Five On Friday

1. When I got my hair cut, I was introduced to this hair product. It's the Davines No. 14 Sea Salt Primer. It's given my hair amazing volume, plus it smells nice.

 

2. The face I made to people over and over this week as they talked to me about stuff I didn't care about at all...

3. I got a brand new bag. I would say Momma's Got a Brand New bag but I'm not a mother and that annoys me to use that phrase ha! Look at all of it's glory....

It's a little bit darker red in person. It's quilted leather and feels amazing. The inside is black and white herringbone. I'm in love. It's definitely a nice transition into fall (even though California has no fall).

 

4. My friend put together a short and has it on You Tube. A lot of shorts have later been made into feature length films. One of the most famous films to come from a short was Napoleon Dynamite. If you have a minute, you should check it out! It's called My Funeral.

 

5. I'm ready to go on a vacation...



Theater Thursday

It's Thursday and that can only mean one thing around these parts... it's Theater Thursday! Each week I pick a movie a movie that's available to watch through Netflix, dvd or through some other renting/viewing avenue and review it. Usually it's always a movie I've enjoyed watching! If you feel like joining in then grab my button on the side and comment so I can go look at the movie you've picked out!

This week's featured movie is, This Means War.

Two best friends find themselves falling for the same girl. FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) are two CIA operatives who accidently start dating the same girl, Lauren (Reese Witherspoon). When the guys realize that they've both been out on a date with her they come to an agreement. They agree that both men can keep seeing her and let her make the choice of who she likes more. They agree though that neither one of them will sleep with her and if it comes to that the other will bow out gracefully. 

 

As the dates start to get more frequently for each one of them, FDR and Tuck start to get more attached to Lauren. They start to fight with each other and even resort to spying on each other's dates. Lauren in the meantime has no idea that they know each other. She is also struggling with who she likes more. When the time comes for her to choose... who will hold her heart and trust more? Will it end a friendship? 

I hadn't watched this movie till the past weekend. It was really cute and funny. Plus it helps that Chris Pine is in it. He's one cutie!

Paid In Full

August was my last car payment.

(The day I bought my car)

 



I paid my car off 15 months early. It wasn't always easy but I did it. It's not like that was the only bill I had due each month. I've got a mortgage, credit card bills, utilities, etc. So a lot of people want to know, How did I pay it off early?

Small extra payments.

When I first got my car, I would pay as much as I could afford to spare. I would send in 50.00-100.00 extra each month towards the principle. In the beginning of a car loan the interest is at it's highest. There was some months that I could only afford to send 20.00 extra dollars a month but at least that was something. As time went on, the interest started to get lower because of the economic times, etc and the fact that I was paying down the principle. I would call the bank that carried my loan about every 6 months and ask for what the final payout amount would be. That would give me an idea of how much I still owed.

This past year I really started to see the progress and knew exactly how much I needed to send in as extra to pay it off before the end of the year. I wanted to try to pay it off earlier so I did the math and kept sending in an extra payment every pay day. That's how I was able to pay it off so early. If you have a car payment and you're trying to get it paid off before the pay off cards don't get discouraged. Even if you send in 5.00-10.00 dollars extra a month at least that's something. It helps in the end and it does save you money. Plus it gets you to that goal of being debt free from a car loan and frees up your money monthly that was going to your payment. So my advice is DO NOT get discouraged. I use to feel like I'd never get it paid off but I kept sending the money in.

Be warned.... my loan agency did it and I'm sure yours will too... once they realize that you keep sending in extra towards the principle and that you're going to  have your car paid off early, they will start to send you letters in the mail offering you to skip a months payment. They love to do this around the holidays and the start of summer. Don't go for it! They want to be able to charge you an entire extra month of interest. Keep making the payments and extra. Trust me!

Weekend Review

I finally got my hair cut!

After/Before

Clearly I had it colored and layered. I love how it turned out! I am so glad I finally found someone in Sacramento who I can trust to do my hair. If you ever need someone good, check out the Amithyst Boutique Salon. I worked with Amithyst herself who is amazing and so was Kurtis. I will definitely be going back to see her!

I also spent the weekend indulging in some of my favorite things. I went to one of my favorite food places... In-N-Out.

In case you wonder what I get, I usually go with a cheeseburger, fries and sometimes a chocolate or vanilla shake. Pure heaven.

