The Misplaced Shoe Challenge

I wasn't terribly creative with my character outfit this week, but I very much liked the outcome.

My blog title probably gave away my character fairly easily, but just to be clear, this week, I was:

Cinderella! Cinderella is actually Amiee's very favorite one, but I happened to have the blue shirt in my closet. :) I thought it was interesting that this became one of my favorite outfits so far this year, and I wore it to work on a day when the school was practically dead, as all of the students are gone. Timing is my strong suit, apparently.

Character: Cinderella from Cinderella


Outfit:
*White cardigan is a gift from Mom for my birthday.
*Blue cami is from NY & Co. 2011.
*Denim trousers are from Loft 2011.
*Silver sandals/glass slippers are from Rack Room Shoes 2010.
*Pearl-y jewelry from...a lot of different places.

Disneybound inspiration board:

This upcoming week is out last week of Leading Ladies. Who knows what will come next... Any summertime requests?


Images from here and here.

Our Pre-Boston Boston

Brad and I headed north last week to scout out apartments. It was, honestly, mostly depressing and discouraging for the first two days of our three-day stay. We had a pretty specific budget to work with, so granted, our options were limited from the beginning. The lowest end of things rang in around $1500 a month for a two-bedroom. Big cities think mighty highly of their housing options.

Things we kept in mind while searching:
1. Are heat and hot water included in the stated price?
2. Is parking included?
3. Are there laundry facilities in the building?
4. How close is it to public transit?
5. What floor is it on and how will that affect moving our stuff into/out of the unit? (This was something mostly I was thinking about, but I thought it was fairly legit.)

We saw probably around 10ish different places and actually ended up going with the very first apartment we saw. We've wondered amongst ourselves as to why we even bothered looking at other options after seeing the first place (it was by far the most inexpensive, most convenient, largest-within-our-price-range, and had the nicest landlady). The answer: we would have no idea of how lucky we are if we hadn't seen all of the other places to provide comparison.

With maybe one exception, most places we viewed were not clean (tenants' fault, I know, but it definitely affects how you view the place), most were at the very upper/outer end of our budget, several had no laundry facility in the building (which, I realize, is a way of life for millions in this world...but if we had other options, I saw no reason we shouldn't take them.), and a few were not close to public transportation. It was an exercise in frustration, to say the least.

And, it rained a lot. Boo.

I like to consider myself a fairly decent adventurer, so I was extremely disappointed in myself for not being excited about moving/living in Boston. The truth was, though...I did NOT feel like moving to the dirty squalor of the apartments we looked at.

God is good, though, and the dark clouds passed- literally and figuratively. We signed a lease for a bargain of an apartment. If it were a house, we'd probably call it somewhat of a "fixer-upper." It's very quirky (in a good, fun way), and Brad and I are already planning for adjustments we can make (you know, with a renter's arsenal of small nails, Command strips, and no paint). I even started a Pinterest inspiration board.

To cap off our whirlwind hunting trip, we joined the graduate Theology students at Top of the Hub (a restaurant located at the top of the Prudential building) and got glorious, panoramic views of Boston, as well as met a few new acquaintances and future classmates of Brad's. It was a fun time.

I'm definitely planning to document the design changes that will occur in our new place. Here's hoping Pinterest doesn't fail me!

Preconception Clarifications and Reality Checks

Brad and I spent a good chunk of last week in Boston, looking for an apartment. I have much to say about our visit, but here are just a few preconception clarifications and reality checks gathered during our time:

1. Apparently, folks don't make up their beds. Or clean the kitchen or put away scandalous underwear. Even when their apartment is going to be shown to potential renters. I get that it's not the same as trying to sell your own house, but still...

2. Cleaning the bathroom is entirely optional. Ewwwww. Gross.

3. Folks are actually far more friendly than your average Southern gives them credit for. In our brief 3 days of apartment hunting, the majority of people we encountered were not only civil but really quite nice and helpful. Granted, we didn't meet everyone in Boston. :) We did, however, get a wide and varied sampling, and we met a lot of kind people.

4. There are a lot of harsh accents. I'm guessing, though, that depending on how much you care about the person, those become easier to overlook. And, they can be a bit amusing at times.

