Procrastination

All I have left to do this semester is write my final paper for my library management class. I have, of course, had all semester to work on this paper, but I'm just starting it the week it's due... So I'm procrastinating by watching videos on YouTube.

I really love this song right now! I'm His Girl by Friends:

blue jeans

I've been listening to a lot more new music lately, because I have a three month subscription to Sirius/XM in my new car... Which means I get to listen to SiriusXMU, which was my favorite radio station back when it was called Left of Center. I got rid of my satellite radio subscription shortly after the merger of Sirius and XM, but I am definitely thinking of keeping it when the three months are up. It's nice to be able to hear songs that I love (they play lots of Best Coast, the Smith Westerns, and the Dum Dum Girls), and to discover new artists that I hadn't heard about.

One of the new artists I've encountered is Lana Del Rey. Well, it appears that homegirl's been manufactured like a Backstreet Boy, so it's not cool to like her... And yes, she apparently decided that collagen injections were the way to go. Well, I can't help it. I really enjoy this song:



I mean, I have no problems with manufactured pop stars or cheesy music in general, so why should an inauthentic indie pop lady bother me? I don't care what she looks like or what she used to be called, I just care if the music is enjoyable. In my opinion, Blue Jeans is. So there.

Haircut time!

Yesterday I made an appointment to get my hair cut. I am really excited, but I need to figure out what I want to have done before tomorrow at noon! I have been keeping my hair pretty short since I started working as a barista, because I don't love having my hair in a ponytail. I know that I want something fun and different, and I'd like to have thick bangs.

Here's my Pinterest pinboard of haircut inspiration: Haircut Ideas.

These are my top three cuts:

(1) I think my hair might be too puffy for this one, though.

(2) This is probably my favorite.

(3) No bangs, but I like it!

I found all these images on Pinterest, but Pinterest linked them from (1) here, (2) here, (3) here.

On Disappointment...

Last month, I applied for a pretty amazing internship. I tried not to let myself get too excited about it, but when I was contacted for an interview, I couldn't help it. I wanted it! I picked out a cute outfit, I updated my resume, and I obsessed over what questions I might be asked. The day of the interview came, and I drove out to the library and did my very (nervous!) best. A few days later, a letter arrived from the library, so of course, I knew what it meant. It was a very nice rejection, but boy did I ever cry. I can't think of a time when I've been so disappointed; for the few hours after receiving the letter, it felt like the end of the world.

I moped around a bit, and then made a spur of the moment decision to hop in the car and drive the hour down to Ann Arbor where my fella is away at school. It was exactly the right thing to do, and I was cheered up almost immediately. I ate my feelings and walked around and realized that everything's fine. No, I didn't get the internship, but it was the first one I applied for. I was one of only a few people who was even interviewed, and I gained some valuable experience. Plus, I just got promoted at my job, and I'm going to be working a lot more hours. I'm not really sure how I would have juggled grad school, 40 hours a week at the coffee shop, plus 12 hours at a library that's almost an hour from home. 

Pictures from my quick trip to Ann Arbor:

A giant onion ring from the Fleetwood Diner

Bubble tea from Bubble Island!

Maybe not looking my best, but I was definitely cheered up at this point!

Some things:

Since I last posted, some awesome things happened!

(1) I went on a trip to Chicago with my mom! I had lots of fun, ate some awesome cupcakes and macarons, and shopped like it was my job.
(2) I turned 30! I find it hard to believe, but it's true... My twenties are over, and I guess I'm ok with that.
(3) I finished my first semester of library school with a 4.0! I worked harder than I ever had, and I am so grateful for those A's!

I'm going to try to blog a lot more now that I have a little bit of time off from school. There are lots of things that I want to catch up on: reading, crafting, blogging, relaxing!

Seriously. One of those days.

You know those days where EVERYTHING goes wrong? Welcome to my Wednesday. I won't bore you with all the little details, but just know that my day at work was totally ridiculous (broken safe, no change to give customers, super busy, I spilled a million Frappuccinos and mixed up a hundred drinks, and one of my co-workers was pretty mean to me ALL DAY for no good reason), and I am so so so super glad to be home. And to have the next two days off.

What will I do on my days off?

(1) Read! I have been on a major reading kick lately. I've been tracking it all on my Goodreads page... Let's be friends!

