Pardon My Dust...

My poor computer is on the fritz. I'll be back up and running as soon as possible.

Updates I'll have:
AthensGAHalf
school
hair
trips
Samhain
and just life in general

See you soon! (I hope.)

I've Got A New 'Do

So, I might be a little crazy.

And, I might be a little wild.

I've also wanted to do this for years.

Here's goes nothing.

It started while having a beer and shooting some pool with an awesome friend. Said awesome friend has a glorious mohawk. See where I'm going with this one? I mentioned my want to have my own and he's more than willing to do it for me. Cue second guesses on if it would actually look good.

So, 1 AM comes around and this is what's happening.

Little tufts of pink hair keep falling the in the floor.

Oh dear, what is happening to my head? Why it's being shaved, of course. Two hours (and a lot of giggles) later, I have my own glorious mohawk and boy am I happy with it. I can't quit feeling the sides of my head. Hah.

Final look. :D

I hope this bit of fun makes up for my absence.

Teaser Tuesday

You know it.

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

"That's what Randy knows. When it comes to the details, Cantrell and Pekka are way out of his league, so after a few minutes he feels himself losing interest."

Page 438 of Crytonomicon by Neal Stephenson.

Up next, when I finish this book, will be The Girl Who Played With Fire. I finally broke down and got it!

Teaser Tuesday... A Day Late.

I apologize for that. I got all excited about my first C25K run that I forgot about it. So, here you go!

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

"Waterhouse has completely lost whatever control he might ever have had over the situation and himself. His tongue seems to be made of erectile tissue."

Page 320 of Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.

Quite a few of these Teaser Tuesdays are going to be from this book. It's a big book. I'll try to mix it up for you.

Hello, August.

August is here. Which means that fall semester is right around the corner. My last fall semester. My last semester ever actually. *dances*

Just some quick updates:

- This no smoking thing. Two weeks in and I've had some lapses. I know, bad me. But, I have saved $20 so far. I know it's not much, but it's a start.

- My knee hates me right now. I figured with the start of a new months I could start doing a couple of things to better myself. The first of those is that I'm going to go running at least every other day. I started tonight and did 1.4 miles. It's small, but, like with the smoking thing, it's a start. More on this topic later; I have a link to share.

- The other thing to better myself is that I'm going to start keeping super close track of my spending and such. Every little bit of money I can put away between now and next summer (or summer of 2012) will be that much more I'll have for the plan to move to Colorado Springs and a graduation trip to Ohio to see my internet besties.

- By the way, I got to meet my internet besties on Wednesday. I had a ton of fun (hope they did, too). And, I can't wait to see them again in December (November?)!

One last thing, a picture for you. The newest haircolor. I might be a week late in posting this one.

Whoa Life!

Things are changing for me. It's crazy.

After 10 months of being engaged, I am no longer getting married. That was one of the hardest decisions of my life. It still hurts but I will get through it.

I am three days in this not smoking thing. I really want a cigarette right now. The past few days have been... irritating... so to say. But, so far, so good. Let's hope it keeps up that way.

Next week is going to be so exciting! I finally get to meet my internet BFFs. This one makes me squeeee a lot. I really can't wait to meet my lovelies!!!!

So, there will no longer be any wedding updates. Instead, there will be "My Plan to Move to Colorado Springs" updates. I'm anxious to graduate and get going on this new journey.

Where is life taking you?

Keeping Promises

I promised you a hair update and here it is. I went and had more cut off. But, just in the back. It's my reverse mullet and it's cute damnit. Also, I gave the silver dye a go. It didn't work out so well. My hair is currently faintly purple with two inches of gold roots. No biggie though. That just means that I get to do the next color sooner.




So, there you go. My failed hair experiment. :D

Teaser Tuesday!

I'm back from my hiatus and ready to go. You know the Tuesday drill kids.

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

"So, what we propose to do is mount big rotating antennas, or aerials as you call them here, on the castle, and staff the place with huffduff boffins."
The duke frowns.

Page 258 of Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.

P.S. Tomorrow, I'll have pictures of the new haircut and *finally* silver color!

Silver: Getting Started.

