Things I Learned This Weekend

The ratio of marshmallows to oat pieces in Lucky Charms is still way off.
Someone left a small box of the cereal in the work kitchen and I had it for breakfast for the first time in a very long time on Friday morning.

 
There's a reason I don't buy potato chips and keep them in my apartment.
Because in three days I've ate all but a few handfuls of a bag of family-sized Utz potato chips. (To be fair, they were my dinner on Friday and my lunch on Sunday, so maybe it's not that bad.)

Everything is better with a cape.
One of my friend's celebrates her birthday each year with a cape party bar crawl where everyone wears a cape out and about. It was magnificent. More on this later this week.

Beer is gross.
And I don't understand how people drink it.

Bonnie + wine + Rihanna = dancing
I don't dance. Unless, apparently, a friend insists Rihanna isn't singing "birthday cake," but "birthday cape." And, obviously, if you're wearing a cape, you have no choice but to dance to this.

Bonnie + wine + Kanye = more dancing
He wasn't singing about a birthday cape, but it's Kanye, and I hate that I love him.

I need to stop buying fresh flowers. In the past two weeks I've spent $30 on flowers. In case you weren't aware, I'm not a Rockefeller*, so this needs to stop. 

Taking a three hour nap on Sunday and then sleeping easily on Sunday night means I was really, really tired.
And I shouldn't feel guilty about not getting much done yesterday.

There's nothing wrong with eating peanut butter straight out of the jar with a spoon.
And if there is, then I don't want to be right.

*At what point do we stop referencing a Rockefeller or Vanderbilt when talking about great wealth, and start referring to a Gates, Branson, or Buffett? Or do people already do that and I just insist on staying old school?

100 Secrets: 80-71

80. The only way I know how to tie shoelaces is by making two loops.
79. I can only sleep on my stomach.
78. People dressed as mascots, animals, characters, or in any costume where you can't see their head, completely terrify me.
77. Every time I see the word "adolescence," I read it as "a dole sense."
76. I never cursed until I started drinking.
75. When I get angry, I go from zero to apoplectic in 30 seconds or less.
74. I don't/can't sleep with a top sheet.
73. Any honey I buy has to be in a bear bottle.
72. I want to retire in Chapel Hill.
71. It's only been in the last 6 months that I've been able to drink water from the bathroom faucet like it's water from any other faucet. (Which I realize it is.)

Wednesday Words

"Look what she did when things changed abruptly: chose to go her own route once the others had crept away. Correctly. Bravely."

-Toni Morrison, A Mercy

The Great Doily Incident of 2002...and 2012?

Last week I posted a picture of my thrift store clothing finds.

My mom left a comment regarding the white blouse at the top:
hmmm....could that whitish/cream color top be confused with a - umm, let's see - A DOILY !!!????? At least, that is what I thought it was at first!!!

Now, to an outsider this might just seem like a random reference to a doily. But to my mother and me, it's a direct reference to what I like to call The Great Doily Incident of 2002.

Scene: My grandfather's dining room, San Antonio, Texas
Occasion: My sister's college graduation
Players: Me and Mom
Culprit: The Giant Doily Shirt
Background: Mom had bought me a white, crochet top to wear with dress pants to the graduation ceremony. While I am notoriously picky, about everything, my mom knows me best and is usually very good at picking out clothes for me. As best as I can remember, it was similar to this but with long sleeves:

After trying the shirt on the, following exchange occurred:
Me: I look like a tablecloth.
Mom: No, you don't.
Me: I'm wearing a giant doily.
Mom: It looked good on the mannequin!

Needless to say, I didn't wear the shirt/doily to the graduation. And ten years later, it's still discussed. (Despite the fact that my mom has picked out probably a hundred other things that I love. It's just more fun to harp on the one mistake.)

Now, back to my thrift store shirt. I bought it knowing it would need to be altered. This is what I started with.

These are the front and back details that caught my eye and made me think the shirt could be more chic than homely. Hopefully.

I started by removing the elastic at the bottom to separate the outer layer and inner lining to make it easier to alter. This was by far the most time-consuming part as the stitches were small.

