Squee!!!
The trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was just released online!!!
Watch it HERE!!!!
My Hair
I’ve been thinking of changing my hair for, I don’t know, 6-7 years now. Every time I think of making a change, I chicken out once I get to the salon and end up with the same style I’ve had for years and years.
A little history:
-I’ve had reddish highlights and they always faded way too fast (like within 2 weeks).
-I’ve had sideswept bangs, but they never cooperated. I don’t know if it’s a cowlick (or whatever it’s called) or what, but even with a blow drier and hairspray, they never actually swept across my forehead as they should. Here’s a picture of the reddish highlights (freshly done) and sort of sideswept bangs (the bangs have also been a bit shorter than this):
-I’ve had very very dark brown (almost black with a reddish-brown sheen in the sunlight) overall color which I really liked, but that also faded into my natural color.
-When I was little, my hair was about chin length. In all of the pictures I’ve looked at, my hair looked very fine and limp (unless I crimped it, and sorry, I won’t be returning to crimping!).
-In elementary and middle school, I had bangs. I grew to become quite a perfectionist over how they looked, and unfortunately, they became almost like clip-on bangs, they were so hairsprayed. I think they’d be easier to handle now, having a straightener, but I fear the perfectionism and the helmet-look…
Here’s what I’ve got now:
-Color is dark brown. I haven’t colored it in over a year. The last color I had was the very dark brown I mentioned above, so I don’t think there’s any noticeable distinction between my natural color and what’s left of that.
-Length is just past my shoulders. It WILL NOT grow much longer than this. I don’t really know why. I used to think it was damage from straightening, but I don’t straighten much anymore and it still doesn’t grow.
-Wavy texture – if I let it air dry with no product, I end up with frizz and pouf out the wazoo.
-I’ve always straightened it (up to this year). I like how it looks straight (it’s even pretty shiny), but it takes more effort and is more damaging to my hair.
-I’ve started wearing my hair curly this year, simply because it’s quick and easy. With a curling mousse (I’ve tried all sorts of gels and sprays and cremes – the mousse gives me the best, longest lasting result), I can get it to curl decently. I don’t know how to use a diffuser on my blow drier (or if I even should) so unfortunately, when I use product, it looks fairly crispy and wet until at least midday. By the end of the day, I have soft curls which look pretty nice. Also unfortunately, the longest part of the back of my hair doesn’t hold the curl well, so I end up with curls all around my face and in the shorter layers around my head, but a straight chunk in the base of the back. It’s infuriating. Here’s a few picture of it curly:
From the front, near the end of the day
From the back. Notice the straight bits at the bottom.
-I also have no idea how to use curlers or a curling iron. Every time I try, the curls on my right side are gone by the time I get to the left side with the curling iron. I’ve also had a professional use a curling iron on my hair for my wedding and this is me, a few hours later – still somewhat curled, but this is much looser than right after it was done:
Picture by Gina Frederick of Allan Reider Studio
As for changes, I’m fairly open. I just want something that looks good on me – doesn’t emphasize my chub, make me look stuffy, or make me look too much older. I prefer to keep the color at least somewhat close to what I have now, just because I can’t afford to maintain touch-ups right now. Also, as I stated above, my hair won’t grow too much longer than it is now, so longer than present is out. Anyway, I need ideas!
As a side note, I really dig this hair, but 1. I’m not sure I could pull it off with my face and bone structure and whatnot, 2. I’m not sure if it’s really a look for a suburban, southern, everyday life, and 3. I would definitely be restricted to straightening it (this isn’t a deal breaker, especially if it looks awesome, just slightly less convenient).
Crush from American Gladiators
Yes, American Gladiators, I know. This is why I’m a bit hesitant. But, doing my search for good pictures of her hair, I’m finding that a lot of people seem to like it! It’s kind of just a longer version of the Posh haircut. As a little experiment, I found a few pictures of Crush online (before I found the ones above from a video), and inserted my head! I mostly just thought these were funny, so I thought I’d share them:
New Member of the Family!
Ok, don’t get too excited. No kids or anything. But look!
