"THE List"

Okay, I know I make a LOT of lists, but we're going to call this one THE List. I think most-all girls at some point in their life have created their list of qualities they are seeking in their ideal guy. If we're speaking honestly, I rewrite this list about every quarter of the year (it's usually prompted by me having a new crush, getting over a crush/break up, or boredom). Girls (attempt to) use "the list" as a tool to check themselves - when dating men, are they up to their standard? I've had previous thoughts before that when girls make "the list" they're asking of too much, but I think that's part of the fun, and there's a good bulk of the list that is fairly concrete - things that we won't budge on... we all have our deal breakers. I do think it's important, when making your list, that you do include the silly/random things, because those are a reminder of the things that make you happy.

Anyway, the other day one of my co-workers and I were having a discussion about guys, and she asked me what kind of guys I liked. When I answered, she gave me the most blank of stares and pretended like she never asked the question. So here I am, sharing my own personal and current list of my ideal guy.

1. Someone that is NICE and gentle, but likes to cuss.
2. A gentleman, but has a backbone. 
3. Will watch and discuss reality TV with me. At least ONE of the shows is all I'm asking for.
4. Loves kids and wants them someday/is a family man.
5. Has a career and their own place.
6. Enjoys baseball, but not the Yankees. I mean honestly, you're entitled to be a fan of any team you want, but if you don't have love for the Texas Rangers, then you're probably wrong.
7. Can grill, because I can't/don't know how to yet.
8. Is okay with giving tough love/constructive criticism, especially when I ASK for it. I can take it. I ask for advice because I NEED it, not because I want someone to say what I want to hear.
9. Is Loyal and Honest (obviously ties in with #8)
10. Is not [always] smothering, but at the least takes the time to acknowledge me and my awesomeness on a regular basis.
11. Has dark hair and kind eyes.
12. Likes to spoon/cuddle
13. Doesn't have a jealous personality.
14. Is into karaoke and very loud sing-a-longs in the car. This is crucial.
15. Will accept/acknowledge that being around me gives them a good chance that they'll get glitter on them.
16. Is a good story teller (not in a lying sense, but has a good way with words that will paint a picture in your head)
17. Knows how to fix stuff - I only know how to fix things by either hitting it or piecing it back together with a hot glue gun.
18. Is happy to see me and appreciates me - obvious.
19. Can find the humor, or make the best of, a crappy situation.
20. Has a large repertoire of accents/voices - this is essential for a lot of things that I will not disclose at this time.
21. Will indulge me when I ask dumb scenario-type questions. I do this because I care about imagination, cleverness, philosophy, and laughing.
22. Loves dogs maybe a little bit more than cats, but I'm okay with a fair balance. You just can't be a dog hater.
23. Likes dessert and baked goods because I really like baking but I can't really eat like more than one bite of it.
24. Genuinely gets along with my friends and family and I get along with his.
25. Is comfortable with themselves and will own being the person that they are (assuming that they're not a douche, and this should not be a problem if most of the above is true).

I feel like I'm not asking for a lot.... right?? Is this why I'm still single?

DIY Halloween Costumes

For all of my adult life, I've never wanted to buy a store-bought, packaged Halloween costume for the following reasons:

1. They're cheaply made - a lot of costumes have VELCRO (I hate velcro) instead of buttons or zippers, and most of the fabric is crap.
2. I have body issues, and I like to be in control of what I show off and don't. (I think this translates to: I'm okay with not wearing pants, but the twins ARE staying in)
3. I was on an extremely strict budget in college, so most of the time, things that I had already owned in my closet became part of my costume.
4. I never wanted to wear (or be) something completely identical to someone else where ever I was.
5. In college, I'd attend multiple Halloween parties on different days. Halloween was basically a two week event. I didn't want to wear the same costume at every party, and being something different was a lot more fun anyway.