5. The Boston College campus is lovely. It's all Hogwart-ish and beautiful.

6. Things are far less convenient than when living in the South. It reminds me very much of living in Ukraine; you know, where you buy only what you can carry and you travel a lot by foot.

7. Parking is a nightmare. Seriously. I'm probably going to have nightmares about parking for the next year.

8. I do think it's rather true that most people are social drinkers. We were very much an oddity at an event we went to...we were the only ones ordering Coke. Awkward face...

9. Public transportation IS very much a way of life. I do appreciate a public transportation lifestyle most of the time. The train stop is about 50 yards from the front door of the apartment we rented. Yay, us!

10. People do eat organic and recycle a lot. They also HATE Wal-Mart. With a passion.

More to come on our visit. It was an adventure.

Pre-Conceptions: True or False

Having grown up and lived most of my life in the deep South, I definitely have pre-conceptions of what life in Boston and Bostonians themselves are like. I've been to Boston once (and had a few of these pre-conceptions confirmed), but I haven't spent any remarkable amount of time in New England. I'm guessing most of my ideas have been formed thanks to movies, tv, books, and hearsay. I'm really interested to see if I'm proven right or wrong. Here are a few pre-conceptions that are whirling around in my mind:

1. Absolutely everyone has a grating and harsh accent.
The one time I was previously in Boston, I had an embarrassing interaction with a cashier at Burger King, wherein I understood nothing he said, and he looked at me like I was an uneducated red neck.

2. People don't smile or chat with folks they don't know.
If that's the case, I got used to it in Ukraine, so I figure I'll re-grow my tough skin and live with it again.

3. The fall foliage is beautiful.
I certainly hope this is true.

4. Everyone eats crab and drinks alcohol in Irish pubs.
I got sick from crab once...I haven't been a fan since.

5. There are fascinating historical sites every time you turn around.
I'm fairly certain this one is at least partially true.

6. Public transportation is a way of life.
Again, it's the Ukrainian way. I can get on board (har har). I just don't like hauling groceries that way.

7. Lots of beans.

8. Crazy excitement during baseball season.
Brad's actually really looking forward to this.

9. People eat organic and recycle a whole lot more than in TN.
I'm almost 100% positive this one is true. I'll definitely like that.

10. Famous people can be spotted.
I have no idea if this is true, but in my head, we'll bump into Matt Damon and Ben Affleck occasionally. I'll keep you posted.

Anyway, it should be fun to find out how accurate (or inaccurate) my pre-conceptions are.*

*Note: I am fully aware that many of my pre-conceptions are written in absolutes, thus ensuring that I will be proven wrong. However, wouldn't we all be disappointed if I didn't hyperbolize??

The Sugar-y Challenge

I'm a little late getting this one posted, but I have a good reason: Brad and I spent the last week in Boston looking for an apartment. You better believe that there will be posts about that experience.

Here was last week's outfit:

Forgive my poor posture and cheesy smile. It was one of those mornings... Also, I was having trouble deciding which leading lady to go with, mentally restricting myself to princesses. Then, I had a great thought that led me to...

Mary Poppins! She's Disney and a Leading Lady. Winner!

Character: Mary Poppins from Mary Poppins

Outfit:

*Blue shrug from Papaya 2010

*White shirt from NY & Co. 2011

*Gray pants from NY & Co. 2010

*Spoon bracelet from about a bazillion years ago...or maybe just high school graduation (2003).

*Spoon from the cutlery drawer.

*Red flower from the CCC ladies craft exchange at Christmas. My friend, Janie, made it!

*Black shoes (not pictured, obviously) are from Clark's, but they were a hand-me-down of Mom's (thanks, Mom!)

Disneybound inspiration board:

This one was pretty easy for me to pull off without too much trouble. Woo hoo! I have a red purse, but I didn't have time to switch all of my stuff over from purse to purse. Drat.

Have a happy Sunday night.

Images from here and here.

Birthday superlatives!

Birthday 2012 was a huge success! Not only did I successfully complete another year of life, I had a great showing of love and support from family and friends. I felt very loved. Very very.

My parents and grammy were actually up for an ensemble concert of Amiee's, so they were a part of the birthday fun. My morning actually began with a doctor's appointment (nothing major...orthopedist for a cyst on my wrist. Don't get worried or excited.), so I didn't get into work for a few hours. When I did, Amiee had DECKED OUT my office with balloons, streamers, and signs! I'll include a picture of that soon (sorry it didn't make it into this post!), because it was awesome. People were stopping by all day long to check it out.

