The Bubble

Free Music

2012-02-12T10:39:00.002-05:00

There are plenty of ways to get free music and I used to capitalize on all of them. However, in the past 2 years I've shifted the other way and have been paying for my music.

There are good ways to get free music that still support the music industry.

Spin Magazine often will post a playlist that they are promoting http://www.spin.com/itunes#
Right now they have a best of 2011 list up that is really good....check it out.

Free Stuff from Stores

2012-02-09T11:06:00.003-05:00

At some point I started paying attention to ways to get free stuff. I don't care if it sounds cheap I think it is brilliant that someone wants to give me stuff for free (that I would have bought anyway).

Here are some of my favorite ways to get free stuff. Please comment if you know of other good ones!

Victoria's Secret - if you sign-up for the email/mailing list they send you a coupon every month to get their newest cotton underwear for free. They have kept me in black workout underwear for 3 years, which means I can just spend my money on pretty stuff.
Sephora - if you sign up for their points card you get free stuff every hundred points. These are typically trial size versions of really good products. Also you get a free gift on your bday. I buy some of my make-up and my perfume there. So far I've gotten philosophy eye cream, hand lotion and shower gel; a sephora brand travel make-up kit and 3 trial size perfumes.
Starbucks - their points card gives you free soy and free coffee refills. Also I get a free drink every 4 purchases.
Sample Sale Sites - if you refer friends and they buy stuff you get $10 credit. I've gotten about $100 worth of free clothes this way. So thank you!
Fashion panels - this one you need more time. I sign up for every fashion advice panel I can. Basically you log on and answer a survey and they give you free stuff. I did Gilt Groupe's and got $150 worth of credit and free shipping twice. Purchased a beautiful pair of heeled seychelles boots and have some credit sitting there to offset some of the dresses I need to buy for some weddings this summer

I think the point here is if a store asks you if you want to take a minute to sign up for their rewards/frequent shopper card do it. Usually you don't have to pay for these and they always amount in some good deal (e.g. Anthropologie's gives you 25% off one item in your bday month) even if it isn't free

Sample Sale Sites

2012-02-03T00:52:00.002-05:00

Because today Sabrina told me to join a website that I love I realized I should post all the online sample sale sites that I get daily emails from. If you don't belong leave a comment and I'll invite you and get some credit.

1. Ruelala/ Good prices, good brands and good shipping policies.
2. Gilt Great brands, ok prices and ok shipping policies
3. ideeli Good prices and good brands
4. Fab kind of like Etsy, artsy goodness
5. OpenSky I don't really use it much but they have celebrity stylists "curate" the sales
6. Hautelook Too pricey for my budget
7. Zulily its a mom and kid site but they have good workout/outdoors clothing and big final sales
8. Rent the Runway I haven't used it but if I had a fancy event I would!
9. Daily Candy small sales but they can be good
10. 6pm.com Kind of like overstock but better

And if that isn't enough Fantabulously Frugal has a huge list!!

Dressing beyond your means

2012-01-31T15:36:00.005-05:00

Capitalizing on Rule #1 by doing the following:

Learning all about fashion, including high-end fashion designers, where to buy certain brands and how much clothing of different brands and quality costs. Also pay attention to the trends, which is easy when you live in NYC and the Internet provides plenty of fashion bloggers to help. This knowledge takes a little bit of time but the investment is huge.

The payoff:
This knowledge pays off in a few major ways.

First, you can never pay full price for high quality items as there are millions of buy/resell options (i.e. ebay, thrift stores, craigslist) and/or discount stores (i.e. Loehmans, TJ Max) and/or sample sales (online or in person).

Second, if you own high end items that means you can resell them. I just offloaded an Alexis Bittar necklace on eBay for a few hundred dollars to pay down a credit card.

Third, if you want to go to rockstar places then well you need to look like a rockstar. Haha. That makes me sound shallow. But seriously, I find that having high quality clothes in my wardrobe means that if I get an invite to go to a place or event that is beyond my typical comfort zone I don't have the "WTF am I going to wear panic." Before I probably just wouldn't have gone.

Fourth, I sometimes find myself in conversations with women that I have very little in common with. I need to talk to them because they are the girlfriend, sister, mother of someone. I find one of the easiest way to start these conversations is by telling them how much I LOVE such and such that they are wearing. Commenting on the designer, style, trend gets bonus points. I realized this is a good strategy after having to listen to a 30 minute monologue about all the annoying things that had happened to this girl that day - just when I couldn't take it anymore I declared how much I loved her shoes! At least I then got a 20 minute monologue about shoe brands and the best places buy shoes in the San Diego area. At least that topic was useful ;)

Inspired

2012-01-28T14:31:00.002-05:00

I should probably just give up on blogging since I haven't been consistent in years and Facebook has taken over as a way to share everything with everyone, even my Mother. However, last night Holly inspired me to maybe start back up. Really what she said was that I should write a book. Writing a book might be the one thing that is actually on my bucket list, but I hadn't thought of this one.

"How to live like a rock star on a student budget"

#1 Rule: Capitalize on the fact that you have more time than money.

There are probably a million bloggers who have already done this but I happen to know that only my friends read this AND they probably don't read those blogs.

Now I must admit that this year I've racked up a little credit card debt by flying back and forth across the country AND not having any grant money for my dissertation research. But I'm paying off the debt with my tax refund and I wrote 15 research grants with the hope that I'll be able to reimburse myself for expensive equipment and software licenses. But I figure that is what happens when you study technology!!

time

2011-11-14T20:00:00.003-05:00

Seriously where does the time go? I can't believe that next week it is Thanksgiving and then school is pretty much over and it is the holidays. I'm buying my plane tickets for the holidays and remembered that I have blogged about this several years ago "Impairment"

This year I put out plea on facebook for help. Jessa and Hoop were amazing at helping me figure out that 1) I couldn't afford to come home for thanksgiving and 2) my christmas flights were going to be super expensive if I did what I wanted to do.

Since I am trying to save money I decided to fly on miles and now the madness of decisions is in front of me. Travel how I want and spend too much money. OR make practical travel decisions and not spend as much money.

Socal

2011-09-16T00:42:00.002-04:00

I realized I went the whole summer without blogging. But that was because:

1. I lived in NYC for 3 months
2. I stayed in 6 different apartments throughout that time and either didn't have Internet or didn't have the passcode for the Internet
3. I spent 2-4 hours a day driving to and from summer camp limiting Internet access
4. When I wasn't driving I was problem-solving at summer camp so strictly mobile
5. When I wasn't working I was hanging out with friends or exploring NYC. The things that I love most
6. Or I was at yoga class or crossfit
7. And on weekends Far Rockaway beach or a at a wedding

But now I am back in San Diego, as of Tuesday night. Settling in. Switching time zones. Remembering how much I love my bed. And trying to get used to spending a day working on the computer. It is really really hard to transition! Saying that makes me feel old. I'm going to go put on my tutu now so I stop feeling old.

Deals!

2011-06-10T12:16:00.004-04:00

Hadn't shopped in awhile as my money went to Vegas and Crossfit membership. Actually, logically all to Vegas since the gym helped get me in shape for Vegas....I am treading water until I get a paycheck this summer. This weekend I am going out with my few San Diego friends as a goodbye hurrah. Before I can go out I have to learn how to program psychological software to run accuracy response time studies. That is my day today and it makes me feel super duper geeky. More geeky than when I get excited to spend my day doing statistics!!

I wanted something new to wear this weekend. So last night after my CF gymnastics class - where I did my first unassisted headstand - I decided to stop at my new favorite buy/sell store. This was where I got my new favorite leopard mini-dress. I wanted a going out top to wear with jeans. I've been looking for a long time. Within the first few minutes I found it!

Diane von Furstenberg liquid black top in my size for $20. I immediately checked and it is going for $80 on eBay so a steal!

That would have been fine if I stopped there. But damn the fashion magazines I read poolside in Vegas. I had seen these beautiful fuschia strappy heels by Christian Louboutin. And they stuck in my head. So when I saw these suede Steve Maddens in perfect condition for $18 - like they never made it out of someone's house - I couldn't help but buy them.

You can say that I have a problem, but I don't smoke, gamble, eat junk food/sugar/bread or do drugs....so I say if you are going to have a problem this one isn't a bad one to have!

Dear Foursquare

2011-06-03T22:44:00.003-04:00

I do play foursquare. I never beat Sara on the leaderboards. And I lost my mayorship of the Psychology building to a cheating undergrad. But I do win things like 15% off at payless and free shots at piano bars. It is a marketing scavenger hunt that tracks my location and my friends. Looking at my last 6 months I'd say this pretty much explains my life....

Style assignment

2011-06-03T12:49:00.002-04:00

I'm part of this discussion board on a fashion website. Where if we participate in surveys and projects we get store credit and free shipping. Totally great for me. This week's assignment was to upload a photo of what represented your style. This is what I put up....all things I've worn this week

1. BCBG Leopard Mini with Jeffery Campbell pumps
2. Forever 21 Top, Levis skinny jeans, vintage pumps, vintage necklace from grandma
3. Dick & Jayne LA Shirt Dress, Frye Boots, Urban Outfitter belt

Good News!

2011-06-02T16:31:00.002-04:00

I got a sports massage today and told her about my injury and atrophied right side. And she said that while it might be atrophied it is strong and certainly not smooshy!!! This is probably the best news I could get after all this rehab and work! It has been frustrating as I am doing all of Crossfit heavily modified so that might right hip can participate. The problem is that even though I could lift more weight or do the full exercise my right side is then out of commission the next day. So it has been baby steps, but at least no more smooshy!!

it gets better project

2011-05-24T14:32:00.002-04:00

I

am

Late

to this.....

but I've been dissertating

It Gets Better Project

Go there.

Pledge.

If you have $30 give $30 to a cause that is important to me.

I <3 Technology sometimes

confusing

2011-05-09T19:11:00.002-04:00

so legumes are confusing. I am not suppose to be eating them on this paleo-type diet. Basically, I think I am eating paleo because even though I said I was going to eat rice I haven't really. I thought I knew what they were, but I didn't. I didn't realize they were anything in a pod that splits in two halves. I knew beans so I haven't been eating peanuts, black beans, pinto beans, or garbanzo beans. I mostly remembered soy beans but I did get a latte with soy and used soy sauce because I forgot. But I got confused by green beans and green peas. I just read that technically they are called a Pulse, a certain type of legume. The thing about legumes is that they are 1) an allergen and 2) they prevent your body from absorbing some nutrients (lectin).

Green beans seem to be so different nutritionally than the others and are low in lectin....and I eat them raw .... so I don't know.... I guess I could read up on paleo, but I think I am just going to eat them instead

shopping break

2011-05-08T18:22:00.006-04:00

Since I am in the habit of blogging my purchases now I am just going to keep doing that. Friday night I took a little break from writing and went with my roommate to Forever 21. The purpose was to find a maxi dress and a neon pink bikini top. I mostly succeeded! Yes, yes, I know I should stop buying crap and put my money towards more important things like crossfit and plane tickets!

I've been wanting a black maxi tank dress, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. Yellow tag deal so I got this one for $10

I didn't need any new tops though I've been cleaning out my closet drastically reducing my wardrobe. I recently was annoyed at all my Tshirt choices though. I tried this one on and my roommate said - don't you have that shirt. I didn't, which means I bought it at $14.

The questionable purchase was spending $15.80 on Red hot pants. I am not big on wearing shorts though I have to wear them for summer camp. I think these are too short for summer camp. They are also high waisted which might make them awkward....I'll decide when I go to wear them.

Did you know....

2011-05-07T02:10:00.003-04:00

That the childhood obesity epidemic is out of control? Over 30% of children are obese. The growth rate over the last 7 years has been 16%!

That for the first time in history children are living less healthy lifestyles than their parents - meaning reduced life span?

And did you know that 74% of adults in the do not get recommended 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a day! Moderate-intensity can include walking places and taking the stairs. Not just exercising! That is an overwhelming percentage.

