October was a really fun month for me! I had a lot of good times with friends, some local and some that I had to drive to see. I started some more habits that really helped me feel like I had a handle on my life. I watched some good TV and a few good movies. And I got to spend some quality time with Steve in the beautiful autumn Charleston weather. Overall, there were quite a few things I loved about October.
Wilmington, NC
A few months back, I caught up with one of my closest high school friends on Facebook and suggested that we plan a girls trip somewhere. I didn’t think it would all come to fruition because I’m usually the one planning things like this and I had been so busy that I couldn’t plan anything. As it turns out, she is a true planner and before I knew, she had planned a weekend trip to Wilmington, NC for us, completely with hotels booked and an itinerary all planned out. So the weekend of the 17th, I said goodbye to Steve and Sammy and drove three hours to meet her in Wilmington and had a BLAST! I was so disappointed to leave on Sunday. On Friday night, we went on a walking ghost tour that was really interesting, in part thanks to our fabulous tour guide. On Saturday, we got up early and grabbed Chick-Fil-A for breakfast then headed out to do another walking tour of Wilmington, this time focusing on movies locations, since Wilmington is a huge place to film TV shows (Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill) and movies (Empire Records, Cape Fear, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe). We then headed off to Screen Gem Studios, where One Tree Hill and Eastbound and Down is filmed. Chrissy is a huge One Tree Hill fan so she was elated to see all of the live sets from the show. I thought it was neat to just see how they make the sets and how they pay attention to every detail. Saturday night we stayed in and watched TV and ate dinner and just gossiped and laughed and caught up on good times. And Sunday, our last day, was probably the best day there because, while we intended to go on another trolley tour of the city, it was no where to be found so instead, we found this little pottery studio and decided, since we’d never done it, to go ahead and give it a try. From there, we spent close to five hours, hanging out in this adorable shop, painting pottery and listening to relaxing music and just enjoying a great time. I cannot explain how great of an afternoon we had in that little shop and I would highly recommend you check it out if you’re ever in the area. All in all, it was a great weekend and I cannot wait to go back, if only to check out the shop again.
Halloween & Geocaching
Two other things we had this month was Halloween, which as most of you know, is one of my favorite holidays. We spent it rather low key, heading over to a friends house for a party. Everybody came in costume and we all sort of hung out and drank and played some beer pong. Steve and I dressed as a cholo/chola for the party, which alludes to an inside joke that we have with our friends, and I thought we were rather convincing.
Steve also introduced me to geocaching, which he got into when he got his iPhone. We spent a few weekends in October wandering around Charleston looking for geocaches and I found that it was a great hobby for the two of us because not only did we get to spend a lot of time together but we also got to see a bunch of beautiful areas in Charleston that we hadn’t seen before. So it’s definitely something I think we will keep doing into the New Year because it’s a great bonding experience and we get to find all sorts of treasures, both in the landscape and in the geocache boxes!
Zombieland
Zombieland was easily one of the funniest movies all year. Steve and I had been anticipating it for months and it did not disappoint us. All of the cast was superb but Woody Harrelson really shined as Tallahassee, the redneck zombie-killing machine and Jesse Eisenberg’s nerdy, insecureness was a perfect balance against him. Also, Bill Murray had a cameo in it that had to have been the awesomest cameo I’ve seen in years. This one of those movies I could watch over and over again because it’s just so much fun.
The Office: Jim & Pam’s Wedding
Hands down, one of the best Office episodes ever! Seriously, this episode was so phenomenal that I think I watched it at least three times the week after it aired. This episode exhibited why this is one of the better shows on TV and it handled the sweetness along with the humor so successfully. From Dwight’s wolf t-shirt and kicking the bridesmaid in the face, to Michael’s awfully uncomfortable toast at the rehearsal dinner to every isolated sweet moment that Jim and Pam shared throughout the episode, I was blown away at how phenomenal the writers and the actors are on this show. Of course, it has its flat moments, like any show does but when it succeeds, it blows everything out of the water. The final ten minutes were hands down one of the best moments I’ve seen on TV in a long time, especially if, like me, you’ve been following Jim and Pam’s romance from the beginning. Even now, watching it three months later, I still love it!
The Vampire Diaries
I will admit that I hated this show before it even came out. Because the original author of these novels, LJ Smith, was hands down my favorite author when I was young. I had every one of her books and had read them numerous times. We had an online fan club and she is the reason “Kalluria” exists and that I’m friends with all of the girls hosted and have been friends with them for so long. And I knew they were going to take my beloved series and Twilight it up and make all these girls think it was a rip-off of the popular, lame series. And they made Elena a brunette! Which she is not and never will be.
