Happiness is...

These past few months, I've been complaining way too much. What with all the summer job worrying, the lack of momentum, and the social awkwardness (nothing new here), I've hardly taken the time to appreciate everything around me. Here are a few things I've enjoyed today:

--Today was the best biking weather I've seen in a very long time. Sunny, with a light breeze. 75 degrees. It was so perfect I actually biked around for 20 minutes just enjoying the weather. Although this may be because I was hyped off sweet potato fries.

--I broke out my pink flower sandals for the first time this year. Happy happy fun fun :)

--The tumblrs I follow are amazing. It sounds cheesy to say that they're inspirational, but they really are.

I mean, there's still a lot of ungrateful angst in the background, but I'll just not focus on that now.

2011: New Year's Resolutions

1. Save more money.
2. Find a school-year research position.
3. Instead of buying more clothes, make better use of my current wardrobe. (i.e. wear skirts/dresses more)
4. Get more snacks from the farmer's market instead of Safeway or CVS.
5. Continue chipping away at the 101 in 1001.
6. Play guitar and piano more. Also, practice ear-training.
7. Eat less meat and dessert items.
8. Walk more, instead of biking or driving. Exercise more in general (I say that every year, don't I?)
9. Be more careful about le eczema.
10. Be a better listener. And quit complaining.

I looked back at my 2010 resolutions for inspiration, and apparently I cut my mom's hair the same time last year too. I must say that when I cut it a week ago, it was rather better than last year. It made her head look less flat. Yay.

LATEST PURCHASES (i.e. this is why I'm broke):

1. Seychelles Gypsy


2. Turquoise cami from PacSun

3. Thermal henley from PacSun

4. Maroon sweater from Gap

5. Hot Tools 1" Curling Iron


6. Western Digital Portable External Hard Drive


7. Black robe-sweater-thing from Nordstrom Rack

8. Calvin Klein bra, also from Nordstrom Rack

9. Anthropologie Molded & Melded Tee


10. Simply Vera brown opaque tights (gift)


11. China Glaze Mrs. Claus (gift, swap pending)

12. China Glaze For Audrey (gift)

13. American Eagle Boyfriend Cardigan


14. Aerie Cable Knit Fingerless Gloves


15. Gap button-down shirt from Goodwill


16. Aerie Patchwork PJ Pants


I'm not telling how recently I got these. It's nice to see them all laid out so that I can embarrass myself into not getting anything else in the next few months. Just-food January*, here I come!

*Not really just food, just no clothing, accessory, shoe, or beauty product purchases (Zoya free polishes excepted) without informing the other participants. I may just extend this to Frugal February too.

In other news, I've finally finished adding the side panels to that black pinstriped vest I was working on! I think I got it more than a year ago, just a bit too tight, from Crossroads in San Francisco. It took this long to get around to buying fabric, ripping out the side seams, and sewing in the panels. The process would probably have taken about a day (the whole day, but still) if I was putting my mind to it. This is why procrastination is bad, kids.

Picture-Heavy: My Lust List

Frye Melissa Button Boot (Cognac)


MICHAEL Michael Kors Hamilton Satchel (Black, Vanilla)


Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Clutch (Black)


Marc by Marc Jacobs Baby Groovee (Black)


Marc by Marc Jacobs Hillier Hobo (Sage)


J. Crew Jackie Cardigan (Breeze)


AE Striped Schoolboy Blazer


Kate Spade Fifth Avenue Stripe Earmuffs


Kate Spade Big Apple Owl Earmuffs


Zoya Charla


MoMA Sky Umbrella


Nikon D40 dSLR

Shoes

I don't think I have too many shoes. Really, I don't. Just twelve pairs! I wear them all in different situations:

1. Rain boots
2. Leather boots
3. Converse (cool walking shoes)
4. Plaid Converse-alikes (beat-up sneakers)
5. Running shoes
6. Moccasins (covering-toes-without-socks shoes)
7. Old Navy pearl flip-flops (shower/indoor flip-flops)
8. Rainbows (outdoor/sturdy flip-flops)
9. Gap pink crinkle-flower sandals (fun cutesy sandals)
10. Silver strappy sandals (all formal occasions)
11. Old choir uniform "Chinese shoes"
12. Red quilted ballet flats

OK, the last two don't have a real use in my wardrobe. But I didn't buy the former and the latter was like $7 at Marshalls and kinda cute (but painful, which is why I rarely wear them).

So, I didn't feel that bad when I bought another pair of Gap sandals. They will be my "goes-with-everything dressy-ish sandals." They weren't too expensive, for shoes at least.

Gap Leather T-Strap Sandals, $29.50.

I was pretty excited about them, so I tried them on right when I got home. Aaaugh I love them now! They are so comfortable! Plus, although they look like they would destroy my arches, it's not so bad. I always have my Rainbows to boost them back up.

Citrus City Rain Boots

I got these in the mail today. Adorableness.

They're a tad big, even though I followed the advice of reviewers and ordered a size down. But the inside is so soft and fuzzy, in a suede kinda way. I'll be wearing them with socks though, of course.

