Halloween is coming
Pretty princesses!!
Brutus assuming his ultimate form
Here he looks more like a bull.
Here he is asking if we can be done.
Grecian Night
The Other and I were invited to an awesome lake side Grecian dinner tonight hosted by Cacao Sweets and Treats. Everything was homemade and the food was amazing! There was a strict dress code (girls in white dresses, men in white shirts/khaki pants) and it was fun to see everyone dressed up and looking so great!
No update yet…
But I got some new shoes yesterday. I feel like a superhero whose ready to party!!
Hooray for the Macy’s clearance rack.
Updates coming soon
Photos, videos, and anecdotes from my recent trips coming soon!
In the mean time, here is my most recent manicure. I didn’t do it but the tech did it free hand and I think she did a great job!
I like bread butts and I cannot lie
Here it is in slightly more inappropriate form with the French loaf…
“You just eat strawberries all day like some kind of forest nymph”
A direct quote from The Other.
And this is my fridge with 20 lbs of strawberries that will take me about 3 days to eat – so yea, guilty as charged 🙂
Onward to Glory!
Heading out to Seattle for PaizoCon but we left a few extra days for site seeing. I’m most excited about seeing the original Starbucks!! There is also a Starbucks concept store in the area too but its a bit hidden – I will sniff it out though. I’m sure there is other stuff to do as well (space needle, troll statue, yada yada yada)
A couple weeks ago a found a Reddit thread on what the Starbucks Baristas like to drink when they are working. This isn’t that “secret menu” bullshit (which doesn’t exist BTW) There were some good suggestions but my favorite was getting a Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher made with black tea instead of water. It cuts the sweetness a bit and makes the drink less “mouth coating”. It’s probably my #1 favorite drink right now.
Phase 2
Switching it up – Phase 2: Peak-a-boo Purple Highlights!
Phase 1
Switching it up – Phase 1: get a super sassy haircut
Curly Version!
Because what is life without glitter?
The Other suggested I try a manicure without glitter polish.
I looked at him in shock – not understanding the words that were coming out of his mouth. Maybe he means “with glitter polish”? I clarify; nope he clearly said without. Strange…
Anyway I try this, which I think I turned out really well. And yes Shimmer is totally different from Glitter!!
Review: Divergent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Simply amazing! This is a book you will read all day, forgetting to do your chores, eat, and only feed the cats because their insistent pawing gets in the way of your reading. Took me only a day to finish it.
I didn’t know anything about this book before I started it except that it was young adult, it was popular, and it was being made into a movie.
It reminded me a bit of Ender’s Game in terms of the way the main character’s come of age and mature. Also a bit in the way society’s members are valued and what would be important. I know it is compared a lot to Hunger Games but I felt this was a better portrayal of a distopyian future than Hunger Games. I also feel this is a better book for adult to relate to.
What I liked most was the descriptions of the places and landscapes. The main character’s emotions were expertly portrayed. I liked the idea of the factions and what they stood for. I think it was an interesting concept by the author and the ideals she choose to represent each faction were a good representation of the different philosophies people have for solving the world’s troubles. Personally I also like that it took place in Chicago because I could relate to the landmarks – especially the comments about The Bean!
Some weaknesses (and spoilers):
Having the “true love’s kiss” trope at the end was a weak way to wrap it up the boyfriend situation. I was hoping there would be a struggle but Tris would somehow destroy the computer sending the instructions but only just as she is about to be choked out by Four who would then come too with his hands around her neck – way more exciting than “I heard your voice and I woke up”.
There was a bit of “hunger games” in the beginning where the character couldn’t believe someone was helping her without an ulterior motives, even though there was no evidence to support that. I did like that she eventually got over it and began to trust people (somewhat).
I highly recommend this book and I hope the next 2 in the series are just as good as this one. I instantly bought them once I finished and they are waiting on my kindle. The big dilemma now is do I start them or finish some chores before I get sucked into another book?
Review: Paper Towns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was much better than the first John Green novel I read (Looking for Alaska) which I felt was too young in terms of the issues the main characters faced and their reactions to them.
Paper Towns is still about high school kids but the story doesn’t focus on them as much as it does self reflection and our views and expectations of others. It was a fast-paced, enjoyable read.
**start spoilers**
I also appreciated that everything wasn’t wrapped up in a tidy bow at the end. I think it is a much more mature and brave thing to give up something you love and want because you know it is the best thing for others. This is why I have always regarded Casablanca as the greatest love story of all times because in the end Bogart’s character could have had the girl he loved but he knew that her husband and family needed her more.
**end spoliers**
One more week!
One more week until the Mariano’s opens in Gurnee – yay! yay! yay! yay! I’m a litte sad I will be out of town for the opening day fun but its okay. I am already planning my list of stuff to purchase when I get back!