My parents took us (Amiee, Brad, and me) to lunch at Picasso's, which is a fantastic pizza place, where we also had cake. We had Mexican for dinner and finished off the evening with Amiee's concert. Oh. My. It was wonderful. Maybe I'll include a video, if you're very good.

I also got quite a few lovely goodies! I thought I'd present them in superlative form, for your reading enjoyment:

Most travel-esque: 
Mom and Dad got me an awesome travel bag that has a panel that lets you slip it easily over the handle of a rolling carry-on. Love it! I also got a travel wallet and a set of Boston City Walks. We can't wait to put those to use!

Most likely to turn into a date night:

Amiee got me this great bin full of snacks and The Help. Have you seen it? If not, you should. Even better, you should READ it. It's fabulous. Thanks, Amiee!

Most creative and best-friend-like:

Kat is the best of friends. She really is. She will literally travel to wherever I am to hang out with me (if you haven't checked out any of our Ukrainian adventures, may I suggest this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and THIS for a recap? There's some good stuff there. Anyway, she came to spend a birthday weekend with me, and my gift was a super set of special Erin and Kat stationery: blackmail letter stickers, map envelopes, and an invisible ink pen (with black light attached!). Can't wait to put it to use! You're the best, Kat. 

Most likely to benefit the 2012 Challenge:

Kylie and Kyleigh (I have several precious Kylie/leighs in my life) both contributed to my potential character paraphernalia! I love the colors and the textures. Can't wait to wear them! Love you, girls!

Most sacrificial gift:

My sweet Iranian friend gave me this gift of necklace and earrings...from her own jewelry box. I've told her several times how much I liked them/how cute they are, and she decided to give them to me. Made me tear up a bit.

Most likely to make us feel like we're in Mexico:

My in-laws gave me something I've had my eyes on for a while: tortilla maker! I canNOT wait to try it out. Gracias!!

I don't have a picture of my Brad gifts, but I'll get one at some point. It was a very blessed and wonderful birthday! And, if you come over, maybe I'll make you some tortillas. Or we'll watch The Help. Or something along those lines.

Happy Wednesday. :)

The Birthday Hair Brushing Challenge

Amiee and I are in full "Leading Ladies" swing this month. This week, we did something special; because it was my birthday today, I put in some requests for characters. Here's me:

Guesses?

Rapunzel! Wait...let's try this version to see if you can visualize it better...

That's more like it. How good was Tangled?? I absolutely love it. So, in view of that, I enlisted the assistance of Brad and Amiee to complete the effect! Taken from this scene (ignore the foreign subtitles), I give you my assistants:

Check that smolder! And the satchel. He's channeling Flynn.

Looks just like him, right?

And how great is Amiee's Pascal shoulder-perch?

Technically, in this shot, he's perched on her knee, but that's really neither here nor there.

AND how about her Pascal-awakening skills? (Note: if you haven't seen the movie and didn't follow the link I posted above, you might want to do either of those options now in order to better understand this picture. Just sayin'.)

Group shot! It didn't work out so well for Brad...er...Flynn. Kinda like the Kingdom's attempts to capture his likeness.

Just can't ever get it quite right. Sheesh.

Character: Rapunzel from Tangled


Outfit:
*Purple ruffly shirt from Ross 2010
*Flower sweater from Target 2011
*Denim trousers from Ann Taylor Loft 2011
*Not pictured: green polka dotted flats from Old Navy 2007 (The shoes didn't exactly tie in, but they seemed whimsical, so I went with it!)

Disneybound inspiration board:

I realize that my outfit doesn't really look much like this one, but I DID manage to pull together floral (in my sweater), purple (under-the-sweater shirt), jeans, and flats.

Just for kicks, this is probably my favorite scene in the movie. I should really learn all of the words to the song, because I basically only know the part about brushing and brushing and brushing...that gets old after a short while. I'm sure Rapunzel would agree. :)


Hope you enjoyed the group effort! Be sure to check out Amiee's post. She ROCKED hers this week. People were coming up and guessing who she was on the spot. Many thanks to Brad and Amiee! You really really love me.


Images from here, here, here, here, and here. 

