anyway, i was scouring the web last night looking for visuals to back my decorating ideas.

i’m in love with this desk… and basically this entire look. i love love LOVE old distressed furniture. when you add in a chandelier and some random little pieces, it brings such a romantic feel to it. this is kind of what i want my office to look like, but not too girly considering dan will be there too. lol.

i’m crazy about this bedroom. if it were up to me, every thing in the world would be in shades of gray. lol.

however, this is my latest obsession. mandi from vintage revivals (one of my favorite DIY websites thanks to the nate berkus show having her on as a guest) made this to spruce up her living room. there was literally nothing between those two windows but a wall. i saw it, fell in love, and it has since become my number one project that will be going into the new place. i’ve already weasled dan into helping me build it. thankfully, he and i have almost the exact same taste (i really lucked out there, because i can be normal and weird all in one on most days lol), and he loves the idea. i can’t wait to move just so i could do this now ha.

oh! real quick. going back to the shred stuff. i ran out of my whey protein the other day, and i went out looking for the EAS powder that i suggested in a previous post, but i couldn’t find the same one anywhere. i don’t know if EAS changed their formula or packaging, etc… but the only ones i could find were bigger in size, and 2g of sugar instead of 1g. no big deal, but just a heads up. this is the one i bought. i did a thorough read up on the info and its the same thing as before, just the slight change in sugar. also, the serving size is 2 scoops but i only ever use 1.

just finished day 6 of the shred. i had to skip yesterday because i was up and out early and didn’t get home until after 11. i’m a little shocked though, because i’m already down a pants size!!!! craziness. and last night, dan and i were in downtown disney, and i had short shorts on and my wedges. i walked past my reflection and i actually saw my legs looking awesome. IN 6 DAYS things are starting to be noticeable. super excited for the rest of this thing!

so also, i just wrapped up a huge design project for planned parenthood’s newest campaign called TeensRise!. in addition to a full website, i had to create posters for bus shelters, as well as smaller versions for the actual interior of the busses. anyway, so i’m driving by my house the other day and coming back from the stores, and i damn near almost crashed because i saw one of the bus shelter posters along the road. haha. i did a double take at first and i was like wtf its printed already?? holy shit. so i pulled into the walgreens lot a few feet from it and hopped out to take a pic.

i had to. i was super proud! :)

in other news, i saw dark shadows last night. it was a LOT better than i thought it would be… even though i still went in with high hopes being a huge tim burton fan. but it was the perfect burton movie. just enough weird, but still VERY funny. johnny depp was of course fantastic, and helena bonham carter’s character was hilarious. if my mom is reading this… i’m SURE you saw it on opening night, lol, and i hope you loved it :)

a few months ago i was persistently looking for a desk to refinish as my first big DIY project. i want my office to have a vintage shabby chic kind of feel, but only certain aspects of it. the desk being one. i stopped looking recently, and low and behold, dan surprised me the other day with one that was pretty much exact to what i was looking for. and cheap too, only $25 off the front porch forums. we went to lowes to look for paint, but i haven’t had a chance to start it yet. probably will get to it at some point this weekend. i’ll definitely be posting before and after pics when the time comes.

hope everyone had a nice weekend!

i’m happy jermaine won… i would’ve been happy if any of them won. they were all good, and all deserving in their own way. personally, i wanted juliet to win though. i still think she should have.

however.

i love how christina put down tony for singing 99 problems because it was derogatory towards women… and then she stands up and her ass cheeks are hanging out of her bedazzled diaper.
i can’t.
i’d bet money on the fact that she most definitely had a thing for him back during MMC and he was with keri russell. it’s the only possible reason i would believe as to why she’s been such a bitch to him this whole time. i love her as an artist. despise her as a human being.

and whoever her stylist is…
he/she needs to go back to high school and shoot the guidance counselor that said “you can do anything“.
because… really now.
she looked like a disco ball with hair.

anyway. day 2 of the 30 day shred complete! it was a tiny bit easier today than yesterday, but i was still ready to faint regardless. shockingly though, i woke up to just the standard sore muscles. nothing extreme. i was expecting to be falling out of my bed, to be honest, haha, but i was good. although i WILL say that sitting here right now, i can feel my calves are incredibly sore. just tried to walk to the kitchen. we have some problems, lol. oh well.

i hate the first 3 days after working out. it’s the worst on your body, but hopefully by friday i’ll be powering through it after my muscles adjust. forgot to mention yesterday that if you don’t already have vanilla whey protein powder, my favorite is EAS. it tastes delicious and it only has 1g of sugar, which is super important.