First, there is Buffy, who I’ve had for almost 5 years:
Isn't she cute? 
A few months ago, we got Wilbur:
It was actually hard to get a sideways shot of him, he loves to look at us and wiggle around.
And now, our newest addition, we just got Wellington:
He was a bit shy at first. He seems to be coming out of his shell a bit now.
We’re thinking of getting a dog as well, but we’re a bit nervous about how Buffy would react, so we’re not sure…Also, it would have to be something fairly small, since we don’t have a whole lot of space for a dog to run around inside or out, but I don’t want anything yippy either. Any suggestions on dogs that are cute and relaxed?
Disney Meme
I found this question at That’s My Answer:
If you had to be one of the costumed greeters at Walt Disney World for a day, what character would you be and why? What do you anticipate your day would be like?
I think I’d choose to be Snow White. As much as I like the no-talking aspect (I’m shy) of the full costume with head of things like Minnie, I definitely wouldn’t want to be in that hot suit all day, so of all the princesses, I think I’d choose Snow White, since I’m pretty pale and have dark hair to begin with. I also like that she’s supposed to be friendly with all the animals. I also love animals. I’ve always liked Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) also, because I like to sleep, but I’m not sure I’d make a good blonde.
I think I’d have fun being a character at Disney World, apart from my shyness, which I’m sure I’d get over. The past 2 visits, I really enjoyed seeing all the little girls in their adorable princess costumes, looking forward to possibly having one of my own one day – ask the hubby, every time I pointed one out, he’d just roll his eyes jokingly and say I can’t have her (one day…assuming I don’t have all boys. They probably wouldn’t enjoy being dressed up like a princess…). I’m sure they’d be super-excited to see me, which would be a lot of fun. I’m not sure how I’d handle the crying or bratty children though (this is one reason why I’m not quite ready for my own children yet).
For the record, my hubby says he’d be Mickey because everyone loves Mickey, though he thinks he may be too tall. He can do a pretty convincing Mickey laugh though!
A Mishmash of Things
It’s been a long week. My tooth is finally feeling mostly better and I’m able to eat most food on that side, although somewhat ginergly. I hope to have it fully functional by the time I need the permanent filling put in in a week or so.
While I was healing up, my hubby had to travel for business. It was only 3 days, which is nothing compared to the 2 years we spent apart while I was finishing up graduate school, but I still missed him a lot. A king size bed is awfully lonely with just me in it (even the cat only spent part of the nights with me! I think she missed him too). While he was gone, I was able to watch a few movies that he wouldn’t be into – 27 Dresses, Definitely, Maybe, and Fool’s Gold. I really liked 27 Dresses, but the others were only ok. Definitely, Maybe had a cute premise, but it seemed a bit cheesy at times and Fool’s Gold was funny and somewhat action-y but nothing special.
I also got in some reading time. I finished up The Hound of Rowan: Book One of the Tapestry, which was pretty good. I’d been looking for a new series to get into after finishing up the Harry Potter books, and this is one of a few series that I like so far. While I definitely got into the book and had a few nights where I didn’t want to put it down, I did find a few problems with the book. First, some of the chapter transitions could have been clearer. There were some points where I found myself thinking, “Wait, is this the same day or is this weeks, even months later? What happened with x? When is this??” I also found far too many similarities with Harry Potter. I don’t know whether or not it was intentional (I know the whole “kid discovers he can do magic” thing is pretty popular now), but I noticed it a lot, some of which just seemed like blatant rip-offs (instead of Quiddich, there’s a soccer-like game with magical obsticles, and of course, the main character, who has some sort of special magic about him, is surprisingly good at it for his age.) I will read the next one when it comes out in the fall, but I really hope it starts to take on more its own story.
The hubby got back around 11 am on Saturday morning (he had been working a mix of days and nights while gone, sometimes both in one day) and we decided to go see The Dark Knight with some friends. As expected, it was really good. I really like Christian Bale as Batman. And Heath Ledger was good as well; very creepy and quite scary at times – I had started to wonder if the Oscar nomination rumors were based solely on his untimely death, but I do actually believe he did a great job and deserves the nomination if he gets it. The plot was interesting, the action was good, and it packed a few surpises. All in all, a great movie. I won’t say anymore, to avoid spoilers, but I definitely recommend it. Once again, the hubby and I are in search of the original movies, which we don’t remember. Anyone know where to get them cheap?
