Take Me Seriously

I have perfect vision. It's not even genetics. It's just luck.

Most of my family wears glasses. Even my 12 year old sister and 10 year old brother. But me? Nope. And yet I've always wanted them. What a great way to get people to take you more seriously! I'm ashamed to say but I think I look smarter with them. 

This fabulous pair of glasses and the below pair of sunglasses were sent to me by Firmoo. 

The glasses are fakies! Just clear lenses, that's all. To be worn on days when my allergies get bad and I don't feel like wearing makeup. Or days when I'm pretending to be Taza or Sydney. And they are only $16! Even with real lenses!

I had a great experience with Firmoo and they are definitely worth checking out. In fact, you can get your first pair free.

They do need to work on the names of their glasses though. Item numbers suck. How about something a little more fun? For instance, the first pair I'd call The Hipster. And the sunglasses? The Socialite. 

So if you're a glasses wearing gal or you just need a nice pair of sunglasses, check them out. They even come with a glasses case and a little cleaning cloth! True life: Archie already ate the cleaning cloth. 

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend!

Disclaimer: I received this product in exchange for a review. All opinions stated are mine.

Bloglovin'  //  Twitter  //  Instagram  //  Facebook

The Momentum of Mediocrity

Yesterday morning when I was so deliriously tired, I plopped down on the couch to enjoy whatever was on HBO at 9am on a Wednesday Morning. Don Juan DeMarco was on. I'd never heard of it but it had Johnny Depp, circa the early 90's. Count me in.

I was half paying attention (i.e. reading blogs) when one of the main characters threw out the line above. And I stopped. Looked up from my computer screen. Rewound the TV. And re-watched the scene.  I'll say it again:

"I just feel as though we've surrendered our lives to the momentum of mediocrity."

That quote sums up everything I never want to feel about my own life. 

Day to day life can get kind of mundane. I bitch at Naveed for not remembering to buy toilet paper. Check my email too often. We walk the dog. Go out to dinner at the same 3 restaurants. Work. Watch too much TV. 
We've been dating for two years. Next up: Marriage. Buy a house. Kids. Careers. Retirement. 
I'm not saying I don't want those things, because I do. But I want them in a thrilling way. So I can look back and say my life was a grand adventure. 
I don't want to move to a foreign country or skydive or rent an RV and visit every state (wait, maybe I do). I want normal. But I don't want it to feel just normal. I don't want life to just push us along. 
So Nav, let's make it an adventure, shall we?

Bloglovin'  //  Twitter  //  Instagram  //  Facebook

The Things You Shouldn't Say to Your Boyfriend

The beau inevitably falls asleep before I do. And when he does, I occasionally look over at him. In a loving way, of course. But then I catch a glimpse of his long, black eyelashes and I can feel it happening. I start to hate him just a little. 
Because even in his sleep, his eyelashes are 100 times more divine than mine will ever be. He literally has multiple rows, Elizabeth Taylor style. That feeling fades when I realize that our future daughter could have those. 

These are the kinds of stories that you just don't tell your boyfriend.  Only I did. Because I always do. 
I'm constantly guilty of word vomit. Some things you just need to keep to your dang self! I need to learn that. But living together just opened to floodgates and now I'm that girlfriend who overshares.
Here are some other "dont's" that I most definitely "do":
Never point out the fact that you tell the dog "I love you" literally 27 times a day while he gets maybe 3 or 4. Just don't say a word about it and hope he doesn't notice.

Never let him hear you singing a variation of the Thong Song to the dog, while replacing the word Thong with the word Kong. Just don't. 

That Kong-Ka-Kong-Kong-Kong

Since we're on the topic of dogs, there is absolutely no need to respond to anything that your boyfriend might say to the dog, as the dog. For instance:
Nav: "Come on, Arch. Let's get ready for bed. We're going outside." Nadine as Archie: "No, Dad. I's comfortable right where I is. I yuv my Momma and I's staying wif her."
He pretends to find this endearing. But is it? Um, no. Direct quote from Nav: "Since getting a dog you talk in a baby voice a lot more than I thought you would."
Um, yeah, sorry about that. Only I'm probably not going to stop.
Just as it isn't endearing when I go into elaborate detail about my love for dry shampoo and why I don't need to wash my hair everyday. Or when I when I ponder aloud to myself what underwear is appropriate to wear under work out leggings (the ultimate unanswered question. email me if you have figured this out). Or when I start the 20th conversation about what to wear to his friends wedding next month. 
So what can we surmise from this mostly pointless post? Our dog is ruining our relationship making things more interesting. And my boyfriend is my best friend. But clearly I need more girl friends. 
Speaking of girl friends, it's my pleasure to introduce you to Kendahl from As Told By Kendahl.