The full width of the blouse became apparent after the elastic was removed. But there was still some tension in the thread and as I not-so-gently tugged it, ripped the shirt some. Plus side: While ironing and starching, the heat brought out a flowery smell, meaning it's freshly laundered.

I marked 2.5 inches in on each side for a new seam and sewed. It fit a bit too snug so I let it back out an inch.

Then the scary part: Cutting. No turning back now.

Next was the hem and fixing the rip in the back.

Finally, about 2 hours later, the final result.

So that is my potentially fancy top made into an actually fancy top. Or at least fancy in my opinion. I think there's a certain chicness to it. On Friday night I wore it to a sushi dinner with a friend, paired with skinnies, heels, and a high ponytail.

For only $3 and two hours of my time, I now have a new blouse. Or a giant doily. You decide. I've put an anonymous poll so everyone can vote and tell me what you think. Do I now have a Great Doily Incident of 2012? (Be honest, I need to know if I'm walking around wearing a tablecloth.)

What do you think of the blouse makeover?

• Love it! It's simple and chic.
• Hate it! It belongs on a table or the back of a couch.

Acepolls

More polls: Smslånmäklare Phonera Free online polls

Crochet top image source.

Things I Learned This Weekend

Haven't done one of these in awhile.

Virginia/Whole Foods tulips barely lasted a week.
And I'm really not happy about this. This was after I threw half out.
 

An all day-meeting on an interesting topic isn't bad, but coming home early to take a nap and then have dinner with a friend isn't bad.
I'm on a new, potentially exciting project at work. After a long meeting on Friday, I had time to go home and laze on the couch before heading to dinner with B.

The crunchy shrimp roll at Kaz Sushi Bistro is my favorite.
Though a bit pricey compared to other sushi joints, this is one of our favorites and is very good.

The frozen yogurt shop beside the Farragut West metro lets cops eat for free.
It's also one of the shops that charges you based on the weight of your yogurt and toppings. But the hot chocolate and caramel are added after and thus free! In the words of Joey Tribbiani regarding a Vegas casino buffet, "This is where I earn my money back."

I can't get enough of "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding."
And I am almost embarrassingly excited for the premiere of "My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding" next week. Yes, that's right, apparently we have gypsies in America, too.

World Market has great pillows.
I'm excited to add more pillows and a new rug drawing colors and inspiration from these.

I can't not see a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. I just can't not.
Also, I love Zac Efron.

Everyone on "The Tudors" is named Thomas. And Henry Cavill is really hot.
A rainy and cold Sunday was the perfect day to start a new series on Netflix Instant. But it would be a lot less confusing if everyone wasn't named and dressed the same.

100 Secrets: 90-81

90. My favorite place to cry is the shower.
89. Which is also where I do some of my best thinking and have made numerous major life decisions.
88. The sound of people popping their backs, necks, or fingers is like nails on a chalkboard to me.
87. I didn't drink until I was 21.
86. It makes me really uncomfortable to shop at Victoria's Secret when there are men there. I just don't want stranger guys knowing what color my underwear is.
85. I can't whistle. 
84. I was scared of escalators and had trouble getting on and off them until I got to college and had to take one in the dining hall in order to eat.
83. I'm famous in my family for mishearing song lyrics and had two misheard lyrics published in a calendar when I was in high school.
82. One of my wildest dreams is to be Communications Director in the White House. 
81. My mom gave me a pocket-sized cross of her mom's and I kept it in my pocket for every final I took in college. (Except the last one because I forgot it and almost started crying before the final. Though I still got an A.)

I've been working on this post since right after I posted the first 10. It turns out, I might not have as many secrets as I thought. After blogging here for six years I seem to have aired all my dirty laundry and crazy quirks. But I'll keep trying. As much as I compartmentalize there have to be some new things lurking.

Who wants 9 innings when you can have 13?

