Side Effects

Feeling the effects from last night....

Danielle: I have to call 1800-Mattress today to schedule an appointment for delivery.

Me: Well here, use my phone.

Danielle: I can't call right now, I don't have their number.

Me: Hmmmmm? Isn't it 1800-Mattress?

Danielle: Oh my god.


An hour later, and I am still laughing.

Practice Yoga

I just finished a early morning class at Practice Yoga (4th & Catharine) and I have to say it is nice to practice other than Vinyasa, Power, or Bikram sometimes. At the beginning of class we were able to light a candle for our intention, most of us, being someone close to us who has passed, and then dedicate the class to them. This was perfect for me, especially at this time of year. I felt more focused from the start having this intention and was able to revert my attention back to it whenever I struggled.

Class was much slower than I am used to but I enjoyed every minute of it. I was able to pay more attention to form and mindfulness while in class. I was not flowing through sun salutations longing for Balasana.

Anyway, this was my first time at this studio and I highly recommend it.

http://www.practiceyogastudio.com

Kelly & Finley

Spent some time with Kelly & Finley while I am off. Had a great time with them, its too bad we were shacked up in the house due to weather issues. Regardless, it was beautiful seeing my best friend be such a great mommy! It's difficult not being able to see Finley grow each and every day, but I cherish the time I do get to spend with both her and Kel.

at the end of the day...

at the end of the day...
i wanna swing
i wanna scream
until all my energy returns to me


currently listening to:
'Holocene' Bon Iver

Grinch...

I lied...
I just want Christmas to be over.

They just decorated my office and I want to throw up in my trash can. We are not even allowed to decorate and yet there are Merry Christmas stickers everywhere. Ehhhhh....

And the traffic.

And the annoying music.

And all the damn cookies, and chocolate, and parties that tempt me to eat and NOT go to the gym.

I have been very very fortunate in the past two weeks, and I am so thankful for that. However, it really has nothing to do with Christmas, so whatever.

Bah humbug.


Currently listening to...

Slow Down

I cannot stop thinking about this poor lady....

Yesterday I was walking, in a rush like usual, and right in front of me this woman walks right out into traffic and gets seriously run over by a car. The sound, the site, it was all so terrible. I had to call 911, she was in shock, and her leg was twisted in the opposite direction. Ugghhhh. I just hope she was okay.

Unfortunately, this brought back the memory of when the old man killed himself right in front of my eyes, walking out onto the train tracks. I had nightmares for months after seeing this, mostly because of the sound of the entire body breaking, but I will stop here. It hurts me to even think of this.

This woman was obviously in a rush and was not paying attention like she should have been. I feel terrible for the young girl who hit her because it is going to be hard to get over. She was begging us to stay because she needed witnesses. The lady, in agony, was telling her it was okay and she knew it was her fault. It was just a horrific scene all together.

Anyways. Seriously, this just reminds me to slow down a little. Nothing is worth rushing over. Being 10, 20, 40 minutes late is much better than rushing through life. I woke up this morning an extra half hour early so that I could take my time.

I know its the holidays and we are all rushing around, but please just take the time to slow down. Enjoy the seconds, the moments surrounding you because once you rush by them you can never get them back.

Il bel far niente.

Christmas List

So after being extremely lucky last week, I am able to buy MYSELF everything I want for Christmas.

My list includes


~MacBook


~Nikon 50mm f/1.4 D AF Lens


~Fisheye No.2 SHIAWASE


~Lightroom

I think I like Christmas this year....

south philly bruiser

Seriously, I am so thankful I have these South Philly neighbors on my side.

Last night I noticed a car completely blocking my car in my parking spot, which is a mini mini mini driveway. I thought to myself, there is no way someone is actually parked there, and they are just probably stopping somewhere for a min or two. They were not only blocking me, but three other cars from moving from their spots. My alley way is pretty small so it makes it difficult to manage your way out.

Anyways, dickwad was still parked there when I went to leave this morning. I thought maybe it was my neighbors friend or something because I still could not believe someone would leave their car there. So I woke my neighbors up and asked. Nope not theirs.

So after screaming obscenities in the alley way for like 10 minutes, warning that mother effer, I tried to call the PPA to have it towed. I was already late for work, cold, and super annoyed.

Next thing you know mega douche comes walking down the street like he just got laid for the first time or something. Little did he know I was waiting for his ass. After screaming at him for like five minutes I let him move on. I needed to get to work. Well.....my neighbor was not ready to let him off this easy. He comes running out of the house like a mad man. I have never been so afraid for another individual in my life, and I mean the super assfuck. My neighbor was in his face screaming telling him he was going to blow his effin car up. Crazy.

I am just very thankful I am surrounded by these peeps because I know I will always have a crazy ass family just a step away.

Article Link

Here is the link to the article that listed the winners. I even have a new name...Laura Waddington. This is awesome.

http://articles.philly.com/2011-12-15/entertainment/30520688_1_christmas-party-holiday-season-giveaway

I picked up my prizes and they are amazing. I don't even know what to do with some of them. I have never had a cashmere sweater I'll tell ya that. A Clarisonic face washing machine thingy? Really? I am so grateful.