I also worked on my quest for the white bedroom. Since I've added it to my list of 30 Before 30, I really need to make it happen. This weekend, I was able to get the other two of my map prints up. Thank you Map My State! If you want your own map use my code CrazyShenanigans for 20% off your purchase! It ends soon so don't miss out! You can get can an 8x10 print including shipping for like 15.00 dollars. Here's what my prints look like...

I chose California, West Virginia and Alabama because they are all places that I've resided in. I think they look great on that wall.

I also bought a new Alex and Ani bracelet. What can I say? I'm obsessed. PLEASE someone buy me all the ones on my wish list for Christmas and every holiday till the end of time.

The new charm is the Gemini zodiac sign. LOVE it!

 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

 





One

Today marks my one year anniversary of moving to California.

Let that sink in. (You can catch up on all the moving, waiting etc here and here)

Can you believe it's already been a year? It's crazy how fast time flies. Most days it doesn't feel like I've lived here for a year, other times it feels like I've lived here a lot longer. Some days I'll be driving down the road and think, "Wow! I live in California now. I'm on the west coast and in a completely different time zone than most people I know." It's crazy to comprehend a lot of the days.

When I first moved to Sacramento, I only knew one person. I had to make friends and put myself out there with people. In the year that I've been here I feel like I've surrounded myself with some good people. I've also been able to get out there and participate in some fun activities. I've traveled to places that I wouldn't have been able to so easily while living on the east coast. I experienced what it was like to mow the grass in February. I've experienced what it's like to take care of a house all on my own, etc.

While some days are more fun than others, I miss a lot of my east coast friends and family. I can't wait till the day that they are out here. Until then I'm going to keep on moving forward and hope for a better tomorrow. This year has definitely been a learning year.

30 Before 30

On June 17, 2013 I turned 29 years old. In the weeks that followed, I knew I wanted to start a 30 Before 30 challenge. I just couldn't decide what to put on my list. I didn't want to read other people's lists and add random things to mine just because that's what others were doing. So I sat around for almost two months and thought hard about what I wanted on my list. I wanted to include things that I had never done or experienced. I wanted things that I needed to work on and things that I've always thought about doing but just hadn't taken the time to do. So after much thought, this is the list of 30 things that I will be trying to accomplish before I turn 30 years old on June 17, 2014.

I'm doing this list for me.

1. Walk Across the Golden Gate Bridge. Completed on 2/21/14
2. Pierce my ears.
3. Learn to quilt or sew.
4. Ride in a hot air balloon.
5. Visit the Castle Winery in Napa. Completed on 4/4/14
6. Journal for 30 days. Completed 4/27/2014
7. Take a vacation that's out of state and over a week long. Completed 7/26/14
8. Write letters to the people who mean the most to me. Completed 8/30/13
9. Walk around my neighborhood (I've never done this since I moved to CA). Completed 10/26/13
10. Hike a section of the Grand Canyon.
11. Make an emergency bag.
12. Try acupuncture.
13. Go to a shooting range.
14. Learn how to take a compliment.
15. Make three new desserts. Completed on 9/27/2013
16. Finish the white bedroom quest.
17. Do an anonymous good deed/pay it forward.
18. Make something in a crock pot. Completed on 9/20/13
19. Volunteer for a charity or donate money.
20. Write a will.
21. Ride a horse.
22. Catch a fish.
23. Put a message in a bottle and place it in the river or ocean. Completed 12/5/13
24. Paint two oil paintings.
25. Buy only gas and food for 30 days.
26. Tour the Hoover Dam.
27. Watch the entire Sopranos Series.
28. Visit the Redwood Forest and hug a tree. Completed 9/6/13 
29. Get a house plant and keep it alive. Completed 1/10/14
30. Get a tattoo. (Don't freak out yet mom).

Map It!

Two weeks ago I won a giveaway and that made me excited! What made me really excited was the fact that it was for any 8x10 map from Map My State.

Have you heard of them? I hadn't until I saw the giveaway. Map My State offers state, city and country maps. They can also customize anything! They offer two size options when it comes to prints 8x10 and 11x14. The prints come in different colors and can be customized to include something specific. They even offer coffee mugs! The giveaway that I won was for an 8x10 print. I had been wanting something to go in my all white bedroom and when I won this, I knew I wanted it to go in there.

Since I'm from West Virginia and currently living so far away, I knew that I wanted to get my home state on a map. I got the West Virginia print in Grey and white to make my bedroom décor...

The map originally didn't have my hometown of Huntington listed on it, so when Map My State messaged me I asked them if they could include it. Of course they could! And they did! Now it's proudly hanging on my wall. The print got to my house within just a few business days and was mailed in a sturdy container to make sure it didn't get damaged.