Adults give lots of excuses about how busy they are or that they work a lot, blah blah blah...and that it is easier for children to get the recommended physical activity. What I don't understand is how adults don't understand the simple fact that they are role-models for children.

Besides all the terrible health issue(in 2004, 360,000 total deaths were related to poor diet and lack of exercise) this problem is a total financial drain. Medical expenses for obese adults are 36% higher than non-obese adults. Ten years ago over 9% of medical spending was on obesity related disease a rate similar to smoking related disorders...and this number is just going up!

Ok, back to work but writing about this stuff gets me all worked up. Yes, I got my 30 minutes of physical activity today. I hope you did too!

i Love hoop!

2011-05-06T15:00:00.001-04:00

I'm on a blogging role. I have to buy my plane ticket home to NYC for the summer. I often blog about how bad I at figuring out my plane tickets. So many decisions all at once that deal with time and money. Terrible. (side note: I am perfectly capable of doing this for other people given I've done this for rugby teams.) HOOP just saved me by sending me the site hipmunk.com. It has an agony sort to show the shortest duration flights with lowest price. Totally visual, which I need. And says Buy or Wait! Yay!!

Click on the pic to see a larger version :)

it is always in the room these days

2011-05-06T02:06:00.002-04:00

It is hard to try to be social while on a no-drinking diet when being social means going to a bar. I edited a picture to show how it makes me feel. Stopped by one of my favorite bars Small Bar tonight. It would be my favorite bar if it was in walking distance. It was probably a mistake as I didn't escape without having a cinco de mayo margarita - at least the only ingredients are lime, oj, triple sec, grand marnier and tequila. My thought is it is better to have that be a diet break than a plate full of fries. My new Victoria's Secret bikinis came in the mail. One is zebra print and one is solid black. That is some solid motivation.

Dear 16 year old me. Wear Sunscreen! Pasty is hot...

2011-05-05T17:12:00.004-04:00

If only we knew then what we know now. I'm still appalled by the fact that my family doctor prescribed going to the tanning bed for my acne as I had tried all kinds of medicines to no avail. I went for years during high school on a pretty frequent basis. I think it helped a bit and now can't imagine the cost. My mom was supportive of fixing my acne as it was painful and made me miserable. Clearly, no one knew the damaging effect...and who questions their doctor? Since college I've been careful. I am vigilant about sunscreen, wearing hats and staying as covered up as possible. I've already had 3 moles/birthmarks removed that were growing at a rapid pace. They were all fine, but this reminds me to keep checking....everyone should

disseration

2011-05-04T23:43:00.002-04:00

My brain is dead already and I'm only writing my dissertation proposal. EEK. The good news is that I am at the stage where I need to pick a video game and I'm playing video games and watching lots of youtube clips about video games. If you know a lot about Wii games drop me an email so I can get your opinion on something.

This just started week 3 of my diet/exercise get in shape for Vegas pool parties. Mostly I want a glass of wine. My energy is much lower than I would like as I'm having a hard time eating enough calories - I can eat as many as I want but I get full! So I am trying to get more fat by eating an avocado a day. I probably also need to eat some more red meat....but that means going to the grocery store.

I've mostly been on lock down between the no drinking and the dissertation proposal so not much else to report....but 15 days until I defend my dissertation proposal and 22 days until Vegas and 37-39 days until I'm home for the summer.

My life IS adventures

2011-04-24T17:43:00.007-04:00

A friend recently said to me (in reference to people getting the wrong impression): If someone were to look at your Facebook they might think your whole life is adventures like Barbie Foosball and muppets. I thought about it....and that is exactly right! Though sometimes the adventures have hours of reading, writing, researching, grading papers and sitting in class in between. In the spirit of preparation for more adventures I've made some recent purchases/trades.

A beautiful maribou feather bolero wrap. Traded for a jean skirt and pair of someone else's heels at my favorite store in North Park - Home. I can't wait to wear this - probably next time in Vegas. But this will be with me forEVER.

A hot pink tutu. Bought for $16 in a random accessory store in Pacific Beach - land of the 20 year drunk college student and beach bum. Rocked it at the too trendy college bar and started a tutu revolution. I should have charged the store a commission...what girl doesn't want a tutu? I've loved them since I was little even though I failed at ballet.

BCBG pink and turquoise leopard print mini dress. Traded for shirts I don't wear at an awesome buy/resale in Hillcrest that I just stumbled upon - I think it is called Rewind. Also got a vintage black glittery mini dress by Guess circa early 1980s (right after the label started) I'll get a pic soon and be wearing it in Vegas at the end of May. Two dress = $24 - $18 credit = $6 paid. I'll be wearing this dress out with my fav turquoise heels in the next week or so...

I texted Sarina to see if I should get both dresses. Her response made the world a better place, "Glitter is practical. Leopard is essential!"

Duh!

Yes, I'm putting this on the Internet

2011-04-22T17:55:00.003-04:00

I need as much accountability as possible right now since I am embarking on tough diet restrictions and a workout routine to get in shape for Vegas Pool Parties at the end of May. What this means....

I'm taking my gluten-free diet to the next level. Almost, Paleo for all of you who go on and off that diet.... I am eliminating white potatoes, oats, corn and legumes. All things I usually eat. I only eat sparse amounts of dairy, but its is out altogether. The worst is going to be that I eat instant oatmeal the 2-3 days I commute to school as it is quick and only leaves a dirty bowl. Breakfast is converted to eggs.

The big thing is that I will not be drinking for 2 weeks. Before you think that is impossible I take at least a month off a year. Just not when I'm in NYC :)

The BIG exception to the Paleo diet is that I am still eating rice. The first two weeks I am going to limit rice or rice noodles to one meal a week. Oh and I drink black coffee (I"m not sure if that is allowed...)

Here is the thing because I truly believe that unless I'm gathering and hunting my food like an actual caveman it is silly to use cavemen as the rule-of-thumb. There are millions of people who have sustained a diet of mostly rice for thousands of years that are NOT fat. So if the goal is too not be fat then.....Instead I think eating closer to the food source (i.e. away from processed food); eating only healthy fats; and not eating foods that are allergens is just fine.

I've done the allergen diet before (where I learned it is better for me not to eat gluten). It was intense and certainly changed my eating patterns, but also let me know I don't need to be that extreme about my diet. Rice is not an allergen. Corn is. Refined Sugar is. Citrus and Tomatoes are. So is red meat -- which I rarely eat because I can't afford it. And lunch meat except Applegate Farm organic Turkey.

Besides the food. I'm increasing the exercise to include running twice a week. Will see what happens....but this is on my fridge:

If I was a rockstar

2011-04-20T15:39:00.002-04:00

The lovely Sabrina (via DJ Dougie Fresh) just introduced me to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. I kind of can't believe I haven't heard them before. Everything about their music is what I want in music. And everything about their style is what I want in a rock band. If I was a rock star I would totally be the female bassist in this group....check it out!

fitness thoughts

2011-04-19T18:52:00.003-04:00

First, thank you to Hoop for always commenting on things! You are the best! I realized I didn't even comment enough on Jenna's adventures even though I know how much I LOVE comments.

I've been thinking a lot about fitness the last few months. I think it is because I am about as close as I can be to saying that I am done playing rugby. The last few years have been very difficult to change gears from training hard for competitive rugby to basically not training. Granted the burpee challenge (http://100burpees.blogspot.com) set me back with a big hip injury, but even still I haven't figured out my fitness post-rugby.

I have lots of great role models in my friends. They do triathlons, tough mudders, 1/2 marathons, long bike races and cross-fit. I haven't been able to run for long distances, but I also have not inspired to even try.

I blogged earlier about starting to do hot power yoga daily based on a $50 groupon for one month of unlimited yoga at Core Power Yoga. They have a ton of classes during the day and are a 7 minute walk from my apartment. I signed up for a second month and pretty much got hooked. These classes are much more fitness than any yoga class I've been to - and I know that they aren't thought of too highly in some yoga circles. The classes are HOT 95-105. I go to the high level vinyasa flow classes which combine lots of abs/core exercises.

They helped me get fitter and stronger. All the single leg balance poses really helped me strengthen my right side. Yoga is all I did for 2.5 months.

I decided to look into doing Cross-fit because I need more community and have really enjoyed all the SD crossfitters I have met. I got stopped by the costs of the foundations (Intro) classes which range from $150-250. I've been traveling too much to be able to carve that much out of my budget. Maybe if I would have stuck with my no shopping....

I decided to go to one of the free classes on saturday though and loved it. I plan on continuing to go to those. It was fun and really hard! But the best news was that I didn't feel out of shape at all (even running)- which means the hot yoga is working. My abs weren't even sore the next day - just my back and shoulders hurt a lot!

So I think I might have found a fitness pattern that works with 5 days of yoga a week and 1 day of cross-fit. I might work in running but really I just want to set a pattern I stick with!

Update: Thanks Hoop! Great idea about the Lululemon stores! The days don't work for me right now, but they have free yoga and free kettlebell classes. Wouldn't it be great if I could find enough free classes to fill my week! I realized I should take a class at UCR's rec center on Monday nights when I stay in Riverside!

I'm out

2011-04-13T22:45:00.007-04:00

So I can't believe that NO ONE commented on my barbie foosball post. Oh do I miss the days where my mom had access to high speed internet and commented on the things I posted. So I'm going back to shopping. I can't type much as I had some sort of cyst removed from my right thumb and am typing without it -harder than you think.

I fell off the wagon and am not going back. But here are the purchases I've made since I fell off!

This dress on sale in black and green at Urban Outfitter. Though $9.99 for black. Very versatile and....every time someone asks me to go dancing at clubs in Downtown SD I think "S@#*% what do I wear". Well, these dresses fix that.

These shoes on sale at Urban OUtfitters for $20. I have one pair of red heeled sandals besides flip flops. NO one can tell me I didn't need these. I've been looking for awhile for sandals I 1) didn't hate and 2) could afford

I got two of these dresses. One in heather grey and one in charcoal. Totally didn't really need either. But have already worn the both 3 times in 3 weeks. And LOVE! Bought at Loehmans for $25 each they are alternative apparel - the best cotton Ever! I also got a plain white v neck alt apparel T there for $7 - mine had pit stains.

I blew out the heel on my black heeled oxford that I wore all the time!! Those I got at payless a year or two ago. Replaced with these from J Crew. Normally $275. I purchased for $16 at beacon's closet in park slope. LOVE THAT!

Finally, I got a grey stripped dolman sleeve light weight sweater on selling credit at my favorite vintage store that also sells new stuff. The brand is LA made Landi Clothing, but its one of those brands that is generic....The store in my neighborhood is called Home and its one of the few places that makes me feel like I'm at home in Brooklyn (http://www.amomentinyourlife.com/)

Barbie Foosball

2011-04-04T00:01:00.008-04:00

While in New York City I discovered my friends talking about wanting to build a Barbie Foosball table and that all we needed was Barbies. I quickly volunteered to search out dollar stores to find the 22 Barbies it would take to build this amazing project.

In order to fully explain I need to back-up to Christmas when Frankie and I took my annual stroll down Christmas Avenue (5th Ave) and ended up at FAO Swartz. I have things I do there every year: ask a sales clerk what the most popular toy is, count children melting down and look for the most sexed up Barbie.

We saw this marvel for $25,000

I'm not sure how the excitement and idea turned into plausible plan, but I blame Sarah and Jayne. As they were motivated when I arrived. I struck out at the dollar stores and the craigslist posts were too far away. So I decided to post this ad on Craigslist:

Wanted up to 25 Barbies: Art project needs lots of Barbie dolls (25 Total). Willing to pay ~$1 a Barbie. No Barbie clothing is needed.It is ok if they are not in perfect condition! If you have 5-10 it is worth the purchase. I can meet up in Brooklyn or Manhattan. Need all Barbies by Sunday March 27th.

Needless to say no one replied. Sarah did some good eBaying and found a lot of 25 Barbies for sale in Brooklyn.

