freedom to escape

Escape... from Stuff

2011-04-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

Oh dear. I just counted two-hundred and twenty-two tops and dresses that need to go on hangers. It's time for me to put my stuff on a diet. Free myself from some my piles. Seriously, I don't even know how I accumulated so much stuff.

Oh wait. I almost never toss or donate my clothes. In fact, I still have my girl scout camp t-shirt... from when I was seven. It still fits. I still wear it.

New goal: One in, two out.

This now applies to all my stuff… except for food. I'm not going to be dumping food. It just doesn't seem right.

And in case you're wondering, I was counting up my tops and such to know how many new Huggable Hangers I'll need to get. Looks like a lot of purging needs to be done before I can even a get ten-pack of new hangers.

Care to join me?

Angry at the Bank

2009-03-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

GE Money Bank is ripping me off! I've got a Banana Republic card with them and they're not helping.

I have a credit balance on my credit card. It's fairly large since I returned several items that I don't need. It made sense in my head. Don't need it = return it!

Then I called the bank and asked them to write me a check back for the balance. I figured this would be relatively easy since it's my money, and they've got all the information they need to send it to me. Not so! I was told by the schmarmy customer agent on the other end that they'll send me my money in 45 to 60 days.

Really? Must I really wait two months to get my money back? There isn't even an option to have them expedite it. I tried asking. Does anyone else know how I can deal with this? I'd been hoping to get the money back for rent. Argh...

Lovely Giveaway

2009-03-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

Oh Hello Friend is holding a giveaway with prizes from some lovely shops on Etsy. Hop over there and join in all the fun.

Domino Effect

2009-01-28T22:15:00.001-08:00

Domino is closing up shop!

*Slams door. Cue waterworks. Sob and sniffle.*

What do I have to look forward to in my mailbox now??? It was my favorite magazine filled with gorgeous affordable stuff that I could dream about!!! It sucks to be losing my favorite magazine after they pulled my favorite TV show. Who have I offended to lose my favorite entertainment? Please excuse me if I'm being a melodramatic, but I've been sick this past week and seeing this news splashed across my blogosphere is more than I can handle right now. The codeine's not helping.

Welcome Home!

2009-01-20T09:01:00.001-08:00

Welcome to your new home! I can't wait to see what they'll do with their new roles.

Found via The Bride's Cafe.

Hot Air Balloon

2009-01-15T22:22:00.000-08:00

Need a vacation? I haven't even officially started my spending break, and I already have a list of things I want to buy as soon as I'm done. On the upside, anything I still want in six months will have staying power. Right?

These illustrations by Devon Kelley-Yurdin have me sighing. Those colors are beautiful. Maybe you can buy them from her Etsy shop, and then I'll live vicariously through you.

October ~ $30

Two-Hundred and Ninety Miles ~ $30

Recycled ~ $30
Found via More Ways to Waste Time.

Sea Voyager

2009-01-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

Creature Comfort has a giveaway from Paper 'n' Stitch. Now I'm tempted to get this gorgeous map and head off on an adventure.

Ships Search for Sea Serpents ~ $45

Lovely Support Group

2009-01-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

Joslyn over on Simple Lovely is starting a spending hiatus support group. I definitely need this. I'm going to start next Monday and keep this up until the ~~end~~ start of June. Actually... let's make this easier... I can't spend more than twenty dollars a month on non-essentials (food, utilities, gas).

It's already too late for this week. I went out with a few friends for San Diego's Restaurant Week, (absolutely delicious and planned for since it was their Christmas present from me), bought myself a new pair of boots (on sale and with a ton of coupons), a new pair of sneakers (so I can work on the exercising part of my resolution), and a bright yellow jacket from Gap.

Cropped Hooded Trench - Available at Gap.

I think I'll be good and return the jacket. Or not. Or yes. Or... well... perhaps I'll get it later as an early reward to myself when it goes on sale. Maybe it'll be less than twenty bucks so I won't be breaking any rules. I'll let you know when I get it back to the store. If I don't, please remind to get on it.