So, first bleaching process down and it did better than I expected. Most of the green came out, but I failed at getting to all my roots on the back of my head. So, a second process it is... once my hair dries.

Just so you know what products I'm using, here's a picture.



I'm using MANIC PANIC FLASH LIGHTNING 40 vol. bleach. Since my hair is so short, I can get two processes out of one box.
To get the silver, I'm giving Stargazer in SILVERLOOK a try. Yes, I am aware that it looks a awfully purple in the picture. Such is the way to get silver. I promise.

I should have gotten a before picture but here's what my head looks like after one bleach process.



So, there's the update on the hair adventure. I'll keep them coming as I go on. I may do it all tonight or I may take a few days to get it done. I'm not sure on that yet. Till the next one!

Hiyo Silver Away!

I know it's been a while guys but I'm back! I had an out of town guest. I just wanted to do a quick post now and I'll come around tomorrow for Teaser Tuesday. Onward!

It's time to change my hair again. Nine weeks of green has been fun, but my life is changing so the hair is, too. The color of choice this time is silver. Tricky but should be fun. I'll be back with an update when I do it. But, for now, I'm off to eat dinner.

A Blast From The Past

For a brief stint between VHS tapes and the introduction of CDs and DVDs, there was another way to enjoy your movies at home. It came in the form of an 11.81" diameter, two-sided disc called LaserDisc. LaserDisc didn't do so well in the American market, but the Japanese loved it.

LaserDisc was the forerunner technology to CDs and DVDs, even if a bit cumbersome. I've watched one LaserDisc in my life. It was in a middle school science class and the book had a LD that accompanied it.

So, on to the point of this post. I've been going through everything I own and throwing things that I don't need or want out in preparation for the move I'll be making across the country next year. Yes... I know... I'm jumping the gun, but what I do now means less to do then when I'm all in a tizzy about the wedding. It's been kind of therapeutic to get rid of useless shit. And, hey, we all need some therapy sometimes.

So, I'm just plowing through all this stuff when I come across something I got from a friend about five years ago. It entertains me to no end every time I find this thing again. I bet you've guessed by now that it's a LaserDisc of some sort.

Well, you're exactly right. It is a LaserDisc. In fact, it is Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal on LaserDisc.


I'm thinking about framing it.

Teaser Tuesday!

I'm getting back on schedule with this. The book I'm currently reading has my nose stuck... no make that glued to it. You know the drill, kids.

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

"Our coquilles arrived, filled with a wonderful rich concoction of seafood seasoned with exotic Mediterranean spices. Something about a good meal and a full-bodied wine always seemed to make me truly relaxed and mellow--and to dull my survival instincts exactly when I needed them sharpest."

Page 434 of The Magic Cricle by Katherine Neville.

Comparisons

Have you ever been told that you remind people of someone? Did that someone happen to be a pseudo-comic book character. I say pseudo-comic book character because she was introduced in the animated series before being adapted into the comic books.

Have you guessed who she is?



Yep, I'm talking about Dr. Harleen Quinzel.

The other day is was at the botanical garden working for my internship (which is half over!) and the person I was working with this week told me that I remind him of Harley. Apparently, my bounciness reminds people of her. Want to know the funny part of that?

I'm planning to go as Harley for Samhain one year. I like to sew so I'd be making the costume myself. The trouble is that I can't decide if I want to go for the original unitard that she wears or go all out and go this route.


So, who have you been compared to?

Getting Organized

The other night I had a freak out moment. One of those moments where you go OMG-I-haven't-worked-on-planning-this-shindig-for-months. Needless to say, it lit a fire under my arse to get organized and start knocking things out. I've got a list of things to do going and am adding to it with the help of already married friends. An Excel spreadsheet is made to keep track of budget and spending. There's still a lot to do, but I'm not freaking out anymore.

Things that are done (or nearly at completion) are:

Wedding dress is bought! I'm still gathering what I need to make the modifications I want without actually cutting/sewing the dress. By the way, I absolutely love my dress. It's from Alfred Angelo and is now discontinued. Not to mention, I got it at a steal of a price.

