Crazy Halloween!

So far it’s been a crazy day, so crazy it’s worth blogging about! Things that have happened:

• Have actually had multiple Trick or Treaters at the house, first year this has happened!
• Heard a bunch of gunshots in Seattle right next to my bus stop/ office, so scary.
• I get to be a sailor!
• I got some extra money!
• Saw some crazy costumes all around Seattle (the best was a guy in a full antique diver’s suit).
• Delivered the last of my big ol’ projects

Happy Halloween!

 

 

 

 

Goals for when I have time

Lately I’ve been busy, so busy I barely have time to sleep it seems like! However, November will slow down… I think.

Goals for November:

Get rid of stuff I don’t need anymore:  My workspaces at both work and home need help. My desk and cube went from IKEA showroom to Hoarders in 3 weeks.

Do some real exercise (at least once): The Megan that worked at a gym (circa 2005) and would work her shift and then hit the gym for an hour or so is mocking me big time.

Make some art… that might be worth hanging up in the house: This will be challenging.

And just to round things out, cooking something from scratch is always a good goal. Yesterday I ‘cooked’ a garden burger and ate it on a piece of white bread with a chunk of unmelted cheese on top. The saddest thing was that it actually tasted really good. I don’t care how many people tell me that cooking is easy, I am terrible at it. I think my cooking gene was accidentally replaced by the being good at things that don’t really matter gene (juggling, hula hooping, trivia, and those quick time actions in video games).

Outdoor decor

The pumpkin fits in nicely with the owl statue. Everyone loves angry owl, money well spent to spice up the front stoop.

Restaurant Week

I’ve been so busy I’ve been neglecting my poor blog. One of my recent highlights was eating at Seastar with my husband for Restaurant Week. Everything was amazing but the dessert was really special. Pictured is the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta. So many flavors and textures, probably one of the best desserts ever.

Tea Party (not the political variety)

This weekend I hosted a tea party for a few of my friends. Verdict? Success!

During hosting I thought of a few things that worked really well and a few things I could have done better. Here’s the break down:

TEA PARTY DO’s:

Have lots of tea pots for different teas. I only had 3 and one of the girls offered to bring extras, good call!

Mimosas, nice to have something else besides tea.

Lots of cupcakes!

TEA PARTY DO’s for next time:

More savory, non-dessert snacks. Toward the end of the party we were all in sugar coma.

Cuter / non-paper towel style napkins.

Next time I would love to make name cards and/or floral centerpiece. (you know, once I have time to learn calligraphy and the art of flower arrangement)

Can’t wait for my next party 😀

Cute cookie

And delicious.

My favorite DVDs!

These are the movies and shows that deserve repeat viewings 🙂

First Job Memories

For some reason lately I’ve been thinking about my first job and how soon that job probably wouldn’t exist much longer. I worked at Blockbuster Video back in high school. Here are some of my fondest / most unique memories of BBV in no particular order:

• The whole free movie rental thing. It’s what made making minimum wage ($5.25 at the time) worthwhile.
• People getting super excited whenever you found the movie they wanted in the drop bin.
• The amazing (and sometimes awful) movie swag. One of the strangest was a Dude Where’s My Car? Rubik’s cube.
• One lady shaking with rage and yelling, proclaiming that Blockbuster did not carry enough foreign and art house films.
• Watching Space Jam and every other somewhat awesome PG rated movie on repeat for 8 hours.
• Customers complaining after a rogue employee put on Madonna’s Greatest Hits DVD.
• Having to give away bottles of Pepsi Blue because no one would buy it.
• Being amazingly fast at taking the security locks off all the DVDs and video games (my special skill).
• The movies Memento, Requiem for a Dream, and House of 1000 Corpses never being in stock and customers being continually disappointed by this.
•  Cleaning and simultaneously memorizing the box art of hundreds of VHS tapes and DVDs.
• Calling people to remind them of their late videos and getting treated to answering machine rap sessions.
• The pure joy of someone asking to speak to the manager and then informing them that I am the manager.

Blockbuster Video stores, I don’t know how long you’ll be around, but thanks for the memories.

Tiny pumpkin pie

So cute and yummy! My office got these as part of a dessert platter. Baby seal cell phone holder is there for size reference.

Halloween Costumes vs. Real Fashion?

The 3 pictures above all have something in common. No, it’s not that all are Halloween costumes, although that’s true too! The reason all are similar is that all those outfits are actually real outfits from my closet, purchased not with the intention of ever using as a costume. Although I will admit the accessories were purchased. I don’t regularly rock a Resident Evil S.T.A.R.S beret or Safari hat. Personally, I think it’s both crazy and wonderful when you can ‘make’ a costume from your own wardrobe.

Costume 1: Safari gal (2009). I purchased this safari dress from Calvin Klein because it was so darn cute. I later realized that maybe it was a bit too safari-y to use as an everyday dress. It’s still an awesome dress and I can’t say I haven’t used it!

Costume 2: Holly Golightly (i.e., Audrey Hepburn) (2006). This was just a little black dress, cheapo sunglasses, some faux pearls, and old Aldo patent stilettos. The best part is people actually recognized was supposed to be! Well, a few people thought I was Jackie O, but that’s okay too.

Costume 3: Jill Valentine (Resident Evil games) (2007). I’ve always loved the Resident Evil games and loved the Jill Valentine character. It was always my goal to be her for Halloween one year; who cares if people actually recognize who I am or not 😉 Well I managed to do that. This is a hybrid of her RE3 and RE1 costume. I found the beret on eBay and couldn’t resist. The tank top, mini skirt, and pleather boots (which I purchased for 85 cents at an outlet store in New Mexico, not even joking) were just hanging out in my closet. Goal accomplished!

So for all you folks out there who never dress up because you don’t have anything to wear, check out your closet again, you might be surprised!