Ooh... loot!

2009-01-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my incredible luck. After a lifetime of not winning any raffles... I've now won two in the past year. Sarah from Things are Better with a Parrot picked me to win her gorgeous calendar set! It's not too late to pick one up from her Etsy shop.

It's a bit late to be posting about it, but I love the set and wanted to share. The pictures I took of her cute packaging and prizes just doesn't do them justice, so I'm posting some of the pictures she took of them.

Back in a bit...

2009-01-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

Can't upload pictures with my post. I guess I'll tell you about my lucky win later.

Sitting on the Fence

2009-01-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

I love a fresh start. New Years is great for that. So are Mondays (even if I would rather be sleeping in). But I still can't decide if I like resolutions or not. It's great to have goals... but really... there's too many things I'm hoping to improve and not enough time or discipline in a year to get it all done.

Well, after a week of indecisiveness (*ding one*), I'll just post everything I'm hoping to accomplish this year, and we'll see how far I get. In no particular order:

1. Dress stylishly everytime I leave the house.

2. Blog at least once a week.

3. Write and mail letters to a friend or family member at least once every two weeks.

4. Cook at least three times a week for the month of January. This one's tough and nerve wracking for me since I usually only cook once or twice a year.

5. Stay in the positive for my allowance. I give myself a small budget every month for guilt-free shopping. Last year, I kept going over and not being able to shop for months at a time. This year, I'll save up first.

Now for the small stuff:

1. Frame my art prints and pictures that I kept buying last year.

2. Give myself a weekly in-home facial.

3. Eat breakfast everyday.

4. Send birthday and holiday cards before they happen.

5. Be more decisive.

I'll let you know how it all goes next year!

Counting Down the Seconds!!

2008-12-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

I can't wait for the new year to start!

3 Reasons to End 2008:

1. Lost a grandfather. I miss the way he welcomed me into his family. He called me his granddaughter long before I married his grandson.

2. A failed marriage. I still don't know why things haven't worked out for two of my best friends. They'd been together for so long, and it sucked that there was nothing I could do or say to make things better for them.

3. A new allergy. It took a while to figure out since I've spent the past month all puffy. I've developed an allergy to seafood. My favorite kind of food.

It's been a tough year for my family and friends. There have been so many lost jobs, lost health, and lost love. On the upside, 2009 should kick-butt compared to '08. I'll tell you my resolutions tomorrow. I still have a couple hours to drop things from my list. Ta-ta for now.

Resolutions anyone?

2008-12-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Calvin Klein - Olive. Available at Piperlime.com

It's time for me to start job-hunting. I've finally finished the bulk of my classes and now it's time for me to put that knowledge to work. I must confess... I wrote these shoes off at a necessity since I'll be needing them for interviews. Plus, they look gorgeous in person! They're oh so shiny in their patent leather glory (which by the way, I never cared for until I put these on), and they make my legs look slimmer. I'm not quite sure how that works, but it does. Yay for new shoes and a new year!

Bright and Cheery

2008-12-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Nine West - Doverly. Available at Endless.com

I love how happy and yellow these Nine West shoes are! I think I'd actually buy and keep them. If only I could find one in my size.

No More Daisies

2008-12-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

Oh no... I just heard that ABC is pulling Pushing Daisies. *sniffle sniffle* I finally found something that I wanted to watch now that Scrubs is heading out the door, and now they're scrapping it.

I loved the fun crimes and mysteries. I loved the bright colors and cute outfits. And now... I'll have nothing on the telly to watch, and I'll have to find something else to get on the phone with my sisters about.

Here's Wishing...

2008-12-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

Love it or hate it... my family's doing another Secret Santa gift exchange this year. I love the idea of it: dad-in-law created a program to randomize selections every year so that you don't get your immediate family members and you don't get the same person you got the year before. Then we all post our wishlists online, pick out presents for our person, and trade them on Christmas Eve.