First of all, how puurrdy is this lady? She sent me this pic to use and I was like, damn girl! Kendahl is one of my faves because she's great at making poignant observations about life. 
Example: Last week she wrote a psudo rant where she mentioned that her man sometimes just leaves used paper towels on the counter. And I kid you not, I caught Nav doing it that very same day. Come to realize, he does it all the time! Kendahl, I have no idea how I didn't notice that before but now it drives me nuts.
Kendahl admits that she uses abbrevs in real life conversation, is addicted to tv, and she too talks to her dog like he's a real human baby (see? It's normal!). You can also check her out with nearly ever hair color in this post, while also reading a moving, honest, and hopeful letter to her 17 year old self. And I think those three words are a great way to describe Kendahl herself. So head over to As Told By Kendahl and check her out!

And lastly, a little surprise for you. $50 Visa Gift Card, anyone? 

Elise @ Hunters of Happiness

Kenzie @ The Ashcraft Bunch

Nadine @ Back East Blonde

Hayley @ A Beautiful Exchange

Aanika @ The Active Mum

Erin @ ReadEatCreate

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bloglovin'  //  Twitter  //  Instagram  //  Facebook

Oh, You're Famous? I Don't Care.

As a big fan of the E! network, Us Magazine, and People.com, I consider myself something of a celeb expert. Fortunately, reading blogs has kept my celebsession in check a bit, since I'm reading about you all instead of them. Swapping one problem out for another is a great solution, right?
But back to the celebs.
Want to know what some D list star named their kid?  I got you. (Rainbow Aurora?!?)
Who would I chose to be my celeb parents?  Why Jennifer Garner and Hugh Jackman, of course. 

I love seeing celebrities do normal people stuff. I just love it.
Want to know which celeb just revealed she had a preventative mastectomy?  Angelina Jolie. She even wrote a piece for the NY Times about it.
And you can bet I was on the edge of my seat waiting for someone to determine whether the future queen of hip-hop (and the closest thing to American royalty) was named Ivy Blue or Blue Ivy. 

Shoulda gone with Ivy Blue, Beyonce. Or just another name all together.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
But somehow, in all my celebsession, there are a few people who seem to come up a lot and I just have no clue who they are. Are they famous for just being famous, Kardashian style? Although we all know we can learn a lot from the Kardashians.
No, these ladies are a much bigger question mark.
Daisy Lowe

If she's making it socially acceptable for me to go out in public with my hair like that, I like her. But what does she do? And why is she famous?
Olivia Palermo

Alright, you'd have to be a dummy to not know that she has a blog. But I definitely didn't know until Bloglovin' became a "thing" and now she's always a top blog. 
But other than that, what does she do? Did she become famous for the blog or did she start a blog because she got famous?
Rachel Roy

Every time I read her name somewhere I think, um, it's Rachael RAY. And then I realize they're talking about a completely different person. Who and why? 

I don't care, make me a 30 minute meal!

Lana Del Ray

Rumor has it she sings. And there is some controversy surrounding her but I have no idea what it's all about. Lana, what are you so famous for? It can't just be your music cause I heard one song and was like um, what?  No thank you.
So even though I do follow the celeb gossip a little too closely, these I still haven't figured out.
But I can assure you, if I ever saw Taza walking the streets of New York, Eleanor and Samson in tow, I would lose my shit (isn't this the grossest but funniest expression?). I really would. I guess the blog world has taken over my brain!
Now head over to Venus Trapped in Mars where I'm competing for a blate with Venus herself! 

Linking up with Lisette and Catalyn 
Bloglovin'  //  Twitter  //  Instagram  //  Facebook

The Time I Didn't Run A Marathon

There is no feeling quite as inspiring being at the finish line of a marathon. 
And no feeling quite as pathetic as waking up the morning after, sore and weak, knowing that you were not one of the people who crossed the finish line. 
That's right, all I did was carry cases of water and I cannot hold it together this morning. Cannot lift my arms above my shoulders. 

