Reasons I Will Never Be Cool

Here are some reasons I will never be cool:

Because I think this trend is stupid.  Rings are meant for a couple of fingers and pushed down.  These top rings stress me out.  Because I am old and uncool.

Because I won't ever understand any cultural references to Gossip Girl or the new 90210 and it bums me out that teenage girls are watching shows like this.  My 90210 and Saved By The Bell chicks dressed like normal people, weren't stick thin, and weren't banging multiple dudes.  This generation is so screwed if these are their role models.

Because I won't understand any references to these guys either.  Sorry.

Because I think the cult of Crossfit is generally pretty obnoxious and unsafe.

Because I will never be the type of blogger who takes high quality photos at the farmer's market, thrift store, or just everywhere really.

Because I haven't joined the mommy club and probably never will.

Because I love styles like this, but can never quite pull them off.

Because I would rather spend my nights watching this with my husband than doing pretty much anything else.

Because I am too lazy to do cool manicures....ever.

Because....as evidenced by this post, I'm kind of a snarky bitch and would rather be so than be cool.  That cool?

Blogtember - 3 Months Off

For today's Blogtember post, we're supposed to talk about what we would do if we could take 3 months off of our current lives and do anything in the world.

This one was easy.

I would do this:

via

and this

via

and this

via

and this

via

I would pack up my things and my husband and I would travel Europe.  But not in a backpacky, touristy kind of way.  In the lazy, eat whatever we want, walk wherever we want, drink whenever we want, stop and sit and just look at the sites, and spend days sitting on terraces reading books kind of way.  

That would be a perfect 3 months in my mind.

Anyone want to fund that for us?

Blogtember - Where I'm From

It can be really hard to come up with things to talk about on this blog.  I'm not that exciting and I don't have time to take outfit photos with our new work schedule.  So I love it when a big blogger comes out with a monthly topic blogging challenge like Blogtember.  I'm obviously late to the game, but I couldn't resist having blog ideas at my grubby little fingertips.  The first one is where I'm from.  Here goes!

I’m from here:

Ridgecrest, California

It’s a tiny little town in the middle of the desert built around a Navy base.  Which I always find funny.  Because we don’t have any water.  But, it’s actually a very important and historical base and they invent and test bombs and things and invented the glow stick so, I mean, they’re doing stuff.  We had to drive over an hour away to the  nearest mall.  We didn’t have chain restaurants except drive-throughs.  We bought our clothes at Walmart and Kmart.  We didn’t walk anywhere because it was too hot.  We cooled ourselves with swamp coolers not air conditioners.  We learned to drive in the community college parking lot.  We set Christmas trees on fire in the desert when we were bored.  We could always tell the new kids at school because when the base would make a gigantic boom that shook the classroom windows, the new kids would flinch and look around startled and us locals would just keep on working.  The sounds of jets flying overhead are comforting to me; they’re the sounds of my childhood.  Wind is a different thing where I’m from.  It’s a viscous slap in the face leaving a trail of sand stuck to your eyelashes and lip gloss.  Wind is WIND in Ridgecrest.  Houses are cheap.  Getting anywhere takes 5 minutes.  People don’t like to pay more than $10 a plate at restaurants.  And you can always see the stars.  Not like the way you can see them on clear nights in the city.  You can see them in Ridgecrest so clearly that you feel like you can reach out and touch them.  I miss that more than anything – sitting outside at night and it’s always a little cold because it’s the desert and looking up at the sky and being surrounded by stars.

What I Wore - Schlumpy

I've been on the lookout for the perfect schlumpy white t-shirt.  Like this guy:

Hey Natalie Jean

But it's one thing to see your favorite blogger wearing the shirt and knowing where it's from and another thing getting one that fits you like that.  My boobs and midget torso have thus far been making my efforts fruitless.

Today's outfit is close to being a good schlumpy white t-shirt.  It needs to be v-neck and I dunno.  Something else.   Also...the inside self-taken photos.  Oh dear oh dear have I lost my photo taking mojo.  Also, as I post this, I haven't actually left the house yet today.  So....

Now THAT is a sassy face.  Oh dear.

Shirt:  H&M

Shorts:  Old Gap, Similar

Shoes:  LorrisShoes.com (best price I've found of this pair online)

Necklaces:  Premier, Thrifted, Gift from Etsy, Similar, Similar, & Similar

Bracelet:  Gift from Premier, Similar

Hat:  Husband's from Gap, Similar

Cure By Pimm's

This was a rough week.  I say that a lot, no?  Life is rough I reckon. Or I'm just a whiner.  

