It's been a while since I've done one of these...

So it's been years since I've done one of these. I feel like back in middle school they circulated via email nonstop, but I saw one on a tumblr I was browsing and thought, "what the heck, why not?"

1: Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? open - it's connected to my bathroom
2: Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? nope - their shampoo and conditioner suck
3: Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? out
4: Have you ever stolen a street sign before? nope
5: Do you like to use post-it notes? heck yes
6: Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? frequently
7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? bees, definitely
8: Do you have freckles? a few
9: Do you always smile for pictures? usually
10: What is your biggest pet peeve? people who lie
11: Do you ever count your steps when you walk? not really
12: Have you ever peed in the woods? yep
13: What about pooped in the woods? yep
14: Do you ever dance even if there's no music playing? every once in awhile, but it's better with music
15: Do you chew your pens and pencils? sometimes pens
16: How many boys have you kissed? three
17: What size is your bed? twin
18: What is your song of the week? this week it's "I May Not Let Go" by Garrison Starr

19: Is it okay for guys to wear pink? absolutely

20: Do you still watch cartoons? only when I'm babysitting
21: Whats your least favorite movie? When in Rome
22: Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? I have no idea
23: What do you drink with dinner? Diet Coke with lemon and lime
24: What do you dip a chicken nugget in? BBQ sauce
25: What is your favorite food? grilled cheese sandwiches
26: What movies could you watch over and over and still love? 27 Dresses, 500 Days of Summer, The Jane Austen Book Club
27: Last person you kissed/kissed you? a boy who wasn't worth my time
28: Were you ever a boy/girl scout? nope
29: The beach or the mountains? the beach
30: When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? a few weeks ago when I sent out Valentine's
31: Can you change the oil on a car? nope
32: Ever gotten a speeding ticket? nope
33: Ever ran out of gas? nope
34: Favorite kind of sandwich? grilled cheese
35: Best thing to eat for breakfast? healthy: oatmeal with banana and raspberries, not-so-healthy: pancakes with a tone of syrup
36: What is your usual bedtime? midnight
37: Are you lazy? I can be
38: When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? witch, Cinderella, Dr. Queen Medicine Woman (weird, I know), Doris Day

39: What is your astrological sign? Cancer

40: How many languages can you speak? one
41: Do you have any magazine subscriptions? yep: InStyle, Vogue, Time, Country Living
42: Which are better legos or lincoln logs? lincoln logs
43: Are you stubborn? I don't give up easily
44: Who is better...Leno or Letterman? definitely Letterman
45: Ever watch soap operas? nope
46: Are you afraid of heights? sort of
47: Do you sing in the car? all the time
48: Do you sing in the shower? hardly ever
49: Do you dance in the car? yep
50: Ever used a gun? nope
51: Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? this summer with the siblings
52: Do you think musicals are cheesy? yeah, but I still love them
53: Is Christmas stressful? it can be if you don't keep the right perspective
54: Ever eat a pierogi? don't even know what that is so no
55: Favorite type of fruit pie? strawberry rhubarb...so good
56: Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? a teacher or ice skater
57: Do you believe in ghosts? not sure
58: Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? totally
59: Take a vitamin daily? when I remember which isn't often enough
60: Wear slippers? yeah, my apartment is freezing in the winter
61: Wear a bath robe? nope
62: What do you wear to bed? sweats and v-neck t-shirt
63: First concert? Rascal Flatts
64: Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? TARGET!!!!
65: Nike or Adidas? Nike
66: Cheetos Or Fritos? Cheetos
67: Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? that's a tough one
68: Favorite Singer? Kate Voegele

69: Ever take dance lessons? nope, but that would fun
70: Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? not really but one that makes enough money for us to have a nice house and help our kids go to college would be nice
71: Can you curl your tongue? yep
72: Ever won a spelling bee? nope
73: Have you ever cried because you were so happy? yep
74: First CD you ever got? Faith by Faith Hill

75: Own a record player? nope
76: Regularly burn incense? nope
77: Ever been in love? I thought I was but I was more in love with who I wanted him to be
78: Who would you like to see in concert? Jason Aldean
79: What was the last concert you saw? Kate Voegele
80: Coke or Pepsi? Coke!!!
81: Tea or coffee? hot chocolate
82: Sugar or snickerdoodles? sugar as long as they frosting
83: Can you swim well? ok but I'd like to be better at it
84: Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? never tried
85: Are you patient?absolutely NOT...it's something I struggle

86: DJ or band, at a wedding? either
87: Ever won a contest? I think so but I can't remember
88: Ever had surgery? yes: shoulder, mole removal, wisdom teeth
89: Which are better black or green olives? black...green are disgusting
90: Can you knit or crochet? nope
91: Best room for a fireplace? living room
92: Do you want to get married? Yes!
93: If married, how long have you been married? still working on that
94: Who was your HS crush? A boy named John
95: Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? no
96: Do you have kids? no
97: Do you want kids? Yes! Three of four would be good
98: Whats your favorite color? pink 

99: Do you miss anyone right now? my friends and family

100. Where do you fall in your family? I'm the oldest

Valentine's Day in The Windy City...