My favorite out of everything is probably the cheapest item in there. The vinyl record coasters. I love them!

mail from an ex

So my ex contacted me asking me for my new address. He says there is something he has been wanting to send to me for a while now. Nothing he sends me could ever matter but there are a couple things it may be....

meghans mixer
my hundreds of dollars worth of spices I left at the house
a bomb
my world series phillies ticket that I "gave" him
an apology letter for being an asshole
old pictures

I'm hoping for the spices!! I've been pissed about them since the day I left.

bloglovin'

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I CANT Believe I WON!!

This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me and I cannot even begin to say how thankful I am to have such a great aunt. My words just turn into tears for how grateful I am. And I can't believe I WON!!!

From the Philly.com Daily News Contest

This year we want to pay it forward by asking Daily News and Philly.com readers to tell us who they think deserves these gifts.

Maybe you know of a self-sacrificing special ed teacher. Or a longtime unemployed person who really needs encouragement and some new makeup shades, too.

We’ll read all of your nominations and select 10 winners, each of whom will receive one of every item on our holiday gift list worth $1000.

Please include your nominee’s name, telephone number, address (work or home) and the hours they are typically there. Make sure we know who you are, too. Keep it brief, please.

All entries must received by Dec. 9. We’ll announce the winners before Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

http://www.philly.com/philly/style/134746743.html

And this is what my aunt wrote about me....she is just way too sweet, I love her so much.

My niece Laura deserves it all. She is a beautiful and totally giving person. She is a social worker which is the perfect field for her giving personality. Laura is always the one to give a gift from the heart not the pocketbook. Gifts from Laura have been known to bring tears to your eyes. Laura is a runner like yourself. Her main charity to run for is breast cancer. Laura started with the breast cancer runs when her Aunt Lisa was diagnosed. Her Aunt passed away from the disease a little over a year ago and she still runs for the cure. She has encouraged her sisters to join her last year and they will run together again this year. In my opinion Laura is an inspiration to us all. She may not know it but the whole family admires her. Laura has a very large heart and very strong convictions. She is your typical giver not taker. For such a young woman, she is such a huge inspiration.

There is going to be a follow up story on the winners either tomorrow or Friday. I can't wait to go pick up my gifts today!

Thanks Aunt Renee I love YOU!

OhLand

Show was amazing. Love her sound. And it was a low key, not crowded scene which makes me happy. And I got to see the love of my life, so overall, great night.

Heres some pics. Everything was so bright so not so great of quality.

Oh Land

Oh Land Tonight....Super Excited.

15 Fun Facts about Oh Land

1. Her real name is Nanna Fabricius
2. She was born in Copenhagen
3. She was a ballerina, moving to Stockholm at the age of 10 to study ballet at a prestigious dance school
4. At the age of 18 she injured her back ending her career as a ballerina
5. After recording her first album she settled in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
6. Oland is her middle name
7. Her music has recently been on Beavis and Butthead and American Horror Story, two of my all time favorite shows
8. Her mother was an opera singer and her father an organist
9. Abbey Road is her favorite Beatles album
10. Bjork is her biggest idol
11. She collects snow globes, as do I
12. She has one brother and one sister
13. If she could be any animal it would be a bird
14. Her first show after being signed to Sony was at the Pride Festival in New York
15. She was named most stylish New Yorker in Time Out New York Magazine



"And for me, when I make music I dive into my own little world and I explore what it looks like in there. I guess for me, songwriting is very much about stepping into a room. I envision a room, and if there’s nothing in it, if there’s no furniture, I won’t feel at home. But if I start putting little things in the room, then I can start to feel at home and start exploring the room – and that’s very much what production is for me. I start to make little sounds that suddenly will make me explore things in the music, and then I can start writing the melodies and the lyrics."

What she says here by far touches my soul. There was a period of time this year when I was really going through some changes. I was somewhat down, depressed, and could not seem to pick myself back up. I was talking with one of my closest friends one night and she gave me some really good advice. She told me that whenever I was feeling down, or super upset, to just close my eyes and envision an empty white room. Of course, being me, I asked her if I could please envision a black or green room because I did not necessarily like white. She agreed that was alright. Anyways, she explained to me that I should then use my thoughts to fill the room with objects that make me happy, eliminating all my thoughts of things that were resting heavy on my heart. It was some of the best advice I have ever been given and I use it all the time. It’s easier in public to do this than to fully go into meditation mode.


I probably should have chosen something original for this post but I saw this and this is one of my favorite Fleet Foxes songs and I like her take on it....

Catnip

So my little man Jose had his first experience with catnip the other day. I was hesitant to give it to him because I am not really sure how I feel about it. I know cats are extremely drawn to it, and without being able to talk to him and know how he is feeling on it, I was questioning whether it was right. Well whatever, I gave in and figured it was worth a try.