On Friday night, I accompanied Brandie to the Nats v. Reds baseball game, tickets courtesy of her work. My work also has tickets, but on the lower level of the 3rd baseline. Her tickets were also on 3rd baseline, but one level up and on the first row. This meant we got cushy seats with a separate concession (and bar) area for that level. (Because obviously we can't be mingling with just anyone.) I hate baseball but love eating ballpark food, drinking, and hanging out with a good friend.

It was a beautiful night with clear skies and a nice breeze.

My absolute favorite part of the game is the Presidents' Race. However, I feel a bit robbed since they had them racing on Segways for this game. So not fair and so not the same.

My main dislike of baseball is that the games are too long. I've spent years convincing my brother -- the most diehard baseball fan I know -- that all you really need is 5 innings. And he doesn't completely disagree with me. So when this game was tied 1-1 and went into extra innings, I wasn't exactly thrilled. But I was committed to sticking it out to the finish. Or to the 12th inning when we realized it could take awhile and then we left. Then apparently, probably about the time I entered the metro, the Nats scored in the 13th and it was done.

But it was a fun night nonetheless. Though I do hope basketball season gets here soon.

Wednesday Words

"Things seem so random all of a sudden.

And time feels like it's speeding up."

-Mad Men, Signal 30

I'm so happy that Mad Men is back in my life. I was going to write about how much I love this show, but then realized that I already did, so I'll just copy and paste.

I've been watching Mad Men since the beginning and simply cannot get enough. It has turned me from someone who used to just watch an episode and be done with it, to someone who now must watch the show, read commentary online, discuss with my mom, and then ponder all of its meanings until the next episode, when the cycle starts again.

Quite simply: it's the smartest show on television. The characters have amazing depth with multiple layers to each action and word. But yet, the events of the time period and the popular culture, things completely out of their control, shape the lives of the characters more so than any action or word. But even when the audience knows what's coming, a political front or social dilemma, we still have no idea what is really coming, and how it's going to affect the characters we love.

I just want everyone in the world to watch it so I can talk about it even more.

Thankfully, the one good thing about the 17-month hiatus was that it gave at least five people in my life the time to catch up, so now I have tons of people to discuss it with. Which is good since it is so so good.

Thrift store finds

It's no secret that I have a black belt in shopping. Or, rather, about 30 belts in an array of colors and styles that qualify me as a Serious Shopper.

Some days, I know exactly what I need/want, and go into the desired store on a mission. Other days, my quest is less defined and I just want to hunt. I love to just wander around a store, the junkier the better, and scour for things. This is most easily accomplished at a miscellaneous store like a Marshall's, T.J. Maxx, or Ross. If I'm down, I like to hunt (and buy) things to make myself feel better. (I know this is bad and I have an entire post where I explore my comfort shopping but haven't yet had the nerve to post it.) It's a little insane but I like projects, goals, missions. I thrive on setting a goal for myself and completing it. (Usually full throttle at the expense of everything else, but that’s also a topic for another day.)

It should come as no surprise that I love thrift stores. If I could find a big enough one I’d probably spend hours there. As it is, the small one I frequent routinely consumes at least an hour of my time. As far as I can tell, there are virtually no thrift stores in D.C. proper. (Meaning the roughly 60 square miles that make up the nation’s capital. Nothing against the rest of the metro region, I just would really like more metro-accessible thrift stores with a D.C. address.) While I continue to hunt for other options, right now I’m perfectly content with the Opportunity Shop run by the National Cathedral. It’s small and can get busy, but it’s run by nice volunteers, is clean and well-organized, and always provides me with several things to take home.

It had been more than a month since my last visit so I took a trip on Saturday. I really do just love the thrill of a thrift store. I like looking at all the things, whether I need them or not, and searching for something good. It's especially thrilling when they have exactly what you were looking for. I had plans to finally buy a wine rack after the store, but instead found this perfectly lovely one there for $5. (Please note the fresh apples and avocados in the corner from a food-based grocery store trip.)

They have a good-sized book selection and I almost yelled when I found the the third memoir in the series of memoirs I’m currently reading for $1. (I had the second one half-read in my purse.) Also, a book recommended to me by one of my officemates just the day before. Fate! The shopping gods were on my side!