But this week.  Whew.  I broke down crying at my desk at one point so yeah, it was a tough one.

So right now, I'm watching Project Runway and drinking Pimm's and appreciating the tasty dinner my husband had waiting for me when I got home and loving the beautiful earrings I got as a gift in the mail today and looking forward to the perfect weather this weekend and hopefully a beach trip.

And all those things are helping me hold my cranky whining at bay.

But it's mostly the Pimm's.  Let's be honest...

Happy Labor Day...I'm Drunk

Oh Labor Day...I love you.  I mean, I labor pretty hard during most of the year so I deserve an extra day off, right? Is that what Labor Day is about?  I have no idea.  On second thought, I probably don't deserve crap.

Anywho.

On Monday, we lazed around the house for hours before finally heading out for the day.  We grabbed lunch at Potbelly's to fill our bellies with bread before we shoved a crap-load of wine in there.  I make wine tasting sound class, don't I?

Then we were off to Perigeaux for some wine tasting and music.  We had never been to Perigeaux before and it really is an idyllic setting.  And the music was pretty darn awesome.  Landing Mary was there and those kids were cute and talented and I could have sat there and listened to them all day.  I call them kids because when I think 20 somethings are cute I officially feel like a creepy old lady.  Turning 30 does that to you.  Anyways, we finished our tasting and got a couple of glasses and enjoyed sitting out under a giant tree listening to some music.  It was really lovely.

After that, we headed off to our favorite local winery Slack.  Oh I love their wine.  It is just dang delicious.  Our tasting was poured by the owner and he was so sweet and interesting and asked us tons of questions about ourselves.  It was really fun to get to know him and enjoy conversation and wine while looking out at the beautiful water.  We bought a bottle and sat out by the water for a while talking and laughing before heading home.

I look awful in this picture, but it is what it is...

It was lovely.

And, in pure Valerie fashion, I ended up day drunk by the time we got home and I laid on the floor a lot and complained about my belly.

Happy Labor Day?

DC Weekend

Right now, we have a very lovely, very tall, very not-ginger red-head visiting us from California.  Per usual, we've been using her trip as an excuse to eat anything and anywhere we want.  Other people's vacations are our fatcations it seems.  And I love it.

Saturday, we headed to Alexandria to pick her up at the airport and Mike and I stopped for a late brunch at Columbia Firehouse where I got eggs bendict made with fried green tomatoes and jalapenos which was just as delicious as that sounds, thank you.  And a bloody mary...of course.  We then walked around a bit and did some shopping and sweating because holy hell this weekend was HOT on the East Coast.  We cooled down by popping into Daniel O'Connells for some more bloody mary's.  Fun fact:  if the bartender at Daniel O'Connells asks you if you want your bloody mary mild or spicy and you say spicy it will BURN YOUR LIPS OFF.  If you say mild, they pour Guiness into the bloody mary to cool it down.  Now you know.

After our lip burning cocktails, we picked our guest M up at the airport and headed off to DC.  We spent the night at Hotel Rouge which, like all Kimpton Hotels, was perfectly lovely albeit incredibly confusing to get to for bumpkin out-of-towners like us.  Holy traffic circle confusion, batman.  We had dinner that night at Table which was GOOD.  Super cool/cute location, we were sat on the patio with a cool breeze which was lovely, the food was delicious, the portions were perfect, the service was great.  So so worth a trip, I tell ya'.  We followed up dinner with one of our favorite spots in the city, the Columbia Room at the Passenger.  Cocktails, ambiance, awesome bartender, good friends.  It was a great night.

And I took no pictures.

Because I'm the worst blogger ever?

Sunday, we headed out into the city to show M around and hit a couple of the Smithsonians.  M had twisted her ankle the night before (damn you adorable, giant wedges) so we took it much easier than we normally would have.  (Mike and I are museum speed-walking fiends)  We ended up at the cafe of the National Art Gallery drinking a bottle of Blanc de Blanc and eating dessert.  Who needs art when you have booze, I say?

Then we met M's cousin and his wife for some chatting, beers, and games at Penn Social.  Which was actually pretty darn fun.  Especially for my husband who has ADD and loves having things to do while drinking.  Also, any excuse not to talk to people, right babe?

So that was our DC weekend.  Oh DC.  I want to be in you all the time.

Too dirty?