(Harper gave me pens for Christmas.) ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
Month: January 2013
As much as I like you, today is a day for No People.
Every time Meredith has money, she wants to spend it on gifts for her friends. I don’t think this is a bad thing, and I enjoy seeing how thoughtful she is becoming as she chooses The Perfect Gift for different girls in her class. Because we’ve heard rumors that a birthday party is being planned in February, Meredith asked if we could go to the mall yesterday. She has chosen a few gifts for the birthday girl, and the store that sells the gifts (Justice) currently has a 40% storewide sale.
Please note that although I mentioned the store name up there, I didn’t link to it. Because I don’t like it. Because they sell padded bras for children. I mention how ridiculous this is every time we visit the store, yet we STILL VISIT THE STORE. (The girls love their pajamas and jewelry.) (Oh! Please don’t tell me how terrible I am for even walking in the door KNOWING that they sell padded bras for children. As hackneyed as it sounds, you really DO choose your battles/boycotts. I tend to not purchase products that were tested on animals. If someone tells me that the best seitan is at Whole Foods, I’ll go to Whole Foods regardless of the CEO’s views on climate change. (I’m on the edge of trying seitan. I might take you with me on that adventure.) My kids have been vaccinated and they’re current on their flu shots. I made them watch the inauguration yesterday. I will never wear anything with a Nike logo on it. I would rather have a migraine than eat a hamburger. I will always turn to rescue groups when it’s time to adopt a pet. I’m just a big bowl of Ridiculous and Kind and Anxious and Smart and Thirsty. (My hot tea is brewing. It was purchased at a place that was recently acquired by Starbucks. I won’t stop buying my tea, because my tea makes me happy. If you’re rolling your eyes right now, I hope they don’t stick like that. I really don’t! I think you’re so pretty, even though we might make different choices.))
The four of us arrived at the mall at approximately 12:30 and none of us had eaten lunch, so we headed to the food court where babies were screaming and kids were running and strollers were being pushed into people (mostly accidentally, I’m sure) and so many people. SO many people and so much noise and terrible food smells and sticky surfaces and although I have a prescription for Xanax, I rarely carry it with me. I needed Xanax at the mall food court, but I settled for a veggie burger.
After eating, we headed to the store where Meredith chose a stuffed animal, a necklace, and a hat for her friend. Something that should have taken about three minutes ended up taking fifteen, and when we exited the store and Jeff asked if we needed to go anywhere else in the mall, all I could say was, “I just need to be in the car. Right now.” I know my kids think I’m a weirdo. I also know that when you have kids, you can’t always avoid crowds. So many parades, amusement parks, parties, et cetera. I try to keep it together. That’s all I can do.
This morning I was supposed to go to the J for a spinning class after dropping Harper off at school. I made it as far as the parking lot before turning around and going right back home. I really can’t do people today. (I try to make it to spinning at least thirty minutes before class starts. After selecting my bike (#4!) and placing my towels, I warm up slowly while listening to the other class members talk about how disappointed they are because the class has become so crowded with “all these people who made resolutions to get into shape!” I’m one of the people they’re talking about, and I understand that they’re bummed about having to show up a few minutes earlier to sign up and choose a bike, but I also know that my paid membership carries the same weight as their paid membership and Dear God I’m so crabby right now.)
Someone around here needs to go to the grocery store, and that someone is me. Less than ten miles from my house sits a butternut squash that needs to find its way into my oven. (I’ll be using the self check-out lane.) Enjoy your Tuesday. ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
Unsolicited Bacon
Well, that week passed by quickly, didn’t it?
Let’s see. I gave my dogs their heartworm preventatives, I made a zucchini lasagna, I went to Pilates and spinning, and I joined Tempe and my mom at The Melting Pot where the guy in the kitchen PUT BACON ON MY SALAD AFTER I ORDERED IT WITHOUT BACON AND I TOOK A BIG BITE OF SALAD WITHOUT NOTICING AND UGH. BACON.
(I know. I went all caps in real life, too. I realize it sounds ridiculous, but I’ve been a vegetarian for quite some time now, and Hhhhhhh. I now feel like I’m back at Day One. Jeff has assured me that this isn’t the case because it wasn’t intentional, but still. Still. I don’t want to talk about it. I know I sound petty. It made me sad. That’s all.)
I finished knitting a shawl for a woman in Florida who sends amazing Christmas presents to my kids even though she has never met them.
I put some time in on a cardigan that will eventually look like this, but now mainly looks like this:
Most importantly? My Rivet & Sway glasses arrived yesterday afternoon! (The story is here in case you just tuned in. Don’t forget, the ANGELASWAYS coupon code will score you $25 off a pair of glasses until April 8th, 2013!)
I tried to get a decent photo of myself wearing my glasses this morning. I was sitting in a parking lot and the sun was positioned in a way that made it look as if I was shooting rainbows out of the side of my face. Sadly, after five or so failed attempts, I started throwing my crabby face. You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit. (Unless someone puts unsolicited bacon on your salad.)
Give yourself a hand. A hand is yours.
This morning I dropped the kids off at 8:35, which gave me less than an hour before my first call of the day. I drove like one of those hell bats straight to the lake (My inner hell bat is very safe. She uses turn signals. No need for anger/concern.), loaded up my iPod, and decided to see how long I could run.
I ran/walked (mostly walked) for about 45 minutes, and it felt great. I haven’t run since I suffered a stress fracture in my heel on October 28th. This morning I learned that two months with no running put me straight back to I Can’t Run Without Thinking I Might Die. My longest running stretch was right around three and a half minutes, which was long enough to land me close to the end of Andrew Bird. And that’s a good place to be. (Gutter head.)