I wrote the girl saying can I pay $45 instead of bidding and meet you somewhere in Brooklyn? She was new to eBay so agreed. Next thing you know I am texting with Nastya (a Russian teenager) about a meet up plan in Midwood. Frankie and I drive to middle-o-nowhere Brooklyn enroute to the Russian bath house. She shows up on the corner by the subway with a bag full of Barbies.

Barbies purchased Frankie and I become part of Team Barbie. We text Team Table, Sarah and Jayne that we have them and building is on for Sunday! Sarah goes to ikea for all the table supplies and luckily she has a basement full of tools for rebuilding her house. So the project can become a reality!

That Sunday we meet up for brunch at Sarah's house. I had already spent the morning soaking Nastya's glitter glued Barbies in bleach water to clean them and prepare them for foosball!

We decide to divide and conquer into teams for table building and Barbie de-arminging. We thought that pulling the arms off the Barbies would be easy....Matel fooled us and little brother-proofed the things since I had Barbies. From here out I can really only talk about what Team Barbie did, but can say that Team Table -- which I think was mostly Sarah and Jayne with Dar's help planned and built a perfect table. There was lots of cutting and drilling and measuring. Also Sarah kept getting interrupted by people asking her if she had such and such a tool, which she always did!

In terms of Barbies Frankie and I struggled a lot. We learned quickly we needed vice grips to pull off the arms and if you didn't do it properly the first time you were stuck with a joint. Also turns out that Barbies are not hollow through the torso. We started getting it down and Cris joined us popping off arms and pulling out the shoulder joints. We think we averaged about 3 minutes an arm.

After that process we needed to hollow out the arm socket since there is lots of plastic in there. I started out using a drill which was imprecise. A Barbie was lost in the process. But then the drill's battery died. I brought it into the basement to charge. I happened to say to Sarah - the thing I need is something like a small electric sander as the plastic needs to be filed out. She says, hmmm like a drummel. And produces this amazing tool that fits perfectly and makes it easy for me to drill a hole through the Barbies to fit a 1 inch dowel. Plastic dust and fumes were flying so our Union Representative made me put on an air mask and goggles.

Collectively we decided we could have a team that consisted of 10 Barbies. A goalie, 2 defenders, 4 midfielders and 3 forwards. So while I was drilling out the arms Frankie, Cris, Dar and Willis set up a Barbie assembly line. Cris measured the legs 5 3/4" and taped them down so they would fit in the table and make sure the Barbie was not top heavy.

Willis then used tin snips to cut the Barbie's legs off. She really wanted to use the circular saw, but Sarah and Jayne had tested that already and it proved to be too dangerous.

Frankie made sure that each Barbie had a unique hair style. We learned this had to happen after I drilled the arms or the long hair would get caught up in the spinning sanding tool and a Barbie could lose a head!

Meanwhile Team Table was hard at work making sure all the measurements were exact and that the Barbies could actually fit across the table. They marked off the field with electrical tape including and cut out the goals.

Everything finished around the same time and someone (Dar?) decided that we needed to draft the Barbies to teams. So they were laid out and a draft commenced. (I'll come back to this when I have a few more minutes)

teams colors were picked to be blue with white shorts and orange with black shorts. We painted on bikini tops and shorts and electrical taped the bottoms of their legs in the appropriate color. After that they got glued onto the dowel.

I will be the first to say that I never ever imagined it would turn out as beautiful looking as it did. Sarah foamed and taped the handles down. The ball is a ping pong ball. I'm waiting for reports of how it functions. Hopefully there will be a match soon!

(I will finish this post soon!)

NYC-bound

2011-03-18T17:33:00.002-04:00

For the next 10 days I will be in NYC for my spring break. I have data I have to work on for upcoming conferences and for my dissertation, but I"ll be in NYC!!! I can't wait! After that I got Montreal for a big conference on child development where I am presenting some of my data. I usually have major packing issues and too many shoes. But this time I somehow managed to fit it all into a relatively small suitcase and a carryon. Even though I had to bring winter sweaters and coats for the frigid Canada weather. Though some NY'ers have told me it feels like spring - but the weather says 50/60s which to me means a sweater and a coat....especially since I've been feeling like it was spring since the high 70s hit and I started wearing sandals!

I have very few things on my NYC agenda except to reset my energy - which has been all out of wack even with daily yoga. A few walks around the city and a rest on the Brooklyn Bridge should make me feel brand new.

happiness

2011-03-12T00:24:00.003-05:00

Lots of things make me happy.

Let me be honest. I'm almost always happy. Some days I'm just more appreciative of my happiness.

A better way to put it would be I am rarely grumpy.

When I am grumpy there are few sure cures to the blues. In no particular order

1. having whiskey or wine with a good friend(s)

2. buy myself something pretty that makes me feel pretty

3. go on a walk somewhere relaxing in nature

I suppose exercise can work. But when I am grumpy the process of getting to the workout blows.

I spend a TON of time by myself in SoCal. More than I like. Loneliness has become the thing that makes me the MOST grumpy. That and being sick or tired.

#3 can work - I love the dog park and dog beach and there are plenty of hikes. However, doing these things alone tends to magnify my loneliness and make me more grumpy.

#1 is hard when you don't have a lot of close friends you count on. It is has gotten a lot better since I moved.....But, Grad students are completely unreliable to call up for a grumpy get a drink because they are always too absorbed in their looming deadlines to drop things and go get a drink. I've recently realized that I've made a few very reliable friends in San Diego. They were gifted to me by Holly. I'm working on getting to know a few others gifted from my high school friend Erin. It is making a difference and making #1 a feasible option.

BUT...that leads me to #2. I KNOW that I have bought stuff out of loneliness while living in SoCal. But this no shopping in '11 is becoming a real problem. It has made me a grumpy and when I am lonely it makes it worse!!! Luckily I had visitors last week for 3 days and I am going to NYC next week. I'm trying to make it. But there are no promises after 3 months. I spent the Gilt credit (one of the rules) I had on these shoes in black. I had just busted the heel of my favorite black high heeled oxfords so no longer had black heels so in reality it was a needed use of the credit.

Updates

2011-02-26T22:23:00.002-05:00

First of all Frankie is blogging up a storm at Thrifty 11

I am still carrying a negative balance. Just sold a pair of Joe's Jeans on eBay for $17. Which means I am now -$17. I've identified items to sell a pair of boots, fancy sequiny Laundry silk tank and shirt I bought on impulse on eBay while I was depressed in Riverside. So now I just need to post on eBay ...

I also sold some shoes and a jean skirt to my favorite store around the corner from my house. They give 60% store credit. So I took the $26 in store credit instead of wiping out my negative so I can get something in the future. Since my guess is I will always have a NEGATIVE slush fund!!

I have been surviving ok. I helped Jessa shop for a dress for a wedding in April and that was great fun and consumed shopping hours. I'm still loving boutiques.com for Internet fashion browsing. And I made it through Vegas without any purchases at all!

I really want this top from Anthropologie (the flash wouldn't let me save it). I have a conference in Montreal in April where I am giving a big presentation. I have outfits to wear but this with my high-waisted gray pencil skirt is what I want to wear.

Oh and I've been having this dream about a dress that has a orange and purple swirly design on a cream/gray background. I swear I've never seen this dress before. But it is reoccurring. If it exists somewhere in the universe I don't think I can pass it up.

Did my taxes and got money back. Unfortunately, it all goes to pay of plane tickets that are sitting on my Amex bill.

Last update is that I am 6 weeks into (mostly) daily yoga. And I can tell a difference in my strength and balance. Flexibility leaves something to be desired. I also recently learned photoshop.....and went to Joshua Tree

Qualifying exams

2011-02-08T17:40:00.004-05:00

I realize that posting about shopping and clothes all the time can get boring. My brain has been off since my qualifying exams though....

Let's be honest. My blog has gone downhill since my Mom stopped reading and commenting. She no longer has Internet at work and the house still has dial-up. BUT since some family checks in to see how I am doing I thought I would do a post about my exams.

The qualifying exams are what you take in your 3rd year in my program to qualify for your PhD and be able to propose your dissertation. Every school is a bit different in the format. Ours is a 2 day written and a 2 hour oral exam. We are given a general reading list from our area that has everything the professors want us to know and then we create our own list of readings to specify our research. Mine were learning from others and learning from media.

You take then exams and results can be: You pass. You pass, but...(you sucked at something and better get better at it in order to get your dissertation done). You don't pass and you can retake them. You don't pass and you get asked to leave.

I passed. It was the most annoying and difficult thing I've done in my academic career. It was impossible to learn the amount of material.

Here is the info in numbers....

Pre-Exam Numbers

Number of articles and books on the general reading list: 85

Number of pages read for general reading list (articles only): 1,972

Number of textbooks read for general reading list (not included in page number count): 5

Number of articles on my personal list (not included in page number count): 36

Number of pages of summary notes I used for quick reference: 52

Number of days I studied for the exam: approximately 75

Average number of pages read a day: 80 (Note: many study days were spent rereading, outlining, summarizing, and writing)

Max number of pages read in a day: 320

Number of days I FREAKED out about taking the exam: approximately 2

Number of glasses of wine I drank to stop stressing: uncountable

Number of days I went all day without talking to a human being: At least 8

Number of times I said blah blah blah theories: 6

Number of days when I felt like I wasn't learning anything, wasn't retaining anything or could never learn all this material: lost count after first month

Exam Numbers

Number of hours for written exam: 16

Number of questions for written exam: 8

Number of hours/question: 2

Number of pages written in 2 days: 60

Number of typos: lots

Amount of time it took me to run in my socks down the hall, pee and run back to my office in order to not lose anytime: 2 min 15 sec

Number of days between written and oral exam: 20

Number of hours for my oral exam: 2

Number of committee members: 5

Number of questions in my oral exam: more than 15 (I know each member asked at least 2 questions)

Number of times I KNOW I sounded like an idiot during my oral exam: 3

Number of times a committee member admitted there was no answer to a question they asked: 4 (and weirdly those times were not related to the times I sounded like an idiot!)

Number of minutes I waited for them to tell me I passed and did a good job: 8 though it felt like 20

Post Exam Numbers

Number of days it has taken to recover: Its been 11 since the oral exam and I'm still not there

Number of days I've done hot yoga trying to learn how to relax: 18

Number of days I've wondered what I am suppose to be working on now: 7 (the whole past week)

I KNOW, this shouldn't occupy so much of my brainspace

2011-02-08T15:50:00.003-05:00

12:22 PM me: ps i almost quit the no shopping challenge yesterday

12:23 PM Frank: hahaha
what happened?
PS i almost died when i got the anthro catologue

12:24 PM me: i was trying on clothes for vegas
a girl from school brought 8 vegas tops
i have dresses but really want to do jeans and heels

and cute tops at least one night
12:25 PM so i am trying them all on and they all fit and look fine
BUT 1) are not my style
and 2) don't make me feel fabulous
i was like f*** it i always feel comfortable

and happy in my clothes
12:26 PM and if i wear any of these i won't feel either.

i'll be self-conscious all night

Frank: you are too funny

me: i like to feel happy and confident in what i wear

and vegas clubs

are already SOOO out of my comfort zone
12:27 PM i can at least have control of my outfit

and not look like all the girls wearing stuff they

shouldn't wear just because its a vegas club
you know??

Frank: i know exactly what you mean
do you think you could get away with purchasing

1 top only?

me: right
12:28 PM
so i decided i'd go to OU and buy a top i love

and that makes me feel great
and screw the challenge
but then i found a top i got from you.

sparkly sweater tank
which i love
soo....
12:29 PM

Frank: yay!!! i'm so proud of you

me: i forgot i had it

Frank: you know, i was going to ask the other day

if you had that

me: i've worn it but lent it to my friend to go clubbing

Frank: crap, i have a 3:30 meeting
talk later :)

Frank: blog about this!!!!!

me: buy!

bye

i meant

Frank: LOL
bye!

Digging out of the hole

2011-02-06T18:24:00.002-05:00

I know some people think there are too many loopholes in this no shopping year. Let me tell you being in the hole is motivating me to sell stuff to work away the negative....it is also helping to keep me from being weak and buying stuff. The boots were totally worth it!

