Thank you all for saying such sweet things. I have a lot to think about it seems. Also for those of you who are interested *cough*over-thinker*cough* I really don’t think my purse is going to sell so be sure to stop by the site on Saturday to find out about my new contest. Even if you don’t like the purses there are 3 runner-up prizes which might be of interest to you.

Today I need you to help me from the goodness of your heart.

Some of you might remember last year when Kasey and I went on our first date to Buddakan. Well I just found out that Kasey is taking me on a secret anniversary trip to Philadelphia. Most of the trip is going to be a surprise to me, but I do know she will be taking me back to Buddakan to celebrate spending our first year together.

Sounds nice, rught? Well upon thinking about what fancy outfit I would wear I realized that down to the shoes it would be the same exact outfit I wore last year. Not good.

I ended up going to Target to find a new outfit with my birthday gift certificates and I found a great simple black cocktail dress. (Never mind that it’s a maternity dress. Sometimes us chunkfabulous girls shop in that section. They so nicely put it right next to our section and all.)

Here is the dress:

heres the link to it

Now I need to figure out what to wear with it. That is where you can come in!

I want the accessories to look expensive, but not actually be expensive. I’m open to also making it pop with any color combination.

I have a pair of bright red patent flats from Target.

I also have black heels with a rhinestone buckle on the front.

(I can’t find a picture of these. I’ll update with one if I do. They have a thick 2″ heel and they are the sort that don’t have any straps just the bottom part. What do they call that? A mule?)

I might be going to Avenue tonight where I will check out this one and this one.

I am open to suggestions.

Here is what I need from the shoes:

• The shoes need to be comfortable. I am a lesbian so I live in birkenstocks, Uggs, Crocs and all those ugly shoes. I will also be walking around the city in them a bit. I have done that in the shoes above. Those Cloudwalkers fit great. I’m just saying that I am not from the pain=beauty persuasion.
• While heels can be fun flats are also good for me. Kasey is shorter than me and I’m weird about my height anyway.
• They also need to be on the cheap. Under $20 would be great. I could go a little above if they were really great.

Also all my fancy handbags are black. I have a suede one that is burgundy, but I don’t think it is fancy enough and a bright pink one that is definitely not fancy enough. My smaller black bag has gold hardware and the bigger one has silver. I can post pictures if needed.

What I need from the purse:

• Cute and stylish.
• Goes well with outfit.
• Cheap.
• Colorful? Maybe? For a purse it would be nice if it could bring some color, but I am fine with using one of my black ones and letting the jewelry be brighter.

(See how easy it can be to end up in an all black outfit?)

Jewelry? I don’t wear it! I’m at such a loss. I wear the same necklace daily. (Please don’t bring up the fact that I used to sell jewelry if you have been reading me that long. I BSed the whole time.

I would like necklace, earrings, and maybe a bracelet. I am putting the ball in your court with this one. I could wear my shoes I already have and the bag I already have and you could find me something cool, trendy, fancy, colorful and fun. Tall order? Under $50 for everything would be superb. If it’s really nice show it to me anyway.

I’m really open to any and all suggestions from you guys. I just want to look nice. I can also put these things on and take a picture if you need to see what I am talking about. Let me know.

I think today is a good example of why I am making paper cranes. Today I made the painful decision to list my #1 favorite purse of all time on Ebay. My unnatural love for that purse is sick. The fact that I feel intense anxiety right now about having it listed for anyone to snatch up and the fact that I feel like I could burst into tears really solidify this craziness.

Side note: If you are at all interesting in this bag and you would really love it seriously shoot me an email and I might make you a deal. I really want it to go to a good home more than I want the money. I also want to make a video of me and the purse running through a field of wildflowers. I want to take the purse out on the town. I want to rub it against my face.

I decided to sell it because my ex bought it for me for my birthday a few years ago and it just feels like something I should let go of. I don’t feel like I should keep something that has so many memories tied into my past life. Why oh why didn’t I purchase that purse for myself?

I suppose it is something I need to let go of and move on. It’s not like it is my only COACH purse….it’s just the perfect size and shape and color. I can not have a nervous breakdown over a purse, you guys. I just can’t.

As God is my witness they’re not going to get me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never have to sell a purse again. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be purseless again!

Too dramatic?

UPDATE: I decided that if the purse doesn’t sell it’s going to be one of my August Giveaways here on the site. Did I mention I am doing a bunch of giveaways this month? Well I am! Aren’t you (few) people who read my site lucky. Hey! Less readers = Less competition for you, right?