smoothie #1
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
1 cup of strawberries cut in half then in quarters
1 sliced banana
1/4 cup of nonfat milk OR water
4-5 ice cubes, depending on preference

i have this for breakfast every single day and i don’t start anything without it. its a perfect jumpstart in the morning, and the protein keeps you full while keeping you “lean”.

smoothie #2
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
1 cup of watermelon cubes
3/4 cup of blueberries
2 tbs of finely minced fresh ginger (optional)
6 to 8oz of water.
1/2 cup of crushed ice.

the amount of water and fiber in this will definitely keep you full for a few hours.
also, i stay away from drinking anything other than water during the day. i don’t even have coffee anymore (though black coffee is okay in losing weight – but i don’t like it without all the extra crap), so i just stick to water. and like i said previously, if you have the magic bullet, its perfect for this. if you don’t, it really is the best little investment ever. i spent like $45 on the whole set at bed bath and beyond, and i couldn’t be happier. the two smoothies above are designed specifically to boost enzymes and aim at burning fat.

meanwhile, back at the ranch. started day one of my jillian michaels 30 day shred today.

she’s a son of a bitch that one. lol. this 30 day shred makes you want to punch her in the face, and i was cursing at my tv during squats like i had tourettes, but seriously.
i basically feel like death. or at least, i think i may have died and come back to write this, i really have no idea. but either way, the best part is it legitimately works. i’ve looked online and saw countless before and after pictures of women that did this and after 30 days they looked like different people. it’s crazy to think it could happen in 30 days… but its the way the exercises are done, and in only 25 minutes a day. that’s IT. i mean, you feel like you did a full 2 hour workout in only 25 minutes… and you do… you really sweat buckets. but it works.

so here’s to day one :)
and to the dancer body i used to have… 30 days from now!

wish me luck! hoping i have great results that motivate other people very soon ;)

the point of this story is this…

i received an email on facebook due to the posting of this photo, where a guy said, and i quote:

“OMG that last pic you posted is outta control! You look caliente! :) (I know you’re not trying to tease – but you are!) lol”

now, it’s not necessarily WHAT he said, but the fact that he said it and he has a long term girlfriend.

i don’t like that.
i don’t agree with that.
and quite frankly, it bothers me.

NO BUENO.

i know when people are in relationships, they aren’t “dead”. yea, i get that. but there is a difference between walking past someone while out and casually glancing real quick, and this. deliberately taking the time to email me – not even comment – but email me in private, because you’re sneaky as fuck. this is also not the first time this has happened with said guy, which is why this time, it set me off. and i do hope you’re reading this, by the way. and i do hope you feel like a dick, because it was completely in poor taste.

some people might think i’m going overboard… but this is me. whether i was single or not, or 21 or 31, i ALWAYS had, and still do have, very strong beliefs about respect in a relationship. it would absolutely kill me if i ever found out that someone i love was using facebook to scope out other women in his spare time. if you are saying things that you should be saying to your girlfriend, to someone ELSE, you shouldn’t be with her, because you’re wasting her time… and yours. period. we are also not 18 anymore. we are grown adults. and you should know the value of your girlfriend, not to mention your relationship. if you don’t, then once again, cut it loose, and while you’re at it, learn how to be a DECENT man.

florida is fabulous and i’ve never been happier. if you follow my facebook or twitter… then you are more than aware. lol.
my lease is up in august, and dan and i are getting a place in celebration. if you don’t know where celebration is, you need to. it’s basically like pleasantville. pies and scones and white picket fences included. seriously. i’ve mentioned it in prior entries, and i always wanted to live there. now i finally have a reason to i guess. either way, i’m extremely excited.

in other news, i lost 15lbs in the last 6 weeks. pat on my back? don’t mind if i do. heh.
i’ve just been eating a ton of salad, low-sodium/low fat soup, and smoothies. the smoothies are what have helped so much. i started out on this juicing detox type of thing for the first 5 days, and then i switched on my own. for breakfast almost every day now, i make a smoothie. (um, by the way, the magic bullet is a godsend. just sayin.)
anyway, i use fresh strawberries and bananas, a small amount of nonfat milk, ice, and a scoop of vanilla whey protein powder. that keeps me full until lunch (with added bottles of water of course), and then i have a salad. for dinner its either soup, salad, or salad and grilled chicken. if i’m still hungry throughout the day, i’ll have a cheese stick or an apple for a snack. mind you, i haven’t done one ounce of exercise in the last 6 weeks either. i’m gonna start adding it in though next week so the weight loss can go faster and i could also tone up like a mofo. but as for the food, i’ve gone out a few times, had some drinks, etc, and i’m still losing regardless of what i ate or drank while out. so that’s a plus.