It is so hard. I like buying clothes and shoes. Sometimes I wonder what I am really getting out of this challenge. I guess maybe saving money...but not much money ($20-50 monthly). And that money spent makes me so happy - I love my clothes. And if I am sad buying a new shirt cheers me up. The other day I was sad and went and looked at clothes. Didn't buy anything. BUT then took myself to dinner and drank a bottle of wine to cheer myself up...to a pricetag of $50!

So moral of the story is if I am going to make this challenge I'm going to need to find ways to cheer myself up that don't involve spending money. Suggestions welcome. I'm already going to yoga daily and next month am joining crossfit.

Oh and I went to Buffalo Exchange. Sold a sweater, a sweatshirt and TShirt. It was hard to turn down the store credit ($25), but I took the cash ($15). Meaning I am now at -$34

squishy

2011-01-31T18:39:00.002-05:00

I've been doing core power yoga on a daily basis in a first attempt to get fit enough to play rugby. It was a groupon and a great deal. I thought I'd do this for a month and then join CrossFit and then start practicing.

I hadn't done hot yoga before but it is really hard. I sweat a ton. Overall it has boosted my health as I have to drink a ton of water and take vitamins because I'm so depleted. I can feel myself getting stronger and can do poses I've never been able to do because the heat makes me more flexible.

I started to tell that my hips were out of alignment and my low back was feeling tweaky. So I went to a sports massage. Told her my hip injury history and all that. At some point during the massage I asked if she could tell about my alignment issues. What the massage therapist said was my whole right side was squishy where my left side had muscle definition. She then said that wasn't the best description that it was atrophied, but squishy was how it felt. Also that my right glut is significantly smaller than the left.

That put life in perspective. I don't really think I can play rugby with a squishy leg!!!!

IN the HOLE!

2011-01-28T16:16:00.003-05:00

Remember my wish list? Well I got an awesome Tan trench for christmas. So that was off the list. I've been stalking these Frye Paige boots on ebay for 2 years. And today they showed up as a buy it now used for $125. I consulted with Frankie and made the purchase.

Here is the damage. I had $52 in my paypal account from things I have recently sold. This means that I am in negative by $73.

I will work it off. Have a bag of stuff I am bringing to local vintage today. Also have some Joes Jeans to sell on ebay.

It is worth it!

**Update, Saturday 29th. I sold a pair of heels and a jean skirt at a local vintage store for $24. So now I am -$49. I think I am going to have to sell a pair of boots that I am on the line about

First of the Slush Fund

2011-01-18T17:59:00.003-05:00

No shopping in 2011 is hard and I'm finding the rules themselves allow for me to still feed an addiction!

For instance. I am doing a month of unlimited core power yoga. Got a $50 groupon. I am going every day except my long commuting day. It is HOT power yoga. So flow yoga in a room heated to 95 degrees with humidity. I am so sweaty by the end I might as well go in the shower with all my clothes on!

Things I realized while doing hot yoga everyday. 1. I threw away all but one of my sports bras; 2. anything that doesn't wick away sweat makes me nausea during class; 3. long cotton yoga pants are a no no; 4. I only have rugby tshirts for tops. This meant I got the buying of new sports apparel approved by Frankie :)

I went to TJ max and bought 2 sports bras, 2 capri yoga pants that wick-away sweat and 2 sports tank tops all for $58. Also replaced the sunglasses I smashed into a rock at J tree for $8. Those were some satisfying purchases and already made two yoga classes better. I have to be careful or I will have the best sports wardrobe EVER after this year!

Next issue. I was scrambling before the new year to buy a pair of high heels that I can wear on my two trips to vegas. I got the dresses.....but somehow only own reasonable pumps that I wear all the time. I was about to buy a ridiculous pair to get the purchase in before 2011 when my smart friend Bliz told me I was messing with rules of economy and should wait until I need them. SO....I waited and put money in the slush fund. Now I've found two pairs that could work. They are both Seychelles a brand of heel that I know fit me and I can wear all day long. I have a 3 inch stacked pump I Love and even teach in.

I need your help to decide which pair!!
First pair Seychelles Wild Card. Would purchase on ebay for $65 or see if I can get them on Amazon for less. Heel is 3.5 inches.

Second pair Seychelles Card Shark on Amazon for $36. Might be able to find them cheaper. Heel is 4 inches. Pushing it for me. Maybe more versatile as all black

THOUGHTS??? HOld out for others? I have a few weeks.....

No Shopping Rules!!

2011-01-09T11:53:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Frankie at Thrifty11.blogspot.com we have rules of no shopping in 2011. With these rules I actually feel like I can commit to 6 months (Frankie is doing a year!!) at that time I will reassess.....I have pasted Frankie's rules here with some edits and my comments in (parenthesis)

1. socks and undergarments are NOT included and can be considered necessary purchases
2. the money from any items that are sold on ebay or at consignment shops will go into a "slush fund" and that money CAN be used to make purchases
3. any sporting equipment that is needed throughout the year is allowed
4. special occasions. here's where it gets tricky. IF, i have an occasion where i am in need of a new frock (or shoes!) i can purchase something ONLY after the jury (Frankie) has OKed it. (This is crucial for me as dressy stuff is low in my closet. Also purchases for being in a wedding don't count!)
5. gifts are all fine, as long as for other people. (Shorty this could be a loophole where Frankie and I exchange gifts, but we will be good!!)
6. gift cards are all fair game. (and in my case I am going to spend my credits on RueLaLa and Gilt)
7. i (we) must post about anything i purchase.

I have been following Frankie's advice and slowly deleting all the sale emails I receive. I am keeping my updates from Boutiques.com as I need to have some sort of fashion outlet!

I'll post about my most recent pre-2011 purchases soon as I find my camera cord! I really kept the shopping to a minimum while in NYC I only bought a black DVF cocktail dress at a sample sale (True sampel = $20). While I was in Northern Michigan I went with my aunt and cousins to the Traverse City Goodwill. It was amazing as it turns out no one in N Mich appreciates true vintage. It was full of things that wouldn't last two seconds in Brooklyn. I had this moment of debating filling a suitcase full of it and reselling it all! As it was for $14 I got two vintage silk tops and a retro dress. Other than that I bought 2 Michael's Kors dresses that I probably didn't need (one at Nordstrom Rack and one on Rue. Each $45). However I WILL wear them both on my trips to Vegas in Feb and in May to justify!!

Thrifty '11

2010-12-01T15:43:00.002-05:00

Frankie has gone live with her blog thrifty11.blogspot.com

She has already posted a pair of shoes I've been lusting after. Hopefully the virtual world will sustain our fashion habit!!!

Expect lots of good fashion to be posted in the upcoming months. I'm not going the whole year - just a month or two or three. But Frankie might make it the whole year.....!!!

Dry Spell in 2011

2010-11-29T23:56:00.004-05:00

A few years ago I went a month without shopping in order to try to help my friend Saad stop smoking. Maybe if you don't remember the pain and agony that sounds like a silly comparison. However, I have lots of will power for everything but clothing AND living in NYC I saw pretty things I wanted to buy all the time. So every time I saw something I wanted to buy I would text him to see how he was doing.

Starting in 2011 Frank and I are starting a support group. Yup, Frank I just called you out on the Internets so that we have to follow through. We will be blogging about breaking the habit, posting the things we would have bought if we could shop and linking to ebay things that are being sold. The rule that will be established is that if you sell something (ebay, vintage store, etc.) you can then use that to buy something. However, that will only happen after a month of abstinence.

Problem is knowing I won't be able to shop makes it so I want to shop even more! Right now my list is pretty short, but I've been lusting over a few items for awhile. And google's Boutiques.com is making finding things I like so easy that it is hard not to be tempted (I think you can follow my boutique at brooklynbubble)....

Here is what I want:
Frye's Tall Paige Riding Boots

A lined Tan Trench Coat

A brown leather jacket - kind of like this....only slightly different. I couldn't get the image to copy. Unfortunately, all the ones I like are William Rast and a tad out of my price range

I realized as I posted these that they are items much more fitting for the Northeast than SoCal, but right now I am wearing boots, two sweaters and fingerless gloves indoors....so it is easy to forget!

Inspiration

2010-11-27T19:51:00.002-05:00

I just heard Kesha's new song and didn't realize the inspiration. Pretty cool that there is media response to this issue

from Wikipedia
"We R Who We R" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Kesha, from her first extended play (EP), Cannibal. The song was released as the EP's lead single on October 22, 2010. Kesha was inspired to write the song in the wake of news that bullying had led to multiple suicides of gay youth. Hence the message of the song is to inspire people to be themselves, a celebration of anyone deemed quirky or eccentric.

San Diego

2010-11-26T18:24:00.002-05:00

I had meant to finish the adventures around the city with the muppet, but always forget to blog. I am not sure why I forget to blog because often I am bored and taking a break from whatever work I am doing on the computer. Perfect blog time, but I tend to waste time on Facebook instead.

The reason I remembered to blog today though was I reflecting on everything I have to do over the holidays. I realized what a blur this fall has been - time is flying. The process of studying for my qualifying exams is mind numbing. I'd like to think its because I'm learning all these things and that hurts my brain, but really I'm bored of it. I read hundreds of pages a day and it all starts to sound the same. I know I need to know all the theory, but I have much less patience for it.

In the midst of studying for this major exam that will allow me to propose my dissertation I picked up and moved from Riverside to San Diego.

What this means:
- I commute 180 miles roundtrip 3 days
- Luckily I have a 3 person carpool reducing miles on my car and amount of actual drive time
- I live in an amazing neighborhood with grocery stores, restaurants, bars, boutiques and thrift stores within walking distance
- I've already found my favorite vintage buy/sell store within a few blocks where I purchased a vintage dress covered with lightening bolts!!
- I live 2 miles away from Holly
- I can drive 10-15 min to the beach
- I can run outdoors without coughing on the smog
- I feel safe walking around at night (Riverside has had a huge amount of crime recently in broad daylight)
- I no longer live in one of the top 3 most stressful cities (or the city with the lowest education rate)
- I honestly can say I'm loving San Diego....so I might have to stop saying I hate SoCal!

This all makes finishing this damn PhD feel so much more feasible.

How is that for an optimistic post!

Even still, I can't wait to hit NYC in less than 2 weeks!!!

NYRC Wins WPL!

2010-11-15T19:15:00.003-05:00

For the second year in the row NYRC won the women's rugby premiere league national championship! This year it was a Northeast match up of Beantown v New York. It was pretty amazing to be there and to support - especially all of the players who were taking the field for the first time in a championship game! So proud of you guys!

On a related note - this year there wasn't a webcast by USA rugby, which made it really really difficult for all the fans around the world. Thank goodness for technology as we were able to stay connected through facebook, twitter and conference call. Wendy's blog has video from the semi-final games and hopefully will have something from the finals as well http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/

Having the Key to the City

2010-10-10T18:37:00.005-04:00

I've been meaning to post about so many amazing adventures from the summer in NYC. Mostly about this amazing art project called Keys to the City. On one of my last days in the city I was luckily enough to have two fabulous friends who also were on vacation. Jenna, Frank, and myself toured 4 of the 5 boroughs with a passport, a key and Fat Betty (my whatnot muppet). I'll post the whole adventure but I have to download some of the photos. To start here are some descriptions of the art project:

From NPR:
A public art project is making that happen this summer in New York City. The project is sponsored by the organization Creative Time, and the artist is Paul Ramirez Jonas. The main goal is to get people to see parts of the city they have never seen..... this month everyone has the authority to give out a key to the city. They've made 25,000 Medeco keys — and these are not symbolic. They are functional.

"They are master keys that unlock padlocks, post office boxes, steel gates and secret compartments across the city," Bloomberg says.