Now it's hanging on the wall waiting for it's counter parts. I'm going to order California and Alabama to go on the sides of West Virginia. I'll have my home state (WV), a previous state I lived/worked in (Alabama) and my current state of California. I can't wait to get them, frame them and have them hanging up! And guess what? That's not even the best part of this post... the generous people at Map My State have decided to offer a 20% off coupon code to all Crazy Shenanigan readers! All you have to do is enter the code CrazyShenanigans at checkout.

So what are you waiting for?!? Go get yourself a great map! Trust me! You'll love it. I do!

Sunday Social

 

1. What is something you've always wanted to do but are afraid of?

 Visit South America

 

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

 Working a job that I like. Married. One kid.

 

3. What are you looking forward to before the end of 2013?

 The holidays! I love Christmas and Thanksgiving!

 

4. What are your hopes for your blog?

 To get more people to comment. I remember the days of when I'd get 50 comments a day. I always love the interaction.

 

5. Do you always see yourself living in your current town/city?

 Well I moved here last year. I don't know. I'll probably retire out of state.

 

6. What is your morning routine?

Breakfast. Emails. Internet News. 

He's Still The King

36 Years Ago we lost the King of Rock N' Roll.

August 16, 1977 the world lost Elvis Presley. I wasn't alive during that time and you might not have been either but his influence and legend still lives on. He created rock n' roll and because of him we have the music that we have today. While many people make jokes about Elvis in his later years of life, he continued to hold his head up high.

 

He battled his own demons and over time lost. He not only was a musician, he was a humanitarian. The March of Dimes was one of his favorite charities among many. If you think about donating to a charity today consider the March of Dimes in his honor.

 

I've been an Elvis fan since I was a kid. I've been to Graceland multiple times and even attended an Elvis Week. If you ever get a chance to walk the same halls that Elvis once did, I highly suggest that you take it.



Theater Thursday

It's Thursday and that can only mean one thing around here... it's Theater Thursday! This week's featured movie is, Turner and Hooch.

Turner and Hooch stars Tom Hanks as Detective Scott Turner, who works in the sleepy town of Cypress Beach, California. He's bored and ready to move on to bigger and better things. He's got everything ready to go and training his replacement when a murder happens. He decides he needs to find the killer and finish this case before moving. So he sets out to find Amos' killer and his star witness is a dog... Hooch.

 

Hooch is no ordinary dog. Instead of drinking water... he drinks beer. Vets tell him not to eat chocolate... he eats chocolate chip cookies like they are nothing. He also slobbers over everything and can fight off two adults at once. He also watched his owner get stabbed and can recognize the person who did it.

 

When Scott realizes he's going to have to keep Hooch in order to find the killer he realizes that Hooch isn't going to keep his apartment as clean as he's use to. He also didn't expect to have to meet the new Veterinarian in town... a nice lady who's got a collie Hooch finds fun to run around town together.

 

Will Scott find the killer? Let's hope so for Hooch and his sake.

Turner">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005T7HZ/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00005T7HZ&linkCode=as2&tag=crazyshe-20">Turner and Hooch

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Why I Will Never Shop At Lowes Again

Everyone has probably been in a Lowe's at least once in their life. I know I've been there multiple times and since buying a home I've been there a lot more. However, after my last two shopping encounters there, I will no longer be giving them any of my business. Hear me out on this...

When I lived in West Virginia I had shopped at Lowe's numerous times. I can remember going there and getting home repair pieces with my mother and other odds and ends more than once. I think we even bought our hot water heater there, not to mention other costly products. I had never had any issues with the store, their employees or their prices. It wasn't until I moved to California that I started to experience the bad side of Lowe's.

I moved out to California and into a newly bought home. The entire house had been flipped, remodeled and redone. The only thing I needed to do was put my belongings in it and unpack. The rooms had been freshly painted, the new carpets put in, the hardwood floors refinished and all the appliances placed in it. However, being a new home owner I found certain little things that I needed and knew that Lowe's would be the place to get them. I looked up the closest Lowe's and it was only a few miles from the house. I didn't have a single problem the first few times I shopped there.