We had a full and busy weekend. I attempted a side bang (fail), had a few too many, reminisced about childhood (laser tag!) and fell asleep watching Lincoln (boooo-ring) while my two boys enjoyed a history lesson.

Let's be clear, that runner is not me. It's my good friend Katie, who finished her first Half Marathon this weekend. So proud of her!
Marathon's are a strange thing. So many of the people crossing the finish line looked completely out of shape, and yet they weren't. They had just accomplished something that I definitely couldn't (today. maybe with some training I could). 
And then, tragedy struck.
An older gentlemen crossed the finish line after completing the full marathon. His eyes rolled back in his head, he collapsed, and the medics found no pulse. Watching someone nearly die in front of you? That will shake you up quite a bit. Fortunately, they revived him and I read in the paper that he's in stable condition. 
It kind of made me wonder if some people just shouldn't push their bodies that far. I definitely pondered the limitations of the human body for a bit, before eventually deciding to go for a run myself. I'm still working on learning to run even though I hate it, after Bri wrote such a guest post on the subject. 
Lastly, RIP beard. And thanks, Nav, for shaving it half off and then scaring the crap out of me. 
Hope you all had a lovely weekend! I'll be over here complaining all day about how sore I am. In the mean time, allow Carly to keep you company.

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Carly from The Pinot Project. Carly is one of my favorites because the way she writes makes it feel like you are having a chat with one of your closest friends. Incidentally, she also has a tab just for her dog children, which is when I knew that we really would be close friends in real life. 
She keeps it real as she ponders how blogging feels like a secret society (so true), the 5 worst kinds of gym-goers, and even made me a little worried about my own travel etiquette with this airport behavior post. She also recently celebrated her 31st birthday and shared some life lessons with us. Check out #30. That's the one I need to work on most. 
Go visit Carly at The Pinot Project or tweet at her and share your greatest life lesson so far.

Bloglovin'  //  Twitter  //  Instagram  //  Facebook

So You Wanna Look Like A Rockstar...

Well I've got just the person to introduce you to. Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Dee from Boutique Sui Numeris.

At Boutique Sui Numeris, they do the unthinkable: They favor exclusivity and do not sell more than one of the same dress. 

They also do what so many others don't. They pay attention to all elements of the item including texture, dimension, color, and most importantly craftsmanship. Can I get an amen? 

My very favorite pieces. Left, Lumen; Right, Liv

As I get older, I'm less inclined to buy crap (and yes, it is crap) at Forever 21 and I'm looking for more investment pieces. This is a great place to find them!

Let's get down to business, Dee.

What inspired you to start Boutique Sui Numeris?

The Boutique was started as a way for women to set themselves apart from the rest--a fun outlet for true boutique shopping in the comfort of your own home.  I attended an all white boat party, and there were about 5 popular dresses that about 90% of the girls wore.  Everyone looked identical.  Nobody wanted to stand next to a girl that was wearing "their dress".  On a boat, that's pretty hard to do.  It put a damper on the mood of the party.

What does Sui Numeris mean?

Pronounced (swee noom er ees), it's classical Latin for "of it's own rank".  Basically, we want to do our own thing.  Rock to the beat of our own tune! 

How do you go about finding the vintage pieces for your store?

It's definitely a time consuming process that requires effort.  All of our clothes are inspected for high quality and we travel all over to locate vintage pieces.  Fashion shows and making amazing connections with elite vintage vendors all over the world are the most popular ways we bring gorgeous items into the boutique.    

How do you see Boutique Sui Numeris evolving in the next few years?

We want to keep it small so that we can continue to develop one-on-one quality customer relations with our clients, but our inventory is going to be even more ridiculously fabulous.  We have new items coming from Italy this summer!!  Woohoo! 

You are based in Austin, TX. What is your favorite thing about living in Austin?

I am a University of Texas at Austin graduate.  I love college football.  I love the vibe of the city.  I love the water views.  It's like re-living my college years over and over.  That could be good or bad, Nadine.  It just depends.  

Which item in your store is your favorite right now?