And let's not forget the clothes, my favorite thing to shop for. Since this one is in a fairly nice part of D.C., there is a good amount of higher quality clothing and goods. This time I got a potentially fancy shirt, a t shirt, and a dress to use as a swim cover-up, all for $12. (The "fancy shirt" is only "potentially fancy" depending on how good I am at altering it. I like to buy things that don’t fit and make them fit, either with sewing or belting or knotting, though my eyes are quite often bigger than my skills and I end up leaving them in my “to mend” pile or donating them again a year later.)

And that's it for that trip. I was a bit limited by only having $20 in cash, which just gives me more reason to go back soon.

Halfway

I probably won't post pictures everytime I buy new flowers for my apartment. Or I might, who knows. But these stand out because I haven't been to the grocery store in so long, but went to Whole Foods on Saturday just to buy flowers. Specifically, 30 Virginia* tulips for $18.

My refrigerator may only contain some hummus, wrinkled tomatoes, and 25 condiment bottles,** but damn if my apartment isn't full of fresh spring cheer.


*Whole Foods was very proud of the fact that the tulips were from some farm in Virginia, "just 40 miles outside of Washington."
**Not entirely true. I have more than hummus and old tomatoes. But I really do have at least 25 different condiments.

Wednesday Words

"Sweetie, right now, you are that girl."

-Jan, one of my best friends

This quote comes from when I was with my best friends over Christmas, sitting at a table at Top of the Hill in Chapel Hill, having one of our usual heart to heart to heart to hearts.

I was upset about being upset about something and said something along the lines of "but I'm not that girl." My friends are amazingly supportive and kind, but also real. I think Jan's words showcase this kind honesty perfectly. As well as our Southerness. (It's very much along the lines of "that tramp...bless her heart.")

I came across this quote in a draft email this week and it just made me smile. I hate being that girl but, sometimes, we all just have to be.

Lent 2012: Success

For Lent this year I successfully gave up soft drinks and pizza. This was my reward for Sunday dinner.

Of course, Sunday morning I turned off my alarm and missed church so...

Bonnie Goes to the Dentist

About two weeks ago, I went to the dentist for the first time in…a long time. As in, an embarrassingly long time. As in, there's a very good chance my age had the word "teen" in it the last time I went. Now, before you start judging or gasping, let me lay out a few facts:

1. This visit only uncovered one cavity. 
2. I brush at least twice a day, recently started flossing, occasionally use mouthwash, and use white strips once or twice a year. 
3. I had braces for 3 ½ years and visited an orthodontist every month. That's enough dental visits to last most people three lifetimes. 
4. I had traumatic experiences as a child at my dentist, who I nicknamed Doctor Devil. Seriously, I don't think I ever left this woman's office without crying.

However, my goal this year was to be an Adult and make my way to all the doctors I put off. So I did. And funny things happened.

First, we'll begin with the sweet receptionist, who asked me if I was referred to them by "my husband or a friend." This, to me, is funny, because "husband" has never been a word ever associated with me. (Unless being used in the sentence "never going to find a.") And I froze. And had an awkwardly long pause while I thought.

In my head: "Oh thank goodness, I already have a husband. That's one thing I can cross of the list. Do you by chance have his number?"
Out loud: "No, a coworker referred me."

Now I'll never know if I already have a husband out there. Or what she was thinking while waiting for my answer.

Next, it was time for the cleaning. It was a small room and a small chair and my legs barely fit in it. I then proceeded to gag and drool my way through the 200 X-rays the hygienist took. Surely with all the technology we have nowadays there has to be a better way to do these X-rays? Or, at the least, create a wireless remote so she didn't have to step over my feet and out the door to turn the machine off and on?

However, I'll forgive the wonderful hygienist because, in yet another example of what an epically small world this is, she was a UNC graduate AND from my hometown! And if you know my hometown, you know that no one is from there. When I said the town's name she just laughed and said she didn't believe me. She lived in the actual city whereas I'm from a rural community outside it.

