30 Days of Me: Day 1

Since April is my birth month, I figured I’d to the 30 days of me now rather than months ago when I found it. The list is here.

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

Holy buggers Batman! 15 More facts about me? Crikies. Ok some might have to be recycled from previous posts.

Actually scratch that. I’m going to give 15 facts as if we’ve never met (for any one who is new around here)

(That’s a photo from vacation with my friend Tony.)

1. Hi, I’m Cute~Ella. That’s not my real name or even close. More on that tomorrow.

2. I maintain 4 blogs for Cute~Ella (Is, Cooks, Carries and BAB&S, one under my real name for professional reasons, a tumblr account, twitters for Cute~Ella and one for me professionally, have an Etsy site and am looking into launching a group project. Oh and I work a full-time and a part-time job. How? Multitasking…and when I have too much time on my hands I’ll get in trouble.

3. I learned to crochet when I was really little but it didn’t take until my brother’s first tour of Iraq. It was the only thing I could do and not think about him flying missions.

4. I drink a smoothie and eat a yogurt every week day morning for breakfast. My days are long and I find that starting them with two fruits and a lean protein is best for me.

5. I have mini dance parties in my office when booty shaking songs come on the radio. I find this cheers me up a little.

6.I love sushi, but there’s a very good possibility that it’s because it’s more sociably acceptable to eat it with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi than just eating those three on their own.

7. I randomly crave foods I don’t even like all that much. On this list? Doritos, chocolate candy, bananas, and a few others that aren’t coming to mind at the moment.

8. I love ice cold beverages. Actually, I like the ice in them.

9. I’ve already eaten an entire bag of jelly beans this Easter Season and am working on my second one. Jelly beans are my current favorite.

10. I love sending and receiving real mail.  I currently have a game of “Snail Mail Hang Man” going on with my friend BatGirl.  She has a head, a torso and one leg. I also love sending presents to surprise people.

11. I truly believe that I am totally blessed to have the friends and family that I do. They each bring something amazing to my life and I am so thankful that I have them in my life.

12.  When I’m having a bad day or difficult time, I make it a point to make someone else smile. Whether it’s holding a door open or just making someone chuckle, I find it helps me get out of my funk to see someone else smile.

13. I want an iPad for my kitchen. That’s it, just for my kitchen. I want it to be mounted on my wall so I have my recipes and music at my finger tips so I don’t have to bring my laptop into the kitchen every time I want a recipe. I know, it’s very Star Trek TNG and I’m geeky.

14. I generally try to do my best at most of what I do. I genuinely want to do my best at everything I do, but sometimes that’s just not possible. I’m working on it and by “it”, I mean understanding that sometimes, it just has to be done and good enough.

15. I always love learning new facts about my readers. If you are new here (or have been reading here for a while but never say anything) why not say hi and tell me something about yourself. Not sure what to tell me? Answer one of the following: What’s your favorite color or food? Are you wearing pants? What’s your favorite chapstick or lip balm?  I’d consider it a great birthday gift!

So. Day 02- The meaning behind your Blog name. You’ll have to come back tomorrow to find out!

#30daysofme

Friday Fill-In

From Friday Fill-In. 2011-3

And…here we go!

1. So many of us don’t see the possibilities and opportunities ahead of us because we’re so focused on the things that can’t be.

2. There are shining moments and lessons even in hardship.

3. Those who are accepting of others are usually most accepting of themselves first.

4. My future self is waiting quietly.

5. Light is in both the question and the answer.

6. Sometimes the extraordinary gets too much and I revel of all that is ordinary.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a swim, tomorrow my plans include teaching, sushi and chillin’ and Sunday, I want to do a whole lot of nothing that involves leaving my house!

Ok, your turn. Go for it!

Thank you everyone for your kind words and support this week. It was a long one, but I seem to have come out alive with minimal bruising. I’d like to say a special thank you to BatGirl for making me laugh at the best possible moments via GChat, SL for sending me silly articles and quotes and Sue for this morning‘s tear fest. They were good tears.  If she’s not in your reader or daily blogs to check out you should absolutely add her.