So somehow I got to reading some of the history behind making 1,000 paper cranes and now I have it in my head that this is something that I need to do. Great. I don’t even know how to make one paper crane, let alone 1,000! I have tried a few of the tutorials, but to no avail. I’m not giving up though. I want to get some origami paper and just do this. It’s supposed to be a healing process and they say that if you make 1,000 paper cranes you’ll be granted a wish.

Now, I don’t really buy into that. I just have a little feeling inside telling me this is something I should do and I honestly don’t have that feeling very often.

Yes people, this is my big announcement. I’m a little bit crazy and I think that making a fucking huge mass of paper birds is going to help me deal with all my inner emotional shit. We’ll see. I’ll keep you updated!

Hey last year around this time I was losing my hair from stress…so this is an improvement, no?

UPDATE: Wal*Mart doesn’t sell origami paper. I found this out after dragging Kasey out at 11:00 pm last night. Tonight before we go to the release party for that new Stephanie Meyer book we’re going to drop by Target and possibly A.C. Moore. Kasey thinks I am on the nutty side, but is supportive nonetheless. Her quote, “But where are you going to put them?”

UPDATE: Using this link I was finally able to make one!!!! I made it out of a picture in a magazine to save paper. What do you think? Not horrible for my very first one, right?

Remember a while back when I ordered those free cupcakes off of Etsy and encouraged you to do the same? Well those came in July 5. Also while I was in the middle of my period so the timing was perfect. They were from Cupcake Revolution on Etsy.

**I didn’t take any pictures of these because I was sick with cramps and to interested in eating them**

First up was Old School Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Icing. Oh yes. I was going straight for the one with the most intense chocolate experience. This was a really really good cupcake. It was moist and the frosting was perfect.

The next one I tried was the Old School Chocolate Cake and Strawberry Icing. This is a combination I had never tried before. Why have I never tried this combination before?! It was SO good. People! Please do yourselves a favor and try a cupcake in this combination. I dare say it might be one of my favorite cupcake flavorings ever? Perhaps it was the hormones talking.

The last one I had several days later and it was the Pina Colada. This one was my favorite. The cake was very moist, the icing was delish and so was the pineapple filling. Yum!

The shipping on these took a while, but she did take a huge amount of orders and they were free. The owner was very gracious and nice on our Etsy conversations and I recommend her cupcakes they were very good. She is also having a promotion for 10% all orders at her shop and my order also came with a coupon for 15% off a future order. Oh! She also included a little ice pack to keep your cupcake cool at no extra cost!!

P.S. - Don’t you DARE bring up the correlation between my two cupcake posts and the post about my body being a figure 8 shape. I got it already.

Don’t get dirty on me.

So many of you know that I have been trying to do better for the environment. I even entered that Green Faces of LUSH contest a few months back. (I LOST by the way in case you were wondering.) In any case many of the items I normally use are already green. I use all LUSH and Duross & Langel body products so I’m good there. Deodorant was the last body item for me to change and once I found the perfect brand in the perfect scent (Duross & Langel in Moroccan Cedar!) I was all set.

Next I suppose had to be my mouth. First of all my least favorite part of my whole body (oh yes, my whole chunktastic body) is my mouth. For reals! Because I have crooked teeth despite EIGHT YEARS of dental appliances as a child. I wore a retainer for 4 years and then braces for another 4. My teeth are still crooked and apparently my mouth is too small. (Stay with me!) Also they aren’t very white. For years and years I NEVER opened my mouth to smile. Lately though I have chosen to let go and become one with my smile. I think that happened about a year ago when I got so much to smile about. So I am beginning to come to terms with it. However, I still say if I were to get plastic surgery on any part of my body I would get those fancy porcelian veneers.

I have been reading a lot of very scary articles about toothpaste. So, I thought I would stop using commercial toothpaste and start using the alternative brand available at Target which is, Tom’s of Maine. Except then I started finding many articles about the dangers of fluoride! So that was out too.**

After quite a bit of searching I came across different toothpowders and then found that some were being sold on Etsy. After reading through information about several different kinds and reading through feedback on the products I finally chose Myrrh Himalayan Toothpowder from GoddessNaturals. I enjoyed the possible added healing properties of the myrrh and the other people who had tried her products really seemed to like them. (She has unflavored too, but I have to be odd and choose myrrh.) I got it in yesterday and I have used it three times since then. It doesn’t have a good taste at all. Well…I mean it’s salt based and I hate saltiness so that’s a little rough. It’s actually sort of fun to use and it doesn’t give my mouth that heavy feeling I get with using pastes. I actually feel like I am cleaning my teeth instead of just rubbing stuff on them. I also like that there really isn’t an aftertaste. You know how with toothpaste your mouth is super minty for a while afterwards? I hate that. I hate mint. So this just made my mouth feel fresh, clean and happy. I am absolutely happy with it. The seller also was super nice and shipped it out to me very quickly because I wanted it in time for my trip. Lovely seller to work with.

