Organizational Wanna-Be

Big changes are on the horizon for me. At the very least it is time for me to get out of the country and move to the big city (kind of). In addition to some other changes that are in the works (more information to come.) I have been itching for change and progress since December when I turned the big 2-7. I know, it isn't quite 30, but it sparked a quarter life crisis all the same (and yes, that is a thing. Google it.) Looking around at the people I associate myself with and look up to, it was clear to me that something was lacking. I started to question every decision I've ever made. I'm pushing to fill some gaps in my life and so far, it's paid off. Overall, I'm ready to get my life in order and do things my way. I don't intend to show up at my 10 year class reunion next year with nothing worth bragging about. The problem is, how do I get started?

Luckily, my husband was on a spree today, determined to find a double monitor, desk mount. To answer your questions, no they don't carry them in stores but you can find them online. Either way, his search brought us to OfficeMax (or Depot, I never could keep them straight, except I don't think that matters anymore.) While browsing the bargain aisle, I happened upon the book, organize now! Unable to ignore such an imperative statement, I picked up the book, thumbed through it, and quickly rushed to pay the $16.99 plus tax so I could read every word of the author's insights. I didn't know it, but this book is everything I've been looking for to get my isht together.

Jennifer Ford Berry, the author, starts out by explaining that while she is an "organizer," she realizes that not everyone is and that reading a book like this can take up precious time. Instead of writing out long passages she set up the book as weekly to-do lists, with each section focusing on a different aspect of life that needs to be organized. Being a list person myself, I was hooked from word one. I fancy myself an "organizer," speaking as the former child who would regularly alphabetize my mother's spice cabinet, but the state of my house would say otherwise. The interest is there, but the know-how and drive are not. Breaking things down into manageable, weekly portions is something I've always wanted to do, but was never quite able to figure out. Having this book to direct me and promise me that if I fulfill my end of the bargain by sticking with it, my life would be about as organized as a person can be with in a year. I'm in!

So, my thinking is that if I can document my organization updates on here, I will be more likely to stick with them (I hope.) Jennifer really gets down to the nitty gritty though. With an inside-out approach, the first week asks the reader to really examine their goals and priorities. Seeing as I don't think I've even shared some of these with my husband, I'm not putting them out for you internets. I will keep an update on how my weekly goals are coming, struggles, successes, and other items of interest. I'd love to have an organizational accountability-buddy if anyone is interested! Hopefully much more to come.

Faux Bangs and Fireworks

OK, first things first. How did the foam curlers turn out? Well, after re-rolling them because my cats decided that they were great fun to claw at and eat, I think they turned out pretty well. Never having had curly hair before, I wasn't quite sure how to tame the curls, so I just let them go wild. Honestly, that was the easiest it has ever been to style my hair. All I did was roll them when they were about 80% dry after my shower and then for good measure I spritzed them with hair spray before going to bed. I did add a bit of hair wax to my bangs because they weren't cooperating. I couldn't get them to roll around the curler, but the hair wax did the trick.

Also, side note, why has no one ever taught me to use an eyebrow pencil?! I was so worried it would make me look like I had drawn on my face in marker, but my eyebrows look amazing! You can see a notable difference between these pictures and the last ones I posted. I am very pro-pencil. I didn't even splurge on an expensive one, I picked up an off brand eyebrow/eyeliner pencil at Big Lots. I can only imagine how great they would look if I spent the $8 to get name brand. I did purchase a special brush to help shape my eyebrows as well. I'm not sure what it is called, but it looks like a mascara wand, minus the mascara. On top of that, I've been using a foundation brush to smooth out the eyebrow color so the hard lines are less noticeable. If I'm going particularly dark one day, I will use some light colored concealer to help blend the edges as well.

After finally getting the curls right, I tried experimenting with the bouffant some more. The trick to getting some great height/body on the pouf is dry shampoo. I spray it on the roots and it helps hold the hair up and gives it amazing body. I'm not positive, but I also think it makes it easier for bobby pins to stay in place. They don't seem to fall out as easily when I use the dry shampoo. So far I have discovered that I prefer the bouffant to be higher up on my head. I did one closer to the back of my head and it looked OK, but it wasn't quite the stylized 50s look I was going for. I like this one because once you have the height, you can pretty much do whatever you want with the rest of your hair. In the picture below, I started at the part and twisted my hair back, similar to french braiding. I bobby pinned it behind my ears and at the nape of my neck, then started on the other side, doing the same thing. I've been hiding the thousands of bobby pins with a giant flower or bow clipped behind my ears or at the very back of my head. I think it looks pretty cute, but I'm going to have to diversify my hair bow collection.