My favorite item is "Nyla", in our vintage collection.  It's a piece that says, "Look at me.  I have arrived."  

Check out the sharp pleats and the tailoring of that dress.  You don't have to say a word.  Then, when you turn around and show that flawless back, you have officially shut your competition down.  Game over.  The end.    

 

Tell us your ultimate fashion tip.

Be creative.  Let's get away from simply copying Hollywood trends.  The real trend setters are everywhere-- from Anchorage, Alaska to Austin, Texas.  

Thanks for sharing with us, Dee! Make sure you check out Boutique Sui Numeris or follow them on twitter. I'm always hesitant to follow businesses on twitter but Dee shares tons of great articles, songs, and how to posts. Definitely a great follow. 

Bloglovin'  //  Twitter  //  Instagram  //  Facebook

I Can't Sorority Squat and Skinny Arm at the Same Time!

For my job, I have the distinct pleasure of working with college students. This regularly allows me to reminisce about my own college experience to momentarily relate to the kids I'm working with. 
Oh God, I just called them kids. That hurt my soul.
But as the school year comes to an end, my Facebook feed is filled with bar crawls, final formals, and all the typical "last hurrah" activities.

Some of my own last hurrah shenanigans.
The only word to describe looking like this in front of the California state capitol at 1am. 

Almost every student I work with swears they are so busy. In college I was so busy too. Yet somehow I always had time to fit in a daily 2pm nap, go out 4 nights a week, and spend my whole Friday afternoon in frat houses.
And when I look back, my major concerns seem completely well, not major.  They frequently included:
Where are we "all" meeting for dinner?  The amount of money I spent eating out in college makes me nauseous. Mostly because I'm still paying it back. 
College Nadine, the freshman 15 won't stick around for 3 additional years if you quit eating at restaurants like it's your job. And since you're probably meeting other sorority girls, just assume that you're about to pay $10 for a salad and $10 for that drink you just ordered so you can start your pre-game while you eat. You're a true visionary.
How many calories are in one shot of vodka?  I like to call this, "going out math". 
I was constantly confused as to why I was gaining weight despite eating fairly healthy (or at least thinking I was) and working out frequently. 

Well, college Nadine, 100 calories/shot X 8 shots = 800 additional calories (plus chaser). Try that 4x a week and I think I've gotten to the bottom of that one. 
Throw that right on top of the salad you ate for dinner and you're in for a real treat around 2:30am. Unless of course, you finish your night off with a slice of pizza. Which you always do.
What day is my student loan money going to be disbursed to my checking account? Best day of the quarter.  Trip to Forever 21 anyone? I need an outfit for our Naughty Schoolgirl party on Friday.
My roots are so bad but I'm so broke.  You know what I discovered within months of joining a sorority? How much better blonde hair looks if you leave it to the professionals. Great time to discover this, at my brokest point in life.

How did I spend $53 at the bar last night? Now I have $12 in my checking account. Nadine, do not, under any circumstances buy a round of drinks. Just don't. Stick to the $2 PBR's and add your name to the Karaoke list, homegirl. The whole bar needs to hear you sing Don't Stop Believin' for the 12th Time. 
I can't sorority squat and skinny arm at the same time.  It's one or the other. Both just looks awkward. 
If you were in a sorority and you left college without perfecting both of these, you learned nothing.

And the most important question of all:
What am I wearing out tonight? I'm going to go ahead and guess something with a lot of spandex. You're going to wear it as a dress, college Nadine, but let me tell you, it could be a shirt. 
Or maybe you'll just wear an actual shirt. Thankfully, Kaylin had a sewing machine and could sew in the sides of mens t-shirts to make them dresses. 

She's a ruler, I'm a finger painting.  Since we don't do shit like this anymore, we've had to use our immense creativity somewhere else. Hence the blogs.
As you can see, college was rough for me. 
I've basically transferred these feelings to the adult world, made blogging my new sorority, and have a whole new set of completely ridiculous  important concerns like:
"If I don't post by 9am, will less people see it?" or "I'm wearing long sleeves in my about me picture and now it's spring. Does that look weird?"
Yes, that was is an actual concern. So you see, the ridiculousness never ends.  Happy Friday!
Bloglovin'  //  Twitter  //  Instagram  //  Facebook