Now for my toothbrush. I pretty much use whatever is cheapest, but I do change my brushes pretty often. (Well actually even less often than you should. I get a new one every 6 months.) While at Target last night (see a pattern here?) I picked up my normal $.97 toothbrush and remembered that Kasey and I had gotten a double pack together so I suggested she get a new one too. Well she apparently needs to use one with soft bristles. Of which they had no super cheap ones. I was drawn to a cool looking soft one and when I picked it up I realized it was one of those awesome recycled ones!

The company is called Preserve and they have a lot of awesome products. I let you read more about it on that toothbrush link up there. I had to get one for each of us! I am LOVING mine so far. It works great with my new toothpaste and the container is comes in is actually a case for it, which is amazing for my upcoming trip. The cap is also the perfect size to measure my new toothpowder out for use. It could not have worked out better. Also once I am done with the toothbrush instead of throwing it away I can send it back to them to be recycled again! I just love it and recommend is so much. At Target it was about $2 so it’s pretty much the same price as the normal toothbrushes. Now if Target could only stock these awesome razors I would be set. I think my razor is the only body item I use now that isn’t green***. (Plus it’s one of those damn lady schicks or whatever and it totally cuts up my legs every single time. When I use my brother’s facial razor I’m fine. What’s the deal? Girl razors suck.)

I think that is all I have to say about that. I’m super jazzed and my mouth is chemical free and cleaner feeling than it has been in a long time. Hoorah!

Also if you are more interested in the company that makes my new toothbrush they have a great 3 minute movie on their website here.

*Did you know that I love exclamation points? Yeah, they are by far the best for of punctuation. EVER. I also exclaim a lot in real life so it’s totally fitting.****

**Please know I am just talking about things I have found that work for me. I am not endorsing other products I just like to talk about things that I love and I certainly don’t judge anyone who doesn’t use the products I use. Kasey still uses normal toothpaste too! I’m just weird.

***Well besides perfume. Shh!

****Did you notice that lately I have been putting a * by things and forgetting to add the addendum at the bottom? I suck. Whatevs! (That was for you Loralee.)

The concept:

1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Using only the first page, pick an image.
3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).

My Answers:

1. What is your first name? Angela
2. What is your favorite food? Catfish and greens
3. What high school did you go to? Pocono Mountain West
4. What is your favorite color? Red and Yellow
5. Who is your celebrity crush? T.R. Knight
6. Favorite drink? Vanilla Coke
7. Dream vacation? Hawaii
8. Favorite dessert? Fried Ice Cream
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Women’s Studies Professor
10. What do you love most in life? Kasey
11. One Word to describe you. Amazed
12. Your flickr name. SparklieSunShine

If you haven’t done this yet please do so and leave me a link in the comments letting me know. These are so fun and interesting to look at!

I got this idea from Rhi of www.rhiinpink.com

I lose things a lot. In the long list of things I have lost over the course of my life my Tiffany necklace shows up repeatedly. I don’t know why I have such disdain for the things I adore that I would consistently lose track of them. I used to say I was thankful my car is so large that I couldn’t lose it, but then there was that time I completely forgot whose house I left it at. So for the second time since I gleefully purchased it on my 21st birthday I lost my Tiffany Starfish necklace*.

The first time I lost it I had a sort of Carrie moment. Remember (if you watched it) when Carrie was with the Russian and she found her Carrie necklace in her purse, it has gotten stuck behind the ripped silk? Well when I was moving out after my break-up and getting settled in my parent’s house I found my necklace! It was behind somethings on my TV stand. I have no idea how it got there. Finding it gave me back my sense of self and made me feel like everything would be alright.

This time I was cleaning out my car and I found it loose in a box full of random crap. I can’t believe even after losing it before I was so careless with it. Never again. This is one of my most prized possessions and from now on I am going to make sure I treat it as such.

Weird that I found it almost exactly a year later from when I found it the first time. I think I find it when I need it the most as corny and stupid as that sounds.

It’s once again gracing my neck where it belongs.

* Holy crap. The price on this has gone up a lot in 3 years! I bought this for $295 which is still a lot, but it is $375 now. Yeah…it wouldn’t be mine if it has cost that much then.

I have spent a few hours looking at pictures of curvy girls looking amazing in dresses. Amazing! I have been wearing a much joked about “uniform” of blue jean skirt with top since 2004, for reals. I buy many other items of clothing, but I hate feeling uncomfortable in my clothing and most other items I own make me feel uncomfortable.

