Because I Overshare

One of my newest Blog to Stalk from Mellie at The Newly Employed Biddy was tagged in a blog and since she did a rebelling free-for-all tag on blogs, I wanted to take part and give a shout out to a blog that's a lot like mine, but different.

So, here's the deal with the tag, you answer their eight questions (Mellie's over-achieving with 10), tag eight blogs, then ask your own eight questions...it's like a chain letter without the risk of breaking your mom's back for stepping on a crack taboo. Here's a snippet from Mellie. (Oh, and totes mcgoats check out her Q&A session...it's like my train of thought, but wittier and with less profanity.)

As far as my new batch of questions, I'm channeling James Lipton channeling Bernard Pivot (Or more appropriately I'm actually probably channeling Will Ferrell channeling James Lipton channeling Bernard Pivot). So go ahead and picture yourself in front of an audience of desperate actors and a bearded wonder with a stack of blue cards next to you, because you're bout to be on the Actors Studio. (As far as the tagging goes, I say: If you read me. You're it. Got a blog? Copy and paste, my friend. No blog? That's what the comments section is for.)

And because I'm even more of a rebel, you get ten questions, not eight. What? You didn't think I would disrespect Ferrell-Lipton-Pivot, did you? 

1. What is your favorite word?

"Oy". And by extension, "to the vey." I'm not Jewish and I don't speak Yiddish, but sometimes, that's all I can say. What's surprising is that my linguistics far exceed a one-syllable word, but sometimes my complex lexicon is lost. That, and profanity isn't necessarily fitting in every situation.

2. What is your least favorite word?

I have a vulgar answer, so I'll go with the G-rated version of "navel" in reference to a belly button. For whatever reason, it  creeps me out. Really creeps me out.

3. What turns you on? (creatively, spiritually, emotionally)

 Simplicity and order. A simple picturesque view of the Rocky Mountains, etsy, other blogs, gossip mags. Simplicity and order is calming.

4. What turns you off?

 Bad grammar, bad hygiene, halitosis, racism and bigotry. That goes for anyone. Creatively speaking, it's disorder and anxiety.

5. What is your favorite curse word?

 The F bomb. Sometimes a well placed, well timed, well inflected F%#& really makes the point. Sometimes saying "eff" or "fudge" just doesn't do it. Sometimes, you say F%#& it.

6. What sound or noise do you love?

Rain drops. It's music to my ears. It reminds me of this scene from Bambi:

7. What sound or noise do you hate?

Dry skin snagging on fabric. It's like nails on a chalkboard. I think this is why I maintain pedicures and pumice year round...even though my feet don't go bare in the winter all too often.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

 Hairstylist. I would like to have the techniques for updos and curls that I can only seem to get from my stylist. I wouldn't stop going because it's nice to be pampered. Not to mention the access to all the hair product and tools.

9. What profession would you not like to do?

 Anything that has to do with cleaning up bodily functions. I can handle small amounts, but I draw the line past what a paper towel and a first aid kit can handle.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

"Whattup, Ana! Looks like you had a great time. I've been talking with your grandma, you know she rolls VIP up here and I have to say she makes one kick ass banana bread, not to mention gravy. But you know that. I had a lot of fun creating that epic ass from your early 20's. Annnnyyyhoooo, she says that you should just jump to the head of the line so that you can start cooking for her up here. She just wants to kick it with Elliott and Harry and chug some beers with your grandpa. Welp, I've got some prayers to answer, so I'll see you around. Let me know if you need anything, and welcome to the Kingdom of AWESOME."

Here are the blogs that I challenge to the following eight questions: (And really, if you want to blog about this or even leave a comment, I welcome that, too.)

Chelsea at A Colorado Cupcake
Heather at Candy Coated Cupcakes
Chaddy at Chad & Matt's Guide to Life
Lindsey at My Quarter Life Crisis
Heather at Lilly's Running Momma
Veronica and Betty at We Hate You, Love Us.
Emily at My Heart Shaped Life
the girl in the red shoes

Here are the questions they are charged with:

1. If they were to make a biopic of your life, what would it be titled and who would be casted to play you?
2. What is your favorite dessert? Be specific.
3. What's your favorite cocktail, shot, and wine. In that order.
4. What is your favorite holiday? How do you celebrate it?
5. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
6. How would you describe your personal style?
7. What do you keep in your Box of "It's Not Going to Work Out"? (Basically, what secrets do you keep from your significant other that may make you look a little bat shit crazy?)
8. Tonight you can do anything without worry of cost...what would you do?

