i'm going to start from the bottom

spring cleaning...

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:21:28 GMT

okay, i know its only day one of the time change, but it has me all sorts of messed up! i needed that extra hour of sleep, yo.

the past couple weeks we've been doing little clean out projects: i've been working on my desk (which is just a mountain of STUFF-- i don't think i've sat at it since around 2002; there isn't even a chair anymore), my 'closet' (locker cubbies), and my mom cleaned out the hall closet. some awesome stuff found in said hall closet:

- lost and now found craft supplies of crafty summers past.
- vintage pics of my folks as newlyweds. my mom in a cowboy hat in a non-ironic fashion and dad with an epic moustache? yay, the '70s!
- a spoon that my grandma sent box tops or something away for with the handle in the shape of MARY POPPINS. 1964 copyright stamp and m. pops in her rockin' hat. i just have it in a mug on top of my bookcase because it's so cute.
- old ticket books from disneyland when their rides were classified by grade. not too many "E" tickets, as those got used for all the awesome rides.

weird thing, though-- on my desk i found a pressed penny from venice aka ~MUSCLE BEACH.~ it's cute, it has a little buff dude flexing. but here's the thing... i have NO RECOLLECTION of ever GOING to venice, let alone making one of those pressed pennies. i mean, i love those machines, but how did the phantom tourist tchotscke end up on my desk?

***********

like prolly everyone reading this, i've seen the lady gaga/beyonce video for 'telephone' and i'm in love with gaga's little sister's glasses. i'm not posting the video because, like i said, i'm sure you've seen it-- but here's a gif with her in it. i love these frames because they look like my regular perscription frames... and i KNEW i had seen them before and rummaged all over the hell's half acre that is my brain and remembered this young chap wore something quite similar:

... i really want to get them, but they're prolly $120-$150+, huh? i've tenatively ID'd them as ray-ban, but maybe persol? i think i'll go to sunglass hut and check out how bad ($$$) they are.

**********

the automated phone call just happened to remind me of my doctors appointment for next week. the faux-human voice is SO BAD it not only messes up my name but my doc's as well. i usually press repeat so my mom can hear it and we can have a good laugh. LOLROBOTS!

losties. math. elves that make cookies.

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:16:36 GMT

i don't believe i have geeked out on lj this year of the FINAL SEASON OF LOST. OMG! this whole alternate universe thing is kinda wonky, but i especially liked last night's ep because it seemed that ben's (excuse me, 'dr. linus') storyline had meaning with what was happening to him on the island. after all this time he's finally making honourable decisions. and WOW the sub at the end! and only 10 eps and it's all over for realsies? i don't see how the writers can answer all the questions in that time. and what a cop out with the dynamite and still no legit answer on richard's ~gift.~

i'm still keeping my fingers crossed for a vincent alternate storyline... dog parks? saving walt from a burning house? westminster kennel club? possibilities abound.

**********

this may be my most difficult semester in school ever. it seems fitting that it would be so close to the end. i haven't had any sort of math class in 4 years and i now have to take a required "research methods" course. the title thinly veils the fact that it's a STATS class. ugh! but at least the prof. is a funny guy.
i had to drop the acting class because it was too much with my other required courses. my memory recall ain't what it used to be...

**********

awhile back when savers was having a sale i bought a sleeping bag. i forgot to take a pic and put in my last thriftwhore post. it's a keebler elves one and i cannot imagine how many UPC codes of rainbow chip cookies some mom had to send away to get that thing only for it to end up at savers. it has the tree and the HEIC (head elf in charge) and keebler logo and was 50% off that day so it was only $2. score! too bad my back and shoulders say i'm too old sleeping bag sleepover parties...

four for you, youtube coco!

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:58:19 GMT

omg this is brilliant! i love the classic disney animations and mean girls, but i'm sad to see my poor ariel get caught up in the mess...

**********

okay, my dad pretty much says the best stuff ever. today he was watching a countdown of the top 100 songs of the '90s and when i walked in he wanted to explain the backstory behind alanis morrisette's 'you oughtta know.' so it went like this:

DAD: chels, do you know this song? ('you oughtta know' playing on the tv)
ME: yup.
DAD: did you know she wrote this because she was pissed at uncle jerry from family circle?!
ME: ...
ME: do you mean uncle joey from full house? dave coulier?
DAD: oh yeah, that may be it.

i'm still sad shitmydadsays has already been invented; i would've been all over that.

thrifty 016

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:43:04 GMT

boo, i think i'm getting sick you guys :(
so i'm staying in and making a thrifty post!

so yeah, i've been hoping to find a super nintendo for YEARS while thrifting and i finally did! $25 from goodwill with all the cords and two controllers. i did end up having to go to a game shop to find a different cord that was compatible with my tv, but i finally got it to work! yay!
(this is a superbig deal for me because my parents did not allow me to have videogame consoles when i was a kid. so i'd go over to my neighbours to play mortal kombat, but now i'm set... and only 20 years behind!)

the tetris 2 and empires strike back were also at goodwill. $3/ea. found batman at savers for $3 but i haven't played it yet so i don't know if it works. also $3. mortal kombat was $10 at the game shop. i bought it when i got the cord because the guy was nice enough to test all my games and clean them and test the console for free.

tetris 2 has been my jam for the last couple of weeks.

OMG dinosaurs and chicken strips/fries?! basically my dream day. (i dunno whats up with the black bar on my screen; something with my camera flash)

vintage yashica 35mm in VERY good condition at value village. i had a TON of sewing patterns, but then saw the camera and only had enough cash for the cam, so i passed on them (ugh i hate the cash-only spots!). the lady who owned this took great care of her stuff-- the instruction booklet was still enclosed and a meter card from kodak.

i don't know if this'll show on the screen, but she filled out the buyer info in the back of the instruction book. she bought it in japan in 1962.
it was $10.

vintage argus from savers. i realize now that $25 was too much for an argus, but its pretty cool so i don't mind. it came with the wrong case, though, so that was a bummer...

cute little kodak from savers in one of those baggies on the wall. $1!

stoli glass. i love their logo. for a class project this semester we were divided into countries and i'm on team russia. i need some way to work this into the presentation. i'll wear my ice station zebra hat when i drink out of this for effect. part of the 4/$1.50 at savers.