Alfred Angelo style 1144 - discontinued

The champagne colored train is detachable and I don't have it. It's fine because it's perfect without the extra length.

Ceremony location is set but not paid for. There are still some important details, like what time we want to do it, that need to be worked out. So, barring the Botanical Garden offering to give me the Conservatory for free (a girl can dream, right?), the Ringgold Wedding Chapel is our ceremony location.

We've mostly decided on a reception location. I just need to keep that fire lit long enough to call them and get all the details about things. Screw sit down dinners. We're going bowling!


I have just about all of the paper goods to do the invitations. I'm just missing the RSVP envelopes. Invitations can be printed as soon as the locations and times are set in stone. And, considering they don't get sent out till January, I've got time on those.

The guestlist is set! We just have to track down addresses and phone numbers for everyone. Again, the invites aren't going out till January, so there's time to go yet.

So, some stuff is done and we still have a lot of work to do, but I'm confident that once the big things are set that everything else will fall into place.

What were the little things that came up for you?

Call Me The Crazy Plant Lady.

I'm doing my internship at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia here in Athens. Let me tell you, I'm having a blast with it. I get the feeling that a number of my upcoming posts are going to be filled with pictures from the garden. Let's start now!

Goofing off while processing some MetalPhoto plates.

Please disregard my silly face. :)

Begonia 'Metallic Mist'

Tradescantia pallida 'Pale Puma'

Tibouchina

Phalaenopsis hybrida

These are just a few plants that I've come across in the greenhouses this week. Trust me there are plenty more pictures to come. With 7 1/2 weeks to go on my internship, I have plenty of time to take more pictures to show off.

What is your favorite plant?

Teaser Tuesday!

I remembered that it's Tuesday and I haven't put up my teaser yet! So, here it is in my effort to get back to regular posting.

"That was all Laf would tell me, but I knew he was being straight with me. He was worried about me, not about some feud with Bambi's family or with ours."

Page 246 of The Magic Circle by Katherine Neville.

Teaser Friday?

Yeah, I know. I'm terrible at keeping up. So, here's what I should have posted Tuesday.

"He examined the pictures curiously. Frank Randall had been a slender, handsome, aristocratic-looking man."

Page 25 of Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon.

I Love Old People.

They get just so tickled by my hair and can't help themselves but to comment on it. In the past few days this is what I've gotten on the green hair:

"Oh my is that permanent. It's quite lovely."

"Oh you are just so adorable with that hair and dress."

Add some more on the same vein. One lady even told me to keep the green and skip the pink for the wedding. Hehe!

What's your favorite old person moment?

Oh Hai... And You Know What's Awesome 2.0

Oh hello. So, nice to see you again. Uhm... so yeah... school may have slightly kicked my ass for a bit there. Well, I'm back. I started an internship with the State Botanical Gardens of Georgia on Monday. Wheee. I'm that much closer to graduating in December. I'm going to do an IDL (Independent Distance Learning, a.k.a. internet) course as well. I should be back to regular blogging now.

Now for you know what's awesome 2.0. Another new haircolor. I'll let the picture speak for itself.


Next time I change colors I'm going pink. Once that occurs, I know that the wedding isn't too far off. Oh jeebus. We're down to 10 1/2 months!

You Know What's Awesome?

New hair is awesome. I changed colors. Wah-hoo!

Before - red that had faded



After - bleached in preparation for green



Also, I'd like to apologize for my lack of and brevity of posts. It's the last few weeks of the semester and school is raping me. I'll be back to regular posting in a couple of weeks after finals are over.

Earth Day

Just a quick quote from the Native Americans before I start studying for a test that I have tomorrow. I think it sums up Earth Day nicely.

"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was lent to you by your children." -Native American Proverb

Teaser Tuesday: The Princess Bride

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

"Buttercup went to her room. She lay on her bed."

Page 55 of The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

Teaser Tuesday: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo [2]

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

"Blomkvist changed into his tracksuit and went for a run out to the Fortress and down to Gottfried's cabin before he headed home at a slower pace along the water. Frode was sitting at the garden table."

Page 406 of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

It's Been Quite Long Enough.

Today is going to be my first day as a non-smoker.