 Lately, I've been experimenting with my bangs. The curlers aren't the best for those, as they don't like to stay put, but I found a tutorial online to help me curl them with my flat iron. I love the faux bangs look, so I've been rolling them up on my forehead and bobby pinning them to the rest of my hair. It helps if I back comb them a bit at the base, otherwise the bobby pins don't have anything to hold on to and they just fall out. The first few times I did this, I was literally raining bobby pins from my head. I haven't quite mastered how to hold them back, as bobby pins can often be visible or misshape the curl, so it's pretty hit or miss.

This is an example of my rolled bangs gone awry. I tried to roll them and they were having none of it, so I tried to create some sort of swoopie thing with some spiral curls pinned to the side of my head. I thought it looked cute when I left for work, but I kept messing with it all day. By the end of the day, they were a hot mess. I struggled just to pin them flat across my forehead.

On the fun side of things, I got new glasses! I had money I needed to use up before the end of the month, and what better way to use it than to get fancy, designer glasses. I was so excited when I went in to pick them up. I struggled not to grin like an idiot the whole time.

To me, this is better than a little black box.

It seems only right that the first thing I ever get from Tiffany's is glasses instead of jewelry.

On a more personal note, 4th of July was so much fun! We went to a local museum that put on a barbecue and let you tour the museum while you waited for the fireworks to start. Usually, we have to stake out our spot really early in the day and then just sit for hours. We usually make our own fun and end up having a good time, but it was nice to have activities planned for us. The museum was doing a Ripley's Believe it or Not exhibit. Museums, weirdness, and fireworks, it's like this event was designed for me!

This chair was designed for a viking giant who claimed to be over 8 feet tall. In all likely hood, he was probably only 7 feet 8 inches, but still!

There was a really cool interactive anaconda that kids could climb through and learn all about the body parts of a snake. I was too big (and in a dress) to climb through, but that didn't stop the snake from trying to make a meal of me.

I drove past a statue of this guy, Robert Pershing Wadlow, every day on my way to student teaching. It was nice to meet him in person and see how I measured up. (If we're being totally honest, I hate manikins and this one stood up and sat down and kept moving his head. I was freaking out while my husband took this picture.) He was the tallest man in history at 8' 11.1 at the time of his death. His shoes were massive!

When we ventured into the local/natural portion of the museum, I was trying to teach my husband how to evacuate an overturned kayak because hey, why not? We might have to go over that lesson again though. He was too entertained by me in a dress, in a kayak, giving a demonstration. 

And finally, the obligatory fireworks picture. I only took one or two because I was much more interested in watching them myself, and not through a camera lens. They were great! It was the biggest fireworks display in the state. I was convinced that this show was shorter than the previous years' but it turns out, I was just enjoying them so much that time got away from me.

Peter Pan Collars and Foam Curlers

Inspired by my new swimsuit and some kind words from my husband, I have officially dived into the retro-chic style with both feet. Here is how the progression has gone:

• Research pictures online for 4 hours and start a new Pinterest board.
• Go to Goodwill and search for shirts or dresses that strike me as retro, i.e. wide collars, peter pan collars, sweet heart cuts, or button downs with a v-neck. 
• Spend $50 on said outfits and two rockin-retro pairs of shoes.
• Try to mimic retro hair-dos and fail because I don't have the right supplies.
• Watch a how-to video for a bouffant.
• Successfully pull of a bouffant.
• Purchase make-up, brushes, and curlers to help craft the look.
• Test out curlers.
• Sleep on test hair before I get to wear it anywhere.

So, needless to say, this hasn't been a cheap process, but I feel like after I have the basics and a general handle on the look itself, it will be pretty simple. I really like this idea because I want so much to have my own "look," but I also work in an office where I need to dress professionally every day. This lets me balance those two things. 

Last week, when I tried out some of my new outfits, I got tons of positive feed back. I even had a lady at Starbucks stop dead in her tracks to tell my how cute I looked. While I do like all of the compliments, I want to get to the point where this is just how I dress all the time. The goal being that I can just look cute, dress like I'm from the 40s or 50s and no one thinks twice about it. I don't really like being the center of attention or drawing a lot of attention to myself (despite what I may have been like in high school!) but I still want to have my own thing and look different from most other people.