sometimes things are so bad they go all the way around back to awesome. this mug is one of those things. part of the 4/$1.50 at savers.

cute clear heart mug. part of the 4/$1.50 at savers. the 4th one is so hideous i didn't even take a pic-- its a gag gift for my mom's cousin...

these are super super old, but i remember thrifting them. grandma and grandpa nutcrackers! i prolly wouldn't have cared to get them, but we already had one at home that is a sailor. i believe that makes its an official collection :D

i love this! i have no room for it and it doesn't match anything i have, but the little gnomes and mushroom house are supercute. it reminds me of the smurfs. maybe someday i can use it for key holders or something...

even the label is cute <3

OMG DEAN-O!

anyone play the 'dean martin's wild party' slot machine? it's the cutest thing ever.

i don't have a record player (i thought we had one in the garage and when i asked about it i found out we don't have one!), but i keep buying cool records because i know i'll eventually find one thrifting/ suck it up and buy one of those nifty record/cd players. i think this will be pretty awesome. both recs were $1/ea.

cute scotty plush from goodwill. the only red shirt to ever survive...

i bought this for my mom because she loves pinecones, but she didn't want it so i'm keeping it! i guess it's a serving tray for soda/beer cans? it's pretty kitsch; the gold paint is pretty sparkly in person. the center circle has the state of OREGON in it. goodwill.

i was SO excited to find this right before valentines day; but it was like, over 80 degrees here. geez... value village. i think $5, which is kinda pricey for me, but i can't pass up cute heart stuff.

cute little boy hiding under an umbrella. i bought this when it was raining, too! value village; i think $1. and i HATE how they grease pencil the price on everything :(

guitar pin with some missing stones. i'm hoping i can find some replacements... and cute sally from NMBC charm. both from savers.

giant chunky woven gold necklace. i wouldn't have normally bought this, because it was marked $15, but i went on presidents day and the jewelry/clothing were 50% off, so it was $7.50

this is a vintage case for the little showercap-like covers for your hair and shoes. it didn't have one inside, but i love the dial in the center because it's a map of downtown las vegas. i wish i could photograph it better; half of the casinos listed aren't even around anymore... 50 cents at savers on half off day.

little unicorn who lost part of her front leg :( $1 at savers.

gingerbread s/p shakers. i think they were originally from target; they look familiar... savers.

super cool find from an estate sale-- an issue of LIFE from 1938! pretty crazy, considering that it's in such good condition and it was printed before the US entered WWII...
all the pages are well preserved; the subscription card is still intact- a year of LIFE mag for only $4.50!
$1 from estate sale. it's QE on the cover (i'm guessing before she got the title; because they just call her elizabeth).

i wonder if this is one of the first printed stories of a ~premiere for the public because they really break down the lingo here. and LOL and "boobs" never catching on as a nickname...

ps-- i need to work 'splendiferous' into my daily vocab for reals.

epic suspenders collection.

various patterns from the baggies at savers over different trips.

LOL i love the drawing of the lady in blue on the far left. shes like, "come at me, bitch."

random vintage paper goods/cards from the estate sale. the birth announcement card at the top right is the CUTEST thing ever-- sorry the pics ahead suck...

so it's the couple walking into the hospital with a very pregant lady on the front of the card...

and when you open the card the center moves the couple through the hospital doors and they walk out with the new bundle of joy. aww :D

books from all over. i was bummed because i hadn't brought my booklist with me, but i recognized 'venetian affair.' so i bought it and got home and read my list. 'venetian affair' is indeed on it, but by a completely different author. dang.

there was a whole series of vintage sport books. i think they were a collection maybe from a p.e. teacher in the 60s or something. they had ones devoted to just basketball and just wrestling, but i got this one because it had ice skaing, ping pong ('table tennis,' excuse me), and a bunch of other cool stuff i never got to do in p.e. the pics are hilarious but i couldn't get the book to open flat. i guess the coach didn't use them much... savers.

epic picture book that was made before hawaii and alaska joined the union. savers.

okay, this cover jacket was just too cute to pass up. and the fact that the author posed with her dog on the back :D savers.

deer book with illustrations? i'm sold. savers.

someone wrote their name in pencil in this kipling book and i can't read it, however they did date it 1938. wow... savers.

someone donated a bunch of these timeline books on photography, but i grabbed the touristy and studio ones because i thought they were the most interesting. i love this pic:

pottery barn decorating book. i lucked out because the jacket was gone so there was no price to go on so the guy gave it to me for the minimum hardcover price. score! my favourite room they did was this old hollywood room... they found old theatre seats and used them in the room <3

great old photog book. it's pretty intense just flipping through it, but great pic examples, too.

i remember wanting creepers when i was in high school, but knew i wouldn't wear them enough to make it worth it considering their price. but yay there were some at savers in my size. i think about $7 or $8.
but i'm about 6'1 in them, so...

supercute picnic basket purse. it smells like an old lady though, so it's currently outside getting some fresh air.

dorky ski sweater that i love. i don't remember how much, but on the cheap because it was the half off day.

super score! this blazer still has the original talbots tag for $88 (yikes!) but was marked down to $35. then it was $15 at savers but it was half off day so only $7.50!
... and it looks better in person, to be sure. the stripes are actually two red lines with a thin mustard-yellow in the middle and for some reason my camera reads that as orange.

constellation shirt that also had the original tags! blasphemy! i can't believe someone would just up and ditch this without ever wearing it, but i'm okay with that. only $2 because it was from goodwill and it GLOWS IN THE DARK!
... did you know there's a constellation called 'unicorn'- i had no idea. it's on the shirt.

okay last find-- this beast was at the goodwill for $10 and i just couldn't leave it behind! omg i can't get over the amount of work it took to create the bitchiest bitchface cross-stitch owl of all time! and the frame! i really wish i could've seen the house this was up in, because i cannot imagine the place where the ornate gold frame and the stare-down owl are both working it out (besides my own room, of course).
i know it's hard to fathom scale from pics, but frame included, this baby is 21in by 21in. yeah.

long post-- i know. but thanks for sticking with me (and the owl) if you read this far...

~*CHEERS*~

crossposted to thriftwhore

OMG!!