I started smoking at 17 years old. That was nearly 6 years ago. I feel like it's time to quit, though. I've been mulling the idea over more and more often lately. I figure that if I'm thinking about it as often as I have been, it's time to give it a go.

I've heard all the reasons to quit and quite frankly, they mean nothing to me. All of those reasons to quit never sparked an urge in me to quit. My boss quit smoking two years ago and he told me that you really have to hate smoking to quit. I'll be honest here, I don't hate smoking. In fact, I enjoy it.

So, here's goes nothing. I'm quitting. For what reason I can't really pinpoint. It's just time and that's all the excuse I need.

You're Expecting Plant of the Week Aren't You?

Well, I'm skipping my plant post today for something delicious. Delicious in the form of a wee pub I found at five points. The Royal Peasant is a wonderful place to go for some bangers & mash or fish & chips.



The food is superb and the beer is even better. I found a beer that I like on the first sip... and the second... and the rest of the pint. I present to you Curim Gold. It's a wheat beer imported from Ireland and brewed by Carlow Brewing Company. Curim has a gorgeous color and a delicious light taste that makes me like beer. Curim is by no means the only choice of beer you have.



And, the atmosphere. Oh the atmosphere is awesome. I wind up spending more than two hours there just eating, drinking, and enjoying the company of friends. I will warn you though, certain types of persons are not allowed.




But, you should stop by and watch the footie games each week and drink with your friends, even if you just met them when you walked in the pub.



You should check it out if you're ever in Athens. But, for now, I'll leave you with a message from the landlord.


"A pub is a state of mind. It is a place where relaxation and conversation are the order of the day. In the "local" a sense of being at home is very much in evidence and it is the job of the publican to ensure maintenance of the atmosphere.
Informaility is rampant and many a stout Englishman has fallen to the lure of his local. The urge to "dive in for a swift pint" has challenged and defeated the hardiest of souls."
-Mike, The Landlord

Where is your favorite pub?

So, How DO You Wear a Tiny Hat?

I debuted the tiny hat here a couple weeks ago. I told some friends of mine and one of them told me that she's always wondered how in the heck people wear those tiny hats. My answer to her, now that I've worn it, is this: wear it jauntily, with confidence, and with style.



I mentioned wearing it with confidence because I did receive some strange looks from people. Mostly, though, I had people stopping me to tell me how cute they thought it was.


So, really, if you find a tiny hat you like, go for it! Wear it and don't worry about the funny looks. That person giving you a funny look is just jealous that you're cuter than they are.

When I get around to making the tiny hat I'll be wearing for my wedding, I'll be taking pictures of the process and posting a tutorial. Just don't expect it too soon.

If you have a tiny hat of your own, link me to it so I can see you wearing it!

Teaser Tuesday: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

"When the district court - the institution that would determine her future - met to decide on the matter, the outcome seemed a foregone conclusion. She was obviously a problem child, and it was unlikely that the court would come to any decision other than to accept the recommendations of both the psychiatric and the social inquiries."

Page 176 of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson.

Gentle Face Scrub Recipe

Every once in a while I take a trip to the local hippy dippy store called EarthFare. It's kind of a neat little grocery/healthy living store and they have some super delicious cheese. Sometimes they have samples of things out and I picked up this gentle face scrub sample and the card with the recipe.

Recipe first:

1/2 cup ground oatmeal
1/4 cup powdered goat milk
1 tsp. cornmeal
1 tsp. ground jasmine flowers or lavender buds (optional)

Mix ingredients in a bowl or zipper bag. No refrigeration required. Use within 6 months.

To use: mix 1 - 2 tsp with enough water to make a paste. Apply to face and throat using circular strokes. Rinse with warm water.


I used the sample and it seems to be a fairly nice scrub minus a lot of chemicals. If you give it a try, come back and let me know what you thought about it.

365 Days

The countdown begins. In exactly one year, I will be Mrs. T. Holy crow, Batman. I'm super excited for this countdown to start. So, uh... yeah, I might want to kick that wedding planning stuff into gear. Halp?