Sleepless
So much for my blog name tonight. It’s 4:30 am and I just can’t sleep. I’ve tried watching TV, I’ve tried reading, I’ve tried closing my eyes and just laying there. Nothing seems to be working. Which is odd, seeing as how, before bed, I took one of my tylenol with codeine that the dentist prescribed to me. It’s supposed to make you drowsy. Not so much of that here. It’s also not doing so much for the dull ache in my jaw. The tooth doesn’t hurt, but I kind of feel like I’ve been punched in the face a day or so ago. At least the tylenol with codeine isn’t making me nauseus like it did when I was prescribed it after having my gall bladder removed. It didn’t work then either, I guess I should have remembered. <sigh> I guess I’ll just surf around a bit for an hour until the hubby gets up.
Dental Update
Sorry for a dull topic here, one that I’ve kind of beaten to death already, but it was pretty much the only thing that happened today, so too bad!
Anyway, the root canal is done (except for the permanent filling, but that’s nothing) and it was relatively painless, luckily. And much quicker than I thought. It only took about an hour. I did have to stop the dentist once because I felt a twinge of pain, but otherwise the worst part was actually getting the novocaine. Mostly, it was injected the same way I’d had it injected before, but this dentist also injected some very close around the tooth. It did a good job of numbing, but it required him to push a very pointy needle very hard into my tooth area. I’m not entirely sure exactly where it was going in (I think he said something about bone, but I’m sure I must be wrong). It wasn’t painful, but he warned me it sometimes makes your heart rush, which it did with me (it probably doesn’t help that I was completely rigid in the seat, probably blocking blood from all sorts of places). It just made me feel very shaky and panicky, so I had to take a 5 minute breather. The dental assistant, who was very sweet, seemed very concerned about me passing out, so she turned on the fan and got me a Sprite. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have passed out or anything, I really just needed a few minutes to breathe and calm down. I especially didn’t want the root canal contraption put immediately back on my face (it’s like a sheet of thin rubber they cover your mouth with and hook into the tooth to prevent bacteria from getting into the rest of your mouth – you have to breathe out of your nose and try not to drown on your drool). After I calmed down, everything went smoothly. The novocaine has also mostly worn off, so I’m no longer a slurring drool bucket!
I’m supposed to eat mushy food for the next few days, so I’m off to see what I’ve got that fits the bill.
Movie Reviews
The hubby and I have actually gotten out to a few movies recently, so I thought I’d make a few little reviews of them. Here ya go!
I’m so-so on the whole comic book theme (I seem to only like the big ones like Spiderman and Batman), so I really had no interest in seeing this movie. However, the hubby promised me a chick-flick of my choosing in return, so I went. And I really liked it. I didn’t think I was a fan of Robert Downey Jr, but I thought he did a good job. I didn’t even mind Gwyneth Paltrow. The story was pretty good, there was lots of action, and it had a few funny parts. Overall, I considered it good enough to withdraw my deal for a chick-flick movie, as it didn’t seem fair anymore to ask him to see Sex and the City when I actually enjoyed my part of the bargain. Don’t forget to stick around past the credits to see an extra little scene.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
I was really looking forward to this one, having really liked the original 3. If you go into it expecting it to be on par with the originals, you will be disappointed. This is not to say it was bad, though. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was entertaining, had the essence of an Indiana Jones movie, had lots of action, and the I actually mostly liked the addition of Shia LaBeouf (despite not being much of a fan previously). The problem was simply that it felt a bit forced at times. There were several points where it seemed like they decided to resort to copying scenes directly from the originals, like having a car chase through the woods. Harrison Ford also looked very old, and while he is actually supposed to be older in the story, it was almost sad to watch him attempt to be the same Indiana he used to be. Also, the explanation of the crystal skull seemed to fit into a different genre compared to the originals, though I won’t say anymore to avoid spoilers. Overall, go for the entertainment, just don’t expect the originals.
