Pop a Squat

Today marked a mini-milestone for me. Observe:

That's right. I bought my first piece of furniture, which basically means that I am now a big girl by default. I found this little beauty at an antique store in the bustling metropolis of Little Mountain (my hometown) back in November. Being an unemployed college student, I didn't have adequate funds until graduation money started flowing in months later. Additional motivation to purchase came after the ladies who work at the store informed me that another person had been scoping out MY chair earlier today. So I pounced. And I have zero regrets. Other finds included a lobster pin, books, and a vintage dress I would give my left arm for:

My trips to antique and thrift stores are the equivalent of Audrey Hepburn's obsession with Tiffany & Co. in Breakfast at Tiffany's. I encourage anyone to step outside the retail box and scout out some hole in the wall shop. You might be surprised at what you find.

Happy antiquing, 

-E

Open for Business

Dear Whomever,

After a 9 month hiatus, I'm back to blogging. This time around I am a little older (well, 9 months older), a little wiser (college degree), and more dedicated to posting as I have nothing but time this summer. Below is an abridged list of what's been going on:

1. Sad news first. My beloved Ruby passed away from Parvovirus and I miss her tremendously every day.
2. I turned 22 years old in November.
3. I celebrated the holidays the best way I knew how.. Eating enormous quantities of home cooked meals and retail therapy overload.
4. I finished college!! This counts as a partial explanation for my lack of posting.

(which brings us to the present...)

5. I am on the job hunt. Countless hours of searching, tweaking resumes, and writing cover letters has led me to several leads but no official offers. It's brutal out there, but I remain optimistic. In fact, I have an interview today with a PR firm in the lovely Greenville, SC, so fingers are crossed.

I solemnly swear to blog more often. You can also expect more food posts because I've been getting really creative in the kitchen as of late. I am excited to share this delightfully terrifying new chapter of my life and I hope it yields fabulous stories to write about!

Thanks for reading,
-E

The Phantom Kitty

Directly behind my aparment building is a small grassy area and a chain link fence that connects to an old man's yard. I typically walk Ruby in this area every morning so as to avoid distractions on the other side of the building (people, cars, other dogs, etc).

Sometime around mid-August, a tiny white and orange kitten started showing up in the parking lot, mostly lurking under cars and darting from one hiding place to another. Being that my building is mostly inhabited by girls (with an apparent soft spot for feral cats), the little fur ball always was always being left food scraps and water. This went on for about a month, and then she disappeared.

I'm assuming she found her way to the old man who lives behind the apartment complex. One morning about a week ago, I was walking Miss Rubix and I saw a sweet little orange and white speckled face peeping through the fence.. Observe:

Melting of the heart commenced. I think my adoration for this gorgeous little creature stems from the previous love-of-my-life, Pumpkin (may he rest in peace in kitty heaven):

I mean.. how could you NOT appreciate something so obese and lovely?? Regardless, the beautiful moment I shared with Pumpkin Jr. was quickly cut short by a certain someone of the Husky persuasion. Ruby lost her shit and tried to attack my new feline friend and she (I'm assuming it's a she) ran away. And I was devastated. I just knew I would never see her little face poking through the fence again...

But alas! She was there the next day.. and the next, and the next! I have unofficially named her Plucky, due to her bravery and commitment to visit me every morning. At least... I like to think so. I'm even toying with the idea of giving her to my sister as a birthday present/housewarming gift for her new abode. Plucky seems to have the class and wherewithal to be a Charleston housecat.. and what a fantastic rags-to-riches story that would be!

Ruby Goes Under the Knife.. And Other Shenanigans

Ruby got spayed last Friday. As expected, the whole ordeal was incredibly chaotic and involved alot of crying (from both parties) and an unfortunate poop episode in my Honda (from Ruby). I felt like a crappy person all day.. no pun intended. To add insult to injury, apparently she cried more than her neighboring kennel mate which, by the way, was a Chiuaha. She came home with a shaved belly, stitches, and a level of highness that rivals Cheech & Chong. One positive aspect of the experience is that she has since become slightly more docile. In fact, she spends most of her days lounging around on her favorite chair in the apartment which, ironically, is a bright shade of ruby red.

(Ignore the demonic eyes.. Husky eyes and camera flashes are apparently a bad combo.)

Now.. because I'm not one to only blog about my precious canine companion (I swear), I have a new obsession in the "spirits" department. Cue Barenjager:

As a member of the college-age demographic, I have voluntarily taken it upon myself to sample and explore a variety of different alcoholic refreshments, but this one takes the cake. I suppose it may be necessary to like the taste of honey to enjoy this golden treat, but I am willing to bet that even if you dont love honey, you will shortly after partaking. My favorite way to drink it is with Arizona Sweet Tea.. Gut Schmecken!!!