(2) Homework. I have a few projects that I need to attack. Plus, my laptop died over the weekend, so I lost a lot of the work that I'd already completed. Which means that I've really got some catching up to do.
(3) Sleep.

Only 29 days left...

It's July 1st, which means that my 30th birthday is only 29 days away. I guess it's time for me to update my list of things to do before I turn 30!


Here's the list again, as it was when I posted it in my very first blog entry:


Things To Do Before 30
1. Lose weight
2. Start a blog
3. Post something every single day 
4. Get accepted into Library School
5. Start a new Etsy shop to sell vintage stuff
6. Learn to knit on circular needles
7. Learn some basic CSS
8. Get some basic Photoshop skills
9. Go on a fun weekend trip


So, let's see where we are today...


1. Lose weight: This one is still in progress. Since May 2010, I have lost 52 pounds. I could honestly stay where I am now and feel fine, but I would really love to lose at least another 40 pounds. 


2. Start a blog. Done!


3. Post something every single day: Failure on this one! Oh well.


4. Get accepted into Library School: Done! I'm actually almost done with my first semester!


5. Start a new Etsy shop to sell vintage stuff: Haven't done this yet. Due to my workload & library school, I've actually had to put my regular Etsy shop on vacation. 


6. Learn to knit on circular needles: I'm going to do this!


7. Learn some basic CSS: I have been working on this one. I will definitely be able to cross it off once my birthday comes around.


8. Get some basic Photoshop skills: I've been using GIMP, because I'm cheap... But I've picked up some minor skillz, I think!


9. Go on a fun weekend trip: This one will be done once my birthday rolls around. I've planned a five day birthday party for myself in Chicago with my mom, sister, aunts, and nieces. I'm SO EXCITED for it!


Even though I haven't gotten super far on my list, and there's only 29 days left, I still feel pretty good about all the things I have accomplished this year. I graduated college, started grad school, lost a bunch of weight, started getting healthy, and have really pushed hard to live more of the life I'd like to live. I'm going to come up with 31 things to do before I turn 31, too! 

Penguin rides!, a photo by hello jenny on Flickr.

I saw this cute little penguin while I was taking the dog for a walk earlier. It really stuck out in the middle of the park, as it was the only toy of it's kind, all alone. I'm afraid it is probably going to get pulled out soon to make way for newer playground equipment. I hate how that happens.

I actually read a book for fun!

What I'm reading..., a photo by hello jenny on Flickr.

So, I have been so ridiculously busy lately. Library school = tons of work, all the time, and I am starting to pick up lots of hours at the 'Bux. It seemed like my days of pleasure reading were over, at least for the near future. Last weekend, I went with my mom to Target, and on a whim, I bought a copy of Shiver. I'd heard of the book, but I didn't really think it was something I would be into. My plan was to save it until August, when I will have a few weeks off from school, but on Sunday night, I had a little spare time before bed. I read the first few chapters, and I was hooked. Even though I had to work Monday afternoon, I was able to finish it within 24 hours.

I never really thought I'd be interested in a werewolf story, but this book was a lot different from what I expected. I really enjoy Stiefvater's writing style, and while initially I didn't think that dual narrators could work, it actually worked REALLY well.

What I found especially awesome was the fact that Grace was not some helpless baby, as so many of the female protagonists seem to be in paranormal romancey YA books lately. I mean, I'm not totally hatin'... I love fluff, I thoroughly enjoyed the Twilight books (for what they were; it's not like I thought they were amazing literature or anything). But I think it is important for girls to read about girls who can actually take care of themselves, and don't need to be saved. In fact, there was definitely some role reversal in this book, in terms of who saved who.

I could talk a lot more about this book, but I just got home with Linger! I need to quickly do some homework so that I won't have to feel guilty for staying up late to read.

Caturday

Caturday, a photo by hello jenny on Flickr.

No time to write a real post... I have to be at work at 7 am tomorrow, so I need to go to sleep. I have to finish up a blog post for a group project as well.

Tomorrow is Father's Day, a pretty depressing holiday for those of us who have lost our fathers... I'm sure it will get better the more time that passes, but now, only a year later, it's still pretty sad. Usually the sadness only comes through when I hear of someone's dad being sick, or when someone dies. Or maybe if I hear Steely Dan (he was a fan) on the radio. My dad wasn't a perfect guy, and we didn't even always get along. But he was my dad. And it is really hard to accept that I am never ever going to get the chance to see him or talk to him again.