After the cleaning, and general fun times with the hygienist, it was time to see the dentist. First, he looked at my X rays.

Him: "Have you ever been punched in the face or been in an accident?"

Insert another awkward pause while I try to remember if I have ever been punched in the face or in an accident.

Out loud: "No, I haven't."
In my head: "Oh my god, what is he going to do? Is this some sort of Dentist Fight Club?"

Another awkward pause.

Him: "Because you have very large sinuses."

Out loud: "Oh, ok."
In my head: "Whew, it's just large sinuses. Wait, WTF! Are sinuses supposed to be large? What does this mean!?"

But then I was distracted by the next sentence: "You have a cavity. We can fill it now or later."

In my head: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Him: "Judging by the look of terror on your face, you weren't expecting me to say we could do it now."

Apparently I do have a terrible poker face like one of my friend's always claims. But in the ultimate Adult Move, I opted to have the cavity filled then. And because of my look of terror, the dentist was extra gentle and kept asking me if I was alright. A far cry from Doctor Devil.

So I had the cavity filled and then was on my merry way. (Well, merry-ish as he referred me to an oral surgeon to have my two wisdom teeth removed. But I'm going to have to work up significantly more Adult Courage before I make that appointment.)

And thus ends the tale of how I survived the dentist. This time.

Wednesday Words

"That what I need to survive is not Gale's fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again."

-Suzanne Collins, "Mockingjay"

Ode to Post-it Notes

I have storyboards for a course I'm writing due by noon on Thursday. What does this mean? Well, it means that until that time, I'm eating, sleeping, and story boarding. That's it. Fine, and I'm blogging this one little thing. (Because I started this on the metro when I couldn't do my work because it was too hard to write during a certain stretch of track.)

As my brain is absolute mush but I needed a break, I'm going to write a post about post-it notes. Please try and contain your excitement.

I'm really serious about my post it notes. As in I can use the brand name because I refuse to buy just "sticky notes." As in I bring my own multi-colored ones to work because my office only stocks the yellow ones. As in the photographic proof that follows.

The first photo contains my permanent notes with illuminating information such as "how to print on letterhead" and "keyboard short cut for m dash." The ones under my monitor are more project specific. And the ones on my laptop have to be dealt with that day. Or, in many cases, moved around for days or weeks like the "gap" one in the corner.

This morning, like most mornings, I spilled tea on myself. But it also got on a few of my post-its and I had to re-write some. My boss was there and, amused by my reaction, added this one to my collection.

Best post-it ever. (Even though I was too busy to follow it. Sorry, Mom! But I did email!)

Kind of Famous

I use the website Goodreads to track the books I read. Right now I've added almost 300 books read over the last six years.

It's perfect because I can have multiple shelves and categories, as well as "friends." My book club all signed up for it so we can track what each other's reading, and I've connected it with other friends, too.

Recently I read the utterly amazing and un-put-downable "Duke Sucks," a must-read for any Tar Heel fan and/or Duke hater.

I rate all read books with 1 to 5 stars, and occasionally I'll add a written review. In the case of this book, this is what I wrote:

Last week I logged on to the site and saw that a former co-worker had added me as a friend. No problem. Then when I got on Facebook later that night, he had sent me a message:

This is pretty ridiculous...but I heard the author of Duke Sucks interviewed on the morning sports talk show I listen to. At the end of the segment, one of the hosts casually mentioned a comment by Bonnie on Goodreads that it was the best book ever. I thought, "Maybe that's the Bonnie I know." Just remembered to look it up, and sure enough...

Yes, my three-word book review of a book with the title "sucks" in it was quoted on a radio show. I'M SO FAMOUS NOW.

However, a little perturbed at the fact that I have nearly 300 books listed and that's the book and the review that gets me acknowledged! I've written reviews that were far more eloquent, or that at the very least contained complete sentences, like this one of my favorite book of 2011 and the National Book Award Winner, "Just Kids":

Oh well, that's life, specifically, that's my life. And some days I can't believe just how small this world is. Or at least, how incredibly over-connected I am to it.