But the longer I watched the show, the more it started to grow on me. Stefan or Damon are no where near what I had imagined them to be when I read the book, but they are better. I prefer the series’ Stefan to the wimpier one I had imagined in my head. And the series Damon, Ian Somerhalder, *swoon*! He is everything I should have imagined Damon to be and more. And sure they took liberties with the series to make it more interesting, because nothing ever translates well if taken directly from book. But as long as I look at it as a TV series loosely based off my beloved novels, then I am definitely ok with it because it is actually interesting and well written with actors who can actually carry their characters well.
I just don’t like having to defend it to the Twihards that it’s not a ripoff of the series, that it was actually around before hand and if anyone ripped anything off, it’s that hack Stephenie Meyer. (Wonder how many teenage girls that will bring to this site to bitch at me for talking shit about Twilight!)
Herbal Essences Hydralicious Reconditiong Shampoo & Conditioner
I always wrote Herbal Essences off as something you used in high school – that transition between using what your mom used and finding your own favorite hair product. Mostly because I used it in high school. And it was a lot different back then compared to now. But then I read about the Hydralicious Reconditioning line somewhere on the web and how it really helps with damaged and dry hair and how everyone loved it when they used it so I figured I’d give it a try. Plus I’m always game for a new shampoo. And well, from the first time, I was hooked! Seriously, I’ve mentioned a lot of shampoos on the site since I’ve been doing this category and this is hands down, the best one, because it’s cheap and it makes my hair come out soft and silky and smooth. And that helps alot, especially because I’ve been using my flat iron and hairdryer a lot since I got my latest hair cut (all one length and bangs don’t really air dry well). On top of that, it smells sweet and pretty and the smell lingers long enough to catch a whiff of it here and there without it being overpowering. I’m still using it and it’s easily become one of my favorites.
Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites
I have always been a huge fan of the Macaroni Grill but we don’t have any close to us. So when I saw these Restaurant Favorites at the grocery store, they seemed easy enough and looked delicious so I thought I’d give it a go. It basically includes everything you need to make a homemade pasta meal with the exception of whatever protein you want to add. Typically, it calls for chicken and that’s what we add but I imagine you could get away with shrimp and maybe some Italian Sausage as well. Our favorite is the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta. We also like the Chicken Piccata. We’ve tried the alfredo and that’s the only one I wasn’t too impressed about but alfredo is alfredo, so I wasn’t expecting much. However, these are so quick and easy and delicious and not all that bad for you so we have added it to our daily repertoire of meals and we eat it at least once every two weeks or so.
That’s about it for October. Steve got a new truck that month, a 2003 Ford F-150 which I quickly fell in love with. It’s the first car he’s had that’s automatic which means I can drive it so that really helps when I can drive both vehicles. Plus, I love driving that thing because it’s so big and manly. Makes me feel invincible! I also got a better handle on budgeting my funds in the month of October and created a daily cleaning routine for myself. Both of these really helped me feel like life was a little easier because I was planning out things beforehand and I didn’t have to worry as much about money and I was cleaning during the week so I didn’t spend all weekend busting my ass to clean the house. It was all gradual changes but they really started to help in the long run.
It was all about baby steps and October was a very productive month for quite a few things. I was leading into a very productive winter.
Another month down. Time just seems to fly these days. It doesn’t help that I keep wishing for the cold weather and winter darkness to just go away already. But February was a good month. There were a lot of things I loved this month.
Fresh notebooks make me happy!
I’ve always loved the Moleskine notebooks because of their durability and high-quality paper but this month they really served a practical use for me. I bought a 5X8 soft cover gridded notebook and have been using it as my books of lists this month. I’ve put everything in there from shopping lists to spring cleaning lists to general to-do’s and I’ve found that it really helps with my organization. Because of the grids, I have less of a tendency to doodle notes around the edges, which always makes for a confusing list. And because of the durability of the notebook, I can toss it in my purse without having to worry about pages ripping out or getting all wrinkled (I’m a little OCD about my office products!). Regardless, having a large, thick quality notebook available for all of my lists really makes getting things done more organized and just generally nicer.
Free books!