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Don’t forget about Belated Delurking Day! There’s a contest over there that closes on Sunday at Midnight.

Happy Belated Delurking Day! (with a Prize)

It turns out that the other day was Delurking Day. Looks like I missed that one. Let’s break out an oldie but a goodie post and answer a few questions: (Ok, I changed/removed some from last time.)

a.) When you were 5 what did you want to be when you grew up? What do you want to be now when you grow up?
b.) What’s your favorite word?
3.) Where is the coolest place you’ve had sex? Most risky?
d.) If money was no object, what would the one place you’d like to see the most?
5.) Can you pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time? Roll your tongue?
6.) Do you believe that global warming is real? Is it caused by lack of Pirates?
7.) How did you find me or who sent you to me?
8.) If you could have any super power, what would you want to have? What would your superhero costume look like?
9.) Do you have any blogs you think I should check out?
j.) What’s your favorite ice-cream flavor?

Answer the questions above in the comments below and I’ll pick a random name out of a hat for a prize. What’s the prize you say? In honor of the crapperiffic weather we’re getting here in the North East it’ll be Hot Chocolate on a Stick! (They’re so cool, they’re even shaped like Ice Cubes. All you do is heat up some milk and stir it in. )

Yes, they’re home made by yours truly.

You have until Sunday at midnight to enter. If you want extra chances, you get one additional for each person you send to me who says you sent them (up to 5) and if you Tweet this, facebook it or blog it I’ll give you another for each one (up to 3 total)

Ready. Set? Go!

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You should also swing over to Rachel”s blog because she’s hosting an Eden’s Fantasy Give Away! All she wants to know is how do you get your sexy back or out of that sex rut!

Story Time: Following from the Front

In high-school I knew a guy we’ll call Craig…mostly because that’s his name. I don’t know if I knew his last name but that’s neither here nor there for this post.

We ran with some of the same people so we spent quite a lot of time together, sometimes with a crowd, sometimes with just a few of us. Isn’t that how it is in high-school?

One day we were driving around with no place to go, just listening to music. He put his blinker on and turned left. Then he put his blinker on and turned right. Left, left, right…This went on for a while.

I noticed that the dark sedan behind us was following us and mentioned it to him. What can I say, he’s not the most – well – law-abiding young citizen I had met to that point. (We’ll ignore the fact that he later became a lawyer.)

“Craig, there’s a car following us.”

He replied, “No, I’m following them!”

“But, we’re in front of them. How are you following them?”

“I’m following from in front!”

Fair enough.

So next time you’re driving around with few plans or exploring a new place, find someone who puts their blinkers on way before their turn, go the same way. Eventually they’ll either reach their destination or figure out what you’re doing, but either way, its worth a laugh.

Do you have any harmless games to play in the car?

It’s time to plan the baby shower…

I don’t have time to write much today because I have to start planning a baby shower!

Nope not for me. (Although after watching 4 hours of that damn I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant show I’m paranoid that it’ll happen to me…)

It’s for D’Lovely! When we were hanging out on Saturday, she said she’d changed her mind and would like to have one.

Am I stoked or am I stoked?

I’ve been given the following requirements:
* not only co-ed, but guy friendly and fun!
* no typical games such as “What’s in the diaper?” or “How big around is the Mommy-to-be?” or “Guess the baby food”
* maybe use the baby’s name as inspiration.
* collaborate with her mother in law regarding this event.

I think I’m just the person to do this considering my distinct disdain for all things baby/wedding shower related.  I’m up for the challenge.

First things first, find a day to have it.

If you have suggestions that fall within the above requirements, please feel free to share them. I can’t share the baby’s name publicly because that’s not my job, but I’ll take care of that.

Promises…Balance…Priorities?

At the beginning of the nice weather this year, I looked at myself and my year so far and asked myself if I was where I wanted to be and could I do better? The answer was “not really” and “yes”. I made a series of promises and agreements with myself to try and achieve some of the things I wanted to fix.