i’ve been lazy trying to go through low cal recipes, desserts, etc… otherwise i’d be eating more than just the above. haha.
but i’ll get creative soon. its just been so easy to open a bag of lettuce or a can of soup, so its become like a habit now, lol.

what else…
i added my instagrams to the pics page above so that way they update automatically whenever i post. random, but that was more just me thinking out loud.

other than that… at the request of a dear friend earlier today, i’m officially back on here and will make sure to get to this daily.

oh yea.
that also happened.

lol, so… once i get down there and make things all pretty, i’ll take pics. i’m really excited for this move though. i move all the time, so it’s nothing new to me… but i’ve always had roommates. i’m finally in a position in life where i can afford a beautiful place on my own, and rightfully so, i should be, seeing as how i’m almost 31. but because its finally JUST ME… i’m giddy more than i normally would be. i also have about 6 close friends that i’ve known for years – one even from high school – that all live there already and are waiting for me to get there. it’ll be nice to see them on any given day and not have to get on a plane to do so ;)

anyway… life is great and i can’t complain. aside from the fact that i’ve still yet to see a UFO and i’m getting annoyed, hahaha. i’m making it my mission ;)

its a lot nicer in person cause the pic sucks… but, my new dining room table. i wanted that dark wooden look and found it on sale, so it was a good day, haha.

i LOVE square plates, so i had to get these. plus its just plain white because it matches everything and food looks pretty against it, lol. i’m big on “hosting”, so if i’m cooking for other people, even if its a damn burger… i want it to look all “oooooh”. HAHA.

i have no other reason to post utensils in my blog, except to say, THESE ARE AWESOME. i wanted to share. and there you go. lol.

in other news… my grandfather surprised my mom recently and said he’s taking her to italy for 2 weeks… so that’s kind of awesome. he’s gonna be 86 in february and completely healthy. acts like he’s 60, still works and does construction every day (he refuses to stop cause he says he’ll be bored), and literally has nothing wrong with him at all. you’d never know the man was 85. but after my uncle – who is years younger than him – passed away in april… i think it made my grandfather all neurotic and worried that he could go tomorrow, god forbid. so when he sprung this trip to italy on my mom, he was like, i can’t spend my money when i die, so let’s go. took him 85 years to live life to the fullest ;) but i’m happy they’re going. its gonna be a beautiful trip.

i’m trying to convince all of them to come down to florida for christmas this year, so we’ll see how that goes. since i was a little girl my parents have always wanted to see disney during christmas… so what better time than now since i’ll be down there, lol. crossing my fingers.

all of my stuff is in my storage unit, so it will be quick and easy to load it into the truck and not forget anything. i have some stuff here at the house though that i still need to pack, but for the most part, everything is done. cable/internet is being set up the night i move in, electric is on the day before, i have furniture being shipped, i have more furniture to BUY (hello ikea down the street haha)… but other than that… i’m ready.

friday just needs to get here now…

;)

anyway, i’ve been wanting to do my entire bedroom over. it all started because i decided i had to get a baroque/damask print comforter for my bed… but i could never find exactly the right one. usually when i’m decorating anything, it takes forever, just because what i see in my head is what i HAVE to have… and majority of the time what i see in my head is just shit i create. lol. if i actually FIND the things my mind likes to design… it’s OH HAPPY DAY, cause it rarely ever happens. but i typically end up having to compromise with my head. given that i’m a web designer and not an interior one, if it isn’t already physically produced somewhere, i sure as hell can’t sit down to make it.

SO… i’m online today browsing through bed bath and beyond, as ya DO, and i find the exact damn comforter i created in my head (see pic). ON TOP OF THIS… i realized the setup in the picture is ALSO what i saw in my head, colors and all.

i freaked out and went to purchase IMMEDIATELY, lol, but right now its out of stock online AND in stores. so i ended up finding it on another site. so damn happy though. i got the whole ensemble including the throw pillows… cause they’re precious. haha.

depending on the new bed that i buy, i want a tall tufted headboard. i absolutely LOVE big headboards, because i feel like its that one piece that ties the entire room together. in my opinion, tufted headboards are VERY sexy, but they’re a few hundred bucks, and if i could workaround that, i’m all about it. 

so i think what i’m gonna do is just make one (see THAT i could make, haha). in the pic to the right, it’s nice, but i want it taller, with about 4 rows of squares instead of the two shown. doing this at home it isn’t super difficult, but its not a piece of cake either. its worth it though for me to spend $75 on something that is normally a lot more, not to mention, i have the creative freedom to make it look however i want it to. and in that case, making it a rich plum/purple will definitely be an awesome accent to pull in the rest of the color in the room. i’m gonna have big framed prints made of my photos from london… haven’t decided yet if i want them all black and white, but i’m leaning that way… and they’re all going in the bedroom. i’m getting a “berry” colored version of the “keep calm and carry on” print to go in there too. i already have a beautiful framed one but its red.