Pen Pal

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at my friend, Kari's, blog. I've known Kari for about 9 years now and have followed her blogs from Senegal, the U.S., France, and now Senegal again. She has a list on the sidebar of her blog of other ex-pat friends from around the globe; I know some of these folks and some I don't. I've been checking out the blogs of those I know over the past few years, but recently, I branched out and read one that I hadn't read before: Shawn & Jenn in the Village.

I immediately loved it. They're in Senegal (the southern part...like the part of Senegal that goes under the Gambia), and her style is so fun and cute. I started going back through their archives and reading a bit about their lives and kept thinking, "I bet we would be friends if we knew each other."

So you know what I did?

I was very creepy and sent her a Facebook message.

Yes, I really did that.

And you know what? It turned out so well- she actually wrote me back AND wasn't creeped out. We started writing back and forth, and now I have a virtual pen pal. I love Senegal whole-heartedly, and it is so fun to have yet another friend (if I may be so bold) whose life I can follow as she (and her husband) sojourns there. If you get a chance, go give her a read. And, I bet if you're brave and send her a message, she'd write you back. ;)

The Dangerous Snacking Challenge

This week's character is from a movie that TERR-I-FIED me as a child. I just couldn't handle it. I still don't like it, truth be told. However, the heroine was the perfect start for this month's theme.

Did you guess it? One of my students actually came up and asked me if I was...

Snow White! I think the sleeves of my shirt probably tipped her off. They're pretty poofy, as Brad called them. Amiee and I decided that May would be Leading Ladies month. Amiee is PUMPED; the princesses are her favorites. I like them, too, but my wardrobe is less suited to them than Amiee's. (Remember how my clothes are a little more villain, a little less princess?)

Character: Snow White

Outfit:
*Blue, poofy-sleeved shirt from...Kohl's? It's from 2010ish, I think. I'm really drawing a blank on this shirt...
*Red cami from NY & Co. circa 2008.
*Yellow belt from Kyleigh last year.
*Necklace from the Easter bunny. :)
*Red shoes that aren't pictured from Target, post-tornado 2008.

Disneybound inspiration board:

There were actually quite a few boards for Snow White (apparently she's a popular gal). I think the point was to get the blue/yellow/red/white combo. Check.

This upcoming week is birthday week! I already know which leading lady I want to be. Any guesses? (Amiee, you can guess.)


Images from here and here.

I wonder about myself sometimes.

Something weird has been happening to me recently. Something that seems out of place, given where I am in life. It's been weighing on my hugely for about a month now.

I'm severely homesick for Ukraine.

What?

It's true. Even though I've been back in the States for almost 2 years now (HOW did that happen?), I feel like I'm all of a sudden doing a lot of the processing that I guess I never did when I first returned. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that we're about to move or what, but it's making me legitimately sad on a regular basis. Is it normal to process a transition like this so long after the fact?

Some of the things I've been missing most:

Relationships. I miss my friends. Nastia, Ira, Tanya, Maya, Vika, Nataly. I miss them all.

Memory-making (for lack of a better word). I have extremely fond memories of time spent walking all over Poltava, eating ice cream in the underground mall, visiting for the weekend with other IMB folks, going on mystery excursions with Nastia, participating in outings with the youth group, watching movies with friends in my house, working alongside the Rowlands. Some of those memories became somewhat transformative in my life.

Food. I have several Ukrainian comfort foods: pelmeni, goluptsi, and vareneki come to mind immediately.

I miss my apartment; it was a hub for lots of gatherings and heart-to-heart conversations. I miss my church (even though the constant Russian made my head hurt). I miss the paths I would walk to my various destinations. I miss celebrating all the holidays in May.

Even before we had decided on our next big move (Boston), I started feeling the heaviness of missing Ukraine. Maybe there's a name for this syndrome/disorder/complex? Perhaps the two-years-later-time-release-syndrome or the can't-seem-to-untangle-the-past-from-the-present disorder or maybe the Facebook-makes-me-miss-Poltava-so-much-that-I-can't-look-at-pictures complex.

If anybody else is suffering from TYLTRS or CSTUTPFTPD or FMMMPSMTICLAPC, don't worry. I'm working on a remedy. So far, all I have is the must-go-back-think-Brad-will-mind? solution.

It's a work in progress.

Or perhaps I'm the work in progress...