Part of one of the promises to myself this summer was to have more fun and meet some new people. (Not that I don’t have the greatest friends ever  already!)

I joined Kickball and have a summer full of fun guests, trips and events planned.

Another promise to myself was to be less wasteful, shop less, and save more money.

Not that I’m really bad, but I could do a lot better. Why go shopping for food when there’s plenty in my fridge/freezer? And for crying out loud, until I’m getting paid a dividend, stop giving Target so much of my money!

A third promise to myself involved being more good to my physical and mental health.

I didn’t go to Boston for the beer crafters event, I’ve declined invitations when I just couldn’t do it rather than cram it all into a day, and I was doing really well with food and exercise.

What to do, though, when your promises to yourself start to contradict each other?

I want to have fun and I paid for kickball, but today? I just don’t know if I can do it. It’s been a craptacular day. I don’t want to be wasteful and feel like I’m throwing away the $5-$8 today’s game “cost” me, but today is a day my mental health would be directly improved if I don’t go play and instead work on the completely overwhelming list of things I HAVE to get done.

The $5-$8 down the tubes is worth it right now. I think.

Another example? I have food in my fridge and freezer. The plan was to not go grocery shopping because although it wasn’t my favorite foods or what I would prefer to have on hand, I DO have food to eat and don’t NEED to go buy more. But truth be told, I’m sorely missing my favorite foods and last night I began to wonder if they’re my “favorites” because my body needs them. Or is it all mental? By eating my “favorite” foods am I contributing to my mental or physical health? Maybe both? I’m not sure…

In a similar vein, last night I really wanted pepperoni pizza with mushrooms. Really really really wanted it. But I had food in my fridge and didn’t think I should spend the money, so I didn’t order it. Now I’m questioning if that was the best move? I don’t know.

As I’m sure my friends and specifically Frank can tell you, my physical heath with the food and exercise? It started to take away from my mental health. I was paying too much attention to what I was eating and if I had enough physical activity on any given day that I was driving myself nuts (or more nuts) slowly. Was it worth it to fit into the dress? Yes. Is it still worth it? The verdict is still out. I’ve taken a couple weeks off the gym and strict food regime and I’m feeling it, but I can’t say that I feel it in just bad ways. I think the key will be to find that balance.

Balance. Priorities.

I didn’t start writing this today looking for cheers of you can do it or mental hugs (although they can be nice…) I started writing today to sort it out for me mentally and maybe let someone else know they’re not alone in this whole crazy life. I think part of the rest of the summer is going to be figuring out where that Balance is and which priorities need to and can be shifted around.

How about you? How do you find your Balance? Where do your Priorities lie?

I’m stressing out! (UPDATED WITH INFO)

So in a couple weeks I’m hosting a bachelorette night for D’Lovely. I have to be creative because it should be relatively booze free.

Between reservations, guest list, stuff to make and purchase…well, I’m a little stressed out. I’ll get it done and ask for help, but part of the problem is that I’m really not sure about some of it.

(I should be able to do this. I love planning birthday parties, baby showers, dinner parties, Talentod’s Day Extravaganzas! But this one has me just a little freaked out.)

I want to make sure everyone’s having fun, but that it’s relaxed.  I really HATE most of the typical bridal shower games. So far, I am planning the following:

• Photo Hunt  – They’re lots of fun I think, everyone is given a list of stuff, some concrete, some conceptual and they have to get photos of each thing. It might be as simple as  “a picture of you and the bride to be” or as abstract/complicated as “love”. After the event, I’ll ask everyone to please give me their pictures and I will put them together in a book of sorts with “wishes and suggestions” for her.
• Quiz or Crossword Puzzle – pretty self explanatory

(Other suggestions are welcome. Please don’t make me spend too much time on The Knot, that website freaks me out…)

I’m also planning goodie bags with treats, decorations for ourselves and hopefully wine while we get mani and pedis.

I’m at a bit of a loss and stressing out, but know that I’m totally making the Pretty Pecker Pops.

