the market common in myrtle beach is a magic place.
first, p.f. changs, then i went to anthropologie *le sigh*

this dress was lovely.

this bedding felt amazing.

unfortunately neither was in my budget after the new handbag i found at the coach factory store. hpmh.

Coach Leather Convertible Zoe. Graphite.

and heck no, i didn't pay as much as it's listed for anywhere on ebay. silly rabbit.

ps. has anyone read the happiness project? there is a link to it on my wishlist. it sounds as interesting as the geography of bliss, but perhaps more entertaining.

I would also like a subscription to Barista Magazine. Please & Thank You.

I want need a gps. Life is happier with direction.

(Let's not forget I have a birthday coming up... hahaha... Pass it on!)

PREVIOUSLY ON LOST...
I am so confused.
And I thought Charlie was dead.
Who the eff is Ethan?
Why do they want Claire?
Sawyer did two nice things.
Jack & Kate just need to get together.
Locke freaks me out.
Everybody loves Hugo.

I'm seriously contemplating watching a third episode tonight. I might not get my life back until after I watch all six seasons. I haven't even unpacked from my trip yet. Oy.

An excerpt from my inbox:

"I'll try not to send you messages in the middle of the night while intoxicated in the meantime."

Wait. Why am I single?

Ryan: I have this red power tie on today and aside from looking like a member of the Click Five, I want to like... take over some shit.
Me: Haha. Do it. Did you also wake up this morning feeling like P Diddy?
Ryan: Sean Combs wake up feeling like ME. Duh.
Me: Haha. Oh really? That wasn't in the song...
Ryan: This isn't just some song and dance Erin Gail. This is real life!

It was surprisingly easy to go back to work today... once I was there of course. The idea of going back was horrific. I miss vacation. I have other trips planned this year, but hopefully I'll be able to take some time in September to head down to the Dirty South to visit friends.

We're missing a manager again at work. She stepped down while I was gone. Eff.

Oh well.

I'm reading at least three different books right now.

I want to go see Inception this weekend. Date Night. With myself. Score.

Speaking of dates.... last Friday, I was helping this lady (about sixty-ish years old probably)...

Me: Can I help you find anything, ma'am?
Lady: No. I'm just looking... I'm getting ready for a date. A hot hot date.
Me: Oh... Ok. (I was a little taken aback... ) Well, let me show you my favorite. It's Sensual Amber.

Evidently, the aforementioned date was with a man she almost married two decades ago. She ended up buying Moonlight Path and Dancing Waters. Those don't scream I'm ready for some action to me, but I hope they worked out well for her.

Me: Good luck on your date tonight!
Lady: Thank you... I can't remember the last time I went on a date.... much less a really hot one.

She was really excited. And awkward. And just kept saying "a hot hot date" over and over again. I was kinda jealous to be honest. I can't remember the last time I was that excited about a date. Hmph.

Anyway, I need a jar for my coffee. I ground a bag and realized I didn't have a cute little (airtight) jar for it. Sad.

Oh and yes! Vacation was lovely. The entire time. I'm so glad Mj got to go with me. It was her first DMB experience and there was only one person between us and the stage. And I really like Virginia. It's for lovers. I think that's because it's lovely.

And, finally, I miss Columbia. Decisions.

I can't wait until my birthday. I'm so very excited to have a lot of my friends all in one place and to be a quarter of a century old and to get a break on my insurance.... little victories.

xoxo.

PTO. Day 2.

I'm actually only using two days of paid time off (pto) for this little five day adventure. The other three are just days off. It's nice to get paid to do what I want.

I'm really enjoying my time in Columbia. Every time I'm here I remember how much I love it. Maybe it's just the people and if they weren't here, then I wouldn't love it so much. Or maybe it's really the city... the coffee shops, the food, the scenery. I think it's the people. Yep.

Last night, after Blue Cactus, we hung out at the Espinosa Homestead. Joey made irish cream and Greg packed a bowl of blue mist and we all just hung out until three in the morning. It was lovely.

Until I realized I forgot my toothbrush. Who does that?

This morning I went to Strudel with Alison & Courtney. Hangover Hashbrowns. Chocolate Chip Coffee. And a sticky bun to go. Yum. Yum.

Now, Alison is looking at puppies online and Hugs is watching a movie on the pink couch while Bruce sleeps wherever it's convenient. It's a super cute home/family. I hope one day that I can get married and make a home this happy.

I'm busy googling whoopie pie recipes. We were going to bake a cake, but we decided to leave that to the professionals (i.e. Charles) while we venture into the category of mini minty things. We'll see how this goes.

PS. I did get my hair fixed. It's... not blonde. It's brown with caramel & reddish browns. I can't explain, but I'm pretty sure I like it. I don't have a picture or I'd show you. Wah.