So I am just going to hope that we don't get a lot of people taking their dads out for coffee at my store tomorrow. And that I don't have to help too many people who want to buy a present for their dad. Maybe it won't be too bad, and I'll just be distracted by all the things I have going on.

I didn't intend to write out this bummer post, but I guess it's been on my mind. :(

Best Coast + Design

Recently, I've become totally obsessed with Amazon's MP3 Store and the Amazon Cloud Player. $5 albums are my jam, and not having to fill up my laptop's hard drive with MP3s is pretty awesome.

The album I've been listening to the most lately is Best Coast's Crazy For You. It is amazing, and I keep listening to it over and over. It has helped me through a monster of a Microsoft Access assignment, a bunch of reading, and a few webdesign projects. Here's one of my favorite jams:



On the webdesign tip, can I just say how hard it is for me to design things that are not cutesy? Cute is my default. Unfortunately, cute is not really appropriate for library school group blogs. :(  I think I was able to come up with some nice, adult designs, but it took me so much longer than it would to design a personal blog. Oh well.

In other news: I got a haircut today! Nothing exciting, just a trim and some bangs. I also heard back from a friend who gave me the good news that I'll be able to start volunteering at her library very soon! I'm super excited about it; she's a youth services librarian, and I am going to be helping in her department. Youth services is the area that I am interested in, so I can't wait!

Caturday!

George, a photo by hello jenny on Flickr.

George Washington gets to sleep all day while I try to figure out the beast that is Microsoft Access.

I have finally met a computer program that bewilders me. Even with a million video tutorials and a $40 guidebook, I'm still pretty lost. I've pretty much managed to fumble my way through this assignment for my Information Technology class, but it's taken me hours. And I just know that the things I am doing are probably SO BASIC, and anyone who is used to using Access would be able to finish in, like, 20 minutes. Eep.

The good thing is that every time I figure out how to do some new thing, I get this great sense of accomplishment. Tiny victories, I guess.

Life...

craftin', a photo by hello jenny on Flickr.

My work is participating in a Relay for Life event this weekend, and I volunteered to make some reusable coffee sleeves. We will have a table selling coffee, tea, and some overstock of reusable mugs, so I thought sleeves would be a nice complement. It was really hard to find the time to sew, since I have a million projects going on for library school, plus I've had to work really early every morning this week. I have been STRESSED OUT.

Anyway, life has gotten in the way and I've really neglected my blog, as well as my list of things to do before 30. I feel like every minute of my day belongs to work, or library school work, or sleep. It's tough, because undergrad was so easy for me, and I had tons of spare time. Now, I have no time for any of my hobbies, and I feel guilty whenever I sneak a moment for myself. Bleh. Part of me wants to ask for less hours at work, but I've only just begun to start getting a decent schedule, and I really need the money. If I could, I would quit working altogether and just focus on grad school. Unfortunately, I really need the health insurance, so that's just not an option right now. Soon i am hoping to start volunteering at a library, so things are going to get worse before they get better. I'm really trying to work on my time management skills.

If anyone has any suggestions for ways to stop being a procrastinator, holla at me. Please.

Lalaloopsy, finally!

Lalaloopsy, finally!, a photo by hello jenny on Flickr.

After a big week (starting grad school, working lots of hours, doing tons of homework), I decided that I deserved a treat. So, I did what every 29 year old does: I went out and bought myself a toy!

I didn't just stop with this Lalaloopsy doll, though. I went a little crazy shopping tonight. I bought a pair of all black Chucks that I can wear to work, the cutest high waisted black shorts, some black heart shaped sunglasses, and the most awesome Japanese drawing instruction book! I'll probably post some pics of my haul tomorrow, once I get home from work.

I hope you have an excellent Saturday!

i ♥ springtime

pretty, a photo by hello jenny on Flickr.

i ♥ my mom!

My mom with my older brother and sister.

My mom is one of the most awesome people I know, and I feel very lucky to be her daughter. She's smart and funny and caring and crafty. Everyone who meets her instantly loves her. She's my best friend and my favorite person to hang out with. Also, she's obsessed with Johnny Depp. And she loves Bruno Mars. And she refers to her dog, Charlie, as my brother. My mom is the bomb.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, but especially to mine!

Contacts!