Finally..
I made somewhat of a hasty purchase two days ago. Mostly because I was in a time crunch, but also because I was trying to avoid talking myself out of it. I purchased my very own pair of oxford shoes. I thought this trend was absolutely fascinating when it first came about, but I was hesitant to buy my own pair for fear that I just couldn't pull of a fashion move of that magnitude. The biggest surprise wasn't that I could pull them off splendidly with a pair of skinny jeans... but rather, that I found the little beauties at Old Navy for a mere $11.

I love the eyelet detail and the gray faux-suede that will go with virtually anything! As I'm assuming is the case with most oxfords, they need to be broken in. Regardless, I am very pleased with my purchase and I plan to utilize them in a number of styles.. from leggings to skinnies, to skirts, and more. Hip hip hoorah for fashion bravery!

Stroke, Shmoke

As of tomorrow, exactly one year will have passed since my dad suffered a stroke. He is a special case and incredibly lucky due to the fact that he experienced no paralysis or physical impairment (other than his peripheral vision being slightly altered) at all. Additionally, the left side of his brain was where the "attack" took place, really did a number on his emotional characteristics. He has always been very quiet and mellow by nature, but also hilarious. In the aftermath, however, he talked ALOT.. and wore more of his emotions on his sleeve than previously. The doctors were completely baffled by his ability to stand up and articulate his speech normally only several days afterwards. In fact, their reports expressed a sheer inability to explain why he was okay after such a massive stroke. Seeing him in a hospital bed for the first time ever really tugged at my heartstrings. Daddy is such a central figure in our family. He is rational and dependable and an incredibly hard worker. He's the best dad I could have ever even dreamed up and most importantly... he's still doing great a year later!!

Bitter Apple and Other Oddities

Ruby is currently going through a phase. I can't decide if it's equivalent to the "terrible twos" or the dreaded "rebellious teenage years." Maybe it's just a horrid mixture of both. Regardless, she is quite literally tearing my apartment to shreds. I'm talking destruction that entails eating baseboards, window sills, and my roommate's favorite shoes....

No big deal... just $80 shoes I now have to replace. I made the venture to PetSmart yesterday in desperate hopes that someone would be able to help me release Ruby of her chewing demons. Cue Bitter Apple:

This, my friends, is liquid gold if you have a dog who chews. It is colorless, odorless, and apparently tastes god-awful to dogs. It's also safe to spray virtually anywhere, including most fabrics. I sprayed some on the baseboards and my window sill as soon as I got home yesterday, and then patiently waited. It wasn't until this morning after running a quick errand that I got back and knew Ruby had had a lick of this magical potion. Trust me, she was NOT a happy camper. In fact, she's been hiding under the futon ever since... but I can live with that. Additionally, I purchased a handsome new choke collar (because I don't enjoy having my arm ripped out of socket everytime I take her downstairs to potty), a fire engine red leash (because it makes her blue eyes pop), all-natural peanut butter doggie biscuits and raw hide bones (because she needs encouragement for good behaviors), and some fun little toys...

(because in the end, I'm a big softie). The rubber foot squeaky toy is my personal favorite, but I can't help but wonder if that will only initiate bad behaviors in the form of cannibalism... Guess we shall see.

Dress a L'orange

Let me tell you about my current predicament. A predicament that seems to find me this time of the year, every year. I go to Clemson University (go tigers) and our team colors are orange and purple. Quite a unique combination, no? Being a southern insitution, it is completely expected of female attendees to deck themselves in stylish sundresses for the first few games of the season. Here's the issue... our first four games are all at home and I am quickly running out of options (and funds for options) for gamedays. We're coming up on home game #4, so I have set out on a personal quest to find inexpensive-and actually attractive-orange and/or purple garb for this weekend's festivities. Take a gander at my finds thus far..

Ahh.. simple yet classic. And orange, no less! This little beauty is by Renn and I found it on Amazon.com for $33.66 (no shipping because I'm an Amazon Prime member..hollaa!). Definitely a do-able price considering I could wear this again for a number of different occasions. Ideally, I would dress it up with some fun jewelry.... observe:

This party-on-your-neck is from Francesca's Collections and I happen to love it. It's like a necklace made of Nerds candy (cue Willy Wonka imagination room daydream) and a reasonable 18 bucks.

And now.. for the more subtle fan...

Voila! Both orange and purple are adequately represented. This would be p-resh with a nice little orange scarf and some booties. Also, I'm a huge fan of the criss-cross straps cut-out in the back.. sassy! This number is by my good friend (and probably yours), Forever21.. and on sale for $12! Hellooo, college budget!