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:09:09 GMT

dear cornykoreannerd,

oh my stars! i got the package today and it's amazing! what a shock and a treat to get all that cute stuff... and that HK might be the cutest HK ever :D i don't know what i did to earn such sweet loot, but i really appreciate it. thank you so much! this post needs more exclamation marks!
!!!!!!!

dance party in your honour!

(i just finished office season 5 and my journal needs more nard-dog)

xo_chels

ps-- i've been sitting on something to send you but now it seems so weak! :/
pps-- another .gif, because you are:

a long break between classes means more time to read!

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:51:10 GMT

today i finished 'by the river piedra i sat down and wept' by paulo coelho. i had read 'the alchemist' last year and wanted to check out more of his work. this one has a stronger religious storyline, and since i was not raised with a strong religious background i think some of the intensity of the seminary storyline is lost on me, but overall i thought it was a good read. coelho is now 2-2 as my go-to for inspo quotes, here's a bit from the book that i really liked:

you have to take risks... we will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.
every day, god gives us the sun- and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy. every day, we try to pretend that we haven't perceived that moment, that it doesn't exist- that today is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow. but if people really pay attention to their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment. it may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-key in the lock; it may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that all seem the same to us. but that moment exists- a moment when all the power of the stars becomes a part of us and enables us to perform miracles.
joy is sometimes a blessing, but it is often a conquest. our magic moment helps us to change and sends us off in search of our dreams. yes, we are going to suffer, we will have difficult times, and we will experience many disappointments- but all of this is transitory; it leaves no permanent mark. and one day we will look back with pride and faith at the journey we have taken.
pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. but when that person looks back- and at some point everyone looks back- she will hear her heart saying, "what have you done with the miracles that god planted in your days? what have you done with the talents god bestowed on you? you buried yourself in a cave because you were fearful of losing those talents. so this is your heritage: the certainty that you wasted your life."

you won't catch me behind the wheel of a chrysler ever again.

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:57:57 GMT

dear kimma--

i know that you do not have a livejournal, but i am guessing that you will be reading this. i had such a fun time on wednesday... even though we're too old for general admission. my knee still hurts, but i wanna go back in april! :D

xo_chels

ps- i don't even care what you think: sexy lumberjack is sexy. the trumpet is bonus points.

S.A.D. = single awareness day?

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:18:08 GMT

oh, happy valentines day to my dear f-list and anyone else who happens to come across this post. i've got a killer headache right now, so i prolly shouldn't be looking at a computer screen, but i wanted to wish you all a nice day.

last night i went over to my cousins and they made red velvet cupcakes with frosting from scratch and it was basically the tastiest thing ever.

do you have a valentine? i *technically* do not, but i am considering the boy who gave me free dvd rentals for no reason my valentine just because he was nice. i'm putting it out there in the interwebs, rental store employee whose name i don't know-- i appreciated it. thanks <3

**********

OH! and because i'm a history nerd who loves a dash of osteology every now and then: i came across this post on my f-page and thought it was kinda cool... st. valentines skull is out on display and someone took a pic here.

**********

ps-- i found the CUTEST red/white heart scarf thrifting last week and was super stoked to wear it today... and of course it was 84 degrees. lame :/

;_____;

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:08:46 GMT

so when i woke up my dad was like, 'do you know some designer named mcqueen? he died.' it was such a dark way to start my morning. i've always loved his work and bold designs. one of my fave pieces ever was this dress. i believe drew barrymore wore it to a premiere, but i found this pic first:

... and you even though i couldn't afford one of those skull scarves i rocked a knock-off with pride back in the day. he will be missed.

**********

i've totes jacked up my left knee. i really messed it up a couple weeks ago riding my bike, but it got better and then today BAM! it feels like a giant knot is behind my knee :/

i was in goodwill killing time before my class and ended up not going to school because the parking would guarantee a 20 minute walk EACH WAY and i knew i couldn't do that. geez-- one month into school and i'm already racking up absences.

there's no rulebook that says you can't talk as a mime.

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:03:38 GMT

why haven't i been watching criminal minds?
i have only recently discovered the awesomeness that is matthew gray gubler and his 'unauthorized documentaries.'

here's episode one if you haven't seen them:

(i love this dudes glasses)

i believe they're all on youtube, but watch them here for the ambiance. i think the red curtains really pull the whole look together. make a snack; there are quite a few short videos (click 'movies').

**********

i don't know why, but over the last week or so i have heard 'midnight train to georgia' by gladys knight an unusually high number of times. i'm not complaining-- i love that song-- i just find it strange that it has been the universe's jam for awhile now.

thrifty 015

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:36:32 GMT

cute little disney glass cup. savers, i think? some of this stuff was from along time ago and i forgot to take pics...

old s/p shakers. my mom found a coupon in the paper for salarmy, so i went down there and couldn't use it on these because they were considered ~collectibles.~ they only $3 anyway; they still had salt and pepper in them, too.

lucky cat. it's supposed to be a bank, but its pretty small. lucky cat knows i'm not too good at saving my money, i guess... savers.

adorable little umbrella cup, prolly from the 70s and prolly was a set. this was the only one i saw and i loved the handle! goodwill.

ginormous mug. like, for soup. i've had this so long i can't remember where i got it from. it became my unofficial mail holder awhile back.

pretty rose glass. goodwill. last summer i found another one of these glasses, nearly identical, but the other one has a golden rose. it's in an old post somewhere in here...

cute/weird santa statue/bank. savers.

i had no idea that disney had a choir! does it still? i loved the artwork, i'll prolly frame this one. $1 from a strange thrfity shop.

cool old cigar box from an estate sale/yard sale. the house was so cute; it was white with pink shutters :D this was $1

i guess it hasn't been opened up much because the graphic still looks bright as hale inside.