The eye appointment I mentioned in my last post happened yesterday at 10 am. I went to a new eye doctor, and I'm really happy I did! He was super nice and explained every single thing that was happening, which was pretty cool. For the past few years, I haven't had any vision insurance, so I had been going to America's Best for my glasses. It's super cheap (you get 2 pairs of glasses and an eye exam for $70), and they have lots of cute glasses to choose from, but the actual experience in the office isn't the best. When I was there, I felt like my optometrist didn't really know what she was doing. Eep! Anyway, the new optometrist was awesome, so yay! 

New Glasses?

Today I made an appointment at a new optometrist! My current glasses are all bent and it's kind of annoying to wear crooked glasses. Right now I'm debating whether I should get contacts or glasses. I'm leaning towards contacts, because I'd really love to be able to wear random pairs of cheap sunglasses. It's been about 12 years since I wore contacts, though, so I'm a little nervous about having them again.

Just in case, I've been searching around for cute glasses. Here are a few pairs by Ray-Ban that I'm in love with:

 

 

These are my absolute favorites. If I get glasses, these will be the ones!

I don't think these would work for me, but I think they're cute.

 

These would probably make me look ridiculous, but I like 'em anyway.

I think I will probably end up getting contacts, and if I really feel like I need glasses (which I probably will, as I feel totally naked without my specs!), I might get some of those "accessory" glasses you can buy cheaply. I would just get glasses AND contacts, but my vision insurance makes me choose. I feel like a dork for thinking about buying fake glasses, but, whatevs.

Shop Restock!

Since I've been so busy with school and work for the past few months, I haven't really been keeping up with my Etsy shop, Hello Buraisu. I looked at it the other day and saw that I only had four items listed! It's really hard to make sales when you don't have anything left to sell, lol. Yesterday I made a few sales, and with only two active listings, I realized it was time to restock.

I've added a few styles back to the shop that haven't been available for a while, like my plastic bow headbands. I think that with their bright colors, they're perfect for your doll's spring/summer wardrobe! I'll also be adding some tops for Blythe and some dresses for Pukifees and Lati Yellows in the next week. Additionally, I'm working on some new embellished headband styles, and hopefully we'll have some nice, sunny weather so that I'll be able to take nice photographs for my new listings.

I absolutely love collaborating on custom projects, as well. If there is a past style that you are interested in, or a special headband idea that you'd like to see produced, send me an Etsy convo. I can't make any promises, but I'd love to try to make your headband dreams come true!

Busy!

April 28, a photo by hello jenny on Flickr.

I intended to write a post every single day on this blog, but that really hasn't happened.

I've had a busy two weeks, and I haven't really had the time to write out any blog posts. Wednesday and Thursday I took the last two final exams of my undergraduate career, and I'll be graduating on May 4th. Plus I've finally been picking up some decent hours at work, so between that and studying, I'm usually just ready to lay around the house when I have any time to myself.

I have been taking lots of fancy photos with my cellphone, which has a pretty nice camera on it (it's a Droid Incredible), and I've been testing out different photography apps. My favorite so far is Vignette, and I plan to do a review of it sometime in the near future.

Soon I will post on a more regular schedule!

studyin'

studyin', a photo by hello jenny on Flickr.

A week from today I will officially be a college graduate. I'm excited, but at the moment, I'm pretty stressed out! I have two finals to study for, but all I want to do is sleep. And, when it's all over, I'm only going to have two weeks off before I start graduate school. Eep!

Pineapple Cupcakes!

As I've mentioned before, I'm currently on Weight Watchers. I really love it, and it's helped me lose nearly 50 pounds in the past year. While I think Weight Watchers is awesome, it gets a little difficult around the holidays. I love to bake, especially cupcakes, but it's hard for me to set aside the points to be able to actually eat the things I make. Last week, I came across a promising recipe at one of my favorite food blogs, Gina's Skinny Recipes. It's for Pineapple Bliss Cupcakes, and not only are they low in calories, but they're made with only two ingredients! I made them this afternoon, and they taste amazing. I've posted the super-simple recipe after the jump.

Song of the Day!

I am obsessed with French pop music of the 1960's, especially the yé-yé girls. I have had France Gall's Avant la Bagarre in my head all day, but the video of it on Youtube has embedding disabled. I totally urge you to click the link and give it a listen, it's a really charming song.