Happy 1st Birthday to my little man!
Brutus turns 1 year old today – yay!
Kitty Playland Revamp and Brutus learns the kitty door
Today, The Other and I spent the day revamping kitty playland. It’s been a few years since we have done a complete overhaul and it needed it. I do not have any ‘before’ pictures but we took out all the old ground cover, laid new pea gravel, replaced their lounging rocks, tightened/repaired all the boards, and replaced the bricks under the walkway. We also laid a trail of mulch to both doors so we can go back there, if needed, without getting muddy.
I’m sure the kitties will like it, but they haven’t tried it yet because right after we finished a huge rainstorm (with tornado warnings) rolled through and soaked everything. Oh well, there is always tomorrow!
In other exciting news, Brutus finally figured out how to use the kitty door to go out! He has been coming in on his own for a couple weeks now but about 2 weeks ago I couldn’t find him anyway, started to get worried and then checked kitty playland and there he was lounging in the sun! I have seen him go out on his own several times now so I know he has got it down and I finally got a video – enjoy!
waterbag
Brutus is a hungry hangry hippo
People describe the Burmese breed as “dog-like” and I used to think this meant that they were loyal, craved human companionship, and would follow you around. Mostly that is true. But it also means the bad parts of dogs – begging, misbehavior, and destruction.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Brutus is a great kitty and I wouldn’t change anything (well except maybe getting 2 kittens) but I am often surprised at what a devious little kitten he is.
We recently switched to silicone dishes cause I thought they looked nicer and I wanted a matching set of cat bowls. Brutus soon realized that he could carry these bowls around so when he was finished eating, if he was still hungry (which is every time) he would carry the bowl into the kitchen and drop it off for a refill.
He also constantly goes on the counter (not allowed in our house) and will stay up then until you physically walk over and remove him. Then he jumps down and flops on his side showing his belly in an attempt to beg forgiveness. But he isn’t really sorry. If you leave again, he’s back up on the counter.
Today I went out to run some errands (getting kitty food of all things) and came home to find an empty food bowl and an apparently very “hangry” cat.
Yup – you are seeing that right – he chewed through his food bowl like a dog. This was not some nibbling on one side – this is total destruction of the bowl!
Not only that but I dropped off the dry food at the bottom of the stairs then left to take my brother to the airport. When I returned I noticed the 5.5 lb bag of cat food had been dragged across the floor.
Me: did you move the cat food?
The Other: No, it was Brutus.
Me: *disbelief* he dragged it?
The Other: yea
Me: its a 6lb bag of food, he is a 10lb cat!
I took the bag upstairs and halfway up I notice cat food pellets on the ground. I look at the bag and not only had Brutus dragged the bag, but he had chewed through it to get to the food. On several sides.
*sigh*
I thought these were supposed to break away…
Lee spotted this on the drive home, so we stopped in to take a look. 🙂
Trying new things
I decided to advanced my nail art skill over the long weekend by attempting to raise the bar and try some of the more detailed designs in my book.
I started with this one:
Which I think turned out pretty good
However I was using (what I assume) was low quality polish. The white and black went on a gloopy and thick and I ended up smudging every nail at the gym (even after giving a couple hours to dry).
So I removed that and while contemplating my options I put on some nail stickers so I wouldn’t look like a total scrub.
I am hard on my nails. Most polishes don’t last me more that a week. Even the gel manicures start chipping at around the 7 day mark. I thought though that with a gel system I could do intricate nail art without it smudging. Looking into that though its an expensive option (it’s on my wishlist though – hint hint). My next best choice was the CND Vinylux line which drys in about 10 minutes. Its actually pretty great and much cheaper than a full gel system.
After picking a design and ordering the colors I would need (and waiting the 1-2 weeks for shipment, stupid non-prime items) I got my polish and tried my next design
OMG so excited I love strawberries and I thought this would be an awesome design! The Vinylux did a good job although it does dry fast (that’s the whole point) so toward the end the polish got a bit gloopy. I think working faster is the main key here but overall I am super happy with how they turned out. The only think I want to improve is a thinner brush or maybe a darker green for the leaves – right now they just look like smudges.
The strawberry tips with the Vinylux went so well that I ordered some additional Vinylux colors. The Vinylux lasted about 5 days for me so while I wait for the items to arrive (stupid non-prime) I decided to attempt a free-hand design with my regular polish. My idea was to do a V at the tip but I am still getting used to my nail art brushes and the brush I choose was too thick. I turned it into regular french tips to salvage it and I actually love the way it looks. Bonus – the super sparkly glitter polish hides my smudges!
A Kitty Poem
Winzig and Brutus, someday you’ll be friends
Winzig says “Unlikely!”
Brutus says “I’ll bite him again!”
Then there is a chipmunk and enemies become friends.
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