outfit is up to just $40, which is pretty darn cheap for a rehearsal dinner outfit!

My shopping hiatus is back in effect. I have everything I need. Except that gold belt and those gold shoes, maybe. You better hold me to that.

B

Reasons.

I write Mr. a little letter each month on the 14th to document our growth as a couple and our lives in general. I’m saving these to bind in a book someday. In one of these little love letters, I think the one I wrote on our six month anniversary, I mentioned that I haven’t learned very many new things about him since we’ve been married, probably since we’ve been together five years and lived together for a year before the wedding, but that I have a whole lifetime to learn.

And in the last couple of days, I’ve seen little things my husband says and does in a different light, and it makes me love him all the more. So since it’s been a kind of cruddy week weather-wise, and because when I woke up dog-tired this morning (and all the more glad I didn’t go to bar review last night), I will go ahead and throw out a few happy thoughts to get me through this hectic Friday.

Reasons I love my husband #2109-2113:

Reason #2109: He always refills our Brita water pitcher. Always. Love.

Reason #2110: I never once in our four and a half years of dating thought we might break up (I do not mean that I always knew we were going to get married, I didn’t..we were too young to think like that!) aside from the day before we left for college and tried to break up and couldn’t bear it, which is almost entirely to his credit. I know couples who have a big fight and are all “I don’t know if we’re going to make it!” and I realize now that this unwavering sense of security, this complete absence of doubt and fear and uncertainty that I enjoy even after a big fight is much to my husband’s credit and is an essential component to make any relationship last, particularly marriage. Where I am emotional, dramatic and sometimes plain irrational, he is calm, steady and cool. I have learned SO much from him in this regard, but that is an entirely different post.

Reason #2111: He cleaned the entire kitchen last night after he finished his reading. Swoon. It’s the little things, people!

Reason #2112: He does not allow me to own a scale. Because he says I don’t need one. Double swoon.

Reason #2113: He thinks I should go to law school. He thinks I could easily get into a good school. I know I have the GPA top schools require, but it’s his belief that I could do well enough on the LSAT that makes his confidence in me really so sweet (and misplaced). He thinks law school would be “so easy” for me now that I’ve seen what he does to do well, and I will know all the insider tips and tricks, etc. Bless his heart!

I can’t wait to spend this weekend with the smartest, wittiest, handsomest guy I know! I’m looking forward to tons of laying around in our underwear, looking at another condo, and Sunday’s Super Bowl party. Do you and your honey have anything planned?

B

What would you…

Wear this with?

Pants? Skirt? Cardi? What color? I love this blouse (and the fact that it was just $15 from Express), but darn it, I don’t know how to wear it!

Oh, and this is what I’m wearing today!

Leopard blouse: $6 on clearance (including extra 40 percent off) from Express, bought last week

Black cardi: $11.99 on clearance (including extra 40 percent off) from Express, bought last week

Black slacks: $15 from Kohls, 2003. No kidding. I’ve worn these pants for entire summers waiting tables and they still fit and look great. I think they might be indestructible.

Black belt: $3 from Forever 21

Jewelry: Black enamel bracelet, Old Navy clearance Summer 2009 $3, Necklace, Charlotte Russe $8ish?

Black pointy toe shoes: Steve Madden 2008, no pic, but they were a gift from my MIL

I almost forgot! My first giveaway!

Way, way back, like three weeks ago, I’m pretty sure I promised you a giveaway.

I’ve been meaning to get around to it, but it’s not the most exciting giveaway in the world, so part of me has been holding back, like I’m afraid everyone will think my giveaway is lame-o and refuse to enter and then I will feel like an idiot doing a random-number selection from two comments?

Whatever. It’s taking up room in my house, and it is high time it takes up room in someone else’s!

It’s a risk I’m willing to take. So here you go:

One lucky reader will win their very own copy of the uber-famous Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book!

It’s one of those things that practically everyone in the world owns, which is why it’s a silly giveaway. But I happen to own two copies (thank you for buying me gifts NOT on my registry…!), and one is still in its shrink wrap, ready to find a good home and to fill your tummy with traditional food!

And in the highly unlikely situation that you are from Mars and have never heard of this cookbook, it’s chock full of traditional recipes everyone should know how to make, like mashed potatoes, green beans, a million and one casseroles, Thanksgiving turkey, etc. Lots of go-to holiday recipes in here. They also label “quick meals” that make in something like 15 minutes, which is great for someone lazy busy like me. But for a young lady like myself with limited cooking experience, I tend to use the first chapter of this book more than anything else. It’s a GREAT resource for how long you can refrigerate meat before cooking, how to defrost something tricky, how to tell if that exotic fruit is ripe, or how to wrap fragile leftovers. Seriously, that first chapter is like “How to use a grocery store, kitchen, oven, and refrigerator for dummies,” and it saves me on a regular basis, even though I don’t cook out of it all that often.