Because I can only afford to spend so much money on new clothes, I've tried to put most of my effort into my hair and makeup. I finally found my red lipstick, so that is a huge plus! I got my first liquid eyeliner, so I should be able to pull off a more convincing "cat eye," but I haven't tried that out yet. I was working with gel eyeliner, which most of the how-tos suggest, but it just keeps smearing, so I'm trying something else. I've got the eyeshadow and blush down, but for the lips and eyebrows, fuller is better. Unfortunately, I have rather narrow lips and eyebrows. I'm working up the confidence to draw in fuller eyebrows and extend my lips with liner, but I can't convince myself that I won't look like I just have makeup smeared all over my face. Until now, I've usually gone with a more minimalist look for the makeup, sticking to natural tones and just accenting my features. 

My hair is finally long enough that I can start to make it do what I want. Here are my attempts so far.

What I typically do with my hair, now that I finally understand how to use a flat iron.

Rocking a swept back 50s do for a work party. This was a total fluke and kind of inspired my whole fashion shift. Also, I love this pic and use it for everything now.

Practicing a bouffant

Nailing the bouffant, and also one of my cute new tops.

A great swept back style complete with giant flower in the back. You can't quite see it,but I was trying really hard to get a pic of it along with my new swimsuit. I looked way cute when I laid out in the sun that day.

Trying out foam curlers, then taking them out and sleeping on the result before I took a picture.

I'm really excited to figure out how to do new styles with the curlers. Honestly, I was surprised that my hair actually worked with them. Usually, I put curl in and it falls out within an hour. These stuck around for quite a while. My husband has requested victory rolls, which usually go in longer hair, but we'll see what I can work out while my hair is still short.

Clearly, I'm very excited about this transformation and there will be much more to come. Up next on my list of things to learn are eyebrows.

Bottle Collections and Throwing Axes

Last weekend we attended the Old English Fair, a summer tradition in my family. The last few years it has been a bit of a let down. They used to do it in this huge open state park, there were tons of merchants, actors, musicians, anything you could imagine and then some. One of my favorite memories of going, I went with some friends from the camp I worked at. One friend had made her own dragon horns and wings, and another had made her own medieval dress. I felt left out so I bought a fantastic gypsy chain to go around my hips. While we were walking around we were followed by a priest selling indulgences, he kept offering us 3 for 1 deals. As a high schooler who just barely knew what he was talking about and was in on the joke, I was just tickled pink by the act.

After I went off to college, I came back every summer to attend. Unfortunately, they moved the fair to another location just down the road from the original one. The first year it was there, they hadn't properly cleared the field and I tripped over a buried stump, badly injuring my ankle. It was so hot and there was absolutely no shade and all of the food carts were running out of water. It was miserable. After that, they moved it to a more shady area, but I think they lost quite a few of the returning acts and merchants, so it was a much more bearable area, but there just wasn't anything to see or do. But finally, this year, it started to pick up and become more like I remembered it. There were people yelling for us to come see a "Real Steel" show with unchoreographed sword fighting, fairy story tellers, a pirate stunt show, and my favorite, homemade root beer and cream soda. I'm always taken in by the homemade root beer, but it is usually flat and tastes terrible. We have amassed quite the collection of interesting bottles through our purchases though.

Our new bottles

Our collection of bottles

Now usually at fairs and other events like this, I prefer to be more of a spectator. However, fairs don't typically have a booth that lets you try out throwing weapons. Luckily for me, this one did. I could have thrown knives, throwing stars, or axes. I chose axes for three reasons. 

1. The girls out at camp just got to try throwing axes and I was jealous that I didn't get to. 

2. I love the idea of being a "pioneer woman" who could survive out in the wild away from civilization and this activity would just further my confidence that I could do that. 

3. They looked like the most fun because they made a great "thwack" noise when they hit. 

I got to throw 5 axes for $3 and I got a quick throwing lesson along with that. I missed with the first four, but with the last one I hit the target and made  near bull's eye. There is video evidence. I'll have to find out who has it and post it later. I look pretty bad ass.

After my father-in-law and I were done testing our hand with the axes, we started talking about how easy it would be to put together a target of our own and how each of us has the space in our yards to do something like that. I go online and started to look up how to build a target. I wasn't thrilled with most of the results I got, but there was one site that said just to get thick circles of wood cut, not to use ply board or lumber like all the other how-to's suggested. I've been searching Craigslist for cut down trees, but no luck so far. In the meantime, I'm saving my pennies to get a few axes. They are pricier than I would have expected. Hopefully, as soon as I find someone who can sell me a log, I will have the axes and need and then I'll be in the axe throwing business. 