3 pack of ice cube trays from savers. pumpkins, and penguins, and hearts, oh my! i think only like, $2 or something too; sweet deal.

super 80s purse. savers.

i can't believe someone donated these! nick and norah slippers that hadn't even been worn! how can you just give up the sock monkeys like that? savers.

super cool vintage serving tray. estate sale that was all native american gear and elvis license plates. it was rad. $1

also brand new o'neill slipper/shoes/sock thingys. i love anything remotely fairisle print, and they have little pom-pom ties to keep the sock part up around your calves. cute <3

funky wood bead purse. fully lined and has a zipper. i think only one bead is wonky, everything else looks good. savers.

oh man-- blast from the past! pochacco duffle that is bigger than my backpack and what a steal! savers.

little DQ ice cream keychain and 'easy' button from the staples commercials. when you press it, the voiceover goes "that was easy." both from savers.

peppermint foldup treat caddy. a little pricey at $5, but it was so cute i couldn't pass it up! savers.

i don't know why i had to buy this doll, i just had to. little red riding hood with her cute 'reinhart' heart button, but you flip her over and you get---

grandma! but wait! then you flip grandmas kerchief and you get--

the big bad wolf (looking suspiciously like a looney tunes character...)! so you can tell the whole story with one doll. i'm sure i'll scare some children with this find one day... savers.

book finds from various spots.

more book finds from various spots. 'french lieutenants woman' is from a college book sale i passed when i was researching for a paper.

i'm buying books at a much faster rate than i'm reading them. anyone else having serious book buying issues when thrifting? but hey-- here are some more books...

cute fairy tales book with little illustrations. savers.

stories to LIVE BY? that's pretty intense if you ask me, i haven't read it yet, so i don't know if i'll be living by any per se-- but inside was an inscription and pic:

omg stripe pants is so fierce i can't even...

THE KING ♥

'OL BLUE EYES ♥

the nuns with guns pic before the cut is from this awesome book. i just randomly flipped it open in the shop and landed on the one pop-up page:

from savers. it's great.

i haven't read this yet, but i flipped through it and it looks cute. i see a lot of 'uncorrected proofs' at thrifty shops. do you guys, too? goodwill.

brownie cam set in the box from a crappy 'antique' shop for $10. only because charlotte gray took pride in her camera and i'm collecting vintage ones to display on my shelf...

supercute glass whale from savers. super cheap; i think $2. my mom bought me one years ago at a flea market very similar for $10!

wind up toys in a random tchotchkes bag at savers. i liked that lady octo.

another set of little bits from the savers misc. bags. this one had old christmas ornaments. i love the elephant on the drum; he has only one eye .)

still wrapped up candle in the shape of fiesta ware. it didn't have a price so i think they sold it for 50 cents; goodwill.

the bones glow in the dark! goodwill.

i love this movie; it was on tv a few nights ago. i don't know if i want to chop it up into something else or keep it as is... goodwill.

om nom nom sundae <3 savers.

i have the '... is a real boy' cd but don't know much else about them (that and the epic ODB cover) but i thought the print was cute. savers.

i dunno what they're specifically talking about... any guesses? goodwill.

cute buttondown. i don't know if it'll show up in the pics, but i really like the one because there are tiny pink and yellow stripes in the plaid :D savers.

threadless find from salarmy. i got to use that coupon on this one. yay! :D

you don't have to drink beer to love that bird... savers.

okay, thanks for looking at my post; take care!

~it's a trap!

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:15:31 GMT

so i'm flipping through a mag yesterday and find this insane ad for a STAR WARS collection by adidas. it had little magnets you removed to see the shoes behind. all the magnets are on my lockers now and of course i had to go online to see more...

it's actually quite strange, seeing that i am not one to get crazy about shoes or star wars-- but the combination of both has me super stoked. they've created some sort of double negative action that leaves me giddy like the campers at comic con. i would like the death stars in my life but could not find a release date on the site D:

kinda long winded promo to get you to the collection, but it's neat!

and since i don't have any star wars .gif, i leave you with some space balls. this was basically my reaction when i saw the ad:

maybe i'm just extra excited because i just watched the films a couple weekends back-- dude, han solo is so... GQ.

**********

i saw the wienermobile today and i really really wanted a weenie whistle. i was going to go up and ask for one when i realized that me getting one meant one less little kid getting one. my mind immediately flashed to neil from 'the santa clause' in his huxtable sweaters missing out on the whistle... the thought made me sad so i passed on getting one.

sometimes this whole being an adult thing isn't too fun :/

***********

first class of the new semester later today. yikes!

tilda swinton and val kilmer sounds legit.

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:02:18 GMT

not only is conan the funniest late night host, he is a true blue class act.

i felt so stupid getting all teary during his speech; i cannot wait until he is back on the air. seven months and counting?

so melancholy watching cone bone...

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:28:55 GMT

so cool deal: there was an acting class i wanted to take this semester but it was filled up. i went anyway, braving the storm and i got an add code. yay!
... and i overheard a student in there talking about how she knows 'annyong' from AD. i nearly ~blue myself.

**********

the crazy rain is outta control around here. i mean, we need it-- but not overwhelming like this. we have it so rarely that people of southern california cannot drive in it :/ i'm gonna hide out at home tomorrow...

**********

i applied for a job at a thrift store. i both hope they call and hope they don't. they could pay me in store credit.

**********

OMG spring semester starts (for serious) on monday? where did the time go? kinda nervous, but looking forward to the FINAL YEAR. YES!

shitmydadsays twitter is already taken? damn.

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:36:56 GMT

a couple days ago my dad said that he thought rice krispies were made from corn. he wasn't joking. it was so awesome.

this nbc tomfoolery has me supersad and i'm sticking with that pretty ho where ever he goes...

interview via satellite.

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:45:00 GMT

oh hi-- guess what? i'm comin' atcha from my room on my shiny new laptop! the folks got me a pretty blue dell and i'm pretty sure i'll have it figured out by the time it becomes completely obsolete. i've spent the last few days trying to get my music all downloaded-- sidebar: you can't just plug in your ipod and get your music after authorizing a new comp? wtf is that? :/
but hey, at least i figured out my internet connection, so i'm pleased as punch!

i hope that everyone had a nice christmas and new years! can you believe that it is already 2010? holy crap. i'm at a loss for words; 'holy crap' is all i got... my 2010 isn't off to the best of starts; i jacked up my knee riding my bike. it's a stationary bike with a wonky pedal, but i thought it would be okay-- i'm still paying for it with a slight limp 2 days later. i even had to pass on a day trip meandering hollyhood with the cousins because of my old lady pains... such a bummer! :'(

but hey- enough debbie downer business around here, i have high hopes for 2010 and i hope that you do, too!