I decided to make a craft project I saw online and it required some plywood. I went over to my trusty Lowe's to get it. I noticed the store was a little busy and started looking down the wood isles for what I needed. I located the item that I wanted to purchase (with my hard earned money) and then set off to find a sales associate since I would need help loading it and getting it cut. TEN minutes later  I still couldn't find one, single associate. After walking from one side of the store to the other I finally found someone wearing one of their vests. I nicely asked if I could get some assistance with a cart for the wood and if I would be able to get it cut. This kid (I'm guessing he was college age) basically pointed to the other side of the store and was like those wood carts are over there and the guy is in the back cutting now.

Umm.... OK! Well clearly I only weigh about a buck twenty five and that plywood is way too heavy. HENCE why I walked around the store searching for an employee to help me! Also if I could have found one of those flat bed carts that wasn't being used I would have grabbed up one. CLEARLY. I was so annoyed that I literally walked out of the store. Didn't buy one thing. I vowed not to go back.

Then yesterday, I needed a sprinkler part because I broke one of mine. I thought I'd give Lowe's another try and chalk up my last encounter with them as they were busy and under staffed that one day. I get to Lowe's and it's not that busy. It took me at least 15 minutes to get helped. I had to ask two different associates for help and all they did was call on the loudspeaker. Forget them trying to come down the isle and help me. Then when the lady did finally come to my isle she was probably the meanest employee I had ever encountered. Told me I didn't know what brand I needed even though I was holding the piece with the brand name on it. A fellow customer basically helped me more than her once she stalked off in her slip on clogs.

The last two trips to Lowe's have been some of THE WORST customer service I have ever experienced. In times like this, I won't be giving them anymore of my money that I work extremely hard for. They say it's a DIY paradise but clearly you have to do it all yourself in the store too.

Weekend Review

I stared out last week with Jury Duty.

I had to report to the courthouse my first day and I was actually kind of excited. I was hoping for a long trial that would get me out of my daily grind. I ended up on a criminal trial but at the end of the second day, I got excused (probably because of my job haha). I did get to witness this guy protesting his right of being innocent (not the best way to stay out of jail dude)...

I did a lot of crafting over my weekend. I had seen this really cute sign and knew that I wanted to create something similar but for the holidays (cause we all know that's my favorite time of the year). Here's how mine turned out...

I was really pleased with how it turned out! It took some time to make but I can use it year after year since the circle is made of black chalk paint. I also made a craft for my friend's baby shower that I'm co-hosting. Her only request for the entire shower is that it be Pink/White themed since it's a girl. Here's how it turned out...



I also got my first two Alex and Ani bracelets over the weekend...

I got the San Francisco and Frasier Fir charms. Growing up and even to this day my family has always had a Frasier Fir tree at Christmas. I hope to keep the tradition going as long as I can. Do you have any Alex and Ani bracelets?

What Not To Do/Say On A Date

Look what's back!!! That's right folks!

What Not To Do or Say On A Date

 

The famous segment is back! You can check out the previous segments here.

Let's jump right in, shall we?

Clearly I've been out of the dating world for two years. I forgot how rough it is out there.

I met this guy at work. I work in one department and he works in another. We have very little contact but when I do see him, he's always nice and we have friendly/flirty banter. We exchanged numbers and had been texting back and forth a lot for a few weeks. We decided to finally hang out. The day was set and started off right.

He showed up early.

He paid for the meal.

Then something unexpected happened... he says, "I think you're special."

Um... what the heck? It was so out of left field, I didn't know what to say. I wasn't completely sure what he meant so my instant reaction was, "Like short bus special?"

He clarified and said, "No. Special as in I don't meet people like you everyday special."

I was pretty excited about this. That was a really nice thing to say.

So the evening ended and he calls me on his way home and sets up a second date. We agree to meet 3 days later for dinner.

Well kids... 3 days later came and went and he fell off the face of the earth. No cancel phone call or text. I was completely stood up. *Let that sink in*

I had never been stood up in my life.

Talk about awkward first sighting at work. Dude literally saw me and turned around and went back through the door he had just came in. He later apologized and said he had "family issues" going on BUT last time I checked this was 2013 and it takes about 2.5 seconds to send a I have to cancel text. I mean really if you are a grown adult over the age of 20 you need to send a cancel text at the bare minimum. I don't care if you've got a death in the family, have the poops, just feel plain lazy and don't want to go out or even meet the love of your life in the meantime... you always send a cancel text. I think the only time it would be OK not to see a cancel text is if you're in jail and if that's the case then I wouldn't want to date you anyways! Grow up! Grab your balls and just send it.

Putting It Into the Universe

Now that I've cleaned my slate, I've been trying to be more like my mother and believe that what I put out into the universe will come to me. I'm also trying out this motto...