What I've been over the past few years:

1. A one night stand. I actually borrowed this from my roommates friend. We made a night stand/dresser out of a box (literally cut a hole for the arms and head, and drew drawers, super glued condoms and an alarm clock), and a lampshade for a hat.
2. A sailor - I have a souvie hat from a cruise that I had went on that previous summer. All you need to pair it with is a nautical dress!
3. An Indian - I found the most amazing headdress from a dollar store. It fit well, and it was actually FULL but not too heavy. I had a brown tunic in my closet, so I wore the tunic as a dress (I don't recall wearing pants or shorts), and some brown suede boots.
4. Juno - Had a white & orange striped tank top (already in my closet), stuffed an inflatable beach ball for my belly, wore a brown jacket, and jeans with a skirt over it. I carried around a jug of sunkist, which was perfect cause I brought my own mixer to the party. Someone actually thought I was pregnant. 
5. Cowgirl - plaid shirt, daisy dukes or jeans tucked into books, and a cowboy hat. Add a lasso, or a badge or gun in a holster for some fun!
6. Lumberjack - Red/black plaid shirt and some daisy dukes and combat boots. This one was SUPER last minute. Like 10 minutes before walking out the door. 
7. Hello Kitty - I wore a red & white striped shirt underneath a denim romper with white tights. Bought Hello Kitty ears and drew Hello Kitty's yellow button nose and whiskers on my face. 
8. Hermione/Hogwarts Student - All you need is a gray/black knee length skirt, high socks with loafers, a white button up with a Gryffindor house colors tie (or whatever house you choose), and a cardigan. I got mistaken for Britney Spears this year, but whatever.
9. Pageant Queen - I'm pretty sure NONE of us got our money's worth out of our prom dresses and they're still sitting in our closets. Make your own sash, get a tiara, and a bouquet of roses. Feel free to add on extra bling to anything.

The fun of the costumes is PLAYING the part. Get props that will help you pull this off. Be mysterious, use an accent, and mimic the mannerisms that your character would do. The people that you encounter on Halloween will enjoy it.

A lot of these homemade costumes are ABSOLUTELY doable. There's nothing you can't accomplish without the help of some heavy duty glue (A hot glue gun OR E-6000 in the gray tube will be your best friends) and perusing the internet for ideas and tutorials.

So here are some ideas that I'm liking for this year:

Loofah/Soap Costume

I'm not in love with the soap costume, but I think the loofah is a lot of fun. All you need is a dress or leotard, a ton of tulle, and a rope/cord. I like the headband on the soap one because it looks like bubbles, so I'd probably add that onto the loofah and make a bracelet or something to match and accessorize. I think the perfect prop with this costume would be a bottle of bubbles and going around blowing them throughout the night!

If you're going out with a bunch of girls, be the Spice Girls, or another girl group (En Vogue, TLC,  anyone???). All the girls have a particular sense of style that is easy to match. My idea that I'm entertaining is to be the SIXTH Spice Girl.

PUMPKIN SPICE. I would totally make this same dress (minus the jack-o-lantern accessories) in an adult size. Basically this dress is made by making a very large and full tutu, so you would need a LOT of tulle. Tutu's are very easy to create and there are tons of tutorials for no-sew versions. I love the gold glitter, and there's just so many ideas I have for makeup. You can't be a Spice Girl without platforms, and I have these tan booties that give the perfect amount of height!

If you are a Wes Anderson fan, Team Zissou is the way to go. Powder blue clothes, and a red beanie.

I LOVE these. All you would need is the base color dress, do a little snipping, and then patch on the other colors. You don't even have to know how to sew - just use fabric glue!

Get a set leopard print pajamas (I'd totally use onsesies), some white gloves, white tennis shoes, wayfarer sunglasses and draw a kitty face with face crayons/make up. You can take it one step further by using an empty cheeto bag as your purse for the night. Or a full cheeto bag for a snack. Whichever.

You could definitely manipulate a skirt to look like a mustache. 

If I were to be a jellyfish, I think structurally, it would be very similar to this, but EVERYTHING would be shiny and iridescent.

Flamingo costume! All you need is about 2-3 pink boa's attached to a tank top/dress, and then pink or black leggings, a pink foam visor, and black paper glued onto the visor for the beak. There are different variations you could do for this costume, but what I like the most about it is the usage of pink boas - most dollar stores will have them in the girls toy/dress up section! I also saw another version where the body of the flamingo was made out of a tutu.

Something out of a Lisa Frank coloring book. I think the cat is the most doable - get everything you'd need to be a white cat (white dress/leotard, ears, tail), and glue on neon triangles for the "stripes". You'd need a really bright and colorful set of wings, and lots of color for makeup!