Now I'm just waiting on the Target Frye knockoff boots I ordered a few days ago.

Why yes, I am procrastinating on my IHUM essay and chem p-set. And my PWR essay, to some degree.

Ennui

Ran 4 miles today (on the treadmill, as time goes faster when you can't see where you're going). Not a bad run, either. I only walked (4.0 mph) like four times after the first half mile, each for 0.1 mile or less. No achy breaky joints yet. Good sign.

Apart from that, I've been in kind of a blue funk lately. Before this weekend, I've been sleeping at like 10 or 11pm. I think I might do that today also. For the last 3 hours or so, after I finished my chem pset, I've just been sitting, aimlessly browsing the internet (the same sites over and over again), examining my iTunes library, and eating. I ate a whole sandwich bag of baby carrots, half a bottle of Life Water, a cup of ginger tea, and a few peppermint puffs (Red Bird Brand - so good!). Ok, I suppose that's not too much. But a bagful of carrots, that's a good amount. Plus I've been in a I'm-so-ugly and nothing-looks-good-on-me mood. I think I'm going to start a log of my moods; every day I'll record a number from 1 to 10. Then I'll be able to see if there's a pattern, like if it's monthly or something.

Speaking of clothes....I've gone and online-shopped again (how embarrassing). Due to the raging storm this past week, my roommate and a friend and I each got rain boots from Target, and we got free shipping because it was over $50. I got ones with citrus fruits on them. I don't know if they're too childish/crazy, especially with my not-too-refined wardrobe. But hey. They're rain boots, right? Rain boots are supposed to be crazy, right? At least a little crazy? Oh god what have I done...

And you know what else? Now I need skinny jeans to wear with them. Forever 21 apparently has $10 skinny jeans, hmm...

Happy New Year! And New Decade!

My New Year's Resolutions:
1) Exercise more - preferably run four miles (1 hour - yeah, I'm slow) every day. Learn how to use a treadmill.
2) No more B's on my transcript. Two is enough. But, with PWR and IHUM, that could be tough...
3) Revise my resume, which I should be doing now. Get a nice summer internship or research job.
4) Use fewer parentheses. They are a lazy way to organize thoughts.
5) Cut down on my shopping, but shop more for things I will use for a long time.
6) Don't be glued to my computer. Socialize more.
7) Find a healthful shampoo/conditioner/moisturizer/etc. Sulfate-, paraben-, maybe silicone-free. Cut down on dangerous chemicals.
8) Drink more water. Eat healthier and don't get so excited about dessert.
9) Try to be more normal and less emo. Be more happy.
10) Don't take up another hobby/obsession, for chrissakes. Also, How I Met Your Mother is the last show I will accept onto my short-list of followed TV shows.

Loveleh. Now, onto my recent hauls...

This is the pair of jeans I was looking for in the mall, but I waited to buy it and both pairs of it in my size were sold out the next day! Granted, it was Boxing Day, but still. AE has had free shipping for the last three or more major holidays - New Years, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, and maybe even Labor Day (I forget). I was banking on this New Years free shipping offer, but it did not come with a percentage off my order total, like the last two holidays (25% off and 20% off). Anyways, here it is:
From ae.com - AE Slim Boot Jean in Deep Indigo ($30)

Then I needed to add something worth at least five cents to my order to qualify for my $10 off $30 spent money card, so I added the cheapest thing I could find: a pair of underwear.
From ae.com - Aerie Ultimate Tanga in Pale Pink ($4)

Ooh, lacy.

This is the order I'm waiting for in the mail. It should arrive tomorrow (eeee!)
From ae.com - AE Lurex Stripe Cardigan in Storm Cloud Heather ($30, but got it for $24)


I also recently got a new phone, because I needed to change cell phone providers. I really wanted the Samsung Flight...

...but it was not free. So, I got the Samsung Magnet:

Yay for free phones! I hope it's a good one.

And then just a few hours ago, I ordered flip-flops, which I've been needing for the last three or four months:
From oldnavy.com - Women's New Metallic Flip-Flops in Pearl ($5)

Hmm, Bronze and Silver look nice too. That's ok. Pearl is priddy. A nice change from my usual boring basic black flip-flops. Mmmm, they look delish. *happy squirm*

OK. I'm done shopping now. DONE, I say. DONE.

Oh, and one other thing. I cut my mom's hair today, on her request. It actually did not turn out *too* horrible, considering that she has short layered hair, and she wanted shorter layered hair. It was at least generally even, and I learned how to cut layers! You take a thinnish vertical swatch of hair and pull it away from the head at an angle, and then you cut the ends off evenly. The higher angle you pull the hair, the more the hair will be layered. I also learned how my mom's bangs were cut - they're triangular and blunt. I rather want to get bangs myself (probably side-swept), but I'm too scared that I don't have enough hairs, or that they will be flat and paste themselves to my forehead, or they will make my forehead itchy, or that they will look wonky.