Unfortunately, not everyone in the family is tech-savvy enough to follow and read the bare bones wishlist (it really is an ugly, ugly page). In fact, for the past two years, the people who have gotten me for the exchange haven't even bothered reading my list, and I've just been stuck with giftcards for places I don't normally shop at. I still love them though.

This year, in an attempt to thwart the non-techies in the family, I've made my wishlist as user-friendly as possible. In fact, you don't have to navigate away from the page to find the prices or where they're available. Our limit is $50, but I've made everything on my list under $30. It's a tough year... who knows where the economy is going... I don't want anyone to go broke over me.

So... allow me to present my wishlist!!!
1. Pottery Barn Linen Pinboard 2. groundwork - Good Company Print 3. groundwork - A Grand Discovery Print 4. Home Sweet Home Mail Hook 5. Cupcake bowl 6. Mirabel - Lucky Owl Print 7. Mirabel - Kokeshi Madonna and Child 8. Simple Scrapbooks Subscription 9. Alphabet Stamp Set 10. BlueLounge - Cable YoYo

Ironic isn't It?

2008-12-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

The economy is in the dumps. People are losing their jobs all over the place. And I originally started this blog as a road map for my sisters and friends on how to handle your finances. I'm pretty sure you can't tell that from anything I've written so far.

Every time the news comes on and reminds me that I still don't have a job and mostly likely won't have one for a really long time... I just want to shop more and spend more. Maybe my spending habits will save the economy. I've certainly had enough shoes sitting in my living room to open my own shop. I also know that the UPS guy saves my house for last... he rarely makes it here before seven.

My husband is convinced that my shopping habits are keeping the poor UPS guy from his family. Does anyone know how that works? Do they have to finish their deliveries before they go home? Maybe my guy just has a late shift. How do they determine how long the UPS guy works?

It's not quite as bad as it sounds.... honest. I've sent almost every pair of shoes back to the store. I am actually resisting quite well. If I had a kid... they could've built a whole series of forts out of the shoeboxes... but I sent them ALL back. Thank goodness for free shipping!

Is anyone else finding it harder to resist all the deals the stores are throwing out at us? Is it just me?

What's your platform?

2008-11-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Chinese Laundry - Bounty. Available at Piperlime.com

Ooh... these definitely have style. Plus, I love the platforms which give me height without bending my feet too far out of whack! What's amazing to me - is that even my man likes them. You have no idea how rare that is.

Gladiator

2008-10-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Nine West - Heech. Available at Endless.com

I don't care for flat gladiator's. They just make my feet look big, but these looked great on me! Plus, the leather's incredibly soft and comfortable.

Unfortunately, I had to send them back since they're just a bit too tall for me to actually walk in. If only they were just a half-inch shorter.

Lightning Strike

2008-10-24T23:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how well my day went!

I didn't feel like going to class today... and then the office called to say it was cancelled for the afternoon.

I didn't feel like going downtown for a meeting... and then the meeting got moved until next week.

I've never won any raffles, giveaways or lotteries... not even when I skewed them in my favor by buying a ton of tickets and throwing them all in the box, BUT today I won the Snippet & Ink giveaway!!!

Thanks so much for picking me, Kathryn! I absolutely adore this Miss Loretta hairpiece from Chelsea over at Oh, My Deer. Isn't it lovely? I can't wait to wear it out on the town.

I even got to have dinner at my favorite restaurant tonight!

I feel like I've been struck by a giant lightning bolt of good luck. I just can't stop smiling!

Love Report

2008-10-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Report - Claudia. Available on Endless.com

I'm in love with this shoe. It would be even cuter on my feet. Too bad there aren't any my size. * sniffle *

One Thing

2008-10-16T11:47:00.001-07:00

Spotted on the SCOOP. Sold on Pretty Bitter.

I'll finally be able to finish everything on my to-do list for once.