Spring, It's Really Here

I had a post topic all lined up for today, but it's going to wait a few days. Right now, I'm going to tell you how I really know that Spring has arrived.

I am a college student. So, my seasons are usually broken up by when my classes are and I trudge to them no matter the season. During the Spring and Summer it's hot outside, but I need a jacket inside because the rooms are so flipping cold. Winter comes around and it's freezing (relatively, I get cold easy) outside and the classrooms are somewhere in the fifth circle of Hell temperature-wise. See my body's confusion here?

So, the real question is: how do I really know when Spring is here?

For me, spring is here when my teachers decide that it's too pretty outside to have class is a room. Fortunately, my home on campus (the plant sciences building) has a wee amphitheater behind it.

Today was that day. We had class outside in the sunshine. Spring really is here.

When is Spring really here for you?

Teaser Tuesday: Snow Crash

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

"Earth materializes, rotating majestically in front of his face. Hiro reaches out and grabs it."

Page 267 of Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.

Product Review: Fujifilm FinePix Z37

As promised, I'm getting to that camera. Now that you know the name of it let's talk specs.

Resolution: 10.oo megapixels
Zoom wide (W): 35mm
Zoom tele (T): 105mm (3x)
Flash modes: Auto, On, Off, Slow sync, Red-eye reduction
Movie Clips: 640 x 480 @ 30 fps, 320 x 240 @ 30 fps
Self-timer: 2 or 10 sec
Storage types: SD/SDHC, Internal (18MB)
USB: USB 2.0 (480Mbit/sec)
Battery: NP-45A Li Ion battery
Weight (inc. batteries): 125 g (4.4 oz)
Dimensions: 90 x 58 x 24 mm(3.5 x 2.3 x 0.9 in)
Color Options: Blue, Green, Purple, Black/Red, White/Red, White/Pink, and more.

I'm pretty much in love with this camera. It's an easy to use point and shoot style and fits perfectly in a pocket or purse. Remember those pictures in the last post? They were all from this wee camera on the flower setting. Not to mention it's cute as all get out. Mine's a very pretty shade of blue.

What kind of camera do you have?

Plant of the Week: Not really just one plant...

But, a bunch of pictures I took today of random plants while walking. I'm very happy with the flower mode on my camera (more on the camera in a different post). So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the pretty flowers.

I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did!

Teaser Tuesday: The Outsiders

You know the drill.

"That's gold. Keep that way, it's a good way to be."

Page 154 of The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton.

Shopping Haul: Claire's & Target

So, yesterday a friend and I spent some time shopping. I think we may have spent too much time in Claire's. Everything was so shiny/Alice in Wonderland-y/cute to not look for a while. Here's the haul.

From Claire's:

My favorite buy of the day. The tiny hat!



The *gasp* purse. I'm not a purse type of girl, so this is a step out of my zone.



Now, let' move on to target. A pair of super cute shoes. They're from Mossimo Supply Co. and can be found for $20 in store or at Target.com.

Mossimo Supply Co. Ozella Flats

What has your haul been recently?

Teaser Tuesday: Outlander [2]

I know I've been MIA for a week. Well... I was in California for Spring Break. I'm sorry but I'm also back. And, with me being back, it's time for Teaser Tuesday. And, yes I am STILL reading Outlantder. I slacked off while in California having way mucho fun with the fiance.

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

"Shouldn't you be helping him?" I murmered to Murtagh, out of the corner of my mouth. He look surprised at the idea.

Page 222 of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

Share your teaser!

Teaser Tuesday: Outlander

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

I accept.


Jamie, I had found out by accident a few days previously, had never mastered the art of winking one eye. Instead, he blinked solemnly, like a large red owl.

Page 358 of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

Share your teaser!

Plant of the Week: The Asteraceae Family

I know, I know, this post is super late and not on a Sunday. So, why not. Also, I may not post one this coming Sunday either (I'll be in California and attending the engagement party being thrown for T and I). So, off we go with the Asteraceae family, which most of you would know as the daisy family. Time for a pretty picture. And... GO!

Everyone likes a pretty picture, right? Now onto the fun stuff about this family.

- The Asteraceae family is one of the largest families of flowering plants with over 20,000 species. Now that's a lot of flowers.