A One-Sided Q&A With the Author

I'm really sticking to this write everyday thing. Luckily, I haven't set a per day word count for myself. After today, that might be something I need to institute. If we're being honest, I really don't feel like writing today. I'm doing my best to make sure that my words are worth reading, even though my heart isn't really in it right now.

Q: Kristin, why don't you feel like writing today? You were so excited about it this weekend?
A: Well, I'm glad you asked that. First of all, this is my Sunday night. I have to go back to a standard work week after almost two and a half weeks of either being at camp or taking some personal days to recoup. Second of all, my husband is gone for the week. He is on a business trip with his dad. I'm really thrilled for some time to myself, as I don't typically get that...like at all...ever. But, let's face it, I'm much better when I'm half of a wonderful whole.

Q: Do you have any big plans while your husband is gone this week?
A: Yes I do. I'm looking forward to having some time to clean up the house. Also, we have a closet full of stuff that hasn't been touched since we moved in almost a year ago. I'm going to try to sort that out and post it on Craigslist, hopefully to make a bit of money to put toward our vacation in July. I'm also helping a friend put together her resume and apply for some jobs this week. Hopefully, I will get to everything, but let's face it, I have access to Netflix and I need to rewatch the last season of True Blood so I know what's going on when I finally get around to watching the premiere.

Q: Vacation, that sounds exciting. Where are you going?
A: Next month my husband and I will be flying out to Mexico with my in-laws. We are going to stay at a resort in Puerta Vallarta. Truthfully, it hasn't really sunk in yet that we are leaving so soon. What has sunk in is that this weekend, I found an amazing swimsuit for the trip. It was the very first one I tried on.

Q: No way, the first suit you tried on? That never happens.
A: I know! It was fate, I had to buy it, even though it was more money than I had ever spent on a swimsuit before. I walked into Torrid just to check and see what they had. My husband and I both reached for the same suit first. It was the style I had said I wanted and my favorite color. I cringed at the price and had no idea if it would even fit me, but my wonderful husband insisted that I try it on. I'm so glad I did. However, I've declared that this will be the last swimsuit I ever buy! It doesn't look like much on it's own, but it is just perfect once it's on. It also fits into the whole pin-up girl/40s chic that I've really been into lately. We'll have to see if I can pull off some victory rolls in my hair while I'm lounging on the pool deck.

Q: Now you've mentioned before that you have been struggling with some unusual allergies. How do you think those will affect your vacation plans?
A: I really don't think they will, at least, I hope they won't. I've been struggling with an intolerance to red meat and red meat byproducts, along with some random fruits like avocados and bananas, as well as most medications, especially antihistamines. It has been an uphill battle, but I think I've finally figured out most of what triggers my hives. I have gone to a primarily vegetarian diet as of lately, but I can eat seafood and fish without any negative impact. I think our resort is along the Pacific Ocean, so I fully intend to stuff myself with seafood and fresh fruit the entire trip. I actually think it will be easier to stick to my diet outside of the Midwestern U.S. Not to mention, these allergies have really pushed me to try new foods or foods that I didn't think I liked any more and I'm really happy with the diet I've put together while branching out.

Q: Well I can't thank you enough for taking the time to speak with us today.
A: Anytime, you've made it really very easy to write what I needed to today. I appreciate the help and the non-traditional blog format you've allowed me.

Broadening My Horizons: Understanding That I'm an Idiot and Camp NaNoWriMo

Alright, in my recent attempts to better myself, I have very quickly come to terms with the fact that I am an idiot in many respects. Thank god for the Internet. I'm sure my search history is insane this week. Luckily, I tend to commit fun little tips and tricks to memory easily and can usually pull them out when I need them (or I pin them to Pinterest!) Unfortunately, I don't know many bloggers, or if I do, I don't talk to them enough to get some insights on their success. I have found a few helpful sites though and was even brave enough to put in for a transcribing job! Hopefully, I will work up enough nerve to put in for an actual writing job, but I've got to start somewhere.