MacKayla Maroney. Get a sparkly leotard in Red/White/Blue, some windbreakers, a silver medal on purple ribbon. Put your hair in a scrunchie with a thousand snap pins, and you're good to go. This costume is ALL about the attitude of being "not impressed", and the persona of a gymnast (think about posture and how you walk!)

POISON IVY. All green clothes, red hair, and sparkly green eyebrows. You could keep it simple, or add some additional elements, like gluing leaves and such to your outfit.

Grapes. Costume is made from attaching (with tape) purple balloons (but you could be green grapes if you wanted!) to regular clothes. I think this one is fun, especially if you want to stand out. AND if you bump into people at a party or a bar... you have protection.

Everyone loves a throwback costume. All you need is a nude leotard/dress, make a jeweled tone shape (you literally can just cut a piece of paper), glue/tape it on, and get a matching colored wig, or get that spray stuff. You can use enough product to make your hair defy gravity, or wrap your hair around a water bottle on top of your head and secure it with rubber bands.

My ideal couples costume. 

Rugrats. This is another fun idea if you are going out in a group. You can make pretty much any of these by cutting up a t-shirt, and gluing/drawing/painting on the details needed.

I'm going to be upset if I don't see ONE Honey Boo Boo and Mama June (and Glitzy, the pig). Really upset. Y'all better redneckanize!

Bitches Love Fall: My Favorite Fall items

Fall is a beautiful segue into the Holiday season. It's the time of year where we can dress down with hoodies (to hide our holiday weight gain), cozy into a sweater, create endless outfits with layering, and put on our most fashionable boots. In Texas, Fall is a little different than elsewhere; we don't get the change in foliage, and we don't always get such brisk weather. I went through this crazy phrase where I left Texas and moved to in Indianapolis, and my favorite part about living there definitely had to be experiencing a REAL Fall season. I spent all of my life living in Texas, so experiencing Fall was a real treat for me, and something I never took for granted. Fun Fact (actually an opinion, but as far as I know, it's factual to me): There's no where else in the world that shows off Fall Foliage better than in Brown County. You know it's legit when they even have a Leaf Cam!

With my cousins in Brown County last year (2011)

Fall means the line of Holidays/Season change approaching. Halloween, Thanksgiving (my favorite!!!), Christmas, and New Years Eve. The magic of the holiday season is that there's so many seasonal items - when they're gone, you really DO miss them! When they come back, you embrace them like an old friend. Some of these seasonal items remind you of happier times, or you might have a memory attached to them.

My Fall Favorites:

Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Coffee. My first iced pumpkin coffee of this season was definitely a large and I'm pretty sure I drank it in like 3 gulps. I could drink this both hot and cold. The fact that this isn't available all year long KILLS me. The fact that I no longer live/work near a Dunkin Donuts KILLS me.

Vanilla Bean Noel Scented items from Bath & Body Works. Other vanilla scented items DO NOT compare! I'm pretty sure I need to stock up on this smell for the entire year. I work with kids and wash my hands about a thousand times a day, so I've been using the MESS out of the hand cream to keep my hands from drying out! If you ever catch me sniffing my hands - I'm wearing VBN.

Another Bath & Body Works Favorite: Marshmallow Fireside Scented Candle. I have this candle currently burning in my room! It's a creamy, vanilla based candle, but has a smoky/woodsy undertone too! This candle, to me, reminds me of a warm cuddle. I have the Creamy Pumpkin scented candle as well that I'm going to burn when Halloween festivities begin!

Since I no longer live near a Dunkin Donuts, this flavored creamer has literally saved my wallet. I had been compensating with the Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks (I honestly don't want to spend 4 dollars/cup when I could be paying half as much for twice the volume), and any other time of the year, I LOVE lattes, but when it comes to pumpkin spice, I prefer just regular coffee. When paired with Dunkin Coffee, it's ALMOST just as good. The flavoring is pretty spot on, but some days I sprinkle on extra pumpkin spice. If I were a Spice Girl, I'd definitely be Pumpkin Spice.

During this time of year, I am willing to splurge on Martha Stewarts glitter, because it just LOOKS better than regular glitter. The size of the glitters are fine, and are perfect for crafting, and making the sparkles look smooth instead of clumpy. I swear I'm not a glitter snob.

When it comes to accessories, I buy things that are versatile and can go with AT LEAST 90% of my outfits. These Kate Spade gumdrop studs are my go to earrings. They go with EVERYTHING, and they're large enough to make a statement. My bow ring is another one of my favorites!