(I’m serious. Suggestions are welcome. Send your friends over and let them make suggestions.)

UPDATED INFO: We’re getting mani and pedis and having dinner at a local restaurant, maybe stopping at one other place so we will be out in public. Games like “Pin the Penis on the Man” while possibly fun, are going to likely be difficult to pull off.

Games I Play with Myself.

Sometimes I play a game when I really don’t want to grocery shop or I’m pretty broke. I don’t have a title for it, but basically what I do is try and see just how long I can go without buying ANY food at all.

Does anyone else do this? It gets pretty creative sometimes. Like when I found out that white wine, a little brown mustard, and some honey make for an excellent glaze to go on keilbasa and egg noodles…Or that peanut butter and jelly is fantastic on blueberry waffles…or that left over chicken flavored rice, basil and tomatoes make an excellent cold dish…

I have a lot of odds and ends that I think I’ll try and do this with this week. I know I have an acorn squash and a sweet potato, lots of frozen veggies and pasta, tuna in the cupboard, scallops in the freezer…Lots of sort of random stuff.

So this week, I’m not going to get any groceries. I’ll allow myself one lunch out – most likely sushi or a sub – but other than that? Everything has to be out of my pantry/fridge/freezer. And as an added bonus complication? It has to be within my “Between the Holidays” diet.

(“Between the Holidays” diet is my rather strict in nature diet to help mitigate weight gain between Thanksgiving and Christmas that I’ll then want to lose after New Years. Hopefully, it won’t be too bad this year!)

But I am allowed to get milk. I do have to have something to eat cereal with after all…

So! Who else does this? What did you come up with?

Inspiration comes from the damnedest places

Word of the Day: polemic (puh-LEM-ik) n. an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another; the art or practice of disputation; OR disputant

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Warning, this might be one of my most notnice posts in a long time. But I think you’ll get a kick out of it…

There is this woman who I work with see every day. She has some imaginative outfits.

About 9 months or so ago, a coworker and I,someone else who sees her daily and I decided that her outfits are inspired by movies. We’re pretty sure that she watches a movie and then creates one for the next day based on inspiration from that movie.

We see it sort of like a game to guess what movie she watched.

No, I’m not making this up.  And I’m trying to get pictures. So far, she’s been elusive. (And I tried really hardto get one of the Flashdance outfit.) Also note, I don’t pretend to be the fashion police, but I do have common sense when dressing myself and a mirror.

What movies has she been watching? Well…In no particular order:

Star Wars:  An olive green skirt, off white peasant shirt, brown potato shaped boots and a tan vest. Oh and she like messed up her hair to look all “sassy” (I put it in quotes because I think that’s what she was going for, but I’m really not sure.) She looked just like an Ewok.
 
The Color Purple. This one was tricky. She was wearing different shades of purple head to toe. (She matches her head band to the outfit. No joke, sometimes it has a bow or a flower. This one had a bow.) It took us awhile to figure out what movie that was and then it dawned on me! Oh, I felt silly that day.

Little House on the Prairie.(3 different times) Long denimish skirt, flowered shirts, brownish jacket, headbands to match the shirt color, orthopedic looking shoes that tie…

Flashdance. Red tank top, red skirt, grey off the shoulder sweater with red belt. Grey knee high flat boots.

Matilda. Grey jacket with HUGE shoulder pads, grey skirt. I’m talking belch bland jail warden grey people. She looked just like the mean teacher lady in Matilda who was rumored to have shot put the kids

Don’t Tell Mom The Baby Sitter’s Dead. Remember when Sue Ellen was rummaging around her mother’s closet to find something to wear for work? I feel like this outfit could have been included in that wardrobe. Electric Blue Suit with Red shoes, white collared satinish shirt and either the scarf was attached or she saw the need for a white satinish scarf. Need I say more?