So, since my France Gall dreams were dashed, I've picked another favorite, Brigitte Bardot singing Moi Je Joue:

'

It makes me really depressed to think of how awesome Brigitte Bardot once was, and how totally cray-cray she's become. Alas. I choose to ignore the insanity and remember the good music and foxy looks.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the song and that you have an excellent Good Friday! Tomorrow I'll be blogging an amazing cupcake recipe and announcing a special giveaway.

Thursday Morning Projects

This morning I woke up really early, so I decided to be productive before I have to go to work. I've had a little pile of felt dresses for my Pukifee cut out for a week, but I hadn't gotten around to sewing them together. I also have quite a few dresses that I'd already sewn, but I hadn't added closures or any additional embellishments.

I ♥ Pinterest!

One of my favorite websites at the moment is Pinterest. I could get lost for hours browsing all of the lovely images that are cataloged there.

I mainly use Pinterest for window shopping. I like to pin pretty dresses and shoes that might be a little out of my price-range at the moment. I still get the fun of shopping without actually spending any money, which is pretty awesome.

Are you on Pinterest? Let's be friends! Here's a link to my boards: hellojenny on Pinterest.

Tutorial Tuesday!

I consider myself a crafter, but I definitely spend a lot more time looking at tutorials online than I do actually making things! So every Tuesday, I'm going to share some of the millions of tutorials that I have bookmarked in my travels on the internets.

On this first Tutorial Tuesday, I have three super cute bag tutorials. All of them are easy and don't require a lot of hard-to-find materials. I hope you find something that you'd really like to make!

Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent!

If you don't watch RuPaul's Drag Race, you are missing out on one of the most fierce shows on TV.

What's in My Bag

I couldn't really think of anything to blog about today, so I've decided to share what's inside my new purse.

I bought it a few weeks ago at Marshalls. It's by Emilie M. and I fell in love with the color scheme and pattern. It feels nice and Spring-y, and I couldn't wait to start using it.

What's in My Bag

1. envelope full of receipts, coupons, and notes
2. pink case w/fawn on it for my DS Lite. Also has lots of games inside.
3. Pink Nintendo DS Lite with Hello Kitty skin
4. my phone (Droid Incredible)
5. my post-oral surgery medicine
6. iPad
7. my wallet (yes, it's a happy hot dog)
8. Lil' Creeper
9. Chap-Stick Lip Moisturizer
10. Gold Bond Ultimate Healing lotion
& blue Pen
11. Besu pouch with makeup inside

too much ice cream

This past Wednesday I had to have some wisdom teeth (and some of their friends) surgically extracted. It was a really bizarre experience, and I would be lying if I said that I didn't experience major anxiety leading up to the procedure. While I was worrying about how bad the actual extractions were going to be, I forgot to worry about the biggest thing of all: what was I going to eat after the surgery? I am not able to eat any solids right now (or for the foreseeable future), I can't use any straws, and I'm not supposed to have anything hot. Plus, I've been on Weight Watchers since January, so I really don't want to go crazy eating ice cream.

So, since Wednesday, I've been surviving on the following foods:
Fage 0% greek yogurt with honey
reduced fat coffee ice cream
sugar-free Jell-o pudding
instant mashed potatoes
canned soups with no chunks (this really limits my options!)

All I want right now is some bread or solid cheese! Chicken! I am so sick of sweet things, and all of the processed foods are making my stomach upset. Seriously, I never thought a time would come where I would be sick of ice cream, but it's happened. The only thing I am really excited about is the Fage with honey; that stuff is amazing!

If anyone has any ideas for delicious liquidy foods, please let me know! I am running out of options and it's giving me a major sad!

hello there!

My name is Jenny, and this is my new blog. I have probably started (and quickly abandoned) 1 million blogs before this one, but this time, I mean business!

In three and a half months, I am turning 30, and I have a little list of goals that I'd like to accomplish before that happens. First and foremost, I want to start a blog and post something every single day. So, in starting All My Friends Are Plastic I am able to cross something off my list, which I've shared below. Hopefully, by July 30th (my birthday), all of my goals will be complete.

Things To Do Before 30
1. Lose weight
2. Start a blog
3. Post something every single day
4. Get accepted into Library School
5. Start a new Etsy shop to sell vintage stuff
6. Learn to knit on circular needles
7. Learn some basic CSS
8. Get some basic Photoshop skills
9. Go on a fun weekend trip

Items in bold are currently in progress. Items that are crossed off are complete. I will continue to add goals to the list as my birthday gets closer.