i’m gonna keep my kitchen the same “tuscan” decor that i love. i have a shitload of italian paintings and wall art that i saved in storage.  i’m either gonna stick with that or go more modern. not sure. but i found these 4 pieces online and got all sorts of ideas, haha… so whatever style i go with, its gonna be based around them.

i haven’t even thought about the bathrooms or my guest bedroom/office yet. god help me with those because they will absolutely take the longest. why? cause it’s a room that my guests will stay in. and that means, it has to be perfect. even more so than my bedroom, the guest room/office needs to be something that i could be okay with working in all day, and in the same breath, something that makes my friends or family happy sleeping in there.

the living room… easiest room. period. it’ll come to me when i’m not thinking about it. haha.

so i got them, they fit perfectly, i’m ecstatic and i can’t wait to get em dirty ;)

i see ANOTHER package in the mail…. “royal mail”… and i couldn’t help smiling.
i knew it would be from mark. and i knew it would most likely be something harry potter related ;)

when i went to see the latest HP movie at the IMAX 3D, i was highly disappointed that they didn’t give out the “harry potter” shaped 3d glasses that i heard about from people who went that night. apparently they were just for opening night.

leave it to mark to work one floor above warner brothers uk and manage to wrangle me the damn glasses. HAHA.

awesome surprise, and between this and the shoes… my day has been made. lol.

a little over one month and then florida… by the way.
quick list of houses to send to brenden, and all i have to do is narrow it down and then get the paperwork taken care, deposit, etc. i’m literally ready to move yesterday… so… i’m looking forward to this coming month. its gonna FLY with how much shit i have to take care of haha. but i love that. i love preparing for things. it gets me so amped up.

i’m a weirdo.

;)

meet rupert grint? check.

;)

which reminds me i need to email that girl that sent me the photos because if it wasn’t for her, i would have nothing but memory to commemorate that fabulous day, haha. i still don’t know how my picture deleted. i really don’t. brenden went to take it… she realized it was way zoomed in and took a minute to fix it, he even waited like the good little ginger he is… she made some jokes, he laughed, took the photo, all was happy in the land of hogwarts… and BAM… i go to look at it, i SEE IT… i wait 30 seconds and look at it again… and it is GONE. my cell phone doesn’t delete any photo without confirming yes first. so how in the fuck this happened, i really don’t know. brenden was like are you KIDDING ME. it was ridiculous.

unless this kid pulled out a fucking wand and made it vanish without me knowing… i don’t have a clue where it went.

so mid panic mode, we went searching through the crowd of people around us and somehow managed to find a girl that had me on her camera. praise jesus.

so while blurry, i DO NOT CARE, haha.

and he’s cheesin. ;)
LOVE HIM.

moving on.
ive been in touch with a few different realtors/home owners/whatever and i’m getting a list together and setting up showings for brenden to go look at for me. it saves me money on flying down again, and she’s helping me out immensely. getting down to the wire though now ;) i’m very, very excited.

what else…

OH.

can we talk about this for a second? i feel as though we need to.
this is the GREATEST ICE CREAM I HAVE EVER HAD…. period.
bold statement to make, yes i know… but listen to me when i talk about food. lol.
bunches of cake pieces all mixed in, and it literally tastes EXACTLY like a red velvet cupcake. EXACTLY.
it… is… phenom.
trust me. if you like red velvet anything… get off your ass and go to the store immediately.

is it awful that i just wrote all that as i’m about to sign off here and go workout? lol.

ps – very sad news about amy winehouse. i was eerily just talking about her not even a week ago. she was one of my absolute favorite voices of our time, and there seriously was no one that even came close to her talent in that style. i’ve been cringing over the ADULTS that have been leaving tweets and status updates by making jokes about it though. obviously none of you have ever had the unfortunate experience of growing up with an addict. and if you have, shame on you for acting like little twits. its a painful, and debilitating “disease” for ALL parties involved… and it is by far the furthest thing from a joke. so grow up.

also… i feel so terrible for what happened in norway. seriously… NORWAY!?  i was actually watching the news last night and felt all discombobulated. because when do you EVER hear about violence in NORWAY… i mean really. and KIDS? it just breaks my heart. its too much. those families are in my prayers.

alright. time to wanna vomit from this new workout, lol.

-j.