I loved the TV series. I used to watch it with my dad when I was younger and I thought it was really funny. The movie didn’t disappoint me. The characters are slightly different (Max seems a bit more competent and 99 seems a bit more surly), but overall it worked. Steve Carell was hilarious (love him) and as the movie went on, I grew to really like Anne Hathaway (I’ve also really liked her in Ella Enchanted, The Devil Wears Prada, and the Princess Diary movies). This was a great lighthearted comedy and I laughed really hard. Added bonus for those who watched the TV series – there are a few references to the series which are pretty funny, like the updated Cone of Silence.
Let me premise this by saying I love Disney/Pixar and I love most animated films. Having said that, I loved this movie. It had a great story with a good message and the main characters, though robots without much in the way of language skills, conveyed emotion well and seemed more human than most of the actual humans in the movie. It was quite funny at some parts, while heartwarming at others. It’s great for kids and adults. What else can I say? Go see it.
Another comic book movie here that I had no interest in seeing, but our friends invited us, so I figured why not? I would still say Iron Man was better as far as comic book movies go, but I liked this movie. I’ll need to rent the original as I don’t remember it at all, but I think you can still enjoy the movie even if you hadn’t seen the original because they do a little background in the beginning. I don’t really understand why there was such a gap between the 2 movies, unless they didn’t originally plan to make a sequel. This was another movie with good action. I really liked the main enemy and the fighting was pretty cool to watch, though Hellboy tends to be a bit “HULK SMASH” at times. There was also love, but if you’re looking for a love movie, look elsewhere; it felt a little forced here. There is also hints at a possible sequel (or at least a storyline I’d like to read), but hopefully it won’t be 4 years out this time.
We’ve thought about seeing The Incredible Hulk, Wanted, and Hancock also. We may still see Hulk, but I’m not sure about the others – I’m not really a fan of Angelina Jolie (Wanted) and I’ve heard Hancock was pretty bad. The hubby also seems to want to see Kung Fu Panda, but I’m not sure about that either. We’re definitely looking forward to seeing The Dark Knight. I’ve also got some movies to watch while the hubby’s away next week for business – 27 Dresses, Definitely, Mabye, and Fool’s Gold. Gotta get my chick-flicks in while I can!
Skirts and dresses
I’ve never been much of a skirt girl. I don’t really know why. When I look through magazines and online, I think lots of them are cute, but I just never wear them. I guess I just see them as dressy, like what you wear to church or something, therefore they must be uncomfortable. However, on our vacation, my sister had a variety of really cute dresses and skirts that really made me want to go get some of my own! I think I’m in kind of a rut, wanting to be more stylish, but sticking with my jeans and tees. Thing is, skirts and dresses need to convey cute, comfy, and summery rather than dressy and I have no idea where to get something like that. Plus there’s the issue of having a large bust (and being all around fairly full figured), which eliminates several of the popular styles, like skinny straps and tiny triangley-topped dresses.
So far, I’ve tried on dresses and skirts from New York and Company and Old Navy. I like these stores because they generally have inexpensive, but cute and stylish stuff. I do like Lane Bryant for jeans, shorts, and capris, but their smallest size tops tend to be a bit baggy and long on me, so I figure dresses may be in the same boat. I also like some stuff from Macy’s, but I haven’t really been there in a while, and I generally like to wait for their sales. Here’s some of what I tried on today:
Jersey City Style Dress
This is one I tried at NY & Co. that didn’t work out so well. My boobs did manage to fit into the alloted space, but the rest of it billowed out so much it looked like a tent, and seemed to emphasize my butt.
The other dress I tried on at NY & Co wasn’t on the website, so I can’t show a picture. It was mostly similar; it just didn’t have the empire waist. Meaning it looked even more like a tent on me. <sigh> I tried adding a belt, but that look just doesn’t seem to work with me. It’s almost like a reverse-muffin-top. What do you do with the extra fabric that bunches up around the belt? Maybe I’ve just got the belt too tight?