Up until this month, I was buying all of the books I wanted to read. I love the smell and feel of a fresh paperback (I generally prefer them to hardcover). But that was getting to be expensive as I’ve found myself reading a tons more than usual lately. And then one day, I was flipping through my keys and came across my Charleston County Library card, which I had forgotten I applied for, and there was the solution. I had one right around the corner from me so I went there and immediately borrowed six of the books that have been sitting on my Good Reads list for months and now I’ve got tons of stories to keep me occupied well into the summer. Free entertainment = my kind of fun!
That's what she said!
This is another one of those things that I’m super late to the party on. I’ve always loved the episodes of The Office that I’ve seen but I hadn’t watched it from the very beginning. Well, that changed this month when Steve and I added Seasons 1-4 to our Netflix instant watch queue and then spent two weeks streaming them through the XBox (which gets an honorable mention as one of the GREATEST.IDEAS.EVER!). The Office is everything I already knew it was and then some. I should have listened to everyone earlier. I’m just sad now that we’ve finished and have to wait for new episodes on Thursday night. It is so much easier and more fun to watch them all together and not have to wait.
Summertime in a bottle!
I know I did both shampoo and Bath and Body Works last month but I have to tell you about the shampoo and conditioner I bought. I was browsing the store about the first of the month and I saw their hair care was on sale, 2 for $5 which combined was like 1/8 of what I had paid for that Redken stuff. Anyway, I was desperate for some sort of summer pick me up and I have LOVED Coconut Lime Verbena since I first smelled it (it is literally my favorite scent in the whole store and is like summer in a bottle), so I picked up the shampoo and conditioner. And wow, did I fall in love! My hair has never felt softer or more healthy, even with the Redken stuff. What I like about this shampoo is that my hair feels healthy without feeling over-dry, which was the problem I had with the Redken stuff. I still use both this and Redken but I alternate and once I’m done with the Redken, I will most likely buy this exclusively. It is also one of the first volumizing conditioners I have ever used that has actually done just that – I dried my hair this evening and the life and bounce in it was phenomenal. Aside from all that, combining the shampoo and conditioner with the shower gel really gives you a summery, tropical boost when you need a bit of a pick-me-up in the winter.
Sexay!
This was another Bath and Body Works impulse buy because they were on sale. I tended to stay away from anything but the Signature collection in the store but I wandered over to the Aromatherapy section and picked up this Sensuality Black Currant Vanilla Body Wash and Bath because I was looking for a new bubble bath scent. One sniff and I was sold – this is an intoxicating combination of vanilla and muskiness that reminds me of the Far East. But it’s not overwhelming, rather warm and inviting, and it certainly does make the bath more enjoyable. I didn’t really notice if it made me feel “sexy” and “in the mood” but it’s certainly one of those products I’d go to if I was getting ready for a date or doing a weekend beauty routine. As a matter of fact, I just bought the luxury bubble bath in the same scent and can’t wait to try it (the girl at the store said it leaves your skin feeling super soft, so we’ll see!).
HBO is awesome!
Like I need another show to get hooked on. I caught a few episodes of Big Love and I need more. The storylines are fabulous and compelling, the acting is superb (with the exception of Bill Paxton who seems to embody the same terse, emotionless gaze no matter what he’s trying to convey) and the show is just all-around entertaining. I’m fascinated by the relationship between Nikki, Margene and Barb (the three wives) and I love watching how the three of them work through the nuances of their daily lives. To be completely honest, aside from the whole having to share my significant other thing, I’d be totally down with that. It’d be a great help with keeping up the house and like having built in friends/sisters to turn to. It would also probably be a bitch because there are times I don’t even like myself. Don’t know how’d I’d be able to handle two other women in the house!
Yarn balls!
I taught myself to knit this month and I was immediately hooked. It took awhile to get the hang of it and I’m still stumbling through, just practicing the knit and purl stitches. I can do a pretty decent stockinette and can cast on and bind off rather easily. I have yet to make anything useful, but just being able to sit and knit something is relaxing and gives me something to do with my hands while watching TV or a movie without Steve thinking that I’m not watching the TV (if I’m trying to multi-task by being on the computer and watching a show, he says I can’t do both at once and wants to play video games or something). Hopefully, this month, I’ll be able to make something useful but regardless, I’m proud because I’ve taught myself how to do something simple and useful and fun!
And that’s pretty much it. February was a busy month for hobbies and entertainment so I definitely spent a lot of time just enjoying leisurely activities. Now I have another 31 days of finding new things to fall in love with!