We have to ask for the things that we want. We have to believe that we deserve the things that we want and that if we put it out into the universe we will get those things. We have to wait and be ready to receive. So that's what I've been doing. It may seem silly trust me, I use to think it was very silly but lately I thought why not give it a try?

 

So I'm putting everything that I want out into the universe...

I want to be debt free.

I want to find my soulmate.

I want to pay off my house early.

I want to go on an amazing vacation.

I want to ring in the New Year in style.

I want to be able to spend Christmas with my family.

 I want to be fit and healthy.
 

Now those are some of my things that I want. What do you want the universe to bring you? Do you believe if you ask the universe for things that it'll bring them to you? 



RIP Bacon

Meet Skittles. He's rambunctious, enjoys treats, likes to have his belly scratched and will whine until you let him sleep in the same room with you. He particularly loves to slop up his water and eat anything that you drop on the floor. His favorite pastime is getting directly on your lap anytime you try to get something done. He's also very friendly and loves to lick skin. He may or may not have came with a cone of shame (just incase). His mommy and daddy had to go to Chicago so I got to watch Skittles.

Here's what watching Mr. Skittles has taught me.... RIP Bacon. I have wanted a small Pomeranian dog for about three years now. I figured once I got a pom, I would name it Bacon. I never had a dog or cat growing up. My extent of a pet has been fish and a pet turtle once for about 3 days before it had to be set back into the wild. Watching Skittles made me realize maybe I'm not cut out for a dog by myself? I'm not completely sold. I feel like this was a good learning experience which I figured it might be.

I understand that having my own dog from a puppy would be different. I get that everyone trains their dog differently and I understand that every dog is different. However, maybe once I meet someone who will be in my life for the long haul... I'll get a pom. That way it'll be a second person around to help me make sure the dog gets everything it needs and doesn't depend on just me. Maybe some people just aren't meant to be pet owners?

Weekend Review

This past week, I had a house guest...

I spent one of my off days trying to keep summer alive...

This was my whole outfit via polyvore.

I finished cleaning/organizing my garage and to reward myself I bought this little beauty...

I got it from the Red Dress Boutique on sale! I feel like it could come in handy one day when a ring is involved. No idea when that will be but I'll have it! My mom says it's good to prepare, that it brings it closer. Clearly... I'm starting to agree.

 

Now it's Monday and I've got Jury Duty!!!!









It's Friday!

1. I picked up this new make-up last week and since I started using it, I can tell a big difference in how my skin looks. At first I thought I noticed a weird smell but once it dries it's fine.

2. I recently discovered a company called Alex and Ani and I am obsessed! I want so many of their bangles. I've got a huge Christmas list full of them now. I really one this one because it's been my life motto for the past year...

3. This is how I feel everyday when I'm leaving work. It doesn't matter how tired I am all day long but the moment I taste freedom I get energy again.

And if you know what movie this is from, I applaud you.

4. I am extremely behind on my Christmas shopping. This time last year I had already bought gifts for a few people.

5. In just over 2 weeks I'll have lived in California for a year! It's crazy how fast the time has flown by. I still can't believe it's been that long. Some days it feels like it's been a lot longer.

Theater Thursday

It's Thursday and that can only mean one thing... it's Theater Thursday! This week's featured movie is, Reel Love.  We all know how I have an obsession with the Rimes love triangle!!!

Reel Love stars LeAnn Rimes as Holly Whitman, a small town girl from Alabama who's moved to the big city of Chicago to work as an attorney. While preparing for a big case that could get her noticed by the partners of the firm, she gets a sudden call from her brother Everett (Christian Potenza) telling her that her father Wade (Burt Reynolds) has had a heart attack. The only thing she knows to do is borrow her somewhat boyfriend's car and make the drive down back south to see her father. Yet her father has told her to stay put. 

Just a few miles from her childhood home, Holly has an accident in her car and has to leave it behind and get picked up by an old friend. Thankfully her friend knows a good car repair man who's new to the town and will work for cheap named, Jay (Shawn Roberts). She's pleasantly surprised to see that Jay is willing to work for cash and the fact that he's handsome to boot. 

Jay and Holly have an immediate attraction but Holly's main reason for being in town is to help make sure her dad is ok. Her dad on the other hand just wants to focus on finding his great queen sheeba fish... who just happens to be a world record size bass. Will more fishing go on than just the hunt for that bass? Watch this cute movie and find out! Jay is some pretty sweet eye candy.