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?