"everyday remind yourself of your own ability, of your good mind, and affirm that you can make something really good out of our life."-- norman vincent peale; positive thinking everyday (jan 3)

... i wish you all the best year yet! :D

take a look, it's in a book...

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:28:35 GMT

book list 2010

here's an on-going list of book that i've read in 2010. in 2009, i barely hit my 20 book goal and just finished would've-been #21-but now #1 for '10 on jan 1. hopefully this year i'll bag a few more reads...
every time i finish a book i'll update this post.
(google image search found the monroe pic)

01. Wherever You Go There You Are by: jon kabat-zinn
02. The Year of Living Biblically by: a.j. jacobs (did you google yourself and come across my blog?)
03. The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2004 edited by: dave eggers
04. By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by: paulo coelho
05. At Last There is Nothing Left To Say by: matthew good

merry christmas 2009!

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:29:56 GMT

okay, so i am fresh out of time and can't be on LJ, but i wanted to wish everyone that passes this post a very merry christmas!

thrifty 014

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:33:32 GMT

recent thrifty finds. way too many effing pictures, i know...

i've been listening to christmas songs the past couple of days but it was 86 mother loving degrees here yesterday, ugh! :/ unto the stuffs....

pretty check flannel from savers.

found this at an opening of a new savers, so i couldn't use my donation coupon. i love store openings because their merch is so orderly...

i didn't bother to check the zipper when i bought this and OF COURSE it doesn't work! but i bought it on the 50% off clothing day so it wasn't too expensive. was that for veteran's day? i can't remember the holiday; but i had the day off school.

omg this shirt is so ridic, i love it. kinda boxy on me, but longer because it's a guy shirt. and wrinkle resistant, haaay! savers.

this just gave me the LULZ, even though i cross my fingers the opposite way than in the pic. savers.

boondock saints is one of my fave movies ever, so even though this is pretty worn i couldn't pass it up... plus it was from goodwill so it was only $2. the logo is on the back.

goodwill fierceness.

cute little tam hat from savers opening.

i'm still on the fence with this cardi-- it's this weird sort of patchwork mess but i think its kinda cool. i don't have anything to go with it so i haven't worn it yet. goodwill.

i realized the shirt i was wearing when i was taking pics had recently been thrifted... "i belong in the country music hall of fame." yes! savers and my new fave <3

i do love the 'i heart...' shirts and this one has a list of things to heart! yay! savers.

lazy girls holla. savers.

i loved this dress and threw it in the wash. when i pulled it out i decided to check the tag to see if i should put it in the dryer or not when i saw the DRYCLEAN ONLY tag. ruh-roh! plus it only fits me right now if i don't zip it up... damn holiday snacks! plus side zippers are the devil :/ lol savers.

another side zip dress. when will i learn? oh well, i love sweetheart necklines :D savers.

kay, so prolly my most epic classy broad find while thrifting. faux fur lord and taylor winter coat. it was marked $20, but it was the half off day on clothes, so i got it for $10! it's too short in the sleeves (i'll just keep my hands in the pockets and no one will notice) and i see no place for me to wear this in the near future, but i don't care! $10! savers.
it makes me want to fly to NYC just so i can walk around in my cheapass coat lol :D

brand new PF julius flip flops from the savers opening.

i'm on a real collectors plate kick recently; i have no idea why, i used to make fun of people for having them but now i'm buying them! this disney one has a chip on the front, but it was so old i didn't care. savers.

LOL oh god, the cat. it didn't have a price, but there was also a dog (not as awesome) so i took that one up for the price. i think they charged me $2. it's leaning against my lockers and i see it every time i walk into my room and it cracks me up. i think its the wonky eyes, i dunno...

cute heart vase. i bought a pink one like this from the same shop like 6 months ago, weird! savers.

old whiskey bottle from the most janky goodwill ever, ugh. it was bad. but this is cool. prolly not worth $5, but i love me some gamblin' memorabilia...

the booze label was still intact.

fancy lady bag. i love the ~diamond clasp~ savers opening.

i remember last year i sat by a girl in one my classes that had the legit lesportsac print of these bags and i loved it and found the rip at the savers opening. yay! :D

omg this gem was also from the new savers. is this a monopoly rip or what? the board is so great and the craziest thing is that it is BRAND NEW! like, never played with; all the little houses are still in plastic baggies and the monies were banded. $2!

weird old s/p shakers. i'm always so impressed to find a legit set when thrifting. savers.

cute little chickadee bank. i love the red bow on top of her head. anyone know the logo on the back? savers.

old camera just for display. savers.

old cast iron mini cake pan. it needs a good scrub, but i love all the different shapes and it was only $1.50 at an estate sale!

omg fork and spoon for the wall! i found these at goodwill and they were taped together. i think they were about $5 or $6. i bought it for about 80% LULZ and 20% style and then realized that i'm basically gonna rock my kitchen marie barone-stlye :D

a church was having a rummy where you take a bag and fill it up for $5. i just used this red bag and since it was smaller than the bags they gave me the stuff for $4. i don't know why it has keys; there is no lock...

cool old patterns from rummy.

i thought this one deserved its own pic :D classy!

christmas cats pin from rummy and then they had a table for there more ~high price~ items and jewelry that you had to pay separate for. the praying hands and hat pin where from the *other table* and i think they were 50 cents each.

cool old pencil cup from the *other table.* i think it was also 50 cents...

i know this purse doesn't look like much, but it just needs to be cleaned up! fancy lady purse by "dofan" it even has a little doe stamped inside :D church rummy i fit it in the red bag.

books from all over. vampire armand is from the church rummy and the rest are savers or goodwill.

yay more books! got a lot at the savers opening.

pins for my future as an old pin lady. both from savers.

anyone have juniors from NYC? my mom ordered there cheesecake once for christmas. cool recipe/memoir type book with lots of great pics. savers.

cheescake valentine!

mailer box set. savers.

kitschy bowling book from yard sale. really cool pics inside. $1

this is a tiny little book that can fit in your pocket with all these drink recipes and it was so cute and kitsch i couldn't pass it up. got it at an estate sale for free because i was buying something else and didn't have change...

old school (really) typing book from the church rummy. it's from the compton school district and the last date stamp is april 1952.

i wouldn't have gotten it under other circumstances, but a couple days before at an estate sale i found this:

blue electric typewriter with case! i've been crazy busy with school so i haven't had a chance to use it, but the guy said there should still be ribbon in it. $5 and he let me have the pocket drink book :D

.... so that's it. if you're still reading, thanks. i know this was a long post! merry happy to you!

crossposted to thriftwhore

ps-- on a completely unrelated note, the miley cyrus/max azria line for wal-mart has cute stuff! i went in for hair colour and left with a dress :D (is this real life?)

finally FINALLY!!!!

