Carni-Folk

I. love. the. circus. Colors, elephants, jumping, COTTON CANDY. I mean...what isn't to love.

[I feel it necessary to insert here that there is a part of me that hates the circus because of the poor little animals. I mean, no, lets be real...Edgar the Elephant does not want to stand on a podium the size of a pringle can and Ted the Tiger does not want to leap across benches like Liesel and Rolph from the Sound of Music. And lets be real, in order to get them to actually do those ridiculous things, not happy things happen. It actually is really uncool but another part of me wants to be a kid and pretend like that bad stuff doesn't happen. And you know what? I played the kid angle this year okay? Damnit, I deserve a little childhood experience.]

Back to the happy times.I thought it was going to be all kinds of ridiculous and atleast admitted the possibility of it being anti-climactic. Just in case, we decided to bring some party favors to make the experience a little more entertaining. A few bottles of champagne and whatnot later and we were giggling and running to our seats. These people, "Carni-Folk" as my friend and I called them...are crazy. CRAZY I tell you. It's like they have no bones. The tight rope walkers?? The trapeze artists?? $15.00 worth of cotton candy later and I was more hyper than I was when I was 8 years old, had a coke, 4 Fruit Rollups and a gallon of Kool-aid. I mean, it's so way fun. You better believe next year Graham and Jack are coming with.

[Side note: People who abuse animals are poopers.]

Attention Ladies!

I am obsessed with a new braid I've discovered. While I have always dug braids (messy ones in particular) I haven't ever seen this one. I've done the fishtail braids before which I also adore but you sort of have to have long thick hair to pull that one off (I believe that was popular when the infamous "weave" was around....). The latest? The waterfall braid. It's....absolutely adorable. You're welcome.

ALSO! While I'm on a hair topic, does everyone know about the "spin pins"? They're those little spiral pins that look gimmicky and dumb but are actually amazeballs. That is...if you wear your hair in buns. But a chignon? I know the Doak girls love our chignons for weddings and whatnot but they're a pain in the bum to make sure they stay! But now?...a solution to the age old problemo. For real...they're amazing. Only thing I'm really glad I did -- bought the mini ones. I have the finest hair in the world so I knew the ones that were 5 inches long weren't gonna fly so then I saw the minis. Again...another genius invention.

So stupid.

After having this sign hang above my bed for MONTHS, I was looking at it a bit more closely the other day. Notice anything absolutely moronic? Oh. Yeah. That's right -- it says GET'S. WITH AN APOSTROPHE. Ya kiddin' me?? WHAT DO I DO?! I like the sign but I feel like I have to take it down now. It's so beyond stupid I don't even know what to do about it. I'm totally baffled I didn't notice it before. I feel like my IQ just dropped a few points.

A life filled with chalkboards

After I finished my cabinets and BEFORE I started on the quilt in question, I decided I had to do something about my refrigerator. It was that ugly almond color and so boring it made me want to down a bottle of wine and pass out (sorry Mom) just so I didn't have to look at it. So my solution to everything? CHALKBOARD PAINT. Sort of. I have this thing with chalkboard paint and chalkboards in general. They're the sh!t. It can be really clean but messy all at the same time. BRILLIANT. And now you can buy paint so anything (yes, anything at all) can be a chalkboard? GENIUS. I could have a chalkboard stapler or a Chalkboard iphone cover (ooo...I should market that one). I initially wanted to have a whole wall in my apartment be painted with chalkboard paint. I figured, what better way to entertain people when they are drunk and at my house? Major flaws in that plan were A. while my landlord is chill, he might not be totally cool with my sanding the texture off the wall and B. people really don't come over to my house (sad face). I still plan on doing this in a future home of my sometime. Maybe it's not until I have kids (......) but it's going to happen so prepare yourselves.

So I get to thinking. How can I do chalkboard paint without painting my refrigerator? I mean, lets be real...my landlord would really be pissed. Solution? Chalkboard contact paper. Didn't even know it existed but I'm going to say it improved my quality of life by about 3% which in the grand scheme of things is pretty significant. So I got to covering. It took all of 20 minutes and I lovesss it. Everyone else might think it's cooky, but I don't care. Maybe this is why people don't come over...?

Jump back, Martha Stewart

So...I guess most people work better when they are busy (right?) but I REALLY work better when I'm busy. If I don't stay totally on top of being busy, having a new project, etc. I fall in to this terribly lazy slump and I don't do anything. Literally. I come home from work, and sit on my couch. I THINK, "I should clean" or "I should start that new project" but I don't. It takes some big event (or irritation) to get me out of my lazy-coma. About a month ago I had such event (that's a whole 'nother story) and decided I needed some more...productive...ways to spend my time. PROJECT!!!

Dialing landlord: "Hey, this is Elizabeth from 4105. Question. Do you care if I paint my kitchen cabinets? Let's be real...they're heinous." [27 year old kid who works for Dad (my landlord) and has really no authority at all]: "Um, no. I don't care. Josh (his 29 year old brother and even LESS authority)? Do you care if someone at 4105 paints their cabinets? No. That's cool" "Great. THANKS!

By the way...we need to talk about my appliances...but first things first..." And scene.

So...no one tells you how much of a pain in the a$% it is to paint cabinets. I thought, yeah...it will take awhile. Take off the doors, paint the insides and outside, put them back on...but, no. I have the smallest kitchen ever and I wanted to kill myself half way in to it. The only thing that kept me going was I wanted to start on a new quilt (why yes I AM 82 years old...thank you) and I promised myself I couldn't start on that until the cabinets were done. My energy for completing this project really tapered off at the end but somehow I managed to finished it. [Disclaimer: When I use the word "finished" I mean it appears to be finished. There may or may not be a few doors that haven't been painted on the inside. Shh.]

So seriously...it looks like I'm living in a different apartment. It was so heinous it was embarrassing. I guess I should also mention I did my bathroom at the same time which is why it was more of a beating than I thought. Next on my apartment improvement list: jimmy my appliances so they break and can be replaced. I think they were purchased in 1967.

Welcome, Chunk

Oh my goodness! So how have I NOT posted a blog since my sweet little nephew Graham Haymond was born. Worst Aunt ever? NO. BEST Aunt ever. I haven't had time to post a blog because I go and visit my little Chunk (I think that nickname is gonna stick...) every single day. Well. Not every single day...so maybe I'm not the BEST Aunt ever but I'm working on it. And I probably don't have an excuse for my lack of posting but whatever. I try.

I think Mom and Dad have been using the last 5 weeks (I can't BELIEVE he's already 5 weeks) to adjust to being parents. They have certainly had sleepless nights and some setbacks but they have weathered them all pretty darn well. Anne, as we knew would happen, has dressed Graham in a variety of outfits. As expected...the best dressed 5 week old little man I know. Okay...best dressed kid I know actually, but I feel like I'm tooting my own horn a little bit when I say that because he's a Doak. That's right...while he might have Robinson on his birth certificate (eye roll) ...I'm pretty sure he still came out of a Doak tummy (don't argue), so...I'm happy. However I feel compelled to say that the Robinsons are a chill group. Anywho. Not MUCH to report here...(I mean, besides the birth of my second nephew) but pictures really sum it up much better. How adorable is he? Go on...you can congratulate me all you want. Alright, go!