So go ahead, leave me a comment to tell me you want this cookbook, and one week from today, Thursday, February 18, I will select a random winner from random.org!

Don’t leave me hanging. Enter to win!

B

My life is awful and OotD

Every single morning I wake up, and I think about what a terribly difficult life I lead.

First, I have to wake up at the painfully early hour of…8 am.

Secondly, I have to pry my tired, heavy, sleep-deprived, perfectly healthy body out of bed after a full seven hours of sleep…while my warm, snuggly, adorable husband continues his blissful slumber. Getting out of bed for work each morning is easier than I thought it would be as a college student, except that I am magnetized to him and his morning cuddles. He does not like to cuddle before he falls asleep, but come 7:50 am I’m able to snuggle up against him, and it’s probably the best and worst 15 minutes of my day.

No really, I’m consistently five minutes late to work because I cannot bring myself to get out of bed until the absolute last minute.

And I blame my husband.

Certainly not my lack of self-discipline.

And it is HARD to pull myself away and shuffle all hunched over like a grandma blindly to the bathroom, where I rummage for my glasses, turn on the dazzling-bright light of the heat lamp accidently, flick that off as quickly as possible, and turn on the regular, easier-on-the-eyes light and give myself a bleary once-over before beginning my 30-minute mad-dash to get out the door.

Which brings me to my third “My life is so awful” thought every morning: My “commute.” I have to sit on the highway for an eternity 20 minutes.

Which is why most days a cute outfit can do the trick and pull me out of my most pathetic and self-indulgent (and also 99 percent tongue in cheek)  brand of misery.

May I present an outfit more worthy of your attention than yesterday’s:

Black blouse: Gap clearance rack 2007. I can’t remember exactly how much I paid, but I can gaurantee it cost no more than $15

Plaid skirt: Express fall 2009. Regular price $60-70, I snagged it for less than $30 with a coupon and a sale.

Patent belt: Steve Madden, $40, full price. One of the rare pieces I have ever purchased full price, and it was worth every single penny as much as I wear it.

Necklace: Four strands of beads, two black and two a deep purple. $12ish, 2007. I’m not wearing it in the picture, but today I’m sporting a black beaded bracelet that…wait for it…I wore to prom!

Shoes: Remember these beauties? $16 clearance at Target Fall 2009.

It’s rainy, chilly, and all-around depressing today (which makes it even harder to leave the furnace that is my sleeping husband). I hope it’s sunnier tomorrow, otherwise it is back to the sweaters and jeans for me.

B

OotD 2.2.10

So, I really wish I had worn something a little cuter today. I usually only have conference calls on Tuesdays, so I rarely dress up unless I just feel like it. Well, I didn’t feel like it and it’s cold outside (40 degrees…brrr!), even though I had a nagging feeling like I should look cute today.

Too bad I squashed that lingering doubt.

My office is going to an uber-swanky bar for happy hour this afternoon, darn it.

And here I am, in all my Old Navy glory:

Nails are still Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees, but not for much longer!

Sweater: A 50 percent off Black Friday find, a boyfriend cardigan from Old Navy. It’s actually a much prettier color in person, more of a berry/purple than a red. It’s a nice sweater, but it was never the same after I washed it the first time (this is only my second time to wear it). But at $15, I’ll take it.

White cami: American Eagle, circa 2004. I actually traded it out for a black cami (I’m sure you will see it on OotD at least twice a week) that pops out at the top a bit more at lunchtime to dress my outfit up a bit when I remembered our happy hour.

Black belt: A bank-busting $3 from Forever 21. Not sure it’s just right with the sweater, oh well.

Jeans: Gap’s Fall 2008 Curvy jeans like yesterday’s in theory, except darker and they don’t fit nearly as well. The size is exactly the same, but they are a little looser through the thigh and shorter, so not so much love as yesterday. But for $25 on the clearance rack, they’re a great pair of dark jeans for work.

Black ballerina flats: $20ish, Charlotte Russe

You can’t see them, but I’m also wearing chandelier earrings from high school. Because I’m a pack rat cool like that.

I’ll get all dolled up for you tomorrow!

B