On my way to work I saw a dad and his little boy putting the finishing touch on his valentine's inside Caribou Coffee. So adorable.

At work I popped a few Twix bars and sent e-valentines to family and friends. During my lunch break I took a trip to Molly's Cupcakes for one of their red velvet treats. Before leaving work for the day I ordered takeout from my local Joy's Noodles.

On the walk home I passed more than a few men carrying flowers. Couples held hands as they strolled into restaurants for a romantic evening.

Harper and I enjoyed watching the latest episode of Hart of Dixie while I savored my Phad Thai. I watched "Valentine's Day" while I did my dishes.

Before going to bed I had a fabulous Skype date with my high school bestie, Miss Keely Coxon. I love that girl so much.

Valentine's Day 2012...the best day of my otherwise crappy week.

photo source

Wednesday Wisdom ~ Valentine's Day Style

I found this quote to be fitting considering that Valentine's Day will soon be upon us. Even though I'm single, I actually love Valentine's Day. I love all the pink and red, hearts everywhere, and of course...Valentine's Day cards! There's something special about a handwritten note. We all need a little love reminder every once in awhile. After all, love is responsible for true joy.

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Wednesday Wisdom (even though it's officially Thursday)

"Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering—because you can't take it all in at once."

~ Audrey Hepburn

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Double Trouble...

My best friend Sarah and I are obsessed with this song by Jack and White. The entire album is amazing. Check it out!

random happy thoughts...

After my last rather depressing post about all the emotions I've been feeling lately I thought a more upbeat, lighthearted post was in order. So here are some of the little, inconsequential things that make me happy.

I love it when people re-pin my pins on Pinterest. It makes me feel really special. Silly, I know.

I can't wait for the new episodes of New Girl and Hart of Dixie. I hate having to wait for more than a week. Thank heavens Grey's Anatomy is finally back after almost two months!

I hate washing my hands (don't worry, I still do it even thought I hate it) but Bath & Body Works soap makes the experience so much better. It's worth every penny.

I love awards season...dresses, dresses, and more dresses.

Harper loves to curl up in the crook of my arm when we go to sleep. So precious.

too many emotions at once...

angry. sad. confused. shamed. lonely. lost. hopeless. afraid. inadequate. basket case. proud. desperate. bitter. I'm all of the above. we all are at some point. sometimes too many emotions hit at once. left to our own devices. we try to cope.

angry: depression wakes me every morning. who will win the tug of war today? I don't know why I think it will ever be different. why I still get angry that it's a trial I face. being angry won't make it go away. it's not acceptable to be mentally ill. not when one day I'm fine and the next day I can't get out of bed. it kills me to send an email to say I won't be in to work. hitting accept on my phone feels like climbing a mountain.

lonely: I remove myself from environments I know. places that are safe and comfortable. then I wonder if they were ever any of those things. I always reach for something more. a something I'm not even sure I know exists. when I get to the new place I've brought myself to I flounder. get lost and buried in my inadequacies.

hopeless: I get caught up in my own tragedy. convinced I'll never get to be happy. that for me that state will never really exist. maybe it's a state no one really knows. but I know that's not true. it just feels so far away from anything I'll ever experience. I have a good life. good parents. family and good friends who love me. is anything ever enough for me?

proud: I need help. I don't ask for it. superwoman complex. no good results. put myself up against the impossible. I make my own prison. constantly accuse myself of crimes like weakness and inadequacy. everything is my fault. undeserving. surrender is wiser but I keep putting up a pathetic fight. doesn't resemble a fight at all.

bitter: fuzzy end of the lollipop. too invested means more hurt. normal is foreign. unreachable. can't get over something that probably wasn't even there to begin with. a figment of my sorted mind. delusion. reality hurts. no one has it easy but where is my break. will my life ever work itself out? I cling to the vistas. how long until the next one?

lost: passion evades me. it is unkind. misery besets me and I am gone. back in a place where progress is futile. can't answer questions everyone asks. caught up in who I was trying to figure out who I am now. keep trying to start over. to find a place to be an adult. do more than bide my time.