- It is also sometimes called the Compositae family in reference to the type of inflorescence the flowers have.

- An inflorescence is the blossom arrangement of a flower and there are many types out there. Picture time, again! Just a few types of inflorescence.


- The daisy family typically has a composite type inflorescence, meaning that it is made up of many many many smaller flowers. Take number 10 from the first pretty picture. See those white petals on the outside? Those are actually individuals flowers called ray flowers. And, in the middle, that is also many tiny flowers themselves called disc flowers. Together, all of these tiny flowers make one beautiful composite flower.

- Sunflowers, dahlias, gerberas, asters, and black-eyed susans are all a part of this family.

- The leaves of the daisy can be eaten in salads. Yum!

I'll close this one out with more pretty pictures.






This last one is for a special buddy of mine. Lurve you, wench!

Review: The Road

I'll get this out there now, I didn't like this book. I think what bothered me the most was that no one was given a name. Or maybe it was the gray depression of the whole thing. It was really a downer of a story. So, perhaps reading The Road right after another post-apocalyptic story wasn't the best of ideas.

But, even though I didn't like the book (maybe next time, I will), I will say that it was wonderfully written. It's my first read of a McCarthy book and you better believe that I'll be reading more of his work. He really knows how to tell a story and make you feel like you are the character you're reading about.

All in all, The Road is dark... really dark. So, if you take it on find a warm fire and some bourbon to keep you warm and close to the light.

Stats:
Author - Cormac McCarthy
Year Published - 2006
Pages - 287
Genre - Post-Apocalyptic

Teaser Tuesday

I found this on another blog that I follow. Seems like fun, so I'll give it a whirl.

Your mission should you choose to accept:
1) Grab the book you are currently reading.
2) Open said book to a random page.
3) Post two sentences from that page (no spoilers, please).
4) List the page number, title, and author of the book.

I accept.

"He thought about the picture in the road and he thought that he should have tried to keep her in their lives in some way but he didn't know how. He woke coughing and walked so as to not wake the child."

Page 54 of The Road by Cormac McCarthy

What's your teaser?

Review: Lucifer's Hammer

First off, this book was amazing. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it. So, go read it!

Lucifer's Hammer goes through the survival of many people after a comet hits Earth. You even get a from space view of the impact! I will say that the first 75 pages or so are slow, but once you're past that it picks up and becomes quite the fun read. I know I'm not saying much about what happens, I just don't want to spoil it.


Stats:
Author - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
Year Published - 1977
Pages - 629
Genre - Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic

Happy reading!

Entertainment... From 3 Years Ago

My school does events on Friday nights called Dawgs After Dark. The program is meant to keep younglings away from downtown and give them something fun to do. Sometimes this includes video booths where you can be put in a video. I tend to work movie shifts when these things start. Well, the result of this is a video of three of my friends doing "A Whole New World" from Aladdin.

I present to you: "A Whole New World" performed by some silly UGA students. Enjoy!

Makeup Review: Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara

So, this is my first, and likely my last, makeup review. I'm just not that big into makeup (even though I have a drawer full). I'd say about 25 days of the month I go without makeup all day. But, I'll admit to being drawn in by the commercials for Maybelline's Lash Stilleto. It was the boots. I love a good pair of sexy boots. Look at those boots!


I'll admit another thing: I've never tried a lengthening or volumizing mascara. That goes back to the not that big into makeup thing. So, here goes with the review. First up, a picture of my eyes without any makeup.


And, then with mascara. I did one eye (just upper lashes) with the Lash Stiletto and the other with a drugstore brand plain mascara, both in black.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto ................................................... Drugstore Brand

Either I have really long lashes naturally or I'm blind. Because, honestly, I don't see a length difference between the two or my natural lashes. Even with no real length difference that I can see, I love this mascara. The packaging is eye-catching, mimicking a stiletto with shiny silver lettering. The brush is square with crossed, stiff bristles. This is what I love so much about this mascara. The brush does an amazing job of separating the lashes making them look fluffy and very close to a really good set of false lashes. The brush tapers, too, making it easy to get into the corners of the eyes without getting mascara anywhere other than the lashes. The formula goes on easy, covers with just one coat, and wears well.