Women's Color-Block Tank Dresses
Now, I know this one from Old Navy goes against what I just said about no skinny straps, but I thought I may be able to stick a tank underneath and get away with it. I could not. The bust was also very tight.
Women's Knit Circle Mini Skirts
This skirt from Old Navy isn’t exactly the one I tried on, but it looks close enough. It wasn’t a mini as the title states – it came to my knees. This actually looked pretty cute. And I may actually get it, but I wasn’t sure if it looked too sloppy. How do I ensure a skirt looks casual, but not loafing-around-the-house casual?
Women's Pleated Skirts
This skirt from Old Navy was super cute on the hanger. My legs looked pretty good in it, too, as it seems to hit at a good thin spot on my legs. Unfortunately, the material is pretty full, which made me feel huge in the hip area and the rear-view was not good.
The Colorblock Dress
I really like this dress from Chadwick’s. But I’ve never heard of Chadwick’s. Do they have stores? I really don’t like to order stuff online because I don’t get to try it on first. But, I do really like the colorblock thing and one of the reviews said it was flattering on a plus sized girl! AND it’s on sale! Maybe I’ll try it. Blue or black? I like that the black one has purple. Maybe I’ll try that.
I just don’t know what to look for, really. I don’t know what would flatter my body type. I want it to skim the bulgy bits, not make my boobs look gimungous, and if possible, show that I have a waist. Unfortunately, I don’t really have anyone to go shopping with. My husband will go with me around my birthday (January), but he’s not much help judging and I just feel bad for him the whole time, knowing he’s bored. I need Stacy and Clinton!
Champagne Supernova
Here’s a meme I saw on Slackermama a few weeks ago that looked fun:
- Put your iTunes/music player on “Shuffle”
- For each question, press the “Next” button to get your answer
- You MUST write down the name of THAT SONG no matter what. (aka NO CHEATING!)
IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? Times Like These (Foo Fighters) - Kinda makes sense, I guess.
WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Somewhat Damaged (Nine Inch Nails) – Oh geez!
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Thoughts Without Words (Shadows Fall) – Actually, I’m the quiet one…the hubby is quite outgoing and loud.
HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Bulls on Parade (Rage Against the Machine) – Well, I suppose I am still kind of angry today..
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? Violet Hill (Coldplay) – Well, this doesn’t make much sense.
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Gave Up (Nine Inch Nails) – Boy these NIN songs are bring me down!!
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Breathing Slowly (Crossfade) – Erm…ok…
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? Like a Stone (Audioslave) – Ok, this works. Like strength!
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Sunday (String Quartet Tribute of U2) – Hehe, I think of days of the week.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Paralyzer (Finger Eleven) – Paralyzing me with happiness? I dunno..
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Until it Sleeps (Metallica) – So the hubby is an it now? And he snores – I prefer him awake!!
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? A Story About a Girl (Our Lady Peace) – WOW! That one really worked out well!!
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Tonight Tonight (The Smashing Pumpkins) – I do like nighttime…
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Demons (Guster) – Eeek!
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Welcome to Paradise (Green Day) – Heh. I always knew I was the favorite. Jk Nicki!
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Song from Truly, Madly, Deeply (Bach) – Holy cow, this one worked out really well also! I actually wanted to have this song played at some point before the wedding ceremony by the string quartet, but they couldn’t make it work with 4 string instruments (it’s played by a cello and a piano in the movie). I’m not sure what it’s actually called. It’s a very pretty song from the movie Truly, Madly, Deeply which is one of my favorite movies. I’m a sucker for Alan Rickman.
WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? It Ends Tonight (All-American Rejects) - Creepy
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Rusty Cage (Soundgarden) – Ummm, is this implying some sort of kinky S&M stuff??
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Sell My Soul (Our Lady Peace) – I hope not!
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? Gone (N*sync)- Well, apart from being embarrassing to have in this list, this is partly true. I haven’t really talked to a lot of my good friends from high school in a long time and I don’t get to see my college friends too often.
WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS? Champagne Supernova (Oasis) – Okie dokie, if you say so.