Willy Wonka. Bright indigo dress, purple scarf, purple head band. Now you should know that this particular woman is very round. This dress wasn’t long. (In fact, someonemight have commented that it was inappropriately short for a woman of her age and shape.) I swear I could hear the Oompa Loompas singing the Violet song in my head (you know from after she eats the gumball…)

Ok folks, that’s enough snark for me today. I’m telling you, if I could get pictures I would. I will certainly try harder! If I can get a picture of today’s outfit (Brown suede jacket, pink flowered skirt brown flats…it’s screaming at me, but I can’t quite put my finger on what movie it was…sort of Victorianesque meets cow girl) then I’ll post it later and we can guess what movie it’s from.

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Request for the Day: What’s the best outfit you’ve seen a coworker wear? And by best of course I mean eye searing head scratching worst thing you’ve seen.

How to Pick a Horse – Cute~Ella Style

Tomorrow, I’m going to the race track to spend some time with friends, drink some Coors Lite and Lemonade, and bet on the ponies.

I can’t think of a better way to spend The Bro’s birthday. Ok, I can, but I can’t afford a ticket to fly to him right now.

Now, I’ve had some success betting on the ponies (and by some I mean some. Not a lot. But considering my betting vs. winning, I come out about even every year.)

Success is success right? And I like to share my successes with you. (How To, not the actual money. I already spent that.)

There are many ways to pick ponies. My grandfather (who is an avid horse racing fan) subscribes to a theory much like this.

That is far too constricting for me though. (Also, after a few drinks my ADD kicks in harder core and it’s too complicated.) Besides, it’s not Bold or Sassy.

So what is a Cute~Ella to do? Well, I’ll tell you.

A few ground rules first: You don’t have to bet if you don’t like a race. Never bet more than you can afford to lose. Don’t get mad if you don’t win. Make fun of as many people in bad and expensive outfits as you can. Doubly if they’re wearing rediculous hats. Take a packet of tissues and antibacterial wipes. It’s not Countryfest bathrooms, but they’re not pretty. Wear sunscreen.

Ok.

FIRST. I like to bet NUMBERS. The easiest way I found to pick the numbers is by using Birthdays of friends, family and other dearly connected and loved ones.

You go through the book and pick as many birthdays as you can for the people near and dear to you. Month and day. 

For example – my birthday is on April 3 so therefore I must bet on the horse in the Third slot in the Fourth race. (Should the Third horse scratch, I go with the First one because 4/1 is NotSoSweetPea’s birthday or the Fourth or Fifth horse because I have dear friends with 4/4 and 4/5 as birthdays.)

The Bro’s birthday is August 1 so I go to the Eighth race and pick the First horse.

I typically bet mine, my brothers, my mom and dad. If I’m dating someone, I might toss in their birthday for fun and entertainment.

See how easy that is? I like to bet $2 to show on each of them.  Click here for info on Show, Place, Win.)

(Note, if I have winnings from previous races, I might put $26 on the the 8/1 horse. The Bro will be 26. We’ll see how I feel about it when I get there.)

SECOND. I go through each race and find the NAMES of the horses I like. I’m liking the name “Malibu Moonshine”, “Phantom Gunslinger”, and several from the 6th race.

If there’s no NAMES I like that’s ok. I don’t need to bet.

Again, unless something really makes your tummy say, “HEY!” put $2 on your horse to show.

THIRD. If you haven’t picked a horse based on the first two methods, you may employ my aunt’s favorite method after picking all horses with some sort of “cat” word in the name.

Horse color and jockey outfit color. She bets grey horses over brown, if she likes the color combination the jockey is wearing and an extra dollar if the horse and the jockey look good together.

If the horse you’re betting on is a long shot? Put an extra dollar on it.

Now there are other things you can do like boxing, picking a trifecta etc. but I don’t really understand them so I don’t bother.

I’m not there to win money, I’m there to play and have fun…if I win money? BONUS.

Questions? Good luck!

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Gambling Problem? The New York Racing Association encourages responsible wagering. If gambling is a problem for you or someone you care about, help is available 24 hours a day. Call toll-free 1-800-437-1611 or 1-800-522-4700.