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:02:04 GMT

omg i haven't read my lj in what feels like forever-- finals were a beast this semester. i am sad to report that this is the first semester i'm not 100% sure i'll pass one of my classes... ugh i really don't want to take american foreign policy again, but the final was an essay and my writing is so casual i'm not sure how it will go over with the prof. the bright side of going at it twice i guess would be my uber-proficiency in containment policies during the cold war... i'm asking santa (and baby jesus) that i don't have to go over another year before i graduate, what are you guys asking for?

but today i went to sell some books back and i'm officially NOT stepping foot on that piece for a month-- yay! it's like christmas time can begin for me now; i've had such a dark school cloud hanging over my head... but no more! i feel like dancin'!

so yay i hope everyone has a nice holiday time-- i don't know if folks that read this celebrate holidays other than christmas, and if you do i hope that you have fun!
i still keep hoping that i'll find a busted old tetherball setup at a thrift store so i can take it apart and make it a 'festivus' pole and that will be our only decoration :D
and a big ol hug to lonelytourist for my cool bracelets and cd; i don't have those songs, so i'm stoked and yay at your craftiness! :D

okay i'll try to read my f-page and catch up. thrifty post coming soon. way too much damn stuff. i found some sweet stuff at a church rummy and a new savers opened up. nice! take care <3

attack of the palms.

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:09:53 GMT

i was walking to my car today and there is a loooong drive way that students walk down that separates the activity fields from a parking lot that has palm trees all down one side. so this dude is walking like, 10 feet in front of me and was too busy texting and walking to notice the 20 ft. palm hanging over so that it is nearly scraping the ground and he walked right into it! omg! it took everything not to start laughing at him right then and there, but that is why you shouldn't text and walk kids.... you might walk into a palm tree.

... it was also 'snow day' at school where they roped off a few feet of concrete and put snow on the ground. it was in the mid 70s, so i'm not sure how long it lasted; they were only setting it up when i saw it. kinda random....

**********

OH! and this was also weird: first off, i love getting money that has stuff written on it or has drawings. i dunno, it's like traveling art you only keep for a short period of time. so anywhoo-- i go to old navy to exchange a tee and ended up buying some mittens (i know, i'm in so cal but they were so damn cute i don't care. they say "HI" and "BYE" on them!) and i got this $5 in change. someone had written on it and check the date:

holy crap one year to the day! isn't that strange? and where is marty desi's pool? so i think i need to write 12-3-09 old navy on it and spend it tomorrow.

thrifty 013

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:12:26 GMT

blah blah blah, i'm feelin' the blues for some unknown reason, so i thought i'd make a thrifty finds post.

cool eagle wall decor. it looks pretty badass, gonna end up somewhere on my wall (i'm running out of room, though! ah!) from goodwill, i think it was $4

i passed a yard sale on the way back from a doctor appointment when i found these supercute heart suspenders. i got one of each and then one extra of each design to sell on ebay. i love the hearts.

and they're from urban outfitters, hey!

cute patterns-- i really liked the wrap top pattern (far right) but i dunno about the others :/ they were a mixed bag from savers.

cute and cozy grandpa cardigan. it was overcast today, but still warm. i can't wait for cooler weather! savers.

awesome plaid that doesn't photograph well :/ savers.

cute kids size backpack from the olympics. i loved those bears :D savers.

books from savers and goodwill. the epic find was 'house of leaves' because i went to buy it at barnes and noble and it was $30, but i found it at goodwill for $3! YAY!

i liked the star trek movie from this summer, but i had never actually seen any eps of the original show. but goodwill had the famous tribble ep on VHS, so i checked that out LOL it was awesome and 60's shatner was such a fox...

random goodies: the little monster guy hangs on my door and the asian girl's face is familiar-- is she a brand or something? she's a keychain. i HATE smoking, but i LOVE vintage ashtrays, weird... and then the drink swizzle sticks were too cute to pass up... all from goodwill.

we went on a vacation last month to see the missions of california, but that didn't stop us from hitting an estate sale! LOL super cute santa candle. i think he was a dollar.

this funky little cup was some gift combo through avon, i guess it had lotion or parfume in it because the cup is too small to use. i think it'll be a mini bud vase. savers.

mini eiffel tower statue. savers... hopefully i'll get to see the real deal in person one of these days! :D

epcot center s/p shakers. yay disney! :D savers, i think 2 or 3$.

cute san fran barrel mug. savers.

kitschy santa napkin holder. i love his drawn on eyelashes! :D savers.

vase. so tacky it was love at first sight <3 savers.

adorable ornament from the estate sale. the little soldiers go all the way around. i think she charged me a quarter....

i bought these a looooong time ago, but they needed to be cleaned up before i took a pic. they s/p shakers. their stops were ceramic and super brittle so they fell apart. i don't care, they're so cute! 2 or 3$ from savers.

omg my giant whale. i love him so! his name is walter and i came in to buy a book i had passed on two day previously (i didn't find it) but ended up with him. $4 at savers. he's a beast and now the 4th whale i've thrifted... i have a fleet on my bookcase.

super random find; i love little kids suitcases, but i was surprised to see one as old as aladdin that still has tags! i think i'll put it on ebay because i was always more of an ariel girl, but what do you think is a fair price for a nwt disney case? i have no idea because i always see them used. and how do you ship such a thing? so many questions; i need to go bum around ebay and usps.com

i totally want to watch aladdin now-- it's been too long :D

ps-- there is still time if you haven't gone: clothing is 50% off at savers today! i went this morning and have enough to make another post :D

hope everyone had a nice veteran's day!

cross posted to thriftwhore

mission: missions.