Never again.

He was nuts. And I don't know if he even liked it because he seemed super paranoid. He was constantly licking himself and everytime I went near him he bit me. He was like this all night and barely even slept. Poor guy. He sure is nothing like his mama.

Amy Winehouse - Valerie - Acoustic acapella

I had this dream last night that I was sitting on the corner singing this song acapella alongside a bum. I am a terrible singer, but in this dream I was really really good. It was one of those dreams where you wake up and try and get back into. If only the bum was replaced by Mark Ronson. Well, at least he wasn't a smelly bum, and he definitely had more than three teeth, which is always a plus.

And now I am thinking about how sad I am about Amy. I remember telling my friend three years ago that I was going to try and break my obsession with her. I knew somehow that she was going to die before I got to see her live. I did not want to deal with the disappointment. And now I am :(

Inbreeds

So I am thinking that this girl I know is inbred. No like really seriously. And it creeps me out.

Kind of like those teacup dogs, yea the ones that aren't supposed to be bred how they are. It's all sorta messed up.

So please stop buying teacup whatevers, and refrain from sleeping with your cousin, cause it just doesn't make any sense at all. For anyone involved.

Thanks.

http://www.barkrescue.net/teacup.htm

Jane Seymour-Philly Art

Love this. Btwn 15th & 16th on South.

Weekend Review 12/2-12/4/2011

Well I am basically dying today thanks to a beautiful weekend in the city. I have been trying to take advantage of this remarkably nice weather we have been having in Philly. Craming so much in one weekend is awesome but extremely tiring. And after Saturday I should probably never drink again. Well, let's face it, at least until tomorrow night.

Took alot of pics this weekend to capture it all, so here goes.

First Friday: I am not really sure how I have not been to this yet, but the First Friday Free Art Exhibition in Olde City is pretty much amazing. Free Alcohol and Free Art? What could be better? Jac and I set out, met up with Diana, and scoped the scene. I had to refrain from buying just about everything! I will not miss another one of these, for reals.



Typical Saturday: Jac and I set out vintage shopping on this beautiful day. We were fortunate enough to have Arianna join us. Before flipping the racks we checked the scene at South Street Sounds. What an incredible little gem this was. Arianna picked up a ukulele while Jac found some cheap hanging stars which were awesome. We came to two conclusions as we left, 1. this place is fabulous, the owners rock, and we should probably hang out here more often, and 2. we need to come here every weekend just to pick up guys. Hot dudes galore. I will officially send you girls the invite to set up shop in the store this coming weekend.







After spending about an hour in SSsounds we checked out a little vintage shop, Wear House Boutique, that was just too cute. The owner was so nice, and I was fortunate enough to find this amazing bag.



And the jewelry!!!





Ohhhhh...and let me just give word of warning for anyone ever drinking a cup of coffee from OCF coffee shop. If you DO NOT want to feel like you just swooshed back an eightball DO NOT drink the Bolivian blend french press. I think I am still coming down off my high. I've been shaking for my next fix all morning. What the shit?

Anyways, I will not even get into Saturday night, because there is just wayyy to much to cover. Let's just say we had a blast, right?!!

Sunday, in the midst of my body still being confused from the Bolivian coffee and the over indulgance of Jameson I set out for a concrete picnic with my girls. Falafel Bar (15th and Chestnut) is toooo good. And they deliver to my apt, sooooo long Maoz, you have been beat out.


((photo cred: Arianna))

I wanted to get down to the Christmas Village to get some pics for the photo contest. Too bad my effin camera was dead when I got there. That is the one thing about my camera that I hate. It gives you like a 2 sec warning before it dies. I am sure there is some way to fix this that I have not yet figured out. Oh wells. I will torture myself with another walk down to the (Ihate) Christmas Village sometime this week. I did get some with my iFiggity of course.





And then I, still cracked out from OCF a day later, tried to sleep. Unfortunately, I only got about 4 hrs total last night and I want to rip my eyeballs out right now.

I would say that makes for a good weekend. And to think this week is only going to get crazier!!!

YogiTea

Brewing two Quarts of Yogi Tea gives this much insight....Thank you Yogi, thank you.



Which reminds me that I have been slacking getting to class or Monday morning meditation. There's just not enough hours in the day. Why can't they have class at like 4 am when I am staring at the walls? I think I might have to put that in the suggestion box.

Mama Ortaggio

Last night I pretended I was Italian and made a comforting from scratch italian (and vegan) meal. Thankfully my oven worked for the night, since it has been making up its own mind lately as to when it wants to heat up for me. I fought with the pilot for like 10 minutes but eventually it gave in. Gratzi oven, Gratzi!

My sauce turned out pretty good and I enjoyed my homeade meal with the best.


Apptetizers--olive tapenade, olio, and brushetta


Jose's ready to eat


Dinner's served. Vegan eggplant parmesan, hearts of palm salad, garlic bread. Mmmmmmmmssss.