Along with the key comes a little blue passport, which lists all the sites. Most will be open all summer. One site is only minutes from the place where the keys are distributed. It's a box on a street lamp in the middle of New York's Bryant Park.

and here is the website for the project
http://creativetime.org/programs/archive/2010/keytothecity/

We completed the receiving the key ceremony. Fat Betty was thrilled to have the key bestowed on her

2010-06-14T01:53:00.002-04:00

The change even in these videos is amazing. This is my inspiration for studying media and child development -- how can we even imagine that the way kids develop cognitively, emotionally, socially and physically aren't drastically changing.

2009 Did You Know 4.0

2006 Did You Know (So much has changed in 3 short years!)

Homeward Bound

2010-06-09T12:56:00.003-04:00

I don't really have a lot of time to post as its finals week and I am trying to knock out one last 10 page paper this morning so I can go celebrate the end of the quarter. I then have about a week to finish planning a big research project that I'm doing in NYC this summer.

I actually got on my blog to look for the sandals that I wanted to buy last summer and didn't because once again I'm on a quest for sandals that I don't hate. I think some of those gladiator styles might make it happen for me. I'm also not allowed to buy any shoes before I get back to NYC because it would be silly to have to fly or ship them across the country.

Once I was on the blog I realized how neglected it was and that my countdown to the end of the quarter is totally wrong. The countdown should read SIX days until Brooklyn. I can't wait!!

I'm most excited to see friends -- this summer there is a convergence of people who moved away being back in town (Mele, Jimmy, Tyler, Ann and Kelly!) but also for (in random order).....

La Quinta, Coney Island, Street fairs, Vanessa's dumplings, Far Rockaway beach, concerts and movies in the park, shopping in soho, NYSC, Central Park, the subway (even though it will be hot and smell like garbage), walking places, finding new places and revisiting favorites....

The Problem

2010-05-08T00:31:00.002-04:00

I am slowly trying to work out again now that I have a mostly mended hip. Slow is the key key word here. I had stopped working out altogether the week before and the week of my thesis. Now it really hurts to get started again. I can run for about 15 to 20 minutes slowly - like I won't even look up how many miles that is. Or I can run for about 6-8 minutes at a 8.5-9 min mile pace. Its not my lungs that hurt - its my body. I swear all my muscle is gone -- which is backed up when I try to do core exercises.

It is totally depressing at times. AND I don't have anyone to workout with -- I totally need motivation and wish that the closest rugby players weren't an hour away. Yes, I'm full out whining in this moment. My savior is Jillian Michaels. I've been doing the biggest loser workouts and her No More Trouble Zone work outs. She is kicking my butt and constantly motivating. I love it and would highly recommend these videos to anyone who doesn't have someone to work out with and who doesn't have the motivation to get to the gym.....

In better news....my brother Brennan is having a helluva baseball season. I just read a bunch of articles that my mom sent me from the local paper and even as a freshman his name is the 2nd most mentioned in every article. He has over 20 RBIs (I've learned what that means); a high batting average and a lot of runs in (though I don't think that is exactly what you call it). Mom? Help me out here!! Also I've been trying to find articles online but I can't find the paper online...

Constantly learning

2010-04-17T18:10:00.003-04:00

The last few weeks in finishing my thesis (76 pages of crazy data) I also decided to start counting calories - well because all my jeans were too tight. While I have plenty of lovely dresses and leggings to fill the time - I see no reason that I shouldn't fit into my jeans. I always have had the attitude that I could eat whatever I wanted -- which was certainly true when I was training and practicing rugby. I mean I was running everything off.

I also am a healthy eater. I am still gluten-free (except the occasional pizza that I insist on eating, which makes me sick every time). I eat a pretty balanced diet and work really hard to get enough vegetables.

That said. My jeans weren't fitting.....so I downloaded a calorie counter iPhone app. where you enter all your food and energy expenditure. I told it I wanted to lose 5 pounds over 3 months. Not too drastic I thought....

I've learned a few things....

To lose just 5 pounds my daily calorie intake is suppose to be 2100 calories (no calories burned)
To eat MY ideal amount of food in a day I would eat 2400 calories which is fine...if I work out!!
Cadbury Creme Eggs have 170 calories
I absolutely can not have a glass of wine or 2 or 3 glasses of wine unless I have burned 400-600 calories in a day
Black coffee tastes as good as coffee with half-n-half
French fries, pizza, hamburgers, enchiladas and fried chicken are the devil. Through any of those into a day and all I could eat was salad. Unless I burned 600 or more calories.
A moderate workout doesn't burn as many calories as I thought.Running for 30 minutes only burned about 400 calories.
If I didn't bike 2 miles to school everyday I'd be screwed.
I thought I knew more about calorie intake and energy expenditure than I did
I still love iPedro my iPhone

Let me explain myself through interpretative dance....

2010-04-11T23:12:00.007-04:00

Sometimes I like to do interpretative dance. This video is from St Patty's day and I am showing off my best moves to my grad school friends. We are at a bar/festival, but strangely I am sober. Actually, I do most of my interpretative dance sober....

And since I'm posting here is another one of my dances in Rockport, MA by the ocean. Dancing to a violinist playing My Heart Will Go On from the Titanic. I secretly think he was sad when I left as I was making him more money....

Now if someone had a video of my sprinkler dance or defragmenting from 4th of July this post would be highlight my best interpretations....

Inspiration

2010-04-03T19:11:00.002-04:00

Thanks Hoop for suggesting I listen to "LISZTOMANIA" Phoenix and thanks for Baja for sending this video. Mostly thanks to PS22 for singing it and giving me chills!

If you haven't heard of the PS 22 chorus check out this article: New York Mag How Staten's Island PS 22 got famous

I want to tell you what I've been doing....

2010-03-30T01:30:00.003-04:00

Time is slipping away from me at a dramatic rate. I'm presenting my thesis on April 19th. I'm also presenting two papers at a conference in NYC April 9th -12th. While I am really excited about a trip to NY I am slightly overwhelmed about getting it all done.

The last week (which was my spring break) has been mind-numbing. I've been coding and managing data -- basically getting ready to analyze it. What that means in some numbers...that may or may not make sense.

1. I watched 90o minutes (or 15 hours) of videos of parent-child interactions

2. After each 30 second interval of the video I stopped the video and made 24 ratings of what was happening in the interaction.

3. This gave me 26 excel files

4. This all took me about 30 hours over 3.5 days

5. Next spent 10 hours marking the files at different crucial time intervals

6. I then spent way too many hours trying to figure out how to set up a master data sheet, which would give me frequency counts or sums of each rating for each child

7. Finally, I created a blank master excel document that is 100 columns by 26 rows.

8. I am now painstakingly getting frequency counts at four different crucial time points in each of my 26 files, which then will magically get transposed into 1 row over 100 columns. (Each file takes me about 30 minutes....so in 10 hours I will have that done.

9. Then....I get to start doing data analysis

are you bored yet? Yeah me too. Last night I had a dream that I was teaching a bunch of my professors how to do "count if" functions in Excel.

Oh....and I just listened to "Human" by the Killers on repeat by accident for an hour without noticing. I'd rather be Dancer at this point.

Liberty of London breaks my budget

2010-03-14T16:36:00.009-04:00

I headed to target early this morning -- like all the other girls who pay too much attention to fashion -- for the Liberty of London line. Turns out that it was in stores around here mid-week. I went because I wanted to buy the dresses and throw pillows.

I really wanted this dress, but it made me look like a linebacker...

And I wanted these throw pillows - but they were sold out

Instead I ended up with some awesome light weight chiffon pjs, a journal, and a file box that I all needed. And this adorable teapot and tea cannister.

I also want this chair which really goes with all my decorating....

All over the fashion blogs

2010-03-10T22:28:00.002-05:00

I haven't been sharing random things I find entertaining lately, but this one is so silly I can't help myself.

The original post was by Fashionista.com. They post about the 6 page sorority rush dress code document by Cornell's Pi Phi chapter. Yes, 6 crazy pages. Mostly its a lot of Bitchy demands (but I guess that is what you sign up with when you rush a sorority), but it's stocked full of icky fashion advice. This pretty much explains the bad cookie-cutter fashion that runs rampant throughout the mid-west. Ok, so upstate NY isn't technically the mid-west...

Fashionista has the entire document posted, which is worth a glance! I also enjoyed Fashionbinge's commentary.

I was most entertained by the Cocktail Round
"Dresses
Yes: appropriate knee and sleeve length; Winter Colors; Tights; Shaved Legs
No: Spaghetti Straps; Sleeveless -- unless you have really good arms; Satin. No one looks good in satin dresses unless its from Betsey Johnson or Dolce Gabbana, you weigh less than 130 pounds, have 3 pairs of spanxs on and its New Years Eve; Cleavage; Frumpy material/knit."

Last time I checked sleeveless dresses were certainly appropriate for a Cocktail party as well as a little cleavage. I mean I understand the don't show up looking like a hooker comment ;) but cleavage can be tasteful....

I am now dying to see what one of these in SoCal says...For instance: Ugg boots should only be worn with mini-jean skirts. Always pair whatever you are wearing with a designer hoodie. Show up with a spray tan or don't show up.

Cleaning the Closet

2010-02-18T17:39:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I helped organize a clothing swap with a bunch of grad students. It was a big hit overall. I had gotten rid of most of the clothes I didn't wear when I moved -- I thought....but when I started looking for things to bring to the swap I dug even deeper. Over the course of the week clothes, shoes and accessories started trickling out of my closet into bags. I found all kinds of stuff that I was holding onto for "special occasions" or "for when I lose 5 pounds" or "the bunion on my foot disappears" or because "it was too nice to get rid of and I barely wore it". Three large shopping bags later I hit the swap.

I purposely limited what I returned with to a pair of black peep toe flats, a pair of wide leg trouser jeans and a loose flowing top in a style I've been debating (that kind of boho hippie look).

Now I can't stop the closet cleansing process...I went through and threw away all the my mismatched and holey socks; t-shirts that are really too ratty to even go to the gym in; all the white tank-tops with pit stains; the 3 pairs of canvas ballet flats that smell bad even after putting them in the washing machine; and all the bras and underwear I don't wear!

Then this morning I compulsively threw away all the makeup I don't wear or that I've had beyond the recommended time frame.

I recently made the decision that 'll be moving out of my apartment at the end of this school year....probably to San Diego....so I have a feeling I'll be motivated to continue to de-packrat....

Love-Hate Relationship

2010-02-05T18:57:00.002-05:00

I am having a love-hate relationship with the Internet and social networking. I feel very disconnected from friends and family being all the way across the country. So in many ways I feel like Facebook and GChat are my main forms of being able to see what people are up to, chat and feel more connected.

However, I'm getting tired of Facebook. I'm constantly frustrated by the new privacy settings and that I can't even find where things are...Like how the heck can I see all my groups so I can leave ones I don't want to be in anymore. Every time I click (see all) it brings me to my news feed.

I'm thinking that maybe I need to downsize the entire thing....It's great they have all the different custom lists of friends and that you can hide activity, etc, etc. But now that I'm connected to everyone that I know from every aspect of my life it feels overwhelming. Does anyone else struggle with this?

I kind of just want to go back to the days where I had 25-50 friends -- the same people I talk to all the time. I just used it to share news stories of interest, have meaningless inside joke banter or post photos of our recent adventures.

There have been several times in the last month where I've debated cancelling my account. Does anyone else struggle with this????

Shopping Websites

2010-01-25T13:21:00.006-05:00

I decided to do this post because I need all the websites that I shop on in one place. My tags on Delicious have gotten out of hand and need to be sorted out. I'm looking for a wristlet/clutch because in the next three months I am going to Vegas three times. This weekend with school people for a psych conference, presidents day weekend for the USA 7s rugby tournament and in March with Oasis friends. Clearly 2010 is the year of Sin City. I NEVER went to clubs in NY so I don't have a way to carry my phone, ID and money while wearing a dress (that won't get set down or be in the way).