I saw less than five people while I was at the lake. The sun was shining. I was sweating like a heavy sweater would sweat. It was absolutely perfect. Best of all, the waterfall I hadn’t seen since October 25th had been waiting for my return.
Things are happening. This morning for the first time in forever, I didn’t feel the need to wear a shirt that covered my rear. You have no idea what a huge step this is for me. You really have no idea. (Unless you do.) ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
If you’re unable to drink out of a can, you might need glasses!
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Because you guys were so helpful in your comments, and because so many of you expressed an interest in Rivet & Sway, the company has given me a $25 coupon code to share with you! Just enter ANGELASWAYS during the prescription checkout process. (Don’t enter it while ordering your Home Try-On kit. The kit is always free!) Let’s get glasses together!!! How fun is this?! (The code is good through 4/8/13.)
Do you remember way back in November of 2010 when my eye doctor told me that I needed glasses?
I did what anyone would do. I came home, I took a cruddy photo of myself, and I started the process of trying on different frames. Virtually.
It started out innocently enough.
But, you know me. I get overwhelmed so easily, and that’s when I start acting squirrelly.
It didn’t take long to realize that I would never have luck with the online thing. I grabbed my keys and drove to an actual store where I chose some frames and was then talked into a bunch of weird extras that I didn’t completely understand. I walked out feeling sort of bummed because the sign on the door told me that All Frames Are $99!, yet I had just written a check for over $300. (Yes. I still write checks. Sometimes I’m cute like it’s 1983.)
Fast forward to December 29th, 2012. I told you about my teapot. I told you about my yarn and my spinning class and I casually mentioned that I was excited about being able to choose some new frames (the kind you wear on your face) in 2013.
Because Fluid Pudding is my vision board (By the way, don’t get me started on vision boards.), two days later I received a message from Rivet & Sway—an eyewear boutique designed exclusively for women. Full Disclosure: They told me they would comp a pair of glasses to me if I share the Rivet & Sway process with the folks who stop by Fluid Pudding. In other words, an amazing place is offering an amazing deal, and I’m under no obligation to say nice things. (The good news? I have nothing BUT nice things to say.)
Here’s how Rivet & Sway works.
1. You go to the website.
2. You take a look at the frames.
3. You narrow down your choices depending on the shape of your face and the size and color of frames you might want.
4. If you get stuck and need some advice, you contact the personal stylist, who is SO nice and SO smart. (I told her that my face is oval, and I sent her this photo so she could see my current frames and my skin tone and my hair color and my silk scarf. (I really need to wear that scarf more often.))
5. Less than 24 hours later, the stylist will send an e-mail recommending styles that she feels will look great, and she then suggests that you add the styles to a Home Try-On kit. (She recommended four styles for me. I chose my favorite three out of the four and added them to my Home Try-On kit. The Home Try-On thing was vital for me. After messing around with the virtual try-on process at several other online stores (See the mustard shot above. Really. I cannot be trusted to do these things correctly.), I knew I couldn’t handle trying on pretend frames. BUT, I’m scared to walk into an actual store knowing that I can pretty much be talked into anything.) For Rivet & Sway’s Home Try-On, you order up to three frames, they arrive in a few days, and you then have three days to try them on and feel their weight and wear them in public and ask your family and friends to tell you what looks best. Genius.
6. On Day Three, you box the frames back up, attach the pre-paid and pre-addressed label to the box, and you send them back to Rivet & Sway. It’s so easy. You are under NO obligation to order, but if you DO order? Your new glasses will cost $199. That includes the frames and the prescription lenses and coatings. (The advice from the personal stylist, the Home Try-On, and the shipping is always free.)
My Home Try-On frames arrived on Friday, and although I’m about 94.5% sure of the ones I’ll order, I would also like to ask for your opinion.
This is me in the Street Smart frames. Picture me wearing these frames to the library to check out the latest John Irving book. I’ll then come home, put in some freelance time, and prepare my boring treasurer reports for the PTO meeting—all while looking very stylish and smart. (I have no idea how to smile for photos, so I tend to smirk or wince. With that said, I AM happy with my hair in this shot. (I’m trying so hard to balance my negatives with a positive. I had three cookies for lunch. And then I ate hummus. See?))
This is me in the Faster Pussycat frames. I see myself eating doughnuts in these glasses. Also, sushi. Actually, as soon as I tried these on, I felt a swirly and warm spark. I wanted to throw on a skirt. I wanted to seek out an unlikely gathering of trombone players. I wanted to knit a beret and hand it to someone who is clearly in need of a beret!
This is me wearing the Je Ne Sais Quoi frames. Picture me wearing them while steeping up a tumbler of hot tea and perhaps heading out for a Pilates class. (Pilates. I know! I’m clearly in a state of metamorphosis, which brings to mind the phrase, “Pupa?! Supa DUPA!” Get this: I’ll be heading to the J five times this week to try out various fitness classes. My synapses are firing completely differently than they were last year at this time.)
I know it probably sounds silly, but what a fun diversion it was to get frames in the mail and play with them over the weekend! (I played responsibly, of course.) If you’re needing new glasses, please give Rivet & Sway a shot! (Even if you’re not NEEDING new glasses, but want to shake up your style and attitude, go to their website! Seriously—I’m suddenly seeking out trombone concerts and hanging out at libraries and gyms!) I’ve been singing songs about Rivet & Sway all weekend. (I also really like The Character Study and The Punchline!)
(Let me know if you order a Home Try-On kit! I can’t wait to hear what you think!) ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>