OB. SESSED.

For whatever menopausal reason, Mother Nature hasn't tried to even give a hint of fall here in Denver. We have temperatures in the 80s/90s all week. This is problematic because I am OB. SESSED. with fall.

I want to wear jacket, scarves, cozy sweaters, amazing boots, the list goes on and on! But with weather like this, I'll be pitting out any shirt I put on. Instead, I will have to exercise my inner-fashionista on here to make sure she doesn't go all crazy.

Here's what I am OB. SESSED. with this week: BOOTS!

I went shopping with A Colorado Cupcake awhile back and got some black boots from Target. I was so excited to wear them! After a few short weeks, I realized I really, really, really wanted the tan boots, too!

My literal obsession. I have dreams about ensembles to wear these with.

The best part about these little $34.99 dreams? The have a colored zipper up the back!

Too. Freaking. Cute.

I wore these little numbers out with skinny dark denim jeans and a structured grey jacket/frilly white top combo. The best part about this whole outfit was that while I was in ALDO, the store clerks commented on my boots and asked me where I got them. Before I could say, Tar-Jay, the other clerk popped in and said Steve Madden! They look almost like those expensive leather editions that even people that look at shoes all day mistook them for their pricier inspirations!


Now if Mother Nature could cooperate, I could start rocking these boots all over town!

Judgey McHypocritical

OK, so you know how some people are motivated to change from other people. society, or other unusual motivators? Well, I have motivation from several places, some are the same since the beginning, others have evolved over time.

What constant remains the same is that I am motivated for MYSELF. Let me type that again. I am making these choices for ME.

Now, where I'm at in life is from where I have been.  I have been a brunette. I have been a sorority girl. I have been a geophysicist. What am I now? I am a (fall) blonde.  I am still a sorority girl (you never really leave), but now, it's all about service, not about booze. (OK, a little bit about booze.) I am an appellate case manager.

What this means is that although I have changed, I am still me and still in it for me. I have evolved as a person because I took a step back from what I thought everyone wanted from me. I stepped forward to be someone that I wanted to be: healthy, happy, and making decisions that would bring be closer to both.

In the process, I have shed pounds, bad habits, and unfortunately lost some friendships. In its stead, I have prolonged my life, lessened my chance for heart disease and other genetic tendencies, and deepened those friendships that are truly enriching and rewarding.

Why am I getting so philosophical?  I was (unfairly) judged by someone because of my past. Good, bad, and indifferent, my choices have landed me exactly where I am. I can't apologize for decisions that I've made in the past because it would mean that I would be on a different path. In the end, I have to be OK with my choices. I have to be the one that's happy. I am accountable for ME. So Mr. Judgey McHypocritical can check his motives and become accountable for his decisions and not sweat mine.

I do not regret my past, but of course with hindsight, I might have put down that tasty Taco Bell chalupa and picked up a celery stick.

Point is, that you've got to check your motives and be accountable for your choices. Make sure that you're doing what YOU want, not what others want. Be who YOU want to be, not what you think people want you to be.

You do you, I'll do me.

Fall Blonde

Here's a quick little post on the fly from my handy dandy iPhone. I have fully embraced the best season of the year and broken one of my longest runs with a hair color motif.

(Seriously, my roots are my only indicator as to what my natural hair color is, bur that's not really a good indicator because depending on the overall color, it looks mouse-y or ash-y.)

(And I have colored my hair for almost 15 years.)

(Oh crap, I'm old.)

(I'm not sure if I'm depressed by the passage of time or the fact I don't know my own hair color.)

ANYWAY, I like to call this color "Fall Blonde"...a little change from my platinum-ish shade.

Hope that you are embracing the best season of the year with little nods to fall...

Why I'm Scared To Have Children

 Last night, I had the chance to go to a Rockies game. (Granted, they lost by one run, but the game was fun and thrilling until the last out.) While I'm not a HUGE baseball fan, I am a HUGE people watching fan. Case in point: Mom from the 80's with the feathered shag haircut with purple streaks and bright purple eyeliner. That? Was a minor offense compared to the offenses that minors were committing left and right. These offenses were fashion based, of course.