If I don't know what I want to buy I check these stores first mostly for ideas - though I often find stuff on sale.
Anthropologie
Urban Outfitters
Forever 21
I Don't Like Mondays
Top Shop (US)

If I know the brand or style of what I want to buy I check these discount sites
ebay
Modcloth
Go Jane
Bluefly
Net-A-Porter
TheOutnet.com
Etsy
Shop Bop
Fred Flare
Sense of Fashion

And I usually check the online sample sales to see what brands they are carrying. Comment or email me if you would like an invite.
Rue La La
Gilt Groupe

New in 2010

2010-01-09T13:48:00.002-05:00

I've been so slow about blogging now that my Mom is on Facebook I can update there. I also was messing around with twitter. I haven't figured out the use for it in my life. Mainly I use it as an easy to read news feed on iPedro. It was helpful to track Santa movement on Santacon though.

I spent 2 weeks in NYC and a week in Northern Michigan over the holidays which was great! Now I'm back to sunny SoCal. I'm so glad to be done with 2009 and am excited about 2010. The big things for me right now are....

1. Working on my masters thesis. I am currently gearing up to code all the data. I'm interested in how parents scaffold learning for their young children while using an interactive toy. It is a huge project that will be all consuming the next month and then I'll start the real writing.

2. Working on running again. I got cleared to try from the wonderful Doc B while home. I haven't run at all since June and my workout mood has been in a slump. I did 10 weeks of physical therapy. While I didn't do my exercises each and every day I did them most days. Also had lots of psoas release and ultrasound on my glut med. Every step I moved forward I'd push a little too much and end up in pain. I backed off and end up pain free for a month. Two days this week I used the elliptical for 15 minutes and then ran on the treadmill for 5 minutes (at 10min/mile pace). I had to focus a lot on my gait, but it felt SO GOOD. I had to keep reminding myself I had to get off and couldn't go any faster. The third day I did yoga. The fourth day I felt a little pinchy in the front of my hip so I just did my PT. Today feeling good so far!!

3. Working on designing a research project that will land me back in NYC with Oasis for the summer. I think it will be really cool and exciting for the kids too as it uses fun technology. More on that later :)

I'm back to work!!

Happy Holidays from New York!

2009-12-20T18:26:00.002-05:00

Congrats to NYRC!

2009-11-20T00:17:00.003-05:00

Sorry about the delayed post - I was celebrating the amazing weekend where the New York women won the Women's Premiere League National championship. Wendy has stories from the weekend if you want to read more on her blog Your Scrumhalf Connection. She did an amazing job all weekend with keeping scores up on her blog, facebook and Twitter.

Here is a celebration video (it's pretty loud), but Mom you'll like it :)

nationals this weekend

2009-11-03T01:07:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged about rugby in a long time because I've been depressed about it. Over the summer I finally had an MRI because I was in a lot of pain after I started running again. Turns out I had a tear in my gluteous minimus tendon and a probable tear in my hip labrum (Defined: A hip labral tear involves the ring of soft tissue that follows the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint. This ridge of cartilage, called a labrum, works a little like a suction cup to help hold your hip joint together.)

I got a shot of cortisone, which helped a lot for awhile. I also found out that I'd be lucky to be running by November let alone playing rugby. So I've been out all season - bit bummer considering the new D1 structure and Belmont went to the playoffs in Boston.

Now it is November and I'm still not running - in fact intense hiking sets me back. While I go to physical therapy weekly, I'm still in a fair amount of achy pain all the time. I've also lost a ton of muscle and core strength. In general I can tell that my entire hip joint is not stable.

This all adds up to be pretty depressing. I've also realized that running and rugby are my main emotional coping mechanisms. This fall I've been buckling under stress and life events much more than I usually do - and without being able to run I have a hard time clearing my head. I like hiking and yoga -- they both help but it just isn't the same as the runners high (endorphins).

I also don't have anyone close by to be an exercise motivator.....

So enough of my sob story -- this weekend rugby nationals are being held in San Fran. I'm flying out right after I finish TA'ing on Friday. I can't wait - to see the games, my friends and to be in the familiar space of a national championship.

I've blogged National before:
2008
The Bubble: National Playoffs
The Bubble: 2008 Rugby Nationals
The Bubble: more memories

2007
The Bubble: countdown

2006
The Bubble: NYRC - National Women's Rugby Champions!
The Bubble: We're going to Disney World

iphone love

2009-11-01T18:33:00.004-05:00

I haven't really taken the time to declare how much I love my iphone, ipedro. It is not like it filled a void in my life, but it certainly has changed things. In studying media I've learned the trend is that technology is becoming more digital, mobile and personal....and it is the personal part about the iphone that SUCKED me in!!

My new favorite application is from a fashion blog I like Feather Report. The iphone app uses your current location to give you an outfit for the day based on the weather. I like the styles on the blog and its an easy way to get inspired to put together new combos. I know I sound like a sales pitch, but the app lists the price of each item and has a link so you can purchase it right from the store. Evil for those of us who have impulsive shopping habits....but still I'm loving it. Here is the link to the itunes store if you want to get the app....

more school work....

2009-10-20T23:00:00.003-04:00

Tonight I am reviewing clips of violent first person shooter video games for a lecture on media violence....

I must say that while I don't want kids playing these games I do LOVE first person shooter games especially on the big screen!

Call of Duty 3 for Wii

Call of Duty 4 -- these graphics are unreal

House of the Dead (gross)

and Grand Theft auto -- most cops/explosion and 1.5mil views

school work

2009-10-13T20:13:00.002-04:00

Sometimes people ask me what I spend my time doing. Tonight I am screening children's television shows for lecture on Thursday. We are teaching about how children attend to TV through formal features (music, movement, etc) and content. I've learned a lot about kids programming and my FAVORITE....Yo Gabba Gabba...Have you guys seen this show that uses famous musicians to do their music?

I love Don't Bite Your Friends

and if you have lots of time and love pirates check out these adorable Backyardigans - and everyone seems to remix these guys to popular songs.

take it or leave it

2009-10-03T16:13:00.003-04:00

I am borrowing from the lovely Alex's Take it or Leave it posts for help on a purchase. I love this dress at Anthropologie -- it captures the look I've tried to do with tanks and skirts. Ann sent it my way because it's on super sale, $40. I'm going to go try it on because the reviews say that it doesn't fit busty girls so well....clearly I want it to be flattering before I buy. Even still - I need dresses like I need a wasp sting....so hoping for some good advice on this one....

Max Blumenthal in Riverside

2009-10-02T10:04:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't been blogging. I've been slammed getting back to school so late and trying to get a presentation ready. I'm going to a conference in Texas Oct 16th to present some data....I've been entering, analyzing and writing like crazy. Last night after a very long day at school 9:30am-7:30pm I went to see Max Blumenthal speak about his new book (which I am going to run out and buy). I went because I want to support anything interesting (and liberal) that comes through Riverside....I was glad I did because Max was engaging and the college republicans came out with protest signs. Nothing like a little political drama to make things interesting.

I'm behind on Max's work so this is a video from last year, but it is a great example of his work. Check it out (make sure you watch until the high school student declares that everyone has inclinations to be gay and he is stronger for following God)

Fun Covers

2009-09-02T10:21:00.002-04:00

I've been such a bad blogger this summer!! Its because I've been on a smart phone the whole time!!

I went to the Britney Spears concert, which was amazing. The most amazing part was it was fabulous - even though BritBrit didn't sing or dance the whole time. Unless you count shaking, hair flipping and being carried by dancers as dancing -- and if so I'm ready to dance!!

Thanks to Cris for sharing this awesome Lily Allen cover of my favorite Britney song - Womanizer

Which reminded me about the Alanis Morissette Spoof of My Humps. Here is the high quality video link

, but embedding is disabled on that video...so here is another version

Ah-mazing!

2009-08-24T11:58:00.002-04:00

Many things I could blog about but today is a monumental day in my life. I just paid off all my credit card debt (the remaining $1600). I never ever thought I'd do this. Really I just assumed I would have credit card debt my whole life. Now will be the bigger challenge of keeping myself debt free.

Too bad I have a stomach ache or I'd go have a celebratory drink as its after noon!!

updates

2009-07-24T09:15:00.003-04:00

1. I BOUGHT AN IPHONE. JUST WAIT UNTIL I TAKE A PIC OF MY TAPED TOGETHER FALLING APART NOKIA WITH A BROKEN SCREEN. if I ever get to an AT&T store I'll start using it :)

2. I finally saw Doc B and got an MRI of my hip. Not the worst news but not the best news. I have lots of swelling in my hip joint and a torn gluteus minimus tendon. Only a possible/probable labrum tear and an intact but tight psoas. Damn psoas is probably the base of my problem. I just got a cortisone shot which is relieving lots of the pain. I am worried that it might be awhile until I can run and maybe this will take me out of the fall rugby season....though I am not thinking too much about that as I don't want to be depressed about it.

3. today is Halloween in July in New Jersey. I am going as a witch

i heart nyc

2009-07-20T21:54:00.000-04:00

It is hard to keep up virtually when I am surrounded by friends and busy in reality.

I have been loving every minute of being home. Even the busy camp work days.

Right now I am watching Harold and Maude in Bryant Park with thousands of other people. Thanks to kelly and collin for sprinting, tackling and diving with our blankets for a piece of grass.

Other recent fun was a weekend at Jacob Riis Park beach where I swam in the ocean forever and read a fabulous book of short stories by Neil Gaiman.

Friday night again I took advantage of Kelly's flex schedule and space securing ability and attended the New York Philharmonic concert in Central Park - until the lightening started.

So needless to say I am having a good time being home and remembering everything I love about NYC. Oh and lots of friends is pretty great too. Ann was just here. And it made me wish that all my friends lived in Brooklyn again.

Can we make that happen for real?

home

2009-06-26T10:42:00.000-04:00

I am back in Brooklyn for the summer. Back at camp - which starts monday. I got back a week ago, launched into staff trainings and have not even had time to see many friends.

The nice thing is that I truly feel at home. Actually I can not imagine leaving again. It's a funny thing because while I live here 9 years I only truly loved it the last few. I hadn't realized that such a strong feeling of comfort would be attached. But then the last time I moved from a home was when I graduated high school - which by the way was 15 years ago!

These are the things I think about as I am stuck in stand still traffic on the Manhattan bridge for 30 minutes. Happy that I am not stuck in LA traffic.

Rewards

2009-06-09T17:29:00.003-04:00

I unbanned myself from ebay. Immediately found these beautiful boots. Then lost them. So sad.

I've decided that if I get all A's in my first year that I will get myself a big present. Maybe an iPhone or a Garmin so I am not lost all the time. I also am thinking of adding a flower to my tattoo for each year in grad school...then getting another massive one (design in progress) when I finish :)

procrastinating

2009-06-05T12:07:00.002-04:00

Every day I am spending about 6-8 hours writing my final -- meaning I am on the computer that whole time. It makes my brain hurt so I'll take short little breaks. Sometimes I stretch. Recently I've been fiddling with my guitar again as well. Mostly I'll mess around online because its a quick 10 minutes of mindlessness....

My newest obessession is the website texts from last night. (Warning: This site is not PG 13 due to language and sexual content).

Thunderstorms and other news

2009-06-03T16:13:00.004-04:00

1. This morning there was a thunderstorm -- my first since being in Cali. It was wonderful. I was getting up to go running and instead lay in bed listening to it.

2. I've been going to the climbing wall each week and had yet to get to the top of the hardest climbs. The wall is about 50 foot and the climb I've been trying to conquer is inverted (hopefully that makes sense -- it leans towards you. Yesterday I made it to the top! Granted a girl who is very skilled pointed out holds to me in the spot I've gotten stuck before - which is how I made it.

An inverted climb turns out to be really hard. I also have been practicing doing a flexed arm hang -- it helps with grip strength which allowed me to keep hold on the inverted spot while getting my leg up. I hadn't done the flexed arm hang since elementary school. It is way harder than I would have thought...I am up to 55 seconds right now. Try it - you'll be surprised at how hard it is.

3. My physical therapist scared me today -- as he is worried I have a labral hip tear. Which pretty much messes with hip stability. The PT has been releasing my psoas and my back is staying in place, which is is allowing the real pain to come through. He did some joint release today - which I really hope helps.