I bought this BCBGeneration Sweater AFTER the winter season, and I've been dying to wear it. SEQUIN STRIPES!

My Secrets to a Happy Life

1. Smile OFTEN - It's a good look on everyone. Also, people will genuinely take a greater interest about your sadness more if they never see you being sad. My favorite example is when I came back to work after lunch one day, and someone asked me what was wrong - complete with a shoulder touch and the most concerned of eyes. I'm pretty sure they weren't expecting to hear that the froyo place didn't have the original tart flavor that day.
2. Indulge yourself - Life's too short, and you deserve what makes you happy!
3. Celebrate ALL victories in life - big or small. So far today, I'm celebrating getting the smallest cookie with the most chocolate chips (guilt free?), and not getting into car wreck/dying, even though this asshole completely and blatantly ran a red even though my light had JUST turned yellow as I was turning left. I also accidentally swallowed a bone that was in my salmon, but I didn't choke - it just tickled? Either way, I'm alive, and no scars.
4. Compliment others. Some people don't know how to accept compliments, but for some others, it could be their small victory for today.
5. Leave work/school with some sort of positive experience from the day, and be happy and grateful that you have the opportunity that you get to do it all again tomorrow. If your days work wasn't as satisfactory, always look forward to the possibilities of the next day. Life's what you make it, right?
6. Go to bed remembering something at least 5 great things about your day, or something that you're grateful for; sometimes this goes hand in hand with #3. When I moved back home recently, I started writing all of these down in a notebook. The point of this is to never go to bed unhappy, or feeling like you didn't have a worthwhile day.
7. It's okay to have limits, but be willing to try something new and DO IT!
8. Laugh. A lot.
9. Make someone else laugh.
10. Be a great listener; your friends and family will appreciate this - One time this backfired while I was on a date and I fell asleep at the table.
11. Make lists - aside from a calendar, this is my only sensible form of organizing, but it's extremely therapeutic. I make lists for EVERYTHING - to do lists, pros & cons of why I should or shouldn't do something, reasons why I like someone, reasons why I don't like someone. Lists are fun. If you didn't notice, this post is a list.
12. If you see something that reminds you of someone, get it for them/share that with that person. They WILL/SHOULD appreciate it. Yesterday, I bought my niece a ribbon dancer. When I got back home from work, she was STILL playing with it. Totally worth it. If I listen to a song that reminds me of somebody, I'll send it to them. The point of this isn't to SPEND money, but to be thoughtful of those who matter to you.
13. Allow others to laugh at your most shameful moments - I actually never allowed this (my friends are rude!) and they laughed anyway, but I've learned to laugh about it too. Learn from your mistakes, and then laugh about it afterwards. Move on, and don't let your past weigh you down.
14. Envision yourself in a different life - just for fun. I once wrote a journal entry about what would happen if I ever became the Bachelorette (I also fashioned a picture of me holding roses), and whenever I watch the auditions for The Voice, I think about what song I'd audition with, and the moment where I get to choose Adam Levine to be my judge.
15. Put glitter on everything (these are MY secrets, so it works for me) - If you've ever seen me with a can of glitter, then you've seen my crazy eyes. I'd actually to take this moment to apologize to anyone who has contracted the craft herpes from me.
16. Get some fresh air.
17. Have a hobby - I like playing guitar, hula hooping, and glitterizing everything/making crafts.
18. Read a really good book - I love books that make me cry. Something sad might happen in a book, but at least that's not happening in my real life. It's also completely nuts how a sequence of words can give you a picture of something and give someone a voice and personality and take you through a journey without providing any actual visuals in the book.
19. Walk away from someone with a BAD ATTITUDE - there is a huge difference between a having a friend that's upset and dealing and acknowledging their feelings and a friend who chooses to use their negative feelings and take everyone down with them. Just because one person isn't having fun, doesn't mean that everyone else needs to have a bad time. Bad attitudes are contagious and it's a waste of everyones time.
20. Recognize the consequences/changes, but don't dwell.
21. Love with your whole heart.
22. If your friend asks for your advice, BE HONEST, but supportive.
23. Dance.
24. You don't have to be perfect person, you don't have to be a weak person, but you should be a GOOD person.