So, the verdict is: if you want extra length, this one won't do it, but the application and lash separation is totally worth it.

Have you tried Lash Stiletto? What did you think about it?

Plant of the Week: Plant Hardiness Zones

I know, I know. Plant hardiness zones aren't plants, but they're important! I promise. Knowing your plant hardiness zone will help you immensely in choosing what plants to grow. You see, plants grow better in some places than others. Take last week's plant, the purple passion plant, it grows well in Zones 9 - 12 which puts it in the very southern United States and the West coast. But, like I said last week it can be grown inside in, say, Zone 7b where I am and thrive.
















With just this little bit of knowledge you can be well on your way to growing a successful garden. So, hop on over to arborday.org and put in your zip code to find your Plant Hardiness Zone. Or, you can take a gander at the map here and get a good idea of your zone.

In general when you go to your local Lowe's, Home Depot, or nursery, they will only carry plants that are suited for your zone. If you happen to be buying seeds or even small plants online, knowing your zone will help you make sure that your precious new plant will survive.

Next week's plant: leave me a comment and I'll do one of your choice

This is the Kind of Wedding Update That Makes Me Squeal With Joy

We've decided to downsize the wedding! So, now it's going to be smaller, as well as more sweet & simple. Hallelujah (the Jeff Buckley version of course). This means less hassle with trying to plan a wedding when we're on opposite sides of the country, money saved that could be put away for better things, and fewer people to deal with (not that I don't like people, I just don't really like being the center of that much attention). I'll still wear my prettyful dress, and he'll still wear whatever spiffy thing he wants to wear. We'll still get hitched and have our closest family and friends there to celebrate with us. And, in the end, the result is the same. We'll be married and finally able to be together without being miles and miles apart.

To go along with the wedding talk I have going on here, we decided on our rings. He did pick the beveled edge ring that I was hoping he'd pick.


I on the other hand went in a different direction with mine. TitaniumKnights started making a new style and I fell in love. I want it wider then the one pictured, which they have no problem doing. Huzzah! Without further ado, here it is.


That's all I have wedding related for now. Now, I'm off to revise the lists of things to do.

Books, Books, Books, Gotta Love 'Em

I admit it. I am a huge book nerd. I love to devour a good book. In the little bit of time since 2010 started, I've read 6 books. I started book #7 about a week ago. Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

Lucifer's Hammer was first published in 1977. Oh yeah, it's an old one. It's categorized under post-apocalyptic science fiction and got a nod for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1978.

A mix of an Earth devastating comet, Russian and American astronauts, and a battle for the future after the fall of civilization is what currently has me enthralled. The first few chapters were a little slow, but one I got through those it started turning into a whirlwind of events and exciting happenings.

This should be a good one, and I can't wait to get to the last page.

Have you read Lucifer's Hammer? What did you think of it? What are some of your post-apocalyptic or sci-fi novels? Leave a comment and let me know!

Follow the book cover to Amazon to check it out and get your own copy.

Since It Is Now February...

I'm going to do a Valentine's post. A post about why I hate Valentine's Day. It's not because I am a single gal. No, really I'm very happily engaged if you haven't noticed the wedding posts. It's not that I don't like flowers. You're talking to a Horticulture student here; I just so happen to adore flowers. And, don't get me wrong, I love me some chocolate. I just really hate Valentine's Day.

I get that it's supposed to be that one day that you are supposed to buy chocolates, and jewelry, and what-have-you for your significant other. Which really means the guy has to put on a show for his gal. What I don't get is why can't you do that any other day and have it mean much more than if you did it on this "Hallmark Holiday". Really, Valentine's Day is a made up holiday for the greeting card companies to make money by guilting you into spending loads of money on this one day or else you... *gasp* ...don't really care about your honey.

I say pish posh. I'd rather have flowers for no reason at all than flowers, candy, hideous stuffed teddy bears for a silly holiday that commands a performance. I'd rather give a gift out of love on any day than some silly notion that I need to spend tons of money on this one stupid day.

Screw you, Cupid!