4. Two finals left. One is a take home that is 24 pages of writing. The second is my stats final (next thursday). Then I pack and go to NYC

Updated:drinking tea, watching rain, listening to thunder and songs that have "rain" in the title while writing my huge final. Reminded me how much I loved this video

what the heck?

2009-05-28T21:02:00.003-04:00

I know that women playing rugby boggles a lot of people's minds. Mind bottling even. The idea of it gets all jumbled in their brain and they try to make sense of what kind of person that must make you. They forget that dumb things usually get said when the brain is all confused like that. And next thing you know a stupid stereotype smacks you in the face....

Today it happened while I was at physical therapy. My PT is talking about the fact I play rugby as he is releasing my psoas (evil evil muscle). He thinks it is pretty cool, but all of a sudden he says I bet you weren't the kind of girl that played with Barbies. Not sure how to respond - I just said actually I loved my barbies and doll in general and I wore dresses (and still do!). To which he responds, a girly rugby player huh? weird.

At that point he'd hit the point in the psoas release that makes me want to hold onto the rafters - so I am already gritting my teeth hard and trying hard to keep breathing.

It's annoying and I have a million ways that in that moment I want to educate someone about athletic women. Any good responses out there so next time I go I can get to this conversation before he hits the psoas?

zombie survival

2009-05-25T15:50:00.002-04:00

So I recognize my ridiculous fashion posts are well....ridiculous. Thanks to all of you who merely tolerate them - they are a bit of therapy and are keeping me out of debt. Audie told me it was like reading a different language. Thought I would bridge into some other silliness today. Lately I've been talking to a grad school friend, Cat, about zombie survival. Michael and I talked about this before so when she brought it up I was interested.

In general I like to be prepared even though I was never a boy scout. My rugby kit is stocked with everything I could possibly need and whenever I go hiking I bring all the items you are 'suppose' to bring. I also own a full survival kit complete with a hunting knife, mini-ax, fish hooks, flint stone w/ natural fire starters and an edible plant book. I am pretty sure that if I needed to I could pack up my gear and survive in the wilderness for awhile (though I could use a suture kit -- birthday present anyone??).

Turns out that wilderness survival skills are not enough to make it through a zombie war though, which was pretty upsetting to me. I've got quite a bit against me living in a non-fortifiable apartment in the large suburbs without a motorcycle or guns!! I think Michael is right that where my parents live is the perfect place to be in a zombie war....

This website has a very good survival calculator (says Cat). It only gives me a 37% chance -- can anyone beat that?? Go to the main website and then click the calculate risk tab. Zombie Survival Calculator

wanting

2009-05-20T14:25:00.005-04:00

So clearly I have been very good about not shopping too much (beyond the swim suits) lately. Thought I would put together a list of things I am wishing I owned - hoping that by sending it into the blogging atmosphere it will go away. I have been inspired by Alex's Take it or Leave it.

1. Nixon Watch (this one is frankie's fault). I've been shopping on ebay for this since Jan but want to pay less than $50

2.
Melissa Shoes, Vivienne Westwood Collection. Alex's fault - watching a pair on ebay. I mean how can you go wrong with high heeled jelly shoes. And I love wearing red shoes almost as much as blue shoes. I can't justify the cost though

3. Brooklyn designer Marais USA's sandals. Totally today's Daily Candy's fault. I kind of need a pair of sandals that aren't flip flops, but mostly I am just drooling over the purple.

4. The Detroit Cobras are playing tonight in LA, but I need to do a bunch of stuff so am not sure I can make the trek :(

Swimsuit update

2009-05-16T13:11:00.006-04:00

I received my bikinis in the mail. I'll be honest I thought that Victoria Secret suits would be a bit trashy and not so well made. Not sure why - maybe the trashy way they advertise them. In reality they are great - some of the nicest suits I've had all fully lined. Also I needed to exchange one size and all the shipping is free -- and they do a 3 week sale adjustment so I saved another $15. I sound just like an advertisement I realize, but this was the best swimsuit shopping experience I have ever had and hopefully someone else can find good suits since they are having their semi-annual sale right now...

Here are the suits I got. I look just like the models in them.
First one I got in purple. The second one I got in black/grey . Last I got polka dots hot pink.

Buy a Fairy Book on Etsy

2009-05-12T20:52:00.002-04:00

Check it out jenniferflynnbatik.etsy.com. My mom has an online store where you can pay via Paypal. If you need a gift for any children these books are perfect

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T19:19:00.003-04:00

It is appropriate that I blog about this today. My beautiful and talented Mother who inspires me to blog and leaves witty comments has just published her first children's book. Clarisa, a true fairy tale is a tribute to my Grandma Betty who passed away in Jan, 2007. The book is written and illustrated by my mom with some story inspiration from myself and her sisters. My Grandma used to tell the most beautiful stories about her friend the fairy. I feel blessed to have grown up in a family that valued creativity, imagination and magic.

Copies of the book will soon be available on etsy.com as soon as I upload all the information. I'll post the link soon - they make great presents and are already getting rave reviews from the children. Mom you'll have to leave some of the kids comments in the comments as I can't do them justice.

So proud of my Mom for constantly making her dreams happen. Love you!

bathing suit season

2009-05-05T21:44:00.002-04:00

It is pretty much bathing suit season here. I am actually hoping to get to the beach in the next week. I am in desperate need of a new swimsuit though and DREADING the process. It is up there with jean and dress shopping.

I need help finding a good fitting bikini that is flattering, stylish, that won't fall off when I swim AND that is less than $70! I know. Impossible.

Two summers ago I lucked out by ordering a suit on Athleta even though I hadn't tried it on -- because a friend of mine had the exact same suit -- it is great but the top is a bit too flimsy. I have several suits from Target and the elastic stretched out after one season so I am not going there again.

So anyone have any good brand suggestions?? Or seen any good suits for this season??

stuck in my mind

2009-05-03T19:20:00.002-04:00

Yesterday as I was driving on the freeway I saw the aftermath of a tour bus crash. As I passed by on the opposite side of the freeway there was a massive evacuation taking place from the bus into ambulances and helicopters. My side of the road was slowed to a creep as everyone was gawking. It was sickening. The entire front side of the bus was gone and there were huge holes in the very think brick median wall. I couldn't believe it and wanted to pull off the highway and never ever drive again. The cause of the accident is still unknown.

happiness

2009-04-30T14:50:00.002-04:00

I just finished my regression midterm woo hoo! Now that might explain why I have decided to post this blog - feeling slightly annoyed and bitter - HOWEVER this is something I have been thinking about for awhile. Today Sarah had a tag on her gchat from the happiness_project - I clicked on it and immediately thought UGH, I am so over happiness!

Here is the thing. We have a happiness lab in our department and the professor in charge of that lab wrote a wildly popular (one of many) books about happiness. It is all part of the field of positive psychology. At some point there was a shift from thinking about how to cure depression to how to make people happy. Totally makes sense. Also a good thing that it took off in popular culture. However, now the happiness stuff has become uber trendy.

I sure hope it is helping lots of unhappy people because as a relatively happy-all-the-time person it is driving me nuts to read and hear about it.

I also think that this intense focus on being happy and what makes people happy is forcing people into an unhealthy extreme of over thinking happiness and the achievement of happiness. Hopefully clinicians aren't seeing more people be upset that they can't achieve happiness even after reading all this stuff.

I'll end this rant by saying that I think all this stuff cycles. So maybe the next trendy thing in wellness will be how a healthy dose of sadness (or stress) is the best thing for your socioemotional and moral development. I am curious. Now I am going to rid my annoyance at my midterm by going on a 6 mile hike with Jimmy and then drinking a lot of red wine :)

banned...

2009-04-26T14:50:00.003-04:00

So I've banned myself from ebay for a long while. My ebay shopping became a problem. Here is why:

I am often on the computer doing work
I need to take breaks and multi-task and the Internet is a good time suck
It is really really quiet in my life after 8pm when all my East Coast friends go to sleep
On-line shopping started filling a void in my life without me realizing it
Getting packages in the mail is often the highlight of my day
New pretty clothes make me happy and I'm so homesick all the time that I figure I deserve things that make me happy
I like finding good deals and "WINNING"!

I thought I was doing a good job monitoring myself and then all of a sudden one day last week a package showed up and I had absolutely no idea what it was. Even after racking my brain. It was an impulsive last minute bid on a Betsey Johnson dress (pictured) for $11 w/ free shipping. Now while it is fabulous I certainly did not need it, especially since I promptly forgot about it.
I am now not even allowing myself to go on ebay (except I have some things I have to sell!). Self-restraint is good.

just in case

2009-04-21T20:12:00.003-04:00

Awhile back my good friend Kelly asked if I was involved or behind the controversial rugby gossip blog Jeanie the Greek. Not completely crazy. You know stats, Internet research, blogging and rugby -- all things I do. However, I chalked this up to Kelly not really reading blogs (like I bet she'll never know I wrote this unless one of you tells her) and only seeing a few of the Jeanie posts.

Recently someone else asked me - maybe due to the recent upgrade they made to Belmont Shore. While I am flattered that anyone would think I am clever enough to invent rugby ratings and indexes -- I am not involved in anyway. I respect the blog and the stirring of the pot, but anonymity (in comments or blogging) is not my style. Also for the record I would NEVER EVER bet against New York.

Hopefully, no one else was even questioning, but I figured I'd put it out in the blog-o-sphere. If you need further proof look at their all time hotness lists for forwards, backs and coaches....(I should clarify by saying there are some obvious people missing, in my opinion)

hot

2009-04-20T20:32:00.003-04:00

today it was 100 degrees. Last week it was in the high 70s. That is a big change. So I am hot. Also having a bad allergy breathing day. So today I am hot and grumpy from lack of oxygen to by brain.

Belmont Shore Game

2009-04-14T23:15:00.003-04:00

I thought people might like to see some clips of my new team. This is from our last game a two weeks ago. I was cheering from the sideline due to a cranky back. The video is a great composite from Cate (4.25 min, but you don't have to watch the whole thing!)

Belmont Shore Vs Tucson Women's Rugby Clubs - Awesome video clips here

hiking in Big Bear

2009-04-12T15:29:00.003-04:00

A few wrong directions, a road where the pavement ends, and lots of mountains to drive around turned an hour drive into a 3 hour adventure. Lori and I braved winding roads through the desert and mountains to make it to our Big Bear hike. My back held up for a moderate 4 mile hike in a beautiful woodland with big Sequoias and snow!

great day!

2009-04-10T19:32:00.005-04:00

Today was a great day! My friend Alex went to Flirt's closeout sale at Home Ec. I had asked her if she went to let me know because last year I got some fantastically cheap and wonderful finds. AND they carry my favorite dresses in the world, Brooklyn-based designer 3Free. I should say they are my favorite dresses because they are the ONLY dresses I have ever found to fit me -- except really expensive Betsey Johnson dresses (since everyone can look fabulous if you have 100s to spend). I am strangely proportioned for dresses...too tight or they look like a sack. They (along with jeans) make me hate the way women's clothes are designed.

I digress. I had searched the web thoroughly to see if I could buy 3Free online - nope - and I am a great Internet searcher/shopper. Based on that I wanted to see if there would be any of these dresses on sale this year. Alex called me and because she is so fabulous (and I should mention has amazing taste) picked out 4 of them for me. At $25 a piece (normally $120-150) I have just taken care of my entire spring/summer/fall in California wardrobe.

Maybe this isn't exciting for anyone else, but I got to feel what it was like to have a personal shopper. And I'll be so excited when they arrive in the mail. Now this purchase along with my running-a-red-light ticket is all the spending money I have for awhile so I'll be eating rice at home...in my Beautiful new dresses. Everyone should go to this sale - it is amazing!!!