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:47:38 GMT

so like, nearly a month ago my folks and i set out to see a bunch of california's mission. there are 21 in the state and we saw 16 in 3 days. my head still spins at that number and i had to bust out the map to know which mission is which from these pics.

you'll also note that i'm a big geek about vintage signs. i try to carry my digi cam always and my holga most of the time and constantly make whoever is driving pull over if i see cool old signs. this post is image heavy and a bit random, but onward...

the first mission we visited was the last one built, mission san francisco solano. it is in sonoma, which is a cute little wine-country type town. there was a town center where there were a bunch of cute little shops i could've spent the day wandering, but we were on a mission of missons!

surrounding the mission san fran are a bunch of cool houses and the old building that traveling soldiers stayed at. they have it all boarded up but i'm hoping the revamp it because its badass.

cool wire gate by the soldier housing.

these bells are at EVERY mission. and each mission has them in different spots, which is kinda cool.

whoever owns the property next to the mission has all this open land with the rickety fence holding clidesdale (sp?) horses. i'm not a horse person, but they were ginormous and really pretty and mellow. they came over to say hello but lost interest when they realized we didn't bring snacks.

the house across the street has a mini vineyard instead of grass as their front yard! :D

so yeah, we got there early which is why i was wandering around the block taking pics of horses. but the mission has turned into a mini museum and they still had a lot of pieces from the mission. it was cheap admission (i think every place was under $6 or donation) and you could see the old chapel and then the courtyards where each place had wonderful gardens.

they didn't allow flash in the museum, but i though this chandelier was pretty cool...

inside the actual church. every orignal church part was SUPER small because there was, like, hardly any people around at the time.

in sonoma, paying for the mission is also admission to the general's house which is about 2 miles away. i didn't take many pics, but there was a father and son practicing bagpipes in the parking lot which was the highlight.
also, people were super short at this time... i had to duck nearly every door way this whole trip!

we went back to the main street part of sonoma because i saw a cool old theatre i wanted to take pics of :D

... then i saw this sweet ride parked about a block away. i mean, you could prolly see it from a mile away, but still:

dude really likes pens, i guess. i really appreciate the extra effort to also work the interior!

*****

our next mission was san rafael. i thought this was such an epic entrance for a mission:

... when i realized that is the church that is being used now and the mission was the little room across the walkway.
it was very beautiful and tiny but there were a couple old ladies praying in there so i didn't want to interupt with my mad tourist camera shots.

*****

we got into san francisco (after having to pass up about 3498734 AMAZING vintage signs because of gnarly traffic and parking) and with to mission delores. it is also connected to a functioning church. they also had an amazing graveyard in the back with some of the most interesting headstones. the deceased were predominately irish, i was kind of surprised...

they win for best painted ceiling too:

graveyard/garden:

i was hoping to spend some time in san fran, but we were sticking to a tight schedule. i did get to go to a mall in japan town and buy some hello kitty earmuffs. that was cool :D

*****

mission san jose is another mission with a great museum separated from the church. i think this is only church i swore in during the whole trip, which is good for me. that's what you get from trying to load a camera in a dark room... i apologized and then took these pics from inside the chapel:

******

vintage motel signs! we passed this old motel on our way to the next mission:

do you think mr. sterling would stay there?

i didn't take any pics at mission santa clara, but it is on the university campus. there was a wedding party working on their rehersal so we didn't want to interupt!

no pics from mission san miguel, either, because it was the last of the day and they were holding an evening service. it was pretty small and it looks like they're doing quite a bit of construction around it right now. they also had all their stuff set up for a rummy sale the next day and i wanted to check it out SO BAD but i didn't; i didn't want them to mistake my snooping for stealing :/

i saw this cool old sign near our hotel and waited until the next morning so i could get a decent pic. i had no idea we were that close to the beach: it was seriously all forest and so pretty!

*****

this part of this mission map fails me, because i know we went out of order and i have no idea where these pics came from. but i loved the spider web on the statue:

sorry i suck so bad at IDing stuff: if i do a trip like this again, i'm taking pics of signs as the first shot to know which mission is which.

**EDIT: my mom says they're from mission santa cruz!**

*****

in santa cruz we went to the best shopping lot EVER: vintage ice cream parlour and grog shop (liquor store, but i love their sign)

they carry skullhead vodka, which i really want for the bottle, but it was about $45. and i since i don't drink i can't find any way to justify that...

the ice cream shop was sooo cute and there was a group of about 7-8 older gentlemen all hanging out at the biggest table in the shop. it looked like an ice cream social/meeting of the minds.

... and apparantly the grog and the parlour have a bit of a rivalry going on (in their defense the parking sucked)

*****

the next mission was san juan bautista. it was like stepping back in time or going to wild bills-- they have these old buildings still up from the 1800s and a lot of animals roaming about.

we parked and this rooster was a big fan of my mom. he actually crossed the road (lol) to walk us to the mission. i blocked traffic for a safe journey :D

this mission was HUGE and had tons of personal effects left from the mission-- even textiles and books, which was incredible to see. there were chickens, cats, lizards, etc all roaming around. it sits on the san andreas fault (yikes), but definitely come visit this one.

every mission has a giftshop.

i think this was the most beautiful chapel; it had a very arch gothic feeling to it-- the darkness with the red backlight on the statues. i took a bajillion pictures with my holga. i hope they turn out!

this statue was out in the garden. i liked that people have left gifts with her <3

the priest had his personal residence area, and this statue was near his door:

*****

oh yay, more signs in town!

i went into the market for a soda and it was... an experience. i felt like i went back in time.

we stopped at the giant artichoke, which i haven't seen since i was little and is no longer GIANT to me. i'm such a dweeb, i didn't even take a pic but we did mosey around the market and stop in the restaurant for fried artichoke hearts om nom nom

they have these awesome fruit stands. they had other fruits they weren't using, like apples, and oh man i wanted to take them home. lol i have no idea what i'd do with a giant apple display, but i think it would be a cute piece for my imaginary house...

anyone else get a strong AD vibe from this? there's always money in the banana stand.

world's saddest arcade :'( the green wall in the back is actually the INSIDE of the giant artichoke.