I've also been practicing writing everyday. It has been easy because it was the weekend and I took today and tomorrow off of work. The real struggle will be later in the week once I go back to work. I'm especially excited about Camp NaNoWriMo that starts in July. For the last 9 years (wow, I didn't realize it had been that long) I have been participating in National Novel Writing Month, which takes place each November and challenges the participants to write a 50,000 word novella in just one month. For some reason or another, November is always a terrible month for me to focus on that sort of thing, so I have never made the 50,000 word goal. I don't really expect that I really will, but this year they have introduced a summer version of the competition. Luckily, July is a particularly slow month for me this year, so there is a chance I might actually make my goal. On top of that, I came to the conclusion that I want to be a writer just a few weeks before the challenge starts. I feel like this confluence of events is just what I need to get myself started and force myself to get those ideas fleshed out into actual stories. In order to keep myself accountable, I will try to update my word count here, as well as the Camp NaNoWriMo website.

I'm not sure how pertinent this is, but I'm including a list of the websites that helped my find some directions in regards to freelancing and blogging. Honestly, this list is here for my own good more than anyone else's. I hope to find more as I continue researching.

• Odesk a website to find freelance writers and to put in for freelance jobs
• Elance similar to Odesk, but it seems to have more searching capabilities when seeking jobs
• The Write Life a site for writers, packed with helpful articles, tips, links, and anything else I might need to know
• WikiHow Gotta love WikiHow, found this article about getting blog subscribers.

Really, what I'm learning is that I need to start commenting on the blogs that I read. I can link my site to my comment, therefore generating more traffic. Lord knows I read enough blogs and have plenty of comments on them, so that can be part of my practice with daily writing. On a side note, I have to tell everyone about Feedly, this is the best RSS feed I have ever used! It took me forever to find one that I liked and it makes keeping up with the 20+ blogs I follow easy as pie. It even helps me to follow YouTube channels and my friends personal blogs.  I highly recommend it.

Just one more day of easily finding time to write. I want to wish myself luck writing for the rest of the week, but I know better than anyone that it is just going to take dedication and forcing myself to stick with it.

Writing for More Than My Sake

This past two weeks I have been crazy busy leading day camps and I met some amazing women through this experience. One woman was particularly interesting to me. She works from home as a freelance writer. My understanding was that she works primarily for a travel magazine, in addition to regularly reviewing products sent to her by various companies, and publishing two ebooks, all while working on a novel. I was really blown away by her creative spirit and the freedom that she had created for herself through choosing such a nontraditional career path. She talked about traveling for work, getting excited about new products sent to her in the mail, writing a chapter of her novel that she liked so much she forgot she was reading her own words. I was fascinated by her, I struggled to tear myself away to take care of my camp director responsibilities, and moreover, I wanted to be like her.

I came home and declared to my husband that I was going to be a writer. I have an English degree, I write for my own pleasure, why couldn't I get published? Primarily, I am afraid to put my ideas out into the world because I assume that someone has already had the same idea and said it better or that my ideas are basic and obvious. I know that this isn't true, it is just difficult to force myself to look and the mirror and say "you are smart and interesting, of course people would want to read what you write." Since I have decided that writing is going to become something that is a part of my daily life, I've actually had some really solid ideas. This weekend, I got a huge confidence boost when I was out to dinner with my husband and in-laws. We were talking about religion. I'm a former Catholic, turned atheist and my husband jokingly takes credit for this fact. I was lightheartedly sharing a rather personal story with my family about the first time I had major doubts about my faith. After finishing the story, they were quiet for a moment before saying "That is a really beautiful story, you should write that into a poem." I was so touched, I struggled not to cry right there at dinner. Simply because I was growing more confident with myself and sharing stories about myself and as a reward for that, I got the praise that I am so hoping I can earn as a writer.

I've always carried around a notebook to write down ideas or interesting experiences that I have in the hopes that I will go back and make them into part of my novel. Sometimes I do and sometimes, I forget that I've even written anything down. This week, while driving an hour to and from camp everyday, I started listening to what I thought was an audio book by David Sedaris, Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules. While listening to the prologue by Mr. Sedaris, I was informed that this was in fact an anthology of short stories that he thought needed to be read. I had a revelation while listening to this beautiful collection, I could write short stories, I could write essays, my "novel" that I had been working on for years wasn't coming along because it wasn't the story for a novel, it was the story for a shorter work. While I'm still not quite sure what to do with this information yet, it excites me. It has made me interested in my own ideas. It has made me want to write every day and share my work with other people. It has emboldened me to take risks and damn the consequences or learn from them.

Here's the beginning of being a writer, of taking risks, of putting myself out there, and of eventual success stemming from hard work and a dedication to craft.