I have to figure out a way to change this. Perhaps have a massive wardrobe sale on eBay?

I mean look at this woman. Does she not look amazingly cute in her dresses and cardigans? Man. I think it gets my attention because she dresses in EXACTLY my style and she looks pulled together and gorgeous.

I usually feel like Toula from My Big Fat Greek Wedding before the make-over. I’m frump girl. Don’t tell Kasey I said that either because she always thinks I look well dressed and beautiful and while I love her for that I feel like I should be doing better.

My wardrobe gets the crap worn out of it. I have about 7 of the same exact ill-fitting horizontal striped shirts in different colors. I just need something different. I need a change and I’m not sure how to get there.

This has been a pretty dark year for me. I am happy, but some things have weighted on me and I am not the giddy person I used to be.

I really want to get back there. I think better clothing and more self-confidence will help get me there.

And also perhaps more sleep. I haven’t gone to sleep before 1:00 am any night this week and I have to be to work at 9. This doesn’t lead to a happy, shiny demeanor for me at work.

So that is one of my new goals. To create a new wardrobe for myself with no money and absolutely no sewing talent. This should be fun!

First and foremost I am in a contest to win money for rabbit rescues at (my favorite store ever) LUSH. If you could please vote for me and encourage others to do the same I would be forever thankful! Back to our regularly scheduled entry.

Kasey and I have actively been attempting to live our lives a little bit greener. At the same time we have also been striving to make our teeny living quarters more organized and give us the most storage room for our space. These two ideas have been a bit counter productive. As always Target seems to benefit most from our consumerism.

Things we have been doing better for the environment:

1. Trying to buy recycled as much as possible. This includes notebook filler paper, office supplies, etc… I have been avidly reading labels and finding out where everything has come from and what it is made of. I have also been reading up on better renewable resources that are on the rise.

2. Taking shorter showers (shocking!) and using water that is still nice and warm, but not steaming hot. I am also trying to no longer let the shower or sink run while I do my daily business. (You know what I mean.)

3. Washing our clothing in cold water wasn’t hard b/c I already do that to avoid fading and shrinking. I have also been trying to pull clothing out of the dryer when they are still a tiny bit damp (maybe 10 minutes early) and hanging them to dry the rest of the way.

4. We recently switched our cleaning products to Method products that are nicer to the environment and not as harsh.

5. We have now gone officially plastic bag free and we now have a cute collection of reusable shopping bags. It has even been fun to collect the cutest ones we see. We are good on grocery shopping, but we still need to remember to bring them with us when we do other kinds of shopping.

6. We are also now going to strive to bring things that we use: plastic bags we accidentally get, glass bottles, plastic bottle, etc…to the local recycling center.

7. We are going to get organic sheets instead of regular cotton when we replace our sheet set this spring.

8. The shoes I buy from now on will be made from recycled/renewable materials.

Alright. I think that is everything. It’s been oddly easy and actually really enjoyable to research new efficent products to fit into our lives. I always thought being eco-friendly would be so difficult and expensive. I never had the recycling bug. Even when I was younger and most kids were crazy about getting there families to recycle I could care less. It just seems so important to me now.

Things we are having trouble with:

1. We keep buying plastic storage products. I can’t help it! They are so much cheaper than anything else and we really need to have storage in the room or we will both lose our minds. I guess we will just have to make sure these get to a recycling plant after we are done using them so that they don’t get sent to land-fills. Boo.

2. Cleaning = lots of garbage = lots of garbage bags = lots of wasted plastic. I haven’t found a good solution to this yet, but honestly I haven’t really researched it yet.

3. I am drinking out of a Styrofoam cup as I write this. Way to go!

4. Organic cotton/ Bamboo clothing? Great! Available in plus sizes? Not so much. (Unless I want to look like a crazed hippie in a muumuu) I’ll have to look into this further. Still most of my new clothing comes from Bitten at Steve & Barry’s mostly in part to their new sale where everything in the store is $8.95. (Even for jeans!)

5. We still drive a lot and even though we are sharing a car right now (just due to gasoline prices, my car is fine) I know it is something that I wish we had a way around.

Do any of you do the Color Me Happy Swaparooni? The theme for April-May is Organization. That is something Kasey and I could really use around here so I am in. I was just wondering if this is something any of you do also.

I don’t know if these swaps are right for me though. I just love the idea of getting something for someone and having them get a little something special for me. It’s not a selfish thing, just an excitement thing. Knowing that someone was thinking of me and buying something (no matter the price) just to make me smile. I don’t know where I am going with this…just something I have been thinking of.

I got my WordPress updated and my site is running normally. Hoorah! Now if only I could get the BlogFollow plugin to not be so huge.