Now, I'm not saying I've made the best fashion choices every day of my life. (Enter the awkward bowl cut, the mile high bangs, the pants tucked into socks, decolletage in daylight, but this post is not about me.) BUT, what I do know is that not every fashion can be pulled off by everyone and some fashions should be left solely for theme parties to parody the atrocities from popular culture.

Enter the current teenage/tween population. They wear skin tight skinny jeans. They wear bright florescent colors. They wear their hair meticulously blown forward in a shag that requires headbands. They sag their pants. They wear plaid. They wear capri leggings. Does this sound familiar my mid-to-late twnetysomethings slash early thirtysomethings?? That's because these fashions were from our youth!

Case in point: Here's the fashion show scene from Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.



That? Is what these kids are wearing. OK, so maybe they aren't rocking every look, but it's getting close. Another example of these fashions can be found in any episode of Teen Mom. More specifically those scenes with Farrah. Homegirl needs to stop complaining about being broke when she's dressed in all the latest "fashions". Well, I would say that she may have gotten them from Goodwill, but if you've ever seen an episode, that brat wouldn't touch a thrift store with a ten-foot pole. I nearly fell off the couch when Farrah sported leggings under daisy duke shorts with booties. Oy to the vey. Those leggings? Resembled hyper color or acid wash. I think I need a whole post dedicated to all of the cast members. Who knew unprotected sex would ultimately be my muse for future blogs?

Real Love for Fake Camping

Boy, A Colorado Cupcake sure can pick 'em! We've been talking about going camping and enjoying the gorgeous outdoors that Colorado has to offer. So, when ACC went to book a nearby campground and saw that it was full, she went on to the next campsite on the list thinking it was a little farther west than it actually was...like 30 miles west of where it actually was. But that's no never mind. Why? Because it was fake camping.

Another friend of ours, Taylor, looks at life from an amazingly optimistic perspective. That optimism? Is based in finding material for her stand up and improv performances. (Gratuitous shout out: Go see her if you're in the Denver area on September 24 in Biography - Life as a Comedy at the Bovine Metropolis Theater.) Back to the blog, she started off with the mindset of this being "fake" camping. Meaning, that since this was for one night and that we weren't going too far, it's not really camping. We didn't know how right Taylor would be until we pulled up to this:

The Serengeti of Northern Colorado

This campground? Was about a mile from I-25. A little to the right in this picture are the majestic golden arches of McDonald's and the warm red glow of the Arby's cowboy hat.

Something comforting about those neon lights.

Granted, this place wasn't far from civilization, but it was far enough removed that we could have

A warm campfire. (Note: Those are Uggs because it was that chilly at night.)

Beautiful mountain views and quaint ponds.

and a nice walk to the bathroom facilities that we HAD to use or get a ticket for peeing in the bushes. (I'll spare you the pictures. ha.)

Overall, we realized that any campground that we could hear the hum of traffic, see the lights of civilization, and be only 5 minutes from an interstate would be just fine for fake camping. Sure, we ate food warmed by a fire and slept in sleeping bags, but we also had real fun just hanging out with each other. It's trips like this, no matter how close to home, that make you thankful for the life you have.

We have plans to make it out one more time, hopefully, this season, a little farther from the hustle and bustle. We could see the stars that night, but nothing compares to the stars in the Rocky Mountain sky.

Granted this trip was a little like Troop Beverly Hills, it was still a thrill!!

I have real love for fake camping.

Fall Is In The Air

Reading the posts of my fellow bloggers A Colorado Cupcake and Candy Coated Cupcake, (don't have a sweet tooth yet? Well, read their blogs and you will!) I have fallen in love with fall all over again. ACC and CCC both talked about the PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte, btw) at Starbucks and how it's the unofficial official sign that fall is here.

I couldn't help but change up the background and decor of my blog because the modified damask was a little too drab for my favorite time of year. Sure, the reasons for my love affair with Autumn have changed ( I don't get a "back to school" wardrobe overhaul), but the core points come through every year.

The changing colors of the leaves....

A little latte...

Anything cable knit...

And of course, there's always FOOTBALL!!!!!

I love the orange jerseys for my team, the Denver Broncos, even more with fall foliage!