Here are my new dresses via texted pictures (did I say how wonderful Alex is!!)-- there is one surprise dress I haven't seen.

and a $10 pair of Jeffery Campbell flats rounds out the "order" and completes the list of things I am allowed to buy!

sometimes good things do happen in riverside

2009-04-09T02:51:00.003-04:00

Tonight there was a free concert on campus. Gram Rabbit -- totally rocks. I can't wait to see them live again. What gets better than a band that has a rabbit in a space suit shooting a bubble gun?

newsworthy

2009-04-07T02:42:00.002-04:00

I am sure there are other newsworthy items to blog....but the most exciting is that I made homemade chicken and rice soup. I have no idea what really inspired it -- I just blogged about not cooking so maybe it was a self-proposed challenge. Or it was the whole roasted chicken I bought while I was starving. I got 4 meals out of that thing and still had some left...soup came to mind.

Also as of April 1 I am doing a made up 'cleanse'. I needed to up the amount of fruits and vegetables in my life. I thought about doing that crazy allergy cleanse I did last year, but I was so grumpy the whole time that I decided it wasn't worth the emotional toll. Instead I picked things that were manageable to eliminate....

For the month I am not eating dairy or grains. and greatly reducing processed sugar. However I am not being crazy about the dairy so things cooked in butter/fat will not be fully eliminated though when I cook at home they will be.

What does this mean for my personal regular diet. No cheese - hard. Or half n half in coffee -easier. No cookies/cakes/cupcakes/etc - easy since I don't eat them often. No bread - really hard and big part of my diet. No beer - ok because wine is ok. No flour based pastas - fine @ home because I converted to rice pastas last year and rice is ok! No tortillas - hard, but not crazy hard.

That is all I can think of for the things I eat regularly. Obviously no pizza!

Really though overall its not too much of a change to my regular diet - it just eliminates some quick and easy meal solutions. And means that if I am eating out I either need to steer people to places with easy choices (sushi, thai, etc) or order salads.

Oh and Sabrina is joining me in this rethinking of the diet. If anyone else wants to let me know - I can share other solutions.

Joshua Tree

2009-04-02T14:19:00.002-04:00

Trip to Joshua Tree last weekend of SPRING BREAK! Lots of unedited pictures.
Joshua Tree is a national park in Southern California - directly east of where I live. It is a desert park that is unique for its Joshua Trees, Cholla Cactus and Rock formations. More info below the slideshow.

from nps.gov
It is the habitat of the park’s namesake: the Joshua tree. Extensive stands of this peculiar looking plant are found in the western half of the park.The park also encompasses some of the most interesting geologic features found in California’s desert areas. Exposed granite monoliths and rugged canyons testify to the tectonic and erosional forces that shaped this land. Washes, playas, alluvial fans, bajadas, desert varnish, igneous and metamorphic rocks interact to form a pattern of stark beauty and ever changing complexity.

Blue shoes!

2009-04-01T01:41:00.004-04:00

Last week I bought a pair of fabulous blue shoes for $5 at my favorite vintage store in LA. After I brought them home I realized that I now have 3 pairs of blue shoes - clearly I love them!! I also have an abundance of red shoes....

My New Purchase (higher heels than I usually wear!)

My favorite pair of shoes in turquoise

I got these on sale for $10 at the Flirt closeout sale

Elvis's tribute to blue shoes!

2 things

2009-03-27T03:40:00.002-04:00

ahem. I was asked to blog more because people wanted to know what I was up to. Like burpees I've made it part of my routine again. Part of the fun of blogging for me is because it is an interactive process. However, it is only INTERactive when people comment. Mom - you are excused until you get back from Mexico and thank you mentioning my count down.

I'm going to Joshua Tree this weekend. Staying on a ranch. Hiking, doing yoga and reading NOVELS. I can't wait. My computer and cell phone will be at home. I can't wait -- especially since I've been spending 12-15 hrs on the computer this last week.

coffee shops

2009-03-26T14:17:00.003-04:00

I've been spending long days writing and editing. The last few days I've been hanging out in LA, frankly because I like it better than Riverside. I spent time at 4 different coffee shops - which all reminded me of Brooklyn. They had good music, good coffee and interesting people to watch.

Rif had joked that I would be surrounded by screen writers - well I realized she wasn't really joking when I was sitting at a table and kept hearing the group of guys next to me refer to episodes, characters and story lines. They got in a pretty heated discussion and it was not entirely a stress-free conversation.

I've got to say overhearing the amount of concern and effort they were putting in made my stomach turn. I actually left shortly after that. I can't really put into words my inability to understand the whole hype around Hollywood.

At the time of this conversation I was working on a project need section of a grant - trying to convincingly describe why youth development programs will help a high poverty neighborhood. I was working with statistics like:

30% of the population has an income level below 10,000
the murder rate is 25 per 100,000 (vs 6 per 100,000 nationwide)
youth are in the highest risk for being a victim of violent crime
and children are more likely to be abused or neglected
almost 40% of residents haven't graduated from high school

It puts things a bit in perspective....

thai massage

2009-03-25T14:12:00.004-04:00

I didn't write about this before because I didn't want to worry my Mom, but I hurt my neck pretty bad tackling someone on Saturday. I couldn't really move at all Saturday night - though I could tell it was muscle as taking a muscle relaxer and ice improved it. Anyway totally bad timing since I am spending 10-15 hours on the computer a day right now doing grant writing (that is another blog post).

I decided that getting a massage would help so I went to a Thai Massage place in LA. It was amazing (though Lori's was not). She released my neck and my low back/hips (from burpees)! I didn't know what to expect - a whole lot of it involved her stretching me while pressing on pressure points. Also during the massage I swore the woman was the size of an 8 year old child - since at times she was standing on the mat with her foot in my back. The whole time I felt like a giant. I was shocked after to find out she was about 5' and petite but not tiny.

At $40 it was the best money I've spent in awhile.

So much better - though I already feel my neck tightening after 2.5 hrs on the computer....

welcome to the blogosphere

2009-03-24T13:29:00.002-04:00

If you are looking for fun things to read my friend Alex just started a blog Charmingly Domestic. So head on over there and say Hi!

And if you are really bored check out all the links in my sidebars - I update them here and there. I'm always on the search for good fashion or music sites so if you know any leave them in the comments! I only like fashion sites with lots of pictures that include where you can buy things - not the news, runway, blah blah. I like informative music sites with reliable downloads ;)

rugby this weekend

2009-03-22T23:42:00.002-04:00

I haven't really been posting anything about rugby lately because I've been pretty haphazard about playing. I was swamped all winter with academics, research in the lab and grant-writing for Oasis. My goal was the Champagne Classic so I cleared my schedule to go to practice the two weeks before. Then I decided to attend yesterday's game against Santa Monica even though I couldn't practice for 2 weeks because of finals.

First, I am not anywhere near the kind of fitness level that makes it fun to play rugby. Thank goodness for the Burpee Challenge - since I haven't been lifting for months, which normally would make me nervous to play rugby. I really feel like my core strength is as good as it ever has been from all these Burpees. Though it is stressful to fit them into a rugby day - luckily doing sets of 10 gets the heart rate up while I am waiting to go into the game.

Second, I have had a really good time playing with Belmont Shore both at the Classic and this weekend. The team is warm and welcoming. Yesterday there were phases of really pretty rugby against a young talented team. And the game against Berkley at the Classic was really fun, which was a pleasant surprise!

Third, my experience so far has made me really understand the difference a large numbers of players makes throughout a long season. I always felt really lucky with NY since numbers have lots of advantages from a practice, support and depth chart point of view. I guess when I joined we probably only had 25-30 people (right?) - as I remember weekends of having to play a full A and B game - but it is easy to forget that.

There are actually a surprising number of teams in the SoCal area - 3 in the LA vicinity alone! Which after only having 2 teams in all of NYC seems like a lot and makes it harder to recruit since players can choose a closer options -- which after experiencing some traffic nightmares I can understand. I drive 1-1.5 hrs to practice/games, which seems reasonable since Baker's field was that far from Brooklyn by subway.

Anyway. The moral of this rambling story is....if you know any rugby players, ex-rugby players, wannabe rugby players in the LA area that are debating playing (should be playing, etc) have them get in touch with me!!

Tip of the Day

2009-03-19T15:00:00.003-04:00

Somehow I got on Victoria Secret's mailing list. Usually I cancel these things, however they keep sending me a coupon for free underwear. I've gotten 3 (one this week) since Christmas. I recommend getting on their mailing list and opening whatever they send you. They suck you in by giving you $10 off any bra on the same coupon - which if you need a bra and like their bras then that is a great additional deal. I had to tell myself to resist that one because I haven't decided what I think about their bras yet. Lower comfort and more likely to move around too much compared to the ones I got at the Town Shop. Also I have to buy several sizes up because of the cut...

Finals WEEK!

2009-03-16T02:13:00.005-04:00

The end of the quarter is here. I've got a final on Wednesday and Friday. Then spring break. Blogging might be spotty. It's hard to tell. I went to my first grad school party on Saturday night, an 80s themed 30th Birthday. I love 80's costume parties - in fact I think all parties should be 80s themed.

Here is a picture from this weekend's party!

And Here is one from Sara B's 80 themed birthday bowling party last year!

blogging

2009-03-12T21:23:00.002-04:00

So in blogging often I noticed my blog needed some cleaning up. I am slowly fixing. First, the flickr badge I had at the top used to be all nature pictures because it was the balance I needed living in Brooklyn. I just changed it to be all pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge - since now I've got nature and miss the city. Also I added a countdown to coming home (NYC) for the summer. I left my moved to California count because I like to see how many days I've lived here.

Now back to statistics

My Brain is causing my homesickness

2009-03-12T01:55:00.002-04:00

I just finished an amazing book "The Brain that Changes Itself" by Norman Doidge. If you like that stuff I highly recommend it - this was fun reading not for school. Anyway its all about neuroplasticity. I learned a ton of very relevant stuff about keeping your brain active. The takeaway -- go learn new things no matter how old you are! Even better once you master something learn something new - don't keep mindlessly doing sudoku or crossword puzzles for instance to keep your brain 'active' (try a new physical challenge like salsa dancing, learn a new language or a musical instrument).

Today as I was biking to school I had this flash of familiarity that I haven't yet felt - I immediately realized it and was like wait, this isn't home, Dean St is home. This experience reminded me about a part of the appendix of the book on social rigidity and culture....which helps me understand my issues adapting.

Here is a brief summary:

In childhood our brains easily shape to the world around us developing mental representations of the world. These form into perceptual habits
As we age that plasticity declines - so we find familiarity and like-mindedness pleasurable.
We try to maintain our neurostructures by changing the world to match them. We get very out of whack with big change that we can't control to match our cognitions.
The process of learning a new culture (or drastically different environment) is hard because it is making new neuronal connections. They say learning a new culture is a "brutal workout for the adult brain".
Our culture/environment becomes hard-wired into our brain and moving to a new place shakes it up.
We become shocked that our customs and routines aren't natural at all anymore. Even if you didn't realize you had these routines.
California is a completely different culture than New York City. It is very difficult to rewire a New York brain to adapt to California.

burpees

2009-03-06T22:18:00.004-05:00

Here you go Mom! This is a burpee. It's what I have been torturing myself with for 65 days. I am in a 100 day burpee challenge -- along with a whole lot of the NY rugby girls (and friends). We started Jan 1 with 1 burpee. Each day we add another burpee so today on Day 65 - well I did 65. If you don't complete all your burpees in one day then they carry over to the next day and you have to add them on. I video taped myself the day I did 60 in a row timed because I wanted to see my form. I spared you the whole 5 min 50 sec (this is somewhere in the middle), but you'll get the idea. You will also be able to see why it takes me a long time - as I creak into the squat.

Today is a HUGE day!

2009-03-06T13:13:00.002-05:00

I mean really big!! Today I got my tax refund check. I immediately paid of my American Express card, which had moving expenses on it. And then I paid a big chunk of my large citibank card.

I've dropped my credit card debt under $5,000. I can't even believe it and can't even remember the last time it was this low!! Maybe when I was living rent free at Clearpool right before moving back to the city and going to grad school (the first time).

I've had credit card debt since 1994 when I got my first card. It's seemed unmanegable for so long - especially on top of school loans. I am determined to have this paid off in the next 6 months - I've got to find a 0% transfer ASAP!