*****

the next mission was mission carmel which is SO BEAUTIFUL OH MY STARS, SO BEAUTIFUL! it was very busy, as there were quite a few tourists and a wedding going on, so we couldn't go into the chapel. it's also in a schmancy neighborhood, i guess clint eastwood owns a home nearby...

they have a sacred heart door, so prolly my fave mission we saw :D

the founder of the missions, father serra, is buried at this mission, but he's in the chapel near the alter so we didn't get to say hi. they have a huge statue in the museum area depicting his passing, though:

i lost count of how many photographers were wandering the courtyard, it's that pretty. people were just taking pics of the flowers and the giant fountain.

i fell in love with this little tree and staircase...

flowers everywhere--

i also dug this cactus variant, it looks like a sea creature!

*****

mission soledad was our next stop and way out in the middle of nowhere. even on the mission map its called 'the forgotten mission' :'( they've had a lot of natural disaster issues and rebuilt the mission a number of times, but they still had a nice museum of the saved pieces. it was some of the gnarliest wind and i could barely walk around and the lady at the shop said it's like that pretty much all the time :/

statues for sale at the mission.

*****

mission san antonio is the most effort you have to put into to get to a mission. it's in the heart of an army base, so there are ID checks to go through and strict speed limits once on the base. it was a beast to find and by the time we got there it was closed! so we walked around the front of it.

it is credited as the location of the first catholic marriage taken place in california. the property used to be owned by william randolph hearst, so there are some cool buildings in the area.

but for reals, there were signs warning of snakes and it smelled like pee SO BAD i was over this place by the time we got to it. you can skip this one...

*****

i don't think i took any pictures at mission san miguel. you can see that it was becoming mission overload...

our next day started with mission san luis obispo. this one is also in the heart of town. they also had a cool museum and pretty garden.

the bells!

i thought the grapes looked fake. this is looking overhead; a grape walkway of sorts. super pretty.

*****

this sign was right down the street from the mission. the shop had moved to a different location, but they left their sign behind. cowboys AND cookies? win-win.

speaking of cookies: if you are in san luis obispo, the best chocolate chip cookies i have ever had came from the apple farm. we've been going there since i was a little kid and they've ruined everything else, but the cookies are still amazing. go get some! (and bring me one, too!)

*****

no pics from mission santa ines. it's in solvang (♥) but their service just got out and it was super busy and the patrons seemed kinda rude, so we left pretty quick.

mission la purisima was insane-- they have over a mile worth of grounds you can tour. they still have so many of the rooms from the original mission and farm, and a few sheep and horses.

textiles room.

this was their confessional! so much for privacy! you sit down and pull the teensy curtain while the priest sits on the OUTSIDE and listens to you speak through the hollowed side wall.

this mission was more expensive, i can't remember how much because they charged 'parking' and not admission, but there was so much to see its still a decent price.

*****

i didn't take any pics at mission santa barbara because we didn't go inside the church. but their location and chapel is so beautiful. there is a huge fountain out front with fish and i mean c'mon, its santa barbara: lovely views.

mission san buenaventura was our last stop and we JUST made it-- they were closing in 5 minutes. so we hauled through the museum and got out to the gardens and church:

the garden was small but had some cool statues. some people were praying on the other side, so i don't know what other statue was there...

*****

this last mission was also in the main area of town. we walked a couple blocks and OMG we passed about 3 thrift stores and an urban outfitters. they were having a sale on all outerwear, so there went all my money :/

i need to plan a mini trip to ventura stat! i dug this sign, too :D

******

whew! okay, that was the trip. i get tired just thinking about covering all that space in such a short amount of time. my parents did the other missions the next weekend, so they're officially seen all 21.

if you read this far, thanks for sticking with me :D hope everyone is doing well! whatcha up to? i am counting the days to thanksgiving break.

this time change still has me messed up...

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:09:16 GMT

today in my western democracies class a grad student did a mini-presentation on work she's doing regarding sweden, the next country we're covering. she asked the class what is the thing that comes to mind when we think of sweden and people were saying stuff like, "welfare state" and "gender equality."

and i swear, i didn't say it out loud but the first thing that came to mind was alexander skaarsgard.

true blood season 2 needs to come out on DVD already, geez!

so silly, i obviously need to back off the tv/internet and get back to schoolwork. i can't believe the semester is almost over. i have 6 (ugh maybe 7 if i don't pass one of my classes i'm in right now) classes and then i'll have my degree-- OMG! okay, back to reading...

fml: academic edition.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:39:52 GMT

gah, how i have missed the internets. our connection has been wonky for over a week, so hardly any time on the comp. i'm behind on everyone's journals and i like the read the comms, but i'm going to have to take a few days to catch up!

the last few weeks have been rough. my school had furloughs for the professors so i had 3 days off. i though that would mean it would be awesome and i'd have a wonderful time sewing/catching up on class reading but it didn't go over so well. i had gnarly headaches everyday and an allergic reaction to a new inhaler i got. it made me super jittery and anxious and i couldn't sleep for two nights before i figured out that was the prob.

then i get back to school and i get rear ended in the parking lot. i'm sitting in my car about to put lipstick on and BUMP! i move up a couple feet. i was in shock and get out of my car to look for damage and the guy who hit me is all, "oh.... i, uh... came in a little fast i guess. i looked away for a second." and then JUST LOOKS AT ME. THIS ASS DIDNT EVEN APOLOGIZE FOR HITTING MY CAR. IM STILL MAD; SO MAD I NEED THE CAPSLOCK OF RAGE!
i'm seriously over the lack of respect people my age have for each other; it feels especially bad at school. i enjoy school, the subjects and learning new things, but there are so many nasty people there it makes me want to take up university of phoenix or something... UGH!

AND THEN i go to class and find out that i failed my midterm. FAILED! nerdy truth: i've never gotten a "F" on anything in school before, let alone the midterm and i cried all the way out to my car. it was horrible :/

so yeah, i'm sorry this is a bum out post, but my life has been rather... bum out lately. i'm trying to turn that around though and hoping for the best! i still have to load up my pics from my mission trip and i'll hopefully set them up here. OH! and i found a big ceramic whale while thrifting today. he's supercute and it made my day. i haven't named him, so comment if you have any cool ceramic whale names.