thoughts from the library

Florence Henderson aka Carol Brady is on the cover of "Senior Living." She is still alive. And yes that magazine exists.

I've always said I want to be a writer, even if it's just those frothy Harlequin-lites for teens, but I would never ever want to be associated with a book titled, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. Yes, that also exists.

fashion craving: chain bags

I might as well not post my fashion cravings, because I never get them. I wanted some chain necklaces a year ago and didn't jump on the trend. Now they are gone, GONE. Well, I'm told by ladymags that these bags are "classic," so hopefully I can get on board before they depart with the incoming season of bags.

Cross-body, chain detailing, structured with a cute little lock. These are my favorite looks at the moment. Scroll over for brand detail.

At home exercises

I am one of those people who work out regularly. I have nothing to show for it really, but I like the feeling of exercising. So I've been cooped inside my apartment all day, freaked out about finals (yet I still find ways to waste time online). I've been craving some exercise and decided to try out these moves from Women's Health. They actually got my heart beating faster. Women's Health recommends 12-16 reps per move for all 4 moves. 2-3 circuits of all 4 moves. I've scanned them. (Click the thumbnails.) So if you don't have time to go to the gym, I recommend doing a short circuit at home.

who needs make up when there's photoshop

I downloaded some brushes from Obsidian Dawn and played around on an old make up picture. I gave myself top and bottom lashes and filled out a strand of hair. I had to make layers and distort the stamps to adjust it to my image, but it took a lot less time than actually putting on make up and doing my hair. When are we going to go upload our consciousness a la "The Matrix?" I'm ready to be a make up guru in that realm. =P

over the Fakesgiving table

Went to my 2nd Thanksgiving dinner last night where the following conversation happened.

Tim: Pigs...are they angry pigs?

Me: No, Tim, it's the birds that are angry, not the pigs. The pigs are just scared.

Ricky: They're not scared. They're smiling.

Christine: I don't get it. Are you guys talking about Farmville?

Me: Is it 2008?

Kardashian obsession

This picture will have to do. I was hoping to get a personal pic with my own camera! Stupid Borders screwed me over.

Let me start from the beginning. I secretly love "Keeping up with the Kardashians" ever since I caught Season 3 on Netflix. Khloe is my favorite. She's hilarious. The show won me over when in the car heading to county jail for Khloe's sentence, Kris asked, "Hey Khloe, if for some reason we have a bunch of time, do you want to go get breakfast?" Khloe just gave her this look like, "No, Mom. I have to go to jail!" I cracked up, because I can totally see my mom doing something like that.

I digress. Kim, Kourtney and Khloe were to appear at my local Borders today at 7. I got there at 4, figured I would study for awhile until they came. The place was nuts. There was a huge book signing line. People milled about. I found the table where they were to do the signing and plopped down near a bookcase. There were a row of seats near the table, which were of course already all taken.

I sat for maybe 10 minutes when the Borders people came and shooed us all away to make room for the paparazzi. Uhh, can't they find her outside of a Starbucks or any time? They have tipsters! We don't. What the hell. THEN they made everyone get off the chairs and said they were just moving them away from the table. Everyone reluctantly got up. They moved them about 4 or 5 ft away from the table, then put bookcases between the chair and signing table. RUDE.

They made it so we can't even get a glimpse of the table if we were not in the dang book signing line. People were still milling around and I heard someone say we were all eventually going to have to get in some kind of line. Dumb.

At this point, I decided to peace the heck out. I have been within a foot of Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore just walking around LA! No way I was going to put up with all this Borders BS. I'll probably have better luck running into them shopping.

Yes, that is my actual birthday cake. It says, "This is not turkey-shaped, Anh," in order to express Yves' disappointment that the man at Baskin-Robbins could not make a turkey shaped cake. She told him, "Make something a small girl, age 5-7 would like." Bonus, the HK heads are rings and the center is a bubble blower.

So what did I learn in the past year?

Learn people's names. I read it in "How to Win Friends..." It makes such a difference. The courthouse library where I worked could be alienating at times. I greeted my fellow externs by name and noticed little things about them. It changed everyone's attitude.

Don't get discouraged when you make mistakes. I was used to feedback on a piece of paper. A marked up essay, some plus and minuses to evaluate my work. It's much more difficult to receive face to face feedback or to feel like you've done something wrong. I always just carried that weird churning feeling inside, but you know, it's best to move forward. You mitigate the mistake, minimize its effects, and get on with your day.

Always read parking signs. Sometimes I feel like you have to be a lawyer to figure out all the parking restrictions, esp. when there are two signs stacked on top one another. Read them. Or if in doubt, when a street is particularly empty, you probably aren't allowed to park there. There is no such thing as abundant parking in L.A.