Two days until DMB. One day until my Immac Mocha.

Also, I just realized that my blog has followers that aren't spammers. Hi, readers! Some of you I know and some of you I don't, but thanks for reading. It makes me really happy.

xo.

Holy blogging, Batman!

I've done this a lot in the last 24 hours.

But I had a really good day - except for my super blonde hair which I will have fixed on Saturday.

I got some excellent Majesta & Tonya time. (I swear those two keep me sane.) And family time. And Kara came by. And I went to Kinetic (the new small group at Crosstowne) tonight. Now, I'm doing laundry & watching LOST. But wow, I forgot how much I love being a part of a small group. I like being challenged and learning new things. It's refreshing. And it has been so easy for me to get out of the habit of a right mind and to get stuck in dreary monotony. Wah. Wah. Wah.

I've let my cup be filled with preconceptions of life and of settling.

I deserve better than that and so do the people around me.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

if you fall for me, i'm not easy to please.

or wherever flip flops are possible. i hate being financially responsible, but i love my salary. it'd be awesome to just up and move... like rachel did to nyc. but even moving back to columbia would require everything to line up just right so i would be able to keep my position. not to mention that i do love charleston and it's people. c'est la vie.

also, grey or gray? does it matter?

it does to me. i prefer grey. just so you know.

I started watching LOST tonight.
I have so many questions right now.
And I'm only on episode three.

And, yes, I'm always the last to do everything. i.e., watch LOST, read Twilight, read Harry Potter. I'm not a joiner, but I like to follow up.

Also, tomorrow is my day off. Huzzah!

And I have a giant to-do list before I peace out of Charleston on Saturday.

Baby steps.

Note: It is nice when someone tells you they find you both mentally & physically attractive.

Note: It is not flattering when someone you don't really know texts you "goodnight sexy".

I'm just saying.

good morning interwebs.

i'm excited about this week.

i'm even more excited about this weekend.

and my five days off.

yes, please.

an evening at home alone includes:

glasses for my tired eyes
grilled cheese w. tomato
facebooking
reading I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley
Dave Matthews Band Live at Piedmont Park
making iced coffee
playing with the dogs (the big one busted my lip)

"I do want to get married. It's a nice idea. Though I think husbands are like tattoos - you should wait until you come across something you want on your body for the rest of your life instead of just wandering into a tattoo parlor on some idle Sunday and saying, 'I feel like I should have one of these suckers by now. I'll take a thorny rose and a MOM anchor, please. No, not that one - the big one.'" (from I Was Told There'd Be Cake)

i'm thinking of starting my netflix again.
do i want to watch House or Lost? please cast your vote.

also, the backroom at my store looks fantastic if i do say so myself.

melatonin kicking in.

xo.

psalm 42

when my soul is in the dumps, i rehearse everything i know of you...

[the message]

the way coffee should be made. with love.

today (ok, yesterday technically...)

gym with mj.
monster music: edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros. plainfield project. patrick park. wakey!wakey!
steven hug for the first time in a year.
hope&union. with kt. banana nutella turnover. iced panama. friendsoverload. secrets and good good talk.
work.work.work. clean.clean.clean. organize.organize.organize.
green tea & a vanilla bean cupcake.
chittychat with rachel. talk about life. boys. food. snarkasm.
read blogs.
change my blog around. do it again. and again.

and here i am.

good day.

this time next week, i'll be beginning a 5 day vacation. paid time off is awesome.

gmail chat makes long distance bearable & conversations more interesting.

me:  and what do numbers and flirting matter if you don't want to date any of them?

Rachel: at least there is an option if times get desperate. and if some people seem to like you then there's a glimmer of hope that someone awesome will too.

me:  meh. i prefer being single to dating losers or marrying one.

 

that's my story and i'm sticking to it.

“I was about half in love with her by the time we sat down. That’s the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty… you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are." -  J. D. Salinger (via misswallflower) (via watertoboats) (via laura bousman)

p.s. boys (men) totally get the short end of the dating stick.

yeah. i said it.

well, hot & heavy, pumpkin pie...

We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. - 1 Corinthians 13, 12-13

I just realized I got paid to not work yesterday. Fantastic! I love this country.

i don't know everything about what i want out of life, but i do know a little bit of what i'd like to see unfold. i need a plan of action. one day at a time. go go gadget thinking cap.

i cut up my pink sparkly vickie's card.

and i have awesome friends. it's true.

me: i dunno who i was talking to, but the night matt broke up with me was... 1. awful but 2. awesome bc you and tony and bob and kt rushed to my rescue with beer and cigarettes and i got to get drunk and write a bill 

Rachel:  hahahahahahaha

me:  i'm just saying.

Rachel:  you're loved. a lot.

being in columbia over the last 24 hours renewed my spirit and made me remember what life is really all about.